President Robert Mugabe yesterday said Zanu PF will use its annual conference that opens in Gweru today to plot how to untangle itself from the inclusive government in the forthcoming elections.
Staff Reporters
Addressing Zanu PF Central Committee members in Harare ahead of the conference official opening, Mugabe said next year’s elections provided the party with a chance to reclaim the sole control of the country.
“It is important comrades, that our victory in the harmonised elections should leave no room for doubt in our contestants,” he said.
“Our performance in the elections should certainly disentangle us from the inclusive government monster which, like a behemoth, has pulled back our pro-people programmes.”
He lambasted the West for trying to force foreign ideologies in the constitution-making process while praising his party for standing firm against the West’s influence.
“Who can forget the trickery we had to look out for, eventually fight, as dirty Western hands tried to cheat their way into the constitution-making process?” Mugabe said.
“While our people’s views were simple and straightforward, sincere and reflective of the history of their existence, the Western crooks, apparently here to help us, soon proved to be conduits through which to smuggle foreign, clearly anathema views into the constitution.”
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He said his Zanu PF representatives in the constitution-making process stood firm in exposing the West’s dirty tricks.
Due to the influence of the Western detractors, Mugabe said, the officials charged with the drafting of the new constitution became “drifters”.
He claimed some Zimbabweans were still working with former colonialists to reverse the country’s independence.
“Zanu PF has also noted with growing concern the underhanded, but still vigorous campaigns by sections of the white community aided by their ever-present stooges, to reverse our Chimurenga 3 victory in land reform and resettlement,” he said.
Mugabe said he would descend on party supporters who had fallen to the exploits of the whites and surrendered back their government-allocated pieces of land.
He said the whites did not take pride in the success of black people, hence their criticism of the $20 million Presidential agriculture input scheme.
On diamonds, he said Zimbabwe had nothing to hide and that was why the Kimberly Certification Process gave the country the nod to sell its gems.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF yesterday enlisted the services of its youths to assist in putting final touches to the controversial Gweru Convention Centre ahead of the official opening of the conference by Mugabe today.
A NewsDay crew yesterday afternoon saw former labour minister July Moyo sweating to make sure the venue was ready by the time Mugabe and his entourage arrived.
The youths were divided into groups under the supervision of senior party leaders.
However, their efforts were disturbed by the heavy rains which fell in the city yesterday.
The conference centre, which the party started building two months ago, failed to meet its targeted 5 000 seats by 500 with some offices being incomplete.
Zanu PF Midlands provincial vice-chairman Larry Mavhima said they were working 24 hours to meet the deadline.
“Everyone is working round the clock to get the venue ready,” he said.
“The construction work has been done and now we are laying carpets in the conference room and we expect to finish at 9pm.”
Mavhima dismissed reports that the conference centre was built on a farm grabbed from a white farmer.
“The farm was acquired by government through legal channels seven years ago,” he said.
“The farm had been derelict for six years.”
He said plans were underway to construct a 300-room five-star hotel at the same location and turn it into a tourist attraction.
He said the project was a culmination of efforts by the Midlands Development Association Board of Trustees that comprises business people, civic organisations and the Zanu PF leadership.
“There have been reports that the structure will be a white elephant after the conference, but they said the same about the Harare International Conference Centre and the National Sports Stadium,” Mavhima said.
“People need to appreciate when some people do something good.”
Zanu PF is spending $6,5 million on the conference.
