National Youth Service graduates endorse President Mnangagwa

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

THE Zimbabwe National Youth Service Graduates Association has thrown its weight behind President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole candidate for next year’s presidential elections.

This came out during the association’s inaugural national executive meeting held at Davies Hall in Bulawayo yesterday. Zimbabwe National Youth Service Graduates Association National Commander, Cde Benhilda Gunda told Sunday News yesterday that the association had endorsed President Mnangagwa as the sole candidate of the ruling party ahead of the 2023 elections.

“The objective of the meeting today was to deliberate what we did at congress which we had two weeks ago and laid up a way forward. We also took the opportunity to endorse President Emmerson Mnangagwa as our sole candidate for the 2023 presidential elections,” said Cde Gunda.

Speaking at the same occasion, Bulawayo Chapter Commander Cde Khumbulani Mpofu said the core agenda of the meeting was to endorse President Mnangagwa. He however, emphasised the need for youths to partake in the re-introduced National Youth Service programme. 

“We held our first inaugural meeting of the Zimbabwe National Youth Service national executive after we held our successful congress at Masvingo Province some two weeks ago. Our core agenda was to first of all endorse our sole candidate for the 2023 presidential elections who is President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Secondly, we shared ideas on mobilisation for the 2023 harmonised elections. As an affiliate of the party, our ideology is party driven. Our principle and ethics are aligned towards party interests by defending our sovereignty and being patriotic in whatever we do. Most of all we preach loyalty as an association

“The re-introduction of the National Youth Service was long overdue because we know some sectors in our societies have tried to tarnish this programme but we are looking at producing youths who are so patriotic, who can stand and defend their country. A youth who knows what is means to be a Zimbabwean in terms of benefiting from the resources of their country. So as the graduates who went through the training, it’s a training that empowers and sharpens one’s mind. It has pillars which are premised towards building a person and changing his scope and ideology. These are discipline, patriotism, entrepreneurship, and voluntarism,” said Cde Mpofu.

Matabeleland North Province executive member Cde Blessing Makamu also weighed in saying the programme provides one with the right moral standing to make them a properly groomed individual. The graduates also took a swipe on the illegal sanctions imposed in Zimbabwe and called for their immediate removal.

“We are really concerned as well about sanctions that were imposed by the West which they have said are targeted at individuals but if we take a broader look, we will see that these sanctions are hurting an ordinary citizen,” said Cde Mpofu. — @nyeve14