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ZANU-PF Bulawayo and Midlands provinces have joined others in endorsing President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

The resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the party’s structures in the two provinces during meetings held at the weekend, is among other resolutions to be taken aboard when various thematic committees discuss a range of issues at the party’s 18th Annual National People’s Conference which kicks off tomorrow at Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East Province.

The resolutions, which include the issue of capacitating farmers in light of drought and the effects of climate change, investing in the country’s infrastructure to attract foreign investment as well as the issue of addressing skyrocketing prices of basic commodities, were made during the party meeting at the Bulawayo Polytechnic yesterday.

The party’s thematic committees would discuss the state of the party, its regional and international relations with liberation movements, the economy, social services, media, science and technology, women and youth affairs and the culture, religion and liberation war heritage.

Zanu-PF’s representatives from the party’s five districts in Bulawayo yesterday read out the resolutions before all the wings comprising the main wing, women’s and youth leagues unanimously adopted them. Under the state of the party, Zanu-PF noted that divisions continued to rock Bulawayo province hence the need for members to unite and work together in drumming up support for the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

On other issues, Bulawayo provincial war veterans’ chairperson, Cde Cephas Ncube said: 

“We also resolved that all provincial heroes’ acres should be constantly maintained and refurbished just like the national shrine in Harare. We also made a resolution that our party should strengthen its relations with other liberation movements in the region.”

The province also agreed that families of heroes and heroines who died before the vetting process should also benefit from the pension scheme just like other war veterans.

Politburo member Cde Absalom Sikhosana said Bulawayo province was offered three buses which will pick up delegates on Thursday at Davies Hall. He urged delegates to deliberate on nation building issues on behalf of the party.

The conference will be held under the theme “Modernise, Mechanise and Grow the Economy towards Vision 2030”. It is expected to attract 10 000 delegates from the country’s 10 provinces including foreign dignitaries and observers. 

The Zanu-PF Midlands Provincial Inter-District Conference also endorsed the candidature of President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.

Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces came up with a similar resolution last week.

The resolution, among others, was revealed at the conference held at the Zanu-PF Conference Centre just outside Gweru on Saturday.

The resolutions were read out by Zanu-PF Midlands Provincial Vice Chairman, Cde Robson Nyathi during the conference that was also attended by the party’s National Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda.

Cde Nyathi said the resolutions –coming from the main wing, women’s wing, youths and war veterans – were a clear indication of the fact that the province was fully behind the leadership of President Mnangagwa. 

“As the Midlands province, all the wings of the party resolved to endorse President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the sole presidential candidate for 2023 elections in line with the dictates of the party’s constitution. This is one of the major resolutions passed during the one-day Provincial Inter-district Conference which had all eight districts being represented. So, we are a united front as Midlands province,” he said.

Cde Matemadanda said war veterans were no longer an affiliate of the ruling party but a wing as they had been factored into the existing structures.

“May I point out that war veterans are no longer considered as an affiliate of the party. They are part of the party structures and this should be noted. We are coming through with new policies and direction which saw it fit to include them in the party structures from now going forward,” he said.