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Ranson Madzamba Correspondent
February 21 is an important day on Zimbabwe’s calendar — it is the National Youth Day.
Well, it is indeed a day set aside to celebrate young people as well as embrace their empowerment for the economic good of the country.
National celebrations of the big day will take place in Harare at Robert Mugabe Square today.
His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, will be the Guest of Honour and this year’s theme is “Alleviate Substance and Drug Abuse by the Youth”.
President Mnangagwa in 2021 set-up an inter-ministerial task force to find solutions to the scourge of drug and substance abuse.
The taskforce is chaired by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and deputised by the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
This indeed is a clear sign that the Government has committed itself to fight substance and drug abuse by the youth.
Drug and substance abuse among young people is on the rise in Zimbabwe.
Research shows that it is prevalent in urban areas and above 57 percent among young people. Zimbabwe’s population is relatively young, about 67 percent of the population is below the age of 35 while those between the ages of 15 and 35 are 36 percent. Young people are an important and intricate part of the national economic eco-system. An upper middle-income society can be quickened by input of young people.
They constitute the majority of the population. But it is incumbent upon young people to be the major contributors to the achievement of Vision 2030.
However, with the threat of drug and substance abuse, there is an ever-growing fear of failing to harness the youth economic dividend for this feat. Drug and substance abuse are as much a threat to economic growth as they are to personal, communal and institutional well-being. Most physical and psychological problems among youths are largely related to abuse of drugs and other substances.
Behaviours such as violence, vandalism, engaging in unprotected sex, damage to family and social relationships, personal injury, and several medical problems are to a large extent associated with drug and substance abuse.
The list of the effects of drug and substance abuse is endless and can go as far as child abuse, sexual abuse, reduced decision making ability, juvenile delinquencies and other related problems. Family networks, peer influence, and other social networks are reportedly key propagators of drug and substance abuse.
Weak parenting practice, the global economy accentuated by poverty which leave most families either child headed or under unemployed guardianship are also major causes of drug abuse.
Having family or relatives who use drugs also increases the risk of indulging among youths and adolescents.
Research has shown that there are various drugs and other substances being abused by the youth in the country. The drugs and substances are procured both locally and imported.
Prominent brands are kachasu, musombodhia, bronco, mbanje, injections, cocaine, drug pills, mutoriro, mangemba, glue and tumbwa.
This year’s National Youth Day thus has been set aside to raise awareness on the effects of substance and drug abuse among the youth.
It is on the very same day that the National Drug Abuse Fund proposed in the 2022 National Budget shall be launched.
A lot of activities have been lined up for the important day. These include an exhibition on the scourge of drug and substance abuse, among others. It is of great significance to have a re-look into some activities carried out by the government of Zimbabwe in trying to empower the youth since 1980. History has it that the government of Rhodesia did not have a Ministry or programmes specifically dedicated to youth affairs.
The only time youth were taken into consideration was during the Chimurenga War when the government of Rhodesia enacted the National Service Act which required all the youths to go for military conscription.
After Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, a Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation was set up.
It focused on the mobilisation of youth to participate in volunteer work through the Youth Brigades and occupying their time through cultural and recreational activities.
This was mainly done for reintegration of former guerrilla soldiers into society.
The youth brigade movement was launched to mobilise youths coming from the war of liberation and empowering them with skills for production and self-sustenance.
The government set up Vocational Training Centres to enrol young people for vocational skills training. They targeted youths who did not have the requirements for enrolment into tertiary education and employment opportunities.
In 1983, the Government enacted the Zimbabwe Youth Council Act to set up the Youth Council whose role was and still remains to register, train, assist and support youth associations.
In 1987, the Zimbabwe Junior Parliament was launched. This was done to mobilise young people in schools for leadership development and participation in democracy and governance issues. The National Youth Service programme was first introduced before independence through the enactment of the National Service Act (Chapter 11:08) in 1976. It was launched as a means to mobilise white citizens to fight for the Rhodesian Government during the war of liberation. The Act was repealed in 1979 to include black people in the recruitment.
At independence, the government could not use the National Service Act for youth programming because it preferred an economic empowerment programme and therefore launched “The Youth Training Programme” renamed “The Youth Brigade” in 1981, after study visits to Yugoslavia and Romania.
Its purpose was to “inculcate discipline, responsibility among the youths, loyalty and allegiance to the State of Zimbabwe and engage the youth in income generation activities.”
The Youth Services Section as it was called then in the Ministry, partnered with ILO in the Improve Your Business (IYB) Project to conduct training in business management to the youths.
In July 1986, the Youth Development Fund was established to support youth projects and operate on a revolving basis with loan repayments disbursed to support other new projects.
The Youth Brigade programme resulted in 166 youth projects being established by the youth using funds they raised themselves after training. Government also funded an additional 13 youths projects of the youth brigade.
In 1993, the Government renamed the Ministry to Ministry of National Affairs, Employment Creation and Co-operatives.
The Ministry’s mandate was changed to focus on the economic empowerment of youths and their involvement in national development.
After the Nziramasanga Commission findings, the Ministry was transformed to become the Ministry of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation. The Ministry focused on skills development and the economic empowerment of youths and women.
Studies carried out in 1999, by the Nziramasanga Commission of Inquiry into education and training found out that vandalism, violence and indiscipline in schools and society was a result of lack of values, morals, individual and collective responsibilities for protecting property and valuing human life.
The Commission recommended citizenship education to be carried out, especially as part of non-formal education.
The National Youth Policy of Zimbabwe was crafted and the National Youth Service was put forward as a key strategy for youth development.
The Government of Zimbabwe envisaged the need to create in youth, a sense of belonging, patriotism and responsible citizenship, national unity, self-discipline and vigilance against crime, productive work culture, volunteer-ism, nation building and afford youth the opportunities to exhibit their potentials. It is upon such background and history that the New Dispensation has realized the essentiality of re-introducing the National Youth Service programme.
The New Dispensation is ever trying in all ways to empower the young people.
A youth bank, Empowerbank, was established to fund viable projects of young people in the country. Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) are now all over in each province and are providing life skills training to our young people. Incubation hubs are also being established and all is done to improve and empower the young people.
Youth desks have been created in each and every Government Ministry.
It is true, we now have a number of young people participating in farming, mining, tourism among other activities with the support of the Government. The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Permanent Secretary, Dr Thokozile Chitepo, was recently awarded the 2021 President’s Award for Performance Excellence in Service Delivery. This is indeed a clear testimony that the fight to empower the young people from the Government side is at its peak and an upper middle-class society can be established by the year 2030.
Ranson Madzamba is the Deputy Director Communications and Advocacy for the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation
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