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Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
Zimbabwe’s development trajectory will always be decided by its people.
We have the power to determine the effort required to reach our goals, and we are close to achieving them.
But there are, of course, alarmists who seek to create chaos, disrupt our progress and divert us from our path.
We will not be held hostage by those who have no idea of the sacrifices made to win our independence.
It was a long, hard-fought victory, and we lost a lot along the way.
There are always those who, out of excitement or misguided intentions, meddle in matters that do not concern them.
ZANU PF’s business is for those within the party and those aligned to it.
There is no reason why our affairs should concern those who have no vested interest in our ways and goals.
Our philosophy is grounded in peace, unity and development.
We deeply love Zimbabwe and will never act against the interests of our people or our nation.
It is unthinkable for ZANU PF to make decisions that could harm our beloved country.
What we see are desperate efforts by our detractors who are unable to accept that ZANU PF remains strong and popular nearly half a century after independence.
The secret to ZANU PF’s success, as outlined by our President and First Secretary, Dr ED Mnangagwa, lies in the fact that it is a mass party that has always been and will always remain connected to the people.
Despite the challenges we face, we have never wavered.
Our tragedy lies in the fact that many of our challenges are manufactured by those who want to see our country fail.
They are still pushing for regime change, but they have failed at every turn.
Our crime?
Implementing people-centred policies.
One of our most empowering actions in Zimbabwe’s history was reclaiming our land.
This bold move did not sit well with our detractors, who were outraged that we dared to take back what was rightfully ours.
They expected us to remain disconnected from the land that defines our identity.
When we challenged this, we were targeted.
Since then, our leaders, our party and our economy have borne the brunt of our detractors.
But despite these relentless efforts, ZANU PF has remained steadfast and unshaken.
We are calm amidst the raging storm.
We know who we are, we know our people and have faith and complete trust in them.
Now that we have empowered our people, our detractors have been relentless in trying to destabilise our nation through collapsing the economy.
These efforts are calculated to causing economic hardship in the hope that people will revolt against the Government.
Yet, time and again, these tactics have failed.
Zimbabweans are not fooled; they understand the love ZANU PF has for its people and have stood firm, defending the gains of the revolution. Just as we have in the past, we will continue to find the right solutions to counter the negative forces working against us.
Our people deserve praise for their resilience — they have stood with us through thick and thin, ensuring that their country does not fall into the wrong hands.
They are not easily swayed to act contrary to what is right.
To what end does sowing divisions benefit our nation?
As we prepare for the 21st National People’s Conference to be hosted by Bulawayo province, I assure you that ZANU PF remains strong, united and unmoved.
We are continuing on our path, pushing forward with our programmes and projects.
Accreditation of delegates for this year’s conference has already begun.
The upcoming National People’s Conference offers us the opportunity to reflect, deliberate and pass resolutions that will be implemented by our Government.
Having been given the mandate by the people to govern, ZANU PF must ensure that the Government implements its policies and programmes.
We will work to ensure that the resolutions from this year’s conference are robust and strong and will drive our development agenda forward.
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General of ZANU PF. He writes in his own capacity.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter