Online Reporter
TODAY all roads lead to Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central Province for the Munhumutapa Day commemorations. More than 100 000 people are expected to attend the festivities and also witness President Mnangagwa launching the Munhumutapa Housing Scheme to benefit the youths.
A total of 2 000 youths from Mashonaland Central will be allocated stands on a 59 hectares in Mvurwi, 100 ha at Kimcourt in Centenary and another 100 ha in Bindura. The youth housing scheme which was launched by President Mnangagwa in Masvingo three years ago, has since been rolled out in all the 10 provinces. More than 30 000 youths from across the country are expected to attend today’s commemorations in Mvurwi.
Last year the celebrations were held in Zvishavane, Midlands province and as is now Government policy, provinces take turns to play host to such national events. This year’s celebrations being held under the theme:”Consolidating Gains, Securing 2030 and Beyond, Building a Prosperous Zimbabwe”, are unique in that they are being held after President Mnangagwa declared Munhumutapa Day a public holiday.
Today as we celebrate this important day which is also President Mnangagwa’s birthday, let us as Zimbabweans reflect on the country’s rich history, heritage and achievements of the Mutapa civilisation which before independence, was being deliberately played down by the settler regime.
Citizens, especially the youths, should be inspired by the great works of our ancestors who built Great Zimbabwe from locally available granite stones assembled without mortar using indigenous engineering skills. The youths, who are the country’s future, should take a leading role in building a prosperous Zimbabwe taking advantage of our abundant natural resources like minerals. We want at this juncture to remind the youths that they can only build the Zimbabwe we all want if they have a shared vision as Zimbabweans.
The Government leaders that are pushing for a middle income economy by the year 2030 are not doing this for themselves but for the youths and future generations.
They want to bequeath to the youths and future generations, a better Zimbabwe. It is the youths who will occupy leadership positions tomorrow and they should start preparing now. Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo /Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. What is encouraging is that we have youths who are already excelling in farming, mining, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy and the challenge is to mobilise those still idle and abusing drugs to come on board.
It is disturbing to learn that drug abuse among the youths is on the increase yet the nation looks up to the youths to play an active role in building a better Zimbabwe. The youths therefore have an obligation to fight drug abuse by engaging their peers who have fallen victim.
The resources being spent on drugs should be put to good use hence the need for those youths already in the productive sectors of the economy to mobilise especially drug addicts to come on board.
Those promoting drug abuse among the youths are killing a whole generation and all efforts should be directed at putting a stop to this. Let the Munhumutapa Day commemorations inspire and motivate our youths to build from our ancestors’ legacy of innovation and ingenuity which enabled them to improve their livelihoods way before the coming in of the colonialists.
