ZANU PF legal affairs secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa has dismissed a lobby to have long-serving youth secretary Absalom Sikhosana removed from his post during the party’s congress in December as a futile exercise.
BLESSED MHLANGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
Mnangagwa, who is also Justice minister, told Zanu PF youths at Kaguvi Training Centre in the Midlands during belated 21st February Movement celebrations at the weekend that those eyeing Sikhosana’s post were wasting their time.
“Sikhosana is a big man. We sit with him in the high echelons of power. It is not up to you for him to be your leader; you just have to accept what we have organised for you,” he said.
“You can only elect as far as your national youth vice-chairman . . . you start from the lower levels electing your youth leaders, that we can allow you, but when it comes to Sikhosana, you end there.
“For those who are jostling and looking to seek answers on whether Sikhosana is going to be there or not, please don’t stress because it’s not your job.
“If you find yourself straying into that area, please brew some beer and say to your ancestors you are now leading me astray, please cleanse my evil thoughts.”
Mnangangwa said Sikhosana would be retained because he was the most trusted person to lead Zanu PF youths.
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“We give him that position because we see that he is the right person to give the youth direction and as we sit with him setting guidelines on how the party should be run we have faith in him,” he said.
The Zanu PF youth league set minimum age limits for its leaders last year at the Chinhoyi people’s conference with 35 years being the cut-off age.
Mnangagwa also urged the youth league to resist influence from senior party leadership saying they should be allowed to do their own things without undue influence.
Sikhosana at 65 has often been described as too old to lead the youth wing of President Robert Mugabe’s party.
