Zanu-PF acquires multi-million dollar tent
ZANU-PF has acquired a multi-million dollar tent with a capacity of sheltering 15 000 people ahead of its December National People’s Conference to be held in Gwanda in Matabeleland South Province.
The tent would also be used as a commercial facility for other revenue generating activities by the corporate sector.
A local company Univern Enterprises facilitated the purchase of the tent from China.
The tent has a life span of over 20 years if properly managed. It can be divided into four sections some of which can be used as offices.
President Mugabe was on Wednesday shown the tent in Mazowe where it was erected for demonstration purposes.
He paid tribute to the party membership and those who facilitated its acquisition.
“We want to extend our appreciation and gratitude to those who have contributed to the acquisition of this asset, our friends, our supporters and our members as they combined in making the donations they made no matter how small,” he said.
Zanu-PF secretary for finance Cde Obert Mpofu said the party was spending $1 million on hiring a tent for the People’s National Conference every year.
Cde Mpofu said the party would use the tent to generate revenue through hiring it out to companies and other organisations that might want to host their events.”
“This is an outcome of efforts we embarked upon in terms of mobilising resources for the party,” said Cde Mpofu.
“We have been spending lots of money to hire tents. We were spending $1 million every year. Since I took over as secretary for finance we have spent $4 million on tents. We felt that in our appeal to our friends and well-wishers we should involve provision of tents. This project is not only for conferences but to generate money because we can hire it out to churches and companies. We are actually running it as an entity and we have engaged a registered company Glens Removals to do the computation of records and handling of the facility.
“It has the capacity to carry 15 000 people and the facility has also other sections for offices for other uses.”
Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Ignatius Chombo said: “The facility has four sections and we have a tent for the commissariat, tent for information and publicity and another tent for Politburo and Central Committee members where they can rest waiting for other activities.”
Zanu-PF national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere thanked all who contributed towards the purchase of the tent saying the party was spending much on hiring tents.
Two Vice Presidents Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko and Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo accompanied President Mugabe to view the facility in Mazowe.