Unemployment affecting SDGs implementation

AHIGH unemployment rate being experienced across Zimbabwe has seriously affected the efforts to successfully implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Zimbabwe Congress of

Trade Unions (ZCTU) western region chairperson Ambrose Sibindi has said.

He was speaking at the Voluntary National Review workshop held in Bulawayo recently.

The workshop was held to review the challenges Zimbabwe is facing in the implementation of the SDGs, while focusing on addressing the economic, social and environmental challenges that are plaguing the nation.

Participants assessed how far Zimbabwe had gone in attaining the targets set in government’s Vision 2030.

In his submissions, Sibindi said the key issue affecting SDGs was the high level of unemployment in the country.

“It has led to a high poverty rate since the breadwinners will not be employed and providing. We are aware of the high drug use among the youth as most of them are loitering and are unemployed and end up in that situation,” he said.

Sibindi challenged the government to work on revamping the industrial sector in Bulawayo.

However, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development official Tafadzwa Chakarinda said: “In our national development strategy we have plans as a country to get rid of poverty, have zero hunger and come up with a middle-income country by 2030. Voluntary National Review is a process slot taking of initiatives that lead to sustainable development.”

Chikarinda said the programme would be implemented with the validation methods by April 28 this year.

Government, according to Chikarinda,

had already started implementing the programme with consolidative methods and workshops across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.

“Some of the programmes we implemented were the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy Drought Relief Programme implemented by World Food Programme,” he said.

Zimbabwe set six result areas in a bid to attain the SDGs which include social services and protection; poverty reduction and value addition; food and nutrition; gender equality, HIV and Aids and public administration and governance.