Online Reporter
Joseph Madzimure and Tedious Manyepo
THE Government is committed to empowering junior parliamentarians to ensure they are fully capacitated as they represent their constituencies in all provinces, Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare yesterday ahead of the 33rd Session of the Junior Parliament of Zimbabwe tomorrow, Minister Machakaire said the Government will open empowerment avenues for child MPs.
“We are stating that if they complete their term, they will leave, but we don’t have clarity on what they will do afterwards. However, tonight we will be gathering with our alumni to discuss a new system: if someone finishes their term in Parliament, they will transition to the Senate.
“We need to empower former junior parliamentarians. For instance, the former child president visited recently, and we made a recommendation to the Minister of Lands for him to acquire a farm. This initiative is crucial.
“When they finish their schoolwork, they can tend to their small plots and work on projects. This allows them to develop their skills and understand what it means to be a leader. As junior parliamentarians, they are already stepping into leadership roles, and this is where it begins. This is the starting point,” said Minister Machakaire.
The Children’s Parliament is a mirror of the senior structures and consists of the Child Senate and the Children’s National Assembly, with representation from each province and four seats reserved for children with disabilities.
It is held in sync with commemorations to mark the Day of the African Child, held annually on June 16.
Newly-elected Child president for the Junior Parliament, Lionel Mazarire, a Lower Six pupil from Chinhoyi Technical High School, will take over from Pious Nleya of Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo.
Representatives are elected by secret ballot after they impress their peers with their public speaking abilities.
Interested candidates in Form Three and Lower Six from all secondary schools in the country debate around the current Day of the African Child theme.
The speakers can use any of the official languages of the country. The parliamentarians remain in office for one year and are not eligible for re-election.
The Junior Parliament event will take place at the New Parliament building in Mt Hampden, where President Mnangagwa will give the keynote address.
The Day of the African Child, commemorated officially since 1991, was born from the brave uprising of schoolchildren in Soweto, South Africa, in 1976, who marched against inferior education under the apartheid regime.
This year’s commemorations are being held under the AU theme, “Planning and budgeting for children’s rights: Progress since 2010”.
Zimbabwe has embraced the theme with a sense of urgency, aligning it with domestic efforts to ensure that no child is left behind.
Peter Tanyanyiwa