Former Zanu PF member and chairman of Zimbabwe Youth Council Ace Lumumba has said time is now ripe for him to form a youth political party that will contest the 2018 presidential elections.
Addressing youths who had gathered for a Public Meeting on Political Solutions to National Affairs, Lumumba reiterated his desire to form his own party that will represent the “needs of youths”
“I think the time is now that as youths we form our own party that will listen to our concerns. We have been receiving empty promises from the current crop of opposition and the ruling party,” said Lumumba.
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Although the event was cancelled for failing to adhere to the stipulations and regulations of the Public Order and Security Act by way of notifying the police, Lumumba addressed the gathered crowd. He said the need to have a youth’s political party follows the idea that young people are sidelined from socio-political and economic decision making positions in the country.
“Too often youths are not given a platform to address their challenges, these old politicians do not listen to us. We have suffered enough that is why we now want to do it alone.
“We believe if we form our own party, we will be able to address these shortfalls because we know amongst ourselves what we need to do for this country to move forward.
“So let me make it categorically clear that my team and I, together with youths from different social spheres are going to come up with a roadmap and after that we are definitely forming our political party” he said
This is the first time that the youthful politician has categorically declared his ambition to form his own party having previously minced his words about his political ambitions after he left Zanu PF.
In an interview published on youtube, Lumumba declared his presidential ambitions saying that was the reason why he was in politics. He said everyone in Zanu PF wants to be the president, but President Robert Mugabe’s continued stay in power and his (Mugabe) delay in announcing his successor was blocking everyone hence the factional fights within the ruling party.
Lumumba said he is not intimidated by the rigid Zanu PF system as he is aware of ‘all the tricks” and is ready to face whatever comes his way.
He had spent the previous night hauled up in police cells and said that is not going to deter his revolution. He accused police of siding with the ruling Zanu PF and using dirty tricks to scare off those that challenge President Mugabe.
He urged youths to be bold and resilient and be ready for a wave of change that will sweep across the country saying it’s time for every young person to join hands and fight for their future
Recently, the former radio presenter has been in the press for leaked sexual pictures and a sex tape which he recorded with an unidentified woman.
The explicit sex material surfaced after his house was raided by the police, who took his electronic gadgets amongst other things, a move which he said was prearranged by Zanu PF.
The aborted public meeting which has been rescheduled for a later date was supposed to feature Lumumba as the key note speaker along other speakers notably, Patson Dzamara, brother to missing journalist-cum political activist, Itai.
