Feature – From Resolutions to Results: Consolidating Economic Development and Deepening Empowerment towards Vision 2030 will be the defining theme when ZANU PF convenes its 23rd National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province, from October 12 to 17, 2026.
The theme comes at a significant stage in Zimbabwe’s development programme, as the country implements the second National Development Strategy and continues working towards the national ambition of becoming an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030.
The conference will be hosted at Chinhoyi University of Technology and is expected to bring together party delegates from across Zimbabwe for deliberations on organisational matters, economic development, empowerment and the implementation of previous party resolutions.
President and First Secretary of ZANU PF, His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, has placed implementation at the centre of preparations for the conference, challenging the party leadership to ensure that resolutions move beyond documents and become programmes capable of producing tangible results.
Addressing the 397th Ordinary Session of the ZANU PF Politburo, President Mnangagwa said the conference theme requires the party to move beyond simply adopting resolutions towards their concrete implementation. (ZANU PF Official site)
The phrase “From Resolutions to Results” provides the central message for this year’s gathering.
For ZANU PF, national conferences have traditionally provided a platform for reviewing the party’s work, considering reports and adopting resolutions that inform its political and developmental programme.
This year’s theme places additional emphasis on what happens after resolutions are adopted.
President Mnangagwa has called for previous conference and congress resolutions to be fully implemented across both party and Government structures.
In his address to the 132nd Ordinary Session of the Central Committee on October 1, 2026, the President said the conference would provide an opportunity to take stock, make corrections where necessary and refocus collective party priorities.
He also directed the Office of the Secretary General, working with the Office of the President and Cabinet, to coordinate implementation of previous conference and congress resolutions.
The approach places implementation at the heart of the conference agenda.
Rather than measuring progress solely through the adoption of policies and resolutions, the emphasis is increasingly being placed on their practical impact on communities, businesses, workers, farmers and households.
The first major pillar of the conference theme is economic development.
Zimbabwe has entered the implementation phase of NDS2, the country’s five-year development strategy running from 2026 to 2030.
The strategy provides the broader national development framework within which the Government is pursuing economic transformation and the Vision 2030 objective.
Zim Global Media previously examined the transition from NDS1 to NDS2 and the country’s development trajectory in:
NDS2 – Zimbabwe Charts a Bold Course Towards Vision 2030. (Zim Global Media)
The 23rd National People’s Conference therefore comes at a point when the implementation of NDS2 is beginning to shape the country’s economic policy environment.
The challenge outlined by the conference theme is to connect political resolutions with economic activity.
This includes supporting production, investment, industrialisation, agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, technology and innovation.
President Mnangagwa has told party leaders that modernisation, industrialisation and economic growth must remain central to efforts to improve livelihoods.
In his recent Politburo address, he challenged the leadership to view economic challenges as opportunities for development while mobilising communities to protect livelihoods and support vulnerable households. (ZANU PF Official site)
The second major component of the theme is empowerment.
Economic empowerment has remained a recurring feature of Zimbabwe’s development agenda, with Government programmes targeting agriculture, mining, manufacturing, youth development, women, small businesses and other productive sectors.
The conference theme places the concept of empowerment alongside economic development, signalling an emphasis on ensuring that economic growth is connected to opportunities for citizens.
The practical question is how economic programmes can translate into productive enterprises, employment opportunities, increased household incomes and stronger local value chains.
In his 132nd Central Committee address, President Mnangagwa highlighted youth empowerment, innovation, agricultural resilience and mineral beneficiation among the issues requiring attention as the party prepares for its conference.
This creates a broad platform for provincial structures to bring forward priorities based on the economic circumstances of their respective areas.
For a country with significant agricultural land, mineral resources, manufacturing capacity and a growing digital economy, empowerment can take many forms.
These include increasing local participation in value chains, expanding access to productive opportunities, supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening the capacity of communities to participate in economic activity.
Preparations for the Chinhoyi conference have involved consultations within ZANU PF provincial structures.
Provincial conferences and inter-district meetings have been used to consider local priorities and formulate resolutions for consideration at the national gathering.
In Midlands, for example, provincial structures adopted resolutions focusing on economic development, empowerment and greater local beneficiation of mineral resources ahead of the national conference.
This process is important because the national conference is expected to consider issues emerging from different parts of the country.
Zimbabwe’s provinces have different economic strengths and challenges.
Mashonaland West has substantial agricultural and mining activity, while Midlands has a strong mining and industrial base. Other provinces have their own opportunities in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, energy and services.
The process of consolidating provincial resolutions therefore provides a mechanism for bringing local economic priorities into the national party discussion.
Mineral beneficiation is another issue likely to feature prominently within the broader economic development discussion.
Zimbabwe possesses significant deposits of gold, platinum-group metals, lithium, chrome, coal and other minerals.
The policy challenge is not simply extracting these resources but increasing the economic value generated within the country.
Industrialisation and beneficiation can potentially expand local manufacturing and create additional economic activity around mineral value chains.
The theme “From Resolutions to Results” therefore places emphasis on practical implementation of policies designed to move the economy towards greater value addition.
The same principle applies to agriculture.
Instead of focusing solely on production of raw commodities, greater value can be generated through processing, packaging, storage, manufacturing and access to export markets.
This approach connects economic empowerment with industrial development.
Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors in Zimbabwe’s economy and is expected to remain part of the broader development discussions surrounding Vision 2030.
Climate resilience, irrigation, mechanisation, productivity and value addition are among the issues shaping Zimbabwe’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The 23rd National People’s Conference comes at a time when Government is also preparing for another agricultural season, making food security and climate resilience important components of national development planning.
President Mnangagwa has previously highlighted climate-smart agriculture and the need to strengthen production as part of the country’s development programme.
For rural communities, the success of economic resolutions is often measured directly through access to markets, inputs, infrastructure, irrigation, financing and opportunities to generate income.
The movement from resolutions to results therefore has a particularly practical meaning in agricultural communities.
Economic transformation also depends on infrastructure.
Roads, bridges, electricity, water systems, railways, telecommunications and digital infrastructure provide the foundation on which productive economic activity takes place.
Zimbabwe has continued implementing infrastructure projects under the Second Republic, with major investments taking place in roads, airports, energy and urban infrastructure.
The conference theme provides an opportunity for the party to examine how infrastructure priorities can continue supporting economic growth and connecting communities to markets.
For businesses, improved infrastructure can reduce transportation costs, improve connectivity and facilitate movement of goods.
For communities, it can improve access to schools, hospitals, markets and other essential services.
The connection between infrastructure and economic development is therefore an important component of the broader Vision 2030 agenda.
The conference is also taking place at a time when Zimbabwe is preparing to assume greater responsibilities within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Zimbabwe is set to host the 25th COMESA Summit in October and assume the chairmanship of the regional bloc.
The COMESA Summit theme — “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA” — has significant economic links with the issues surrounding the ZANU PF conference.
The regional agenda places emphasis on industrialisation, investment and integration, while the ZANU PF conference theme focuses on economic development and empowerment.
This creates an opportunity for Zimbabwe’s domestic production agenda to connect with regional markets.
For local businesses, regional integration can potentially create opportunities to expand exports and participate in larger value chains.
However, taking advantage of such opportunities requires competitive production, reliable infrastructure, investment and the capacity to meet market standards.
At the centre of the conference theme is Vision 2030.
The national vision seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030.
NDS2 provides the current five-year development framework towards that objective.
The ZANU PF conference therefore comes at a time when the country is already moving through the implementation phase of the second development strategy.
Zim Global Media has previously examined the foundations laid during NDS1 in:
What Was Accomplished Under NDS1 as Zimbabwe Moves Toward NDS2 and Vision 2030. (Zim Global Media)
The transition from NDS1 to NDS2 means the emphasis is increasingly on sustaining and accelerating development programmes while addressing areas where implementation remains incomplete.
The 23rd National People’s Conference will therefore provide another platform for reviewing progress and identifying priorities for the next phase.
The meaning of “results” will ultimately depend on implementation.
In economic terms, measurable results could include increased production, greater investment, expanded exports, stronger industries, improved agricultural output, more productive enterprises and increased participation in economic value chains.
At community level, results can also be reflected in infrastructure, access to services, employment opportunities and improved livelihoods.
The conference theme consequently creates a framework in which resolutions are expected to be connected to specific development outcomes.
This emphasis was reinforced by President Mnangagwa during the Politburo meeting, where he said party resolutions should remain instruments for advancing socio-economic development and accelerating the attainment of Vision 2030.
Chinhoyi prepares for the conference
Preparations for the conference have been gathering momentum, with accreditation already underway.
The conference is scheduled for October 12 to 17, 2026, at Chinhoyi University of Technology in Mashonaland West Province.
ZANU PF Director of Information and Publicity Cde Farai Marapira confirmed that accreditation teams had been deployed to the provinces to process eligible delegates.
The host province has also been mobilising resources and preparing facilities ahead of the gathering.
The conference is expected to attract thousands of delegates, with preparations involving party structures, Government departments and other stakeholders.
Ultimately, the significance of “From Resolutions to Results” will extend beyond the conference venue.
The central issue will be what happens after delegates return to their provinces, districts and communities.
Resolutions adopted in Chinhoyi will require coordination, resources, monitoring and implementation if they are to produce measurable outcomes.
That is where the conference theme acquires its practical meaning.
For ZANU PF, the 23rd National People’s Conference presents an opportunity to review the implementation of previous decisions while establishing priorities for the next stage of the country’s development journey.
For Zimbabwe’s broader economic agenda, the emphasis on production, industrialisation, empowerment, investment and value addition aligns with the objectives contained in the country’s Vision 2030 framework.
As delegates prepare to gather in Chinhoyi, the message from the party leadership is clear: resolutions are expected to become instruments of implementation.
The journey towards Vision 2030 will ultimately be shaped not only by what is agreed in conference halls, but by what is delivered in communities, farms, mines, factories, businesses and households across Zimbabwe.
From Resolutions to Results is therefore more than the title of the 23rd National People’s Conference.
It represents the central implementation question facing the party and its development programme as Zimbabwe moves deeper into the NDS2 era and towards the 2030 national target.