ZAPU embarks on leadership renewal excercise
The Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) has embarked on self renewal path by infusing the youth and women in the top leadership structures ahead of the 2020 congress.
By Lungile Ngwenya
The Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) has embarked on self renewal path by infusing the youth and women in the top leadership structures ahead of the 2020 congress.
The decision was made at a party’s national executive meeting held in Gweru, Sunday, to review the party’s performance during the July harmonised elections.
The party noted that the inclusion of youth and women was a response to calls for their emancipation.
“This stance and attitude by the mother party is informed by the national demographics in which youths constitute about 60% of the population while women are over 52%,”said Iphithule Maphosa, the party’s spokesperson.
He said young people and women need a larger representation in governance issues and ZAPU was spearheading the process in their empowerment.
“Two youths are to be added and will sit in the ZAPU Presidency with immediate effect until congress 2020,”said Maphosa.
“Two women are to be added and will sit in ZAPU Presidency with immediate effect until congress 2020.”
Maphosa said all provinces have been instructed to foward names of preferred candidates.
He added that all deputy secretary positions in all party structures will be occupied by young people and women.
“The two groups will also be prioritized when filling current vacant positions in the party, obviously on grounds of merit derived from capacity, availability and loyalty to the party,” he said.
Maphosa said the rebranding exercise is necessary to reposition the party in the contemporary political era as well as responding to current needs of the different constituencies making up the electorate.
“These constituencies were identified as the different demographic groups within the society, the rural and urban communities, the farmers, miners and workers as well as special groups that are usually marginalized within our greater society,” he said.
Maphosa stated that the rebranding exercise will enable ZAPU to revert to the system of localized response to local issues, each tailor made to suit the varying circumstances our people find themselves in
