The 17th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference this
week will consolidate national efforts towards reviving Zimbabwe’s economy, a
senior ruling party official has said.
This is a marked departure to the previous regime where
political issues, particularly factional fighting, took centre stage. This
time, the plenary will discuss the economy and give direction to Government on
implementing high-impact economic programmes to fast-track recovery, growth and
development.
The meeting is themed “Zimbabwe Is Open For Business: Peace,
Unity Towards An Upper Middle-Income Economy By 2030”. Mzingwane High School in
Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province will host over 3 500 accredited
delegates with tomorrow’s Politburo meeting marking commencement of the
conference.
Party President and First Secretary Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa
will headline proceedings at the Conference, following ratification of his
leadership at last year’s Extra-Ordinary Congress. The conference follows the party’s thumping
victory in the July 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said
deliberations this year would ignore politicking and would focus on pertinent
issues.
“We will be dealing mainly with issues to do with the
economy, issues to do with the party, issues that were raised in our manifesto,
resolutions from the provinces and the general economic situation. So the
agenda has been drafted in such a way that it will be business throughout the
days that have been set for the Conference,” said Dr Mpofu.
President Mnangagwa is aggressively pursuing quick economic
recovery through implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme
(2018–2020), premised on fiscal consolidation, economic stabilisation, and
stimulation of growth and creation of employment. The Conference, said Dr
Mpofu, would be short and focused, unlike previous gatherings.
“We are on course; all departments, all committees have
finalised their preparations and we want to assure the delegates and the
country that it’s all systems go. This will be one of the most eventful
conferences being held under the New Dispensation.
“This is a very different Annual People’s Conference from
all the others we held previously. This is a much focused Conference which has
a lot of interest from the membership and the general populace in our country.
It will be a very short Conference, instead of the usual five to seven days we
used to take, this will be a three-day Conference because of the focused nature
of the agenda.”
Dr Mpofu said resolutions from provincial meetings would be
considered.
“We will actually be guided by resolutions from provinces
on other issues to be included in the agenda. It is the resolutions that will
determine the outcome of the Conference.”
Dr Mpofu said Zanu-PF’s next Ordinary Congress was due in
2022 contrary to speculation that it would be held next year.
“The next Congress is going to be in 2022. This was
resolved at our last Extraordinary Congress that we will have another regular
congress after five years. The annual conferences in between are actually
monitoring and evaluating the implementation of those resolutions which will
have been passed by the previous congress.
“So in Esigodini we will be looking at those decisions that
have been implemented or those being implemented and what we will implement
going ahead. We are working closely with Government to make sure that policies
as espoused by the party are implemented by Government.”
On the harmonisation of the party and national
constitutions for Presidential terms of office, Dr Mpofu: “It is not necessary
for now as there is no major difference. The issue of synchronising the Party
constitution and the national constitution is a constitutional issue. We are
the ruling party and we have two-thirds majority in Parliament which allows us
to do what we feel is best.
“If that need arises, the party will certainly do something
about it through the necessary consultations at Congress; but look, we are not
concerned with that right now. The party constitution gives us five years and
the country’s constitution is also five years. There is not much of a
difference hence our reluctance in doing that.” Sunday News
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