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NewsDay

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Zanu PF conference much ado about nothing

Opinion & Analysis
The Zanu PF conference is almost in full swing and as every year the nation finds itself looking at Masvingo to hear what the ruling party has to say.

The Zanu PF conference is almost in full swing and as every year the nation finds itself looking at Masvingo to hear what the ruling party has to say.

Comment: NewsDay Editor

Normally, we would not expect much from such an internal function – and dare say – we could have ignored it, but as Zanu PF is the ruling party, we are inclined to pay attention, with the hope that some bright spark will decide to put the country first.

Annually, we have looked to Zanu PF for direction and each year we have been disappointed, as the party selfishly chooses a path of self-destruction and with it, dragging Zimbabwe to eternal damnation.

Every year, the country looks to Zanu PF in the forlorn hope that the party will change its ways, but instead they just make things worse and fail to provide any form of leadership.

That we look to Zanu PF at this time of the year is not because the party has given us reason to, but rather it is out of desperation.

How Zanu PF can be this blind to people’s suffering is beyond belief and instead of focusing on the problems the country is facing, this is just a shindig where, when rival factions are not competing for the soapbox, they will be trying to outdo each other in spending taxpayers’ money.

Besides that, Zimbabweans can expect the traditional and parochial back-patting, where ministers and Zanu PF members praise each other for accomplishing imaginary goals.

Instead of focusing on the problems the country faces, Zimbabweans can expect the normal praise-singing of President Robert Mugabe, who still gets the adulation despite failing in almost everything he has set himself to do policywise.

Three years ago, Zanu PF and Mugabe could not stop talking about the magic bullet that ZimAsset was supposed to be, but the policy document has been reduced to a political party slogan and jingoism, without any tangible gains for the country.

Mugabe then came up with his 10-point plan, which everyone in his party and government is mute about, despite praising it as visionary just over 12 months ago.

Zanu PF and the country could do without a conference that is unlikely to change anything in terms of taking the nation forward.

If they were desperate to have a meeting, they could have done so at the Zanu PF headquarters and saved everyone the trouble.

Mugabe has already set the tone for the conference by issuing a flat State of the Nation Address, which failed to touch on anything affecting Zimbabweans today, and we do not expect the Zanu PF conference to be any different.