The Youth: Game changers in Zim politics

TAURAI MANGUDHLA/ CHENGETAI ZVAUYA

Winds of transition have begun to sweep across ZANU PF as the youth vote has emerged as the game-changer in Zimbabwe’s future elections.

ZANU PF won two thirds majority in the just ended general elections held last month and pressure is now mounting for the old guard to make way for a younger generation in future polls.

Already some senior members of the ruling party have surrendered their seats for senatorial positions, an indication that the party could be renewing itself.

The party’s presidential candidate, now president-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa had a narrow win against a youthful MDC-Alliance frontrunner Nelson Chamisa. Mnangagwa won 50,8 percent of the vote against Chamisa’s 44,3. The opposition is challenging the result at the courts.

Chamisa’s major selling point, some top Zanu PF members argue, is age given that youth constitute the bulk of voters, especially first-time voters.

Some ZANU PF members have been forced to introspect with a view to get things right.

Should the party reform under the current restructuring exercise, the party’s youth wing will become the biggest beneficiary, having suffered defeats in primaries against older candidates.

A pro-youth policy gives their members positive prospects.

“The ZANU PF top brass has been advised and is now aware of this. This will play a crucial role come 2023 in the power dynamics,” said a close source who requested not to be named.

The old guard, it is understood, remains adamant.

ZANU PF youths have come out guns blazing demanding most of the senior party members end their political careers at the end of their political terms in 2023.

Pupurai Togarepi, ZANU PF national youth chairperson told BT Inside Politics, the majority of youths accepted the party’s primary elections and now have their sights set on 2023.

Calls for youthful candidates come as a decent number of the MDC Alliance’s winning parliamentary candidates are young. These include Joana Mamombe for (Harare West), James Chidhakwa (Mabvuku- Tafara), Charlton Hwende (Kuwadzana), Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North) and including their party leader Nelson Chamisa.

“The elections last month and some of the youths were nominated to represent the party in the elections won including myself in Gutu South constituency, Yeukai Simbanegavi (Gutu North), Tongai Mnangagwa (Harare South), John Paradza (Gutu West), Edmore Samambwe (Zhombe) and Munyaradzi Kashambe (Seke) to mention a few, and most of them won the elections,” said Togarepi.

“I know that some of my party youth members like Godfrey Tsenengamu, Vengai Musengi and Lewis Matutu were defeated in the primary elections but were campaigning for the party and its candidates.

“As the youth leadership, we are saying we learnt a lot during the party elections as it was a good political experience.

“We now want our seniors to give us the chance in 2023 to stand as candidates for the party.

“Everyone was given the chance to participate in the primary elections, and we agreed that the youths who lost in 2018 should pick up the fight again and participate in the primary elections, next time without facing competition from senior party members.

“Most of our youths won as councillors and some were nominated to the women’s quota in the polls and we are happy with that development,” said Togarepi.

He said the party youth wing was going to be following the advice of party President Emmerson Mnangagwa to wait for their chance until they are politically mature to be party leaders.

“The primary elections was a learning experience for us, most of the youths lost but we were advised by President Mnangagwa to be patient and wait for our time to be the party’s candidates in the future,” said Togarepi.

Matutu and Tsenengamu accepted their defeat in ZANU PF primaries in Zvishavane and Mt Darwin South constituencies respectively following the end of the primary elections.

In ZANU PF, some young politicians (those who are under 60) who are now being touted to have potential of leading the party include Sibusiso Moyo, the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

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