Masvingo braces for mega rally
PREPARATIONS for the third leg of the nationwide Presidential Youth Interface Rallies were completed here yesterday, with ZANU-PF national secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Kudzanai Chipanga saying everything was in place for what the Masvingo chapter has dubbed the “mother of all rallies’’.
The rally, to be addressed by President Mugabe, will be held at the Mucheke Stadium open arena under the theme: “Honouring Our Icon . . . Unlocking the Value in Youths.”
Speaking during a preparatory meeting attended by members of the ZANU-PF Youth League national executive and senior ruling party members led by Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa and Politburo member Cde Josaya Hungwe, Cde Chipanga said the province was ready to host President Mugabe.
Cde Chipanga expressed satisfaction with the state of preparedness amid indications that a record 50 000 people were expected to attend.
“We are very much satisfied with the way preparations for our rally have been going on and we can declare the event a success. It is already a success even if it is yet to be held because of what we heard here concerning the state of affairs on the ground,” said Cde Chipanga.
He explained the features on ruling party T-shirts to be issued at the venue that he said marked the official launch of a massive campaign by the ZANU-PF Youth League to mobilise people especially the youths to register to vote in next year’s harmonised elections.
The T-Shirts will be emblazoned with President Mugabe’s face at the front while carrying a message exhorting youths to vote at the back.
“The message on the T-shirts is two-fold; first we are encouraging the youths to register to vote and then secondly, we urge them to go and vote for President Robert Mugabe during next year’s elections,” added Cde Chipanga.
He thanked senior ruling party leaders in Masvingo led by politburo members Cde Hungwe and Sen Mahofa for the guidance they extended to the ZANU-PFYouth League during preparations for President Mugabe’s rally in the province.
“We want to thank the senior party leadership here for coming to this meeting as well as for the guidance and
advice they are giving to us. They have welcomed the President many times before us and know better.
“We thank them for the organisational
and logistical support they are giving us, even though the event is for the Youth League,” Cde Chipanga added. In his remarks Cde Hungwe said tomorrow’s rally was mainly a day for President Mugabe
to interact with the youths in the province, saying the Head of State and Government was supposed to be accorded more time to talk to young people from Masvingo.
Sen Mahofa has already urged
organisers of the rally to make sure the majority of people at the interface rally were young people as they rarely had the opportunity to interact with their leader.
After the meeting Cde Chipanga
led senior ruling party officials on a tour of the venue of the rally at the open arena outside Mucheke Stadium, where officials expressed satisfaction with the state of preparedness.