Draft resolutions of Zanu-PF's 6th National People's Congress

Introduction

The Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) held its 6th National People's Congress in Harare, at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Square, from 2nd to 7th December 2014 under the theme, Accelerated Implementation of Zim Asset. Delegates to the Congress were drawn from; the level of Party Districts, from each of the Party's 10 provinces, with each District in the provinces sending three delegates, Provincial Councils, members of the National Consultative Assembly, National Councils of the Youth and Women's League respectively and members of the Central Committee.

Also in attendance were representatives of Zanu-PF's Johannesburg, and United Kingdom branches. Altogether, a total of 12 130 participants attended the Congress.

The Congress received solidarity messages from representatives of the following Sister Liberation Movements, political parties and progressive organisations;

African National Congress (ANC) - South Africa

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) - Botswana

Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) -Tanzania

Frelimo - Mozambique

MPLA - Angola

Swapo Party - Namibia

Malawi Congress Party - Malawi

PPRD - Democratic Republic Congo

Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - South Sudan

National Congress Party (NCP) -Republic of Sudan

Polisario Front - Saharawi Arab Republic

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) - Palestine

Communist Party of China (CPC) - People's Republic of China

Communist Party of Cuba

December 12 Movement - United States of America

Congress also received solidarity messages from the following local and external affiliate organisations:

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association,

Zimbabwe Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees Association,

Zimbabwe Congress of Students' Union,

Youth organisations

Women organisotions

Zanu-PF Johannesburg Branch, South Africa

Zanu-PF United Kingdom Branch

The Congress was officially opened by the President and First Secretary, R. G. Mugabe, who set its tone, content and thrust by condemning the assault of the Party by a self-indulgent, power-hungry, treacherous, treasonous and corrupt cabal of quislings and counter-revolutionaries led by Vice President JTR Mujuru.

The President and First Secretary underscored the urgent need for the restoration of the Party's revolutionary vision and mission guided by its founding principles.

Following the historic address by the President and First Secretary, Congress went into its deliberative Committees which extensively and candidly debated the critical geo-political and socio-economic issues facing the Party, the economy and country and agreed on the following resolutions against the backdrop of the changed and changing national, regional and international situations:

State of the Party

Congress is:

a) Buoyed by the Party's emphatic, resounding and historic victory in the Harmonised General Election held on 31st July 2013 whose Presidential and Parliamentary margins were by far higher than those scored at Independence in 1980;

b) Inspired by the fact that the historic electoral victory in the said elections was practically won through the initiatives and campaign strategies of the President and First Secretary of the Party, R. G. Mugabe, in conjunction with the collective efforts of the rank and file membership of the Party and the people of Zimbabwe;

c) Appalled by the actions of the cabal of counter-revolutionaries led by the Vice President and Second Secretary of the Party JTR Mujuru, that plotted to block the 31st July 2013 Harmonised Elections.

d) Dismayed by the cabal's dirty minded and reactionary deal with the opposition formations and their foreign sponsors in the treacherous pursuit of the illegal regime change agenda that was epitomised by their ill-fated "Bhora Musango" pact of 2008 whose diabolic scheme was to humiliate the Party by creating the traitorous conditions of the doomed "Inclusive Government";

e) Further appalled that the said cabal of counter-revolutionaries and quislings conspired in machinations to manipulate the voting structures of the Party at the grassroots level, with the objective of illegally grabbing power and effecting regime change in cahoots with the opposition and their foreign sponsors;

f) Outraged that, despite having weakened and corrupted the Party's grassroots structures which are the sine qua non for winning elections, and despite the fact that they did not want the 31st July 2013 Harmonised Elections to be held in the evil hope of extending the life of the so-called Inclusive Government, the now exposed treacherous group sought to steal the Party's electoral victory, which was won under the leadership of R. G Mugabe, not only by shamelessly claiming it as their own, but also by seeking to criminally and unconstitutionally unseat President Mugabe hardly a year into his five-year electoral mandate;

g) Further outraged that the cabal of these counter-revolutionaries deliberately sabotaged the 6th National Youth Conference and sought in vain to do the same with the 6th National Women's Conference, through intentional poor organisation and denial of food, accommodation and logistics, while cunningly resorting to vote-buying, intimidation and violence in the disloyal hope that the ensuing chaos would create favourable conditions for them to usurp power and overthrow the constitutionally-elected President of the country, R. G Mugabe;

h) Grateful that the First Lady, and incoming Secretary for Women's Affairs, Dr Grace Mugabe, showed revolutionary skill and courageous leadership when she nipped in the bud the scheme of the cabal of counter-revolutionaries and quislings through the "Mazowe Crush" initiative which thwarted the cabal's despicable designs following the chaotic conferences of the Youth and

Women's League respectively in August 2014;

i) Appreciative of the drive and energy of Dr G. Mugabe's Meet the People tour of the 10 provinces as she relentlessly exposed the corruption, treachery, machinations and power-hunger of the said cabal led by Vice President Mujuru, thereby enlightening the rank and file membership of the Party and the people of Zimbabwe as a whole;

j) Further appalled by the pitiful state of the Party's finances and deplorable administration of the Party's affairs;

k) Alarmed by the corrupt use of money to peddle influence and buy votes in the Party;

I) Shocked by the rise of the ugly spectre of factionalism which had threatened to undermine the unity and cohesion of the Revolutionary Party;

m) Appalled by the fact that the Department of Commissariat has no direction in terms of the correct line of ideology;

Congress therefore:

1. Congratulates and applauds the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe, on the unprecedented and thunderous win in the 31 July 2013 Harmonised Elections, thwarting the machinations of external and internal detractors, and thus reaffirming the unwavering confidence the country has in his consistent, tried and tested leadership.

2. Salutes the people of Zimbabwe for their steadfast loyalty and unwavering support to the Party and their commitment to the principles and values of the national liberation war through their overwhelming electoral support to the Party and its President, R. G Mugabe.

3. Further salutes the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe, for her bold, forthright and refreshing candour in timely exposing the rot that had set in the Party and the national body politic as a result of the corrupt and treasonous actions of Vice President Mujuru and her cabal of counter-revolutionaries and quislings.

4. Congratulates the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe, on his unanimous endorsement by the Party's 10 provinces as the sole candidate for the Presidency of the Party.

5. Endorses the decision of the Women and Youth League Conferences and resolutions passed by the country's 10 provinces to recommend Amai Dr G Mugabe for appointment as the Secretary for Women's Affairs.

6. Applauds the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe, for being the chief exponent and Defender of the Party, its Constitution, policies, leadership and disciplinary principles.

7. Directs the Party to set up the Chitepo Ideological College by December 2015 with a complete Secretariat and approved curriculum incorporating the history of the Party, the history of the national liberation struggle and the great civilisation of the people of Zimbabwe.

8. Urges Government to reinstitute compulsory National Youth Service and make it a pre-qualification for enrolment into tertiary education with the purpose of inculcating the values of patriotism, nationhood, volunteerism, national ethos and discipline.

9. Instructs the Party to compel all those assuming and occupying leadership positions within the Party and in Government to undergo a set period of training and education at the Chitepo Ideological College.

10. Directs that the Party maintains zero tolerance to incompetence, gross misconduct, corruption, disloyalty and treachery at all levels of its leadership.

11. Urges the Party to expeditiously establish policy formulation, development, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms as a strategic Think Tank to assist the President and First Secretary of the Party and its organs as they formulate and implement the Party's policies and programmes.

12. Calls upon the party to take advantage of the economic opportunities it has created by engaging in viable and sustainable business ventures that grow its investment portfolio to generate revenues to support its programmes and activities.

13. Calls upon the Party to unreservedly enforce disciplinary measures without fear or favour against members implicated in fanning factionalism and divisions in the Party.

14. Directs the Party to expeditiously appoint and operationalise the nine-member Zanu-PF Elections Commission as required by the Party Constitution as amended.

15. Reaffirms that the Party is supreme over Government and directs that Ministers should report regularly to the Central Committee through the respective Heads of Departments of the Politburo.

16. Acknowledges that Zimbabwe's population is a youthful one and urges the youth to play their vanguard role; and for the Party to put into place measures to achieve the socio-economic and political empowerment of the youth.

17. Directs the Party to implement a clear, focused, actionable and time-framed mass mobilisation strategy and political programme to win the hearts and minds of the people with a particular focus on the youth, students, young professionals and the Diasporans.

18. Directs the Party to take an active role in addressing gender disparity in the political, social and economic sphere.

19. Urges the Party to institute sound administrative policies, systems and procedures to enhance efficiency, improved service delivery, accountability and equity at all levels of Party administration.

20. Takes note of the succinct, elaborate and nationally conscious Resolutions of the 6th National Conferences of the Women and Youth Leagues and adopts them as constituting Resolutions of this Congress.

21. Exhorts all members of the Party to strive towards unity of purpose and greater national cohesion as the bedrock to bring about meaningful transformation for the betterment of all.

22. Directs the Party to amend the Party Constitution to provide for a representation of the War Veterans, War Collaborators; Ex-Detainees and Ex-Restrictees by their top three in each of their organs in Party structures so as to fully appreciate the history of the Party and its role in prosecuting the national liberation struggle

23. Urges the Party to keep abreast of technological developments in the Information Communication Technology sector and to increase the use thereof.

The State of the Economy

Congress:

a) Reiterates that Zanu-PF is a socialist Pan Africanist Party whose ideology is reiterated by the National People's Congress of December 1999 and Article 2(9) of our Party Constitution, "to establish and sustain a socialist society firmly based on our historical, cultural and social experience and to create conditions for economic independence, prosperity and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation in a system of economic organisation and management in which elements of free enterprise and market economy, planned economy and public ownership are combined".

b) Acknowledges the concerted efforts by and initiatives of the Party's Government under the Zim Asset policy economic blueprint to turnaround the economy, in the face of illegal sanctions, constrained fiscal space, depressed economic performance, a disproportionately high wage bill, the continuing liquidity challenges, poor state of public infrastructure, constrained investment and revenue inflows, the haemorrhaging of State Enterprises and the scourge of rampant corruption in both private and public enterprises.

c) Further acknowledges pricing distortions in the economy emanating from the financial meltdown and hyper-inflationary era as well as the introduction of the multiple currency exchange regime.

d) Condemns the debilitating effect on our economy arising from illegal sanctions imposed by the Western countries as punishment for our land reform programme.

e) Notes the diversification of our economic relationship through the Look East Policy, and engagement with the BRICS countries.

f) Further notes Government's policy of re-engagement with multi-lateral and bilateral financial institutions and traditional economic cooperating partners in the West.

g) Supports Government's re-engagement with international creditors to normalize trade and diplomatic relations guided by Zimbabwe's security, national and economic interests;

h) Further supports Government's accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset in particular efforts towards rehabilitating, upgrading and the construction of key economic enablers such as power,water, roads, railways, Information Communication Technology and agricultural sector.

i) Takes note of lack of credit towards the productive sector of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism

Congress therefore;

1. Resolves that Government embarks on developing and implementing mechanisms for unlocking the value that is inherent in Zimbabwe's abundant natural and human assets;

2. Further resolves that Government develops strategies that maximize the benefit that can be derived from the nation's installed infrastructure and capacity.

3. Directs Government to adopt and implement policies that encourages the growth of a vibrant Small and Medium Enterprise sector driven by entrepreneurship.

4. Urges Government to facilitate development and implementation of policies that increase and enhance the broad-based inclusive participation of the indigenous people in the economy.

5. Calls upon Government to ensure judicious deployment of domestic savings such as Nssa funds, Insurance and Pension Funds and for Government to accord prescribed assets status to projects and investments of a strategic nature.

6. Further calls upon government to create an enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investment.

Food Security and Nutrition

a) Concerned about the persistent challenge of mobilising adequate resources to implement a requisite food and nutrition policy;

b) Aware that, with the growing challenges of climate change, a sustainable food security and nutrition policy is inherently dependent on the implementation of a viable national irrigation plan;

c) Committed to promoting and achieving policy clarity and coherence as well as the necessary policy interface between development partners, including the private sector, to ensure food security and nutrition as a strategic national goal;

d) Recognising the need to promote and develop a food security and nutrition strategy that balances crop and livestock production in accordance with relevant agro-ecological regions;

Congress, therefore:

1. Calls upon the Party to instruct Government to develop robust and innovative strategies to adequately finance and ensure the full implementation of the food security and nutrition policy.

2. Implores the Party to ensure that Government invests in knowledge-based agricultural practices, technologies to reduce post-harvest losses, water harvesting strategies and expanded extension services in order to mitigate against climate change.

3. Urges the Party to ensure that Government encourages efficient and effective land use practices to improve productivity in the animal husbandry and crop production sectors including small grain crop production.

4. Calls on Government to improve synergy and co-ordination amongst all stakeholders in the formulation, promotion and implementation of the food security and nutrition strategy in both crop and livestock production.

Social Service and Poverty

Eradication

Congress is;

a) Distressed by the persistent and growing incidents of poverty among vulnerable groups, many of whom live in squalid conditions;

b) Horrified by the escalating cases of sexual abuse of women, including the rape of baby girls, made worse by poor prosecution or seemingly lenient sentences meted out by the courts;

c) Challenged by the ever growing urban housing backlog and the substandard rural housing.

d) Obligated to create employment opportunities especially for the youth in general and graduates from the country's colleges and universities in particular; and

e) Convinced about the promise of Zim-Asset to empower households and communities in order to improve livelihoods, generate incomes and alleviate poverty;

Congress therefore

1) Resolves that government should stringently monitor the implementation of safety nets and other policy instruments designed for women and children, people living with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.

2) Exhorts government to accelerate the construction and rehabilitation of transport infrastructure to enable connectivity and penetration thereby increasing access to health facilities by the generality of the population

3) Urges government to urgently scale up the enforcement of appropriate legislation that curbs the rampant sexual abuse of women and children

4) Calls upon the government to accelerate the economic empowerment of women and youth so as to bring about social and economic transformation at the household level.

Infrastructure and Utilities

a) Accepting that Zimbabwe critically needs a robust and resilient infrastructure-especially in but not limited to the areas of power, energy, transport and telecommunications-to register positive rates of economic growth in pursuit of sustainable economic development based on the country's well defined comparative advantages in terms of natural and human resources;

b) Cognisant of the unacceptable state of the country's physical and social infrastructure whose deterioration, due to the combined effects of-sanctions and lack of funding, is in need of urgent repair and expansion;

c) Prioritising the urgent need to design and implement a nationwide irrigation and water supply plan to mitigate against the vagaries of climate change and the concomitant droughts and their deleterious impact on agriculture in general and on food security and nutrition in particular;

d) Aware of the current financial constraints that limit the country's capacity to support rehabilitation and expansion of its physical and social infrastructure.

Congress therefore,

1. Directs the Party to urge Government to increase and prioritise the financing of power and energy generation projects as well as compel those contracted to set up alternative energy sources to speedily implement the projects.

2. Calls upon Government to facilitate-the smooth functioning of public utilities, transport and telecommunication infrastructure as key enablers of economic growth, while actively decentralising public and social amenities infrastructure to rural areas.

3. Urges Government to accelerate the implementation of E-Government, establishment of Information Communication Centres in all districts and launch of Flagship Projects to improve service delivery.

4. Urges government to ensure the institution of comprehensive feasibility studies and due diligence prior to construction of all capital infrastructural project of national significance, particularly in the areas of irrigation and water supply systems, which enhance, economic productivity.

5. Urges Government to recapitalize the Infrastructural Development Bank Zimbabwe (IDBZ) in terms of financial resources and requisite skills to ensure that all negotiated infrastructural projects are bankable and expedited.

Value addition and beneficiation

a) Concerned about the high levels of revenue and employment losses precipitated by the export of raw materials;

b) Cognisant that the export of raw materials and commodities is tantamount to export of jobs;

c) Determined to revive and boost productivity in the mining, agriculture and manufacturing sectors and to enhance their commercial viability through value addition and beneficiation;

d) Conscious of the negative impact of the prevailing energy and power deficit on value addition and beneficiation investment; and

e) Cognisant of the strategic importance of skilled labour and technology in achieving viability of value addition and beneficiation.

Congress, therefore:

1. Enjoins Government to facilitate value addition and beneficiation of local primary goods across all sectors, such as the establishment of refineries in mining and the processing of primary agricultural produce, among other initiatives, in order to increase the value of exports and to create employment across the value chain.

2. Resolves that Government revives the manufacturing sector by enforcing current mechanisms to curb the exportation of unprocessed products and protects identified efficient local industry from cheap imports.

3. Urges Government to concertedly promote technological innovation around energy and power generation and energy conservation strategies as a key enabler to the value and beneficiation strategies.

4. Encourages Government to prioritise market-influenced manpower development programmes, skills retention measures, and well-resourced initiatives to support research and development for the viability of value addition and beneficiation projects.

State of Indigenisation and Land Reform

Congress is:

a) Disturbed by the loss of both momentum and initiative in the implementation of the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Framework which was the Iynchpin of the Party's 2013 election manifesto;

b) Reiterating that land is the mother of indigenisation and economic empowerment;

c) Mindful that equitable access to land among indigenous Zimbabweans is a prerequisite for broad-based indigenisation and national economic empowerment; and

d) Committed to enhancing national land productivity and effective utilisation of land in a sustainable manner to achieve higher Gross Domestic Product;

Congress, therefore:

1. Directs the Party and Government to immediately reinvigorate the implementation of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act by enforcing compliance of its provisions, including rationalisation of investment pull factors, responsibility sharing and synchronisation of attendant legislation for the actual empowerment of Zimbabwean indigenous.

2. Applauds the Party for the introduction of A1 Model Agricultural Permits and calls on Government expedite their issuance and that of the 99-year leases to enable farmers to access agricultural financing.

3. Resolves that Government protects and incentivises farmers and the entire agricultural value chain.

Public Administration,

Governance and Fiscal Reform

a) Concerned with the high cost of money which is affecting productivity and the national balance of trade and balance of payment status;

b) Further concerned about a culture of non-payment of debts that has taken root across the economy with far reaching consequences on the country's financial services and international rating;

c) Shocked by the astronomical rise in corrupt practices and gross violations of good corporate governance in both the public and private, service delivery systems; and

d) Accepting that a professional, efficient and effective public management systems which is results based-is a precondition for the successful implementation of Zim-Asset;

Congress, therefore:

1. Urges Government to implement Zim-Asset (2013-2018) based on the annual prioritised Action Plans.

2. To consolidate the Results-Based Management System by enforcing performance contracts at all levels across the public sector, including ministers.

Women's Affairs

a) Reaffirming the leading role the Party is playing in pursuit of gender equality and equity across the political, legislative, institutional, socio-economic and entrepreneurial spheres;

b) Perturbed however, by the alarming rise in vulnerability of women and children to heinous acts of violence, including inconsiderate harmful, strange and abusive cultural practices;

c) Noting that the Women's League held their 6th National Conference in August 2014 and came up with resolutions resonant with Party ideology, founding values, principles and aspirations;

Congress, therefore:

1. Resolves that the Party encourages Government to intensify its endeavours to empower women and the girl child through enhancing their access to education and availing opportunities for them to participate in the consummation of the Zim-Asset blueprint.

2. That the Party urges Government to bolster legislation that is friendly to women and children in order to safeguard their rights, lessen their vulnerability and accord them space to participate in national affairs as full citizens.

3. Enjoins the Party to uphold the resolutions of the August 2014 Women's League Conference as sufficiently instructive.

Youth Affairs

a) Conscious of the vanguard role the youth are poised to play for the posterity of the revolutionary Party Zanu-PF, and further affirming the need for young people to remain vigilant in the face of sustained enemy attacks, both from within and from without;

b) Alarmed however, by the notably ebbing sense of patriotism, lack of life skills and ideological cohesion among the youth cadreship;

c) Acknowledging the succinct resolutions tendered to the Party by the Youth League following its successful 6th Conference in August 2014 in line with the Party's edicts and principles;

Congress, therefore:

1. Resolves to encourage Party and Government to strengthen inter-institutional synergies in order to enhance national consciousness and geopolitical alertness;

2. Calls upon the Party to implement through Government, holistic and inclusive youth development programmes that equip young people with functional life skills, discipline and the ability to participate in nation building programmes in aid to the accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset, such as through a robust and well-coordinated National Youth Service programme.

3. Undertakes to uphold the resolutions of the Youth Conference held in August 2014 as tendered.

Liberation War Heritage

a) Recognising veterans of the armed struggle as custodians of the Liberation War Heritage;

b) Honouring National Independence as a heroic and an undying heritage of the liberation struggle;

c) Offended by rogue war veterans and counter-revolutionaries personified by the likes of Jabulani Sibanda who have sought to betray the Liberation War Heritage by becoming Judas Iscariots of the cabal of quislings led by Joice Mujuru;

Congress, therefore:

1) Calls upon the Party to encourage Government to prioritise the welfare of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and their dependants.

2) Urges the Party to encourage Government to include Veterans of the Liberation Struggle in economic empowerment programmes and leadership and or administrative positions in both the Party and Government.

3) Exhort Veterans of the Liberation Struggle to resolutely remain custodians of the funding values, principles and heritage of the Liberation Struggle

4) Deplore the retrogressive and counter-revolutionary actions of rogue war veterans and their ilk personified by the likes of Jabulani Sibanda and his cabal.

5) Urges the Party to instruct Government to designate and maintain heritage sites, including sites of Battles of the First and Second Chimurenga, as monuments for current and future generations.

Conclusion

a) Revitalised by the re-establishment of our internal democratic political order and inspired by the exemplary leadership, of Ideological clarity, steadfastness and consistency of His Excellency, the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe;

b) Recognising progress made in the implementation of Zim-Asset and determined to permanently turn around the economic fortunes of Zimbabwe;

c) Grateful to Zimbabwe's Security Services for the continued vigilance, peace, security and tranquillity prevailing in the country;

d) Humbled by the support, solidarity and comradeship to our country by sister parties, SADC, African Union, Non-Aligned Movement and progressive regions, countries and organizations throughout the world;

e) Jubilant over the recognition of Zimbabwe by SADC and the AU countries through the election of Zimbabwe and our President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe, as the current Chair of SADC and the incoming Chair of the AU respectively;

Now therefore Congress:

1) Congratulates His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of R. G Mugabe for his re-election as President of the Party.

2) Pledges unreserved loyalty to the President and First Secretary, R.G Mugabe as the one centre of power and head of the Party and Government

3) Commits to be loyal to defend, observe and abide by, the Party Constitution and strive to continually strengthen and promote unity and cohesion within all structures and levels of the Party.

4) Applauds the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe for spearheading the conceptualisation and formulation of Zim-Asset, a home grown and indigenous economic blueprint for empowerment, national development and resuscitation of the economic fortunes of this great country.

5) Commends the Security Services of Zimbabwe for the vigilance and alertness in thwarting and foiling the plans and shenanigans of internal and external threats to depose the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces.

6) Salutes the President and First Secretary, R. G Mugabe, for being elected SADC Chairman and the incoming Vice Chair of the AU respectively.

The 6th National People's Congress expresses its gratitude to the President and First Secretary R. G Mugabe and the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, for their unprecedented largess as they donated generously towards the holding and success of this Congress.

Tinotenda, Siyabonga Thank You.