Thousands expected as President Mnangagwa prepares to launch youth strategy

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PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is expected to launch the National Youth Empowerment Strategy on Wednesday — a roadmap for structured youth development programming and coordination. The launch will take place during the National Youth Empowerment Symposium, which begins tomorrow at the Harare Agricultural Showgrounds.

In a statement, Director of Communication and Advocacy in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Mr Ranson Madzamba, confirmed that preparations for the symposium are at an advanced stage.

“Preparations for the National Youth Empowerment Symposium to take place on the 21st and 22nd of October this year at the Harare Agricultural Showgrounds are now at an advanced stage. Zimbabwean youths are ready to meet and deliberate among themselves, the Government, and various development partners on how best they can be empowered for the good of their lives and that of our nation.”

Mr Madzamba said the symposium, which will run under the theme “Empower the Youth, Secure the Future”, provides a platform to foster youth-to-youth learning, with youth enterprises exhibiting and sharing best practices.

“It also seeks to inspire innovation, productivity, and entrepreneurship among the young people of our great nation. On October 22, the second day of the symposium, His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will launch the National Youth Empowerment Strategy. This is indeed the roadmap for structured youth development programming and coordination,” he said.

Thousands of youths from across the country are expected to attend the event.

“As you know, the youths constitute the bulk of our population. They are the active age group and indeed a demographic dividend we must capitalise on as a country. The issue of unemployment among the youths must be addressed strategically. The symposium mostly targets those youths who are not in education, employment, or training,” Mr Madzamba said.

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s 2024 survey, an estimated 2,3 million youths are not in education, employment, or training.

“The symposium is coming as a platform to find ways in which these youths, among many others, can be productive for their competitive advantage and that of our economy. The symposium thus serves as the premier national platform to connect young people with Government agencies, private sector players, development partners, and successful entrepreneurs.”

In addition, it aims to inspire innovation, productivity, and entrepreneurship among Zimbabwe’s youth.