Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Preparations for the 16th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference to be held in Masvingo in December are on course with all the party’s provinces raising resources to ensure that the indaba is a resounding success.
Each province has been tasked to raise at least $50 000 for the conference, where more than 5 000 delegates are expected to attend.
Provincial chairman of the host province Cde Amasa Nhenjana told The Herald on Wednesday that they were working round the clock to ensure that the conference lived to its billing. He said everything was progressing according to plan and senior party members were frequenting the province to assess the venue and other facilities to be used during the conference.
“Everything is on course and progressing well in terms of our preparations,” he said.
“Every province has been asked to raise $50 000 and most of the provinces are just about to reach that target. Cdes Ignatius Chombo (administration) and Saviour Kasukuwere (commissariat) had visited the province to assess the venue.”
Cde Nhenjana said they had secured enough accommodation for the delegates and modalities were also being worked out to ensure that there would be enough food.
Said Cde Nhenjana: “The leadership has written to us requesting that we give them a list of challenges that we are facing as a province in terms of our preparations. There are one or two issues that need to be attended to with regards to the venue and there is a committee working on that. We feel there is need for the provision of more ablution facilities and water at the venue.
“I can safely say that apart from those two issues, everything else is on course and by the time of the conference, we will be ready to host the meeting as a province.”
Dates and theme of the conference were still to be announced.
The theme is usually proposed by the Politburo and then taken to the Central Committee, which is the party’s highest decision making organ outside Congress for approval. As a build up to the annual event, all provinces would come up with their resolutions that would be presented to the conference for possible adoption.
President Mugabe in his official capacity as the Zanu-PF First Secretary and President, is the one who opens the conference.
Masvingo was chosen to host this year’s conference after successfully hosting the 21st February Movement at the Great Zimbabwe monuments.
The 21st February Movement celebrations are held every year after being founded in 1986 to instil President Mugabe’s revolutionary legacy in younger generations.
Last year, the Zanu-PF National People’s Conference was held in Victoria Falls.