Zanu-PF has stabilised

We, (as Zanu-PF), follow the constitution of the party on restructuring at all levels.

However, when certain developments that warrant restructuring occur, we do (the) restructuring.

We had problems with the Mujuru factor, we also had problems with the G40 factor, but now the party has stabilised.

There is need, perhaps, to realign structures in conformity with the new dispensation and the economic agenda.

That is what I can say about restructuring, it's not because we have just held elections that we are going to restructure, but it is because there is need to do the restructuring.

Our structures had been disturbed by the G40 elements; we cannot operate with some skeletal structures, and we need our structures to conform to the President's call to develop our country and the economy, and that can be easily achieved with support from a well-oiled Zanu-PF machinery, which is united.

Some positions within the party, where we feel restructuring is needed, fresh elections, especially at provincial, district, branch and cell levels, we will do so.

We have of course gone through the elections, where we won with a comfortable majority.

We are now in a position to reorganise the party, hence the decision by His Excellency, the President, to have full-time members of the Politburo stationed at the party's headquarters.

Having full-time Politburo members will ensure that the party is in top gear and also ensures it is conforming to constitutional requirements in terms of its operations.

We are coming up with a think-tank of technical personnel, people with expertise, that is relevant to our requirements.

That research and development department will be under my office, which is the Secretary for Administration's Office.

President Mnangagwa has directed that this department be established post-haste and ensure that we attract the necessary calibre of people to deal with that.

We are looking at political scientists, we are looking at ICT experts and administrators who understand the modern ways of advancing an institution like Zanu-PF, an institution that has been given the mandate to lead the people of Zimbabwe.

If we are to achieve the expectations of our principal and leadership of having Zimbabwe as a middle-income country within a few years, we need to have such experts, to do the researches and develop those concepts for us to share them with the implementation agents; in this case, which is the Government of Zimbabwe.

Our President has opened doors for all those who want to associate themselves with the party; these are people who left the party for various reasons and also those who want to join Zanu-PF for the first time.

We are allowing members from other parties to join us and we have received overwhelming response from very senior members of other parties, very senior members who had left the party for one reason or the other, they are all eager to join the party.

Our party cards are selling like hot cakes because of this demand and we are saying people are free to join Zanu-PF, people are free to come back home and continue their political careers within the revolutionary party.

In doing so, we need to follow the constitutional requirements in dealing with these issues because we are dealing with different categories of people, new members who are coming from other parties and those who were once our members.

The new members who are coming to join us are across racial considerations.

We have quite a number of whites who are coming to Zanu-PF and we continue to get requests from other races — coloureds (and) Indians who want to join us.

That is why I think the fact that we are now full-time, we will be able to deal with these issues, which need to be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.

The President has been very clear with that, the doors are not only open for business, but they are open for membership.

We are kept busy here that sometimes we are leaving offices very late in the evening because of people's overwhelming requests and demands.

Party positions are open and if they adhere to the rules and regulations of the party, rules and regulations as per the constitution, they can climb through the party rank to where people want them to be.

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Dr Obert Mpofu is Zanu-PF's Secretary for Administration.