By Staff Reporter

THE cash-strapped Chitungwiza Town Council claims it has been forced by Zanu PF to employ hundreds of ruling party youths as general hands.

The activists, commonly known as Green Bombers, recently graduated from the controversial government-run national youth training programme.

The move is being viewed in the satellite town as a campaign gimmick ploy by Zanu PF ahead of the July 30 general elections.

Chitungwiza spokesperson, Lovemore Meya, confirmed the development.  

“Yes, they (youths) were recruited but through government under the ministry of youths,” he said.

Meya could not immediately reveal the number of youths the local authority was forced to employ under the scheme.

According to sources, the youths were recruited last Monday as general hands and deployed to most of the council’s departments.

The recruitment comes at a time the town is failing to pay its workers with outstanding wages running into millions of dollars.

The troubled local authority also owes hundreds of retrenched workers millions of dollars in terminal packages.

A number of fired workers are also suing the council, claiming unfair dismissal.