Zanu-PF restructures

Sunday News Reporters
THE Zanu-PF massive audit and verification exercise got under way yesterday in the country’s 10 provinces with Politburo-led teams dispatched in all the 10 provinces to spearhead the process. Zanu-PF Bulawayo province was urged not to misrepresent facts by providing unsubstantiated figures of their structures as only a true picture could serve to give the party a true picture of where it stands ahead of the 2018 general elections.

Addressing party members during the party’s Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting held at Davies Hall yesterday, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo, Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, said exaggerating figures was “as good as shooting ourselves in the foot”.

She was speaking ahead of the party’s restructuring exercise of the lower tiers that will be presided over by Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa today.

“We have to be honest and give people what is there not what we assume. If we have 12 districts let’s have those 12 districts and avoid exaggerating because we will be fooling ourselves. What we must never forget is that the objective of this exercise is merely to win in the 2018 elections, let us do things that will see us win.

“Today’s politics needs us to focus on ourselves, so we must be very careful about this exercise, we don’t want Cde Chinamasa to have a wrong picture, we really have to know what lies ahead of us,” said Cde Moyo.

Also at the meeting were Politiburo member Cde Joshua Malinga and Central Committee member Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.
During a meeting with the province, party commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere blasted them for misleading the national leadership by claiming they had 112 structures while in actual fact they could not produce evidence to prove this figure.

Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo, who led the team deployed to Matabeleland South Province, expressed satisfaction at the progress the province had made in organising structures from cell level.

“We are very happy that we are in a province that did exceedingly well in the July 2013 elections. There are 13 constituencies here, all of them won by the party. That alone is enough to tell how well organised the province is,” he said.

Professor Moyo said the visit to the province was to confirm the good work going on in Matabeleland South and that it was a tradition in Zanu-PF that they review, restructure and verify cells each year.

“The fact that this province won in the elections means that the state of affairs is very good. But because this is the party that represents the people and lives with them we need to verify our structures and also to appreciate the situation the people are facing,” he said.

The meeting, which was attended by central committee members Cdes Abednico Ncube, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Philip Chiyangwa, was to map a way forward on what will be required to carry out the verification process.

“We need to carry out logistics and also it is a way for gap filling that we may need to do. We verify but where there are no structures we make structures and the two exercises require different logistical needs,” added Prof Moyo.

He said the team was also identifying what was in place in the province and what needed to be done in preparation for the massive verification process that will take place countrywide.

Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo will spearhead this year’s verification process of the party structures in Matabeleland North.

Speaking after a party meeting held in Lupane yesterday, Matabeleland North provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo, said restructuring of the party in the province had already begun.

“We had already started the process. The only thing left is the verification process,” he said.

Cde Moyo said party members from other provinces would be deployed at various parts of Matabeleland North to monitor the verification process.

Cde Moyo said deployment of politburo and verification committee members for the process would be done in districts such as Bubi, Umguza, Nkayi, Lupane and Tsholotsho.

He noted that the process would also assist in weeding out non-performing members, which would ultimately see the party excelling in fulfilling its promises to the country.

“This annual process, which seeks to make the party stronger, as it will benefit people in all provinces, will give them a chance to participate and contribute positively in politics through their elected representatives,” he said.

In the Midlands Province, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Eunice Sandi-Moyo will be leading the team that will conduct the party restructuring exercise that begins on Friday.

Cde Sandi-Moyo said she did not foresee any hurdles in the restructuring process in the Midlands saying it was one of the most organised provinces.

However, there was a general concern by members of the Midlands Provincial Coordinating Council over the deployment of some central committee members from the province most of whom were sent to Matabeleland South.

“We feel that there was a need for the members of the central committee from this province to have been spread throughout the eight provinces so that they see what is happening in other provinces,” said Provincial spokesperson Cdes Cornelius Mpereri.
Other members who will be in the province are Cdes Absolom Sikhosana and Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.

Meanwhile our Harare Bureau reports that Zanu PF national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said the ongoing restructuring of structures was in line with the party Constitution, dismissing suspicion that the process was a witch hunt.
The exercise began earnestly yesterday with countrywide Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meetings where itineraries for verification of party structures were set.

Cde Kasukuwere said on the sidelines of the Mashonaland Central PCC in Bindura that the party would not condone victimisation of those who will assume leadership in their respective structures.

The restructuring exercise, he added, would further strengthen the revolutionary party and foster unity among cadres.
“The party rules say that every year cells are renewed; in other words people hold elections to ensure that the cells have new leadership where possible.

“Secondly; branches are renewed after every two years, while districts are restructured every three years then four years for provinces and five years is when we hold the National People’s Congress.
“We are not doing this to purge anyone but to strengthen the party.

“Anyone who is in the party and feels like they want to contest they are free to do so and work for the party.
“There is no victimisation or personalisation or going for individuals; that is out of the question.

“We are strengthening our party, uniting our party. If you look at our terms of reference the party must be strong and united.
“After this process we will have a party that is rejuvenated, strong vibrant and definitely united,” he said.

Minister of Home Affairs Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi who is leading the verification process in Mashonaland Central province was impressed by the province’s leadership.

“I was here to introduce the programme to the province and that they should expect ABCD during the process.
He went on: “I was actually sensitising them on what we want. They are now going to be doing what they are supposed to so that when the team comes everything will be in place.

“I think the province is ok and they are geared to work.”
Zanu PF Harare province will hold its PCC tomorrow.
In Chinhoyi, the Mashonaland West Zanu-PF PCC was briefed on the restructuring of party structures.

Provincial team leader, Cde Josiah Hungwe said the exercise will benefit the party.
Another politburo member Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the restructuring programme was key to party growth.
“The restructuring exercise is a very important programme for the party which should be supported by every member of the party at whatever level,” he said.

Provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said they would start with restructuring cells. Mashonaland West has seven administrative districts including Kariba, Hurungwe, Makonde, Zvimba, Kadoma, Chegutu and Mhondoro.
Each district will have at least three central committee members.

Mashonaland East team leader, Cde Edna Madzongwe and her team of Cdes Prisca Mupfumira and Chen Chimutengwende among other senior party officials visited the province yesterday.

Acting provincial chairperson, Cde Aneas Chigwedere said it was resolved that vetting of party structures would be done on Friday.

Politburo member Cde Sydney Sekeramayi who oversaw the exercise the exercise in Manicaland said the programme would ensure that the party had authentic structures.

“We will work with the local leadership to ensure that the party has authentic members within its structures.
“The team is going to work with local leadership to ensure that there are authentic members in the party because in the past names were forwarded but did not match our membership on the ground.

“At the end of the exercise a clear picture will emerge of the party membership. Zanu PF like any other liberation movement will not be destroyed by individuals because of its history.”

Masvingo’s team leader, Cde Joram Gumbo met the PCC where it was resolved that the verification of the structures would be done on Saturday.

Acting provincial chairman, Cde Paradzayi Chakoma said all was set for the exercise.