Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
ACTING President Dr Kembo Mohadi has called for strengthened partnerships between the Government, the private sector and youth organisations to accelerate economic development and create opportunities for young people.
He said this while officiating at the Africa Broad Alliance for Agenda 2063 (AfriBA63) Public-Private Partnership and Youth Business launch event in Masvingo.
Soon after his arrival, Acting President Mohadi toured various business exhibition stands mounted by organisations participating at the event.
He said strategic partnerships were critical in mobilising capital, skills, ideas and technology needed to achieve the country’s development aspirations.
Acting President Mohadi said Zimbabwe’s national development trajectory was anchored on Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the country into a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society.
He said the vision was being operationalised through the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which builds on the gains of NDS1 and seeks to accelerate economic modernisation, social inclusion, infrastructure development, innovation and broad-based empowerment.
“In this regard, Public-Private Partnerships are not optional; they are essential. When properly structured, Public-Private Partnerships improve efficiency, expand opportunity, stimulate enterprise development, and widen participation in key sectors of the economy,” he said.
“They allow governments to leverage private-sector dynamism while ensuring that development remains people-centred and nationally beneficial.
“For the youth, such partnerships create the much-needed ecosystem for entrepreneurship, job creation, innovation hubs, skills transfer, market access, and sustainable business growth.
“This is particularly important because the youth of today are not merely job seekers; they are creators, builders, designers, problem-solvers, and investors in waiting.
“They represent energy, creativity, adaptability, and courage. If well supported, empowered, and included, young people can become the strongest drivers of economic transformation and social progress.”
The Acting President said the initiative also resonated with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous, integrated, peaceful and people-driven continent.
He said young people should be placed at the centre of policy implementation, business development and continental integration if the aspirations of Agenda 2063 were to be realised.
“For Agenda 2063 to become a lived reality, we must deliberately place young people at the centre of policy implementation, business development, and continental integration,” he said.
“Youth empowerment should never be reduced to rhetoric. It must be reflected in real financing, real mentorship, real opportunities, real representation, and real partnerships.
“That is why I find this initiative by the Africa Broad Alliance for Agenda 2063 to be commendable and strategic. It creates a critical meeting point between Government, business, and youth.
“It reminds us that development is not a spectator activity; it is a shared responsibility.”
Acting President Mohadi said youth empowerment should translate into tangible opportunities that enable young people to establish businesses, create employment and contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira commended AfriBA63 for convening the interface and providing a platform for engagement between organised youth and the business community.
The minister said the organisation had an important role to play in mobilising young people to articulate their developmental priorities, encourage leadership and facilitate engagement with institutions capable of turning their aspirations into practical outcomes.
Minister Chadzamira said the organisation should continue promoting innovation, discipline, integrity and professionalism, with its success measured through transformed lives, supported enterprises, opportunities created and sustainable partnerships.
He said the initiative had created a relationship in which young people were not merely recipients of assistance, but active partners bringing ideas, energy, creativity and solutions to development processes.
He called for lasting partnerships founded on trust, mutual respect and accountability to ensure that discussions at the gathering translated into tangible opportunities for young people.
