By Netho Francisco

PREPARATIONS for this year’s 21st February Movement celebrations have gathered momentum with the ZANU PF Secretary for Youth League Absolom Sikhosana announcing this week that the festivities will be capped by a musical gala.
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Harare on Monday, Cde Sikhosana said preparations for the gala had begun.
He dismissed as baseless assertions that the gala, which has become a permanent feature of the celebrations would not be held this year.
“We are certain that the 21st February Movement gala will be held this year,” said Cde Sikhosana.
“We have already started major preparations for the event, to make it more entertaining for our youths and the many people who will witness the celebrations.”
Without giving the exact date for the gala and the artistes expected to grace the occasion, Cde Sikhosana said the event will be held soon after the main celebrations set for Marondera on March 1.
“After receiving lessons from the great leader (President Robert Mugabe) at the main event, young people need to be entertained,” Cde Sikhosana said.
“Therefore, in the evening they will meet to entertain themselves, interact and network through the gala.”
Apart from the gala, the 21st February Movement committee has lined a fundraising dinner for the event to be held on February 7.
Meanwhile, Cde Skhosana said they have suspended any other fundraising activities conducted countrywide meant to finance the major event.
He said all fundraising activities will be conducted by the 21st February Movement Committee’s secretary for finance for accountability and avert situations were members of the public are fleeced under the guise of fundraising for the event.
“The previous fundraising system was creating problems with our donors,” he said.
“We want to avoid a situation where some people were using the name of the President for their personal gains.
“Therefore, we have suspended any other fundraising projects, only the finance committee will be liable to carry out fundraising activities for this year’s 21st February Movement celebrations.”
President Robert Mugabe turns 90 years next month.
He has been a champion of various economic empowerment programmes which have resulted in improvement of the lives of youths.
Some of the policies advancing youth development that have been put in place by President Mugabe include the highly successful Land Reform Programme under which youths have received land and are now playing an integral part in the agriculture sector.
Through the Indigenisation policy, youths have also been given room to become employers by establishing their own entities in mining and manufacturing among other sectors.