Sata expected to attend Zanu-PF's Conference in Bulawayo

Newly-elected Zambian leader Mr Michael Sata is expected to attend Zanu-PF's 11th Annual National People's Conference scheduled for Bulawayo in December.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa said President Sata was invited to attend the conference before he became Zambian Head of State and Government.

"We are inviting all Sadc governing parties to attend the conference.

"We have always done that. President Sata's Patriotic Front has won Zambian elections and we are going to invite them to the conference," he said.

Mutasa said Zanu-PF had good relations with President Sata who defeated Mr Rupiah Banda in recent polls.

Addressing the Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting last week, President Mugabe congratulated President Sata. He said Zanu-PF respected the will of the Zambians and recognised their position.

It is Zanu-PF's tradition to invite foreign delegates that share the same values and ideals with the revolutionary party to its national events such as conferences and congresses.

Meanwhile, this year's annual national people's conference will run under the theme "Defend national sovereignty, consolidate indigenisation and economic empowerment."

The theme is tailored to reinforce the indigenisation policy to ensure broad-based empowerment of all Zimbabweans. Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity, Rugare Gumbo, said preparations for the conference were progressing well.

"We have met as the conference co-ordinating committee discussing various issues relating to this event. We discussed issues such as sprucing up of the venue and agenda.

"We have not discussed the agenda in greater detail. It is confirmed that the conference is going to start on the 6th of December and ends on the 10th.

"On the 8th there is going to be conference of former liberation movements that will run on the sidelines of the conference," he said.

The former liberation movements met in Namibia recently to consolidate their ideologies in the face of machinations of neo-colonialists.

About 6 000 delegates are expected to attend this year's conference.

Last year, Zanu-PF held its conference in Mutare.

The conference resolved to forge ahead with the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme meant to correct historical injustices caused by colonialism.

Government has since gazetted regulations on empowerment.

Several foreign companies have already submitted plans on how they intend to comply with the regulations.

The indigenisation policy compels all foreign companies with a minimum capitalisation of US$500 000 to cede 51 percent of their shareholding to locals.