peterSimba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
THE ruling party Zanu-PF members at grassroots level in Bulawayo Province heeded the party’s call for gatherings to mark National Cell Day by successfully holding meetings yesterday.
All party members including the Presidium, Politburo members, Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers were expected to attend the meetings in their respective cells where meetings were chaired by cell chairpersons.
President Mnangagwa along with the First Family set the tone for the inaugural event at his party Cell structure in Kwekwe yesterday to kick-start National Cell Day, which will be celebrated annually by the party to strengthen its grassroots, organisational and mass mobilisation units.
Party members who attended the meetings were afforded the opportunity to better understand the role of the cell structure as a key organ within the party.
Other exercises included cell structure verification exercises, inspection of the cell register and confirmation of cell members who are registered in the national voters roll.
In Bulawayo, chaired by Cde Blessing Mbwanda, Cell One which is part of the Gleneagles District Area 1, the full complement of cell members that included Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Zanu-PF provincial member, Cde Emmanuel Sunduza, provincial youth league member, Cde Blessed Mushandu and district chairman, Cde Caleb Sengu were all present at the well-attended meeting.
All 50 members of the cell were present at the meeting that was held at Hartsfield Ground.
After members had acquainted themselves with the importance and role of the grassroots within the party, they also had an opportunity to sound out to their cell comrade, the Finance Minister on economic challenges affecting them.
At a cell meeting in West Sommerton, which is part of Area 5, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Bulawayo South Member of Parliament, Cde Raj Modi attended as did guest and provincial secretary for information and publicity, Cde Archie Chiponda.
The meeting was attended by 39 cell members.
At this cell meeting, Cde Chiponda explained the role and importance of the cell structure to Zanu-PF.
“Comrades, this is the beginning of a sustained vigorous membership recruitment and voter mobilisation exercise to boost the numbers of voters for the party going into the 2023 national election.
“The emphasis of today’s meeting is to explain the importance of the cell or village structure as the basic grassroots organisational and mobilisation unit of the Party.
“Political commissars from cells have to capture membership data of their cells and relay the information to the District Coordinating Committee (DCC) co-ordinators for onward transmission to the provincial and party headquarters.
This information will be used to compile a national membership database at the party headquarters,” added Cde Chiponda.
Cde Modi attended to some key concerns from the cell members in his capacity as the local Member of Parliament as well the Deputy Minister.
Cell members from the various cells across the province all called on the party to continue working towards rebuilding the country and its economy.
They also called on senior party and Government officials within their cells to remember the grassroots and take their messages to Government.
Cell members were unanimous in their support for the Second Republic’s efforts to manage the economic challenges, despite the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West. – @RealSimbaJemwa
Online Reporter