Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF will reaffirm its First Sec­retary and President Mugabe as the presi­dential candidate in next year’s har­monised elections during the party’s 13th annual people’s conference slated for Gweru in December. Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said the veteran leader was the party’s sole candidate.

“He was reconfirmed as our candi­date during last year’s Bulawayo con­ference and at the previous conference in Mutare.
“There is no reason why Pres­ident Mugabe will not be con­firmed again as our candidate unless he declines. He is the President of the party and he becomes the candidate for our party,” Cde Gumbo said.

President Mugabe was endorsed as Zanu-PF’s presidential candidate at the 2010 Zanu-PF annual people’s confer­ence held in Mutare and his candida­ture was re-affirmed again at the Bul­awayo conference last year.
At the Bulawayo conference, the party’s First Secretary made it clear that he was not quitting at a time when the country continued to be a victim of Western aggression and the illegal sanctions.

The country is reeling under paralysing illegal Western sanctions designed to cause economic melt­down and consequently a revolt.
Cde Gumbo said preparations for the Gweru conference in the Mid­lands province were progressing well.
“The preparations for the confer­ence are at an advanced stage. The confer­ence co-ordinating committee visited Gweru to assess the venue for the con­ference last week,” he said.

Cde Gumbo said a conference cen­tre capable of accommodating 5 000 dele­gates was under construction and would be completed before the annual event begins.
“The party is constructing a confer­ence centre on a farm located just on the outskirts of the city. The confer­ence centre shall have offices for the presid­ium and heads of department,” he said.

Cde Gumbo said the people of Mid­lands were excited that their province was playing host to such a major polit­ical event.
There is massive work on site as workers rush to meet the December deadline.

On preparations for next year’s elec­tions, Cde Gumbo said the party’s Politburo and Central Committee that are meeting today (Thursday) and tomorrow were expected to discuss issues to do with the polls.

“We are hoping issues to do with pri­mary elections would be discussed there,” he said.
Harmonised election dates would be known in the last week of March next year, according to the proposals made by the President to the court.