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They lash out and demonise the indigenisation policy at every turn but as visionaries and revolutionaries we are not bothered as it is common knowledge that for everything progressive it is by no means complete without detractors.
Our indigenisation policy initiated and implemented by the visionary leadership of President Mugabe has triggered a bandwagon of commentators and analysts of doom on electronic and print media to invent theories of “discrimination” and “human rights” abuses.

These theories have been frequently invented by men who are more interested in speaking theories that lack facts, than in telling the truth. It is common knowledge that together with their agents of regime change they plunged us into this economic abyss we are only recovering from now and they are trying by all means possible for us to remain there.

Evidence is how they tried, and continue to manipulate the Kimberley Process. Even when their agenda was defeated, they still put our diamonds on their illegal sanctions. Shame on Americans and their allies! 
This reportage and Western propaganda has led to a tradition of inaccurate reporting on national policies                     like the irreversible land reform programme and the indigenisation drive.

For those in doubt, the indigenisation agenda is meant to rectify colonial imbalances that are in existence, whereby the means of production in all facets of the economy are not being controlled by indigenous Zimbabweans but by a racial minority that owes that status to colonialism. The season is now for indigenous Zimbabweans to be fully economically empowered by becoming proud owners of industry and commerce for them to create jobs and not for them to globetrot seeking employment. Japan, China and India                           did it; we can also do it.

Speaking from the constituency of an economically active group, students and in particular the youth, I would like to point out that the indigenisation policy has not been fully understood and more work needs to be done to cascade the information to the grassroots. We feel that as the youths, we are being left out and pampered with empty promises.                              Most youths have been ill-informed about indigenisation and the book of Isaiah says, “My people are perishing because of lack of knowledge.” And it is this lack of knowledge that has given rise to the belief among some rowdy youths that the economic indigenisation programme is a way through which some people will line their pockets by grabbing properties and destroying infrastructure, violating property rights and the country’s laws in the process.

I do not blame the youths, but I blame the lack                                  of proper education and orientation from the ministry responsible.
For long, students who are also part of the youths have been used as political tools only to be discarded after use, with little or no attention being given to their grievances.  But we believe that the season is now for them to be heard and to become fully empowered through the indigenisation scheme.

We acknowledge and applaud the establishment of the youth loan scheme by the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and the Ministry of Finance, but it is disappointing to note that only a few have benefited and the rest of us continue to wallow in abject poverty, waiting for someone to push us into the healing pool.  This has been attributed again to lack of                            proper information dissemination to the grassroots and              lack of representation in national decision making bodies, because it is only a cook who knows how hot the kitchen is and is in touch with reality in there. Therefore, as youths we are advocating for seats on the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board and in every other national decision-making board.

We would like to take this opportunity to applaud and to show our gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, led by Engineer Walter Mzembi for co-opting students (youths) in the tourism board. He fully understands that we are the leaders of tomorrow.
Save for a few areas, our grievances as students who are categorised as youths have been largely removed from the proper place to be debated at national level.

Instead they have found their way into ministerial libraries where they have become works of literature rather than debatable national issues.  Also they have been blocked somewhere along the bureaucratic chain of command.
We demand a change of attitude from politicians to respect us as our input is valuable to the national discourse on indigenisation.  We demand that there be transparency and proper information dissemination in the disbursement                         of the youth loan scheme facilitated through Cabs and                       that there be a 50 percent quota system for disbursement of loans to students in tertiary institutions as this cultivates a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in students at tertiary level.

We have every right just like any other Zimbabwean to have a fair share of the national cake. But this can only be achieved if the indigenisation agenda co-opts all stakeholders of national relevance like war veterans, war collaborators and ex-detainees, youths and various interest groups.  If not so it could become “individualisation” and not “indigenisation” hence it departs from being a national agenda.

The gospel of sovereignty, indigenisation, black empowerment and the revolutionary ideology should be preached to all corners of the country especially the youths as they can either build or destroy a nation. So this is a reminder to politicians not to underestimate the youth, especially the constituency of the students because their agenda, if not given correct political orientation, can easily be hijacked by imperialists and we then breed a brood of vipers in our midst.

Remember Zimbabwe National Students’ Union contributed to the inception of the regime change agenda which is responsible for the economic sanctions slapped on Zimbabwe by the EU and its allies.
Genuine, patriotic students of Zimbabwe are fully behind His Excellency President R G Mugabe, the champion of black empowerment and total emancipation for

Africa. Long live President R. G. Mugabe.

• Moamed Mureja is a student at a local university and member of the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu).