via Zanu-PF takes stock of its membership | The Herald March 9, 2015 by Lovemore Mataire
Nine out of 10 Zanu-PF provinces had by yesterday begun the auditing and verification process of party structures meant to authenticate the exact membership in all provinces and ensure a cohesive election machinery capable of winning all impending elections.
Only Harare province had not held co-ordinating meetings by yesterday.
The meetings were being led by selected Politburo members and were meant to prepare and brief provincial co-ordinating committee members of the logistical requirements to be followed in the verification and auditing exercise.
In an interview, Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said the process was aimed at assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the party and come up with viable structures.
“This process is critical in that it is meant to unearth any discrepancies of what is on paper and on the ground. We do so much more on an informed basis of which areas we need to focus on in order to ensure that we have authentic verifiable membership from the cell, district and provincial levels,” Cde Kasukuwere said.
Cde Kasukuwere said he was gratified with the huge attendance witnessed at all the provincial co-ordinating committee meetings held over the weekend saying it was proof of the party members’ enthusiasm.
Politburo member Cde Joram Gumbo, who was tasked to lead the verification exercise in Masvingo province, said the provincial co-ordinating meeting was well attended with members being told to prepare reports of membership at cell and district levels.
“We are already preparing for 2018 and this process is meant to give us an idea of our actual membership. We really want to physically count our members and members are urged to come up with their identification cards. We don’t want a situation where an individual has double membership in both his rural district and in the urban area where he works,” said Cde Gumbo.
Another Politburo member, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, who led the Manicaland provincial co-ordinating committee meeting, said Manicaland had already started auditing its structures and had identified areas that needed urgent address.
“In terms of the circular from the commissariat, this task is supposed to be completed by end of April. However, I am glad to say that in Manicaland a lot of groundwork had been covered,” said Dr Sekeramayi.
Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, who was tasked to lead the Matabeleland North team, said it was mandatory that the party took stock of its membership after holding its congress and that cells needed to be reactivated every year to ensure that there were vibrant structures and verifiable membership.
“We learnt a lot in the last Congress especially the fact that in some districts we had fictitious membership figures. So this exercise is meant to unearth such discrepancies. I also emphasised the need for unity, denounced factionalism and urged members to realise that we have one centre of power,” said Cde Moyo.
He said the meeting was attended by several Zanu-PF Central Committee members including Speaker of Parliament Cde Jacob Mudenda.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Security in the Politburo Cde Kembo Mohadi, who was tasked to lead the verification exercise in Mashonaland Central, yesterday said he managed to chair a meeting on Saturday that was also attended by some Central Committee members.
“There was really nothing much save to brief the members of the need to verify and physically count our membership after which we will have elections,” said Cde Mohadi.
Zanu-PF is gearing itself for five by-elections in Mount Darwin West, Chirumanzu-Zibagwe, Wedza North, Headlands and in Hurungwe West constituencies. Mashonaland West acting chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the province would prepare reports to be given to Central Committee members assisting in the exercise on Wednesday.
“We had a PPC meeting on Saturday where we reviewed updates of what was happening in the province. We are going to prepare a programme that will be used by the Central Committee members. We will be moving around the province to verify structures at cell and branch level. It is after that verification process that elections will be held,” he said.
President of the Senate Cde Edna Madzongwe, who is leading Mashanaland East province, urged members not to impose candidates.
Harare leader Dr Obert Mpofu said Harare was going to convene its meeting today.
In the Midlands, the provincial commissar, Cde Makhosi Hlongwane, said the visit by the Politburo and Central Committee members was not meant to undertake restructuring, but to verify membership ahead of elections.
COMMENTS