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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
YOUTH in business said they will not be deterred by the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the Western countries but will instead seize vast opportunities availed by the Second Republic to exploit the country’s vast endowments.

Under his administration, President Mnangagwa has opened the door for youth participation in all sectors of the economy.

Opportunities for the young people have been availed in mining, agriculture, tourism and other sectors as the nation works towards becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

As outlined in its 2018 Election Manifesto, the Zanu-PF led Government continues to facilitate youth empowerment, education and skills development.

President Mnangagwa has said the youths’ skills development continues to be enhanced through the reconfiguration of technical vocational training centres, leadership development training programmes as well as the nurturing of youth start-ups in various sectors of the economy.

Apart from the Youth Empowerment Bank, the Second Republic has also established Youth Desks in every ministry to mainstream the needs of the youths while on the other hand the Revised National Youth Policy is providing practical solutions to challenges faced by young people.

Guided by the Second Republic’s development philosophy: Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo, youths said they will not allow the illegal sanctions to derail their development goals.

For more than 20 years, the youth, children and vulnerable groups have suffered as a result of the illegal sanctions that have adversely affected the growth of the economy.

The Second Republic has however, come up with several interventions such as the establishment of the Youth Empowerment Bank to enable youths to access loans as it works to mitigate the effects of the sanctions.

Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for information and publicity, Cde Addington Mpofu said the sanctions have taught them to be resilient.

“We changed our mindset when we adopted the philosophy ‘ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo’. That on its own has changed our perspective as young people, it has changed our attitude and it has also strengthened us,” he said.

Cde Mpofu commended the Second Republic for crafting policies that target the youth and other vulnerable groups.

“Despite these illegal sanctions, the Second Republic created a conducive environment, which has actually made it easier for young people to empower themselves and be able to navigate the harsh conditions of the sanctions,” he said.

Cde Mpofu said the sanctions are not targeted as claimed by the Western countries as they are affecting even ordinary citizens.

He said as youths they were having challenges when they want to do business transactions outside the country.

Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Tendai Chirau said the sanctions have blocked youths from accessing credit lines.

“For young people in the information and communication technology sector, it is difficult for them to buy ICT gadgets through online platforms such as Alibaba. It is difficult to input the option Zimbabwe as the platform will tell you that you’re restricted by virtue of being from a country under sanctions,” said Cde Chirau.

He however, said the youths have said with or without sanctions they will do all within their powers to grow the economy.

“What the Second Republic is doing to bust those sanctions is giving young people the room to empower themselves and grow the economy. The launch of innovation hubs at universities is another way of ensuring we churn-out graduates that create employment instead of seeking employment,” he said.

He said Zimbabweans were their own liberators and as such cannot continue to mourn about sanctions but should use their own resources to grow the economy.

“Government is creating a conducive environment and that’s why up to this day we are still surviving despite the sanctions,” said Cde Chirau.

A Bulawayo youth, Mr Munashe Mututsa said sanctions are not targeted as they affect all Zimbabweans.

“The people who imposed these sanctions have always tried to defend them by claiming that they are targeted at Zanu-PF elites but the reality on the ground is that they are affecting everyone,” he said.Mr Mututsa said he works for a milling company and whenever their machines breakdown, it is difficult to get spares from Germany where they were manufactured.

He said they are forced to approach middlemen who in turn demand huge amounts of money for their services.

Mr Mututsa said without credit lines and financial support it is difficult to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s economy.

President Mnangagwa said the Government will continue calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions which are affecting the general populace. Over the past two decades, Zimbabwe has been groaning under the weight of the illegal economic sanctions imposed by the US, UK and their allies as punishment for redistributing the land to correct the skewed land ownership which favoured the minority white farmers.

 

Since the illegal sanctions were imposed in 2001, Zimbabwe has been losing an estimated US$42 billion and an estimated US$4,5 billion in donor support annually.

Sadc member-states have since declared October 25 Anti-Sanctions Day, a day when member states join Zimbabwe to push for the unconditional removal of the illegal sanctions.