Harare (New Ziana) -President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday urged members of his ruling Zanu PF who contested in the recently-held provincial elections to accept the outcome and focus on strengthening the party.
In his address to the party’s first politburo meeting of 2022, President Mnangagwa said internal elections should never divide the party but rather strengthen it.
“Just as iron sharpens iron, the spirit of camaraderie and collegiality must be harnessed as we all serve this great Party, ZANU PF and the nation as a whole. An election lost must never dampen the revolutionary spirit of any cadre, but inspire them to learn, develop and mature in their political career.
“This shows that the Party is alive and strong. Let us build on this vibrancy by nurturing and strengthening our internal democratic culture and mobilisation ecosystem,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the politburo session would receive comprehensive reports on provincial elections among other issues.
“As we deliberate on the report of the elections, I urge all members of the Party to be mindful of the fact that, in our Party, there are no winners and losers. It is the people and ultimately the Party that wins. Party cadres who did not make it in the recent elections must avail themselves, their experiences, skills and competencies to build and grow our mass party,” he said.
He warned members against plotting, saying those found guilty of scheming would be dealt with.
“Irregularities and political chicanery across Party structures must be decisively dealt with and expunged from the Party. I urge the Party leadership to always listen to the aspirations of the people at every level. It is equally important that the Party leadership and membership in general work concertedly to achieve a better quality of life for our people. It is after all the people who have entrusted us with the mandate to govern over our great country, ” he said.
Party programs to mobilise the electorate to go and register to vote, inspect the voters-roll and voter education should be heightened ahead of scheduled by-elections, he said.
“As the elections beacon, I call upon the nation to remain peaceful, united and stable in order to guarantee sustainable socio-economic development in our great country.
“The promising prospects of 2022 must give impetus for our Party to secure and conclusively deliver on the aspirations of our people as we march towards a resounding victory in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections,” he said.
Turning to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Mnangagwa reminded the citizenry to continue adhering to health safety protocols and regulations.
“Let me once again emphasise that the war against COVID-19 is not yet over. We are reminded that, “we can only be safe when everyone is safe”. Complacency will only reverse the gains we have realised to date. I, therefore, urge Party structures to scale up the mobilisation of persons who are yet to be vaccinated,” he said.
New Ziana
