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Farirai Machivenyika, Harare Bureau 

Youths have been challenged to lead the country’s quest for economic development based on the foundations laid through the attainment of independence.

This was said by Vice President Kembo Mohadi while officiating at the Zanu-PF Youth League Exhibition and Special Input Scheme for Youth in Agriculture held at the party’s headquarters yesterday. 

The exhibition was convened in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement and agro-inputs company Syngenta.

“You are lucky that you have got that education that has made us the country with the highest literacy rate in Africa,” VP Mohadi said. “You use those sharpened minds, that education should now be put to use, into real production and agriculture is the basis of our economy, so you should use that education to improve agricultural productivity.

“This country belongs to the youth. You form the majority of the population.”

VP Mohadi said his generation had achieved their objective to liberate the country from colonial rule.

“Our national heroes were once youths,” he said. “But unlike the new generations, the youths of the independence struggle had to fight for 16 years to get land and access to land.

“We decided to focus on one thing, that is the political independence which is what some of ours died for. A revolution is premised on two things; political emancipation and economic independence. The political independence is what the liberation war was fought for.

“It is therefore imperative that you fight for economic independence. We have done our bit and now it’s your turn to do your bit.”

VP Mohadi said the youths should take advantage of the land availed through the land reform to improve the sector’s contribution to GDP.

“I challenge you to turn around the economic fortunes of the country,” he said. “Agriculture contributes 15 percent of the GDP of our country, but we want it to be more. You are lucky you have this support, so we want you to produce more and beneficiate more.

“By 2030 we want agriculture to contribute at least 30 percent and then we would say we have achieved our objective.” 

VP Mohadi said other sectors of the economy depended on the performance of the agricultural sector so it was therefore important for the sector to improve productivity.