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Sydney Kawadza Chinhoyi Bureau
The Zanu-PF Youth League on Sunday successfully launched the provincial #EDHasMyVote campaign in Chinhoyi, with the youth leadership pledging to give President Mnangagwa a resounding victory in the forthcoming harmonised elections.

According to figures from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), youths represent about 63 percent of potential voters registered under the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) programme.

The #EDHasMyVote campaign is therefore targeting all potential youth voters using social media. Officially launching the campaign, Zanu-PF national secretary for youth affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi said the youths can campaign to become councillors and legislators.

“During my tenure, I want many youths to be councillors and MPs because they will never be time for Politburo members to teach the youths leadership, and campaigning should provide the youths an opportunity to learn how to be leaders for the benefit of the party,” he said.

He, however, underscored the need for discipline among the wing’s aspiring candidates.

“Campaigning is not a licence to be unruly. The first thing is be a committed leader and avoid abusing your opponents during the primaries,” he said.

“All youth campaigning for the posts should do that while being guided by the party principles. Leaders should remain loyal to the party and its principles.”

Cde Togarepi urged youths to mobilise more supporters for President Mnangagwa.

“President Mnangagwa has a vision to develop the country’s economy so that more jobs for the youths can be created. Do not hesitate to say #EDHasMyVote.

“Youths constitute 63 percent of the registered voters according to statistics from the recently held BVR registration programme, and it is the youth league’s mandate to mobilise for the President.”

The Youth league secretary said Zanu-PF is already assured of 75 percent of the vote, but would target increasing it to 96 percent. He called on the youths to shun violence.

“We must exhibit maturity. We want responsible leaders,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Zanu-PF’s Youth League provincial chairman Cde Vengai Musengi said members of the wing were geared for the elections.

“We have visited all districts in Mashonaland West and the youths have pledged their support for President Mnangagwa and the party,” he said.

Cde Musengi, however, expressed concern at how corruption and factionalism had damaged the party.

“The youths are, however, concerned with the damage caused by the G40 cabal. We know the challenges caused by, firstly, the Gamatox cabal, then the G40 cabal, but we are saying we need to move on,” he said.

The youths, Cde Musengi said, were also worried that no one has been convicted of corruption so far.

“Corruption was also rampant in the land redistribution programme, which did not benefit the youths. The corruption also involved lands officers who are still in their offices.”

He said Government should prosecute all beneficiaries of corrupt land deals. Similarly, Zanu-PF’s national secretary for the commissariat Cde Godfrey Tsenengamu, who also attended the event, said youths want to take the lead in campaigning this year.

“If former President Mugabe got 61 percent in 2013 but he was in power for 37 years, we need to increase the number of votes for President Mnangagwa,” he said.

“We noticed that our leaders were getting tired so we have taken to the social media, but the programme will cascade to all the party’s structures, including villages.”

Cde Tsenengamu said the league will also hold road shows for the campaign.

“This campaign aims to highlight the good that comes from the party’s Presidential candidate. When the President says Zimbabwe is open for business, the youths have to spread that message to the people.

“In our campaign, we will push the President’s message and agenda. The #EDHasMyVote campaign will talk of the free health services pushed by President Mnangagwa.

“The President is a peacemaker, so #EDHasMyVote campaign will push that message through all social media platforms. We also want all the youths across Zimbabwe to follow and subscribe to the hashtag #EDHasMyVote.”

He said the wing’s national executive will visit all wards in the country to send the President’s message ahead of the elections.