By Tatenda Mavetera – Minister of ICT, MP for Chikomba West

Tendai Chirau, a long-time Zanu PF youth leader with a chequered public image, recently marked his 40th birthday—and I extend my warm congratulations on reaching this milestone.

As someone who once served under your leadership when you held the position of Secretary for Youth Affairs, I feel compelled to acknowledge the impact you had on many of us. Your mentorship, though not without its critics, left a strong imprint on the path I continue to walk as Minister of ICTPCS.

Your passion for youth empowerment lit a fire in many, and your words and actions, though sometimes controversial, shaped a generation of young party activists. Many of us still carry the lessons you imparted—lessons about loyalty, discipline, and survival within the political terrain.

It would be remiss not to thank President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for entrusting you with such influence and later retaining you as a Politburo member. As you well know, your current role isn’t just symbolic—it is representative of us, the younger generation. You and other youthful PB members are, quite literally, standing in for us. That comes with responsibility and expectation.

While not everyone may agree with your methods or legacy, no one can deny that you’ve left a mark. Your guidance paved the way—sometimes forcefully, sometimes inspiringly—for many young people within the party ranks.

May this next chapter bring you both personal growth and reflection. As you enter your fifth decade, may it be filled with clarity, fulfilment, and perhaps a deeper commitment to inclusive leadership and national progress.

Cheers to 40 complex, influential, and undeniably eventful years.