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Zanu-PF intensifies youth mobilisation drive in Bulawayo
24 Jul 2025 at 09:11hrs | Views
Zanu-PF's Bulawayo province has launched an aggressive youth mobilisation campaign in a bid to strengthen its grassroots support in the traditionally opposition-dominated city ahead of future elections.
As part of its recruitment strategy, the ruling party's District Coordinating Committee (DCC 2) recently hosted a "Fishers of Man" celebration at its Magwegwe sub-office, drawing local leaders, young recruits, and party supporters under the theme Youth Mobilisation.
The event, party officials said, signals a renewed focus on energising party structures and cultivating loyalty among young people - a demographic seen as critical to the party's electoral resurgence.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for finance and economic development, Menziwa Dube, highlighted the strategic importance of the youth wing to the party's future.
"The youth are the backbone of this party. Divided we fall, united we stand," said Dube. "We must invest in our youth to secure the future of the party."
Echoing this sentiment, DCC 2 youth affairs officer Sakhile Nkomo described the "Fishers of Man" programme as central to Zanu-PF's outreach plan.
"Our leadership's active engagement gives youth a tangible platform to grow," said Nkomo. "This mentorship is crucial for the party's sustainability and long-term success."
Bulawayo remains a stronghold for opposition politics, with Zanu-PF struggling to gain a foothold in the city since the rise of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) under the late Morgan Tsvangirai. The ruling party failed to win any parliamentary seat in the city during general elections for over two decades.
Zanu-PF's few successes in Bulawayo have largely come through by-elections boycotted by the opposition, including a 2015 contest. However, in 2019, the party celebrated a rare local government victory when Kidwell Mujuru clinched a ward seat - breaking a losing streak that dated back to 1999.
Analysts say the latest mobilisation efforts signal Zanu-PF's determination to reverse years of political isolation in Bulawayo, although the party still faces strong resistance from a population that has long aligned itself with opposition forces.
As part of its recruitment strategy, the ruling party's District Coordinating Committee (DCC 2) recently hosted a "Fishers of Man" celebration at its Magwegwe sub-office, drawing local leaders, young recruits, and party supporters under the theme Youth Mobilisation.
The event, party officials said, signals a renewed focus on energising party structures and cultivating loyalty among young people - a demographic seen as critical to the party's electoral resurgence.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for finance and economic development, Menziwa Dube, highlighted the strategic importance of the youth wing to the party's future.
"The youth are the backbone of this party. Divided we fall, united we stand," said Dube. "We must invest in our youth to secure the future of the party."
"Our leadership's active engagement gives youth a tangible platform to grow," said Nkomo. "This mentorship is crucial for the party's sustainability and long-term success."
Bulawayo remains a stronghold for opposition politics, with Zanu-PF struggling to gain a foothold in the city since the rise of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) under the late Morgan Tsvangirai. The ruling party failed to win any parliamentary seat in the city during general elections for over two decades.
Zanu-PF's few successes in Bulawayo have largely come through by-elections boycotted by the opposition, including a 2015 contest. However, in 2019, the party celebrated a rare local government victory when Kidwell Mujuru clinched a ward seat - breaking a losing streak that dated back to 1999.
Analysts say the latest mobilisation efforts signal Zanu-PF's determination to reverse years of political isolation in Bulawayo, although the party still faces strong resistance from a population that has long aligned itself with opposition forces.
Source - Southern Eye
