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Gibson Nyikadzino Herald Correspondent

THE ruling Zanu PF’s Youth League yesterday vowed to ensure the revolutionary party scores big in the forthcoming by-elections set for March 26 and in the 2023 harmonised elections, by accelerating visibility through all party structures.

Acting Youth Affairs deputy secretary Cde Tendai Chirau yesterday said economic empowerment programmes commissioned by President Mnangagwa, who is the party’s candidate for the 2023 presidential elections, would be augmented by more strategic mobilisation initiatives. 

Speaking on the sidelines of a Youth League national executive council meeting held at the party’s headquarters yesterday, Cde Chirau said victory for Zanu PF was guaranteed by rallying behind President Mnangagwa. 

“Our 2023 starts now,” he said. “We are not going to reveal some of our strategies as we are guided by our Captain, President Mnangagwa. We are here to ensure that the youth remain the front runners of the party. 

“This year, we are going to have more accelerated programmes and also youth empowerment programmes that were set by the President will continue.” 

Cde Chirau urged youths to take an active interest in developing the country, and took a swipe at the opposition youths who are being sponsored by the donor community to effect regime change in Zimbabwe. 

“Opposition parties have run down the country’s towns and cities, in particular with people like Tendai Biti who have been in Parliament for 22 years representing his constituency, but he has not done anything,” he said. 

“What they have only done is to oppose the central Government every day. The Zanu PF Youth League, contrary to what other political parties do, is clear that its agenda is to consolidate and ensure that the empowerment drive of our young people continues to be a reality. 

“That is why as a party our leadership concentrates on agriculture, economic empowerment and other projects. Like the President says, ‘Nyika inovakwa navene vayo’ brick-by-brick, not by people who are being sponsored by non-governmental organisations to protest and speak ill against their country.” 

Cde Chirau promised to broaden the Youth League’s political activities by expanding on the mechanisms and initiatives already launched by President Mnangagwa, among them the national cattle breeding and livestock restocking scheme, the national rural horticulture programme and the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, to uplift livelihoods in rural communities. 

To date, four provinces have received more than 80 heifers from the national cattle breeding and livestock restocking scheme. Yesterday, Cde Chirau unveiled a horticultural national inputs scheme dubbed #IngorimaSomething which is set to benefit over 200 000 youths in the country’s 10 provinces by ensuring food security at household level. 

He said the project will also keep young people away from abusing drugs and improve their livelihoods. 

“The opposition have a lot of youth who are career politicians who depend on donor funds to provoke the country into instability,” said Cde Chirau. 

“But as the youth in Zanu PF, we will make sure we consolidate and we work for the development of this country. Any right-thinking youth out there should work for the development of the country.”