Itai Mazire
The ruling party’s Harare province has recorded a significant political milestone, registering over 50 000 new members in its latest cell-driven recruitment exercise, in a development that party commissars say fortifies the revolutionary party’s grassroots structures ahead of the impending Constitutional Amendment No. 3.
The surge in membership, described by insiders as unprecedented in recent urban mobilisation history, comes as the Second Republic pushes for legal reforms that will fundamentally alter the countrys governance architecture, including the extension of parliamentary and presidential terms from five to seven years .
Harare Provincial Political Commissar, Voyage Dambuza, confirmed the numbers following co-ordinated inter-district feedback meetings and cell registration blitzes across the capital’s suburbs.
“We are not just counting numbers, we are consolidating the party’s footprint in every home, every street and every cell.
“Harare province has delivered over 50 000 new members because the people have seen the tangible development under President Mnangagwa. They want to be part of a party that empowers them, not one that offers empty promises,” he said .
Cde Dambuza’s mobilisation drive has specifically targeted urban areas traditionally viewed as hostile territory for the party. His strategy, dubbed by activists as the ‘Fishers of Men’ campaign, has been credited for turning political rhetoric into tangible grassroots activism .
The recruitment surge is strategically critical as the nation digests the provisions of the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, 2026.
The Bill, which was adopted by Cabinet last week, proposes a parliamentary system for electing the president and extending terms to ensure policy continuity and long-term project implementation .
Political analysts note that a strengthened membership base and a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which the party currently enjoys, are essential components for the smooth passage of the constitutional reforms .
Cde Dambuza said that the new members are not mere statistics but active participants in the party’s revolutionary agenda.
“We are building a united, solitary group under one leader, Comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa. There is no room for division,” he warned, referencing recent efforts to crack down on factional tendencies within the province .
“These 50 000 new members are the foot soldiers who will defend the party’s integrity and ensure that our constitutional processes, including the ongoing amendments, reflect the will of the people at the grassroots,” said Cde Dambuza.
The development follows the party’s first Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting of the year, where leadership set an ambitious target of recruiting one million members nationally in 2026, leveraging developmental projects spearheaded by the Second Republic .
As the Constitutional Amendment Bill undergoes the mandatory 90-day public consultation period before its introduction in Parliament, Harare province’s swollen membership rolls are expected to play a pivotal role in mobilising public support for the reforms .
“This is about empowering citizens while expanding the party’s reach. The cell structure is the backbone of our revolution, and with these numbers, Harare stands firm,” said Cde Dambuza.