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Cde Gumbo

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
The 14th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi last week was a resounding success as it came up with clear-cut resolutions to rebuild the economy, which has been blighted by a decade of the West’s illegal sanctions regime.
The revolutionary party emerged stronger from the conference, equipped with renewed vigour to tackle challenges upsetting the economy. Officially opening the conference on Friday, President Mugabe unpacked the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) and outlined how the economic blueprint should be implemented to benefit the people. Zim Asset was formulated by Zanu-PF following its convincing victory in the harmonised elections and will drive the national economic agenda for the next five years.

Apart from endorsing Zim Asset, the conference also took an uncompromising stance against corruption and factionalism in the party.
The conference, led by Zanu-PF First Secretary and President Mugabe, unanimously agreed to implement Zim Asset to fulfil its electoral promises.

In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo described the conference as a resounding success.
“The party is happy with the outcome of the conference starting from the Politburo and Central Committee and the conference itself,” he said.

“The President, throughout, emphasised the need to implement the Zim Asset using results based management. The President called for the re-organisation of the party. He went at length in trying to show us without the people we cannot go anywhere as a party.”

Cde Gumbo said the conference also resolved to improve the welfare of workers. He said Zim Asset was a five-year economic plan and people should be both supportive and patient as zanu-PF implements it.

Host province chairperson Cde Temba Mliswa said the conference came up with resolutions that would transform the economy over the next five years.

He said it was resolved to fund Zim Asset using the country’s vast mineral resources.
Cde Mliswa said it was agreed that mining companies should be seen contributing significantly to the economy.
“We agreed that we should raise money through our minerals to implement Zim Asset.

“As a party, we are now stronger and what is only needed is to consolidate the power that we have,” he said.
Cde Mliswa said the conference also spoke strongly on the need to fund agriculture timeously.

Manicaland provincial chairperson Ambassador John Mvundura said Zim Asset was discussed extensively and the conference resolved that its implementation should be treated with urgency.

“It was agreed that for us to fulfil our electoral promises of employment creation and food security we should implement the Zim Asset urgently. The issue of corruption was also discussed with a view to take action against the scourge.

“We are happy that the conference came up with such impressive resolutions, which we hope will enable us to fulfil what we promised to the people.” The 14th National People’s Conference was held under the theme “Zim Asset: Growing the economy for empowerment and employment and it attracted more than 4 500 delegates drawn from the country’s 10 provinces.”

Key Conference Issues:
– Poverty alleviation and Food Security
– Employment Creation
– Value Addition and Beneficiation
– Corruption and Factionalism
– Agriculture Support