By A Correspondent
The 2025 edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), a platform once celebrated for promoting business, investment, and innovation, has come under heavy criticism after it was overshadowed by the ruling Zanu PF party’s aggressive membership recruitment campaign.
The 65th edition of the trade fair, traditionally a major event for showcasing local and international commerce, was instead turned into a political rally, with Zanu PF’s presence heavily dominating the venue.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ruling party boasted about a significant increase in new membership subscriptions, claiming that the trade fair had become a hotspot for digitalized party registration.
“ZANU PF witnessed an increase in new membership and uptake of membership cards at the recent 65th Edition of ZITF held in Bulawayo,” the statement read. “Subscriptions by new members boomed at the Party stands where registration of new membership was digitalised.”
According to Zanu PF, the party’s “people-centred policies” were the driving force behind this surge in new recruits, which they claimed signaled public support for the ruling regime.
“The people-centred policies of the ruling party ZANU PF are attracting many new members to flock and join the Party,” the statement continued, further emphasizing how the party’s influence had spread even within the confines of an event meant to foster business opportunities rather than political allegiance.
However, critics have been quick to denounce the ruling party’s tactics, arguing that the ZITF, a platform established to promote economic development and international trade, has been reduced to a tool for political propaganda and membership drives.
“This is no longer a trade fair; it’s been hijacked by Zanu PF for their own political gain,” said Samuel Chirwa, an economist and independent analyst. “What was once a showcase of Zimbabwe’s potential to the international business community is now a platform for party politics. It’s a complete misuse of a national event.”
The politicization of the ZITF was particularly evident in the heavy presence of Zanu PF banners, slogans, and even party membership drives placed alongside business exhibits. Attendees who had traveled to the trade fair to explore business opportunities were instead met with party literature, and the focus seemed less on economic development and more on solidifying political support for the ruling regime.
“It’s disheartening to see a once-promising event turned into a Zanu PF campaign rally. The ZITF is meant to be about Zimbabwe’s economic growth, not about pushing for party membership,” said another visitor, who wished to remain anonymous. “This blatant politicization undermines the credibility of the fair and its future as a genuine business event.”
For many, the move is seen as part of a larger trend of politicizing national institutions and events to consolidate power. “It’s a worrying sign when even a trade fair cannot remain free from the party’s influence,” said a political analyst based in Harare. “This kind of behavior signals a disregard for the democratic principles that should govern national platforms.”
As Zanu PF continues to consolidate its power through political tactics like these, many are left questioning the future integrity of national platforms like the ZITF. While the ruling party may claim to be driving the country’s economic development, critics argue that such actions only deepen political division and stifle meaningful, inclusive growth.
The 2025 ZITF, now remembered as a showcase of political overreach, leaves many wondering if Zimbabwe’s premier trade exhibition can ever return to its original purpose, or if it will remain another stage for Zanu PF to push its political agenda at the expense of economic progress.