Mugabe and wife to address Youth League

President Mugabe is today expected to address a high-level meeting of the zanu-pf Youth League national assembly focusing on the state of the party and the economy, among other issues. First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe will also have an opportunity to address the gathering in her capacity as the revolutionary party's secretary for Women's Affairs.

The national assembly draws together all provincial members of the Youth League and is a constitutional meeting that should be held twice a year. zanu-pf secretary for Youth Affairs Kudzanai Chipanga confirmed the agenda of the meeting yesterday, adding that they expected maximum discipline from members of the Youth League.

"We expect all our provincial Youth League members to come in their numbers to attend this first edition of our national assembly 2017," he said.

"We hope to have another one before the year ends. His Excellency the President is going to grace that occasion and is going to take the opportunity to officiate at this meeting according to our party constitution. We hope that all will go according to plan. We urge our youths to exercise maximum discipline as expected by the party that they should be well disciplined. We will discuss various matters and we have set up four different clusters which are going to touch on issues pertaining to external relations, issues pertaining to the state of the party, economic and social issues, and social welfare. So, we are going to have four presenters from the Youth League who are going to preside over those four important clusters. The secretary for Youth Affairs will also have an opportunity to address the Youth League and our First Lady Amai Dr Grace Mugabe, in her capacity as secretary for Women's Affairs, will also have an opportunity to meet her children and finally, His Excellency the President will address his youths."

Today's meeting is coming hard on the heels of eight highly-subscribed Presidential Youth Interface rallies organised by the Youth League to provide an opportunity for young people to meet President Mugabe. Only two provinces, Harare and Bulawayo, are yet to host the interface rallies. Speaking at a preparatory meeting in Bulawayo on September 24, chairperson of the organising committee and former Secretary for Youth Affairs in the Politburo Absolom Sikhosana said: "Our preparations for receiving President Mugabe for the Presidential Youth Interface rally in Bulawayo are complete. The date hasn't been set yet, but we're ready for the important day.

"We've covered so much ground in terms of preparations, but we want the Bulawayo rally to be unique and to be attended by the highest number of people compared to other provinces. The young people know that President Mugabe has so much passion for them and they're excited to meet the revolutionary leader. This is a special event that came through public demand." Sikhosana urged members of the public to attend the rally, saying it was not only for Zanu-PF members, but for everybody.

"We want it to be clear that the President is not coming to meet Zanu-PF members only, but all young people in the province. I, therefore, invite the people of Bulawayo to come in their numbers and be part of this occasion," he said.

"We're also organising a carnival that will be held before the event so that everybody gets to know about the interface rally. Although everything is in place in terms of preparations, we're going to continue preparing until the eve of the rally because we know everybody is looking forward to this day."