Online Reporter
Joseph Madzimure and Zvamaida Murwira
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has described the overwhelming endorsement of Constitution of Zimbabwe Act (Number Three), which introduced key reforms to the supreme law, as clear testament to the trust Zimbabweans have placed in Zanu PF to improve their quality of life and warned malcontents that they will be exposed and rejected.
Speaking at the 395th Ordinary Session of the Politburo yesterday, the President, who is also the revolutionary party’s First Secretary, said Zanu PF’s governance structures must intensify their work to expand national wealth and deliver tangible benefits to the people.
“Through the recent Constitutional Amendments, our beloved party membership and people of the motherland have bestowed immense trust on Zanu PF. It is, thus, incumbent on us to constantly enhance the manner we execute and dispense our weighty duties and responsibilities, in an ever-changing environment,” he said.
The upliftment of the lives of people, the President said, was the core aim and objective of his Government.
“So far, the national Vision 2030 is clearly articulated and being meticulously pursued. Going forward, our Party’s governance should do more to realise the intricate balance between expanding national wealth and the embedded objective of improving the wellbeing of our people,” he said.
Under the Second Republic, President Mnangagwa said, sustainable economic growth is increasingly evident in every sector.
He highlighted that mineral export earnings continue on an upward trajectory, with increased revenues as a direct result of value addition, beneficiation and investment being advanced by the Zanu PF-led Government.
“Likewise, the manufacturing, tourism and infrastructure development sectors, among others, have recorded higher contributions to overall Gross Domestic Product,” he said.
“The commendation of our reforms and macro-economic stability framework by the International Monetary Fund and the Staff Monitored Programme attest to the integrity of our policies and the economic fundamentals that we are implementing”.
Additionally, he said, Zimbabwe’s admission into the BRICS New Development Bank is a notable achievement that will widen the country’s access to alternative, long-term and sustainable development financing, under NDS-2.
President Mnangagwa said economic growth alone was not enough, but should respond to the people’s aspirations for a better life.
He said under the ‘Whole of Government and Society Approach’ being pursued by the Second Republic, officials from both Government and Party should regularly engage and visit stakeholders and communities at the grassroots level to have an appreciation of their challenges.
“As a people-centred party, we cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach to development, but tailor-make carefully assessed policies, projects, and programmes that meet local conditions to increase the pace at which we lift more of our people out of poverty, into a better standard of living,” said President Mnangagwa.
Against the positive economic trajectory, the President commended Zimbabwe for the peaceful environment that has enabled the country to flourish, but warned that there are some divisive elements bent on undermining political stability.
“Divisive narratives, hate and denigration of our national institutions, including machinations of whatever form, have no place in our modern and maturing constitutional democracy. Tingwarire vane mweya walegion. Isu seMusangano, nehurumende, takasvinura, tiri kukuonai. Counter-revolutionary and retrogressive elements, on whatever platform, must be exposed and rejected,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Preserving, safeguarding and protecting our peace, security, unity and development remains our collective moral and sacred duty; household by household and village by village. Munyika yedu yechipikirwa, Zimbabwe, iwe neni, tose tine basa.”
Turning to the forthcoming 23rd Zanu PF National People’s Conference to be held in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province later this year, President Mnangagwa said preparations were going on well.
He said the preoccupation on the conference was not the number of attendees, but the quality of deliberations.
“It is the policy output, resolution and impactful decisions we make, and how these will transform our economic, social and political landscape for the betterment of our nation. I appeal that we never lose sight of this fact,” said President Mnangagwa.
“To this end, I exhort party organs and Government Ministries to examine and track the implementation of conference and Congress outcomes, resolutions and decisions, ahead of this crucial annual gathering.”
He urged party organs and Government Ministries to examine and track the implementation of Conference and Congress outcomes, resolutions and decisions, ahead of this year’s conference, adding that the Standing Committees of the Central Committee should equally help in that regard.
“Through the Office of the Secretary General, I expect all resolutions and recommendations emanating from the Standing Committees and adopted by the Central Committee to be consolidated, processed and channelled through the appropriate Party and Government structures for implementation or review. Every Party decision should translate into practical steps that ultimately uplift the livelihoods of our people,” said President Mnangagwa.
He called upon all party organs and structures to ensure that resources were mobilised ahead of the conference.
“In doing so, everyone must strictly comply with the Guidelines for Receiving Donations, as recently circulated through the Secretary General’s Office. May I hasten to once again highlight that the Party is supreme over Government and over any individual member or group of members. The synergy between the Party and Government must help refine our collective efforts,” he said.
“Cadres deployed in Government, are directed to carry out their sacred responsibility by faithfully implementing Party policies and resolutions, with utmost diligence and patriotism. Any dissonance between Party policy decisions and the Government implementation agents is unacceptable.”
President Mnangagwa noted that the Politburo was being held as the country prepared to commemorate the National Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day next month.
“This period is, therefore, an opportune time for introspection and recalibration, with regard to the collective legacy we must bequeath to future generations. The rich history of our colossal revolutionary mass party Zanu PF, along with the social, economic as well as political evolution of the nation, is unique, and in most cases, without templates to understudy,” he said.
The meeting deliberated on various issues affecting the party and the nation and proffered solutions to improve the quality of lives.
