STANDING above two metres and nicknamed the ‘Jah Prayzah of Parliament’, Zanu PF’s Manicaland youth chairperson Stanley Sakupwanya, who recently secured a seat in the august House courtesy of the youth quota system, has naturally become a new centre of attraction in Zimbabwe’s 10th Parliament because of his height and youthful exuberance.
Fellow legislators cannot afford taking him for an ordinary young MP.
Sakupwanya (34) was nicknamed after the top Zimbabwean musician Mukudzei Mukombe affectionately known as Jah Prayzah because of their striking similarities.
Sakupwanya, who studied at Kwazulu Natal University in South Africa, is one of the brightest brains in the Zanu PF youth league and he has risen through the ranks to become a legislator.
During his days at university, he led a group of South African students to Gwanda where they empowered women through horticulture projects.
He said the exploits led him to visit countries like Germany representing South Africa at the Enictus Conference in Berlin in 2009.
“When I came back home from university, I started from the grassroots level. We were able to build a school in my ward together with my community in ward 38. . I supplied water and bricks for the community project,” he added
“I instituted numerous agricultural programmes for the youth, such as free tillage using my tractor. I supplied seed packs to kick-start some agricultural projects,” he added.
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Sakupwanya rose through the party ranks to become the Makoni district coordinating committee secretary for youth affairs and during the time he initiated beekeeping projects with 800 youths in the district, with technical assistance from Allied Timbers.
His successes in Makoni raised hope for all youth in the district, resulting in him being catapulted to the Manicaland provincial executive in 2021.
Sakupwanya and his youth leadership introduced the Manicaland youth housing scheme which has been a master stroke and a huge success with 3 600 youths in Chipinge having benefited from the project.
“I am proud of the Manicaland youth housing scheme which we started in Chipinge with 3 600 youths benefiting from the stands. There will be more stands in Buhera and Makoni , this is a result of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s housing for all drive,”.
He added that he will push for policies that empower youths in the country.
“In Parliament, l want to advocate for policies that create more economic opportunities for the young people. The youth league has created initiatives to source funding through businesses. We have created formal businesses. This is where we get some of the money for our campaigns,” he said.
“I was given the nickname Jah Prayzah in 2021 when I was involved in the Zanu PF Manicaland youth chairperson elections campaign in Chipinge. I was campaigning when one of our youths who was chairing the meeting said my height is similar to Jah Prayzah, and from that day they referred to me as the musician,” he said.
“If you are given a nickname by people, you have to accept it. l draw a lot of attention wherever l go. l am always the centre of attraction. It has helped me gain self-confidence. I push myself to maintain high standards in whatever I do. There is more to me than just the height, I am passionate about community development, this is something I started as a student at University of Kwazulu Natal,” he said.
