Mahiya Urges ZANU PF Harare Leaders to Respect Party Structures and Strengthen Grassroots Engagement

By Simba Zimunya

ZANU PF Politburo member and Secretary for the War Veterans League, Cde Douglas Mahiya, has called for respect for party leadership structures and stronger organisational coordination as the ruling party seeks to translate its policies and resolutions into grassroots programmes.

Mahiya made the remarks while addressing a ZANU PF Harare Province engagement, where he served as Guest of Honour.

He emphasised the role of established party institutions in providing policy direction, identifying the Central Committee as the party's highest policy-making body between congresses.

He also urged party members to respect provincial leadership and acknowledged the organisational work being undertaken by ZANU PF structures in Harare.

Emphasis on Institutional Leadership

Mahiya's remarks come amid efforts by ZANU PF to strengthen coordination between its national, provincial and grassroots structures.

The party's Central Committee plays a key role in overseeing the implementation of decisions and programmes adopted at congress, while provincial structures coordinate party activities and communicate policies to lower-level structures.

The party's official description of its organisational framework identifies cells, branches, districts and provinces as important levels of grassroots organisation.

Grassroots Structures and Development Agenda

The emphasis on grassroots engagement comes as ZANU PF continues its programme of communicating resolutions from its 23rd National People's Conference to provincial and district structures.

At a separate Harare Province feedback meeting in Chitungwiza on November 12, provincial leaders said the meetings were intended to update party members on conference resolutions and strengthen communication between leadership and grassroots structures.

The party has also highlighted the importance of translating conference resolutions into practical initiatives, including community empowerment and support for small-scale businesses.

Turning Organisational Commitments Into Results

While respect for party structures and organisational alignment remain central themes in Mahiya's message, the practical measure of grassroots development will be whether programmes deliver tangible benefits to communities.

Issues such as employment, access to basic services, business opportunities and local economic development remain important indicators of whether development commitments are reaching ordinary people.

The challenge for party structures will be to ensure that engagement goes beyond meetings and policy communication, producing measurable outcomes at community level.