Riot had to be called in to control chaos that ensued at the Zanu PF Convention Centre in Gweru yesterday during the revolutionary party’s Midlands Youth League inter-district meeting with members engaging in sporadic fights.
Tensions exploded during the meeting with some youths engaging in scuffles after they formed small groups and tried to prevent each other from entering the venue. Police in anti-riot combat had to be called in to control the youths resulting in the meeting being delayed from 10am to 2pm.
Midlands Zanu-PF acting chairman and National Secretary for Education Jorum Gumbo condemned the youths’ behaviour and vowed to discipline the perpetrators. He bemoaned lack of discipline among the youths saying it would tarnish the image of the party.
Acting Midlands Zanu-PF Youth chairman Prosper Machando claimed the youths were being used by some political leaders who have ulterior motives. He claimed some members of the party who have amassed a lot of wealth were in the habit of bribing youths and buying them intoxicating substances so that they use them to their advantage.
Machando also blamed the national executive of the youths for allegedly creating rapport with a selected few in the province and circumventing proper channels of communication within the Youth League structures.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Kudzanai Chipanga said the youths wanted a direct link to President Mugabe and no longer wanted a Youth Secretary who is not a member of the Youth League.
Chipanga said the youths would want to engage the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora to speed up the farm downsizing exercise to enable youths to benefit from the land reform.
- Sunday News
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