IN a move aimed at currying favour with the youth demography, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised 1,000 Youth Service in Zimbabwe graduates with jobs within government, including the uniformed forces.
Derogatorily known as 'Green Bombers' for their green-coloured uniforms, the first two cohorts of graduates will soon be enlisted at various public institutions and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) across the country.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare Tuesday, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said the initiative, which targets youth empowerment through six months of training, is channelling graduates from the first two cohorts into public institutions, uniformed forces, State enterprises, and national development programmes.
"The Youth Service in Zimbabwe Programme that was launched by His Excellency President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa in May 2024, is already harnessing positive dividends on the youth demographic group," Muswere said.
"The first two cohorts of students numbering 1,077 who graduated from the six months' training programme are already earmarked for employment at State-funded higher and tertiary education institutions, the Public Service, uniformed forces, State-Owned Enterprises, including special programmes, such as the Presidential Solarisation Programme, the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme and the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme.
"Other graduates are already enrolling for further skills upgrading at various Vocational Training Centres around the country.
"Government has already made it mandatory that vocational certificates will be prioritised for accessing empowerment loans and entrepreneurial start-ups, from the Empower Bank."
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The initiative aims to empower and train youth aged 18-35 through a six-month programme focusing on life skills, entrepreneurship, and national orientation, with a goal of fostering patriotism and civic responsibility.
Nicknamed 'Border Gezi' training programme was named after the then Youth minister. The youth service training was established in 2001, following the Nziramasanga Commission Report of 1999, which recommended education of young people to inculcate values of patriotism, discipline, national identity, service, and civic responsibility.
The hugely unpopular programme was blamed for breeding a militia that propped Zanu PF during electioneering, going about brutalizing opposition activists.
It was later disbanded under a cloud of suspicion that the then Youth minister was assembling a private army, only to be reintroduced by President Mnangagwa last year.
The new curriculum infuses national orientation with life skills training and entrepreneurial development.
