Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – All is set for the plenary session of the Zanu (PF) 21st National People’s Conference which opens in Bulawayo on Friday.
The annual event started with the holding of the Politburo and the Central Committee meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at the ZANU (PF) headquarters in Harare, before events shifted to the country’s second largest city.
Bulawayo was a hive of activity on Thursday as some of the expected 4 000 delegates arrived in the city from the country’s 10 provinces, and started accrediting for the conference at at the ruling party’s provincial offices and at the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Ross Camp.
In an interview, Zanu (PF) national deputy spokesperson, Farai Marapira said the conference will bring the party together, and allow it to review and come up with developmental policies.
“Everything is now in place, and we have come to celebrate President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa as we converge at the conference. We are pleased with the policies being implemented by President Mnangagwa, which are set to drive Zimbabwe forward. These are the policies that will ensure Zimbabwe’s success,” he said.
Marapira acknowledged the challenges the country faces, including illegal sanctions imposed by Britain and its allies, climate change, but emphasized that President Mnangagwa has successfully guided the nation towards a brighter future.
“We face many challenges as a country, but President Mnangagwa has managed to steer us toward a successful future. We can see our goals clearly, and we are making progress,” Marapira said. He expressed optimism that Vision 2030 could be achieved by 2028, an achievement he attributed to the effective policies being implemented by President Mnangagwa.
“It is getting closer and closer, faster than we expected, which is why we are now saying Vision 2030 might be attained by 2028, due to the successful and impactful policies of President Mnangagwa,” he said.
But he acknowledged setbacks in the agriculture sector due to El Niño-induced drought. He noted, however, that the government has implemented measures such as constructing dams and promoting climate-proof agriculture to avert hunger.
“This underscores the importance of the policies and measures put in place by President Mnangagwa, such as high-impact dam construction, which is crucial for climate-proofing our agricultural sector and our country,” he concluded.
President Mnangagwa, who is also the SADC chairman, is expected to officially open the conference on Friday coinciding with SADC Anti-Sanctions Day. He is also expected to launch the National Anti-Sanctions Petition program.
This year’s conference will focus on economic and development issues, aligning with the party’s broader transformative agenda. The theme for the conference is “Industrialise and Modernise Towards the Attainment of Vision 2030.”
New Ziana