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Factmore Dzobo
IT is less than two weeks before Zanu-PF holds its 6th National People’s Congress in Harare.
The theme for the 2-7 December congress is “Accelerated Implementation of ZimAsset” — the country’s economic blueprint. Thousands of delegates are expected to attend the revolutionary party’s decisive congress.

As preparations intensify, there are growing expectations among people ahead of the event, with some political analysts describing it as the most decisive and mother of all congresses given the party’s current fight against factionalism, corruption and political bickering.

The congress comes at a time when nine of Zanu-PF’s 10 provincial chairpersons and executives have fallen by the wayside after votes of no confidence were passed on them, due to gross incompetence, corruption and fanning of factionalism.

Analysts said the congress will allow Zanu-PF to rid itself of retrogressive elements and put an end to factionalism and corruption that have been bedevilling the party over the past few years.

Political commentator Dr Lawton Hikwa expects the congress to give Zanu-PF a new outlook in its composition and structures.

“We do expect a new outlook of the party emerging from the forthcoming congress. We do believe that there’re some factional fights within the party but factionalism can’t be wished-away because people have differences over certain issues at times, which is also part of democracy. However, despite the differences among the party members, we expect the congress to come up with a new vibrant presidium and new party structures which would be expected to spearhead the country’s economic development at the expense of self-aggrandisement politics which was now common within the party,” said Dr Hikwa.

Another political analyst, Qhubani Moyo, is looking forward to a fruitful congress. He said the party should emerge from the congress with a workaholic, loyal team that would fulfill Zanu-PF’s election promises.

“This forthcoming conference should be a momentous time for President Mugabe to recruit his new hardworking lieutenants to assist him to fulfill promises of the July 31 harmonised elections and move forward in implementing the country’s economic blue-print ZimAsset.

The fact that the constitution allows President Mugabe to appoint his two vice-presidents is an indication that sanity will prevail after the congress and this will also put an end to some warring factions which were crippling the party,” said Moyo.

Recently President Mugabe said all the fighting that was going on within the party would come to an end at the congress. He also implored Zanu-PF members who are fed up with corrupt and factional leaders in the party to dump them at the congress. His remarks came after thousands of war veterans, women and youth leaders urged him to sack Vice President Mujuru following allegations that she was corrupt, abused her office and was plotting to topple him.

Chiefs’ council president Chief Fortune Charumbira said he was hopeful that after the congress, Zanu-PF would emerge as a rejuvenated united party which would forge ahead with the country’s developmental economic blueprint — ZimAsset.

“This is going to be a crucial congress in which the party should reassert itself as the vanguard of this country which can stand up to any challenges. The congress should focus on issues that affect the lives of people, the upliftment of the economy through the country’s economic blueprint — ZimAsset for the development of the country,” said Chief Charumbira.

He said the congress should also bring an end to all issues of factionalism, corruption and in-fighting and bring in competent leaders for the betterment of the party and people’s lives.

“We also expect the party’s congress to get rid of corrupt leaders with ulterior motives of furthering interests of a certain faction to dislodge the constitutionally elected President Mugabe. The congress should come up with competent leaders who’re loyal and willing to work with President Mugabe for the upliftment of the people’s lives,” said the chief.

Others feel this year’s congress would provide an arena for serious contestation as most of the politicians who used to regard themselves as the party’s heavyweights and saw others as lightweights would be fighting for political survival.

“It appears everyone in the party structures will be fighting for their survival. We’ve witnessed in the past few months votes of no confidence being passed on many of the Zanu-PF’s provincial chairs and executives over some allegations of incompetence   and fanning of factionalism. It’s going to   be a do-or-die encounter as the party is expected to resolve and iron out these thorny issues once and for all,” said Jefferson Mleya of Bulawayo.

The Zanu-PF’s director of economic affairs, Nyasha Patience Mandeya said the congress is going to be a time to make or break economy. She said it is important for the people to look critically at the positives and implications derived from this all-important event and people should be reminded of the congress deliberations especially in addressing the country’s economic turnaround strategies which has been affected by illegal Western sanctions.

A Bulawayo-based member of the engineering worker’s union, Themba Mguni said workers are anxious about the congress and demanded the party leaders to emulate First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe’s courage of calling a spade a spade as this would epitomise the kind of political transparency needed to get rid of retrogressive leaders within the party.

“The point that needs to be told at the congress is that no one is politically indispensable or immune to being criticised. Leaders of the party should emulate Dr Grace Mugabe’s heroism of saying the truth and exposing corrupt and incompetent leaders without mincing her words.  Squabbles within the party have distracted national development and we demand the party’s congress to unite the people and get rid of rotten eggs to forge ahead with national development programmes,” said Mguni.

Following her nomination to lead the powerful Zanu-PF’s Women’s League in August, the First Lady went on a whirlwind “Meet the People” tour which was met with praise and heralded a new political dispensation of naming and shaming in Zimbabwe’s politics. The First Lady advised Cde Mujuru to resign before congress to avoid humiliation for alleged involvement in corruption and fanning factionalism.