Protest against Mugabe's sons planned

MDC youths have threatened to demonstrate against the profligacy of President Robert Mugabe's sons.

Speaking at a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, MDC youth assembly leader Happymore Chidziva said they will unfurl demonstrations to stop the first family from misusing public funds.

"We note with concern that while the youth in the country are wallowing in poverty, Mugabe's two sons Robert Junior and Chatunga are splashing millions of our money in South Africa and living large at the expense of the sweat of our parents. Given their abuse of money and drugs, we now know who stole the huge chunk of the missing $15 billion," Chidziva said, referring to Mugabe's astonishing confession in 2016 that diamonds worth more than $15 billion have been looted in the eastern mining area of Marange.

Speaking in a belated 92nd birthday interview on State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Mugabe said the Treasury received less than $2 billion.

"We have not received much from the diamond industry at all. I don't think we have exceeded $2 billion yet we think more than $15 billion has been earned," Mugabe said.

Chidziva said Mugabe must now step down from office.

"We are saying to Mugabe, leave office while you can still salvage your fazed legacy. It is not a secret anymore, that Mugabe deserves to be in an old people's home and is no longer fit to be the country's leader," he said.

"He is visibly tired, clueless and has nothing new to offer than sleeping everywhere and anywhere he sits. We cannot allow a 93-year-old man to lead us. We have become a laughing stock to the whole world for abusing an old man.

"It is our duty as energetic youths to help this old man to pack his bags and leave State House peacefully in 2018."

The national council of the MDC youth assembly also resolved that the proposed $1 billion Robert Mugabe University is not a national priority given that graduates from existing tertiary institutions remain unemployed, with most of them selling airtime.

"There is no adequate accommodation and there is no proper infrastructure at existing tertiary institutions, especially at Lupane University, Great Zimbabwe University and others dotted throughout the country," he said.

"We also resolved today that Mugabe's legacy does not justify a national day being dedicated to his name," he said referring to plans to create a new public holiday in his honour.

The Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, which restless Zanu-PF youths have been clamouring for, will be commemorated annually on his birthday, February 21.

"Rather than permanently etching his name into the national memory, Mugabe is actually someone the youth of this country want to forget as soon as he leaves office.

"Lastly, we reaffirm our support to the coalition-building process and the consolidation of a formidable MDC Alliance. We believe the coalition will be the best platform through which to bring about the much-needed political change in the country. As the MDC national youth assembly, we are fully behind this process in line with the demands of the people of Zimbabwe," he said.