Greetings Comrades & Compliments of the Season,
We had an
eventful 2017, which ended up with the change of leadership at the helm of our
party and country. We welcome Zimbabwe’s second Executive President Cde ED
Mnangagwa who is now consolidating our Independence and development as a nation
and people.
As Zanu
PF-UK & Europe we celebrate the principled political positions we took
which have been vindicated by the respect and high esteem with which we continue
to be held by the Mother Party and our principals.
It is those consistent principled positions
that saw us survive Gamatox purging. This year we survived the purging against
VP Mnangagwa’s backers and the team dubbed Lacoste to which most of us belonged
in our individual capacities. We have
now also survived the purging of the G40 Cabal, which also tried to undermine
our own leadership here.
This is because as an entity we have
remained non-factional and did not get involved in the factional fights that
saw and led to Operation Restore Legacy taking place but maintained the party
line that was informed by genuine Central Committee decisions.
As a political entity we have managed to
maintain unity among members and stayed intact as a party Chapter regardless of
machinations to divide us and set parallel structures in our midst. We
maintained the course and came out among the most triumphant Units of the New
Dispensation.
We continue to be strongly represented at
important national functions such as the Independence and Heroes Day
celebrations by our ZANU-PF UK Executives & Membership
Our objective of having the Diaspora as the
11th Province of the Party remains a major headline-grabbing
talking point on the party’s agenda.
During Operation Restore Legacy we made a big
case for Zimbabwe when we represented the entire ZANU-PF party on the
international platform. We did not only represent the party but we represented
Zimbabwe and we earned the bragging rights to have outdone Zimbabwe’s 43
Embassies by our articulation and defence of our country. For this our
principals are in our debt.
Zanu
PF-UK has refused to ignore the uncelebrated community work. In that regard we continue
to support the building of Umzingwane Hospital in Matebeleleland South by
supplying Cement, Blood Pressure machines, sanitary material for the maternity
ward. An on-going commitment to complete construction of that maternity ward.
On the Education front we have participated in an educational project in Mashonaland East province for schools in Goromonzi and Chihota. This is a programme we hope to extend to other provinces and have scholarships for talented but deprived students.
On the Education front we have participated in an educational project in Mashonaland East province for schools in Goromonzi and Chihota. This is a programme we hope to extend to other provinces and have scholarships for talented but deprived students.
Our relationship with fellow Diasporans
and externally resident compatriots continue to be a bittersweet. We
have experienced hate campaigns and we have bravely and successfully pushed
back. On behalf of the whole Diaspora
Community we engaged the Zanu PF Parliamentary Caucus to reject in strong terms
and lobby for the abandonment of retrogressive proposals to amend the
constitution and make Dual Citizenship illegal. We are the unsung heroes of the
Diaspora.
Our
Youth and Women’s League wings have also pulled their weight and made
themselves felt and visible. The Youth attended the Youth Festival in Sochi,
Russia and we now have a Youth Branch in Ukraine. The Women’s League was
adversely affected by the turmoil that bedevilled the mother league in Zimbabwe
but is now on a sound footing to make tangible contributions to the betterment
of our people in general and women and the girl child in particular.
As
2018 beckons us, these are going to be the underpinning objectives that will
thread through our programmes;
1. We have several members vying to represent the
Party in the 2018 General Elections. As a Chapter we will give them all the
support we can as long as they don’t sever ties with us and continue to act as
ambassadors for the Diaspora Party.
2. We
are going to enhance our efforts to bring investment into Zimbabwe and bring
employment to our people
3. We
will be at the centre of the re-engagement efforts between Zimbabwe and its
former friends in the West particularly Great Britain.
4. We
will advocate for Institutional Role for the Zimbabwean resident outside the
motherland
5. We
will also look at programmes that will ensure our children maintain fraternal
links with the motherland.
6. Help
the mother party with resource mobilisation and information campaigns as
contribution to the 2018 General Elections effort.
7. Push
for the legal finalisation of the 11th Province agenda
We wish to thank everyone who has made
contributions to our fundraising efforts for different programmes. The Mother
Party expresses its gratitude as well.
Happy New Year Comrades and Happy New Era.
Aluta Continua
Comrade Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana