Speaking during the President Robert Mugabe`s 88th birthday celebrations held at Sakubva stadium yesterday(Saturday), Manicaland Provincial Youth chairman, Tawanda Mukodza, publicly told President Mugabe that as youths they were not happy with the corrupt tendencies by some top party officials.
Mukodza said corruption was rife in the party`s top hierarchy and pleaded with President Mugabe to take action. He said the corrupt officials where a barrier to youths development in the party.
“President as Manicaland youths we have a lot of complains. There are a lot of corrupt activities happening within the party. Some of the top officials are abusing their political positions and power to acquire vast wealth for themselves,” he said.
Mukodza said youths were being sidelined from decision making process in the party.
Some top party officials are accused of looting inputs from the Presidential Input scheme for resale to small scale farmers at exorbitant price.
He also revealed that education in the country was now a preserve for elite and most party youths were dropping school due to exorbitant fees. “Education has become so expensive for poor youths and most of them are dropping out,”he told President Mugabe.
Immediately after Mukodza finished delivering his speech, Zanu (PF) National Youth Chairman, Absolomon Sikhosana tried to put a brave and face went to the pulpit, and tried to water down accusation of corruption and greediness by top party officials to please President Mugabe who was visibly disturbed by the report.
The obviously disappointed Zanu (PF) fat cats including service chiefs and ministers who were sitting on the top table could be seen hiding their faces in shame.
“We are not here to register our complaints but to celebrate with our leader Cde Robert Mugabe. It`s a day for the President to celebrates with the youngsters. Let’s rejoice and celebrate not to complain it`s not the right platform,” he said.
Youths in the party are accusing Zanu (PF) top officials of looting country`s resources such as diamonds in Marange to line their pockets while the majority of them are languishing in abject poverty.
Some top officials in the province are reported to have used their political muscle to loot inputs at Grain Marketing Board (GMB) for resale at the expense of poor communal and resettled farmers.
In his address, President Robert Mugabe blasted the new crop of leaders in the Africa Union (AU) as politically naïve and politically weak, saying they continue to play in the hands of former colonizers.
President Mugabe told close to 15 000 party supporters who were bused from the country`s 10 provinces that current leaders in the AU were reversing the gains of continent`s independence which was brought about by great leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, by letting former colonizers take control of the continent.
“African continent has backslide and it`s now on its knees because the leaders lack vision and continue to play in the hands of former colonisers,”he said.
He said those who were following the footsteps of political founders of the African continent were only concerned in acquiring education and find employment to earn money.
“The current crops of leaders who are following political founders have a task to just acquire education and find employment to get money. They want to establish themselves as people who are materially good and position themselves for opportunities,” he said.
President Mugabe also condemned those who practice homosexuality, describing them as worse off than dogs. He said generation can only be created through a system of marriage between man and women. He said such acts and practices will not be embraced in the country.
President Mugabe attacked countries in Africa which have embraced such practices in their constitution, saying it’s a “taboo”.
“We do not have such freedom in our country to marry another men or women. Some have accepted it in their constitution but in we rejected it outright and say go to hell,” he said.
He also attacked Non Governmental Organasation (NGO) s, saying they were interfering in the internal political affairs of the country. “We have a lot of NGOs in the country who come with stupid ideas.
Quite often they support one political party. But we kicked them out and tell them to let us manage ourselves and our systems,”said President Mugabe.
He also warned party supporters who were leasing their land to former commercial farmers to stop doing so as they risk losing it.
President Mugabe also spoke strongly on the party`s massive defeat in the hands of MDC-T during 2008 harmonised elections. He said the party should reclaim all the lost seats in the next general elections and blamed the loss to factionalism and imposition of candidates by local leadership.
MDC-T won 20 seats of the Manicaland`s 26 legislative seats.
Post published in: News
ZANU(PF) is for the big chefs not you youth. The youth is just dogs used during campaign periods after that they are thrown away. How many years is Absolomon Sikhosana? Is he a youth or old ZANU(PF)dog? I told you youth to wake up and fight against this corrupt party but you are still asleep.You will regret one day.