THE Zanu PF youth league in Manicaland province has pressed the panic baton and expressed fears that the ruling party could lose next year’s general elections following reports that just a handful of youths had registered in the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise.
BY CLAYTON MASEKESA
This came out during the party’s recent provincial executive meeting held in Mutare where the youth executive described the development as worrisome.
The executive blamed suspended provincial youth chairman Mubuso Chinguno for failing to mobilise members to register in the BVR outreach programmes. Chinguno was recently suspended on allegations of embezzling party funds, a charge he has denied.
“As you know, our target is the youth, but we have so far failed to have them registered. We agreed as a party that President Robert Mugabe will be our presidential candidate, but how are we going to achieve this if the youths are not registering?” acting provincial youth chairperson Betty Dhliwayo queried.
“There are reports that Chinguno did not do his duties on the BVR outreach programme. He failed to carry out inner district campaigns and sensitisation workshops, that’s why youths did not come out in their numbers to register.
“So I want to appeal to everyone to encourage youths to be registered as voters so that we can win next year,” she added.
Dhliwayo reminded youths that their vote was key in next year’s polls where Mugabe faces a coalesced opposition.
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“Now that BRV blitz has entered the second phase, we are appealing to youths in Manicaland to come out in numbers to register to vote.
“We expect a change in response to this second phase and rally behind our President,” she said.
The second phase kicked off on October 29 and ended yesterday, while the third phase will start on Thursday and will end on December 1. The fourth and final phase starts on December 4 and ends on December 19.
The apathy reports came at a time Mugabe has threatened a massive purge on all perceived allies of former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The purge is likely to cause several heads in Manicaland province to roll with Cabinet ministers and politburo members from the province already short-listed for disciplinary action.
