MUTARE Zanu (PF) activists and war veterans in Mutare district are forcing unemployed youths in the rural areas to attend constitution-making meetings.
According to irate parents, Zanu (PF) has opened an outreach campaign centre at Eagles Training Centre in the Vumba area, situated about 15km east of Mutare.
Some Border Gezi Training Centre instructors have been taking the meetings where the youths are being told to support the infamous Kariba Draft document.
They (Zanu (PF) activists and war veterans) came here in the village and ordered all the unemployed youths to go and register their names with Timothy Chiinze (a war veteran and Zanu (PF) activist) at his homestead. We thought that it was a genuine concern as they were told that they would join the army after participating in the outreach meetings and voting for The Kariba Draft, but what the children are telling us is something else, said an elderly woman who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.
The children are being told to beat up all suspected MDC supporters. They are forced to campaign for Zanu (PF), said another parent speaking at Matondo business centre.
My son escaped and they followed him to my home. He managed to escape again and he went to Harare. He told me that they were being taught different torture and war tactics. They were told to beat up those who refused to attend Zanu (PF) outreach meetings and rallies, he said.
A local schoolteacher said: They are now targeting those children that dropped out of school to attend the meetings.
Post published in: News