Harare - A group of youths from different opposition political parties on Monday criticised Zanu-PF youths for planning their million man march on Africa Day on Wednesday, saying they should rather direct their energies to more serious national issues than singing praises for the ageing President Robert Mugabe.
The youths, who were led by the Zimbabwe Informal Sector Organisation (ZISO) leader, Promise Mkwananzi, held a short demonstration in the streets of Harare on Monday where they called on Mugabe to step down as a matter of urgency and pave the way for the economic reforms.
“We note with disdain that you plan to stage your senseless one million fools march on one of the most significant days in this continent. You cannot use Africa Day to march for an individual, not least to marshal the country’s already meagre resources towards a senseless and meaningless march. We urge you to abandon the idiotic march and direct your efforts towards restoring sanity in this country,” Mkwananzi urged Zanu-PF youth.
He said the demonstration Monday was the beginning of a series of sustained demonstrations under the hash tag, #Tajamuka, meant to pressure Mugabe to relinquish power.
The organisers claim to represent 15 youth wings of opposition political parties, as well as some 40 civic organisations, although Monday saw only representatives from Vendors Initiative for Sustainable Economic Transformation, the Zimbabwe National Students Union and the MDC-T.
“The streets are going to be our second home until Robert Mugabe steps away from the throne and paves way for the implementation of the reforms encapsulated in the new Constitution. Robert Mugabe has to step aside now. He no longer has the agility to superintend over the affairs of our country,” Mkwananzi said.
Mkwananzi said it was no longer possible for the country to wait for 2018, adding that elections under the current Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would not be fair.
“ZEC will have to reform. This country will have to respect the will of the people going forward and no party or individual will be allowed to govern illegally or illegitimately,” he said.
The youths also spoke strongly against the recent introduction of bond notes, saying it was a ploy by those in power to print and loot money, adding that those politically connected were already hoarding cash hoping to distort the money market for their own gains.
“We are going to work together to ensure the total rejection and failure of the bond issue. We ask with no answers what happened to the $15 billion from our natural resources and the missing $10 million Youth Fund launched six months ago,” he said.
He said the youth were not happy with the partisan distribution of food aid, warning they would descend on food distribution points across the country to ensure fair and non-partisan distribution of food.
They also demanded an end to the abduction and disappearances of innocent citizens.
– African News Agency