By Rungano Dzikira

MDC youths have come out guns blazing at Job Sikhala on failure to remit promised stipend having participated in last weeks’ flash demos in Harare and vowed that they would not participate in future demos unless they were prepaid.

This fall out, follows a payment of ZW$300 to the youths for staging sporadic demonstrations in the capital last week instead of the promised US$300.

Commenting on the matter, one Charles Mudyiwa accused Sikhala for misleading them into believing that they would be paid in foreign currency if they participated in last week’s demos.

“Our youth leader from Budiriro told us that Wiwa (as Job Sikhala is affectionately known among the youths’ circles) had assured that we would be paid US$300 soon after the demos.

“We did everything in accordance to instructions but surprisingly we only received RTGS $300. Manje next time hatibvumi, tinotoda mari yedu upfront tisati taenda kubasa because even gen’a reku Glen-Norah rati rakapihwawo mabond notes iwawa. Vajaira kutiitisa varume ava (next time we won’t do their dirty work unless they pay us upfront first because other youths from Glen-Norah are also disgruntled. Misleading us has become a habit for them)” he said.

In addition, he claimed that when the youths organised themselves and went to confront Sikhala over their foreign currency payment at his offices they were ultimately dismissed by an arrogant indifferent security guard who claimed that Sikhala was not around and also that they did not deserve any payment as they had failed to turn out for the demos in anticipated large numbers.

“It was as if this matter had already been discussed beforehand and they had agreed to renegade on the previously assured forex,” he said.

Efforts to get comment from Job Sikhala were fruitless as his phone went unanswered before time of press.