Zanu PF backers stampede to donate food for women's league conference

SOME corporate organisations and individual ruling party backers yesterday stampeded to donate food hampers for delegates to the high-profile Zanu PF women's league conference, which opens in Harare today.

The donations came a few days after President Robert Mugabe publicly chided top party officials for failing to mobilise sufficient resources for the youth league conference last week, forcing the First Family to dig deeper into its coffers to feed the starving party youths.

But yesterday NewsDay observed several truckloads of food queueing at the party headquarters ready to offload food donations some of which came from Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

The party's "Young Turks", including Environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Information minister Jonathan Moyo, business mogul Phillip Chiyangwa and Mugabe's nephew Patrick Zhuwao donated five beasts each towards the conference where 4 000 delegates are expected.

The stampede for donations came hardly 24 hours after the ruling party had extended a begging bowl to the corporate sector as organisers stared another embarrassment in the face.

Last week, Mugabe's family had to donate 100 tonnes of maize, 30 cattle and milk from Gushungo dairy farm after delegates at the conference went without food.

After the donation, Mugabe launched a tirade on central committee and politburo members accusing them of endlessly engaging in clandestine meetings at the expense of mobilising resources for the youth conference.

Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday confirmed the flurry of donations.

"Food donations have been coming since morning and we will not have a repeat of what happened last week at the youths conference," he said.

"We are on the eve of the sixth women's conference which begins in earnest tomorrow (today).

"As a people's party with massive support countrywide, we have received several contributions and donations from party supporters, well-wishers and the business community."

Trucks laden with donated beef, frozen chickens, mealie-meal, cooking oil, rice, baked beans and other food stuffs were still parked at the entrance of the party's headquarters in Harare late in the afternoon.

Bakers Inn, Carswell Meats, Drummond Chickens, Irvines Chickens, Koala Abattoir and Colcom were among the companies that donated foodstuffs for the conference.

Mujuru donated 30 tonnes of maize, 3 500 T-Shirts, bread, eggs and rice, while the women's league itself received two beasts, rice and other food items from all the country's 10 provinces to feed the estimated 4 000 delegates.

Party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said Zanu PF was geared for a successful conference after yesterday's food boost from the corporate sector.

Women's league boss Oppah Muchinguri is expected to hand over the reins to First Lady Grace Mugabe after she was endorsed by both the women and youth leagues.