Young people have been hailed as drivers of economic growth as Parliament's Youth Caucus opened the second Youth Inclusive Budget Consultative Conference in Harare on Friday.
Addressing delegates, Youth Caucus chairperson Stanley Sakupwanya said the 2025 National Budget had already demonstrated the power of youth advocacy pointing to major victories secured through last year's inaugural forum.
Among the successes were the creation of the Drug and Substance Abuse Fund under Statutory Instrument 62 of 2025 the banning of harmful alcohol products such as mukozodo and the allocation of funds to rehabilitation centres and law enforcement agencies to combat drug abuse.
"You spoke boldly, you raised difficult issues and you demanded action. Today, we can look back and say with confidence: your voice made a difference," Sakupwanya said.
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Young women also won a long-fought battle for dignity with free sanitary wear now included in the national budget.
"This was not just a policy change, it was a triumph for dignity, equality, and justice for every girl child in Zimbabwe," Sakupwanya added.
The 2025 Budget set aside billions in support of youth-led initiatives.
These include ZiG670 million for rural development through village and youth business units, ZiG447.1 million for skills development and significant capitalisation of Empower Bank and the Zimbabwe Women's Microfinance Bank.
Innovation hubs at state universities have also been expanded with government pledging to commercialise student innovations in partnership with the private sector.
Sakupwanya however, said the gains come with responsibility.
"Oversight is not only the work of Members of Parliament. Oversight is also the duty of citizens, especially the youth, because it is your future that is being shaped," he said, quoting President Mnangagwa's words "The voice of the people is the voice of God."
This year's conference, running under the theme "Empowering the Young Drivers of Economic Growth for Sustainable Development to Deliver Vision 2030", will focus on four objectives building youth fiscal literacy, creating platforms for genuine dialogue with Parliament and government, reaching consensus on 2026 budget priorities and equipping young people with knowledge of parliamentary procedures.
Sakupwanya urged delegates to seize the opportunity to shape the upcoming 2026 budget.
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"The story of last year proves that when the youth speak with one voice, the nation listens. The story of the 2026 budget year is yet to be written--and it begins with the conversations, debates, and ideas that will emerge from this conference," he said.
