Harare – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday saluted the outgoing Zanu PF Central Committee for its stellar stewardship of the ruling party during its tenure which saw the ushering in of new party leadership among other milestones over the past five years.
The outgoing CC steered the ruling party during crucial phases including leadership changes that took place in 2017 and the 2018 general elections which saw Zanu PF retaining an overwhelming Parliamentary majority, and the Presidency.
The Central Committee is the most powerful organ within the ruling party outside congress.
A new Central Committee is set to be confirmed by Congress this Friday following elections that were held last month.
Familiar faces including Patrick Chinamasa, Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and Senate President Mabel Chinomona retained their seats in the new CC, while new faces including Lewis Mathuthu and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube made the grade.
Addressing a CC meeting on the eve of the official opening of the 7th Zanu PF national congress on Friday, President Mnangagwa said the outgoing Central Committee diligently delivered on its mandate during its tenure.
“It is with pride, therefore, that we look back and celebrate this Central Committee, which has since its constitution, successfully and diligently superintended over the implementation of various party resolutions, policies, programmes and decisions. The stronger unity as well as quantitative and qualitative growth of our colossal mass party is due to your efforts, as the Central Committee,” he said.
“Together, we have ensured that our people’s party is modernised, well structured, constitutionally anchored and ably driving an irreversible development and industrialisation national agenda. It is indeed under your collective leadership that we are jubilantly convening this landmark 7th National People’s Congress.
“As the curtain comes down on this current term of our Central Committee, may we all take pride in that during our tenure, the party constitution was upheld to the letter. The ideals and founding values, principles and ethos of ZANU PF; were preserved. We never dropped the baton and hence have every reason to stand tall and proud. I particularly recognise you all for guiding, supporting and providing the requisite leadership for the successful implementation of the various Policies, Resolutions and Programmes of the Party.”
President Mnangagwa said it was through the Central Committees vision and leadership that Zanu PF continued to enjoy dominance and popularity in the country.
Further, he said, the commitment, loyalty, patriotism and rich collective institutional memory and capacities of the outgoing Central Committee had also been invaluable to the successes scored at government level.
“Throughout the course of the term of this Central Committee, the people-oriented programmes and projects of the Zanu PF led government have continued impacting the lives of our people across the country, leaving no one and no place behind.
“We have re-organised the agriculture sector, leading to the realisation of national food self-sufficiency. The timeous distribution of inputs, competitive producer prices and requisite extension support are now the norm. Agriculture exports have increased and a comprehensive Systems Transformation Strategy has been implemented towards growing, not only our cropping sub-sectors, but also livestock, fisheries and the horticulture sub-sector,” he said.
Under the careful watch of the outgoing Central Committee, he said, investments across all sectors of the economy grew.
“Almost every week, I am commissioning new projects and opening new entities. Our country has become a favourable investment destination, where both local and foreign capital feel safe. The ‘Zimbabwe is open for Business’ mantra and our Engagement and Re-engagement policies have been a success.
“The mining sector has experienced growth of over two-fold, since 2017 and we are on course to realising our US$ 12 billion mining sector target. Diamond mining has resumed, while the platinum and chrome sectors are expanding and focusing on local value addition and beneficiation.”
President Mnangagwa added; “Frameworks are now in place to ensure that our nation realises maximum benefits from our natural resource endowments. We are set to emerge as a global player in iron and steel as well as lithium sub-sectors. All these achievements are a result of the bold policies of our Party Zanu PF.
“Similarly, the manufacturing and tourism sectors have recorded notable achievements due to the responsive policies of our colossal, revolutionary Party. The quality of our social services is improving from education, health and housing to water and sanitation among other aspects.”
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa said peaceful, tolerant, respectful and non-violent mobilisation efforts should be the fundamental hallmark of all membership recruitment drives.
“An emphatic and resounding victory is certain and all-party structures must put shoulder to the wheel and work harder to achieve it,” he said.
“This 7th National People’s Congress must serve to remind all party structures from the cell upwards, of the unstoppable nature as well as the organisational and leadership capabilities of our revolutionary mass party, Zanu PF. We are an unstoppable train; everybody is welcome in Zanu PF. Let us preach this gospel, more so as we approach the 2023 harmonised general elections. Going forward, Unity, Peace and Development is the party motto. There can be no vacillation to these founding principles.”
