By Dickson Bandera
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has challenged ZANU PF to move beyond conference resolutions and deliver tangible development outcomes that improve people’s livelihoods, warning that the ruling party must remain accountable to the masses who entrusted it with power.
Addressing the party’s 23rd National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province, on Friday, Chiwenga called for honest self-assessment within the party, questioning whether its resolutions genuinely reflected the aspirations and needs of ordinary Zimbabweans.
The conference is running under the theme, “From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Economic Empowerment Towards Vision 2030.”
Dr Chiwenga said the theme demanded a shift from deliberations and declarations to measurable outcomes capable of transforming people’s lives.
“This theme calls upon us to move beyond deliberation and declarations to tangible, measurable and transformative outcomes that improve the lives of our people,” he said.
He urged party members to examine whether their resolutions originated from grassroots structures and whether they adequately addressed the challenges facing communities.
“The strength of ZANU PF has always emanated from the people. Our party is a people’s party, forged through the sweat, toil and blood of the masses,” Dr Chiwenga said.
“Our party belongs to the people, never to individuals. We must listen to them attentively, for they are the ones who entrusted us with this mandate.”
The Vice President also called for constructive engagement, self-criticism and accountability within the party, saying its programmes should be judged by their impact on people’s livelihoods rather than the resolutions adopted at conferences.
He said the principle of Gutsaruzhinji must remain central to the party’s development agenda, with policies and programmes expected to address community needs and generate sustainable value.
Calls for Internal Discipline
VP Chiwenga also cautioned against individualistic approaches to leadership, arguing that political change should be orderly and guided by the party’s constitution and established structures.
He said change should be driven by the people rather than imposed from above, while discipline, accountability and selfless service remained essential to the party’s progress.
“Discipline, accountability and selfless service must define our trajectory, superseding disjointed or individualistic approaches,” he said.
Drawing on the philosophy of Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, VP Chiwenga said individual ambitions should not undermine collective objectives.
He challenged party members to consider the legacy they were leaving behind, noting that younger generations were closely observing the conduct of current leaders.
“We are here to serve the people, never to be served by them,” he said.
He added that the party’s commitment to Vision 2030 should translate into improved living standards and greater economic empowerment, enabling Zimbabweans to benefit meaningfully from the country’s development.
Focus on Vision 2030
VP Chiwenga said the ruling party’s development agenda should be assessed by its ability to uplift livelihoods and create an economically empowered nation.
He called for collective commitment to consolidating economic development and ensuring that citizens benefited from national progress rather than remaining dependent on the benevolence of a privileged few.
The conference also provided an opportunity for party members to reflect on the values that sustained the liberation struggle, including unity, discipline, patriotism, integrity, commitment and service.
VP Chiwenga invoked the historical significance of the Chinhoyi Battle of April 28, 1966, which he described as an important milestone in the armed struggle against colonial rule.
He paid tribute to the seven ZANLA fighters who died in the battle, saying their sacrifice remained an important foundation of Zimbabwe’s independence, freedom and sovereignty.
The gathering brings together party leaders and delegates to deliberate on the party’s priorities, with economic development and empowerment placed at the centre of this year’s proceedings.