News / National
Mugabe blast 'undisciplined and rogue' Zanu-PF youths
17 Oct 2015 at 10:59hrs | Views
President Robert yesterday blasted some "undisciplined and rogue" party youths, whom he accused of stoking divisions in the party by attacking their leaders, warning them that their days were numbered.
"Let us respect decisions and procedures of the party," he said.
"We have witnessed lower organs of the party or cadres challenging superior organs or leaders appointed by the party to lead them. Such actions amount to insubordination.
"We need to get our respect as leaders, and as members, we must share that respect. All of us must respect each other."
Mugabe's party is currently locked in bitter factional fights, as the race to succeed the 91-year-old leader heats up.
The internecine fights have seen youths emerging as a powerful organ of the party, but others insist they are being used as pawns.
Before Mugabe addressed the central committee, provincial youth leaders, who were attending their own national executive meeting, nearly exchanged blows with their leader Kudzai Chipanga in full view of the watching media.
The youths threatened Chipanga saying he was an undisciplined leader after he reprimanded his secretary for administration, Lewis Matutu for an unknown misdeed.
The provincial youth leaders, most of whom are accused of being aligned to a faction reportedly led by Mnangagwa, ganged up against the Zanu-PF national deputy youth leader and threatened to send him into political oblivion.
"We blame ourselves for having saved you when you were attacked for working with Didymus Mutasa. We will send you back to DD (Mutasa) where you belong," shouted Edmore Samambwa, the Midlands provincial youth chair.
The drama ended after Pupurai Togarepi, the party's secretary for youth affairs, intervened.
Without mentioning names, but in obvious reference to the incident, Mugabe rebuked such behaviour, warning the youths against criticising their leaders in the full glare of the media.
The central committee was expected to deliberate on preparations for the party's December conference slated for Victoria Falls and evaluate the state of the party.
"Let us respect decisions and procedures of the party," he said.
"We have witnessed lower organs of the party or cadres challenging superior organs or leaders appointed by the party to lead them. Such actions amount to insubordination.
"We need to get our respect as leaders, and as members, we must share that respect. All of us must respect each other."
Mugabe's party is currently locked in bitter factional fights, as the race to succeed the 91-year-old leader heats up.
The internecine fights have seen youths emerging as a powerful organ of the party, but others insist they are being used as pawns.
Before Mugabe addressed the central committee, provincial youth leaders, who were attending their own national executive meeting, nearly exchanged blows with their leader Kudzai Chipanga in full view of the watching media.
The youths threatened Chipanga saying he was an undisciplined leader after he reprimanded his secretary for administration, Lewis Matutu for an unknown misdeed.
The provincial youth leaders, most of whom are accused of being aligned to a faction reportedly led by Mnangagwa, ganged up against the Zanu-PF national deputy youth leader and threatened to send him into political oblivion.
"We blame ourselves for having saved you when you were attacked for working with Didymus Mutasa. We will send you back to DD (Mutasa) where you belong," shouted Edmore Samambwa, the Midlands provincial youth chair.
The drama ended after Pupurai Togarepi, the party's secretary for youth affairs, intervened.
Without mentioning names, but in obvious reference to the incident, Mugabe rebuked such behaviour, warning the youths against criticising their leaders in the full glare of the media.
The central committee was expected to deliberate on preparations for the party's December conference slated for Victoria Falls and evaluate the state of the party.
Source - newsday
