Zanu-PF deputy youth secretary threatens The Herald

Zanu-PF deputy youth secretary Kudzai Chipanga - accused of leaking party issues to the private media - yesterday incited youths to demonstrate against The Herald for alleged "biased reporting".

He accused the country's leading daily of not reporting according to his expectations.

Chipanga's comments follow similar sentiments by Zanu-PF Women's League secretary for finance Sarah Mahoka and feverish agenda-setting against The Herald by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo.

Chipanga's utterances come barely a day after he incited youths to violently confront members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) for allegedly speaking against successionists and factionalists.

He said the youths "outnumbered" the liberation war fighters and were not afraid to fight them.

Chipanga yesterday confirmed endorsing a resolution by some youths from Harare province to demonstrate against The Herald for what they termed "unfavourable coverage".

The youths who met at the zanu-pf provincial headquarters were reportedly mobilised by Harare South legislator Shadreck Mashayamombe and Chipanga was an invited guest.

"Yes, I was in that meeting where several resolutions were passed including mobilising for a massive demonstration against The Herald in front of Herald House," he said. "I am their leader and I support their decision to demonstrate against the paper for we feel that it has lost direction," Chipanga said.

Chipanga said what the paper was pursuing was not in tandem with his expectations.

"Their reporting seems to favour a certain faction," he said without indicating which faction was being left out.

On Tuesday, Chipanga declared war on veterans of the liberation struggle whom he described as "sickening rabble-rousers" saying they stood no chance against the youths.

"If we say let us go to war today, how many war veterans are there? They are very few. We constitute 65 percent of this country . . . So be ready and we are going to call you when the time comes.

"Who are (Christopher) Mutsvangwa (war veterans leader) and (Victor) Matemadanda (war veterans secretary-general). They are not going to do anything, we will give them a 100-metre race and they will fail to run. They are sick with sugar (diabetes) (sic)."

The zanu-pf deputy youth secretary was recently fingered as being the mole behind the leaking of confidential party information to the private media, a practice which President Mugabe has condemned.

He also stands accused of hobnobbing with People First with sources saying he continued nichodemously meeting the outfit's officials.

Last year, the zanu-pf Manicaland provincial youth executive passed a vote of no confidence against Chipanga together with three other provincial executive members for fuelling divisions, factionalism and bringing the name of the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe into disrepute.

All the provinces have rallied behind Cdes Mutsvangwa and Matemadanda after a faction led by Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Mandi Chimene tried to oust the pair.

Chimene is supported by former ZNLWVA chairperson Patrick Nyaruwata who was kicked out after misappropriating the association's funds.