The Sunday Mail
Lincoln Towindo
Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference will focus on socio-economic transformation and drought mitigation instead of “factionalism” as stated in some quarters,it has emerged.
The revolutionary party’s Politburo is meeting this week to receive progress reports from organising sub-committees overseeing the lead-up to the indaba that is scheduled for Victoria Falls next month.
Themed “Consolidating People’s Power through Zim-Asset”, the conference will also focus on broad agriculture and infrastructure development.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said countrywide delegate registration has begun.
“Preparations are well underway and as I speak, we are carrying out a registration exercise across all provinces. In the next few weeks, we will be carrying out another site visit at the venue.
“The theme has already been agreed on, and the agenda will mainly centre around development of the national economy as we wish to focus on developmental issues.”
Cde Kasukuwere said the party remains united and focused on implementing Zim-Asset.
“If you are going to allow the party to be divided as is being falsely reported in the private media, then we would have failed as a party. Of course, there is a bit of concern on the issue to do with discipline among some of our cadres within our structures and we need to put a stop to that.
“We have the mechanisms and structures within the party to deal with those issues. What we want is respect and discipline and to focus on development among all party members.”
Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, Zanu-PF’s secretary for information and publicity said, “On Wednesday, we have a Politburo meeting where the various sub-committees we constituted will report back on the progress they have made so far.
“The Politburo will then come up with a consolidated report, detailing the planning of the event. The theme for the conference is ‘Consolidating People’s Power through Zim-Asset’.”
He added: “This will set the tone for deliberations that will take place at the event, that is giving particular focus to economic development. Our focus will be premised on development as guided by our economic blueprint.
“Further, we will be discussing the current drought situation regarding how we can get food to all our people who are in drought hit areas, and preparations for the forthcoming farming season in terms of irrigation and input support.”
The Zanu-PF Government wants to revive the economy largely through immediate investment, with employment-creation and natural resource beneficiation as primary targets.
These objectives are underpinned by Zim-Asset and reinforced by the 10-Point Economic Growth Plan.
Uppermost on the policy list are human capital development, indigenisation and economic empowerment, social services and poverty eradication, infrastructure development, transport, employment-creation, access to land and agriculture development and natural resource exploitation.
Mitigating recurrent droughts occasioned by climate change is also a priority that will determine future farming output.
In the 2014/15 season, Zimbabwe and other Sadc countries harvested low yields due to inadequate rainfall.
