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Herald Reporters

TODAY, the Zanu PF Annual National People’s Conference roars into life starting with a Politburo meeting chaired by the Revolutionary Party First Secretary President Mnangagwa.

Preparations for the annual indaba have been going on for months following the disruption of last year’s annual conference by the Covid-19 pandemic, which spawned a new normal.

Under the new normal brought by the global pandemic, the governing party has put in place a cocktail of measures to curtail its spread. The measures include social distancing, wearing face masks, washing hands and a voluntary vaccination programme to beat back the spread of the contagion.

The Annual National People’s Conference is no exception as central committee members will this year follow proceedings from their respective provinces through a virtual platform while the party Politburo members headlined by President Mnangagwa will congregate at the main venue in Bindura, Mashonaland Central province. Only vaccinated delegates will attend.

After a tour of the venue at Bindura University of Science Education, Zanu PF director for administration, Major (Rtd) Dickson Dzora, who was leading a national technical committee tour of the main venue gave it a thumbs up.

“We will be having a Politburo meeting and Central Committee meeting tomorrow (today) and Thursday and these meetings need to be briefed on the state of preparedness towards the official opening of the conference.

“All along we have been reporting to the conference coordinating committee chaired by the national chairperson and they have been meeting jointly with Mashonaland Central to take stock of the state of preparations,” he said.

At least 145 delegates are expected in the main auditorium and a separate tent marque has been set up as a media centre where scores of journalists accredited to cover the meeting will follow proceedings virtually. 

All provinces are 100 percent connected to the main venue with good sound and picture quality in place. Through a demo virtual proceeding, decorations have been done at different provincial venues and they are ready for the conference.

The team toured the venue starting from the main auditorium, media centre, dining hall and offices. Rest rooms and a clinic have also been set up, while water and electricity are available. Lighting, air conditioning and screens are in place in the main auditorium.

Senior Politburo member Cde Sydney Sekeramayi said he is impressed with the state of preparedness.

“There is a need for minor adjustments and tight security at entry points to avoid gate-crashers,” he said.

In line with President Mnangagwa’s enunciation that in the Second Republic the party has supremacy over Government, Zanu PF is expected to come up with key economic decisions to be tabled before Government for implementation.

Tomorrow, delegates will travel for the official opening of the conference on Friday by the party’s First Secretary and President, Cde Mnangagwa

Unlike in the past under the First Republic wherein political issues took centre stage — under the Second Republic thrust will be in consolidating national efforts towards reviving the country’s economy.

Running under the theme “Growing and Modernising the Economy towards Vision 2030”, the conference will discuss among other things, the state of the party, state of the economy, food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, macro-economic stability, and reengagement, infrastructure development and utilities as well as value addition and beneficiation.