Story by Chiedza Mutyavaviri
GOVERNMENT has reaffirmed its commitment to placing young people at the centre of Zimbabwe’s national development agenda.
Addressing youths at the National Youth Day celebrations held at Igava Training Centre in Marondera, Mashonaland East province, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Honourable Tino Machakaire, said the commemorations reflect the Second Republic’s deliberate thrust to empower young people as key drivers of Vision 2030 and Zimbabwe’s transformation into an upper middle-income economy.
He emphasised that youths are no longer passive beneficiaries of development initiatives, but active partners in shaping the country’s future.
“Our youth are no longer merely recipients of development programmes. They are partners in transformation, drivers of innovation and custodians of our national destiny,” he said.
Minister Machakaire underscored that achieving upper middle-income status by 2030 requires the deliberate positioning of young people in strategic sectors of the economy.
“As we commemorate National Youth Day, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to create an enabling environment that nurtures the potential of our young people and safeguards their future,” he added.
A key highlight of the celebrations was the launch of the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Vocational Training Centre, established in recognition of the achievements of the Second Republic in advancing youth empowerment. The Minister described the centre as a milestone in translating empowerment from rhetoric into structured and sustainable programmes that reach young people across the country.
“It is our sincere hope that this marks the beginning of many similar centres across the country,” he said.
Minister Machakaire stressed that holistic youth development must be anchored on identity, values and history. He also addressed the growing challenge of drug and substance abuse, describing it as a threat to the social fabric of the nation and calling for deliberate interventions and awareness campaigns to curb the menace.
“We are resolute in defending our youth against this threat and guiding them towards disciplined, healthy and peaceful lives,” he said.
The Minister expressed appreciation for the Presidential Scholarship Programme, noting its transformative impact on beneficiaries, and proposed the introduction of scholarships targeted at local universities to widen access to higher education. He added that the Ministry would soon introduce additional policies and guidelines aimed at facilitating youth employment.
The celebrations were attended by youth wings from several regional liberation movements, including the African National Congress Youth League, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, SWAPO, FRELIMO and MPLA.
As proceedings concluded, the message was clear: Zimbabwe’s youth are poised to take their rightful place in building a prosperous, disciplined and empowered nation under Vision 2030.
