by Chiedza Muswe
President Emmerson Mnangagwa denounced people that resort to violence to express themselves. This follows the recent flash demos by MDC youths.
President Mnangagwa said this while addressing people who converged at Mupandawana Growth Point in Gutu for the national clean-up campaign.
He denounced violence and urged people to be civil in their actions. He went on to castigate those who torch buses and destroy properties.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been organising flush demos over the past week in Chitungwiza, Mabvuku and Mufakose respectively. The demos flopped as only a handful of about 40 MDC hooligans turned up for the illegal demonstrations. MDC youths were also up in arms with Job Sikhala who had failed to pay them the US$300 funds he had promised as an incentive to participate, but instead were given ZWL300.
A source who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, said MDC members have now realised that they were being used by MDC leaders to advance their individual agendas as such they have resorted to go about their business, saying Government was offering better initiatives like the incubation hubs so they become entrepreneurs.
“Vana Sikhala vajaira kutishandisa we are now aware that they seek only to use us, taneta nekushandiswa isu, (we are sick and tired of being used to advance individual agendas). This is the reason some MDC supporters are now leaving the party. Some are even considering joining Zanu PF because of the opportunities that are offered for youth development, none of those exist in the MDC.’
I heard that there are Government incubation hubs that encourage entrepreneurship among the youths and women, which is far much better than running battles with the law enforcement agents in the name of MDC.
“Most, if not all, of the demos we have participated in as MDC youths tinorohwa and at times risk being arrested by the Police, but for what really. Vamwe vedu vakasungwa over these violent demos but the leaders are nowhere to be seen. Our MDC leaders do not pay us. We are being used for nothing. So it is best to work with Government inema positive developments,” he said.
President Mnangagwa has always implored youths to be peaceful, shun violence and acquire entrepreneurship skills that make them employers. He is on record saying incubation centres are a key conduit that will drive the modernization and industrialization of the economy as it equips young people with entrepreneurial skills to start their own businesses, as the country works towards achieving an Upper middle class economy status by 2030.
Government adopted the business incubation concept to accelerate the development and growth of start-up businesses. President Mnangawa has always been calling for greater collaboration and linkages between incubation hubs, research institutes. That is why the University of Zimbabwe, MSU and the National University of science and Technology have built incubation hubs at their institutions.
