Tendai Chirau: A selfless Patriot!
3 min read
Deserted that’s how it looked,
Home of the Aged that’s how they spoke about it,
Silent like an aftermath of an earthquake,
A dying village where all young men have gone to the city
These are some of the sentences that could describe the ZANU PF Headquarters in 2008 in April after the announcement of the Harmonised Elections results.
As the members of the Opposition were blowing horns, playing loud music and planning to turn April 2nd as the New Independence day, many of the ZANU PF Politburo members were sitting on the edge with stamped passports ready to leave the Country in a huff.
President Mugabe called for a special Politburo meeting which he spoke to each and every member when greeting them before the start of the crucial meeting. It could have been the last Politburo Meeting of ZANU PF in power. You could see on their faces that most of them had given up and ready to fly away.
After the Politburo Meeting, the National Executive of the Youth League called for a joint meeting of Youths and Students. Amongst the Youths were the dreaded ‘green bombers’ The National Youth Service Graduates.
At that meeting, it was decided that the Youths will defend the Party, the Revolution and carry the revolutionary torch going forward. Amongst those I met at that crucial meeting was one Tendai Chirau. A former students leader and a graduate of National Youth Service.
From thereon, Cde Chirau has appeared at every important juncture in the Revolution.
He had helped rebuild Student activism and Politics through his works with ZICOSU,
He is amongst those who challenged the Opposition in their public meetings they conduct from time to time in places such as Zimbabwe German Society, SAPES Trust and at Ambassador Hotel hosted by MPOI.
Very vocal and active in the run up to 2014 Congress when Mai Mujuru and the Cabal were chucked out of the Party.
He was amongst the 3 youths who could contribute and question things during Harare PCC meetings together with Tendai Wenyika and yours truly
Remained resolute during persecution of Lacoste between 2015 and 2017 to the point of losing his position in the Provincial Youth League Executive.
After being appointed to the National Executive as Secretary for Administration, he took a bold decision and resigned from his government post to focus on building the Youth League!
2018 election was a hashtag election and Cadre Chirau was on the forefront of #EdHasMyVote and #EDpfee slogans.
After the Press Conference debacle, Cde Chirau was appointed as Acting Youth League boss and worked tirelessly to ensure continuation of the Youth League as the vanguard of the Party. He brought new ideas and he is leaving the Youth League with an income generating project in the form of House of Cheneso.
There were issues at 2009 and 2014 National Youth Conferences but none at all during the 7th Conference as Cde Chirau was in full control of the processes.
Some may chose to judge him harshly but they must remember, he was the Acting Deputy Secretary, without the Secretary for Youth Affairs, Secretary for Administration, Secretary for Commisariat and had a skeletal staff!
Cadre Tendai Chirau is an embodiment of loyalty, principle and selflessness and above all, he has remained loyal to the Party and the President
written by Tapfumaneyi Vivian Banhire, a guy who has been observing from a distance
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