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Statement by ZIYA on upcoming elections
Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance (ZIYA)
May 01, 2012

Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance (ZIYA) is now geared up for the upcoming elections having been refueled through a strong mandate by the youths of Zimbabwe who have decided to vote themselves into power and abandon voting for political parties and leaders that quickly abandon them soon after they assume power - MDC being the closest epitomic example. In a landmark development that will turn the tables around in the Zimbabwean political market where all other parties are also targeting the same youths who constitute the biggest percentage of voters in the country ZIYA is now putting National structures for leadership and candidates in all parliamentary and senatorial constituencies.

The Youths of Zimbabwe have realised it the hard way that the only way they can participate in the mainstream politics can never be through other political parties that have demonstrated over the years that they are not interested in leadership regeneration. And the youths have further established that the only way to benefit from empowerment programmes one needs political will and connections. ZIYA which is under the leadership of founding President Moses Mutyasira, Norman Mbanje (Secretary General) and Stanley 'Nhamodzenyika' Makombe (National Chairman) is currently consolidating its full executive members drawing from all youths institutions in all provinces who shall be announced in due course.

ZIYA shall is guided by home grown, reconciliatory, nationalistic and Pan-African political values to empower the youths through a political muscle to benefit from Land Reform and Indigenisation of Zimbabwean resources through government policy. We respect our history founded on the liberation struggle that gave birth to our independence in 1980. And as sons and daughters of war veterans that shade blood to deliver freedom we still enjoy today we shall not forget that it was through that sacrifice that espouse our peace and tranquility today.

With so much that has happened in between independence and now, as a Youth driven party we are insightful of the fact that it is key to ensure the continuous existence of freedom in order to achieve the economic freedom, justice and democracy that we seek to champion for our self and all Zimbabweans. We shall at all cost defend our sovereignty from any detractors, neo-liberal, reactionary and imperialist forces that may seek to reverse the gains of our independence and our peace. And to buttress this strategy our party shall have a Military Youth Wing upon which the Youths will all enroll for the current government's youth training programmes annually. We strongly believe that its possible to be a great political party at the same time showing respect to friends and enemies alike can get us a long way and that nothing beats this combination. We shall exercise reconciliation and generosity with pragmatism while finding common ground between humanity's higher values and the party's aspirations to power.

Key among our election policies include fighting for economic freedom for all Zimbabweans while targeting the Youths against the background of the current 90% unemployment indeginisation and economic empowerment program, afford the youths to participate in running government through a quota system that shall allow only those aged below 30 years to occupy all deputy party and government positions, afford equal opportunity of land ownership by all Zimbabweans as their right irrespective of political affiliation, aim to resuscitation manufacturing sector to curtail unemployment while boosting foreign currency generation, focus on managing key fundamental economic factors to make Zimbabweans largely of middle class citizens, influence pro-business policy enactment framework in government and attract investment, separate the judiciary and the executive powers to influence the rule of law, put stiff penalty for those found guilty of corruption, put mechanisms to bring back our Zim dollar currency, capacitate the agriculture sector by establishing a land bank to fund commercial farming, promote road, water, energy and shopping malls infrastructure development and maintenance, change the education system to compliment the entrepreneurial government policy, among some of them. The full policy blue print will be availed to the media soon.

As a young party for the youths we have realised that empowering ourselves with political power is the only 'Value Addition' that is relevant to our disposal. We have to take it upon ourselves to represent our interest as we are naturally concerned about the next generation as we still have long life ahead of us as compared to traditional politicians who are only concerned about the next election.

We are open to work with all youths and youth organisations who can join us as alliances including those in the Diaspora. As a united Youth party we are poised to become the main political party in Zimbabwe owing to our numbers, drive and aspirations.

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