adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
YOUTHS in Matabeleland South Province intend to engage Members of Parliament in the province and help them “open their mouths” in parliament by presenting the numerous challenges that have gone for a long time unresolved.
The initiative by the youths follows concerns by some sections of the community that most MPs from Matabeleland region could spend their five-year term in office with their mouths zipped thus failing to represent the electorate.
Some MPs from Matabeleland region have been accused of warming up seats in parliament without making any meaningful contributions despite the continued suffering of their people.
Speaking during a Youth Forum Matabeleland South Provincial Council meeting in Gwanda Town on Saturday, youths said they were worried that they continued facing a myriad of challenges whereas MPs had nothing to talk about in parliament.
Youth Forum provincial secretary general Roland Moyo said:
“As part of our programmes, we will engage our community leaders such as councillors and MPs so that they are informed of concerns of the people. If the MP is not aware of our challenges, he/she would not raise it in parliament.”
They said it was surprising that most youths in the province were failing to access the government’s youth fund through CABS and challenged MPs to come to their rescue.
“I was helped to do my project proposal by a CABS manager but surprisingly was told that it was not ‘sound’ and failed to get the loan. Therefore, we want to task our MPs to go and find out what officials from CABS head office mean when they say our project proposals are not sound. We will be grateful if our MPs would bring answers so that we do the ‘sound proposals’,” said Proud Nkomo, the Forum’s provincial chairperson.
Most youths in the province have raised displeasure over the criteria used by CABS to distribute the loans.
Matabeleland South is among the provinces with the lowest number of beneficiaries of the government’s loan.
Meanwhile, the issue of school dropouts especially in Gwanda South was also of concern which youths said required attention.
Online Reporter