The Herald (Harare)
6 July 2009
Harare — YOUNG people remain critical to the development of the country and policymakers should fashion policies that capture the inherent potential in them, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking at Chinhoyi Press Club last Friday, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said youths have been marginalised for a long time and should be involved in planning as they were the future.
This, he said, should be complemented by private sector participation through the provision of funds for youth programmes. "It is critical that we capture the majority who are the youths and make up the most productive group with the skills that we need as a country to move forward," he said.
He said idle youths were open to manipulation to further interests that are detrimental to the country. He said political parties have in the past manipulated youths to further their political interests and the spirit of inclusivity that exists should cascade to the youths and the communities.
"We need, as a country, to address issues of poverty among our youths so that they are not open to manipulation. All parties have done it (using youths to campaign) and as a way forward the process of national healing has started. It should preach the gospel of tolerance." Government policies, he said, should create an environment for young people to blossom and contribute to the economic development of the country.
Minister Kasukuwere hailed the Government's drive to give a large stake of all commercial ventures particularly those that draw from the country's natural resources such as mining to indigenous people saying cascading of control of the companies and ventures will empower the majority for a sustainable and stable country.
"Exclusion of the majority of the people is a feature that we should never allow to happen as a country either by omission or commission.
"The Indigenisation Act enables us to capture and ensure the involvement of the majority in economic activities," he said.
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