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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The 17th Zanu-PF Annual People’s Conference kicked off yesterday with the sitting of the 324th Ordinary Session of the ruling party’s Politburo at its headquarters in Harare. The programme continues today with a meeting of the Central Committee at the same venue.

The main conference will be in Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province, beginning Friday.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Zanu-PF secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said they had discussed issues expected to be presented to the Central Committee today.

“The President emphasised the following; that the Politburo meeting was aimed at building a consensus on topical issues to be reported to the Central Committee scheduled for tomorrow (today),” he said.

“The President emphasised the need to scrutinise the draft Central Committee report before presentation to the Central Committee. The chair of the party, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri gave a comprehensive report of preparations for the 17th National People’s Conference.”

Cde Khaya Moyo said the venue of the main proceedings was handed over to the party’s conference coordination committee following completion of preparatory works.

“The venue was handed over to the party, that is the conference coordination committee at Esigodini on Sunday. The conference is set to begin as scheduled and indeed all roads lead to Esigodini on Thursday (tomorrow),” he added.

Cde Khaya Moyo said Cde Jacob Mudenda, a Politburo member, had presented a draft Central Committee report to the Politburo on behalf of the secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana.

“Politburo committee member Advocate Jacob Mudenda, on behalf of the Secretary for Legal Affairs, presented the draft Central Committee report page-by-page of an array of all party activities sector-by-sector, including the political, economic and social matters.

“The national Political Commissar Cde Engelbert Rugeje gave a report on the recently held provincial inter-district meetings, coming up with resolutions to be presented to the conference. What was cutting across all the inter-district meetings was the unanimous endorsement of Cde Mnangagwa as the party’s 2023 Presidential candidate,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

At least 6 000 delegates, including those from affiliate organisations, are expected to attend the main meeting at Umzingwane High School in Esigodini.

President Mnangagwa will open the conference on Friday and it will end on Saturday.

The conference is running under the theme, “Zimbabwe is Open for Business: Peace, Unity towards an Upper Middle Income Economy by 2023.”