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Senior Reporter
YOUNG people have been urged to take advantage of Government youth empowerment programmes and venture into entrepreneurship to positively contribute in the revival of the economy.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Youth Expo in Bulawayo yesterday, Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Lewis Matutu, said young people have an important role to play in economic development.
Cde Matutu, who was the guest of honour at the expo, said lack of information among young people had resulted in most of them failing to benefit from empowerment programmes.
“We want young people to get information that there are resources out there that they can utilise to make sure they grow their businesses. RBZ has $10 million for young people and only three percent of that has been used. Very soon President Mnangagwa will be launching an empowerment bank. The problem is young people don’t have information about all these programmes and we are trying to give them the information through such platforms,” he said.
Cde Matutu said young people should also adopt a culture of saving and investing in income generating projects to improve their livelihoods and also actively participate in growing the economy. He said the Zanu-PF Youth League was now going to the grassroots to interact with the youth and impart entrepreneurial skills to them as well as mobilise support for the party.
“When you address people during rallies it’s not everyone who is comfortable to attend because there are people who are on the fence politically who need to be converted. So what we have done as a party is that we are now going to the grassroots to interact with those young people at a personal level, imparting entrepreneurial skills to them as well as explain Zanu-PF policies that seek to empower them,” he said.
He added, “As the Youth League, we are also visiting small projects by young people. I’m sure you saw Cde Togarepi in Glen View, of course sympathising with those that lost their property,’’ he said.
He also toured various projects by young people.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo