ZANU-PF Youth League in the Southern African state of Zimbabwe. They bear the responsibility of continuing a revolutionary tradition., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Time youth carried revolutionary torch
Sunday, 09 February 2014 00:42
Kurai Prosper Masenyama
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail
The month of February brings another magnificently special occasion for the country’s youth. In particular, Zanu-PF youth celebrate the birth of the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
This year’s celebrations will be very special as the President celebrates a whopping nine decades of fruitful existence.
What makes this year’s celebrations even more enticing is that they arrive so soon after President Mugabe romped to an emphatic election victory over an arch-rival bankrolled by supposedly powerful sponsors.
Thus, the connection, the umbilical cord that ties President Mugabe to the majority of the country’s citizens, is as solid as ever with 61 percent of the total vote having endorsed him. Interestingly, youth comprise the majority of this voting population that delivered the remarkable victory to President Mugabe and the majority of Zanu-PF candidates in the National Assembly and Senate.
Thus, it is imperative that the youth, as the future of this country, should be proud of the people’s victory.
On the other hand, youth should also derive tangible benefits and thrive, riding on the dominance of Zanu-PF and President Mugabe.
Thus, youth leadership and the Zanu-PF Youth League leadership in particular, have a huge responsibility of not only mobilising young people to support and vote for Zanu-PF but to also take the lead in articulating, promoting and, above all, implementing programmes that carry forward the aspirations of the country.
Youth League members should not only be visible for one month in a year when they celebrate the birthday of President Mugabe.
Actually, the youth and its leadership would be more valuable to the nation and, indeed, to President Mugabe and Zanu-PF at large if they spent 11 months carrying out programmes of advancing his legacy and the aspirations of Zimbabwe’s young people, crowning it off in the 12th month by organising festivities that celebrate the work and the legacy of the President.
While the Politburo member responsible for Youth, Cde Absolom Sikhosana, has tried his best to table youth issues on the national agenda, the rest of his colleagues have remained apathetic with none of them participating in any youth development programmes beyond the confines of the comfort zones of their political provinces.
We need a Youth League that carries the revolutionary torch and advances the aspirations of youth, and, indeed, the entire country all the time. We want a Youth League that drives the political, social, and economic aspirations of the country all the time without fear or favour. Indeed, we want a Youth League that gives President Mugabe and party leadership some peace of mind whenever they think of the future of this country and of Zanu-PF in particular.
Conversely, we do not want a Youth League that is a breeding ground for rogue elements. We do not want a Youth League that thrives on fighting for positions of influence for personal benefit.
I highlight some of the key issues that affect youths that I firmly believe the Youth League leadership should focus on throughout the year.
The fundamental thing is that all these issues have been identified and kick started by the mainstream party either in Government or through the resolutions of the Annual People’s Conference.
Youth Empowerment
Through the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, the Government has mobilised close to US$20 million for youth projects.
The funds are supposed to be distributed through the CBZ, IDBZ, Cabs and, to a lesser extent, Stanbic. But, as most of the country’s youths can testify, mobilisation of funds does not mean easy disbursement of the money.
The youths need to be financially and organisationally prepared to meet the requirements of the funds. This is where the Youth League should play a prominent role with its structures throughout the country.
Financial literacy, proposal development and business development seminars should be organised across the country using the Youth League’s organs that mirror the main body like economic affairs, indigenisation and economic empowerment, business development, science and technology and so forth.
Failure to prepare our youths will lead to a situation where the funds remain mobilised but undisbursed, leading to the current disharmony, frustration and finger-pointing as far as the youth funds are concerned.
Land Resettlement
Zanu-PF has a long-standing Annual People’s Conference resolution stating that a substantial amount of land earmarked for resettlement but unallocated or abandoned should be distributed to the country’s youth.
With the energy in youth coupled with the possibility of funding through youth empowerment funds, this is one area that the Youth League should have seized and run away with.
We are all witnessing the boom that has been created by the tobacco farming revolution yet only a few youths are enjoying the benefits.
Furthermore, the youth should be prepared to benefit from various schemes like the President’s Agricultural Inputs programme so that they can contribute to the country returning to its rightful position as the “breadbasket” of Southern Africa.
Housing
The issue of housing is a perennial problem that has affected the nation’s citizens, especially young people some of whom are orphans and heading households.
While some alert youths have taken the initiative and formed housing co-operatives like the Muzariri Housing Youth Co-operative in Budiriro, Harare, these kind of activities have been restricted to older people and very limited as far as the youths are concerned.
Through its structures, the Youth League should pursue the possible solutions, take advantage of the land resettlement programme and ensure the majority of its members get affordable housing.
Youth unemployment
Youth unemployment has been one of the key challenges facing the world at large and Zimbabwe as a nation.
This has been exacerbated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the West leading to the closure of some companies.
Thus, the country needs a clear programme of action that will stem youth unemployment and associated poverty.
With its members the worst affected, the Youth League needs to be at the forefront of articulating these issues, organising apprenticeships and attachments for unemployed graduates and ensuring that the indigenisation programme creates as many jobs as possible, especially for young people.
National Youth Policy
The Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment has come up with a very progressive policy through which at least 25 percent of positions in Government, contracts and any other key activities should be reserved for youths.
Once again, the onus is on the youth of this country led by the Youth League of the majority Party, Zanu-PF, to ensure this good thinking comes to fruition in terms of implementation and application.
Zim Asset
Following its decisive victory in the harmonised elections last year, Zanu-PF has formulated a programme of action that encapsulates all its key programmes as espoused in the election-winning manifesto, President Mugabe’s inauguration speech and the President’s speech on the Official Opening of the Eighth Parliament.
Youths should be at the forefront of taking this blueprint to the ordinary people and parents and planning programmes through which the entire country can benefit.
Zim Asset lays the agenda for youth participation in key industries like mining, agriculture, manufacturing, social services and so forth.
Thus, the Youth League leadership should craft a strategy through which its membership should benefit from Zim Asset.
HIV and Aids
The pandemic that is decimating our population with devastating effect affects youths in a dual way either as carriers themselves or orphans leading child-headed households.
Furthermore, it is arguable that most people acquire the disease in their youthful years due to a number of factors including poverty, abuse, being in an environment conducive for sexual immorality and so forth.
Thus, young people through their leadership need to have a comprehensive programme to educate themselves to avert the impact of a disease that has the potential to derail all the progress our leaders have made for this nation by ravaging and decimating our skills base.
Women and child abuse
The abuse of women, particularly the young ones, has been rampant throughout the country with alarming reports of gender-based violence, rape, and human-trafficking being lodged.
Female Youth League leaders should use their status in society to highlight and fight these acts.
Drug and alcohol abuse
It has been reported and confirmed that thousands of youths in this country are abusing drugs like glue and prescription medicines, leading to addiction. Youth leaders need to come up with programmes to tackle these vices that threaten the future of this country.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, I have put to the fore a number of critical issues that require the immediate, urgent and undivided attention of the Youth League throughout the year.
We really cherish President Mugabe’s legacy and it can only be preserved by clear, consistent, youth-driven and youth-centred programmes that advance the issue of empowerment.
This is an issue that we all know is very dear to him and the rest of the party leadership.
Kurai Prosper Masenyama is the national director of Zanu-PF’s indigenisation and economic empowerment department. He writes in his personal capacity.
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