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IT is increasingly certain that the ruling Zanu-PF party will hold an Extraordinary Congress later this year to reaffirm President Mugabe as the candidate in next year’s elections and iron out other pressing issues affecting the vanguard party.

The decision to hold the Extraordinary Congress has been informed by the need to “tidy up” the party following a number of developments which occurred between the last Congress in 2014 and now. Following that indaba where former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru and her cabal were expelled from Zanu-PF for plotting to seize power through unconstitutional means, the party has undergone a transformation with the Youth and Women’s wings being reconstituted and playing a leading role in the nation’s body politic.

President Mugabe has always emphasised that the youth are the future of the nation and the Zanu-PF Youth league has demonstrated beyond doubt that they have taken their leader’s words to heart by organising resoundingly successful Interface rallies in the country’s provinces where the President has interacted with the young people of this nation.

At these well attended rallies, the youths have reaffirmed their loyalty to the President and confirmed him as the party’s presidential candidate in harmonised elections due next year. Since 2014, the Women’s League under the leadership of the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe has grown from strength to strength, underscoring the important role that women play in both the party and nation at large. Other developments necessitating the holding of an Extraordinary Congress are the use of a Biometric Voter Registration system — a totally new concept and the adoption of a new Constitution.

Against this background, party members have in the past three months been pressing for an Extraordinary Congress to prepare for next year’s elections and this is understandable. Congress will allow the party to reorganise, reinvigorate its structures and strategise on how to tackle the poll which is likely to be a two-way contest between Zanu-PF and the MDC Alliance.

It will also be an opportunity for introspection with members taking stock of the past three years and reflecting on the positives while seeking to correct the mistakes made during that period. There is no doubt that factionalism has been the bane of the party and Congress will need to deal with the scourge once and for all.

The need for unity of purpose can never be overemphasised and Zanu-PF — being the party of independence — needs to take a hard look at itself and close ranks. Divisions weaken the party and allow the country’s enemies to find an entry point. Our Harare Bureau reported yesterday that Zanu-PF is one vote shy of an Extraordinary National People’s Congress in December after four provinces said they wanted the special indaba.

The other six provinces held their executive council meetings yesterday to determine whether the ruling party should convene an Extraordinary Congress or a scheduled Annual National People’s Conference.

Section 26 of Zanu-PF’s constitution provides for the special indaba if five or more of the party’s PECs request one. Congresses are ordinarily convened every five years and the next one is due in 2019.

While calling for an Extraordinary Congress, Mashonaland West, Midlands, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South affirmed their First Secretary, President Mugabe, as the ruling party’s candidate in next year’s Presidential election, putting paid to private media claims that plans for the meeting were geared towards effecting a palace coup.

In an interview with our sister paper, The Sunday Mail, Zanu-PF National Secretary for Administration, Dr Ignatius Chombo, said the party was likely to hold an Extraordinary Congress in Harare with a party conference set to be held in Gwanda sometime next year. “In the last three months we have been approached as a party by members from various quarters wondering if we should hold the Extraordinary Congress to prepare for next year’s harmonised national elections.

“After noting that the requests were numerous, I presented to Politburo this information and the Politburo, in its wisdom, decided that it is not the duty of the Politburo to decide on that but that this should come from the provinces.

“Given the Politburo resolution, I then invited to Harare all provincial chairpersons and provincial political commissars from the ten province and I briefed them on the resolution.

“So we instructed them to go to their provinces and meet as provincial executives to deliberate on the matter and revert back to me on Tuesday with their decision stating whether or not they want the special Congress”, Dr Chombo said.

He went on: “When an Extraordinary Session of Congress is held, it is held in the nation’s capital, in Harare; we don’t hold Congresses outside of the capital. This means that if this decision succeeds then we will be going to Gwanda (for the Conference) at the end of 2018.”

Dr Chombo dismissed claims that the Extraordinary Congress was targeted at removing certain people from their party positions.

“We are simply going to deliberate on matters that relate to the election,” he said.