Zanu-PF youths in Bulawayo reverse chair suspension

The Zanu-PF national youth executive has nullified the suspension of Harare provincial youth chairperson Edison Takataka while they are investigating the provincial organ's role in the disturbances that characterised President Mugabe's 21st February Movement celebrations last month.

Some rowdy Zanu-PF youths from Harare province caused a scene in Bulawayo as they demanded that their leaders be given accommodation and food when they went to the celebrations at Matopo Junior School.

As a result, the national Youth League led by Kudzai Chipanga summoned the Harare provincial executive to interrogate them on the Bulawayo fracas.

This prompted the provincial members to immediately suspend their chair, Takataka.

Chipanga confirmed that they had summoned the Harare provincial leadership.

"We strongly feel as the national executive that there was gross negligence on the part of the Harare provincial youth executive," said Chipanga.

"They failed to take care of their delegates resulting in their delegates getting stranded, unlike other provinces. These delegates ended up coming to Rainbow Hotel where some of the leaders were. We were forced to address their problems.

"As the national executive, we liaise with the provincial executive so that they then liaise with their members. We feel they slept on duty, which is why their delegates had problems compared to other provinces. It was their duty to take care of their delegates."

Chipanga said most of the youths who attended the celebrations from various provinces went to Bulawayo by train.

He said it was the duty of the leaders from the respective provinces to then organise transport, accommodation and food for their delegates once they got to Bulawayo.

"That is why we summoned them. They came and defended themselves saying there was over-subscription. They said they were targeting 10 000 youths from Harare province. But unfortunately, the people who came surpassed that number. We will be responding to them when our national executive meets on March 17 to deal with the matter.

"When we summoned them as the provincial executive, they got scared and started to counter-accuse each other. They went to the extent of attempting to pass a vote of no confidence in their youth chairperson, an action which we felt they were already sentencing themselves before judgment.

"We then nullified whatever action they had taken. In the hearing, they said they tried to overthrow their chairperson as a way of trying to save the province," said Chipanga.