ZANU PF has hijacked the soon to be re-launched controversial national youth service (NYS) programme dangling freebies to lure the party’s youths to register amid low interest in the “politicised” project.
The national youth service training, which runs for six months, will restart in June this year at Dadaya and Vumba training centres.
Government expects 1 000 youths to register for the programme ahead of its re-launch.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to officially re-launch the programme in Mashonaland East province next month.
NewsDay is, however, reliably informed that officials were not satisfied with the rate at which the youth were registering, which resulted in Zanu PF running a parallel registration programme.
It has also been established that the ruling party was promising project start-ups for youth on condition that they registered for the programme.
The youth were also being promised automatic entrance to civil service professions such as teaching, nursing, police, army and others upon completion of the six-month training.
Ruling party officials have also embarked on a mobilisation exercise at cell level to ensure the programme is fully subscribed.
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A message circulating on social media for the campaign and seen by NewsDay read: “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.”
Zanu PF director of information, Farai Marapira, said the ruling party was in support of national programmes, adding that the youth service was oversubscribed.
“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.”
Youth Empowerment minister Tinoda Machakaire could not be reached for comment.
The NYS programme was initially launched by the late Zanu PF political commissar Border Gezi in 2001.
The programme came under a barrage of attack as it was dismissed as a training ground for the feared and infamous Zanu PF youth brigades that became known as “green bombers” because of the colour of their paramilitary uniform.
According to human rights reports, the green bombers were responsible for electoral violence,including rape and murder of their victims.
