Tendai Gukutikwa
Mutare Bureau
MORE than 380 youths in the Mutasa South constituency have obtained provisional driver’s licences through a community empowerment initiative designed to bolster their employment prospects amid an influx of new corporate investments in Manicaland province.
The skills development project, implemented via the Tonganyika Trust, is spearheaded by Mutasa South legislator Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who also serves as the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution.
Speaking after delivering a third driving school vehicle and a motorcycle to the Mutasa South Driving School, Minister Mugadza stated that the surging number of beneficiaries necessitated an immediate expansion of the training fleet.
“We have already reached more than 380 beneficiaries who have obtained provisional driver’s licences, and some have since gone on to acquire their driver’s licences,” Adv Mugadza said, adding that the programme operationalises the state’s policy of community-level economic devolution.
“Driving has become an important skill in the employment sector. In the past, obtaining a driver’s licence was difficult for many people, but initiatives such as this are opening opportunities for ordinary citizens.”
Adv Mugadza emphasised that as Manicaland attracts diverse industrial investments, local youths must possess practical, certified qualifications to remain competitive in the job market.
He noted that the introduction of the motorcycle to the fleet is strategically tailored to the economic realities of the area, which relies heavily on agricultural production.
“Mutasa South is largely a farming community, and motorcycles are widely used by people moving between farms and conducting their daily activities,” Adv Mugadza explained.
“The motorbike will therefore complement the programme and respond to the practical needs of our constituency. Our motorcyclists need to have valid licenses for them to be able to ride their motorcycles.”
The legislator concluded that the driving school expansion remains a core component of local efforts to align constituency development with national Vision 2030 targets.
