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Workmen put final touches to the VIP section at the venue for the Presidential Youth Interface rally slated for Gweru today. —(Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Felex Share Senior Reporter
All roads lead to the Midlands Province today for President Mugabe’s seventh interactive meeting with youths amid expectations that 120 000 people will fill up the venue.

The rally will be held at an open ground behind Mkoba Teachers’ College in Gweru.

The province set the tone yesterday when youths held a procession in the city.

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• Midlands targets 120k for interface rally
• All set for Midlands youth interface rally

As has become the norm in every host province, the youths also held a carnival.

Roads leading to the venue were also being attended to.

The Zanu-PF Youth League national executive inspected the venue in the company of Politburo members Cdes Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Joram Gumbo.

Zanu-PF Youth League secretary Cde Kudzanayi Chipanga said they were happy with the state of preparedness.

Cde Chipanga

“We have held the final preparatory meeting today at the venue,” he said. “The meeting was attended by Politburo

members, members of the Youth League national executive, the Midlands Youth League provincial executive together with members of the Joint Operation Command (JOC) and the provincial administrator. From the brief we got and what we saw on the state of preparedness they are done and only waiting to receive the President. We took the time to inspect the venue and we were impressed by the set up. The venue is well prepared and they have a bigger space which has the capacity to host the thousands of people expected.”

Cde Chipanga said the provinces had mobilised resources on its own.

“At the national level, we have supported them with tents, fuel and regalia and this will add onto what they have,” he said.

“We are happy that the roads are being rehabilitated and the Community Information Center which will be opened by the President before the main event is also ready. As usual we expect maximum discipline from the youths. We have our objectives as youths which want to articulate and this will be achieved if we exercise maximum discipline.”

Zanu-PF Midlands youth chairperson Cde Prosper Machando said they were on top of the situation.

“Everything is now in place and we have no challenges,” he said.

“On mobilisation we have done our part and we expect more than 120 000 to be at the venue. We have worked in unity so there is no reason for the rally to fail. In terms of logistics we have mobilised enough resources and we have been supported from the national level and it’s all systems go. We promise nothing short of happiness. What we are waiting for is the arrival of the President only.”

He added: “We are in a celebratory mood as youths in the province and we have already begun with a well-attended procession and carnival. We have already set the tone and we only wait for the arrival of the President.”

Indications are that the province has secured more than 100 buses, 300 commuter omnibuses and 200 trucks to ferry party supporters to the venue.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe has also pledged wagons for supports in areas such as Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Mvuma, Lalapanzi and Kwekwe.

Zanu-PF has 536 party districts in the eight administrative districts in Midlands.

Today’s rally becomes the seventh one with President Mugabe having visited Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West and Matabeleland South provinces.

President Mugabe has been using the platform to interact with the youths and directly responding to their concerns.

The interface meetings are being organised by the Zanu-PF Youth League.

Zanu-PF is using the platforms to launch a massive campaign for voter registration of youths ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections.

All the rallies have been highly subscribed and were incident free.

During the interface meetings, the youths are articulating social, economic and political issues affecting them.

Among other issues, the Youth League is advocating for young people to have access to land, agricultural inputs and participate in mining activities.

President Mugabe is expected to have visited all the 10 provinces next month.