The Chronicle
Joseph Madzimure, Harare Bureau
AHEAD of next year’s general elections, President Mnangagwa has said the ruling party will not let up in implementing people-centred projects, as he warned the electorate against self-serving opposition parties that have brought untold suffering to the populace.
President Mnangagwa, who is also Zanu-PF First Secretary, said all party wings must be vigilant in light of fly-by-night opposition parties and work around the clock to ensure a massive victory come next year.
Zanu-PF, which made notable inroads in hitherto opposition strongholds during the March 26 by-elections, is targeting to mobilise five million votes.
Speaking at this year’s first session of the Central Committee at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa said party members should remain alive to the cunning strategies of the opposition bent on deceiving the populace.
“We must keep our people informed and mobilised, focused and working harder towards improved production and productivity across all sectors of the economy, at every level.
The development of our communities and our nation as a whole must continue full throttle regardless of the election season. The building of our country, brick by brick, stone upon stone, must never be put on pause.
“Let us never forget that the opposition called for the illegal economic sanctions imposed on our country. They have always shown that they are anti-people, driven by their self-centred political interests and brute hunger for power at the cost of the development and welfare of the ordinary people of our motherland, Zimbabwe,” said President Mnangagwa.
The meeting was the first session this year with a fully constituted Central Committee following a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying restrictions on large gatherings.
Only a few members failed to make it to yesterday’s Central Committee indaba which was convened to receive reports on the programmes and activities that have transpired since last year’s session.
The meeting also received reports on the state of preparedness with regards to the upcoming elective Youth and Women’s League Conferences, among other programmes.
It also came against the background of the free, fair and peaceful 26 March by-elections in which the revolutionary party managed to fish from the opposition pond.
Results from the by-elections showed the ruling party making incremental gains as its policies gain traction across the country.
President Mnangagwa commended the performance of the party in the polls in which Zanu-PF managed to snatch some seats from the opposition in both the National Assembly and the local authorities.
Zanu-PF wrestled Mutasa South and Epworth constituencies from the opposition.
“I once again commend all structures of our revolutionary mass party for an encouraging and spirited performance.
The results show a growing support base for our party Zanu-PF, especially in urban areas. I congratulate the party for winning back some constituencies and wards previously in the hands of the opposition.
President Mnangagwa“These inroads are a demonstration of the people’s appreciation of our people-centred policies and programmes.
Since the days of the liberation struggle, the Party has consistently been about the people and the realisation of a better quality of life for them. Our Party Zanu-PF has always stood with the people of this great country.
Throughout rain and sunshine; in the good times and even during the hard times induced by the illegal economic sanctions as well as the poor service delivery by the opposition-led local authorities, the Party and it’s Government have remained people-centred, providing for their welfare.
Mumusangano weZanu-PF hatina mararo; we are not blown in all directions for political expediency. Comrades, let us not fall asleep, more work is ahead of us as we scale up preparations for the 2023 harmonised general elections”.
President Mnangagwa has launched a number of projects cumulatively worth billions of dollars both in rural and urban centres as part of a raft of measures to achieve Vision 2030.
The projects include construction of health facilities, road upgrading and rehabilitation, industrial processing ventures and power generation projects, among others.
The President said the vision, programmes and projects implemented since the advent of the Second Republic are clear evidence that Zanu-PF is a mass and people centred party.
Led by President Mnangagwa, the governing party has launched an urban renewal agenda that has seen roads being rehabilitated under the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and water challenges being addressed, in the short-term through the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme while construction of dams will offer a long-term solution. Title deeds are also on the cards for urban dwellers.
In view of the ever changing political, socio-economic and technological environment, President Mnangagwa urged Central Committee members and the party leadership to continuously raise consciousness, understanding of party policies and the national development trajectory.
“Serving the people whole heartedly remains a fundamental aspect of the DNA of our party. Comrades, in May and June respectively, the party will be holding the elective Conferences of the Youth and Women’s Leagues.
“As we prepare for this event, let us be mindful that the party is bigger than all of us. Leaders at every level are called upon to abide by the Constitution, principles and values of our colossal Party.
The interference and manipulation of party procedures, rules and regulations will not be tolerated. The ‘winning at all costs’ syndrome has no place in the internal democratic electoral processes of our party. As we scale up preparations for the 2023 harmonised general elections, let us sharpen our mobilisation strategies from the cell upwards in line with our rallying call of, ‘Musangano kuma Cell”.
The party must begin to organise and claim victory, polling station by polling station; ward by ward; constituency by constituency; province by province and ultimately at the national level.
To achieve this, President Mnangagwa said, the party must scale-up the voter registration process across all provinces.
“Our people must be facilitated to get national registration documents which are now being issued for free during this ongoing mobile registration exercise”.
Since coming to power in November 2017, the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa has made strides in job creation, re-engagement, democracy, curbing corruption, conflict resolution and agricultural productivity, among other achievements aimed at fostering socio-economic development and peaceful co-existence to eradicate poverty.
“The successes of the Second Republic are there for all to see. These, together with our clear vision and plans to improve the quality of life of our people and to grow the economy, should act as the foundation upon which we increase our party’s support and membership base. Going forward, we should be mindful that following the successful implementation of programmes and projects by the Second Republic, the economy has now transitioned from recovery to growth,” President Mnangagwa said.
“The Government is addressing the recent runaway exchange rate and spikes in prices of basic goods and services resulting from imported inflation and criminal activities by persons and entities we identified and we are going to punish them.
“As party leaders, let us continue to be disciplined and upright in all our business dealings. I equally call upon our businesspeople to desist from profiteering tendencies as this goes against the mantra, ‘Nyika inovakwa, nekutongwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe ngabanikazi balo’.
“Let us all be responsible citizens who are averse to profiteering and the suffering of our people. “Equal attention must be placed on increasing the Gross Domestic Product of our respective provinces through enhanced production and productivity as well as job and wealth creation”.
Article Source: The Chronicle