The Sunday News
THE Zanu-PF Matabeleland North Province yesterday endorsed President Mugabe and First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe to be party’s candidate for the forthcoming harmonised elections in 2018 and life leader of the Women’s League respectively.
The province which also resolved to bar perennial losers from representing the party in any general election said its resolutions were informed by President Mugabe and First Lady’s steward leadership.
Resolutions were made at a provincial inter-district conference meeting to discuss party issues ahead of the ruling party’s 15th National People’s Conference to be held in Victoria Falls. The conference will take place from 7 to 13 November.
“The First Lady should be the life leader of the Women’s League because of her courage in fighting corruption that was bedevilling the party and also she runs an orphanage project in Mazoe which shows that she is the mother of the nation. She has been assisting the elderly with food handouts throughout the country and that is the motherly figure we all need,” reads the resolution.
“The province resolves and reaffirms that the President and First Secretary of the party is the only centre of power in Zanu-PF as mandated by the 2014 Congress and that be Presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2018 harmonised elections.
“. . . there be no imposition of candidates at any level of the party during any party elections. Any party candidate who loses general elections more than two consecutive times should not be allowed to represent the party as a candidate in any level of elections.”
Matabeleland North Province also agreed that the party should decisively deal with erring members engaged in all forms of corruption regardless of their party or Government positions.
Turning onto the country’s economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset), the province said the Government should provide credit lines for livestock development, especially in Region Four and Five which are suitable for cattle ranching.
Some of the resolutions focused on other clusters of the blueprint and this includes provision of adequate funding for the completion of Lupane State University, establishment of a science and technology institution in the province especially in Hwange District in order to train technicians, the natural resources in the province should be exploited, value added and beneficiated for the people in the province and the country at large.
The party’s National Spokesperson, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, who was the guest of honour, praised the province for being united.
Said Cde Khaya Moyo: “I am very pleased with these resolutions you passed here. These resolutions showed that you think and understand the country’s economic blueprint. I urge you to remain united and carry on with this good work.”
Earlier, the provincial chairman, Cde Richard Moyo, appraised party members on the state of the party in the province. He also challenged people to shun factionalism and warned unruly party elements to stop trying to destabilise the party.
The resolutions came from all the party’s structures in the province.
Also present were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland North, Cde Cain Mathema, Minister of State in Vice-President Emmerson Mngagwagwa’s office Cde Clifford Sibanda, Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Cde Thokozile Mathuthu, Central Committee members and the provincial executive.
