The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa recently in Harare
THE Zanu-PF Secretary for Finance in the Youth League Cde Garikai Zonde has called on the Government to continue creating opportunities that empower, educate and give requisite resources to young people for better economic transformation.
Speaking after his election, Cde Zonde said through brilliant economic blueprints such as National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), Zimbabwe’s economy has the potential of taking off exponentially, adding that the country’s youth must ready itself to maximise potential dividends of participation in various sectors especially the mining, digital, tourism and agricultural sectors which are key contributors to the local GDP and fiscus.
Cde Zonde says key to this effort will be connectivity, networking, education, skills development, digitisation and innovation among others.
“Zimbabwe can develop key markets in mining, tourism, ICT and agro-business. It is a journey and as youths we need to break it up into doable bits,” Cde Zonde told Sunday News.
He added that the NDS1 being championed by the Second Republic has demonstrated that this can be achieved.
Cde Zonde said Zimbabwean youths could and should showcase their potential and success stories in the broader African and global economy and promote home-grown businesses, innovations, solutions and partnerships.
“Ambitions of participating in ICT, mining, agriculture and tourism are not utopian.
Such ambitions are an integral part of how we view development.”
He added that the foundations of the digital economy – connectivity, data and voice, would depend on a fully integrated digital infrastructure.
With the Central Government pushing for a middle-income economy by 2030, the possibility of new markets and participation in previously inaccessible business opportunities offer tantalising new avenues for start-ups.
“The Second Republic under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa has already shown its commitment to the future of the country by managing to bridge the gap between the youth and central government by incorporating youths into key ministries and departments,” Cde Zonde told Sunday News.
President Mnangagwa
The Second Republic has opened doors to access finance and information and technology, a key component of accelerating the pace of economic growth and connecting markets.
Interconnection and interoperability create bigger markets which in turn attract investors.
“The country now has the largest generation of young people in history.
I place great hope in their power to shape our future.
They are part of the first generation that can end poverty and the last that can avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” he added.
“As the Zanu-PF Youth League, we renewed our commitment to the Second Republic and its efforts to kick start the economy.
And I must stress that we cannot talk about sustainable economic development without the active involvement of youth.”
He highlighted the link between development and peace and urged empowering of young people to address security matters.
It is also critical to invest in young women and adolescent girls who face more obstacles than young men and boys and deserve special support in seizing opportunities and claiming their rights, he said.
To harness the demographic dividend, right policies and interventions are needed in order to get a higher proportion of the youthful population into economically-productive adults.
– @RealSimbaJemwa
