The Sunday News
AS the country prepares for the March 26 by-elections, Zanu-PF’s Bulawayo Province is convinced it has a game plan good enough to reclaim the urban seats that have been in the hands of the opposition.
Speaking to Sunday News (SN) in an exclusive interview with Simba Jemwa, the province’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Cde Archie Chiponda (AC) said the party had a solid game plan for success in the upcoming by-elections.
Cde Chiponda also spoke of the revolutionary party’s regeneration in the province.
He described as a perpetual lie that the opposition ‘owns the youth’ in the country.
SN: What is the key short-term mandate for the Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial executive?
AC: The key mandate of Zanu-PF Bulawayo province in the short term is to improve the lives of Bulawayo residents by taking as many seats as possible in the upcoming by-elections.
We are saying enough is enough, whether they call themselves MDC or CCC, whether they come in red or yellow, they have failed the residents of Bulawayo dismally.
SN: There are several youth leaders who made it into the main wing of the province, what does that say about the party?
AC: This speaks to the regeneration of the party.
Zanu-PF as an organisation is evolving to become the most efficient blend of the young and the mature giving the party both energy and direction.
This can largely be attributed to the vision of His Excellency and his belief that the future of Zimbabwe lies in the hands of the youths.
I think we have all seen the numerous youth-oriented programmes and proclamations that have come from His Excellency, President Mnangagwa.
SN: Which youth leaders made it into the main wing and what are their positions?
AC: Among the top ten members of the provincial executive, there are five youth leaders.
There is Cde Ruth Shelton the Commissar, Cde Emmanuel Sunduza the Secretary for Security, Cde.
Phineas Madzivire the Secretary for Legal Affairs, Cde Luka Chigwedere the Secretary for Indigenisation and myself as the Secretary for Information and Publicity.
We also have a youthful comrade running the Business Development and Liason Secretariat, Cde Brian Samuriwo.
Comrades Shelton, Sunduza and myself also previously served at the helm of the provincial youth structure.
This is a great example of the grooming process and clear path of progression and regeneration that exists within Zanu-PF.
SN: With claims that the opposition ‘owns’ the country’s youth, what challenges if any does Zanu-PF face ahead of the 2023 general elections in terms of attracting the youth to the party?
AC: The good thing about lies is that they have short legs.
How can the opposition possibly ‘own’ the youth when they have given Zimbabwean youth absolutely nothing tangible since their inception?
It’s all smoke and mirrors and pie in the sky statements from organisations that clearly suffer from delusions of grandeur.
In all honesty, Zanu-PF faces very few challenges with regards to attracting the youth.
Let’s take a look at the pro-youth policies that have come from the Zanu-PF government, the National Skills Development Policy, National Youth Policy, Vocational Training programmes to focus on training for enterprise, the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programme (IEEP), the Zimbabwe Youth Employment Network, the Zimbabwe National Employment Policy Framework, the Youth Development Fund, Youth Economic Zones, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIM-ASSET) and I am certain I haven’t covered them all.
Anyone with eyes can see, anyone with ears can hear, Zanu-PF is acting whilst the opposition is talking.
It’s easy to lie to the youths and say ‘I’ve been promised 15 billion dollars to build you spaghetti roads if you vote for me’.
But like I said, lies have short legs.
I believe that the Zimbabwean youth is astute and has realised that walking in the right direction beats sprinting wildly in any direction the wind blows.
SN: How have the youth leaders been received by their older colleagues in the main wing?
AC: It’s really been the greatest welcome you can imagine.
We have received so much support and are consistently encouraged, even receiving kudos every now and then.
The mature members of the executive are always at hand with good advice, which is underpinned with experience.
You see, when a party has a solid ideology, it is easy for it to be passed on.
The language may change, the methods and strategies may change, but the vision stays the same.
Principles such as sovereignty, self-determination, the importance of cultural heritage, representing the masses, such principles are timeless and will reverberate for eternity.
We are also really lucky to have Cde Jabulani Sibanda as our chairman.
He is extremely energetic and inspirational and has a wealth of experience and knowledge to bestow.
Funny enough, as young as we may be, we often find it difficult to keep up with him, the man’s work ethic is unbelievable.
SN: Would you say you are ready for the March 26 by-elections?
AC: We are more than ready.
We have a solid game plan for success in the upcoming by-elections.
And more importantly, no force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come, and that idea has been born out of the frustration of Bulawayo residents with an inept council and lack of meaningful representation in Parliament.
SN: Economically, how can the youth play their part in the achievement of Vision 2030?
AC: First and foremost, honest hard work! Nothing can substitute a strong work ethic.
Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo (a country is built by its owners).
There will be no altruistic foreign angel to bring us manna from heaven, no matter what peddlers of self-deprecating rhetoric say.
We must refuse to reduce ourselves to beggars when we are surrounded by such an abundance of wealth.
We must be innovative in our approach to solving the economic puzzle.
We should fight for our space in the economy, but at the same time we must be ready to face the responsibility that comes with taking that space.
As we seek to fundamentally transform Zimbabwe to an upper middle-income economy by 2030, all our efforts must be underpinned by sustainable ownership of our resources and exploitation.
Also, as youths we should be sober in our analysis of the economic issues facing the country and harness our abundant energy to ensure we leave our country in a better situation than we found it.
That is what the generation before us did when they liberated the country.
SN: What do you think is the top skill someone needs to be an effective and successful politician today?
AC: I truly believe that the skills required to be an effective and successful politician today is what has always been there.
One must first and foremost be principled.
Those you lead must be assured that your word is binding.
Empathy is also crucial, constantly place yourself in the position of those you lead, that leads to better understanding of issues.
You need to have a vision, and your articulation and expression of the vision has to be inspirational enough to get people to believe that you are capable of achieving that vision.
His Excellency, President Mnangagwa possesses all the aforementioned traits and he would be the best person to sit at the top.
– To be continued
