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Walter Nyamukondiwa and Tendai Mugabe, Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF will today once again flex its muscles and demonstrate to the world that it has the crowds and the support ahead of the harmonised elections next year, as thousands descend on Chinhoyi for the fifth leg of President Mugabe’s Presidential Youth Interface Rallies.

The rally in the Mashonaland West provincial capital is expected to draw mainly youths and some elders from the province and beyond to the Chinhoyi University of Technology campus grounds.

President Mugabe has already been to Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland North where he addressed highly subscribed rallies being organised by the Zanu-PF Youth League.

The President is expected to have visited all the country’s 10 provinces to address the youths before the end of the year.

At the rally in Chinhoyi today, President Mugabe will interact with the young people and receive their concerns on issues relating to economic empowerment.

A precursor to the highly billed meeting was a street carnival yesterday that snaked through the Chinhoyi central business district and the bus terminus, ending at the venue.

President Mugabe is also expected to commission an Information Centre to expand access to information in Chinhoyi.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Zanu-PF Secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Kudzanayi Chipanga said the youth interface rallies were achieving their intended ojectives.

“As introspection to the youths interface rallies that we are having, I must highlight that the meetings are yielding the intended results,” he said. “What we wanted as young people was to have direct access to the highest office in the land and this we have achieved. This has come as a boon for the young people as it has come with several economic opportunities.

“For instance, in Masvingo, the President highlighted that the young people should participate in fish projects following the completion of Tokwe Mukosi Dam. He has also given the youths the go ahead to take part in the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Harare Highway.

“The President said Government was working to establish a youth bank that will capacitate young people to start income generating projects. To us as young people, all these are huge milestones that have come to fruition due to our direct interaction with the President.”

Cde Chipanga said President Mugabe was preaching the gospel of unity and discipline to the young people during the rallies.

He said the two were cardinal principles for development of any country.

“We cannot talk of development with wayward young people who are not united,” said Cde Chipanga. “The President is urging us to be disciplined and united.

“This is also important as we are approaching elections next year. The fact that Zanu-PF is going to win the next elections is no longer in question judging by the huge turnout during the interface meetings, but we now want to ensure that we win by a huge margin.”

Cde Chipanga said after the Presidential Youth Interface rallies, the Zanu-PF Youth League had lined up several other programmes that it would undertake with the President.

He said of particular importance was next year’s 21st February Movement celebrations that he described as the “mother of all Presidential birthdays.”

“Next year we are going to have elections and we are going to retrace President Mugabe’s political history by throwing him a mother of all birthdays in Nyanga, Manicaland,” said Cde Chipanga.

“Remember, the President used the Nyanga route to go to Mozambique to spearhead the liberation struggle. We are saying as the Youth League we will use the same route next year as we fight for economic emancipation.”

Cde Chipanga said Mashonaland West had made adequate preparations to ensure a successful rally.

As part of the preparations, Chinhoyi municipality spruced up the town by resurfacing roads.

By yesterday, VVIP and VIP tents were already pitched and decorated at the venue.

Transport, including trains, buses and trucks were also organised.

Zanu-PF Mashonaland West Provincial youth chairman Cde Tawanda Rupiya said: “We are confident that the unity of purpose and work put in by the province will result in a successful and well subscribed rally.

“The tents are in place, the venue is organised and the people are being mobilised from the districts as we speak.”

Each ward is expected to bring 432 people to the venue. Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Faber Chidarikire said it was all systems go for the rally in President Mugabe’s home province.