Zanu-PF held its 17th Annual National People’s Conference from Tuesday to Saturday last week at Mzingwane High School, Esigodini, in Matabeleland South Province.
The President and First Secretary of the party Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa headlined proceedings at the event that was held under the theme “Zimbabwe Is Open For Business: Peace, Unity Towards An Upper Middle-Income Economy By 2030.”
More than 5 000 party faithful, diplomats accredited to our country, business leaders and heads of government agencies attended the convention.
It was a very successful meeting that was held in unity, happiness and a business-like fashion. It was a focused conference whose discussions were dominated by economics, economics and more economics. Politics was obviously discussed as well for this was a political gathering but it took a back seat.
It was apparent that delegates were united, happy and well organised. Resplendent in their dominant yellow and green outfits, the delegates looked smarter too.
This is a departure from the old dispensation when Zanu-PF conferences and other meetings were arduous undertakings that dragged on and on as if the party, not God, actually created time.
In the past, discussions went right into the night with not much being discussed really. Official and closing sessions were almost always staged in evenings as well but last week, as during the extra-ordinary congress held last year, time was respected.
It is noteworthy too that before November last year, Zanu-PF was clearly divided, with members always alert to what they said, where and who they interacted with. Esigodini was different as cadres hugged, smiled, laughed and interacted with one another cordially and freely.
A number of resolutions were adopted at Umzingwane, chief among them the endorsement of President Mnangagwa as the party candidate for elections to be held in 2023.
“That all wings reaffirm that His Excellency, the First Secretary of the Party, Cde ED Mnangagwa be the sole candidate of the party in the 2023 harmonised elections. That the party commences restructuring in 2019 from cell, village level right up to the provincial organs. . . . That all structures of the party start preparations for the 2023 harmonised elections immediately,” the party resolved.
The endorsement of President Mnangagwa as the party’s presidential candidate for the forthcoming elections reiterates the fact that the party always looks well ahead of its time.
The party is always prepared for elections.
The endorsement is also essential in highlighting that the party is united from its lower structures right up to the presidium, contrary to reports by mischief-making private papers that have been publishing stories suggesting that there was division at the top.
They suggested that President Mnangagwa and one of his deputies, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga were not in agreement as to who should be the party candidate in the 2023 polls.
In pointing out the foregoing, we are not imputing that there was any truth in the private media reports. No. We are just pointing it out to make it clearer for the nation, and for the mischief-makers who are always desperate to write stories about conflict in Zanu-PF where there is absolutely none.
Another important outcome of the conference is the party’s rejection of a government of national unity with the opposition.
The President himself made that point on Wednesday while addressing the party’s Central Committee in Harare. That is a right decision because there is no basis for such an arrangement.
First, there is no hung Parliament as was the case in 2008 when Zanu-PF was the opposition in the House although it had won the presidency.
It was impossible for Zanu-PF to run Government in that situation, therefore, an administration bringing together the revolutionary party and the MDCs had to be formed.
However, this time, the 2018 elections yielded an outright winner by more than two thirds majority in Parliament and more than 50 percent of the valid vote in the presidential poll. The winner is Zanu-PF and President Mnangagwa.
Second, a government of national unity is unnecessary because, as the elections results show, the country is united already; united under Zanu-PF. More than three quarters of the voting population is Zanu-PF.
The two major points that should have necessitated a unity government do not exist, thus there is no need for such a political settlement.
True to the new thrust of President Mnangagwa’s administration, economics dominated at Esigodini. The party realises that politics alone don’t feed the nation.
The experience of the past 18 years is that too much focus on politics can actually cause hunger; hence the Esigodini convention devoted the bulk of its time discussing ways to consolidate efforts towards reviving the economy and gave direction to Government on implementing high-impact economic programmes to fast-track recovery, growth and development.
It was resolved that the Government should be directed to create an enabling environment for greater economic development as well as to deal decisively against corruption. Value addition and beneficiation also came up prominently in discussions at the conference.
Indeed, Zanu-PF and the country it governs are steaming ahead.
“Here is the message from Esigodini,” said President Mnangagwa while officially closing the conference on Saturday.
“Those who have ears listen, those with eyes see: Zanu-PF is boldly on the move. We have an appointment with our destiny and we will not miss our destiny. Zanu-PF will not be distracted or destroyed, it will prosper. Prosperity for our beloved country and a better quality of life of our people is inevitable and it is us who must achieve it.” Chronicle
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