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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
VICE-PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko has said the creation of more employment opportunities for youths would keep them occupied and reduce crime rates. Addressing a crowd gathered in Plumtree for the official opening of Golden Harmony Shopping Complex on Sunday, VP Mphoko said he was concerned by youths, whom he described as the main perpetrators of aggravated crimes.
He said there was a need for businesses to create employment opportunities for youths to keep them from the streets and divert their attention towards fruitful agendas. “Investment brings about employment opportunities which later serve a great purpose to reduce crime, vices and other social ills which come as result of unemployment.
“Employment opportunities shift the energies of youths towards a worthy cause of working towards national development. The reason why there are so much social ills is because of high cases of unemployment which cause desperate people to resort to any means possible to earn a living,” he said.
The VP said the country could not afford to have the bulk of its youths engaging in crime as that would be detrimental to the economy.
He said youths had to desist from anti-social behaviour like drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution, break-ins, robberies, carjacking and other forms of delinquent behaviour.
VP Mphoko said while employment opportunities were created there was a great need for youths to complete their studies so they could be employable.
“The future of the youths if I could remind them is in gainful employment so that they develop themselves into responsible adults.
“However, this will only be possible if one attains a certain level of education. Firms are not obliged to employ unqualified personnel,” he said.
The VP said youths living in border towns like Plumtree developed an urge to skip the country into neighbouring countries with the hope of getting jobs at the expense of getting an education.
He said the urge to commit crime was high among youths in border towns.
Chief Bango of Mangwe District said parents also needed to have an appreciation of the importance of education as some were not keen to finance the studies of their children.
He said a number of children were completing their Grade 7 studies but were failing to proceed to secondary school because their parents did not value higher education.
Chief Bango said parents assumed that their children could be better placed if they relocated to neighbouring countries regardless of the kind of jobs they assumed.
Online Reporter