Story by John Nhandara
MT HAMPDEN -LIONEL Mazarire of Chinhoyi Technical College in Mashonaland West Province has been elected Child President for the 2025–2026 term, following a tightly contested Junior Parliament election held in Harare this Monday.
Mazarire triumphed over nine other contestants drawn from across Zimbabwe’s ten provinces, in a democratic process overseen by the Zimbabwe Youth Council.
In his post-election address, Mazarire vowed to champion the implementation of children’s rights beyond rhetoric.
“We do not want children’s rights just written on paper; they must be upheld and implemented in practice. That is my major area of focus,” he said.
Michael Ndambani of Chaplin High School in Midlands Province, who finished second in the presidential race, was elected Speaker of Parliament for the 33rd Session of the Junior Parliament.
Ndambani pledged to use his new role to push for legislative instruments that address the needs and challenges of Zimbabwe’s children and young people.
“We want to craft robust legislative frameworks. The challenges that youths and children face must be addressed through policies that our Parliament will shape,” he noted.
Zimbabwe Youth Council Programmes Manager Mr Lungani Zwangobani described the electoral process as fair and transparent.
“We had ten contestants representing all the provinces of Zimbabwe and a total of 353 votes were cast. The process went smoothly. The newly elected Child President will now appoint two Vice Presidents and his cabinet,” he said.
The inauguration of the incoming Child President is expected to take place later this week during the Official Opening of the 33rd Session of the Junior Parliament at the New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden.
The Junior Parliament, a flagship initiative under the Zimbabwe Youth Council, provides a platform for children to actively participate in governance, policy-making, and advocacy.
