> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.africaandbeyond.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT AND SECOND SECRETARY OF THE RULING PARTY ZANU PF, HON. GEN. (RETD) DR. C. G. D. N. CHIWENGA - URL: https://www.africaandbeyond.org/introductory-remarks-by-the-vice-president-and-second-secretary-of-the-ruling-party-zanu-pf-hon-gen-retd-dr-c-g-d-n-chiwenga/ - Published: 2026-10-16T16:34:52.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T16:34:52.000Z - Description: INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT AND SECOND SECRETARY OF THE RULING PARTY ZANU PF, HON. GEN. (RETD) DR. C. G. D. N. CHIWENGA - Author: Africa & Beyond News Correspondent **On the occasion of the 23rd ZANU PF National People’s Conference** **Mashonaland West Province** **16 October 2026** ## PAGE 1 — TITLE PAGE **ZIMBABWE** Introductory Remarks by the Vice President and Second Secretary of the Ruling Party ZANU PF, Hon. Gen. (Retd) Dr. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga, on the occasion of the 23rd ZANU PF National People’s Conference in Mashonaland West Province, 16 October 2026. ## PAGE 2 It is my profound honour and privilege to deliver a few remarks and introduce our Guest of Honour, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and First Secretary of ZANU PF, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, at this 23rd National People’s Conference. We gather here in Chinhoyi, a landscape deeply connected to our liberation struggle. The Chinhoyi Battle of 28 April 1966 marked a turning point in igniting the armed struggle against colonial rule. With boundless pride and solemn reverence, we remember the seven ZANLA heroes who fought with fearless distinction and paid the ultimate price just a few kilometres from this venue. Their sacrifice was, and is, an indispensable bedrock of Zimbabwe’s independence, freedom and sovereignty. **Comrades and Friends;** last year, when we convened in Mutare, we reflected on the values that sustained our liberation struggle: unity, discipline, patriotism, integrity, commitment and service. The theme, this year, is **“From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Economic Empowerment Towards Vision 2030.”** This theme calls upon us to move beyond deliberation and declarations to tangible, measurable and transformative outcomes that improve the lives of our people. Let us not forget that the Second Republic was founded on the pursuit of renewal, reform and a results-based governance and national development. That promise imposes on us an enduring obligation to deliver results that exceed all past achievements. ## PAGE 3 Chii chakaita kuti 2nd Republic ivepo? Kwaive kugadzirisira zvakaipa zvanga zvichiitika mumashure, hatizi kudzokorora here kuita zvakambotadzwa? This beckons us to a brutal and honest self-appraisal. We must ask ourselves the difficult questions and confront uncomfortable realities. Are our resolutions truly coming from the people? Do our conferences authentically capture the voices of the grassroots? Do we truly understand the aspirations of our people? More importantly, how should we walk our talk this time around, to serve our people better? 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. 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. We must be willing to introspect and engage in self-criticism when confronted with divergent view-points. In the same vein, we must also handle contradictions constructively. The guiding principle of *Gutsaruzhinji* must remain central to our collective comprehension of development and empowerment. We must continually measure whether our programmes, born from resolutions, are genuinely lifting livelihoods, addressing community needs, and generating sustainable value across the nation. The true value of a resolution lies entirely in its substance, implementation and its tangible impact on the lives of the people we represent and serve. That is the essence of Vision 2030. ## PAGE 4 **Distinguished Guests and Delegates;** While change is inevitable, it must be orderly, anchored in our party structures and guided by our constitution. Change must be driven by the people, not imposed from above. You may recall, Your Excellency, that **“the voice of the people is the voice of God”**; as such, we must remain true to that promise and carry with us the voice of the people. Discipline, accountability and selfless service must define our trajectory, superceding disjointed or individualistic approaches. Chairman Mao said, *“Individual desires or private virtues are meaningless outside of their relationship to the collective”.* Mazvake mazvake haana kwaanotsvitsa. They undermine our collective purpose and cannot deliver the unity required for sustainable progress. As we deliberate at this momentous Conference, we must remember that we are merely temporary custodians of this vanguard Party, for our time on earth is finite, so what legacy are we leaving? We are here to serve the people, never to be served by them. The younger generation is watching our conduct with sharp attention. Our words must find full expressions in our actions, placing service above personal ambition and striving to leave ZANU-PF stronger than we found it. Our collective resolve to attain Vision 2030 must be to consolidate economic development, uplift the living standards of the people, and make them proud citizens of this country, not hewers of wood and drawers of water, surviving from the benevolence of a privileged few. ## PAGE 5 In the same spirit of the Chinhoyi 7 Battle, the 4th Chimurenga industrialisation and the quest for an economically empowered nation, it is now my singular honour and privilege to invite our Guest of Honour, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and First Secretary of ZANU PF, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to address this Conference and the nation at large. **PAMBERI NE ZANU PF** **PAMBERI NA PRESIDENT CDE. DR. EMMERSON DAMBUDZO MNANGAGWA** **PASI NEMHANDU** Your Excellency Sir. --- **Africa & Beyond — News | Analysis | Perspective**