The Birmingham Branch Chairman's speech delivered at the ZANU – PF West Midlands General Consultative Meeting, Birmingham, Saturday 15th March, 2014.

The ZANU PF UK Birmigham Chairman:
Cde George Nhera

We congregate here today, under the banner of the ZANU-PF West Midlands General Consultative meeting, the theme of which is to move Zimbabweans of all walks of life in the UK, towards a progressive socio-economic and political dispensation that conspicuously points us towards a more prosperous future in our motherland, Zimbabwe.

This meeting takes place against the background of ZANU-PF having facilitated and equally delivered universal suffrage to all Zimbabweans without fear or favour, nearly 34 years ago, through the selfless sacrifices of our ZANLA and ZIPRA forces under the unfailing and  collective leadership of ZANU and ZAPU, which amalgamated to form ZANU-PF on 22nd December 1987.

It goes without saying Cdes, that it is through these sacrifices on the part of our gallant liberation war heroes, that as Zimbabweans we now have the right to freely determine our destiny, including the right to discuss and debate on how each one of us, as individuals or groups, can actively participate in the restructuring of the Zimbabwean economy, largely destabilised through the co-ordinated efforts of neo-colonialism and regime change agenda surrogates and or sponsors operating under the thinly veiled guise of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Universal Suffrage was achieved through personal
sacrifices of our ZANLA and ZIPRA Forces :
led by Cde  RG Mugabe and Cde J Nkomo

As we engage in progressive discussion(s) today we must not loose sight of the fact that it is this party that has provided opportunities through deliberate initiatives grounded in the principle of self determination, such as the Land Reform Programme popularly billed as the 'third chimurenga' widely acknowledged as a major source of economic emancipation and prosperity for all its beneficiaries; in place of 3500 beneficiaries of the discriminate apartheid-style colonial rule, ZANU-PF resettled more than 300 000 indigenous Zimbabweans on 12 117 000 hectares of largely productive agricultural land.

To consolidate the land reform programme, the theme of the ZANU-PF Election Manifesto for 2013 focused on indigenisation, empowerment, development and employment creation for all Zimbabweans. It is imperative, Cdes that as we focus on today’s theme, which is a product of the our last election manifesto, we must, in the end be clear on how, as patriotic Zimbabweans in the diaspora, we can actively participate and benefit from the land reform programme and other socio-economic opportunities being benevolently created through our party .

It is also paramount Cdes  that we actively listen and engage in day's presentations which will focus on the investment climate in our country, itself a manifestation of  Zimbabwe’s five-year  socio-economic blue-print, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-Economic Transformation, popularly known as the ZIMASSET.

Fellow compatriots remember, none but our selves will free our economy. Active and meaningful investment in Zimbabwe’s economy begins with me, begins with you and begins with all of us as patriotic Zimbabweans. Thank you, and welcome.

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Cde George Nhera is the Chairperson for ZANU-PF UK Birmingham Branch.