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during the party’s 13th annual people’s conference slated for Gweru in December.
In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo, said the veteran leader was the party’s sole candidate.
“He was reconfirmed as our candidate during last year’s Bulawayo conference and at the previous conference in Mutare. There is no reason why President Mugabe will not be confirmed again as our candidate unless he declines. He is the President of the party and he becomes the candidate for our party,” Cde Gumbo said.
President Mugabe was endorsed as Zanu-PF’s presidential candidate at the 2010 Zanu-PF annual people’s conference held in Mutare and his candidature was reaffirmed again at the Bulawayo conference last year.
At the Bulawayo conference, the party’s First Secretary made it clear that he was not quitting at a time when the country continued to be a victim of Western aggression and the illegal sanctions.
The country is reeling under paralysing illegal Western sanctions designed to cause economic meltdown and consequently a revolt.
Cde Gumbo said preparations for the Gweru conference in the Midlands Province were progressing well.
“The preparations for the conference are at an advanced stage. The conference coordinating committee visited Gweru to assess the venue for the conference last week,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said a conference centre capable of accommodating 5 000 delegates was under construction and would be completed before the annual event begins.
“The party is constructing a conference centre on a farm located just on the outskirts of the city. The conference centre shall have offices for the presidium and heads of department,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said the people of Midlands were excited that their province was playing host to such a major political event.
There is massive work on site as workers rush to meet the December deadline.
On preparations for next year’s elections, Cde Gumbo said the party’s Politburo and Central Committee that are meeting today and tomorrow were expected to discuss issues to do with the polls.
“We are hoping issues to do with primary elections will be discussed there,” he said.
Harmonised election dates be known in the last week of March next year according to the proposals made by the President to the court. An urgent application filed by the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in the High Court last month, proposed that the elections be held together with the long outstanding by-elections.
Delays in the holding of by-elections were due to the unavailability of money, the President argued.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu