Youths urged to boycott Mugabe rally

Opposition parties have urged youths to boycott President Robert Mugabe's "interface" rally scheduled for this Friday, saying the veteran ruler does not articulate anything that empowers the constituency, save for abusing them.

Mugabe is set to address a youth rally at Mucheke Stadium where 50 000 people are expected to be bussed in from all corners of the country in a campaign for next year's elections.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa said the party should target youths from far-flung areas, including those who had "never been to any city before" or seen the President live.

"You should target mainly the youths since it is a youth rally. Identify those that spend their time idling at townships drinking beer in far-flung areas that may have not seen the President live before," Mahofa said at a preparatory meeting held on Monday at the Civic Centre Hall in Masvingo.

But MDC-T youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa said youths should not waste their time by being used to add numbers and listening to "folklores".

"Instead of wasting their day listening to folklores, young people in Masvingo should continue with their day-to-day activities that bring food to their table.

"We are urging all progressive young people to ignore the Friday rally as Zanu-PF has shown beyond doubt that they do not have interests of young people at heart. It is sad that Mugabe is going around the country speaking on issues that do not help young people to get out of the economic quagmire that they find themselves in. It is beyond doubt that Mugabe has no connection with young people of this country. For 37 years, he has presided over a system that has failed to uplift young people. We are convinced that a 93-year-old has no connection with the digital generation.

"All young people should boycott this meeting until Mugabe gives in to their demands. The future of this country should be in the hands of a leadership that has the aspirations and concerns of young people at heart," he said.

Chinoputsa accused the Zanu-PF youth league leadership of making money at the expense of the gullible youths without articulating their issues.

"We expected them to articulate youth issues at these rallies, but they are always in the overdrive of bootlicking Mugabe instead of highlighting the challenges young people are facing," he said.

People's Democratic Party national youth vice-president Arnold Batirai said most of the youths had nothing to show for it yet the Zanu-PF chefs would be enjoying and sending their children to schools and universities outside the country.

"There is nothing for the youths. It is just a campaign rally disguised as a youth ‘interface'. What interface is there when hungry youths just come to listen to Mugabe without asking questions and go home empty-handed? It is time the youths refused to be used and discarded after elections when the chefs enjoy their luxurious lives and send their kids to expensive schools outside the country," Batirai said.