Zanu-PF congress to give Mnangagwa mandate

THE Zanu-PF's 7th National People's Congress whose preparations are ongoing is going to endorse and confirm President Mnangagwa as the party's Presidential candidate for next year's harmonised elections at the back of national socio-economic development targets that he has been pursuing in fulfilment of Vision 2030, the party's Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu has said.

He said there was unity of purpose in the party.

"There is unity and coherence in the party. We are all singing flawlessly from the same hymn book and stanza, there is no discord when it comes to the congress and what we are going there to do. We have agreed that President Mnangagwa is the sole Presidential candidate for the 2023 harmonised elections and I can tell you that everyone is happy.

"The party has unanimously given him a mandate because they recognised the work that he is doing nationally. The developmental projects that are everywhere walk his talk that no-one and no place should be left behind when it comes to development. He is forward looking and the party is happy," said Dr Mpofu.

The party's secretary for administration said the congress was going to set the tone for the party's election manifesto that would be drawn from the resolutions, adding that the party was seized with invitation of delegates, as well as drawing of the budget.

Dr Mpofu hinted that there were likely going to be changes in the way the party was going to handle this year's congress with the number of days and delegates going to be reduced.

"We will be holding our congress from the 26th to the 29th of October. We are still engaging on the number of days with a view to reducing them subject to approval by the Politburo. We are also drawing the budget which will also be determined by the agreed number of days but I tell you we are most likely going to reduce the delegates," he added.

He said the President was a business person who doesn't want people to stay too long doing things they ordinarily would spend a few days on.

"The President wants everything to be done in a business manner. He wants people to go back to their stations and be productive hence a reduction in the number of days and delegates will work well for the party."

Dr Mpofu said the party was going to invite sister political parties, especially those that were not mouthpieces of the region's erstwhile detractors but those that stood for the emancipation of their people. Zanu-PF was recently invited to attend the 39th Elective Congress of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which he said signposts their embracement of the country's engagement and re-engagement policy.

He said the gesture was reciprocated by President Mnangagwa when he invited the President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr Mokgweesi Eric Keabetwe Masisi to officiate the 2022 Zimbabwe Agricultural Show. He said it was a strikingly happy coincidence that the 39th BDP Elective Congress was convened at a time when the ruling Zanu-PF was finalising modalities for hosting its 2022 Elective Congress.

He  reaffirmed Zanu-PF's allegiance to grassroots-based mobilisation strategies particularly at a time when the party is eyeing a five million vote target in next year's harmonised elections.