Zanu-PF grooming the young in leadership positions

Zanu-PF has said it has a plan in place to ensure continuity as evidenced by the inclusion of young and new blood in the party structures as the elders pass on the baton to the young ones.

This was revealed by the ruling party's national political commissar, Mike Bimha while addressing journalists in Gweru soon after the official opening of the five-day orientation and induction workshop for Zanu-PF aspiring candidates by the party's First Secretary President Mnangagwa.

The ruling party is holding the orientation and induction workshop as it gears for the harmonised elections slated for August.

Party cadres, including the 210 aspiring Parliamentary candidates had by yesterday evening arrived in Gweru ahead of the five-day orientation and induction workshop which started yesterday.

The orientation and induction workshop is being attended by senior party officials, aspiring Members of Parliament, and the women's quota.

Bimha highlighted that the party has accepted new members and also retained cadres as it embraces everyone for the sole purpose of consolidating its power for the socio-economic development of the country.

"While we encourage others to join us, they will join us on our terms and we are clear as to where we want to go. But more important, is the fact that we have opened up as a party to say look, anyone who is interested can join us as a candidate, we said please come and join," he said.

"We were more of being restrictive, but the party has opened up as long as you meet the requirements. We find a lot of new faces, and new blood coming and joining, and in that, we now have that succession in motion."

Bimha said young people are being groomed to take up leadership positions.

"But we cherish those with experience, and there is no substitute to experience. Yes, the young people are vibrant, but they need the knowledge from the current crop of leaders we have," he said.

Bimha said the ruling party has gone through various stages from the liberation struggle to focusing on economic development.

"We have had various phases as a party, each feeding into the next phase. Initially, there was an issue of us saying we want to be involved in running the country, but obviously, because the settler regimes denied us the little we were asking for, the decision was made that the only way forward was to start an armed struggle," he said.

Bimha said the liberation war phase brought independence while the next phase was consolidating power.

"Now we focus on developing this country in terms of economic development and this is what the President said from the time he gave his speech when the Second Republic came into power focusing on economic development. I think that is the phase we need to propel and move forward so that we continue to be masters of our own destiny," he said.

Bimha said President Mnangagwa buttressed the point that the new faces coming into Parliament must know that the party comes first.

"There are issues to do with loyalty, issues to do with dedication, issues to do with discipline and these are the issues that are coming out. President Mnangagwa said we cannot win as a party until our selves are disciplined, loyal to the party, loyal to the leadership, and that we are knowledgeable about what the party stands for," he said.