COMMENT: Return of NYSP good for the country

As young boys and girls undergoing training to fight in the liberation war in the 1960s into the 1970s, they went through the mill.

They underwent military training, which made them know how to handle and use a weapon. They learnt military tactics as well. This training made them physically and mentally strong to be able to fight the enemy on deployment to the front.

In addition to military training, they received ideological education which made them know what it means to be Zimbabwean. They were taught patriotism and how to practise it; what it means to serve their nation and what it means to be an independent people.

The combat that followed further strengthened them physically, mentally and ideologically. Needless to say, they won the war leading to Independence in 1980. We have them in our midst as war veterans. After winning the war, they have defended the national interest over the 41 years.

However, unfortunately and inevitably, time will deprive us of them in the future, as we are all mere mortals.

The Government knew this reality and the criticality of the country having a well-defined system that drilled its young the way the liberation war did, so it introduced the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) in 2000.

We were glad that graduates from the programme would, overtime, perpetuate the values that have their foundation in the nationalist struggle. Indeed, thousands underwent training at centres established for that purpose countrywide. They were trained to be responsible citizens, who are hardworking, patriotic and selfless in service to their country. Many of them are serving the country in industry, commerce, civil service and politics.

However, due to recurrent funding constraints, the Government took a difficult decision to suspend the NYSP in 2018.

On Tuesday, we reported, the Government announced a return of the NYSP with the unchanged mandate of nurturing young people into resilient and responsible citizens who uphold national values and have a clear sense of national identity.

“The programme is designed to equip youths, who comprise persons between the ages of 18 and 35 years with patriotism, discipline, volunteerism, survival skills, hard work, loyalty, tolerance, resilience, determination and honesty.

“During training, the youths will be encouraged to participate in development projects and disaster response activities and thereby assist in enhancing national capacity to manage disasters,” said Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa.

Trainees would have community attachment for work experience and service to various Government departments and local authorities, she said, adding that graduates will qualify for further training, assistance in starting businesses, and for enrolment for careers in the police, the army, the airforce, nursing and teaching, among others.

The Government will fund the programme 100 percent which means that trainees will not pay any fees and will receive free uniforms, training kits and travel expenses.

It is essential to make it clear that by reviving the NYSP, Zimbabwe is just rejoining a group of many countries that run programmes along basically the same lines. The US is one of them. Botswana has its own — Tirelo Sechaba. Israel also has its own.

The programme is thus a well-established strategy for youth empowerment in national, regional, continental and international development guiding frameworks which Zimbabwe is party to. They include the Sadc Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan; the African Youth Charter of 2006; the World Programme of Action on Youth and the United Nations Youth Strategy 2030.

Our country needs the NYSP so that we have a cadre of nationals who are committed to the development and defence of their country and its interests. Without such a framework, we run the risk of bringing up rudderless youths and creating a futureless nation.

We implore the Government to move with speed in enacting the supporting legislation and setting up the training centres countrywide for the first intake to be conducted. It is good that the experience of running the programme is there, the same for the curriculum and the physical infrastructure. It will just be a matter of getting the trainers to undergo short periods of refresher courses, picking up the old books and sprucing up the centres which were closed three years ago. Because the framework already exists, we anticipate that the restart will not take too long.

Also, given the beneficial nature of the programme at personal, community and national levels, we are optimistic that thousands of youths will make themselves available for training. They will benefit by getting to understand who they are as Zimbabweans, what their country needs from them and will enjoy first preference to many opportunities in the job market, access to financial support to start businesses, personal development and so on.

On the other hand, the community will benefit through the attachments the trainees will undergo. The future of the country as a whole will be in safe hands; NYSP graduates continuing with the legacy of our liberators.