National assembly meeting for Zanu-PF youth league

THE Zanu-PF Youth League is meeting today in Harare to discuss the state of the party and the country’s economic situation.

The meeting is in fulfilment of the party’s constitution that requires the youth wing to meet at least twice a year and would be addressed by President Mugabe in his official capacity as the party’s First Secretary and President.

Zanu-PF deputy secretary for youth affairs Cde Kudzai Chipanga yesterday confirmed the meeting.

He said delegates to the meeting were members serving at provincial and national levels of the party’s youth wing.

“We are going to discuss several issues and among them the state of the party, issues to do with discipline, social issues and the economic situation in the party and the country,” he said.

“This is our first national assembly meeting for this year and we hope to have another one before the end of the year. This particular meeting was scheduled for the month end of August but we had to postpone it due to other commitments.”

On the women quota in the presidium, Cde Chipanga said: “We have not deliberated on that matter as the Youth League. Possibly, there might be individual members in the league who may have their personal views in that regard but as the Youth League, we have not discussed it and it is not on our agenda.

“That issue was raised by the Women’s League during the Victoria Falls conference.”

Cde Chipanga said all was in place for the high profile meeting that would define the direction of the party’s youth wing.

The Youth and Women’s Leagues are critical arms of the revolutionary party.

Zanu-PF has come up with a number of initiatives to empower the youths. The party, through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, has allocated residential stands to young people in various towns.

So far youths in Harare, Bulawayo and Masvingo have already benefited from the residential stands and plans are afoot to expand the programme to other cities and towns.

The party is also making concerted efforts to ensure that the youths are incorporated into national projects such as road construction.