Zanu-PF rounds up chiefs

Zanu-PF's Chitepo School of Ideology is conducting party orientation workshops targeting traditional chiefs as the ruling party moves to oil up its election machinery ahead of 2023.

The controversial orientation exercise also targets chief executives, heads of government departments and town secretaries of local authorities ostensibly to train them on revolutionary ethos and values.

The school's lecturers led by principal Munyaradzi Machacha have been camped in Hwange since Monday primarily to induct District Coordinating Committee members that were elected late last year.

However, included in the basic orientation course are all chiefs from Matabeleland North province, local authority leaders, government departments, state agencies and other stakeholders.

The induction was held in Hwange and was supposed to end Wednesday.

Opening the training on Monday, Machacha said the idea was to stir political consciousness in citizens as well as make them understand relationships between the party, government and state agencies.

"The thrust of the Second Republic is for the party to work closely with government departments at all levels so as to ensure full realization of goals included in the party election manifesto.

"So, we decided that as we induct DCC members we also orient government departments, chiefs and all other stakeholders which is why you are here today," he said.

The training is taking place countrywide at provincial level until all provinces are covered.

Over the years, people would go to Chitepo School of Ideology in Masvingo for intensive orientation of national ethos, heritage, party ideology and other topics.

People are being taught Zanu-PF and Zimbabwean history, national ideology, Zanu-PF party affairs, Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe constitution, government economic policies, defence and security policies, international relations, foreign policy, engagement and reengagement policy, media and communication and current affairs.

The Chitepo School of Ideology has been used within Zanu-PF as an entry point for those who want to represent the party in national elections.

This comes at a time when the government is seeking to revive the "notorious" national youth service whose ostensible motive is to inculcate national identify and patriotism among youths.

National youth service was first introduced at the turn of the millennium by the late Border Gezi who was the minister of Gender, Youth and Employment at the time of his death.

This resulted in the establishment of quasi-military youth training camps known as Border Gezi Training Centres.

Thousands of Zanu-PF aligned youths infamously known as Green Bombers were reportedly taught to cause terror among citizens opposed to Zanu-PF ideology.

The training centres were closed over the years, but government is now planning to resuscitate them.