Violent youths disappoint YALI

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:18:48 +0000

December 7 2012

Young people’s participation in political violence has infuriated the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) who has accused the old generation politicians of inciting youth to get involved in violent behaviour.

YALI president Andrew Ntewewe said yesterday that his organisation was dismayed at the abuse of young people by old politicians whose interests were personal and unjustified.

Mr. Ntewewe cited the incident at the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) secretariat where scores of MMD youths manhandled the former party secretary general Major Richard Kachingwe over the weekend.

“We strongly condemn the culture of old politicians who use young people as tools of violence in pursuit of their personal interests,” Mr. Ntewewe said.

He charged that instead of violence, political leaders should seek to resolve their disputes amicably to avoid getting on the wrong side of the law.

He charged that the MMD should not overlook laid down procedures in solving their internal issues as they did on the matter of Major Richard Kachingwe over the weekend.

Mr. Ntewewe condemned the culture of violence which resulted in young people running away from the police offences they hardly understood.

“These old politicians sit back and watch the violence and then later condemn the acts when the Police appear on the scene,” he said.

Mr. Ntewewe said his organisation was aware of wider schemes behind the squabbles in the MMD which were aimed at destroying the strength of the opposition in the country.

“We understand there could be an underhand which does not want multiparty, an imitable hand which wants to turn this country into a one party state,” he said.

Mr. Ntewewe accused the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) of trying to silence the opposition by poaching members including parliamentarians to disturbilise the political party, which was a direct assault on democracy.

He advised the MMD to strategise on ways of dealing with erring membership in a civil manner as opposed to the use of violence.

He also called on the young people to avoid getting entangled in illegal activities for the sake of getting a beer.