'Zanu-PF superior to govt,' says Gumbo

Zanu-PF says its activities including fundraising for its forthcoming annual national conference are more important than government programmes.

Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday after last week's politburo meeting to receive reports on the party's recently concluded provincial polls, party spokesman Rugare Gumbo said those who felt that by devoting much of its energy on raising the $300 million required for its conference the party was misplacing priorities, were misguided.

Critics have questioned why the ruling party was putting emphasis on fundraising for its conference at a time the country was bankrupt and even failing to come up with a national budget as well as remunerating civil servants well.

However, Gumbo said the conference was a party constitutional requirement which comes before all else and cannot be forgone for whatever reason.

"The party is superior to government and individuals. Our national conference is an annual event which we have to undertake and that needs funding. It is unfair to say our priorities are misplaced because the national economy will be taken care of by our economic blueprint ZimAsset, so we have that liberty to fundraise for the party's programme," said Gumbo.

Gumbo said the politburo had unanimously resolved to uphold the outcome of the hotly contested internal polls, not withstanding the myriad of challenges that characterised them.

He added that the provincial elections supervisors had told the party's highest decision-making body outside congress that contrary to press reports of violence, the elections were generally peaceful save for minor skirmishes in some parts of the country.

"Reports of violence were a product of sensational journalism because what we heard from our team leaders was that there were minor skirmishes that are normal in any organisation as big as ours.

"Whenever there is a contest, losers will always cry foul but the president (Robert Mugabe) laid the line straight telling everyone that we learnt our lessons and we need to go back to the basics," Gumbo said.

Meanwhile, Gumbo said that all was set for next week's conference after the party successfully fundraised for the event.

He also revealed that the politburo had declared Rtd Brigadier General Misheck Tanyanyiwa who died last week on Thursday in Beijing (China), a national hero.

Tanyanyiwa who was a military attaché in the Asian country will be buried at the National Heroes Acre today.