Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
ZANU-PF is determined to transform Matabeleland region and communities have been urged to rally behind the party’s developmental agenda, whose thrust is to leave no one behind.
The ruling party held its 19th Annual National People’s Conference from Tuesday to Saturday last week, which for the first time, will have resolutions included in the National Budget set to be announced by Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube later this month.
This will be the first time Zanu-PF conference resolutions are specifically considered for inclusion in the National Budget processes, although as the governing party, its input has always driven the Government’s policy direction.
In the past, only Government departments and some interest groups would have their resolutions included in the budgeting processes and Zanu-PF held its conference after the budget had been presented and adopted.
Officials said the new thrust of holding the conference before the national budget presentation shows that the ruling party wants to contribute much more to the budgeting processes in line with its electoral manifesto.
Economic development was among the major takeaways from the party’s national people’s conference.
This is in sync with what is obtaining on the ground, as Government has poured a lot of resources into infrastructural development in the
Matabeleland region and other parts of the country.
Some projects such as the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, Lupane Government Complex and Lupane Provincial Hospital in Matabeleland North had stagnated for years.
In Bulawayo, Ekusileni Medical Centre was reopened for the first time after several false starts, while in Matabeleland South, Government has started constructing the Tuli-Manyange Dam.
Once completed, the dam will create a green belt, improving livelihoods in drought prone Matabeleland South.
Government has also moved to integrate the marginalised San community into broader society to alleviate their poverty.
This is part of measures that no one is left behind as Zimbabwe forges towards Vision 2030.
In interviews yesterday, Zanu-PF leaders from Matabeleland region said the party’s conference resolutions reaffirmed its commitment to developing the country.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube said the conference was reinvigorating for party members and provided new impetus in the developmental agenda.
“The ball is now in our court; whichever resolution was made requires that we put our heads together. We need to keep pushing from all angles to develop the country and our region.
No one will come from somewhere to develop the country for us,” said Minister Ncube.
“If we take action, we won’t go wrong, but if we just say the resolutions were read and adopted and we do nothing, then we will have a problem.”
She said the nation needs to move and speak with one voice in tackling some problems bedeviling the country.
“Look at how we tackled Ekusileni Medical Centre; we all were speaking the same language that Ekusileni should be opened. We pressurised the powers-that-be and now we have it operational as a Covid-19 treatment centre.
The resolutions that were made are very solid and require that we work together and decide on the short-term, medium-term and long-term resolutions, and translate them into action.
The resolutions that were made were a game changer for Bulawayo, a game changer for Matabeleland and a game changer for the country.”
Her Matabeleland North counterpart and Zanu-PF provincial chairman, Minister Richard Moyo said the resolutions were consistent with the party’s manifesto of bringing development to communities.
“The resolutions made at conference have also reaffirmed that the party and Government should take developmental projects to communities in line with the party’s manifesto.
There is a strong resolution that we need to develop rural communities where most of our people reside and this will reduce the rural to urban migration. Hence, it is not surprising that resources are being channeled towards capital projects such as Gwayi-Shangani Dam,” said Minister Moyo.
“The project will create a greenbelt for the Matabeleland region and address food insecurity in the country. Even construction of the Government complex in Lupane will improve service delivery to communities. The party’s resolutions aim to address and transform our communities.”
He said Zanu-PF was also resolute that youth and women empowerment should be prioritised as they are key players in the development of the nation and to achieving Vision 2030.
Minister Moyo said the conference directed the party’s leadership to monitor Government projects as Zanu-PF sets the tone for national development.
Zanu-PF acting chairperson for Matabeleland South Cde Never Khanye said the ruling party’s conference was testimony that the country needs to leverage on employing technologies for economic development.
“We need to move with technology. We might be under the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused a lot of restrictions, but if we leverage on technologies, we can move the country forward.
Just holding the hybrid conference is one of the confirmations that Government programmes can also be advanced through utilising technology as a tool for development,” said Cde Khanye.
He said Zanu-PF members should serve as ambassadors for the ruling party.
“We can do so by outlining some of the projects that are being implemented by the party to transform lives. We have devolution programmes that are being implemented by the party. Schools, clinics and roads are being attended to across the country.
This is part of Zanu-PF’s agenda to transform communities and as Matabeleland South, we also have a role to play in the transformation of the country’s fortunes and achieving Vision 2030,” he said. — @nqotshili
Online Reporter