admin
Herald Reporter
Youths under the banner of Young Miners for Economic Development (YMED) have urged voters to elect President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF candidates in tomorrow’s harmonised elections to ensure the Government meets its target of building a US$12 billion mining industry.
YMED said the target was well within sight and its realisation would create employment for thousands of youths countrywide.
President for the lobby group Mr Nyasha Magadhi said the mining industry target dovetailed into the Government’s vision, of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle income society by 2030 as espoused by President Mnangagwa.
Young people were supposed to rallying behind Zanu PF to repay the party for its endeavour to create a generation of economically empowered people through mining, agriculture, industrial manufacturing and real estate among other sectors.
YMED President Mr Nyasha Magadhi said the Zanu PF-led Government had managed to empower youths, artisanal and small-scale miners who between January and July this year accounted for over 61 percent of gold production with the sector accounting for over 67 percent gold production last year.
“The Government under the visionary leader of President ED Mnangagwa is creating a generation of black millionaires across all sectors of the economy. We have seen youths being empowered in the mining, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, arts, real estate sectors to mention a few.
“In the mining industry as the youths, we have been empowered by his Excellency the President’s vision of leaving no one and no place behind.
“YMED has managed to facilitate the empowerment of over 50 000 youths in mining. We are fully behind the President in the upcoming polls. There is no alternative. Only President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are a proven force,”said Mr Magadhi
Zimbabwe Enterpreneurs Association (ZEA) President Mr Brighton Mupfapairi said his organisation was backing Zanu PF because President Emmerson Mnangagwa had opened the democratic space and this had seen more young people taking part in democratic processes of the party.
“The President is leading the process from the front. He is hands-on and he is a pragmatic President. He has personally initiated development projects and commissioned them. His work ethic has inspired the youths to join the party.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation Mashonaland West Chairman Timothy Chizuzu said young people should vote for Zanu PF and President Mnangagwa because he created space for everyone to be involved in mining.
“All Zimbabweans have equal space and opportunity to venture into mining. The mining sector is open for everyone and the Government only requires your national ID and a little money to buy a prospecting licence. This is not the case in other countries,” said Mr Chizuzu.
ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said they had seen it fit to rally behind the Government which fully understood the requirements of artisanal miners.
“We are rallying behind the Government based on milestone achievements which have been made by the Second Republic notably the provision of grants to the artisanal and small-scale miners to the tune of US$10 million which has never happened before in the sector,” Ms Rushwaya said.
Online Reporter