The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front youth conference was well planned but poorly implemented with delegates not getting enough buses and food to the extent that President Robert Mugabe had to bail them out. Although Mugabe blasted his lieutenants, he never answered the question about who was to blame or how things went wrong. But he asked a very interesting question: What is happening in the party? “We have started late, why? Mabhazi anga asina kuoganaizwa. Vanhu vanga vasina kunotorwa kune dzimwe nzvimbo even now. Why, why, why? I will not accept kuti zvinonzi tanga tisina mari, mari yemabhazi. Ko, masubscriptions evanhu ari kuenda kupi? Ehe we must be frank, I am just not happy! The whole of the Central Committee has been sitting to plan these conferences on the basis that the financial side of the party, those who are responsible for raising finances of the party, are doing so, only to be told that we don’t even have a single cent. What is happening in the party? I have also been informed kuti kwakaiswa vanhu, apart from the delay in transport, havana kudya. Aah! Tiri kushaya kana kugadzirira vanhu? Hapana zvokudya, we cannot provide food for the people? The Central Committee, what are we doing? Why members dzepamusorosoro? And that is the situation yandanga ndichiudzwa tisati tapinda muno kuti hakuna zvekudya iye zvino. So, ndati kuna Mai Mugabe, takarima chibage, 1 000 tonnes ngavanotora uko, pane kuti tinzi hakuna. There is nothing at all kune vanhu. Okay, hupfu hunodaka kubika nenyama saka tati tinotora mombe dziriko. Within the party isu members tobva tatadza kana kuita macontributions? So, it doesn’t matter how many cattle whether they are 20 or 30 tati ngadzinotorwa dzenyama. It’s very painful. Mukaka tomborega kutengesa kuDairy ikoko. Ngauuye upihwe vanhu vanwe tea ine mukaka.” This was quite revealing especially in view of what Mugabe said next. “Our people are generous people. You can’t tell me our people could not donate even a cent towards this Congress. Anyway, we shall look at the matter tozvivheneka isu vatungamiri nokuti vanhu are just concentrating on power, zvimusangano…but where does the power come from? It comes from these people. So, I would want to apologise for the inconveniences. Saka mozvibata tichagadzira kuti muve nebetter stay. I just don’t want what has happened. Saka tichange tichigadzira navaSikhosana. I will ask some members vatichasarudza from the Central Committee kuti tiite committee yekubata zvinhu to manage the conference and the welfare of the conference.”
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