…lively debates at indaba
By Lungile Siziba
Planning for the 21st National People’s Conference was arduous, took a long time and needed the organisers to be meticulous so as to package and deliver a successful event.
Indeed, it was a memorable conference, one punctuated by insightful views and utmost respect for one another, while head-turning costumes and thunderous slogans lightened up the deliberations.
The conference started with a Politburo meeting on October 22 and a Central Committee meeting the following day, with both meetings taking place at the home of the revolution, the ZANU PF Headquarters, in Harare.
On October 24, delegates got on the road to Bulawayo, the City of Kings and Queens, where they congregated for the opening session of the conference on October 25.
ZANU PF First Secretary and President, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened the conference and on the next day, he delivered his closing remarks.
As he closed the conference, President Mnangagwa saluted the delegates for the “patience and zeal” they demonstrated in managing the agenda and programme.
“Undoubtedly, this has enabled us to come up with realistic, concise resolutions and people-centred development programmes, which are all critical for advancing the interests of our party and country,” he said.
“The summary of discussions by the various committees and overall conference resolutions are indeed our political proclamation and call to action for more transformative projects, which must be timely implemented.
“We emerge from this conference more united, renewed, recharged and full of vigour for the work that lies ahead.”
President Mnangagwa challenged every cadre of the party, from the cell to national level, to have a revolutionary duty to recommit to the strategic vision of the party.
Leaders of the various party structures must provide the requisite leadership
and demonstrate loyalty to ZANU PF.
“Maintaining the highest degree of unity in thought, practice and action, as well as political stance is the responsibility of all of us.
“We must lead by example and act in line with the overall interest of the party and country, when performing our duties,” he said.
Zanu PF is for the future
President Mnangagwa said ZANU PF is the party of liberation and the future, which continues to listen to the people’s needs and addressing the.
“We are a colossal mass revolutionary party and our resolutions, policies and directives affect our society and impact all sectors of the economy. “Guided by our sector specific directives issued by this conference, the concerns of our communities must be comprehensively addressed. No one and no place must be left behind.
“Our purposes must continue to be intricately linked to the progress and economic rejuvenation of our great motherland, Zimbabwe. We, the current crop of cadres, have an obligation to ensure that ZANU PF remains the driving force for peaceful development and to build our economy at an accelerated pace,” he said.
The conference ran under the theme, “Industrialise and Modernise Towards the Attainment of Vision 2030”, which President Mnangagwa said will see ZANU PF explore new horizons in the ongoing modernisation and industrialisation agenda.
Pursue industrial transformation
The President challenged party cadres to diligently pursue industrial transformation and robust value chains as a catalyst for sustainable development and a competitive industrial base. He explained that the interests of ZANU PF are “the interests of the people of our great motherland, Zimbabwe”.
“Our party promises and our party delivers. High impact social development progress must be recorded during the upcoming reporting period, that is ahead of us.
“Constructive and programme-based grassroots engagements and mobilisation, across all party structures, will be key in delivering the desired results. No village, ward or district can be developed by a bickering and divided people. “Unity, unity, unity, peace and harmony are essential cogs to amplify the growth and prosperity our country seeks and deserves,” he said.
Every department of the party, across all wings, said President Mnangagwa, must study and distil the various aspects into programmes and activities, which respond to our unique local situations, challenges and opportunities.
“The party structures at the grassroots level should accordingly receive the outcomes of this conference and translate these, at community level.
“Our development philosophy, ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’, must continue to be embedded in everything that we do and become our way of life.
“In this regard, young people in particular, within the party and across our communities, should be rooted in this cardinal development principle. After all, they are like seeds that thrive on fertile land and the storehouse of national hope for the growth of our revolutionary mass party, ZANU PF, and the realisation of Vision 2030,” said President Mnangagwa.
Women, youths get praise
The President praised youths and women for devoting their energy and ideas for the benefit of the party and the people’s revolution.
“In all seasons and at all times, you have demonstrated, along with the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle, that you are the vanguard, always ready to defend the party,” he said.
“Reinforcing our party’s political foundation is a mission without an end and should never be neglected or abandoned.
“Let us be emboldened by this watershed conference and continue to build our party in tandem with the new socio-economic and technological realities, while maintaining the unique ideological DNA that makes ZANU PF the party that has endured for six decades.
“This is the guarantor that will make our Party grow from strength to strength.”
Party constitution critical
President Mnangagwa said the importance of unified leadership and respect of the party constitution cannot be overemphasised. “These are fundamental pillars to the culture of ZANU PF. Stop-gap measures are never adequate in bringing about defining and requisite political solutions.
“Our membership is urged, therefore, to boldly move forward in the interest of the party. At this stage of our political development and maturity
of our party, all cadres are challenged to adhere to our deeply entrenched party discipline, rules and correct line.
“Straying from the right path can cause fatal mistakes and dire consequences to our liberation movement and the people’s revolution,” he said.
Egg on detractors’ faces
Detractors of the ruling ZANU PF had prophesised chaos and doom at the conference, peddling fictitious claims of disunity in the party.
But the conference went ahead without any thought of bad incident, a development that shamed prophets of doom.
President Mnangagwa confirmed that enemies of the party wanted to see disunity but could not get their wish as the revolution is the glue that binds members together.
“The clarity of purpose, unity and cordial environment which characterised our conference, shamed detractors and dispelled the misinformation that had spread to alarming levels,” he said.
“ZANU PF is a party of rules and order. Matare eMusangano akajeka. Hakuna mazvake-mazvake. The whole party should entrench this fundamental character trait.”
The President called on party members to never consider themselves more important than the party.
He said individually, members must ask themselves if they are loyal, honest, consistent, persistent and whether they will persevere with the party.
“These are the traits of a revolutionary cadre of ZANU PF. Always strive to attain these traits. If you fail any one of them, one day unonanaigwa nemusangano.
“Those that perpetrate acts of indiscipline, some of which now extend to acts of criminality, are warned.
“The party demands that we respect each other. Respect your peers, pa level yenyu ipapo, kudzanayi. Equally, respect those below you and the leaders above you. A good leader must be a good follower.
“Individually, we are a cog in a much bigger system. Let us be remembered for uniting the party as well as helping others, and not dividing the party and our people,” said the President.
Remain strong in Zanu PF
The President told delegates to continue persevering under the party, even “at times when it is tough”.
He also said mind-sets, counter revolutionary tendencies, favouritism, regionalism and tribalism must be opposed.
“Similarly, cadres across all levels should reject
corruption or the pursuit of ill-gotten gains and
privileges.
“These are the values that we were taught by the founding fathers. Gwara reMusangano wedu we ZANU PF harishanduke.
“ZANU PF musangano wevanhu. Ngatigarei muvanhu, maintaining strong bonds with the people. Let us go back, therefore, to our respective districts and provinces, and tell the people that ZANU PF is alive, united and stronger. “Inform them that together, as one unitary and peace loving nation, our ZANU PF Party stands ready to register new victories and socio-economic milestones,” he said.
In the march towards Vision 2030, the people of Zimbabwe shall enjoy the fruits of prosperity and development, he said.
“Hand in hand, we are moving forward, overcoming obstacles in our way, such as the illegal economic sanctions. Under the ZANU PF led Government, the rise of Zimbabwe is unstoppable,” said President Mnangagwa to rousing applause.
