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Hundreds of thousands of university, polytechnic, agricultural and vocational training colleges’ graduates are roaming the streets of our cities and towns unemployed. These are skilled people who have not been able to put their expertise to good use because of a stunted economy that has not been growing at a rate that could absorb these young men and women. There are many other reasons that have prevented our economy from growing which include the sanctions imposed by the Western powers and failure to move with the times by some of our businesses, resulting in them failing to be competitive.
The sanctions have affected both the public and private sectors. Parastatals were once big employers of most of our graduates as thousands of them were absorbed into these companies. But in view of the continued shrinking of the country’s formal employment base, it has become necessary to help the thousands of our graduates who cannot be accommodated in the formal sector.
It is this regard that we hail the Graduate Entrepreneurial and Employment Promotion Programme (GEEP) recently established by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.
Institutions of higher learning such as universities and polytechnics, the producers of the graduates, are spearheading the noble initiative.
Lupane State University is coordinating the programme in Matabeleland North Province while the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic is coordinating the scheme in Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces.
According to GEEP chairman in Matabeleland North Province Mr Maximillion Nyathi the graduates would be grouped into four categories of hatchery, artisans, construction and consultancy. The hatchery category requires agriculture graduates while the artisans group will be made up of engineers, welders and motor mechanics. The construction group will take in electricians, plumbers and carpenters while the consultancy category is for finance and banking graduates.
We urge graduates to take advantage of the programme and start their own businesses.
Under the programme, funding is provided and the graduates will be required to come up with their own business plans. “The idea is to help graduates to employ themselves. Funding would be given as a loan facility and the amount given would depend on the project being undertaken,” said Mr Nyathi.
This programme resonates with Government’s Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment drive where the thrust is for Zimbabweans to be major players in the mainstream economy as employers not just as employees. It is also in sync with the successful and revolutionary land reform programme under which nearly 300 000 previously marginalised farmers were resettled and empowered. The new farmers are slowly but surely turning themselves into economic actors with those growing tobacco realising decent income every year from tilling the land.
We commend the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education for coming up with GEEP. These are the programmes that will drive our economy by ensuring our people are participants and not spectators in their own economy.
As Mr Nyathi correctly pointed out, the GEEP will also complement the Youth Development Fund and the Community Share Ownership Scheme/Trust.
We urge the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to be on the lookout for detractors who might want to sabotage the programme.
We say so because there is discord in the inclusive government, which is currently governing our country. It is not a secret that it is only Zanu-PF that is pushing for the empowerment of the Zimbabwean masses, the youths included, while the other parties in the inclusive Government are opposed to the empowerment of people preferring to have the people employed by companies established by foreign investors. The empowerment route is the best to ensure Zimbabweans also participate in the mainstream economy and are in control of their natural resources.
Saboteurs will always be on the prowl. Recently there were reports that more than US$800 000 meant for youths in Matabeleland South to start businesses was lying idle at Central African Building Society. It is such examples that require those implementing our people centred policies and programmes to be on guard.
Online Reporter