ZANU PF Manicaland Youth League leader Stanley Sakupwanya has urged the government to employ “disciplined” youths trained by the ruling party, including nurses, to avoid strikes.
Sakupwanya made the remarks at a Zanu PF Manicaland youth provincial inter-district meeting held at Marymount Teachers’ College on Sunday.
The meeting was led by Zanu PF national deputy secretary for youth affairs John Paradza.
Sakupwanya said government should introduce a quota system which accorded Zanu PF youths first preference when employment vacancies arise.
“My leader, boss Paradza, we have employment challenges. Sometimes when employment vacancies arise we are rejected — in the police, the army and nursing,” he said.
“What I know is that our children are trained and some of them are trained in nursing schools. They are disciplined and some have attended the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.
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“Since they are disciplined, we should employ such nurses to avoid strikes which we have seen in recent weeks.”
Recently, public sector nurses represented by the Zimbabwe Nurses Association launched a nationwide strike protesting low wages and inadequate transport allowances.
The cost of living has significantly outpaced salaries, disrupting routine services at major health facilities such as Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
Zanu PF previously resolved that positions in government and the public sector should be given to applicants considered ideologically correct — a euphemism for party supporters.
During the meeting, Sakupwanya also announced that the party acquired two buses from the US$200 000 received from President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“We want to thank President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the US$200 000 we were given, and we have since purchased two buses which are currently on the road,” he said.
Meanwhile, Paradza urged youths in the province not to abuse empowerment funds.
“I am happy with what I am hearing in this province — that you are making use of empowerment programmes and funds given to you by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. I am urging you not to abuse such funds,” he said.
Paradza also said the youth league leadership would exercise rigorous oversight to ensure profits and empowerment resources are distributed equitably across the districts in the province.
He said a new framework required all provincial ventures and empowerment programmes to be formalised in line with business law, with financial statements submitted to the national youth office for consolidation and checks and balances, while all funds generated must be banked.
The directive follows mounting complaints from grassroots members over alleged mismanagement and opaque profit sharing.
“Whatever is generated from business ventures is for all the youths in the province. Any abuse will lead to disciplinary action. A good father lets the children eat before he eats,” Paradza said.