The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
ZANU PF is conducting a re-assessment of its cells, amid concerns of dodgy structures that led to the disenfranchising and creation of onlookers out of thousands of party supporters and stakeholders in Manicaland.
Newly installed ZANU PF provincial chairman, Cde Tawanda Mukodza told The Manica Post on Wednesday that grassroots organising thrust was powerful as it allows them to bring large numbers of people left out for various reasons to the table.
Cde Mukodza said the cells are the vanguard of the revolutionary party at village and the community, representing its interest, expressing its aspiration and mobilising the membership to win elections and develop their area.
Cde Mukodza urged those who feel left out to come forward and be part of the party cells to strengthen its grassroots, organisational and mass mobilisation units.
“A healthy, resilient democracy is based on inclusiveness, which ZANU PF as political party is in a key position to safeguard.
‘‘Our mandate as a new executive is to sustain an atmosphere of inclusiveness, particularly at the grassroots so that everyone is included. We have people who feel they were deliberately excluded and insufficiently represented in party membership and their marginalisation is of particular concern to us.
“ZANU PF’s strength is anchored in vibrant grassroots structures and we have opened the opportunity for those who feel left out to come on board and fully participate in party activities and processes. We appreciate that power is for the people, and this power in ZANU PF is derived from the grassroots. We are reassessing these structures because they should not be tailor-made to serve partisan interests during internal participatory processes,” said Cde Mukodza.
He insisted that for the party to effectively attain its vision to win all the 26 constituencies, four of which are currently in the hands of the opposition, its structures should be inclusive, intact and functional.
“To win the 2023 elections, we need people and everyone feeling left out should come on board in tandem with the mantra leaving no one and no place behind. This is also a membership drive. We want everyone on board so that they can participate in the activities of their party,” said Cde Mukodza.
The party last year introduced a National Cell Day, which will be observed annually to strengthen its grassroots, organisational and mass mobilisation units.
Ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections, the National Cell Day marked the beginning of the membership recruitment drive and voter mobilisation exercise as the party targets five million votes.
Manicaland is targeting at least 700 000 votes as part of its contribution to the targeted five million votes in the 2023 harmonised elections across the country.
He said their focus is on uniting the party, recruiting new members and retaining existing ones, since every vote counts.
“We need as many votes as possible to win in 2023, and youths, who are statistically in the majority, must be encourage to register and vote for ZANU PF. Each vote, like a drop of water, counts. To add is to strengthen and to subtract is to weaken,” said Cde Mukodza.
He said the party will mobilise its membership around polling stations.
“People are now excited about what ZANU PF has to offer as a political party and are making inquiries on how to become members. This is so exciting, but this should translate into votes, a reason why we are educating people on the importance of registering.
“The party should emerge from this exercise more united and tolerant as the process is meant to enhance internal participatory democracy, avoid imposition of candidates and minimise disgruntlement within its rank and file,” he said.
Cde Mukodza said the party should work hard to forge genuine, not contrived unity to avoid the reincarnation of the ‘bhora musango’ mantra that seeks to give away leadership of the country to a party other than ZANU PF.
He said ZANU PF should nip in the bud an insidious seed of revolt by exposing schemes that fed on corruption variously described as factionalism, economic sabotage, treachery and political assassination.
