News / National
Zanu-PF Youth League rubbishes factionalism claims
20 Jul 2022 at 01:36hrs | Views
THE Zanu-PF Youth League has dismissed reports of factionalism within the revolutionary party, describing them as hallucinations of expelled persons who have no locus standi to comment on party issues.
Adressing a press conference in Gweru yesterday, national secretary for Legal Affairs in the Zanu-PF Youth League, Phenias Makombe, blasted the peddlers of false information saying their wishful minds will not detract the revolutionary party from its development agenda to achieve Vision 2030.
The Youth League was reacting to allegations of a rift between President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga which were raised by former party members – Godfrey Tsenengamu and Jim Kunaka – who claimed to be the original Zanu-PF youths.
"First and foremost, there is no party structure called "Original Zanu-PF Youths". That absurdity occurs in the minds of gung ho political dimwits who have long been divorced from any form of political relevance. The Zanu-PF Youth League is a perpetual, perennial structure with cyclical executives who assume office through prescribed methods and for a prescribed period of time. The methods and terms are obtained in our party constitution,.
Makombe said the relevant party organs in the Youth League are authorised to appoint or remove members, through the fulfilment of certain prescribed methods and conditions.
"These two agents (Tsenengamu and Kunaka) have not been reinstated into the party which long expelled them. They do not even meet the minimum party requirements of an ordinary card carrying member which is to pay a joining fee and be fully subscribed as stated in Article 3 (sub section 2) of Chapter 1 of the party's constitution, let alone to have the effrontery to purport to have a right to speak either on behalf of, or in the interests of, or to claim to be representative of the said party Zanu-PF.
"The same Chapter 1 (sub section 2) states that any organisation, association or society whose members are citizens or residents of Zimbabwe and whose aims and objectives are not inconsistent with those of the party can be members of the party".
The above, Makombe said, allows for the formation and existence of affiliates of the party.
"This has been the basis for the formation and continued existence of notable organisations like the War Veterans Association, the War Collaborators Association, Children of War Veterans Association etcetera. This has lately seen the creation of more groups such as; Young Women for Economic Development (YW4ED), Men BelievED and Councillors for ED to mention but a few. To that effect the reasons why these affiliates strongly mention for ED is because that is where we are as a party".
The party and the Youth League, he said, were solidly behind President Mnangagwa who is the sole candidate for the 2023 harmonised elections.
"The party, from the most senior leadership to the grassroots, has unanimously endorsed that its sole candidate for the 2023 general elections is His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa," said Makombe.
Claims that President Mnangagwa is forming parallel structures detached from the party showed a clear lack of knowledge of the party's constitution.
Makombe said all the affiliates, after forming themselves, approach the party to become affiliate members and work with the party.
"In these instances YW4ED and Men BelievED are working with the Party to campaign for the party's sole candidate Mnangagwa," he said.
The party and youths will continue accepting other like-minded groups, associations and organisations who approach the party to be affiliates.
He described Kunaka and Tsenengamu as mercenaries adding that their absurd utterances will not disrupt progress being made by the Government under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
"The utterances by these impersonators who approach politics not with loyalty nor ideology but with a mercenary business mindset which sacrifices principles on the altar of expediency, will not move the masses away from the Party that brought about the Independence of this country.
"Let me warn these two reprobates that the Youth League shall not sit and watch whilst our President and First Secretary Mnangagwa is attacked left right and centre," said Makombe.
He blasted Mr Tsenengamu for trying to poke his nose into Zanu-PF affairs when he has failed to mobilise and members into his own party.
"Kunaka is politically extinct, he has fossilized himself and is best used as a fuel by errant paymasters. The distortion of the party's name and insignia to try and cause confusion is a true testament of his political failure," Makombe said.
The revolutionary party was a people's party where the masses themselves pick their leader.
"For one to try and put across an assertion that Zanu-PF is controlled by individuals or state institutions like the army or through backdoor negotiations shows serious lack of intelligence," Makombe said.
Adressing a press conference in Gweru yesterday, national secretary for Legal Affairs in the Zanu-PF Youth League, Phenias Makombe, blasted the peddlers of false information saying their wishful minds will not detract the revolutionary party from its development agenda to achieve Vision 2030.
The Youth League was reacting to allegations of a rift between President Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga which were raised by former party members – Godfrey Tsenengamu and Jim Kunaka – who claimed to be the original Zanu-PF youths.
"First and foremost, there is no party structure called "Original Zanu-PF Youths". That absurdity occurs in the minds of gung ho political dimwits who have long been divorced from any form of political relevance. The Zanu-PF Youth League is a perpetual, perennial structure with cyclical executives who assume office through prescribed methods and for a prescribed period of time. The methods and terms are obtained in our party constitution,.
Makombe said the relevant party organs in the Youth League are authorised to appoint or remove members, through the fulfilment of certain prescribed methods and conditions.
"These two agents (Tsenengamu and Kunaka) have not been reinstated into the party which long expelled them. They do not even meet the minimum party requirements of an ordinary card carrying member which is to pay a joining fee and be fully subscribed as stated in Article 3 (sub section 2) of Chapter 1 of the party's constitution, let alone to have the effrontery to purport to have a right to speak either on behalf of, or in the interests of, or to claim to be representative of the said party Zanu-PF.
"The same Chapter 1 (sub section 2) states that any organisation, association or society whose members are citizens or residents of Zimbabwe and whose aims and objectives are not inconsistent with those of the party can be members of the party".
The above, Makombe said, allows for the formation and existence of affiliates of the party.
"This has been the basis for the formation and continued existence of notable organisations like the War Veterans Association, the War Collaborators Association, Children of War Veterans Association etcetera. This has lately seen the creation of more groups such as; Young Women for Economic Development (YW4ED), Men BelievED and Councillors for ED to mention but a few. To that effect the reasons why these affiliates strongly mention for ED is because that is where we are as a party".
The party and the Youth League, he said, were solidly behind President Mnangagwa who is the sole candidate for the 2023 harmonised elections.
"The party, from the most senior leadership to the grassroots, has unanimously endorsed that its sole candidate for the 2023 general elections is His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa," said Makombe.
Makombe said all the affiliates, after forming themselves, approach the party to become affiliate members and work with the party.
"In these instances YW4ED and Men BelievED are working with the Party to campaign for the party's sole candidate Mnangagwa," he said.
The party and youths will continue accepting other like-minded groups, associations and organisations who approach the party to be affiliates.
He described Kunaka and Tsenengamu as mercenaries adding that their absurd utterances will not disrupt progress being made by the Government under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.
"The utterances by these impersonators who approach politics not with loyalty nor ideology but with a mercenary business mindset which sacrifices principles on the altar of expediency, will not move the masses away from the Party that brought about the Independence of this country.
"Let me warn these two reprobates that the Youth League shall not sit and watch whilst our President and First Secretary Mnangagwa is attacked left right and centre," said Makombe.
He blasted Mr Tsenengamu for trying to poke his nose into Zanu-PF affairs when he has failed to mobilise and members into his own party.
"Kunaka is politically extinct, he has fossilized himself and is best used as a fuel by errant paymasters. The distortion of the party's name and insignia to try and cause confusion is a true testament of his political failure," Makombe said.
The revolutionary party was a people's party where the masses themselves pick their leader.
"For one to try and put across an assertion that Zanu-PF is controlled by individuals or state institutions like the army or through backdoor negotiations shows serious lack of intelligence," Makombe said.
Source - The Herald
