“The Party Is Supreme”: Mnangagwa Shuts Down Talk of ZANU-PF Division

Story By Staff Reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa closed the 23rd ZANU-PF National People’s Conference with a firm message of unity, discipline and delivery. He told delegates that the party is united, and he asked them to carry the conference resolutions into every province, district and branch.

“ZANU-PF Is United”

In his closing remarks, President Mnangagwa asked delegates a direct question. He wanted to know whether anyone believed the party was divided. Nobody raised a hand.

“So we are agreed that ZANU-PF is united,” he said. He described the party as unshakable and focused on serving the people of Zimbabwe and realising Vision 2030. He also called unity part of the party’s DNA and urged members to preach peace, unity and productivity.

Party Strength Rests on Solid Structures

The President called ZANU-PF a modern and futuristic party. He said its strength must continue to rest on solid structures and efficient systems. He then asked delegates who had not come from solid structures to stand up. No one stood.

Furthermore, he said digitisation, research and innovation are now essential to delivering the resolutions. He also called for firm implementation timelines, together with monitoring and evaluation systems. Party leaders, he said, must act promptly on any challenges or gaps that emerge.

From Resolutions to Results

The conference ran under the theme “From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Empowerment towards Vision 2030.” President Mnangagwa said the theme suited this defining moment in the party’s history. He described it as both a compass and a source of inspiration. In his words, success will be measured by tangible results in people’s everyday lives.

Delegates examined the state of the party, the economy and society. The President said their deliberations were frank and constructive. As a result, the conference produced clear guidelines for the work that the party and government will undertake next year. He said this work rests on a sacred duty to develop, modernise and industrialise the country.

Government Told to Align With the Party

President Mnangagwa also turned to government. He said ministries, departments and agencies must stay aligned with party policy. In addition, they must act with greater agency when they implement conference resolutions.

He called for synergy, collaboration and a whole-of-society approach. Traditional leaders, he said, should now be part of that approach as a matter of course. “We should leave no one in our society behind,” he said. He also urged the party to keep an open-door policy. Feedback from grassroots communities, religious leaders, academics, industrialists, farmers and small businesses should continue to shape the party’s work.

Thanks to Mashonaland West

The President commended the National Coordinating Committee, led by National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri. He also thanked Mashonaland West Province, which hosted the conference. He said the province’s hospitality was a fitting tribute to the revolutionaries and heroes who came from the area.

He also praised the other provinces, which raised what he called unprecedented resources in cash and kind. For him, these efforts show that no one owns the revolution except the people. He described ZANU-PF as an enormous mass party.

Assurance to Business and Investors

Looking ahead, President Mnangagwa promised to keep improving key services. He mentioned education under the Education 5.0 model and the supply of medicines in hospitals. He also named tourism as a priority. He pledged to protect the country’s liberation war heritage, history, culture and religious freedom.

Moreover, he reassured all sectors of the economy. The ZANU-PF government, he said, will keep creating an environment in which business and social and economic activity can thrive. He extended the same assurance to partners and investors.

“Victory Is Certain”

The President told delegates to report back to members across all provinces, districts and branches. “The future is growing brighter and brighter under ZANU-PF,” he said. He ended with the party’s rallying cry, “Aluta continua, victory is certain,” before officially declaring the conference closed.

Mnangagwa on Dissent and Party Supremacy

After the speech, the President answered questions from journalists. Asked whether the party is truly united, he said it is. He added that any movement has people who diverge from the expected line. “If from January to December you find no dissenting voice in the party, something is wrong,” he said. According to him, a revolutionary party will always have members who fall by the wayside. The party’s task, he said, is to keep preaching the correct line.

He also spoke about party supremacy and Constitutional Amendment No. 3. He said the party is now initiating changes to align with the amendment. A journalist suggested that government had moved before the party made its decision. The President disagreed. He said he knew of parties that form governments, but not of governments that form parties. “The party is supreme. The party leads,” he said. It then sets up the structures that government and other institutions need.

Finally, he said he was extremely happy with how the conference went. Everyone had a chance to speak, he noted. He added that a gathering where everybody agrees with everybody would signal a problem. What matters, he said, is that delegates leave agreed on a common direction.