‘China visit has re-invigorated us’

19 May, 2019 - 00:05 0 Views
‘China visit has re-invigorated us’

The Sunday Mail

Dr Engelbert Rugeje

A high-powered Zanu-PF delegation, led by chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, last week returned home from China after a 10-day exchange visit with the Communist Party of China (CPC). Our Chief Reporter Kuda Bwititi, who travelled with the delegation, spoke to Zanu-PF national commissar Dr Engelbert Rugeje and he unpacked the visit. Below are excerpts of Dr Rugeje’s account.

*****

The trip to China was long overdue. It was agreed to at the highest level when His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and his counterpart President Xi Jinping made an arrangement that our parties – Zanu-PF and the Communist Party of China (CPC) – should meet to exchange notes.

It goes without saying that the CPC has been Zanu-PF’s friend from the days of the liberation struggle. The CPC supported us in several ways, including providing ammunition, logistical support, ideological support and various other forms of assistance.

In addition, China has also been very supportive of our Government from 1980 to date and has also been a pillar in bankrolling several projects that are crucial to our economy.

For this particular trip, we were quite impressed as the commissariat. The trip was an eye-opener, we learnt a lot and feel motivated to drive our party forward with renewed vigour. The CPC is one of the oldest liberation movements in the world. They have traversed a much longer journey than us, but what is interesting is that they have modernised as a party.

They have introduced a number of concepts to strengthen their party, an example being the eight points of regulation introduced by their general secretary, President Xi. These regulations are aimed at installing discipline and instructing the code of conduct of all party cadres.

We believe that as Zanu-PF, if we emulate this kind of approach, we will see a much stronger party. The CPC have a very solid foundation, particularly when it comes to recruitment. They do not just recruit for the sake of recruiting. What we learnt is that for one to become a member of the CPC, he or she has to undergo a rigorous process that lasts a year.

If you indicate that you want to be part of the CPC, you are put under probation for a year. If you succeed, you are admitted, but if not, you are relegated to be an activist.

You are also put under some form of surveillance to see if you have improved enough to join the structures.

They also have a very watertight system in terms of discipline through their Discipline Inspection Unit.

If any member misbehaves, they are brought to trial by a committee. Those committees are found at various levels of their structures, starting from the branch, the counties, municipalities and provinces up to the central committee. They also have a process through which one has to go in order to rise to the next level.

There are stages which one has to go through. The minimum period before a cadre is elevated to another level is five years.

Party supremacy over Government

Another lesson that marvelled us is the concept of the supremacy of the party. There is integration in the running of the country by the party and Government, with the party playing a superior role.

For example, Shandong province is led by the chairman of the standing committee of the CPC.

The deputy secretary of the standing committee of the province is automatically the Governor, or what we call Ministers of State back home. Other portfolios are shared between the party and Government.

For example, the deputy director-general for public security holds two portfolios in the party and Government. This integration between party and Government ensures that there is cohesion and there are no squabbles between party and Government as the leadership is streamlined.

The other strength of CPC is ideology.

They are thoroughly schooled. The party’s ideological schools are found at national level right down to the village. They run frequent programmes for various levels of authority.

You don’t rise to a rank without undertaking a course that conforms to that rank.

Party schools also cater for the various wings and affiliates of the party such as youth programmes, women’s programmes and programmes for the vanguard, which is made up of young cadres under 18, who do not qualify to be full-time party members.

Membership of CPC starts at the age of 18, but the vanguard can start participating in party programmes at 14. So people get regimented from a youthful age, rising up to the highest level.

They have a very clear system of electing their leadership. All those who aspire must fulfill a set criteria. The assessment for one to get to a position of authority is performed by the next level.

For example, if you want to get into the branch, it is the country that superintends over the process.

We found that system to be quintessential, prudent, democratic and fair in that you just don’t rise to take up a position when you don’t deserve it. Another thing that impressed us was the introduction of community projects to keep people occupied.

There are various programmes engaged by the community, including education, agriculture, ICT-based innovations and entertainment, among others. People always engage in those activities as communities.

We were shown community halls, entertainment areas, community schools and other projects.

This means that people always live in harmony because they are kept together by activities through these social clubs.

Activities differ from community to community, according to various traditions.

Special treatment for war veterans

We also found that they involve quite a number of war veterans in their party structures and also in Government. War veterans are given utmost respect.

If one is retired in the military, they are resettled in the party and given priority in terms of assuming top positions.

Retired civil servants are also easily assimilated into party structures. We found this to be a factor that strengthens the CPC.

It gives respect to people who are experienced and this goes a long way in strengthening the party. Going forward, we will continue engaging with the CPC.

They have agreed to assist us in many areas, particularly in the commissariat.

We are looking forward to more interaction with them. We will continue to meet on a regular basis to exchange notes.

We are really comfortable in replicating a lot of things from CPC.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics

One important theme that stood out during the visit was the issue of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is something that we also learnt from, notwithstanding the fact that an ideology is not something to imitate completely.

It is something that can always be improved upon. We intend to blend our ideology with what we are going to import from China. We are not going to copy, lock, stock and barrel, we are going to see what applies to our situation and to our party and then we will import that.

We will study their ideology further and see how we can adopt where necessary.

We also want to have our own scientific socialism with Zimbabwean characteristics. We are also going to make recommendations when we go back home to the Presidium.

Party restructuring

In order to implement some of the lessons learnt from China, we need to restructure first.

We need to attend to the current system where we have some deficiencies in the party. Once we attend to the restructuring exercise and have new structures, we will then start the conversation or processes of how we can use the same structures to achieve party goals such as mobilisation.

We are almost complete with the restructuring of Harare and Bulawayo and after that, we are going to spread to other provinces.

Once the restructuring is complete, we will talk about mobilisation strategies.

Chitepo School of Ideology

One of the main purposes of this trip was to give a shot in the arm to the Chitepo Ideological School by taking lessons from the CPC and I can say it was a success in that regard.

We have also made contact with the party schools in China to send some of our senior party officials to receive some training there.

We have agreed on exchange programmes with them, particularly for delegates to go to China.

This is going to be an ongoing exercise. It’s now incumbent upon us to identify the particular areas where we need assistance.

CPC has also promised to assist us in establishing the Chitepo Ideological School.

We have been asked to link with the Chinese Embassy in Harare.

There is a lot of enthusiasm now.

Some of the delegates had not been exposed to this kind of visit in the past. What I have read from the visit is that everyone is raring to go.

The visit has really given us a huge challenge and we are raring to go and sell this idea to our colleagues in the party.

 

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds