By Staff Reporter
Hordes of delegates have begun to arrive for the ZANU PF 17th National People’s Annual Conference being held at Umzingwane High School in Esigodini, Matebeleland South this week.
All is set for the conference and final touches are being made at the venue for the crucial meeting which is expected to chart the party’s strategies for next year’s elections.
The Conference, running under the theme “Zimbabwe Is Open for Business: Peace, Unity towards an Upper Middle-Income Economy By 2030”, will draw a total of 5 000 delegates from across the country.
ZANU PF First Secretary and President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open the Conference on Thursday.
The party has made all the necessary arrangements to ensure a successful indaba.
Expectations are high that the convention deliberates on the trajectory to rebuilding the country’s economy in line with this year’s theme for the event.
Zanu PF Secretary for Security in the Politburo, Lovmore Matuke told this publication that there was need for the party to put in security measures at the venue.
The gold-rich Umzingwane district is known for harbouring small scale gold miners who were recently reported to have engaged in acts of violence and therefore, Matuke said it was necessary for the party to protect its members and the community during the course of the conference.
A business expo is running concurrently with the conference and exhibitors are setting up their stands.
Numerous leading companies will be showcasing their goods and services.
A senior party official yesterday said that the expo would be held with all future conferences.
“The ground is set as you can see and we are expecting more exhibitors to come and take part by the time the conference starts.
“We want to give this conference a new profile and expand the business expo so that it’s held annually,” he said while taking the journalists for a tour of some of the exhibitors who were setting up at the venue.
“The exhibition gives businesspeople an opportunity to network with their leaders while they showcase their products and services.”
