ZANU PF is accused of politicising the controversial National Youth Service (NYS) programme, which is set to be relaunched soon, by running a parallel programme to lure youths amid low interest in the project.
The national youth service training is set to restart in June this year at Dadaya and Vumba training centres, with the Government expecting 1,000 youths to register for the programme ahead of its re-launch.
According to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200026249/zanu-pf-hijacks-national-youth-service">NewsDay</a>, officials are not satisfied with the rate at which the youth are registering, which has resulted in ZANU PF running a parallel registration programme.
ZANU PF is said to be promising funds for projects for youth on condition that they register for the programme and government jobs upon completion of the six-month training.
A message circulating on social media for the campaign and seen by NewsDay suggests that ZANU PF is mobilising its structures to ensure the programme is fully subscribed. Reads the message:
<blockquote>
Please be informed that the Youth Service Zimbabwe will start training in June/July 2024 with 250 trainees at Vumba and 750 at Dadaya training centres with three months in camp and three months as community service.
Training this time includes skills training for all trainees. Inform and encourage youths in your wards to register so that they will be eligible for the training because only those in the ministry’s database will qualify.
</blockquote>
However, ZANU PF director of information, Farai Marapira, told NewsDay that the youth service was oversubscribed. Said Marapira:
<blockquote>
Our duty as a party is to support any patriotic programme which benefits Zimbabweans today and tomorrow.
We support this in any way we see fit and whether this will please our detractors or not it’s neither here nor there, but what I can say is our National Youth Service is oversubscribed just like our Chitepo School of Ideology which is overwhelmed.
Propaganda can no longer win. Zanu PF is the party of the moment.
</blockquote>
The NYS programme was initially launched in 2001 by the former ZANU PF political commissar and Minister of Youth, Border Gezi, who died in a car crash.
The programme churned out hundreds of youths who allegedly became the ZANU PF youth militia accused of unleashing violence on MDC supporters during the 2002 presidential election.
According to human rights reports, the “green bombers”, as the youths were referred to because of the colour of their paramilitary uniform, were responsible for electoral violence, including rape and murder of their victims.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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