Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
THE Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation says the revised Youth Policy of Zimbabwe draft is now in its final stages of development.
Speaking at the mainstreaming of youths into the National Development Agenda last week in Harare, Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation director for youth development, Mr Elias Murinda said the Revised Youth Policy will be availed soon as it was in its final stages of development.
“The key elements of the revised Youth Policy of Zimbabwe draft is now in its final stages of development.
“Also as the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation we have spearheaded some of the activities in order to mainstream the youth and ensure a more coordinated, multi-sectoral implementation of the Policy,” said Mr Murinda.
He said the activities include supporting the establishment of Youth Focal Desks in Line Ministries and Youth Interact Centres throughout the country.
Mr Murinda also noted that some of the key elements of the revised National Youth Policy focused on priority of youth target groups as the policy recognised the inter-relatedness of challenges facing the youth and provides for equal opportunities for all the young people.
He added: “Nonetheless, it affirms that the youth are heterogeneous with diverse interests and needs.
“Therefore, the policy identifies youth groups which include; young women, youths with disability, unemployed youths, youths living with HIV and Aids, youths abusing substances, orphaned and vulnerable youths, youths in conflict with the law as well as youths in the diaspora.”
Mr Murinda said the policy has been developed based on several instruments that provide a policy framework and practical guidelines for improving the situation of the youth.
These include the World Programme of Action of Youth, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Youth Charter, the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Transitional Stabilisation Programme.
Moreover, he noted that the Ministry has been spearheading the establishment of Multi-Purpose Youth Interact Centres in all the provinces of the country. In addition, institutions to create platforms to develop youth leadership capacities such as the Junior Parliament and Junior Councils have been established.
“Despite these achievements, however, there are a number of challenges that impede the full development and participation of young people chief among them being limited access to youth empowerment facilities especially by marginalised and vulnerable youth groups due to lack of information and inability to meet conditions set by financial institutions such as collateral security,” said Mr Murinda.
Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) head of business development, data and research services, Mr Sungano Chisina said that as the macro-economic objectives of the National Development Strategy (NDS1) was to create at least 760 000 formal jobs over the five-year period, it presented as opportunity for youth inclusion.
“Over the five-year NDS1 period the employment should be skewed towards youth especially first-time job seekers. Also youth should become job creators and not job seekers and create jobs for fellow youth,” said Mr Chisina.
He added that 25 percent of the infrastructure tenders Government should award them to youth led businesses. Also at the same time there was need to invest in renewable and sustainable energy sources.
He said: “In order to accelerate value addition and beneficiation of agriculture and mining production, youths should be included in setting up ventures that focus on value addition of raw produce from agriculture and setting up of mineral beneficiation projects.
“There is a need to offer training for those youth enterprises to develop their skills set.”
Mr Chisina also noted that it was important that Government acknowledge the tremendous contribution by young people and have it recorded in national publications and the legislative framework for youth should be completed by the enactment of the National Youth Act which is enforceable.
Online Reporter