OPENING REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT AND ZANU PF FIRST SECRETARY CDE E.D MNANGAGWA AT THE ZANU PF 371ST ORDINARY SESSION OF THE POLITBURO

Live at ZANUPF HQ

I thank our grassroots membership across wards, districts and provinces, who in their numbers, voted for our revolutionary mass Party, ZANU PF, my candidature as President and that of our members of the National Assembly as well as those in local authorities.

The resounding victory of our revolutionary Party is an undisputable reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe. Our colossal ZANU PF Party delívered tangible and life transforming programmes and projects. We are the only Party with a clear vision for the future that will see more enjoying a higher quality of life. As such, our people gave our Party, yet another 5 year mandate to lead our country. Well done Team ZANU PF Makorokoto, Amhlope.

We emphatically won the elections together as one united Party. Let us celebrate this victory cell by cell, village by village, district by district right up to the provincial and national level.

However, much work lies ahead. Elections are behind us, hence our focus should now shift to consolidating the gains we have realised, so far. The scaling up of the implementation of the Party’s pro-people and development-oriented resolutions is now our top priority.

It is however, most unfortunate that we convene this Politburo Session when our nation is mourning the sad passing on of our colleague and comrade, former Secretary for the Disabled and Disadvantaged, Cde Joshua Teke Malinga. He was a distinguished ‘Son of the Soil’, veteran nationalist and special advisor on disability issues, whom we accorded National Hero Status and interred earlier today. In his honour, I invite the Politburo to observe a minute of silence.

May his dear departed soul continue to rest in eternal peace. I thank you. Allow me to once again express my gratitude to the officials of our colossal Party, ZANU PF and the leadership for the successful election campaign programme.

It was on the basis of our multi-pronged election strategy and programmes that we mounted the subsequent resounding and undeniable election victory. Congratulations to you all.

I particularly congratulate Mashonaland Central Province for the outstanding performance during the just-ended Harmonised General Elections. Our Party is
a force to reckon with. It is popular, strong and dominant in your Province. By sweeping all the National House of Assembly constituencies, including in urban areas, you have truly demonstrated that Mash- Central is unwavering in defending our rich liberation war heritage, independence, democracy and freedom.

Mashonaland Central Province also attained the highest Presidential votes and the least opposition votes. Well done. Ndinokutendai, Ngiyalibonga Mash Central Leadership across your Districts branches and cell villages.

Going forward, we must go back to every cell/village, branch, district and province, to express our appreciation of the people’s vote. Our people, through traditional leaders, Chiefs, Headmen and Village heads, must be commended for maintaining unity, peace and love for one another as well as our country, Zimbabwe.

Equally, I commend our Party’s Leagues, Affiliate Organisations and first-time voters who, through their emphatic support, contributed to our Party’s victory. Collectively, we silenced the country’s detractors and neo-imperialists.

This must remain the hallmark of our revolutionary mass Party. Guided by our philosophy, Mu ZANU PF, iwe neni tine basa, it is us the leaders who must guide and lead the feedback processes and exercise. This must include dialogue, engagement and research to establish what the Party must do better, in those areas where we did not perform to our expectation. Focus must now also be on Makoni District Ward 33 and Gutu West Constituency where elections will soon be held.

The people and the Party must continue to have a sense of community. The Party must remain fully immersed in the grassroots.

Lessons and experiences of our national elections have exposed the machinations of our erstwhile forces, including funding the regime change agenda. Zimbabwe, under ZANU PF, will remain an independent and sovereign nation.

This Session of the Politburo will receive a detailed and comprehensive post-mortem report on our Election Campaign Programme as well as the Party’s performance in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections. In addition, it is important that we outline the road map for the holding of our National People’s Conference, later this year.

As you are aware, I have appointed Cabinet members with the expectation that, under ZANU PF leadership, Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation will be accelerated. Our resolve to ensure broad-based development that leaves no one and no place behind must be scaled up through the implementation of life-transforming projects and programmes.

We are a Party and Government whose leadership is accountable to the people. The Party and Politburo must, therefore, continue to stand ready to provide the requisite ideological guidance and leadership to Government. Zimbabwe’s development solutions must continue to be framed and rooted in who we are as a people. In all that we do, it is important that we remain true to our African and Zimbabwean values, guided by our philosophy Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene lakhiwa, Ilizwe libuswe, likhulekelwe vayo, ngabanikazi balo. I will lead Zimbabwe delegation to UNGA where we will speak our mind. We don’t seek to please anybody but ourselves

Leveraging on our climate-smart Agriculture strategies, programmes and projects, the Party is now urged to mobilise our communities to take part in preparing for the summer cropping season. Climate change is a reality.

The Party, working with our grassroots communities and stakeholders in the agriculture sector, must promote the uptake of seed varieties and crops that suit our country’s different agro-ecological regions. The promotion of traditional grains in drought prone regions is key. Our revolution to sustain the already attained household and national food security and sovereignty will never stop.

With unity of purpose at every level, we will continue to achieve our desired national development targets towards Vision 2030.

ZIM1

NyikaInovakwaNeVeneVayo

IlizweLakhiwaNgabanikaziBalo

Distributed by
ZANU PF Headquarters:: INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT
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