Sunday, May 05, 2013

'Solutions to Zimbabwe Challenges Lie In Us', Says President Mugabe to ZANU-PF Central Committee

‘Solutions to Zim challenges lie in us’

Sunday, 05 May 2013 00:00
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail

Opening remarks by the President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF, Comrade RG Mugabe, on the occasion of the 92nd, Ordinary Session of the Zanu-PF Central Committee, Harare, 4th of May 2013.

The Vice President and Second Secretary, Comrade Joice Mujuru, the National Chairman, Comrade Simon Khaya Moyo, the Secretary for Administration, Comrade Didymus Mutasa, Members of the Politburo, Central Committee Members, Comrades and Friends.

I am delighted to welcome you warmly to this 92nd Ordinary Session of our Central Committee. As I do so, I am mindful that some of our members have recently lost loved ones. The Party shares the pain of the losses suffered.

Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to, once more, convey heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of the Party, my family and, indeed, on my own behalf. May I ask that we observe a minute’s silence in honour of the departed comrades.

As many of you will recall, this Session ordinarily opens the Central Committee year in March. However, owing to the then unfinished business of the Constitution-making exercise, preparations for the referendum and other important engagements, we were unable to fit the meeting into its conventional slot.

That aside, I want to believe that the intervening period has given you time to make contact with lower level structures of the Party, in order to propagate the resolutions of our 13th Annual National People’s Conference which met in Gweru last year.

One of these resolutions directed all structures of the Party to earnestly and immediately prepare for a resounding victory in the forthcoming elections by adopting a “BhoraMugedhi/Ibhola Egedini” posture.

Conference gave the additional challenge of developing innovative and relevant mobilisation strategies to attract and maintain the support of women, youths and other special interest groups to bond with the Party. Comrades, you will also recall that the Party pronounced itself clearly on the selection of Party candidates for elections.

The unambiguous message adopted by Conference was a big “no!” to the imposition of candidates. Put simply, we all agreed that Party interests over-ride individual ambitions.

Delegates were also reminded that there should be no room for violence in the entire period before, during and after the elections.

I want to say that our Party insists on the unshakeable observance of this exhortation.

We must deny our detractors any opportunity of conveying falsehoods about our electoral environment and processes.

It is my hope that this message of peace will be embraced by every party and candidate wishing to contest the elections. Those who plan to play violently will have to contend with the long arm of the law.

In preparation for the elections, I hope members are aware that the national mobile voter registration exercise is now underway.

Your challenge as leadership is to make use of the exercise and encourage all those you lead, particularly our members in remote areas to register. I am informed that the registration teams will be on the ground for another two weeks.

Our December Conference also encouraged membership to identify projects for income generation and employment creation for the benefit of the Party and the communities it serves. I am sure that we all recall that Conference commended the Party for intensifying the Indigenisation and Empowerment programmes in order to create a new breed of employers who are driven and guided by the national interest to create more employment opportunities.

In this regard, the Party calls for the speedy and timeous disbursement of youth empowerment funds to districts and wards by the responsible Government Ministry to make the much-needed employment capital available to the jobless youths.

These are tasks which should be ongoing in line with our stand as a people’s revolutionary Party; a Party driven by the need to always safeguard the ideals and values of all Zimbabweans. It is for this reason that the call for vigilance at all times is never far away from our messages. The imperialist and neo-colonial enemies are hoping to re-colonise developing countries and their natural resources.

But this is something they can only do if we drop our guard and alertness.

We also need a unity of purpose and confidence in ourselves as we implement our national goals.

Surely, unlike some of our countrymen, we do not need to be reminded every time that solutions to Zimbabwean challenges lie in us, indeed, are in this country. The senseless and clearly surprising cry of “fire, fire,” by those we partner in the inclusive government shows an immaturity and lack of seriousness on their part.

Today’s meeting will give us updates on, and insight into, the Constitutional Amendment Bill, the rules and regulations of choosing Party candidates for the elections and the state of the Party.

I want to recall that the People’s Conference was clear in its call for a resounding victory in the harmonised elections. We cannot afford to let our people down by getting entangled in factionalism and other useless, individualistic, narrow-minded pursuits. In particular, the Party must be strong against those who seek to use money to secure Party nominations.

The people’s preferred candidates should carry the day. At this juncture, it now gives me great pleasure to declare this 92nd Ordinary Session of our Central Committee open and to wish the meeting successful deliberations.

Pamberi nekubatana! Phambili lokubambana! I thank you.

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