President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged ZANU PF members to refocus on development, party unity and grassroots mobilisation, saying the ruling party must remain committed to improving the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.
Addressing the 131st Ordinary Session of the ZANU PF Central Committee in Harare on Thursday, President Mnangagwa said the party’s responsibility was to advance national development and safeguard Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.
“We stand on guard, ready to defend and protect our national sovereignty, independence, freedom, peace and unity. We shall never drop the button,” he said.
The President said the journey towards attaining Vision 2030 and transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy remained irreversible.
“The ongoing journey towards Vision 2030 to become an Upper Middle-Income Society is irreversible,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said government programmes in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, energy, tourism and information communication technologies were contributing to economic growth and employment creation.
He said empowerment initiatives targeting women, youths and war veterans were producing positive results, with beneficiaries participating in various economic sectors.
The President also called on party structures to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and maintain strong cell and village structures.
“Our overall goal, therefore, is not just to have names on the registers, but to have an ideologically grounded membership,” he said.
President Mnangagwa warned against divisions within the ruling party, saying there was “no room for divisions, regionalism, tribalism and narrow ambitions that override the collective interest of the Party.”
He urged party members to remain united ahead of forthcoming by-elections in several constituencies across the country.
“No Ward must be left behind; no Constituency must be surrendered to the agents of neo-colonialism,” he said.
The President also welcomed Zimbabwe’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term, describing it as evidence of growing international confidence in the country.
“This signals the world’s growing confidence in the leadership of our ZANU PF-led Government’s commitment to global peace, security and multilateralism,” he said.
President Mnangagwa opened the session by paying tribute to national heroes and liberation war veterans who died since the previous Central Committee meeting, including Air Commodore (Retired) Simon Brian Bere, Brigadier General (Retired) Donald Silundi Tshuma and Victor Matemadanda.
He urged party leaders to place people at the centre of development and focus on improving service delivery, infrastructure and social services.
“Let us put the people first and wholeheartedly serve our motherland, Zimbabwe,” President Mnangagwa said.
The 131st Ordinary Session of the Central Committee brought together senior party officials, members of the Central Committee and ZANU PF leadership to deliberate on party and national issues.