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The parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment will make enquiries on how the Youth Fund was distributed. Cde Wadyajena said in his quest to uplift the empowerment of the youth in the country’s provinces, his committee was going to conduct public hearings in all the provinces to ascertain the number of youths who benefited from the fund.
Addressing community leaders, chiefs, teachers, on the dictates of his committee at Nyamazengwe Primary School in Gokwe, he said the duties of legislators were to represent the aspirations of the people.
“Our committee will continue to play its oversight role in monitoring the performances of all executive arms of governance in their implementation of youth and community related policies,” he said.
‘For this parliamentary session, our attention will be on the Youth Fund. The documents we have in our possession reveal that many youths were given money and benefited. We want to do thorough investigations in all the provinces,” he said.
Cde Wadyajena’s remarks come amid concern that about 92 percent of the youths that accessed loans from government under the Kurera/Ukondla Youth Fund to start small businesses were failing to pay back the money.
He said among other related issues his committee would also focus on raising awareness on HIV and HIV-related diseases.
Cde Wadyajena said for the country not to reverse gains made in the fight against HIV, every youth was supposed to know his HIV status. Community leaders present at the constituency sensitisation meetings said MPs should do more outreach programmes in their constituencies to brief them on the bills being debated in Parliament.
They said as chiefs who represented the wishes of the people they should have a say.
Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust executive director John Makamure who spearheaded the meeting by educating the chiefs on the constitution and roles of legislators, said it was important for such meetings to be held.
“We urge all MPs to hold constituency sensitisation meetings with community leaders to report back the proceedings in Parliament,” he said.
“Community leaders will have knowledge of the proceedings in Parliament as well as get updates on development projects in their areas,” he said.
Online Reporter