Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka
THE 23rd Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference comes at a pivotal moment in Zimbabwe’s economic transformation agenda, with the ruling party set to assess progress made under the Second Republic while mapping the next phase of the journey towards Vision 2030.
Scheduled for October at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) in Mashonaland West Province, the conference will be held under the theme: “From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Empowerment Towards Vision 2030.”
The theme carries a powerful political and economic message.
It signals a shift away from merely adopting resolutions towards a results-driven approach in which policies must translate into measurable gains in production, investment, industrialisation, employment and household incomes.
As provinces table their resolutions for consideration at the national conference, there is an equally important regional dimension that should not be overlooked.
Zimbabwe is preparing to host the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit in October and assume the chairmanship of the regional bloc.
The summit will be held under the theme: “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
The convergence of these two significant events presents Zimbabwe with a valuable policy opportunity.
The economic resolutions emerging from the Zanu-PF conference should not only address domestic priorities but also complement the three pillars underpinning the COMESA Summit theme: inclusive industrialisation, investment and regional integration.
This does not mean the ruling party’s conference should become a COMESA gathering.
Rather, it means Zimbabwe’s domestic economic agenda and its regional responsibilities should reinforce each other.
Zimbabwe cannot effectively champion industrialisation, investment and regional integration at the regional level if these priorities are not firmly embedded within its own development programme.
The challenge, therefore, is for the 23rd National People’s Conference to produce resolutions that give practical expression to these three pillars while advancing the country’s Vision 2030 objectives.
From resolutions to results
The conference theme is perhaps the clearest indication yet of the direction the ruling party intends to take.
Across the world, political parties and governments have produced resolutions, policies and development plans, but the true test has always been implementation.
A resolution has little value if it remains on paper. This is why the phrase “From Resolutions to Results” deserves particular attention. It places implementation at the centre of the national conversation.
For Zimbabwe, economic resolutions should increasingly be judged by their impact on the ground.
Do they result in new factories? Do they create jobs? Do they boost exports? Do they attract investment? Do they expand opportunities for small businesses? Do they improve productivity? Do they strengthen local value chains? And, crucially, do they enable Zimbabwean companies to compete effectively in regional markets?
These are the questions that should shape the economic resolutions presented to the conference.
Under President Mnangagwa, the Second Republic has placed economic transformation and empowerment at the heart of its development agenda.
Government has prioritised infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, mining expansion, value addition and beneficiation, industrial revival and empowerment programmes as part of efforts to attain upper-middle-income status by 2030.
The next phase, however, requires greater emphasis on competitiveness and market access. This is where COMESA becomes particularly relevant.
Inclusive industrialisation
The first major pillar of the COMESA theme is inclusive industrialisation. For Zimbabwe, industrialisation cannot simply mean reviving large factories in traditional manufacturing centres.
It must encompass the development of value chains across agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, energy, technology and other productive sectors.
Zimbabwe is richly endowed with natural resources, but the long-standing challenge has been ensuring those resources generate maximum value within the country.
Value addition and beneficiation must therefore remain central to economic policy. A mineral-rich nation should not be satisfied with exporting raw minerals when industries can be built around those resources.
The same principle applies to agriculture. Zimbabwe possesses enormous agricultural potential, but the greatest returns come when production is linked to processing, packaging, manufacturing, logistics and export markets.
This is where the COMESA market becomes important. Industrialisation should not be pursued solely with the domestic market in mind. Zimbabwean industries must be encouraged and supported to produce for regional markets.
Whether producing food products, pharmaceuticals, fertiliser, clothing, machinery or construction materials, local firms should view the wider COMESA market as part of their customer base.
The Zanu-PF conference should therefore consider resolutions aimed at strengthening productive capacity while ensuring local industries can compete regionally.
This requires addressing perennial constraints such as the cost of finance, energy shortages, infrastructure deficiencies, outdated machinery, skills gaps and the broader cost of doing business.
If Zimbabwe is to take full advantage of the COMESA market, its producers must be competitive.
Investment as a catalyst
The second pillar, investment, is equally critical. Industrialisation cannot occur without capital. Factories require financing. Infrastructure requires investment. Technology requires funding.
Agricultural value chains require financing, while small and medium enterprises need affordable capital if they are to grow. Zimbabwe therefore requires an investment environment capable of attracting both domestic and foreign investors.
Economic resolutions should reinforce the importance of policy consistency, efficient institutions, quality infrastructure, access to finance and a business environment that supports long-term planning.
The COMESA chairmanship provides an additional platform from which to market Zimbabwe as an investment destination.
Rather than treating the COMESA Summit as a once-off diplomatic event, Zimbabwe should use the occasion to showcase opportunities across its productive sectors. The summit can serve as a gateway for investment partnerships.
Potential investors in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, energy, tourism, infrastructure and technology should be exposed not only to opportunities in Zimbabwe but also to the wider regional market accessible through COMESA.
This is where domestic policy and regional diplomacy should converge. The conference can produce resolutions that strengthen the investment climate, while the COMESA chairmanship provides the regional platform for promoting those opportunities.
Regional integration
The third pillar, regional integration, may offer the greatest opportunity for Zimbabwean businesses. The concept of “One Market, One Future” is built on the idea that African countries can unlock greater economic potential by reducing trade barriers and strengthening regional value chains.
For Zimbabwe, regional integration should translate into higher exports, larger markets and stronger economic ties with fellow COMESA member states. But regional integration must extend beyond meetings and communiqués.
Its benefits must ultimately be felt by businesses and ordinary citizens. A small manufacturer in Bulawayo should be able to sell products in Zambia, Malawi or other COMESA markets without unnecessary obstacles.
A farmer should be able to participate in regional value chains. A technology company should be able to provide services beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. A mining company should be able to integrate into regional manufacturing networks.
That is the practical meaning of regional integration.
ZANU PF’s economic resolutions should therefore support policies that expand Zimbabwe’s export capacity and improve access to regional markets. This also requires continued investment in trade-enabling infrastructure.
Efficient roads, rail networks, border posts, energy systems and digital infrastructure are essential to successful regional integration.
Zimbabwe’s strategic location positions it to become a major trade and logistics hub linking Southern and Eastern Africa.
The country must continue investing in infrastructure that facilitates the movement of goods, services and people.
Vision 2030 and the regional market
There is a broader strategic reason why the alignment of these agendas matters.
Vision 2030 is not simply about improving economic statistics.
It is about transforming the structure of the economy and creating conditions for broad-based prosperity.
Such transformation cannot occur in isolation.
Zimbabwe is part of a region, and its economic future is increasingly tied to regional and continental markets.
The African Continental Free Trade Area has strengthened the case for developing competitive industries capable of selling beyond national borders.
COMESA provides another critical layer within this regional architecture.
Zimbabwe’s participation should therefore be viewed as an opportunity rather than an obligation.
The country can use its COMESA chairmanship to advance issues that are central to its own development agenda.
Inclusive industrialisation can support manufacturing revival. Investment can provide capital for infrastructure and productive sectors. Regional integration can open new markets for
Zimbabwean products. These priorities are not external demands. They are directly aligned with Zimbabwe’s economic aspirations.
Empowerment must meet markets
The reference to “deepening empowerment” in the conference theme is equally significant.
Empowerment should increasingly be linked to productive participation in the economy rather than merely access to resources.
Small businesses, young entrepreneurs, women-led enterprises, farmers and emerging industrialists need access to finance, technology, skills and markets.
The ultimate objective should be to help them grow into sustainable enterprises capable of creating employment and participating in regional value chains.
This is where inclusive industrialisation becomes particularly important.
Economic empowerment should enable more Zimbabweans to become producers, manufacturers, exporters and investors.
The COMESA market can provide the demand required to support such growth.
However, that opportunity will only be realised if local enterprises are adequately prepared.
Economic resolutions should therefore focus on building productive capacity and competitiveness rather than merely expanding the number of beneficiaries.
Turning chairmanship into an economic opportunity
Zimbabwe’s forthcoming COMESA chairmanship should be approached with strategic ambition.
While chairing a regional organisation carries political prestige, its real value lies in what the country achieves during that period.
Zimbabwe should use the chairmanship to champion policies that strengthen regional trade, industrialisation and investment while advancing its own development priorities.
The COMESA Summit should therefore be viewed as the start of a process rather than the end of one.
The resolutions adopted at the Zanu-PF conference can provide domestic policy direction.
The COMESA chairmanship can then provide the regional platform.
The private sector must also be firmly integrated into this process.
Governments negotiate agreements and establish frameworks, but businesses ultimately drive trade and investment.
Zimbabwean companies must therefore be encouraged to think beyond the domestic market.
The country cannot build a successful export economy if its businesses remain inward-looking.
A strategic convergence
The proximity of the Zanu-PF conference and the COMESA Summit presents what can best be described as a strategic convergence.
One is a major domestic political and policy event.
The other is a major regional economic gathering.
Both, however, are centred on the same fundamental question: how can Zimbabwe accelerate economic growth and improve the welfare of its people?
The answer increasingly lies in linking domestic production to regional opportunities.
The 23rd National People’s Conference should therefore produce economic resolutions that are ambitious but, above all, implementable.
The focus must be on moving from resolutions to results, from policy statements to factories, from empowerment programmes to productive enterprises, from natural resources to value-added products, and from domestic production to regional exports.
The COMESA Summit theme provides a useful guide.
Inclusive industrialisation, investment and regional integration should not remain conference terminology.
They should become practical pillars of Zimbabwe’s economic strategy.
As Zimbabwe prepares to assume the COMESA chairmanship, it has an opportunity to demonstrate that regional integration can be translated into tangible economic gains.
The 23rd Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference should therefore look beyond the immediate political calendar.
Its economic resolutions should anticipate the opportunities presented by Zimbabwe’s regional leadership and ensure the country enters its COMESA chairmanship with a clear and coherent economic agenda.
Ultimately, the success of both the conference and the chairmanship will be measured not by the eloquence of resolutions and declarations, but by their ability to stimulate production, attract investment, expand markets, deepen empowerment and create jobs.
That is the true meaning of moving from resolutions to results.
As Zimbabwe assumes the COMESA chairmanship, it has a rare opportunity to align its domestic economic transformation agenda with its regional integration agenda, advancing not only Vision
2030 but also the broader African aspiration of building economies that produce, trade and prosper together.
