Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili
THE Zanu-PF Youth League has said youths should deliver a resounding victory for President Mnangagwa and the ruling party in the coming elections with transformative development projects being implemented across the country.
The Youth League leadership is on a nationwide drive to meet its structures which it says are key to delivering victory for Zanu-PF in the 2023 harmonised elections.
Yesterday, the Youth League held an inter-district meeting with Bulawayo youths and Youth League Secretary Cde Tino Machakaire being the guest of honour.
Cde Machakaire is also the Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation Deputy Minister.
He said the party’s youths should defend the revolution by voting for the party and President Mnangagwa.
“We are in Bulawayo and we are campaigning for President Mnangagwa who is the sole candidate for the party. The President is working and developing the country. We also wanted the youths to know their candidates going for the harmonised elections,” said Cde Machakaire.
He said the Second Republic has championed high-impact development programmes across the country hence it would be prudent that the President is given another term.
“We want the public to understand what the party has done. Some of the people do not know what the Zanu-PF Government has done. The Government is rehabilitating roads, rehabilitating dams among many other projects,” he said.
“Yesterday (Saturday), we were in Binga, boreholes are being drilled, clinics and classroom blocks are being constructed. There are so many projects that the President has spearheaded to develop the country and this is the message that we are carrying ahead of the elections.”
He said in line with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy that no one and no place should be left behind, projects should be implemented in Bulawayo so that it does not lag behind.
Cde Machakaire said it should be a thing of the past that companies employ menial labourers from other cities to work in Bulawayo.
“Bulawayo is my home and I have to make sure that whatever Government projects are done in other provinces are done in Bulawayo as well. We have agreed that we can’t employ people who come from Hwedza when we have youths in Bulawayo without jobs. There is the issue of tenders, there is no way we can have people from Mutare coming for tenders in Bulawayo when we have companies here in Bulawayo,” said Cde Machakaire.
“We will not accept that companies import labour to do menial jobs. The President is fixing roads and jobs are being created and this should benefit the locals. We don’t want trucks to be bringing people from Harare as if we don’t have people in Bulawayo. We want to make sure that we are clear on that issue.”
Cde Machakaire said the youth should also be part of Government efforts in fighting drug and substance abuse.
“We have a serious problem of drugs or injengu. We want our youth to report all those who are peddling njengu. So, we want to encourage our youths to desist from substance abuse,” he said.
Cde Machakaire said Government is in the process of resolving the collateral issues which had seen youths failing to get loans from the Youth Empowerment Bank.
He said Government understands that youths in Bulawayo face peculiar problems compared to their rural counterparts hence they will roll out skills programmes to empower them.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial Youth League chairperson Cde Freedom Murechu said the province is in full support of President Mnangagwa.
He said Cde Machakaire’s visit enabled him to raise all the challenges experienced by young people in the city. — @nqotshili
Online Reporter