Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Patrick Chitumba, p[email protected]
FIFTY members of the Zanu-PF Youth League from the Midlands Province received smartphones on Tuesday to enhance their digital capabilities to counter online threats against the ruling party.
The move is part of a broader strategy to bolster the party’s online presence and defence against cyber-attacks.
Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution,, handed the smart phones to the youths during a brief function that was held in Kwekwe.
“It is a great honour for me to preside over this event where we are handing over 50 Itel hand-sets to our youths in party structures.
“The idea behind this is to build groups of cyber warriors who confront the enemy in familiar territory,” he said.
Minister Ncube who is the Zanu-PF Midlands Province Secretary for Security said the smartphones are a response to the emerging threat under the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
He said humans and systems are now inter-linked, thereby creating an inter-dependent relationship, connectivity and communication.
“You will realise that under this industrial revolution, there is increased use and reliance on various social media platforms for information sharing and the propagation of ideas and ideologies,” said Minister Ncube.
“As such, various social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are both threats to security but equally important ways of information dissemination in the world.”
Research, said Minister Ncube, shows that the young generation constitutes the majority of the world population and youths are very active on social media platforms for their day-to-day lives, including business transactions and political discussions critical in shaping ideologies.
“These gadgets we are distributing will enhance activities on social media by our cyber-warriors in getting information, enabling connections between communities and diverse views and fostering relations that cut across geographical distances and locations,” he said.
Minister Ncube said social media is being used as a destructive tool by enemies to divide communities and propagate negative narratives against the ruling party and the Government.
“As you may be aware, the enemy is very active on various social media platforms, and we must hunt them down aggressively until victory is achieved.
We must, therefore, reverse the domination of the enemy on social media,” he said.
Minister Ncube said through their proxies, the “enemies of progress” always criticise every Government initiative, project, or development with negative comments, thereby harming the national interest.
He said it is pertinent to note that the fore-fathers used spears during the First Chimurenga to fight the whites and then guns in the Second Chimurenga.
“On the current threats to national security and sovereignty, the war is about ideas propagated on social media platforms.
“We need to take that war to this front using the various social media tools,” said Minister Ncube.
“Our youth, as was the case with all the previous wars, are an important part of this war.”
Minister Ncube urged the youths to remain vigilant and ensure that they defend the country together through active engagement on social media.
He said that can be done through challenging negative narratives spread by detractors of the liberation struggle and the revolutionary party.
“In addition, the youth has to ensure that their voices are heard through spreading accurate information and in the process, debunking,” he said.
Minister Ncube said every youth member is familiar with President Mnangagwa’s philosophy: “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo, Igochengetedzwa Nevene Vayo” which emphasises the importance of Zimbabweans building their own nation.
He said as the President continues to lay the foundation for a stronger Zimbabwe, it is the youths’ responsibility to support him, just as they did in the past two elections where he achieved overwhelming victories.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter