Promise Mkwananzi is a youthful, charismatic, Zmbabwean politician, he is the ex-President of the Zimbabwe National Student Union (ZINASU). In his career as a student leader, MKwananzi was expelled from the University of Zimbabwe. He was also arrested numerous times for leading students protests against the government's unjust education policies. He was recently elected into the MDC youth assembly as secretary general and appointed a member of the national executive committee as secretary for youth affairs, making him the youngest national executive member in the party' history at 28. A close ally of Morgan Tsvangirai, Mkwananzi did his education at the Utrecht University in Netherlands where we attained a bachelor degree in political science and international relations. He also attained a masters in international development studies. He is seen as one of the key emerging leaders of the party, challenging the autonomy that was solely enjoyed by Nelson Chamisa who is celebrated as the only former student leader to lead the party. Mkwananzi is viewed by many as a radical intellectual who sides with the poor especially peasant, workers and the youth. He is highly tipped to be appointed into a cabinet position if the MDC comes into power because of his education credentials. Mkwananzi is also a fierce advocate of youth autonomy, arguing that the youth should be at the forefront of both the revolution and decision making. He is widely known for his eye for an eye call in which he called upon the youth to retaliate violence from ZANU PF youths. Mkwananzi lives in Harare

Harare

Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...

, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

.

Comparisons with Julius Malema

Attempts to draw parallels between Julius Malema and Mkwananzi have been met with heavy criticism. Those who are against this view argue that Mkwananzi is too cautions, even timid to challenge the authiorities that be in thé MDC. Secondly that thé MDC youth assembly is in itself too weak to allow Mkwananzi to do this. Mkwananzi is also said to lack thé political base to do this as hé is a relative outsider in thé party. Hé recently assumed thé powerful youth position in 2010 when hé returned from the Netherlands where hé was studying. Meanwhile Malema is a radical deeply rooted in the ANC with massive business interests tosupport his actions. It remains to be seen how Mkwananzi will establish himself in the party.

Mkwananzi was a law student at UZ [University of Zimbabwe]], and as a result of his engangement in the students movement which is critical of the dictatorship of Robert Gabriel Mugabe and by some accounts the government de-registered him in June 2007. Mkwananzi went on to complete hist studies in the Netherlands.

Attempted arrest

Police tried unsuccessfully to arrest him on June 20, 2007. Mkwananzi through said he believed they were trying to prevent him from traveling to Europe for the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. A few days earlier police confiscated the passport of the President of the Movement for Democratic Change

Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara

The Movement for Democratic Change — Mutambara is a Zimbabwean political party led by Welshman Ncube.-Foundation:The Movement for Democratic Change was founded in 1999 as an opposition party to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party led by President Robert Mugabe...

, Arthur Mutambara

Arthur Mutambara

Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara is a Zimbabwean politician. He became the President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara faction in February 2006. He has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute since September 2003...

an, raided the house of the Vice-Chairperson the Students Christian Movement of Zimbabwe, Lawrence Mashungu, and beat the President of the Students Representative Council, Witlaw Mugwiji

Witlaw Mugwiji

-Attempted arrest:In June 2007 Masvingo University security officers beat Mugwiji so badly he required hospitalization. At around the same time police tried unsuccessfully to arrest Promise Mkwananzi , confiscated the passport of Movement for Democratic Change President Arthur Mutambara, and raided...

, so badly he had to be hospitalized.