Online Reporter
Richard Muponde – Zimpapers Politics Hub
THE Zimbabwe Embassy in the United Kingdom commemorated the National Youth Day for the first time on Saturday, marking a historic milestone that diaspora leaders described as a direct extension of President Mnangagwa’s inclusive development agenda.
Held at the Zimbabwean Embassy in London, the event transformed the diplomatic mission into a vibrant hub of youths engagement as young Zimbabweans gathered to celebrate their role in national development.
Presiding over the occasion, Zimbabwe’s chief diplomat to the UK, Ambassador (Rtd) Colonel Christian Katsande, formally declared that February 21 would now be permanently inscribed on the embassy’s annual calendar.
“Today we make history not merely by gathering here, but by institutionalising this day as part of our diplomatic calendar. The Second Republic recognises that our youths, wherever they may be, are central to Zimbabwe’s transformation. His Excellency President Mnangagwa has consistently called for innovation, productivity and patriotic participation from young people, and that call extends beyond our borders. Our development trajectory hinges on your ideas, your skills and your enterprise. You are not detached from Zimbabwe’s future; you are active architects of it,” Ambassador Katsande said.
He tasked UK Secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Farai Nyakudya with spearheading structured youths initiatives throughout the year, pledging the embassy’s full support.
In his address, Cde Nyakudya, who also coordinates the African Youth Congress UK, linked the liberation struggle to the present responsibilities of diaspora youths.
“Those who liberated this country were young, disciplined and resolute. They understood that freedom demanded sacrifice and commitment. Today, the battlefield is economic transformation and national development. Under President Mnangagwa’s philosophy that ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,’ we are called upon to use our education, our professional networks and our global exposure to build Zimbabwe. We must ensure that development is inclusive and that no one and no place is left behind. The diaspora youth are not spectators, we are stakeholders in the Second Republic,” Cde Nyakudya said.
ZANU PF UK District chairman, Cde Xavier Zavare echoed the call, urging discipline and patriotic participation among young Zimbabweans in Britain.
