Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka
Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZANU PF’s membership has surged to over four million registered comrades, a significant growth directly attributed to a meticulous nationwide restructuring and verification exercise and, most notably, the highly successful “Fishers of Men” mobilisation programme.
This strategic growth, confirmed by the Central Committee Report adopted at the recent 22nd ZANU PF Annual National People’s Conference, is viewed as the foundational pillar of the party’s winning strategy for the 2028 harmonised general elections.
The “Fishers of Men” initiative, an aggressive outreach effort, has proven pivotal in recruiting and retaining a vibrant and committed membership, specifically targeting youth and women.
This strategy goes beyond mere card-carrying membership by linking political inclusion to tangible economic empowerment.
Thousands of women and youth were not only recruited into party structures, but were also equipped through skills training, access to equipment, and income-generating projects. This successfully places them at the centre of Zimbabwe’s economic growth.
New members are already venturing into poultry, pig farming, and cattle fattening, broadening their career options and fostering a network of loyalty and patronage within the party.
By embedding these new members in the local Cell and Village structures, the vanguard of the party at the community level, the “Fishers of Men” programme fundamentally bolsters ZANU PF’s grassroots mobilisation capacity.
This localised system of mobilisation and reward gives the party a distinct edge over competitors in day-to-day political work, voter registration, and turnout logistics, especially in rural and newly urbanised areas.
According to the Central Committee Report 4 058 350 members are now officially registered across 81 167 villages and cells nationwide.
“The cells/villages restructuring and verification programme started in February 2025 was completed in all provinces by July 31, 2025,” reads the report.
“The programme took much longer this time around owing to the need to be meticulous in ensuring that the party cells/villages were authentic and true reflection of the party’s membership.”
The report shows that Midlands province recorded the highest number of members, at 680 800, across 13 616 verified cells or villages, followed by Masvingo with 647 150 members and 12 943 verified structures.
Mashonaland Central province has 552 650 members, Manicaland 515 150 and Mashonaland East 487 400.
In Mashonaland West, 456 850 members were verified, while Harare province accounts for 433 650 members.
Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North recorded 125 850 and 94 750 members, respectively, with Bulawayo rounding off the list at 64 100 members.
During the 2023 harmonised elections, there were about 6,6 million registered voters.
With the restructuring complete, the party will now embark on computerising its membership database and implementing strategies to ensure that numerical strength translates into electoral advantage.
“The commissariat department emphasises that recruitment of new party members and creation of new party cells/villages is a continuous exercise,” noted the report.
“Provinces are, therefore, urged to continue mobilising new members to grow the membership of the party.
As President Mnangagwa reinforced in his keynote address at the conference, ZANU PF must continue to focus on membership growth, strategic planning, and mobilisation to win elections.
He said ZANU PF is the engine of national development and the party must continue focusing on membership growth, strategic planning and mobilisation to win elections.
“Focus must be on guaranteeing the growth of our party membership in readiness for the harmonised general elections.
Responsive strategies and approaches must be advanced to consolidate the visibility and influence of the women, youth and veterans’ leagues,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa emphasised mobilisation as a daily responsibility.
“Political mobilisation by the party, with its affiliates, is our daily responsibility. Let us carry on recruiting and welcoming new members from all walks of life and harness the diverse skills of the membership for the ultimate good of our revolutionary movement. Tinoramba tichivaka musangano wedu, nguva nenguva.”
He affirmed the party’s commitment to a united Zimbabwe.
“We are a united, peaceful, unitary and indivisible great nation of Zimbabwe. This conference is a demonstration of this unity. Hatisikudzokera shure. Ticharamba takabatana, tichironga budiriro yenyika yedu, pamwe chete, isu, vene veZimbabwe,” he said.
The significant surge in membership provides a massive boost for ZANU PF as it prepares to defend its mandate in the 2028 harmonised general elections.
By aggressively harnessing its vast, economically empowered, and ideologically aligned membership base, ZANU PF is strategically positioning itself to achieve a decisive victory.
A membership base exceeding four million provides the party with a crucial head start, as these members form an already-mobilised and ideologically aligned pool of committed voters.
With the national voter turnout in the 2023 elections being approximately two-thirds of the registered voters, having an official, verified membership that constitutes over half of the 2023 total registered voters is a clear advantage.
The immediate focus on computerising the database and translating this numerical strength into an electoral advantage confirms that the party sees this as the foundational pillar of its 2028 winning strategy.
Furthermore, the structure of this growth, driven by the “Fishers of Men” programme fundamentally bolsters ZANU PF’s grassroots mobilisation capacity.
The new members are not just card-carrying; they are embedded in the local Cell and Village structures, which are the vanguard of the party at the community level.
The empowerment aspect, which links membership to economic opportunities like poultry and cattle fattening, creates a network of loyalty and patronage.
This deeply localised mobilisation and reward system ensures that ZANU PF possesses a superior machinery for voter registration, turnout logistics, and day-to-day political work, giving it a distinct edge over competitors in the highly contested rural and newly urbanised areas.
The verified membership figure provides ZANU PF with an undeniable psychological and political advantage.
The sheer size of the verified register, disseminated through the Central Committee Report, serves as a powerful statement of the party’s enduring national influence and organisational reach, discouraging opposition efforts and building confidence among its ranks.
This not only projects an image of competence but also provides reliable data for strategic planning and resource deployment, which are essential for any party aiming to win a landslide victory in the 2028 polls.
