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Tendai Mugabe and Susan Nyabudze Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF has announced a raft of rules and regulations that may disqualify some candidates vying for various positions in the Women’s and Youth Leagues’ elections to be held next month.
Among other issues, all aspiring Youth League members should have served the party at national level for five years while Women’s League contestants should have been party members for at least 20 years and also have a previous record of serving at national level.

Youth League candidates should be 35 years of age and below.

Speaking to journalists after the party’s Politburo meeting in Harare yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo warned members who were electioneering before announcement of the rules and regulations that they were wasting their time.

Elections for the Youth League will be held at the League’s conference set for August 7 to 10 while those for the Women’s League are due at the conference to be held from August 20 to 22.

“People are manoeuvring and as I said last week it is not helpful because you do not know the criteria,” Cde Gumbo said. “When the criteria comes out, you will find out that you may not qualify and yet you’d have spent a lot of money for that. We are saying those that want to qualify and know the rules and regulations can apply and will be approved to stand for elections but before that you are wasting your time.”

Cde Gumbo said after receiving applications from contestants, the Politburo would meet to approve the candidates who meet the party’s guidelines.

He said there would be no exemptions and those who have been in the diplomatic service and wish to contest should make formal applications to the party.

Cde Gumbo said the Politburo also received a report from Masvingo Provincial Minister of State Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti on resettlement and food provision for people at the Chingwizi holding camp.

He said Cde Bhasikiti said food provision at Chingwizi had improved following the intervention of the World Health Organisation.

Earlier, President Mugabe was presented with an artifact and a copy of a film chronicling his life by Ruvimbo Mafuwe of Goromonzi and Tichaona Marembo respectively.

The artifact known as Pamberi – the gold key – symbolises the resistance given by President Mugabe to machinations of subjugation by the white settler regime and how he outflanked such shenanigans.

Marembo’s film titled, There is always a second coming like Robert, portrays President Mugabe’s personality including his trials and tribulations in the quest for Zimbabwe’s freedom.

Marembo brought the film to the President for him to confirm whether it was an honest portrayal of his character.