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Tendai Mugabe Harare Bureau
Zanu-PF has closed the door on successionists who were fomenting divisions in the revolutionary party and once again, unanimously endorsed President Robert Mugabe as the party’s sole candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections. The endorsement is part of the resolutions made by the provinces for the party’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference to be held in Victoria Falls next month. In their resolutions, the provinces emphasised that President Mugabe was the sole centre of power in the party.

They said Zimbabweans gave President Mugabe a five-year mandate to rule in 2013 and it was surprising that some misguided elements in the party were failing to respect the will of the people by raising succession issues.

In Mashonaland West, all party organs endorsed President Mugabe as the party’s candidate for the 2018 plebiscite. Provincial deputy chair Cde Keith Guzah, told our Harare Bureau that they were aware of some nefarious agendas by some people hence the endorsement of the President two years before the general elections.

“From the Women’s League, Youth League and the main wing, we’ve endorsed President Mugabe as our candidate for 2018,” he said. “As a province we’re saying we’ll stand by President Mugabe to block some people with wicked agendas in the party. We’ve one centre of power in Zanu-PF, that’s President Mugabe.”

Over and above that, Cde Guzah said they also resolved to support Zim-Asset to its full fulfilment. Cde Dickson Mafios who is the provincial chairman for Mashonaland Central, said they wanted President Mugabe as the party’s only candidate for 2018.

He said although the country was two years away from the general elections, the endorsement of President Mugabe was to send a clear message to some doubting Thomases who were speculating on who would be the party’s candidate in 2018. “We’ve doubting Thomases that are talking about succession and speculating on the party’s candidate,” he said.

“The endorsement is a reminder to the speculators that there’s no vacancy and that President Mugabe has a mandate running until 2018.” Cde Mafios said the province also resolved that the government should support agriculture through lucrative programmes such as irrigation schemes. In Masvingo province, the Provincial Coordinating Committee endorsed President among other resolutions.

Provincial chair Cde Paradzai Chakona said: “We’re endorsing the supremacy of our leader as the sole centre of power in the party. It shows solidarity with our leader and we need to reinforce that.” Cde Chakona said the endorsement of the President towards conferences was not a new thing in Zanu-PF.

He said they had also resolved to adopt the 10-point plan enunciated by President Mugabe during his State of the Nation Address in September. Matabeleland North provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo read from the same page with other provinces that endorsed President Mugabe. Said Cde Moyo: “As usual, we’ve to endorse the President and we’ll be endorsing him until 2018.”

Cde Moyo said as the host province, they had made major strides in terms of preparing for the conference. The Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Cde Kenneth Saruchera, said they had endorsed President Mugabe to bring political certainty in the country. He said that certainty was important for the country to focus on developmental programmes.

“People are saying let’s have political certainty and focus on development,” he said. “We’ve also resolved that the government should focus on revival of industries and capacitate farmers in view of perennial droughts in the country. We’re saying priority should be given to irrigation and water harvesting instead of relying on natural rains.”

In Harare, provincial commissar Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe said they were yet to meet as the main wing but other organs had already met and endorsed President Mugabe. Harare provincial youth chair Cde Edison Takataka said: “We’ve endorsed President Mugabe as our candidate for 2018.”

Other four provinces could not be reached for comment but already six provinces out of 10, have endorsed President Mugabe’s candidatúre.