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NewsDay

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‘No shocks at Zanu PF conference’

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THE Zanu PF conference, which comes to life today with the politburo meeting in Harare, will not touch on the party leadership but instead focus on youth empowerment, corruption and the machete wars, which have left many dead.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA/JAIROS SAUNYAMA

THE Zanu PF conference, which comes to life today with the politburo meeting in Harare, will not touch on the party leadership but instead focus on youth empowerment, corruption and the machete wars, which have left many dead.

Politburo member and deputy secretary for youth Lewis Matutu (pictured) said there would be no discussions on the party leadership as it was not an agenda item at a Zanu PF conference.

“A conference is meant to deliberate on issues, not to change leadership. We will discuss the issues of violence happening in mining areas so that we put an end to this barbaric behaviour,” he said.

The youth league has been pushing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to flush out remnants of the G40 cabal who were reportedly still in Zanu PF, while at the same time accusing party fat cats like secretary for administration Obert Mpofu and Jacob Mudenda of corruption and wanting them ousted from the party.

Mnangagwa has backed the youth, creating confusion ahead of the conference with insiders saying top leadership accused of pulling at cross purposes with the party leader were being targeted.

Matutu, however, said the youth would focus on other important issues and would deal less with politics.

“We are going to deliberate on our role in supporting vision 2030 and how we can further unite young people in our country. The youth committee will be focusing discussion on economic development and youth empowerment with very little focus on politics,” Matutu said.

“We are going to focus more on corruption and the need for accountability and transparency in running public affairs,” he said.

Zanu PF will spend over $8 million on food, accommodation, travel and other allowances for over 7 000 delegates who will gather at Goromonzi High School for the party’s annual meet.

The last time Zanu PF was in Goromonzi, an attempt to use the conference to topple former party leader and President Robert Mugabe failed.

Mpofu, speaking to State media also noted that the conference would preoccupy itself with bread and butter issues to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe are well taken care of.

The party has deployed 90 buses to ferry delegates across all provinces to the ruling party’s annual conference.

Addressing members of the technical committee including government heads of departments at the venue yesterday, Zanu PF director for administration Dickson Dzora said delegates would arrive on Thursday for the main event to be officially opened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday.

“The 90 buses will start bringing in delegates on Thursday for the main event on Friday. We are also going to see all Zimbabwean ambassadors abroad as part of the delegates,” he said. Dzora said 10 600 people, including service providers and non-Zanu PF delegates, would be in Goromonzi.

Yesterday, engineers were working flat out to sort the drainage issue following incessant rains that left the venue waterlogged on Sunday night.

“We encourage the engineers to sort the drainage issue so that we won’t have a repeat of what happened in Masvingo and Victoria Falls where delegates had meetings while their legs were in the mud,” Dzora said.

Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza, said the nation should not expect anything from the conference as it was just a talk show and feasting extravaganza.

The event will be held under the theme Modernise, Mechanise and Grow the Economy Towards Vision 2030.