$15 000 for best essay on Mugabe

ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo has donated US$15 000 for a youth competition that will award the best essay portraying on President Mugabe's life. This comes as preparations for the 21st February Movement celebrations in Matopos this Saturday reach fever pitch with a record 100 000 youths expected to attend.

Zanu-PF's Youth League on Friday hosted a fundraising dinner to mobilise funds for the event.

The dinner was oversubscribed by local and international companies and individuals as the revolutionary party once again proved its competency in fundraising for its events.

Addressing the gathering, guest of honour Dr Chombo said, "To celebrate this year's 21st February event with a difference, I would like to offer US$15 000 towards (an) inter-provincial youth league competition that will determine a national champion.

"In this competition, contestants will be required to write an essay of less than 5 000 words on the attributes of His Excellency that they admire the most. I, therefore, challenge the Youth League to devise a formula for (this)."

Dr Chombo said this year's 21st February Movement celebrations were special as the theme – "Honouring Our Icon, Unlocking the Value in Youth" – dovetailed with the African Union's thrust to focus on youths as pillars for economic development.

"This theme is derived from the recently-held African Union summit which affirmed the centrality of our youth population and its primary role as a demographic dividend in economic development.

"Established in 1986, the 21st February Movement's main objective is to encourage Zimbabweans, the youth in particular to emulate President Robert Mugabe's revolutionary ideals, charismatic leadership, selflessness, focused mind, determination and his principled stance on issues of national importance.

"This initiative is a very noble intervention, designed to nurture the youth and enable them to discover and develop their potential while drawing inspiration from the President Mugabe's lifetime achievements.

"As we gather here to raise funds and as we prepare here to give His Excellency a birthday present befitting his iconic stature, the most important birthday present we can give him is to work towards unity in the party and ensure that Zanu PF wins 2018 elections resoundingly," he said.

Zanu-PF Secretary for Youth Affairs Kudzai Chipanga told The Sunday Mail that the Youth League expected a record attendance for the 2017 celebrations.

"Every province is expected to mobile 10 000 youths. This is going to be the biggest event that we have ever had to celebrate the 21stFebruary Movement. We are now working on the final touches to the preparations and we are also collating the figures of all the money we have raised so far," he said.

Chipanga said the Youth League would deliberate on a mechanism to choose a winner in the essay competition.

"Our secretary for education will look into the matter and if everything goes well, the winner will be awarded the prize on the day of the celebrations," said Chipanga.