Youth wings from 21 political parties and civic society that participated in the formulation of a framework for dialogue will converge and march in solidarity and support of the dialogue which was introduced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa early this month.
The parties under the banner of Youth Dialogue Forum (YoDiF) will on Thursday march in solidarity of the National Dialogue. The convener of YoDiF Alex Gakanje said that young people have decided to put their difference aside in support of the national agenda.
“It is important as young people to put our political differences aside as we address the national question, our President (Emerson Mnangagwa) called for a national dialogue and we should support it,” said Gakanje.
Gakanje went on to say that dialogue should involve all structures of the society. “Dialogue is not dialogue enough when it involves leaders only, the leaders might dialogue at the top level whilst us as young people will still be persecuting each other at grassroot level,” added Gakanje.
Tafadzwa Mugwadi who was representing ZANU PF said that external forces should stay away from Zimbabwe issues. “Our friends should know that this issue of dialogue is a Zimbabwean issue, in this process of dialogue I urge all our friends either westerners or Easterners to stay afar. This is not an external issue, no one should dictate to us the way to conduct this process,” said Mugwadi.
Zanu PF Secretary for Youth Pupurai Togarepi said that he was pleased to see young people from different political backgrounds converging. “I am pleased to see young people from different political parties converging, we should speak in one voice against sanctions, we should speak with one voice against violence,” said Togarepi.
However, the gathering was dismissed by the MDC Alliance National Youth Chairperson Happymore Chidziva who said that the gathering was only for ZANU PF and its extensions. “That gathering was for ZANU PF and it extensions, that is why we were not invited, I believe those are preparatory meetings for them to meet us, if you look at the people who gathered there, none of their political parties contested the July 30 election,” said Chidziva. Meanwhile YoDiF will be officially launched on Thursday 14 February in the Capital.
