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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
VICE-President Joice Mujuru yesterday challenged graduates to take advantage of the government’s empowerment programmes to create employment instead of waiting for formal employment.

Officially opening a tripartite extra-ordinary meeting of Sadc ministers and partners on employment and labour in Victoria Falls, Cde Mujuru said government was burdened with looking after unemployed but highly educated youths who are supposed to create their own employment.

“As government we are burdened by looking after highly educated unemployed group of people who are hunting for jobs. We are busy trying to create jobs because we are faced with a big responsibility,” said Cde Mujuru.

She bemoaned lack of entrepreneurship in the farming sector saying the country has not come to a stage of fully enjoying the benefits of the land reform programme.

“Land is our first resource and our youths should use it for job creation instead of waiting for those white collar jobs where they want to wear high stiletto shoes. It is time we create our own employment using our abundant natural resources,” said Cde Mujuru.

She challenged Sadc countries to encourage youths to empower themselves through utilising natural resources and affirmed government’s commitment to facilitating job creation.

Africa, Cde Mujuru said, is a rich continent endowed with good rains and fertile soils that when used productively would result in governments exporting more from natural resources to create more jobs.

She said the country’s cooperation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has helped a lot towards improving livelihoods for the youths, through a programme code-named TREE (Training for Rural Economic Empowerment).

Cde Mujuru said the programme was being “implemented in different provinces where lives of youths and women have been transformed”.

During the meeting, representatives of different sectors expressed concern over high unemployment rates in the Sadc region and urged governments and the private sector to work together to address the situation.

Cde Mujuru said Zimbabwe was committed to meeting Sadc protocols on labour and employment and fulfilling tripartite arrangements.

The meeting discussed among other issues, a draft regional integration strategic development plan to be used as a roadmap by member countries in the next five years to foster regional integration.

“Our labour markets share a lot of commonalities, which makes the case of integration more compelling. There is a need therefore to work towards standardisation of labour practices in the region,” said Cde Mujuru, urging member states to devise implementation mechanisms for a code on social security.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Cde Nicholas Goche said a vibrant private sector and labour resource was the cornerstone of development in the Sadc region.

“All members should actively contribute to the finalisation of the revision of the regional indicative strategic development plan to become our blueprint for the next five years,” he said.

ILO regional director for Africa Aeneas Chuma said creation of employment was key to the region’s development.