Zanu-PF youths give extra-ordinary congress proposal the thumbs up

The Zanu-PF Youth League yesterday put a stamp on the party's proposal to hold an extra-ordinary congress to re-affirm that the First Secretary, President Mugabe is the ruling party's candidate in next year's presidential elections, as well as calling for a female Vice President in the Presidium.

The Youth League resolutions come following similar pronouncements made in all the party's 10 provinces last week.

The Extraordinary Congress is slated for December and comes before the regular congress due in 2019.

Addressing the media at an extraordinary national executive meeting of the Youth League executive in the capital yesterday, the secretary for youth affairs Kudzanayi Chipanga said the adoption of the resolutions was unanimous among members of the executive.

Chipanga said as the Youth League, they had a constitutional responsibility of working for the party in mobilising young people to support and defend Zanu-PF.

"Guided by Article 5 Section 26 (1) (c) of the party's Constitution which states that an extra-ordinary session of congress might be convened whenever necessary at the instance of the President and First Secretary and the instance of at least five provincial executive councils by resolutions to that effect," reads the resolution.

"The Youth League, therefore, implores his Excellency, the President and the First Secretary of the party R G Mugabe to convene an extra-ordinary session of congress in order (a) to allow the party to strongly re-affirm the endorsement of its iconic leader his Excellency the President and the First Secretary of the party Zanu-PF R, G Mugabe as the sole centre of power in the Zanu-PF party. The sole presidential candidate come 2018 general elections and harmonised elections

"(b) allow the party to deliberate on other issues of significance importance such as the forthcoming harmonised elections and the biometric voters registration process (c) to call upon the party to effect the Victoria Falls conference resolution that recommend that the party should reintroduce the women's quota in the Presidium."

Chipanga then cautioned the media to refrain from publishing falsehoods, saying he was advising the private media that the Youth League, which he leads, is not "media driven, but is people driven".

This was in reference to a story published in the Newsday titled "Zanu-PF youths fight over Grace" which insinuated that the Youth League was divided on pushing for the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe to the post of Vice President at the party's extraordinary congress.

The incident saw the Newsday journalist Richard Chidza being barred from entering the venue of yesterday's press conference after the youths accused him of writing falsehoods.

"We also like to appeal to the private media, we have realised that the private media is now working 24 hours in trying to destabilise the Youth League of the party," said Chipanga. "They are writing a lot of nonsense and negative things about the Youth League.

"We know that they are being paid for that. They are not happy with the unity which is prevailing in the Youth League. We would like to tell the private media that hands off the Youth League. The Youth League of Zanu-PF, unlike other youth leagues, is revolutionary. It is driven by the people and party Constitution. It is the Youth League for President Mugabe and Amai Mugabe and no one else."

Chipanga said other topics which they deliberated on were the state of preparedness for the Bulawayo and Harare Presidential Youth Interface rallies, as well as considering a co-option of the vacant post of the deputy youth league secretary for administration. He appraised the media over the youths trip to Russia where they attended the 19th edition of the International Festival of Youths and Students.