Zanu-PF bigwigs, securocrats line children up for Youth league posts

FOLLOWING speculation that the late former president Robert Mugabe's son, Robert Jnr, is set to contest for a position in the highly influential Zany PF youth league, party heavyweights and service chiefs are lining up their own children to contest for leadership posts in the wing, NewZimbabwe.com can exclusively reveal.

Sources say several bigwigs keen to see their brood follow their footsteps are positioning them for positions in what is promising to be an explosive build-up to the youth league's elective conference next month.

The conference will be preceded by elections for provincial executives to be concluded by April-end.

Involving highly ambitious and dynamic young Turks, events leading to such conferences are usually characterised by intense factional jostling and frequent reports of violent clashes.

Contestation for those positions often follow existing factional fault lines, with bigwigs often keen to stuff positions with their proxies.

A source said Zanu-PF politburo member and Justice minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi is lining up his son, Mutsawashe, for a leadership posit in the wing's Mashonaland West provincial executive.

Before his elevation to the politburo last year, Ziyambi served as the party's main wing provincial chair.

Interestingly, Robert Mugabe Jnr is reported to be eyeing the Zvimba East National Assembly seat currently occupied by Ziyambi.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga's son Irvine is also contesting for one of the positions in the same province.

During last week's Zanu-PF Youth League Mashonaland West provincial conference, Mutsawashe and Irvine successfully submitted their curriculum vitaes (CVs) to contest posts at the upcoming May national elective youth conference.

This development, Zanu-PF insiders told NewZimbabwe.com, signalled the start of a long and arduous political leadership journey for the two rookie politicians.

"Post-Mugabe era has taught life lessons that the current crop of politicians and top bureaucrats need at least one offspring capable of standing the ground to protect the family legacy, hence these two and many others, are grooming their children to assume leadership positions," a source said.

"Already, Mutsa and Irvine have benefitted from their fathers' top government posts and were controversially drafted into the provincial youth league structure. Irvine was further thrown into the deep end following appointment to the board of Pixie Combi Housing Cooperative in Kadoma," the source said.

At the recent YL provincial youth conference, those who successfully submitted their CVs included oil tycoon Kuda Tagwirei's niece Chipo, Violet Makonzo, Stembeni Madzima representing the gender basket.

Mutsawashe Ziyambi, Decide Mananzva, Godknows Muzhandamhuri and Admire Muronzi, drawn from Makonde-Zvimba district had their CVs accepted.

From Chegutu-Kadoma district, CVs were received from Timothy Masviba, Irvine Matanga, Tatenda Gwinji, and Onismo Zvandaziva.

Shepherd Marime and Tawanda Chagwadikira will represent Kariba and Hurungwe.

The CVs will be forwarded to Zanu-PF Headquarters for vetting.

Youth league national deputy secretary Tendai Chirau has since notified members of the party's decision to extend the deadline for submission of CVs to April 8, 2022.