By Aldridge Dzvene
His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President and First Secretary of ZANU PF, has called for a results-driven 23rd National People’s Conference, urging party leadership to strengthen internal democracy, improve policy coordination and ensure that conference resolutions translate into tangible economic and social benefits for Zimbabweans.
Addressing the 398th Ordinary Session of the Politburo in Harare on Tuesday, His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa said the final preparations for the conference must focus not only on the organisation of the gathering but also on the substance of deliberations and the practical outcomes expected from the party’s highest annual decision-making platform.
The conference officially opens on Friday, October 16, in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province, marking the beginning of the 23rd ZANU PF National People’s Conference and the culmination of the party’s 2025/2026 calendar of events.
His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa emphasised that conference deliberations must strengthen intra-party democracy while producing resolutions capable of positively influencing the economy and improving the overall quality of life for the people.
The President’s address places implementation at the centre of the conference agenda, making it clear that the significance of the gathering will ultimately be measured by the decisions taken and the results achieved beyond the conference venue.
As party departments prepare their contributions to the Central Committee Report, the President called on Politburo members and departmental heads to familiarise themselves with the activities, challenges, perspectives and opportunities contained in the submissions. He said a better understanding of departmental responsibilities would strengthen collaboration, create synergies and support joint programming across the party.
The emphasis on coordination reflects the importance of aligning party structures and policy responsibilities behind a common development agenda. For ZANU PF, the challenge is to ensure that resolutions adopted at conference are supported by clear responsibilities, coordinated planning and sustained oversight.
His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa commended party departments for improving the effectiveness of their operations, noting that work plans developed after the previous conference had guided activities throughout the year.
He also highlighted the role of Focused Policy Management meetings in strengthening planning, monitoring and evaluation of departmental tasks, describing the evidence-based management approach as an important mechanism for identifying and addressing gaps in real time.
The approach signals an emphasis on institutional performance and accountability within the party, with planning and evaluation expected to support the execution of policies rather than remain administrative exercises. The effectiveness of the system will depend on how consistently identified shortcomings are addressed and how departmental performance contributes to the party’s wider objectives.
Reviewing the outgoing party calendar, His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa said ZANU PF had reason to be satisfied with its administrative performance, pointing to the party’s oversight and continued engagement with Government and other stakeholders, which he said had contributed to the successful adoption of a range of reforms.
He urged the Politburo and the wider party leadership to continue drawing on specialist skills from across society to strengthen policy proposals, refine strategies and improve the effectiveness of the revolutionary movement.
The call for expertise places emphasis on the value of technical knowledge and wider societal contributions in shaping policy positions. It also underscores the need for party structures to combine political leadership with informed approaches to the challenges confronting the country.
The President further stressed that the responsibilities of the Politburo extend beyond the adoption of conference resolutions, insisting that the leadership must maintain the oversight required to ensure their implementation.
He said every department and portfolio must remain seized with decisions falling within its area of responsibility, guided by party and national interests.
The directive establishes implementation as a continuing responsibility for the party leadership, rather than an obligation that ends when conference proceedings conclude. It places the focus on follow-through, with departments expected to take ownership of resolutions relevant to their mandates and work towards delivering the intended results.
His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa expressed confidence that the conference would deliver defining results, urging party departments to maintain unity of purpose, diligence and focus throughout the proceedings.
He also commended the Conference Organising Committee and the Resource Mobilisation Sub-Committee for organising the Presidential Fundraising Dinner Ball in Harare, while thanking party members and well-wishers who contributed towards ZANU PF.
The 23rd National People’s Conference therefore comes at a point when the party is reviewing its administrative performance, consolidating departmental planning and preparing the next phase of its work. The President’s message is that the gathering must produce more than declarations of intent, with the value of its deliberations ultimately resting on the implementation of resolutions and their contribution to national development.
As the conference opens in Chinhoyi, the central task for party leadership will be to translate collective decisions into coordinated action, maintain effective oversight and ensure that the outcomes of deliberations are reflected in practical results for the party and the country.
