President Mnangagwa Mobilises Party Youths

March 7, 2018
| Report Focus News

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today make his inaugural address to Zanu-PF youths when he delivers a key note address during the Youth League’s national assembly in Harare. The Zanu-PF Politburo also meets today at the party’s headquarters.

Both meetings are expected to set the tone for the revolutionary party’s campaign for the harmonised elections later this year. Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said: “The Zanu-PF secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu is advising that there will be a Politburo meeting tomorrow at 9AM at the party headquarters. All members are requested to be punctual.”

Cde Khaya Moyo did not reveal the Politburo agenda, but indications are that focus will be on election preparations, as well as economic issues.

Zanu-PF secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi confirmed the wing’s national assembly meeting today.

The national assembly draws together all provincial members of the Youth League and is a party constitutional meeting that should be held twice a year.

“We are fulfilling a party constitutional requirement and we expect more than 400 youths from all the 10 provinces,” Cde Togarepi said. “This will be the party youths’ first meeting with the First Secretary and President Cde Mnangagwa in the new dispensation.
“We urge all provincial members to attend. We have high expectations as we continue laying the ground ahead of elections in a few months to come.”

The Youth League yesterday held a national executive meeting in preparation of today’s indaba.
Cde Togarepi said the youths would have an opportunity to present issues affecting them to the President.

“Since this is our first meeting, the youths have various issues across sectors and they will be presented tomorrow and unlike those Interface Rallies we expect the President to respond,” he said.
He said the Youth League was oiling its machine ahead of the elections with meetings being held across the country. “We are geared up and we are moving around the country conscientising the youths on our programmes, where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going,” Cde Togarepi said.

“This time we are even having meetings at district levels as we continue to capture the grassroots. We are moving with the ED Has My Vote hashtag and nothing will stop us from posting a resounding victory with the ground we have laid.

“A large number of people registered to vote in this year’s elections are the youths and it means they have a big role to play in deciding our destiny.

“First, we have been encouraging the youths to register and now its time for the final blow and we are urging them to vote for Zanu-PF as it is the only party, in the wake of the new dispensation, with capable leaders to deliver on their aspirations.”

Women and youths dominate the number of registered voters ahead of the polls.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) latest statistics show that from the 5,3 million people who registered to vote 54,5 percent of them are women and 45,5 percent are men.

The electoral commission statistics also show that youths between the ages of 18 to 34 constitute 43,5 percent of registered voters, followed by the 35 to 59 age group who make up 42,9 percent of registered voters.

Zec also revealed that those who are 60 years and above make up 13,6 percent of registered voters. Herald