Nyore Madzianike-Senior Reporter
EMPLOYMENT creation is not the sole responsibility of the Government. Young people must also play their part by turning every opportunity into a source of jobs and economic growth as the Second Republic continues to open opportunities across all sectors of the economy.
Vice President Dr Kembo Mohadi said this while delivering remarks during the fourth anniversary celebrations of Boys Dzamudhara in Harare.
Boys Dzamudhara is a youth empowerment lobby group affiliated with Zanu PF.
Vice President Dr Mohadi urged young people not to underestimate themselves, saying they possess both the numbers and the energy needed to drive national development.
He encouraged the youth not to apologise for their ambitions and aspirations, noting that opportunities not matched by hard work are often wasted.
“The time has come to think bigger.
“Instead of asking what the Government can do for young people, we must increasingly ask what we, as young people, can do with the opportunities the Government is creating for us.
“The Second Republic is opening opportunities in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, technology, infrastructure, renewable energy, construction and the broader creative economy.
“The question is, are young people prepared to seize these opportunities?
“The youth must not merely hear about empowerment; they must experience it, where an idea becomes a business, a skill becomes an income, and a small project grows into an enterprise that eventually employs dozens of people.
“That is how grassroots transformation happens,” he said.
The Vice President said the scourge of drug and substance abuse was threatening to rob the country of its young generation and that the Government could not stand by and watch.
“Every young person lost to drugs is a loss to a family, a community and the entire country.
“As Government, we applaud Boys Dzamudhara for its initiatives against drug and substance abuse.
“We must fight drugs by creating opportunities for young people in various sectors, including sport and entrepreneurship.
“Fight them with mentorship. Fight them with purpose.
“Whenever a young person has something meaningful to wake up for, they are less likely to surrender their future to destructive vices.
“Let us, therefore, build a generation in which enterprise, productivity, discipline and patriotism are valued and celebrated.”
Zanu PF National Political Commissar Cde Munyaradzi Machacha urged youth movements to be accountable and to keep proper records of their projects.
“The Second Republic has opened doors through empowerment funds and development projects.
“Every fund and project received must be accounted for transparently.”
“Your credibility is not measured by the number of empowerment programmes you receive, but by the extent of your accountability.
“One project that is well managed and properly accounted for is worth more than many that fail to deliver.
“Keep records, report progress and ensure your projects create jobs in your communities.”
Cde Machacha urged young people to participate in Government programmes such as rural industrialisation and community development projects.
“Every contribution moves us closer to becoming an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“Boys Dzamudhara must open its doors to young people and women.
“The youth are the future of the party.
“Mentor them and give them responsibility.
“An affiliate that reflects the whole community mobilises the whole community.
“The Commissariat stands ready to guide you on mobilisation, database management and alignment with party programmes.”
Boys Dzamudhara vice chairman Evidence Chifamba said the affiliate was formed in late 2022 by a group of young Zimbabweans who came together with a shared conviction that the future of the nation belongs to those who prepare for it.
He said they had identified opportunities being created by the Government and decided to complement those efforts.
“From those humble beginnings, Boys Dzamudhara has grown into a national movement, represented in all 10 provinces and in diaspora chapters across the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada and the Middle East.
“We saw Vision 2030, a vision of an upper-middle-income economy. We saw National Development Strategy 2, a blueprint for sustainable and inclusive growth. We saw education that fights for itself, a transformative approach that produces not just graduates, but innovators, problem-solvers and job creators. We decided to complement these efforts.
“We were inspired by the words of the President when he said: ‘The youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today.’
“That statement speaks directly to us. It challenges us and reminds us that we cannot wait until tomorrow to make a difference.”
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