Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
ZANU-PF Women’s League member and Ward 20 councillor in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb, Cde Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi, says today’s youths must preserve and celebrate the legacy of Zimbabwe’s liberation heroes.
Cde Ndebele-Sibindi said youths must take the lead in driving economic growth through innovations and technology, to ensure the country remains resilient and thrives in the face of challenges.
Her sentiments come at a pivotal moment when Zimbabwe readies to commemorate the country’s 45th Heroes Day anniversary, where the youth have been called upon to draw inspiration from the courage of liberation war veterans, who transformed a nation through determination and unity.
Cde Ndebele-Sibindi said heroes are made in their prime time and said now is the time for the young generation to emulate the country’s past heroes.
“The liberation struggle that culminated in Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 was built on the shoulders of ordinary citizens, who became extraordinary heroes,” she said.
“From the rural villages where young fighters left their families to join the struggle, to the urban centres where students and workers supported the cause, the independence movement was a youth-driven revolution,” said Cde Ndebele-Sibindi.
She said many of the war veterans joined the struggle from secondary schools, universities and colleges and as such were the same age as today’s youths when they decided to fight the settler regime.
“They understood that freedom is not inherited but it’s earned hence the decision to sacrifice their lives by joining the armed struggle,” said Cde Ndebele-Sibindi.
She said it was disheartening to note that today’s youths are facing a number of challenges.
“It is because of this realisation that Government has come up with a number of youth empowering programmes,” said Cde Ndebele-Sibindi.
Cde Ndebele-Sibindi said the call for youth leadership is not just inspirational rhetoric but is backed by concrete initiatives, as envisioned by President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, with the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind.
“We cannot expect young people to carry the torch if we don’t give them the tools. This means investing in education, creating job opportunities and ensuring that young voices are heard in decision-making processes,” she said.
Cde Ndebele-Sibindi said apart from availing resources to empower the youths, Government was creating an enabling environment for the voices of young people to be heard even in politics.
She highlighted that mentorship programmes pairing veterans with young entrepreneurs, sharing not just business skills but the resilience and strategic thinking, should be put in place to ensure that the country’s ethos of hard work and perseverance is deeply ingrained it its citizens’ values
“The economic environment remains challenging and political divisions sometimes discourage youth participation in national development. However, success stories are emerging,” said Cde Ndebele-Sibindi.
She said to prove the country is on the right trajectory, young engineers have come up with many innovations that have improved the people’s livelihoods across the country.
“The liberation generation fought for political independence. Our generation must fight for economic independence. It’s a different battle, but with the same determination. This is what our heroes fought for,” said Cde Ndebele-Sibindi.
As Zimbabwe looks toward to the future, she said the youths must understand that the legacy of liberation heroes is not a museum piece to be admired from a distance, but a living flame that must be passed from one generation to the next.
“Every generation must find its way to serve the nation. The youth of today have the education, the energy and the tools to build the Zimbabwe we all want,” said Cde Ndebele Sibindi.
