Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday News Reporter
NEWLY appointed Zanu-PF Matabeleland South province youth chairman Cde Moses Langa has set his eyes on ensuring that there is youth inclusion in socio economic spheres, a development in line with the country’s economic blueprint, National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) which feeds into Vision 2030.
Cde Langa took over the reins from Cde Washington Nkomo and has set in motion an annual plan which seeks to uplift the lives of the youths in the rainbow province.
The plan also seeks to ensure a resounding victory for the ruling party in the coming by-elections slated for March 26 and the harmonised elections that are to be held next year.
Cde Langa, an agriculture expert did his primary education at Filabusi Primary School before heading to Ekusileni Secondary School and Mzingwane High School for his secondary education.
He then enrolled at Esigodini Agricultural College where he graduated with a Diploma in Agriculture. The 30-year-old politician is currently in Level 2.1 where he is studying for a Bachelor of Education (BED) specialising in agriculture with the Great Zimbabwe University.
Cde Langa joined the ruling party in 2007 where he was on cells before rising through the ladder to become the National Secretary for Disabled and Disadvantaged from 2009 to 2014.
In 2015 he went down to restructure his mind from the cells and rose again to be appointed the youth league chairperson early this year.
Politics runs in the blood of Cde Langa, as he is son to former Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Cde Andrew Langa and grandson to the first councillor in Filabusi Edwin Langa who got into office when the country attained Independence.
Sunday News caught up with Cde Langa who rolled out his plan for changing the lives of the youths in Matabeleland South’s rural and urban areas.
“Cognisant of Vision 2030, the agenda for the youth league is to push forward youth inclusion in socio-economic spheres. This will come about through mobilising all Matabeleland South youths amplifying His Excellency, President Mnangagwa’s call of leaving no one behind.
“This will be done through improving visibility, outreaches and embracing any open door policy. We will promote youth friendly events such as sports tournaments, galas and seminars only to mention but a few,” said Cde Langa.
He said with the numbers on their side, they intend to promote Government policy awareness among the structures.
“This will make sure that youths fully participate in the development of their country. One can only participate when they are fully informed. Government has programmes for youth development so we want to support those.
“We want to see youths taking part in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and so forth. In short we are rallying behind NDS1 where we also applaud President Mnangagwa for coming up with youth incubation centres as skills development is integral in the growth of our economy,” he said.
Cde Langa said the youth league will promote skills and training for the youth.
“As the youth league we will embrace the fourth Industrial Revolution and lobby Government to bring Nano Tech and Cloud computing to the most remote corners of the country.
“Matabeleland South Youth League will be preoccupied with advocating financing models that are tailor-made for youth inclusion. While we are at it, we will champion discipline through ensuring that there is dissemination of financial literacy skills and other business management and marketing trainings.
“We will facilitate business skills development for youths so that they are able to create and manage their own job opportunities, as means of employment creation that they may be able to employ others and earn a living.
“Between January and December 2022, we will mobilise youths for job skills training for entrepreneurship in such vocational centres such as in Mzingwane, Gwanda, Insiza, Matobo and Bulilima districts where we will be working in liaison with Vocational Principals, Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation and the Minister of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development to design short tailor-made courses also in liaison with Gwanda State University and the School of Mines,” said Cde Langa.
Cde Langa said they will also revive the cattle muscle that the province is endowed with in order to retain the country’s beef export status through the heifers acquired recently through the Presidential Agricultural Scheme on Livestock.
“We want to equip youths with the necessary resources that they can use to earn a living and we will do this through firstly acquisition of farms from the seven districts as from January to February.
“We will then mobilise youths who have the intention of doing business in both cattle and crop production and have the Presidential Agricultural Livestock Scheme disbursed in these seven districts where the farms will be equipped with the necessary appropriate farming resource,” he said. — @mthabisi_mthire