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Minister Obert Mpofu

Vusumuzi Dube in Masvingo
SENIOR Zanu-PF officials yesterday hailed President Mugabe’s call for unity in the party saying this was going to pave way for positive deliberations at the ongoing 16th Annual National People’s Conference.

The senior leadership said the unity in the party would also translate to positive results in the country’s economy.

Speaking during the party’s 104th Ordinary Session of the Central Committee in Harare on Wednesday, President Mugabe called for peace and unity among bickering party officials and urged them to focus on transforming the country’s economy.

In separate interviews, as they arrived for the revolutionary party’s conference here yesterday, senior Zanu-PF officials welcomed the President’s call, emphasising the need for unity within the party.

The party’s secretary for the commissariat, who is also the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said unity was a prerequisite for growth and development. “Unity is very important. It is an obvious prerequisite for growth and development. The party is greater than all of us and every cadre must be united and listen to the call by His Excellency.

“As we begin the conference tomorrow (today) we have to have what the President said at the back of our minds and remember that the deliberations will have a huge bearing on the growth of our economy,” said Cde Kasukuwere.

Zanu-PF secretary for finance and Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister, Dr Obert Mpofu said as a party member hailing from the Matabeleland North province they had made it clear that they did not tolerate any factional activity within the party.

“Our democratic mandate has always been to support our President, pay allegiance to him as is the case in any normal situation. We must not forget that we are members of Zanu-PF whose allegiance is to the leader of Zanu-PF so we should never deviate from that stance,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said they were also looking forward to fruitful deliberations noting that the theme of the conference clearly set the tone on what had to come out especially towards economic development.

“This conference is likely to consolidate some of the gains of Zim-Asset, which gains have to do with the development of the projects that we have embarked on especially on the infrastructure side.

“For example, we have had major developments in the energy sector as a result of the Zim-Asset ideals. Even here in Masvingo we are talking of the Beitbridge-Chirundu road, which I feel is a major development on its own,” said Dr Mpofu.

Minister of War Veterans, War Collaborators, Detainees and Restrictees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube said one could never over-emphasise unity noting that within any organisation, unity showed strength.

“Whatever you do when you are not united, you can never succeed. Division is a recipe for failure within any institution. So when the President talked about unity in the Central Committee, he was actually passing a message which is very obvious and clear to everyone.

“Chaos is the opposite of unity, when there is unity among people there is development but when there is chaos there is no progress at all. The President has now given us a mandate which we must adhere to for the success of this conference,” said Rt Col Dube.

Focusing on his ministry, he said it was impossible to address the welfare of war veterans if they are divided and focus more on infighting rather than development.

“When they are united it is easy to come up with programmes for their personal benefit. However, I believe it is easier to unite war veterans because they are trained cadres and they know the importance of unity. Unfortunately there are some forces among them who are not keen to see war veterans united but my call to all my colleagues is that unity is key within any institution and when you find someone smiling when there is chaos, one has to be worried,” said Rt Col Dube.

President Mugabe will today officially open the conference, which is running under the theme; “Moving with Zim-Asset in peace and unity.” —

@vusadb