Zanu-PF has deferred Politburo and Central Committee meetings to later this week.

The Politburo will now be held on tomorrow and the Central Committee on Thursday.

"We would like to advise all members of Politburo and the Central Committee that the meetings that were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday have been moved to Wednesday (Politburo) and Thursday (Central Committee) respectively," Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said.

He said Politburo had been moved to Wednesday because it was coinciding with today's Cabinet meeting.

"When we planned we did not consider that Cabinet meets on Tuesday. Politburo is now meeting on Wednesday and we will travel to Gweru on Thursday soon after the Central Committee meeting," Cde Gumbo said.

He said President Mugabe would, as per original schedule, officially open the conference on Friday.

At its meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), the Politburo is expected to finalise the conference programme and agenda.

President Mugabe, who is the Zanu-PF First Secretary and President, will open the conference on Friday.

Preparations for the conference have been finalised with Cde Gumbo on Sunday saying the conference centre that is under construction 10km along Mvuma Road would be ready for use before Friday.

Liberation movements from the region are expected to attend the conference running under the theme: "Indigenise, Empower, Develop and Create Jobs".

The theme is hinged on the party's black empowerment programme under which foreign owned companies are obliged to cede at least 51 percent shareholding to indigenous Zimbabweans.

The conference will prepare Zanu-PF for harmonised elections to be held next year.

Conference is expected to deliberate on rules guiding the holding of primary elections, the constitution-making process and the state of the economy.

Preparations for the summer-cropping season will also be debated.

All the party's 10 provinces, the women and youth leagues, have already endorsed President Mugabe as the Zanu-PF candidate in the upcoming elections.

Over 5 000 delegates from all parts of the country are expected to converge in Gweru for the conference.