Youths blast Biti

In solidarity message speeches at the Zanu-PF 12th National Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo yesterday, the organisations threw their weight behind President Mugabe’s leadership and praised him for the numerous economic empowerment programmes his Government has rolled out for the benefit of the people.
They, however, said they felt left out in some of the programmes.

The organisations said they needed to be taken seriously in the programmes in order for them and the country to fully benefit from the party’s people centred schemes.
The youths said President Mugabe was right to stand unwaveringly  against homosexuality, saying the unnatural act had no place in Zimbabwean society.

Zanu-PF youth representative Cde Simba Negavi said the party’s youths endorsed President Mugabe as the Presidential candidate for next year’s elections.
“We also pledge to mobilise other youths to support the President through teaching them the party’s ideology and showing them how wrong they are by selling out,” said Cde Negavi.
He said the youths were calling for the unconditional removal of the “diabolic” sanctions.

“The allocation for youths programme in Finance Minister Biti’s budget is a mockery. Most youths are unemployed. We need to be allocated more funds for youths to set up businesses. After all, we are the future of the country,” said Cde Negavi.

“We should be allocated a quota representation in governance issues so that we are able to influence decisions that affect our future.”

A representative of the Zimbabwe Congress of Students’ Union (Zicosu)  also said students were fully behind the President as they recognised his immense efforts in making the country’s education system, the best in   Africa.

He said youths in the country could only realise their full economic potential if they were fully incorporated in empowerment programmes.
“We fully rally behind President Mugabe’s leadership. We say hats off to Zanu-PF for the indigenisation empowerment scheme, that seeks to give local 51 percent ownership in all businesses. We are impressed by the land reform that gave land to the people,” he said.