THE ruling Zanu PF conference comes to an end today, but the biggest question remains — was it just another wasteful annual gathering or a platform to tackle real issues that will take the country forward?
No doubt, a lot of money and other resources have been channelled towards making the conference a success, and we hope it won’t turn out to be another jamboree.
By their nature, annual conferences are a key calendar event for political parties to take stock of their goals and achievements. Obviously, after putting in so many hours of heavy deliberations, there is always room for funfair as members dance the night away celebrating their successes as a party.
And for Zanu PF, the conference comes at a time after it has just scored a major diplomatic victory with the United Nations special rapporteur Alena Douhan repeating the party’s warcry for the removal of sanctions.
But as Zanu PF celebrates the outcome of Douhan’s fact-finding mission, though dismissed by the opposition as biased, Zimbabweans are yearning for a better life with or without the rapporteur’s report.
All right-thinking Zimbabweans expect conference delegates to come up with people-centred resolutions that speak to the plight of the general citizenry.
Although we understand Zanu PF reserves the right not publicise its discussions, the conference’s theme Growing and Modernising the Economy Towards Vision 2030, arouses public anxiety as it will surely shape government policy.
This is also because the ruling party conference is supposed to lay out strategic guidance on matters of policy, organisation, party constitutional issues, and overall government supervision.
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For Zanu PF, the conference comes at a time when the country is beset by a number of challenges — the local currency is struggling to hold fort, corruption is rife, prices of basic goods and services are shooting into the roof, there is a general collapse of social services, civil servants want better pay, poverty is widespread and the future looks bleak for the citizenry.
There is a longing for change in people’s livelihoods.
For President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his party, the real work begins today when the party announces its conference resolutions that must set the tone for the direction the party and country should take going forward.
