THE Zanu PF youth league leadership is on fire, with the party’s national secretary for youth affairs Tinoda Machakaire at loggerheads with his deputy John Paradza after a shake-up of the leadership announced on Monday.
Machakaire announced the league’s national youth leadership reshuffle where he removed elected national youth executive council members as the succession-linked internal fights intensify.
The reshuffle has resulted in a tug-of-war between Machakaire and Paradza, with the latter alleging that he was not consulted on the reshuffle.
Informed sources told NewsDay that the developments were linked to on-going factional fights within the ruling party over a plot to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term from 2028 to 2030.
Zanu PF adopted the controversial resolution to extend Mnangagwa’s rule at the party’s annual conference in Bulawayo in October.
Mnangagwa has, however, stated publicly that he is not interested in extending his term of office.
But behind the scenes manoeuvres by 2030 agenda supporters, mainly from Masvingo and Midlands provinces, have left the party divided with national and provincial executive members at odds with grassroots structures opposed to Mnangagwa’s term extension.
Paradza is reported to be leading the 2030 drive amid allegations that he sponsored activities to mobilise youths towards the agenda.
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Machakaire, who is also the Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training minister, restructured the league in line with what he termed this year’s national conference resolutions which seeks to align teams to the 2030 national agenda.
Impeccable sources told NewsDay that Machakaire, who is taking the back seat, effected the changes to shield himself since Paradza was becoming uncontrollable.
“These changes are intended to enhance the fulfilment of the Zanu PF youth league’s constitutional obligations and meticulous execution of the national people’s conference resolutions,” he said in the circular released from the party’s national headquarters in Harare.
The appointed leaders include Tsungai Makumbe (secretary for finance), Phinias Makombe (commissariat), Philippa Mukoko (external relations), Munashe Mtutsa (information), Valeria Makonza (legal affairs) and Garikai Zonde (science and technology).
Paradza took the war to Machakaire by directing youth executive members to ignore the reshuffle.
“My office has received several complaints from the affected national executive members who were reshuffled from their positions without proper procedures being adhered to,” Paradza said in a letter to Machakaire.
“I refer to article 25 section 339 of the party constitution, which clearly articulates the roles of the secretary for youth affairs.”
Paradza said he had since written to Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu seeking urgent intervention on the matter.
“I have since written to the affected comrades guiding them to remain in their positions and continue with their responsibilities as mandated by the national youth conference of May 2022 until a clear instruction is issued by the secretary-general,” he wrote.
“That having been said, the purported reshuffle is hereby put on hold until further notice.”
Machakaire yesterday said Paradza was offside and ordered his deputy to retract his statement or face disciplinary action.
“In your letter, you have made vague reference to the composition of the youth league national executive council without particularity on the provision you rely on to make your assertions,” Machakaire said in his correspondence addressed to Paradza.
“You will note that there has been no deviation whatsoever from the clear provisions of the constitution as no member of the youth league national council has been affected by the removal from the national executive council.
“As head of the youth league, I have communicated the adjustments as I have been duly guided by my principal in terms of article 10(88)(1)(2) and (13) and article 26(339) (1) and (4).”
Meanwhile, the saga has sucked in the party’s Matabeleland provincial chairpersons who in a combined letter addressed to the party’s leadership revolted against the reshuffle.
The three include Freedom Murechu (Bulawayo), Moses Langa (Matabeleland South) and Lundy Sinzeka (Matabeleland North).
“The Matabeleland region provinces wish to highlight the issues that have been overlooked in that process, but have far-reaching implications in the whole body politic of the youth league and that of the party in general,” read their letter.
They copied the letter to Mpofu, Paradza, youth league secretary for administration Tendai Chiwetu and other senior party members.
“Firstly, the reshuffle has left the whole Matabeleland region without a full-time person at the headquarters since Cde Zonde was stationed there before being affected by the process,” the letter added.
“Secondly, it has also altered the regional balance of power by removing the Matabeleland region entirely from the administration of the youth league.
“In the same spirit of leaving no one and no place behind, we feel excluded in the decision-making process, which will demoralise our youth structures.”
They also said the reshuffle altered the ranking that was agreed to in the provinces during the youth league elective conferences.
