by Tawanda Musariri
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday challenged African youths to work together to form a front for economic and political freedoms.
The President was speaking at the occasion of the World Federation of Democratic Youths of the African Region Summit in Harare.
In his speech, read by Minister of Defence Honourable Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, the President said, “As future leaders in various political and socio-economic spheres, the experiences and views you share here will help in the development of the brand and character of nations you would wish to inherit from us in line with the African Union Agenda 2063.
“As youths you have a fundamental role in the development course of all our economies in Africa and indeed in the world. I therefore, exhort you to play the front line role of defending Africa’s territorial integrity as well as developing indigenous knowledge systems. I therefore challenge you to always be at the forefront in searching for winning formulas, strategies and technological innovation to value add and beneficiate our abundant natural endowments.”
The Government of Zimbabwe has singled out youths as an important segment of the population which requires Government prioritization in its work plan. To this end, the Government carved the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation to superintend the youth agenda. According to the Zimbabwean National Youth Policy, a youth in Zimbabwe is anyone between the ages 15 and 35. This demographic section forms 60 percent of the national population.
Because youths are exuding with energy, they play an integral role in defending the country. It is because of this quality that the youths are called to rise to the occasion when they are needed. During the colonial bondage that lasted a century, the Zimbabwean youths took it upon themselves to sacrifice everything they had, including life to fight away the colonial regime.
Now that the rest of Africa but Saharawi is free, the president called for youths to seek economic independence so they can chart the development agenda with authority, thus he said, “In line with the African Youth Charter-which aims to strengthen, reinforce and consolidate efforts to empower young people through meaningful participation and equal partnership in driving Africa’s development agenda; I urge you to aggressively search for strategic business partnerships to explore and exploit the various trade and investment opportunities in Africa.”
In line with this youth agenda, President Mnangagwa put in two youth ministers in his cabinet unveiled last week, one being a minister for youth.
The summit was attended by youth leaders from 23 African countries and ten from outside the continent, which included Russia. Zimbabwe was represented by ZANU PF Youth League leadership which included its top two members who sit in the ZANU PF politburo Cdes Pupurai Togarepi and Tongai Matutu.
