Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
ZANU PF has intensified its nationwide membership verification and recruitment campaign, with the ruling party declaring June 27 as National Cell Day in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots structures and accelerating its digital membership registration programme.
The exercise, which forms part of the party’s ongoing mobilisation drive, will see members gathering at their respective cells across the country to verify their details, update records and account for membership at the grassroots level.
ZANU PF National Political Commissar, Cde Munyaradzi Machacha said the programme is designed to ensure that all party members are captured in the party’s digital database while reinforcing the cell system, the foundation of the party’s organisational structure.
“It is a day when we will be talking about the digitisation programme and its importance, and why every member must ensure that their names are reflected in the cell register in its digital format,” said Cde Machacha.
He said the Politburo had institutionalised National Cell Day as an annual event to be held during the last week of June.
“The Politburo agreed that from the last week of January to the last week of June in each year, we will be holding national cell days. So this year, on June 27, it will be our village cell day,” he said.
“We expect all our members to gather at their respective cell meetings under the chairmanship of the cell chairpersons to deliberate on an agenda that includes verifying membership and ensuring that all cell members are present or can be accounted for.”
As part of the verification process, members will be required to produce national identity documents to confirm their details.
“We will require that members bring their personal identity cards for verification,” said Cde Machacha.
The National Cell Day programme will also provide an opportunity for the party leadership to engage supporters on key political developments, including the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill currently before Parliament.
“We will also be thanking our members for their support in the campaign for CAB3, which is now before Parliament and which we hope will be concluded soon,” he said.
The latest exercise comes as ZANU PF continues to modernise its membership management systems through digitisation, a process party officials say will improve record-keeping, accountability and communication across structures.
According to the ZANU PF constitution, a cell comprises 50 members or more and serves as the party’s primary grassroots unit.
Party officials say the June 27 exercise is expected to provide an updated picture of membership levels while reinforcing the organisational structures that underpin the ruling party’s mobilisation efforts nationwide.
