Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa handed over a fleet of vehicles to district development officers under the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, in a move aimed at enhancing their operational efficiency and visibility across Zimbabwe.
From a total allocation of 72 vehicles, President Mnangagwa presented 35 vehicles in the first batch, signalling the government’s commitment to empowering district officers to play a more proactive role in driving national development initiatives.
“This is the first batch of trucks we are giving, but I am assuring them that every district will have their own vehicle. This should increase their visibility,” the President said.
Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Honourable Tino Machakaire, expressed appreciation to the President for equipping officials with essential tools to execute their mandate.
“Firstly, I would like to thank His Excellency for making this effort in terms of developing the youth constituency. I want to assure fellow Zimbabweans that from now on, when going to war, you will see a huge improvement in terms of youth programs and initiatives. This ministry is a new ministry, but we did not have adequate tools of trade, so because of these new vehicles, we will increase visibility. I want to emphasise that these cars are for work purposes,” he said.
He further highlighted that empowering young people through increased engagement and outreach will also help reduce drug and substance abuse among the youth.
Minister Machakaire added that under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the youth dividend is expected to contribute substantially to development projects, reinforcing the government’s vision of harnessing young people as key drivers of national growth.
