Online Reporter
Eliah Saushoma [email protected]
UMGUZA Rural District Council recently inducted 25 newly elected junior councillors in a move aimed at strengthening youth participation in local governance and equipping young leaders with the skills needed to contribute meaningfully to community development.
The induction workshop, facilitated by senior council officials, focused on local governance structures, ethical leadership, council procedures, public finance management, community engagement and mechanisms for youth participation in district planning.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Umguza Rural District Council chairperson, Clr Sisa Moyo, said the initiative was a deliberate effort to build inclusive and accountable governance at grassroots level.
“This induction is aligned with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030. By involving young people in local governance processes, we are advancing the Government’s commitment to devolution and ensuring that youth voices shape the development priorities of our district,” said Clr Moyo.
“You are not leaders of tomorrow; you are leaders of today,” she added, urging the young councillors to bring fresh ideas on youth issues, sanitation and sports development in their wards.
“You will serve as a bridge between your peers and Council, bringing forward issues affecting young people and contributing solutions.”
One of the newly inducted junior councillors, Mengezi Ncube, a Form Three visually impaired pupil at John Tallach High School, described the workshop as an eye-opening experience.
“I am happy that Umguza Rural District Council has included people with disabilities like myself. I am going to encourage my peers that disability does not mean inability. They must stand firm, remain vigilant, and fight for their rights,” he said.
“I thought council was just about meetings. Now I understand that it is about listening to people and finding solutions.”
Ncube highlighted challenges faced by learners living with disabilities, particularly in accessing educational resources.
“Children living with disabilities face many challenges, especially in education. There are only three visually impaired learners at our school, and I personally face a number of difficulties,” he said.
“While I appreciate the efforts being made by my school to ensure we receive the same education as our peers, many challenges still remain.
“At present, we lack Braille textbooks for the Heritage-Based Curriculum, and Braille machines are insufficient. It is difficult for us to learn alongside other students who have access to textbooks, making it hard for us to keep up and perform at the same level. We also need scientific talking calculators, machines that convert print to Braille, and voice recorders, which are very expensive.”
Ncube pledged to use his position to advocate for improved learning resources for learners with disabilities.
“As a junior councillor living with a disability, I will work with my colleagues to lobby for the provision of such equipment, not only for John Tallach and Umguza District, but for the entire nation, so that the challenges faced by children living with disabilities are addressed and no one is left behind,” he said.
The newly elected Junior Council chief executive officer, Abiola Ndlovu, said the induction programme had broadened his understanding of leadership and national development.
“I have learnt how, as leaders, we need to contribute towards building the future of our country and empowering young people in line with Vision 2030. I believe that together, as youths and as the Junior Council, we can make a difference in Zimbabwe,” said Ndlovu.
“My mandate is to help create a generation that fights against drug and substance abuse, child marriages, gender inequality, and discrimination. Through these efforts, I believe we can build a better Umguza and a better Zimbabwe. I want us to become pace-setters for the next generation.”
Junior Council chairperson-elect Vuyeswa Sebele said she was honoured to have been entrusted with the leadership role.
“I now understand how council decisions are made and how we, as young people, can participate meaningfully,” she said.
“I am going to work towards ensuring that every young person is represented in my district and in my country, whether boy or girl. This is important in making Zimbabwe a better place for all.”
“I will also work towards making Umguza one of the best districts in Zimbabwe. Together with my fellow junior councillors and senior councillors, we will strive to make our district a model of excellence and contribute to building a better future for everyone.”
Umguza Rural District Council Junior Council focal person, Linda Maphosa, said the induction programme was designed to prepare the 2026 junior councillors for their leadership responsibilities while aligning their activities with national development priorities.
“We are inducting our 2026 Junior Councillors. The concept of the Junior Council mirrors the senior council structure and forms part of the Presidential Vision 2030 and NDS2, which encourage young people to actively participate in the development of the country,” she said.
“In our training, we ensured that the national vision was incorporated so that our youths understand the country’s development agenda.”
Ms Maphosa said aspiring junior councillors were assessed on issues such as climate change, agriculture and governance during the selection process.
“As you observed during the induction, we asked questions on climate change, agriculture as a key development pillar, and governance. We placed particular emphasis on governance because of the Presidential mantra, ‘Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’ (A country is built by its own people). These young leaders are part of that nation-building process through the Junior Council,” she said.
Looking ahead, she said the council expects the young leaders to spearhead community development initiatives.
“We expect our junior councillors to implement programmes on the ground, including clean-up campaigns, social development projects such as pad-making and pad distribution, and promoting disability-friendly environments for their peers.
“As you noted, one of our junior councillors is living with a disability. This demonstrates Umguza’s commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that no one is left behind in the development process.”
The Junior Council programme forms part of Umguza Rural District Council’s broader strategy to promote transparency, accountability, youth empowerment and intergenerational dialogue in line with Zimbabwe’s devolution agenda and national development objectives.
