'Green Bombers' threaten to beat up 'unpatriotic' CIO, police officers

FORMER National Youth Service (NYS) graduates, commonly known as ‘Green Bombers', have threatened to physically assault dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives and police officers deemed "unpatriotic" who are plotting Zanu-PF's electoral loss come 23 August plebiscites.

Speaking during a meeting at Banket Sports Club recently, aimed at setting up a NYS graduates association, national commander Tichaona Zimbiru claimed the mobilisation concept used by CIO-linked Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ) was hijacked from his organisation, before attacking some spy agents and cops branding them "unpatriotic."

"As graduates of NYS, we were supposed to be carrying out and earning through what FAZ is doing.

"The concept they are using was hijacked from us after I put the concept proposal and sadly now CIO operatives who are just people who merely sought employment are now running around claiming to protect Zanu-PF interests," Zimbiru said.

Green Bombers gathered for the Indaba were ordered to physically discipline CIO and police officers, who attempt to stop them from carrying out activities to prop Zanu-PF.

"Therefore, you do not have to take them as your boss, we only honour and respect the President. Anyone trying to stop us from conducting our duties of defending the party can be beaten, especially these CIO-linked FAZ members," Zimbiru said.

The NYS national commander alleged President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government was neglecting youth militias, who have been sidelined for too long.

"We demand recognition and restoration of benefits for NYS graduates who took part in the national youth service training.

"It's true we have been sidelined and its time we take back our position in Zanu-PF like before, although we are partly to blame as we had taken a back seat," he said

Zimbabwe is heading towards a fourth revolution of economic prosperity that needs a younger generation that has clean hands, Zimbiru added.

"Current leaders cannot take us to the fruits of the fourth revolution as they have blood on their hands, though it was necessary for them to kill during their time so that we can be where we are now.

"However, they cannot take us out of the current economic challenges as the fourth revolution is spiritual and needs people without blood on their hands, who are the young ones," he sensationally claimed.

Tawanda Piriyano, the association's national member, took a dig at Mashonalnd West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, whom he described as "an ordinary person with civilian brains."

"We have to deal with the Minister of State (Mliswa) to remove the civilian brains in her as she is troublesome. We face challenges with her when it comes to access to land to settle on," Piriyano said.

During the meeting, it was suggested that NYS graduates should benefit from 10 percent shares across all sectors.

It was claimed NYS graduates were in possession of a letter from the Local Government permanent secretary empowering them to identify and get land for residential stands for their members within rural district councils.

Under then-president, Robert Mugabe's rule Green Bombers were directly employed in parastatals and local authorities while a majority of unattached NYS graduates were on the government's salary payroll.

The curious timing of tabling of grievances by the former NYS trainees raises eyebrows as they come after former Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who was instrumental in mobilising jobs and other benefits for the defacto youth militia, announced his 2023 Presidential election bid.