Youths must emulate President’s commitment to Zim
Mnangagwa is doing to us as youths. He is incorporating the youths in Government programmes.
“The President wants to ensure that Vision 2030 is achieved with the incorporation of youths, we are so grateful for that,” said Deputy Minister Kabikira.
Youths, he said, should take a leaf from those who participated in the liberation struggle during their youthful stage.
“The young people of yester-year played their part through sacrificing their youth and schooling to wage a protracted war of liberation.
“We need to sacrifice our lives to develop the nation as youths,”said Deputy Minister Kabikira.
THE Second Republic under the leadership of President Mnangagwa has invested a lot of confidence in youths who are poised to become major actors in the country’s quest to achieve Vision 2030.
This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere as the country this week commemorated National Youth Day, amid calls for the younger generation to be at the forefront of the country’s development agenda.
Dr Muswere said since the coming in of the new dispensation, youths had been at the centre of the country’s economic policies starting with the Transitional Stabilisation Programme ( TSP 2018-2020), the forerunner to the National Development Strategy (NDS).
“Of importance is the trust and belief by His Excellency the President, in young people. The trust and belief that we have a generational challenge which challenge also involves the reawakening of our heritage, the reawakening of our identity as a people.
“If you analyse Vision 2030 from TSP to the National Development Strategy 1, it is about the youths. It is about the Pfumvudza, the climate-proofed agriculture, which has empowered millions of youths in rural areas.
“It is the President’s deliberate approach to rural industrialisation across all sectors of the economy.
“Of importance is the fact that the youths have had an opportunity and have been given the independence platform provided by the previous generations that we should be able to defend, protect and advance the rights and interests of our country as young people,” said Minister Muswere.
He said the responsibility of the past generations, when they were youths, was primarily to put an end to colonisation which had taken place in the 1890s.
Minister Muswere said President Mnangagwa, during his days as a youth, was one of the pioneers of the liberation struggle and made a lot of sacrifices towards independence for the black majority.
A large number of the President’s fellow fighters had been killed by the colonial regime, while the President himself escaped being hanged by the settler regime.
The country was fortunate that the President and other youths of the time survived the onslaught of the brutal and racist regime, eventually managing to deliver freedom for the masses.
“They won the war against imperialism and managed to deliver independence. It is an achievement that as youths, we should recognise.
“It is also important to understand and appreciate the President’s role in training us and teaching us the younger people during Cabinet sessions because some of us joined the Government in our 30s and we need that mentoring ,” said Minister Muswere.
Speaking at the National Youth Day commemoration at Mushagashe Vocational Training Centre in Masvingo Province on Wednesday, President Mnangagwa challenged young people, both in Zimbabwe and abroad, to shoulder the burden of developing their country, emulating their forebearers who liberated it and driving the developmental agenda.
February 21 is a national holiday set aside for youths to interact with their leaders to ensure the rich national ethos and character that brought about freedom, democracy and independence, is passed to future generations.
It is also the birthday of the founding father of Zimbabwe, the late former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
This year’s celebrations were held under the theme: “Positioning youth empowerment and development towards achieving Vision 2030”.
President Mnangagwa said youths should take pride in being Zimbabwean and embrace national development initiatives.
“We must never ever forget their supreme sacrifices. On the other hand, we look forward to the future with great confidence, guided by our philosophy, ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’.”
President Mnangagwa urged youths to remain vigilant and defend the country from its detractors.