The Sunday Mail
Levi Mukarati
Deputy News Editor
The year 2018 saw Zanu-PF engage in a host of activities that helped the ruling party adapt to evolving challenges and ensure it maintains its dominance of Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
According to the ruling party’s annual review of its performance, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership has rejuvenated Zanu-PF since his ascension to the helm in November 2017.
Noted gains include the renewed focus on economic revitalisation; a slick, modern electoral strategy underpinned by the party’s founding values; growth in the membership base; deepening and widening of the party’s external relations; and rebranding of the Zanu-PF membership mobilisation machinery as embodied in the Women’s and Youth leagues.
This is contained in the Zanu-PF Central Committee Report to the 17th Annual National People’s Conference, which was presented and adopted last Friday in Esigodini, Matabeleland South.
The report reviews and forecasts activities by the party’s secretariat — the Politburo — as tasked by one of Zanu-PF’s key organs, the Central Committee.
According to Zanu-PF Secretary for Economic Affairs Dr Christopher Mushohwe, the ruling party campaigned on economic stabilisation and it will deliver on its pledges.
In his report to the Central Committee, Dr Mushohwe notes that President Mnangagwa made a five-year pledge to Zimbabweans that he would create jobs, clamp down on corruption, establish a modern and affordable healthcare system, and develop key infrastructure.
“In transforming the economy into a middle-income by 2030, the Government has engaged in several development projects, which include the ongoing construction of the new Parliament with the assistance of the Chinese government; (and) setting up of coal-processing pilot plant and preparations for commercial coal production at Liberation Mine in Matabeleland North.
“It is imperative that the next five years are daunting as the party must deliver on its pledges without fail.
“Therefore, the department of Economic Affairs must be appropriately capacitated to ensure the party successfully drives the Vision 2030 Economic Agenda.”
Dr Mushohwe says since its inauguration last year, the new Government has been aggressively engaging the international community.
The engagement efforts have seen Zimbabwe secure US$1,5 billion financial support from Afreximbank, US$1,7 billion for Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8, US$71 million for NetOne’s expansion, and construction of a multi-million dollar national pharmaceutical warehouse.
The investments and economic stabilisation strategies are seen as having contributed to the ruling party’s victory in the July 2018 harmonised elections.
Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) explains that clarity of messaging and strategy contributed to the emphatic electoral victory.
In his submission, Cde Rujeje said, “The party’s campaign strategy was coined around mobilising support at cell level in order to ensure the solid grassroots structures are put in place.
“Symbolic Cell Day programmes were held in Mbare and Epworth. In the same vein, the strategy also embraced the 2018 election manifesto theme; ‘Unite, Fight Corruption, Re-engage, Develop and Create Jobs’.
“The BVR (biometric voter registration) exercise concluded on 8 February 2018, indicating that the potential voters population decreased from 6 441 157 in 2013 to 5 185 109, in spite of the projected voter population of 7 224 129.
“In a bid to increase numbers, the department conducted its own voter registration blitz exercise countrywide from 12 to 28 March 2018. Each province was issued 5 000 litres of fuel to ferry supporters to district registration centres.”
Cde Rugeje says Zanu-PF’s membership mobilisation drive is continuous and the party targets registering three million cardholders. The department also proposes that those seeking to contest future elections should hold a Chitepo School of Ideology certificate.
The proposal stems from the increase in disciplinary cases in the party and emergence of members without a full understanding of Zanu-PF’s values and ideology.
Party National Chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri notes that the party emphasises discipline.
Disciplinary action is guided by the principles of natural justice as captured in Article 10 of Zanu-PF’s constitution.
On disciplinary issues, Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri says: “Didymus Mutasa, Jabulani Sibanda and Chenjerai Kangausaru made individual re-admission cases to which the Politburo has since approved their readmission into the party.
“In the cases of Marian Chombo and Mavis Gumbo, the NDC upheld the decision made by the Politburo to reinstate them.
“With regards to Kudzanai Chipanga, the (National Disciplinary Committee) agreed to uphold recommendations made by Manicaland Province that Chipanga should not be readmitted as yet, especially given the fact that he was allegedly supporting the opposition.”
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri says former member Anastancia Ndlovu, an ex-Deputy Minister of Tourism who dabbled with factional politics, will be readmitted into the party, while Innocent Hamandishe should remain banished for his involvement in opposition politics.
The party chair adds that Zanu-PF is geared to win the 2023 elections, and to aid this effort, legislators must submit monthly progress reports on projects in their constituencies. By the time of the next polls, Zanu-PF aspires to have established an efficient, competent, highly professional administrative system.
Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu says Zanu-PF’s objective is to remain “the superior choice in the body politic”.
“To this end, the department has identified short-term objectives which include supervising, co-ordinating and ensuring the efficient implementation of the party programmes and policies,” said Cde Mpofu in a report to the Central Committee.
“The department will increase training and development programmes for its staff as well as recruit multi-skilled researchers into the party. Results-based management will be used as a tool to monitor and improve performance.”
Abroad, Zanu-PF, in 2018, continued to forge ties with “progressive” political parties, organisations and movements throughout the world.
The Zanu-PF External Relations department, headed by Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, says it “continues to engage regional and international communities, liberation movements and progressive parties to enhance co-operation and solidarity, both politically and economically in support of our President and First Secretary Cde ED Mnangagwa’s mantra ‘Zimbabwe if Open for Business’.”
While the ruling party and Government have been advocating for and advancing economic development, Zanu-PF’s National Security department says local proponents of regime change and some Western nations continue to push for destabilisation.
The department emphasised that the renewal of American sanctions on Zimbabwe, peddling of false human rights violations reports, and unjustified hikes in prices of goods and services were national security threats.
As such, the department proposes a more robust information dissemination and engagement matrix to counter the national security threats.
It is in this regard that Zanu-PF National Secretary for Information and Publicity Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo underscores the need to strengthen the department’s activities at all subordinate structures of the party to foster cohesion and unity.
Cde Khaya Moyo says the department has “ensured a sustained and consistent media strategy in defence of party leadership, policies and programmes during the year (2018).
“It has consistently kept an eye on media developments globally and continued to employ appropriate strategies and instruments at its disposal to counter any activities targeting the party.
“The department will continue to monitor developments in the media circles, radio and television channels to ensure appropriate strategies are in place to address any emerging threats.
“In light of the challenges posed by the social media, there is need to upgrade the ICT infrastructure including the (Zanu-PF) media centre, reinvigorating the publishing house, establishing own radio and television stations and advocating for the establishment of more community radio stations”.
The Women’s League and Youth Affairs departments in 2018 continued to mobilise resources to implement empowerment programmes.
The departments — the backbone of Zanu-PF — refocused their mobilisation tactics by offering women and youth skills development programmes in farming and other businesses.
