Mujuru urges youths to vote

Politics
National People’s Party president Joice Mujuru yesterday said negotiations for the formation of the post coalition government have already begun after she signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

National People’s Party president Joice Mujuru yesterday said negotiations for the formation of the post coalition government have already begun after she signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Joice Mujuru
Joice Mujuru

Addressing more than 1 000 party youths during an interactive meeting at Rylands Farm in Harare, Mujuru said she was just a transitional leader as younger people should take over the running of the country.

“The gifts that Mugabe has given Zimbabweans are hunger, pain and joblessness. University graduates are now selling airtime. We need to say ‘do we need to continue with that status quo’ and ensure we vote him out in our large numbers,” she said.

“The MoU has been signed with the MDC-T and as an alliance, we need to look at what we are supposed to do to ensure we come up with one candidate of a good calibre, because after the signing of the MoU negotiations for a post coalition government have already begun.”

Mujuru said the coalition leader must be someone who satisfied the needs of all people, including war veterans.

“It is not about satisfying Amai Mujuru or MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai. We also need to look at someone who can take care of freedom fighters and people in the rural areas who took part in the war,” she said.

Mujuru urged the youths to register as voters in their numbers to dislodge Zanu PF from power. She said she and other elderly leaders were transitional leaders guiding the youths towards leading the country.

“As young people, you must use your education to mobilise voters because leaders of my generation are now old. I am 62 years old, so you must take advantage of the little time that you have with me to learn about leadership because the future belongs to you.

“Worldwide, politics is now being driven by the youths and an example is the incoming French president who is 39. That is the trend and as your elders, we are only grooming you and managing the transition to come,” she said.

Mujuru said the future leaders after her generation would be faced with a lot of challenges such as cleaning up the mess left by the Zanu PF government, especially Harare which was now filthy.

“You will clean up all the dirt and all the rubbish, and to do so you need to be disciplined and have very good leadership qualities,” she said.

“If you are a leader and you misfire, the whole troop perishes. As youths, you need to know that you will take on more responsibilities than I had when I joined politics at 18 and had a government post at 20.”