Youths condemn party squabbles

• Published date: 30 October 2014
• Publication title: The Zimbabwean

Representatives of various youth organisations said the plight of young people had been sacrificed at the political altar for personal political grandisement of individual power hungry politicians.

Wellington Zindove, Youth Forum National Coordinator, said recent developments in Zanu (PF) were a reflection that politicians do not care about the electorate but are mainly concerned with getting and staying in power.

"Politicians are exhibiting their true colours because as it is, there is no talk about coming up with solutions to the social and economic challenges affecting citizens especially youths," said Zindove.

"The plight of youths and ordinary citizens has been sacrificed at the political altar with the jostling for positions putting all the progressive government business at a standstill."

Zindove said owing to failure by citizens to amplify their voices and demand for their rights, politicians were comfortable jostling for power knowing that Zimbabweans were a peaceful people 'who would not engage in any mass action.'

"Currently there is no push, no urge to demand our rights as they are guaranteed in the Constitution," said Zindove.

"There is urgent need for us, especially youths to use the various stations at our disposal to demand our rights to health, education and good standards of living. As young people, we are suffering at the expense of a government that is never serious about fulfilling on its election promises and the needs of its citizens."

Zindove emphasised the importance of youths to mobilise each other and stand up as a unified constituency to push politicians and government to address the plight of youths chief among them the high unemployment rate in the country.

Joana Mamombe, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) Gender and Human Rights Secretary said the ongoing squabbles within Zanu (PF) reflected that the party was infested with politicians with misplaced priorities.

"These conflicts and struggle for power is just a manifestation of political people with no leadership qualities but who have misplaced priorities," said Mamombe.

"A year and a half after elections, the government has been focusing on debating petty issues and of the few meaningful ones that they have debated, there is no implementation."

She lambasted the government for failing to address...