MDC Youth Assembly Dismisses Rebels Meeting

The MDC Youth Assembly distances itself and dismisses with the utmost contempt the claims made by a rebel group of individuals who decided to invite their friends for a so called “MDC National Council” meeting at a secluded place in the capital, away from the party offices and members.

The Youth Assembly was not represented at yesterday’s social gathering. Solomon Madzore was suspended by the Youth Assembly National Council and Promise Mkwananzi was dismissed from the Party.   

This move by these rebels come hardly two weeks after Mugabe’s utterances encouraging their rebellion which confirms the suspicion that their cause is a ZANU PF project bent on destabilising the people’s struggle for real change. These unfortunate individuals just decided to jump out of the real change ship and indeed they will sink into oblivion. They have dug their own shallow graves and are sinking into the political doldrums.

The core focus for the leader of the peoples’ party President Morgan Tsvangirai remains on fighting for genuine upliftment of all Zimbabweans. As young people we will make sure that Robert Mugabe delivers on his promises of 2.2 million jobs and broader service delivery to the citizens of Zimbabwe.

The MDC will deliver real change to the people under the wise and undisputed leadership of President Tsvangirai. Nothing will ever distract us from taking action now demanding for jobs, services, quality and accessible education, transparency and better living conditions for all. Mugabe might be busy brewing decoys, diversions and threats but we will not be distracted. We won’t take threats, we do not eat threats, and we will take action. He is busy fanning disruptive rebellion bent on confusing the masses.

We urge all Zimbabweans at home and abroad to remain steadfast and continue to demand what is rightfully theirs.

The people’s agenda remain top on the people’s project and will not be distracted by any misguided individual.

Long live MDC

Long live the people’s project

For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

Clifford Hlatywayo

National Youth Spokesperson

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.

Congratulations the youngest Dr

Cape Town, 24th April 2014

The MDC Youth Assembly would like to congratulate Dr. Tapiwa Shumba the Secretary for Information and Publicity for South Africa province, for graduating yesterday with a Doctor of Laws (LLD) from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the Zimbabwe's youngest Dr of Laws at 28.

Dr. Shumba has once again graduated with first class degree. The focus of his study was on the functions of International Trade as a vehicle for economic growth and development and ultimately for the alleviation of poverty, against the background of the diversity of laws in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Dr. Shumba is graduating at a very unfortunate time in our country, when the government of the day is failing to create even a single job for its citizens. The country has not been able to tap or benefit from its own talents like what Dr Shumba possess due to the deliberate failure to develop and implement sound economic policies that attract investment and result in job creation. It is a tragedy of monumental proportions.

The MDC Deputy Secretary General and Acting Treasurer General, Dr Tapiwa Mashakada also graduated from the same university last year with a Doctor of Economics. He is the current President of the Stellenbosch Alumni.

The MDC will continue to push for the real upliftment of the general populace of Zimbabwe. The Youth Assembly will soon lead all the jobless countrywide in demonstrations demanding the 2.2 million jobs that Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF has voluntarily pledged during its 2013 campaign.

In the demand for jobs we will not tire.

Well done to Dr. Shumba you are an inspiration and you have done us proud.

For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

Clifford Hlatywayo
MDC Youth Assembly
Secretary for Information and Publicity

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.

We will not be intimidated…. Aluta

The MDC Youth Assembly is greatly perturbed by the utterances and attitude of the leaders in the ZANU PF led government  who have resorted to intimidatory statements to the effect that all the jobless citizens of Zimbabwe who are prepared to get into the streets demanding their constitutionally given right are going to be crushed by a fist. This is unbelievable.

Isn’t it ironic that such statements were made on a day the country is supposed to be celebrating its liberation from a previous oppressive and tyrannical regime? The hard won independence is now being used as an instrument to harass and intimidate others, completely taking away their freedom to think and act on their desire within the confines of the law.

Why do leaders who claim that they were democratically elected exhibit such anger when they are reminded of their constitutional duty. Is it not trying to renege on their responsibility and promises? They are used to lying to the people. It is different now, we are tired of that.

Section 14 of the constitution clearly compels the State to ensure that appropriate and adequate measures are undertaken to create employment for all Zimbabweans, especially women and youths. Section 24 of the new charter among other things obligates the State to adopt reasonable policies and measures, to provide everyone with an opportunity to work in a freely chosen activity, in order to secure a decent living for themselves and their families.

Put simply, Robert Mugabe and his government must focus on creating jobs so that we the youth can have a chance at living decent lives. We are not asking too much, it’s an obligation that the government must own up to. Threats, intimidation and arrest are not going to put food on the table.

Demonstrating as a people is permissible in our country and no one is above the constitution who can override its provisions to its citizens. In fact the leaders of the country are obligated to have respect for the people of Zimbabwe, from whom the authority to govern is derived.

We are determined, we want our jobs now. No amount of threats will stop the jobless.

 For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

Clifford Hlatywayo

 MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.

ZANU PF has betrayed the liberation struggle

As Zimbabwe marks Independence Day on 18^th of April, ordinary Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate because ZANU PF cronies have hijacked and privatised national independence. The MDC Youth Assembly says NO to the privatisation of the people's freedom. Today ZANU PF has neglected the core values and purpose of wagging a liberation struggle. The few top echelons of ZANU PF have monopolized the country and its resources. The ordinary black people went to war to gain independence and freedom. This has been misinterpreted hence neglected.

The one man one vote agenda has been shelved and replaced by serious rigging. A myriad of unthinkable means has been used by ZANU PF to circumvent the will of the people and the so called sovereignty of this great land. These range from hiring foreign based organizations to rig the vote, for instance, the controversial NIKUV that was hired by ZANU PF to decide on internal issues of the country. This has not only aided in replacing the one man one vote that the people fought for but also seriously undermining the country's sovereignty.

ZANU PF employed violence and intimidation of highest magnitude against the people. It has gravely abused state institutions to attain their narrow interests. They have redefined national development to the retention of state power by any means rather than positive emancipation of the ordinary people. Independence has been privatized to mean looting of national cake by the few in ZANU PF.

The issue of land has been at the centre of the liberation struggle. What we have seen is only the top brass and some war veterans who were able to violently grab plots of land from white farmers benefited, the rest haven't. Those who fought the liberation genuinely will tell you today that the liberation was fought to make Zimbabwe a nation of equal opportunities in all spheres of life. People were fighting for economic justice, where every citizen can equally participate and benefit from the economic activities of the nation.

Fundamental freedoms have been fatally infringed by the state. 34 years after independence from the colonial rulers, its citizens are not independent and they live in extreme fear. July 31, 2013 saw the vote rigging of the century. Since then, the economy has been declining every minute. The stock exchange market capitalization of July 2013 was around $6, 8 billion, eight months down the line it is on $4.8 billion, a downfall of $2 billion. One wonders where we are heading as a nation when industries are continuing to close and subsequently people losing their livelihood every day, the promise for 2, 2 million jobs remains a pipedream for the youth.

The MDC is an answer to all maladmistration. People’s upliftment is at the center of MDC policies, where by growing the cake is the first priority rather than fighting for a very small one. Promotion of sound and sustainable investment to create the much needed jobs is paramount.

For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe

National Youth Spokesperson

Clifford Hlatywayo

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.

Action to demand jobs inevitable

MDC Youth Assembly is set to stage nationwide demonstrations to demand for jobs. ZANU Pf in its July 2013 manifesto promised 2.2 million jobs to the people but the reverse is true. To date more than 400 000 jobs have been lost. This is gross human rights violation and the failure by the government to provide decent jobs for its citizens as enshrined by the new charter is a severe infringement of the constitution.

This has been necessitated by a Youth Assembly National Council resolution of 30 March 2014, which reads:

Realising that the ZANU PF illegitimate regime has failed to provide even a single job out of the 2.2 million jobs that they promised to the people, instead thousands have lost their jobs in the last eight
months, the Assembly resolved that the current government must leave office immediately and pave way for free and fare elections.

As young people of this beloved nation we are tired and our patience has warped. ZANU PF has been lying to us since 1980 about heaven on earth. This has to stop. The time has come to demand what rightfully belongs to us. It is an open secret that ZANU PF is tired and directionless. What they plan and do daily is to plunder and disgustingly ransack our national God given resources, this has to stop now.

The Assembly has taken heed of the nationwide call by President Morgan Tsvangirai to take corrective action against few people who want to enjoy the fruits of our nation while the majority is struggling to sustain a living. We are going to lead serious action demanding our jobs.

We have piles and piles of unemployment forms that were forwarded to our offices by young people who are in dire need of employment, which we cannot afford to ignore. This is the time to take over and reclaim our destiny as current and future leaders of this nation. To those who may think demanding for our jobs is a joke, they are lost and they will soon realize the seriousness of this national outcry.

We will not be intimidated or shaken by threats since we have two options i.e. to suffer or to take action now.

Enough is enough we want our jobs now.

For and on behalf of young people of Zimbabwe

National Youth Spokesperson

Clifford Hlatywayo

Together to end,building a youth with a difference.