adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland South Cde Abedinico Ncube on Thursday called for the resuscitation of the National Youth Service Centres to ensure youths have a better understanding of the history of their country.
Cde Ncube was responding to a concern which was raised by a participant during a meeting with members of the National Defence College in Gwanda Town as to why few youths in the Matabeleland region were recruited into the military.
The meeting heard that to a certain extent some parents in the region had played a role in discouraging youths from joining the military.
Cde Ncube said youths needed a better understanding of their country, its history and how it was emancipated from colonial bondage for them to defend the country’s independence.
“Our children need political orientation and as the leadership, we will request the Government to revive the National Youth Service programme so that once our children complete their Ordinary Level studies, they go through the National Youth Service programme before they proceed to colleges.
“We want our youths to have a better understanding of how blood was shed to attain our freedom. They need to understand that this country did not come on a silver plate,” he said.
Cde Ncube said the National Youth Service programme was a good strategy that should be adopted once again.
He said the leadership should be at the forefront of encouraging the re-introduction of the programme.
“If the programme is resuscitated, we will also have a reduction in the number of youths crossing over to neighbouring countries,” said Cde Ncube.
Other participants said there was a need for members of the military from Matabeleland region to be deployed in their localities so that they would become role models and encourage more youths to join the military.
The National Defence College commandant Air Vice Marshal Michael Moyo said youths from the region should join the military to beef up the security of the country.
“It seems youths from this part of the country have been conditioned to prefer South Africa than their country and that on its own may negatively impact on the security of this country,” he said.
The visit by the National Defence College to Matabeleland South province is part of its domestic tour and is aimed at acquainting participants with socio-political and economic developments in the province.
The participants are general and senior officers from the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Prison Services, the President’s Department and senior civil servants.
Online Reporter