The Sunday News
THE Government will this year establish the first ever youth township in Bulawayo after pledging 900 hectares of land to be used to construct more than 20 000 housing units for youths in the city.
Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF youths during a Bulawayo youth empowerment rally held in the city yesterday, Local Government Minister and Zanu PF national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere announced that his ministry will be rolling out the first 300 hectares this year and construction of housing units expected to commence by year end.
He said the process will be set in motion tomorrow with Permanent Secretary in his Ministry Engineer George Mlilo expected to be in the city to serve the directive to the Bulawayo City Council. Minister Kasukuwere said after the first phase, another 600 hectares will be availed for further development.
“One thing which I must assure you is that we are a party of action which is why today I am announcing that I will be giving you 300 hectares of land, which will be enough for about 20 000 residential stands. I promise you that this land will be serviced by end of this year. This will be a first in Zimbabwe as it will be the first ever Youth Township as all these stands will be given to youths, no one else.
“On Monday (tomorrow) I will instruct my Permanent Secretary to come here, meet Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister (Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo) and the directive will be served to the Bulawayo City Council. When this first phase is completed I will avail a further 900 hectares,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
He said the youths will not pay for the planning and drawing process as that would be done free of charge by his ministry.
“All that has to happen now is, Minister (Nomthandazo) Moyo, Eng Mlilo and your representatives will this week just identify the land and I will sign for it, there is no going back,” said the Minister.
Speaking at the same meeting, Minister of Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Dr Obert Mpofu also promised the Bulawayo youths that he will be availing land for them to have homesteads in Umguza.
“I know that some of you do not want residential stands but want to have homesteads in rural areas. As you might know my constituency surrounds your city therefore I am also availing land for you to come establish those homesteads, starting Monday (tomorrow) please feel free to approach my office and this will be arranged. Most of you might think that all this is a gimmick but I must assure you that what Minister Kasukuwere said and what I just said is the truth, we want to show people out there that we are indeed a party of action,” said Dr Mpofu.
Minister Moyo thanked the gesture by the two Ministers saying it was a move that was long overdue as people from the province had constantly clamoured for land. Addressing the youths, before the Ministers’ address, Zanu-PF National Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Kudzai Chipanga had challenged the ministers saying youths were now tired of living as lodgers.
“Come 2018 when we vote we want to be going to the various polling stations from our own homes, we don’t want to go there as lodgers, we want our own properties and land,” said Cde Chipanga.
Meanwhile, the Zanu-PF Youth League has dismissed reports in the private media that the planned one-million march was a ploy for a demonstration against Vice- President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Last week a local daily, quoting “well-placed sources” alleged that although the march has been organised under the guise of the party’s women and youth leagues to show support for President Mugabe, its real target was VP Mnangagwa.
The paper claimed that the march was organised by “ambitious Young Turks, known as the Generation 40 group,” and would culminate into a massive demonstration against the “embattled Midlands godfather”.
However, Cde Chipanga yesterday rubbished the claims as misleading. “Some sections of the media are misleading people by reporting that the march was organised to push for so and so to be booted out of the party. We can never gather one million people to boot out just one person. There has never been a person here in Zimbabwe who was voted for by one million people other than President Mugabe. We can’t parade one million people for anyone else. President Mugabe is the only person we will gather one million people for, not anyone else.
“Let me set the record straight, the march is meant for youths to meet their President and for the people of Zimbabwe to show their support for President Mugabe. We want to show the international world and the private media that we support President Mugabe and we are fully behind him,” he said.
Cde Chipanga also challenged opposition political parties who feel they can stand up to President Mugabe to gather 100 000 youths to show their mettle. Yesterday’s meeting was part of the mobilising exercise by the Zanu-PF Youth League for the one million march. The one million march is expected to draw 100 000 youths from each of the country’s ten provinces.
Cde Chipanga also commended Bulawayo Province for having the highest turn out at the Youth Empowerment Conference and expressed optimism that the province would manage to mobilise 100 000 youths for the march.
“We need you in large numbers in May when we have the march as this is your event where you will show your support for the President. We need to show the private media and the international scene that we are still a united front,” said Cde Chipanga.
Cde Chipanga also expressed disappointment over the low numbers of female youths in the party structures saying this has to change with immediate effect.
“Women constitute 52 percent of the 70 percent of youths in the party meaning they are a majority but they are invisible when it comes to structures. As from now onwards there should be a 50-50 representation of both sexes. When we do co-opting women should come first too,” he said. Also present at the rally were Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Co-operatives Development Minister, Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, Sports Minister Cde Makhosini Hlongwane, Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Alderman Dennis Ndlovu, among other senior party officials.
