The disgruntled members from the National Youth Service, who graduated at Eagles National Youth Service Training Centre situated about 17km east of Mutare, are still to get jobs.
Those interviewed by The Zimbabwean last week said they were angry at their exclusion from developmental projects by the party in the province.
The youths also said they were promised employment at Mbada Diamonds and Anjin Investments, the companies mining diamonds in Chiadzwa.
“We have played pivotal roles in Zanu (PF) programmes in the province over the years. We have been campaigning and voting for the party and we used to intimidate villagers to support Zanu (PF) thinking that in return we would benefit,” said one irritated graduate who cannot be named for security reasons.
“We worked hard for Zanu (PF) on the understanding that we would get jobs that they promised us at Mbada Diamonds and Anjin investments in Chiadzwa, but up to now nothing has materialised,” said another graduate.
They accused Manicaland’s illegal governor, Chris Mushowe, for facilitating employment at Mbada and Anjin Investments for Zanu (PF) youths in Mutare West and his relatives.
Some senior Zanu (PF) officials in Manicaland are also accused of using their influential positions to facilitate employment for their girlfriends at the mining companies.
“Sometime last year the governor (Mushowe) through the Ministry of Youth wrote our names so that we would get employment at the mining companies in Chiadzwa, but up to now we are still unemployed despite being used by Zanu (PF). The party’s provincial executive also promised us to facilitate employment – but now they are avoiding us.
“You can only see some beautiful ladies there who have not undergone youth service training who are girlfriends of the senior party officials,” complained the Green Bombers.
“During the last congress here in December we were excluded from the programme but we were told that we would get powerful positions in the National youth League. We now realise we have been used. But, we want to warn them that there is always be tomorrow where the sun shall rise again. There is a time when they will need us, but it would be too late,” they said.
Zanu (PF) through the late Border Gezi introduced the National Youth Service that was popularly known as the Border Gezi Trading, claiming the programme would instil patriotism, discipline and appreciation of Zimbabwe culture.
The graduates were given preferential access to higher education institutions and civil service jobs even without meeting basic educational requirements such as Ordinary and Advanced levels.
Entrepreneurial skills were supposed to be part of the syllabus, but military training, denouncement of the opposition and chanting Zanu (PF) slogans took up most of the training time.
They were nicknamed the Green Bombers because of the green military attire.
It is group that became a Zanu (PF) machinery of terrorising civilians in a crackdown against MDC supporters.
Post published in: News