Zanu PF conference gets underway
By Jeffrey Muvundusi
Thousands of Zanu PF officials have descended on the sleepy town of Gwanda for the ruling party annual conference to be held at Mzingwane High School in Esigodini.
All roads leading to the venue of the conference were festooned with police roadblocks and checkpoints as the security level remains high following the unresolved Bulawayo bomb blast early this year.
Running under the theme “Zimbabwe is open for business”, this year’s conference is being held on the backdrop of worsening economic woes reminding people of the 2008 era when the country’s economy hit rock bottom.
But there is no modesty in the ruling party expenditure, with billboards of a smiling President Emmerson Mnangagwa adorning roads leading to Esigodini.
The roads are a rare grey after a last-minute resurfacing to ensure that the ruling elite will not endure potholes that are part of everyday life for most Zimbabweans.
All the top hotels are fully booked for the conference where Mnangagwa is expected to officially open today.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said serious business aiming at reviving the comatose economy starts today.
“The delegates are arriving; the people are still on their way from different parts of the country. We want to ensure that they rest and tomorrow we get down to business. The theme explains it all, ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ and so the discussions will centre on that. When we talk of business, we do not mean for foreigners only but also for locals,” said Khaya Moyo.
At least 6 000 people are expected for the conference that bears a striking resemblance to past events before the ouster of Robert Mugabe last year.
Yesterday, the venue of the conference was teeming with activities as delegates sought last-minute accreditation while workers put the final touches to the beautiful air-conditioned marquees that will shelter thousands of Zanu PF officials.
But there is a contrast, just a few metres from the venue the gravel roads remain untouched. DailyNews
