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Harare Bureau
THE Zanu PF Politburo yesterday set June 24 as the date for its primary elections after it adopted the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the polls. National Chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo who is also the chairperson of the party’s National Elections Directorate (NED) announced the decision at a press conference.
“The NED met today and deliberated on a number of issues relevant to our primary elections and reported to the Politburo and this is the position taken. We have had our guidelines approved by the Politburo and will be distributed to the provinces tomorrow (today),” he said.
Cde Khaya Moyo said the regulations will be made public today adding that there will be inter-district meetings countrywide tomorrow (Saturday) where aspiring candidates are expected to submit their CVs and application letters.
“On 16 June Provincial Elections Directorate will meet to receive CVs and letters from aspiring candidates in districts. On 17 June the PEDs will forward their consolidated lists of approved and disapproved candidates to the NED.
“On 18 June the NED will consider submissions by the PEDs and make their recommendations for consideration by the Politburo. On the 19th the Politburo will meet to consider submissions by the NED and thereafter the chairman will announce the list signalling the campaigns of candidates,” he said.
Cde Khaya Moyo said the Commissariat Department headed by Cde Webster Shamu will train polling officers between 20 and 21 June and also produce and distribute the ballots and other election materials to be used during the primaries.
“On the 24th of June Zanu-PF primary elections will be held throughout the country. It will be a one day exercise and we hope by the end of the 24th the primary elections will be completed. The primary elections will be held on the same day using the secret ballot,” Cde Khaya Moyo said.
He said the elections will be held under the supervision of the NED and reiterated that there will be zero tolerance to imposition of candidates.
“The Central Committee will meet soon after the names (of winning candidates) have been approved by the Politburo to approve the same before nomination day. We have emphasised time and again that there will be no imposition of candidates whatsoever,” he said.
Cde Khaya Moyo said Zanu PF was confident of winning on 31 July.
He presented a report to the Politburo of the probe team he led to reinvigorate the party’s structures in all the provinces throughout the country.
Cde Shamu said the Politburo had decided to appoint Cdes Rido Mpofu and Lloyd Siyoka to assist the Matabeleland South provincial leadership.
“Following the national chairman’s presentation of the report following the national tour, the Politburo sitting in an extraordinary session today has taken a number of decisions on a number of major issues and one of them is the appointment of Cde Rido Mpofu and Lloyd Siyoka to be advisors to the Mat South executive.
“The two are former chairmen of Matebeleland South,” Cde Shamu said.
He, however, said Cde Andrew Langa remains the provincial chairman.
Meanwhile, the party also finalised its manifesto and it will be launched soon by President Mugabe.
“We have finally concluded the writing of the manifesto, what is remaining now is to polish it up using recommendations made here and tie up the loose ends. It will be distributed after it has been launched by his Excellency the President,” Zanu PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo said.
Cde Gumbo said the manifesto will cover a wide range of issues since Independence in 1980.
“The manifesto covers the history of party, its achievements in the past 33 years, its goals and aspirations of the people.
“It looks at what the sanctions have done to the people and also talks of the indigenisation programmes and taking ownership of our resources. We are our own liberators and we are the ones who are going to transform the economy of this country,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said the manifesto will also look at ways to revamp the Community Share Ownership Schemes that have already seen a number of communities across the country benefiting.
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