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Zanu PF Youth Threaten to 'Take Action' Against Pastor Mawarire, Tajamuka


Zanu PF youth at the party's headquarters in Harare.
Zanu PF youth at the party's headquarters in Harare.

Zanu PF youth have threatened to descend heavily on anti-government protesters, who recently shutdown Zimbabwe demanding that President Robert Mugabe should address serious social and economic problems in the country.

The youth, who staged a public march in Zimbabwe’s capital today to show support for the ruling party, said they should be given a chance by the police to take action against Tajamuka-Sesijikile Campaign and Pastor Evan Mawarire of #thisflag movement, that are calling for state accountability, an end to human rights abuses, arrest of corrupt ministers and many other issues.

Tajamuka-Sesijikile says President Mugabe must resign for failing to allegedly run the country with an estimated unemployment rate of about 90%.

Addressing party members, deputy secretary of the Zanu PF Youth League, Kudzai Chipanga, and the League’s political commissar, Innocent Hamandishe, took turns to castigate Tajamuka and Pastor Mawarire claiming that they want to destabilize Zimbabwe.

The two said they would not take a back seat while President Mugabe was being attacked and warned that if the police do not arrest members of the two groups they would take it upon themselves to assault them if they stage protests against Mr. Mugabe and his government.

SUCCESSFUL PROTESTS

Independent pressure groups led a successful job stay-away that paralyzed the country recently. Another two-day stay away was not heeded by some Zimbabweans, who claimed that they were being threatened with unspecified action by state security agents for taking part in the protests.

While Chipanga and Hamandishe were dressing down them in front of thousands of supporters, Tajamuka/Sesijikile issued a statement vowing to pile pressure on Mr. Mugabe's government for failing to address the concerns of ordinary Zimbabweans.

At the same time, the MDC led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai issued a statement condemning the police for what it said was the selective application of the law. The party’s director of communications, Luke Tamborinyoka, said it was regrettable that Zanu PF youths were allowed to march in the streets of Harare without any police clearance.

Studio 7 failed to get a comment from police spokesperson Charity Charamba who was not answering her mobile phone.

Chipanda also told the Zanu PF marchers that the ruling party has embarked on a housing scheme with youths set to get housing stands around Harare while land is being cleared at a farm just outside the city for the project.

CAMPAIGN MODE

He said the housing stands, issued to the party through Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, would only benefit Zanu PF members. Chipanga added that Zanu PF was now in campaign mode ahead of the 2018 elections.

Zanu PF member, Gibson Munyikwa, said the allocation of stands was long overdue.

Although some Zanu PF members have welcomed the decision by their party to allocate the stands on partisan lines, Harare resident Malvern Chikukwa said all Zimbabweans need such stands.

It is not yet clear whether the youth will pay for the land and take care of service charges in a nation where the majority of young people are unemployed.

Report on Stand Protest Filed By Thomas Chiripasi
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