With a 91-year-old leader, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has painted the picture of an organisation stuck in the past led by geriatrics clinging to the liberation struggle which more than half the population does not know about except through literature. But Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa says this could be changing. “Where we are going, we need to embrace a new approach to life. We need young cadres who are educated and capable of negotiating with other developed nations. This is the new crop of cadres with technical skills who are very bright young people,” he said at the funeral of former deputy Minister Simon Musanhu. But Mnangagwa was quick to add that even then, there was still need to respect the elders because they know the direction that the party has to follow. “Tevera vakuru nokuti ndivo vanoziva gwara; ndivo vanoziva kuti kuyanana kwakanaka kukunda kurwisana,” he said. This was the same tactic Mnangagwa used to survive the purge in the run-up to the party congress that saw heavyweights like Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Nicholas Goche and Dzikamai Mavhaire fall by the wayside. “Haugari chigaro chekuti nyika inoenda kupi vakuru vasingadi….Zvoto zvinamazera. Haungoti iwe madhara akagara apo, newe wonogaravo. Kana kudenga kune zvoto, zvoto zvengirozi, kwaigoti Mwari naJesu, nemweya mutsvene…Kana panyika pane zvoto zvapo, saka ziva kuti kune zvoto zvavakuru, zvichiderera zvichiderera. Kana mumusangano, vamwe havazivi zvoto zvavo, vanotozozviziva nemitemo yandinenge ndanyora, vozoziva kuti ichi choto, handifaniri kupinda,” Mnangagwa said.
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