Zanu PF youths around the country are up in arms with the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment.
Report by Nunurai Jena
They are accusing the ministry of favouritism and lack of transparency in dishing out loans meant for youth empowerment.
The youths said they were scheduled to meet President Robert Mugabe this week to voice their concerns after other senior party officials allegedly ignored their complaints.
The youth leaders last week wrote to Zanu PF youth chairperson, Absolom Sikhosana threatening to besiege Youth Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s office demanding transparency in the manner in which loans were being disbursed.
One youth leader from Mashonaland West province said the empowerment programmes were mainly benefiting youths that hailed from the minister’s province.
Kasukuwere comes from Ma-shonaland Central province.
Reached for a comment, Sikhosana first professed ignorance about the complaints but later lashed at Zanu PF youths who leaked party issues to the press.
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“You can get more information from those youths who leak such information to newspapers like The Standard who always lie about me,” fumed Sikhosana.
Kasukuwere dismissed the allegations saying he would not be deterred in his fight to empower the youths in the country.
“I don’t care whom they see and what they do,” he said. “I won’t be blackmailed by a few misguided party youths. This is a national programme that is meant to benefit the youth from across the country, not from Zanu PF only. The resources are few and we cannot satisfy everyone.”
Kasukuwere added that like any programme of such magnitude, the empowerment drive had some challenges.
