Pan African Youth Summit in Zimbabwe

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Introduction

The summit was held at Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe on the 25[suP]th[/suP] of February 2007. It coincided with massive celebrations of Honourable President R.G. Mugabe birthday in the city on the 24[suP]th[/suP] of February 2007. The aim of the meeting was to ensure that the Pan Africanist organisations in Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Azania has same ideological framework, identification organisational strengths, identification of organisational needs and exploring possibilities of collaboration.

Ideological Framework
It was established that our organisations believes in Pan Africanism with its pillars being African Nationalism, Socialism and Continental Unity. The summit acknowledged the there are two contesting ideologies on the continent which are Pan Africanism and Neo-Liberalism. It is further acknowledge that the imperialist have actively supported Neo-liberals with financial, technical and propaganda to ensure permanent state of neo-colonialism in Africa.

State Report
PAYCO reported that Azania is works for the interest of Western Countries and their multinational corporations instead of Africans. PAC was forced into a CODESA agreement that were aim at assure European Diaspora economic control. The status of African people has not improved and still treated as second class citizens in real sense when viewed in terms of economic control, educational opportunities, health care, crime and judicial decisions.

NNLCYL reported the plight of Africans in Swaziland who are subjects and not citizens. The report elaborated on negative effects of absolute monarchy that is self-centred, with non-existence of checks and balances, politically unaccountable, financially uncountable and general lacks vision. Historically Swaziland has been â€œprotectedâ€? by Britain for benefit of Britain and extravagant Royal family. Political parties have been banned, there is no political freedom.

ZIPAYA reported that Zimbabwe was under extreme pressure from Europe and European Diaspora. The manipulation of financial systems particularly current has created serious problem for import and Zimbabwe international trade. The sanction are not targeted to leadership as propagated in Western media, there are targeted to all Zimbabweans. There are economic sabotage like destructive seeds & fertilisers and buying food from farms for burning it. In spite of that imperialist terror Zimbabwe is resolve on economic recovery through Look to the East Policy and Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.

Youth Development
There is no political will to implement youth development in Azania and Swaziland due to short sightedness of current governance. Swaziland has a weak institution in Youth Commission that aimed at disable civil society initiative than real youth development.

There are great resources that have put into youth development in Azania but due to lack of vision, institution structure that in focussed on advocacy rather than implementation (Youth Commission instead if Youth Ministry) and corrupt tendencies in ruling party.

Zimbabwe gave a different picture that of vibrant in youth development including clear leadership development, increased access to educational facilities, integrated skills development, youth benefited 80% of land from the redistribution programme and youth ministry with strong leadership.

Land Programme
ZIPAYA took an opportunity explain factors that delayed the implementation land programme for twenty years including Lancaster Agreement, British dishonesty and Apartheid War demands. The government farmer support systems were explained including comprehensive network of agricultural colleges, agriculturists (Research Extension Officers) are on the ground, seeds and equipments. The Ministry of State invests in mechanisations and agricultural production. It mentioned that policy in one person one farm therefore everyone who had farm still has farm that is why only 400 of 4500 European descendents left the country. The land utilisation by new farmers is high.

Resolution
1. It was resolved to establish a Working Committee constituted by Presidents and Secretary Generals of Southern African Structure of Pan Africanist Organisations namely the Zimbabwe Pan African Youth Agenda (ZIPAYA), Swazilandâ€™s Ngwane National Liberatory Congress Youth League (NNLCYL) and Pan Africanist Youth Congress of Azania (PAYCO)]. The Working Committee shall within two weeks announce the date on the next meeting.

2. It was resolve that the Working Committee must embark on recruiting Pan Africanists Organisations across the Region further recommend on matters of organisational framework including constitution and location of domicile (headquarters).
3. It was resolved that the Pan Africanist institution being built shall take active interest in political elections in Region with the intension of ensures ideological victory in Southern Africa. It was noted that revolutionaries must start preparing for continental democratic elections.
4. It was resolved that the African youth through their enterprise should aggressively create alternative trade institutions and channels with understanding the imperialist world (Western Powers) are working to ensure that Zimbabwe as rest of Africa becomes a colony again through sanction, currency manipulation and malicious propaganda.
5. It was resolved that Zimbabwe should extension of Ideological (Patriotic Studies) Training to whole of Southern Africa Pan Africanist Organisations and intensification of Pan African Youth Empowerment work in areas of Ideologically, Political, Social, Technical, Economical and Financial.
6. It was resolved to take active participation on international reparations movement and provide leadership to reparation work to done in Southern Africa.
7. It was resolved that a media outlets should be established including website, newspapers, newsletters and others for effective propagation and alternative news communication channel.
8. It was resolved that leadership of African people in Zimbabwe should be applauded for successful land redistribution programme.
9. It was resolve that Pan Africanists in Southern Africa collaborate in resources mobilisation projects.
Conclusion
The summit was a great success due to logistic arrangement of ZIPAYA under leadership President Kwanisai Mafa and summit chairing of Thamie Hlatshwayo, President of NNLCYL and all parties showed determination of ensuring that the resolutions are implemented. Pan Africanists are notorious for perpetual conferencing and little or no implementation in coordinate fashion in true sense of undermining colonial borders. It must be mentioned that one of major reason of the first meeting being in Zimbabwe was to indicate that its importance as only Pan Africanist governed country in Southern Africa to further insist that it has to take its role seriously in terms of expanding ideological supremacy in Region thus same role that Cuba has played in Latin America and Iran is playing in Western Asia. Financial support from revolutionary structure is critical for the success of this project. The immediate milestones are institutional development, increase the number of countries involved, participating in African peoplesâ€™ international business and deepen buy-in from our constituencies. Pan Africanism is a solution to Africa or Africans are condemned to permanent domination.

Prepared on behalf of Working Committee by:
Sbusiso Xaba, President, Pan Africanist Youth Congress (PAYCO) of Azania
Sbusiso.xaba@gmail.com