Youths read riot act to spoilers
• Back off, attention-seekers told • Unity, discipline the watchwords
ZANU-PF Youth League secretary Cde Kudzanayi Chipanga has warned other party members that President Mugabe’s meeting with youths in Mashonaland East Province today is not a platform to settle personal scores.
President Mugabe sets in motion his provincial interactive meetings with the youths this morning in the province, where he is expected to get an appreciation of challenges facing young people countrywide.
The highly-billed event is slated for Rudhaka Stadium, Marondera.
Cde Chipanga, who called for unity and discipline as he warned those with ulterior motives to stay away, spoke in the wake of social media reports that some party members wanted to plant youths to sing Cde Kasukuwere’s praises at the rally.
Cde Kasukuwere, the national political commissar, has been given votes of no confidence by nine of Zanu-PF’s 10 provinces over a slew of allegations inter alia forming parallel structures to undermine President Mugabe, corruption and cronyism.
“We are encouraging our delegates to exercise maximum discipline because this meeting will be graced by the Head of State and Government,” he said.
“We are not going to tolerate a situation whereby people try to settle personal scores at our meeting. If there
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is anyone who feels they have some scores to settle, they might create their own forum.
“This is not a disciplinary meeting, but a provincial interface meeting. To those thinking they can interfere with our operations or think they can have a leading role at the event, we say hands off the Youth League. We only welcome guidance and support.”
War veterans said yesterday they were in support of the meeting.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) chairperson Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa said all freedom fighters in the province would attend the meeting. Cde Chipanga said youths welcomed the support from war veterans.
“We have good relations with war veterans, war collaborators, ex-detainees and the Women’s League as organs and affiliates of the party,” he said.
“Individualism should not prevail over these organs.”
The President’s meetings with youths will be held in all the country’s 10 provinces, with Manicaland and Masvingo being the next in that order.
The meetings, dubbed “Provincial Youth Interface Meetings”, effectively mark the launch of the ZANU-PF Youth League’s campaign for the 2018 harmonised elections, with emphasis on voter registration.
Cde Chipanga said the stage was set for the first meeting in Marondera.
“At the venue, all is now in place,” he said.
“On the human resource aspect, the province has assured us that they have mobilised as many youths as they can.
“We are grateful to the leadership in the province, the Government leadership led by Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Ambrose Mutinhiri and the party leadership led by provincial chairperson Cde Bernard Makokove and senior members Cde Sydney Sekeramayi and Cde Chinomona.
“Together with other Central Committee members, they have gone out of their way to ensure the event becomes a success. We feel we are going to use Mashonaland East as a template to be used by all other provinces.”
Cde Mutsvangwa said the meetings were important ahead of 2018 elections and war veterans would be part of them.
“ZNLWA welcomes the public invitation extended to war veterans by the secretary for the Youth League, Cde Chipanga,” he said. “It marks a further thaw in the relations between the two complementary wings of the ruling party. The pernicious diatribes spawned and promoted by the errant G40 cohorts are being cast by the way side. This should come as a great sense of relief to President Mugabe and the party leadership as the 2018 general elections loom.
“The great mission of the Chimurenga Revolution is passed on like a baton from each generation to the next for the eternal benefit of posterity. We urge all war veterans in Mashonaland East to attend this important event.”
Mashonaland East has secured over 200 buses to ferry party supporters to the venue.
Among other issues, the Youth League is advocating for young people to have access to land, agricultural inputs and participate in mining activities.