Mathew Masinge
Young Africans must be united to successfully develop the continent, Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire has said.
Addressing delegates at the International Youth Summit on Land and Economic Freedom, Minister Machakaire urged delegates to desist from hate speech.
“We must learn to love and respect one another, we are all brothers and sisters,” he said.
“We must desist from sharing hate speech, we must move together as Africans, we can only develop and support our Presidents’ visions when we are moving as Africans.
“Let’s celebrate Africa Day together as one, we are just separated by borders, but we are one. Let’s move as a team.”
Minister Machakaire said the gathering signified a collective commitment to harnessing the potential in young people to drive development through land utilisation.
“The day you realise the importance of your land, that’s when the journey will start. If you don’t know where you are coming from and where you are going, you are nothing,” he said.
“Land ownership has long been a cornerstone of Africa’s empowerment and economic independence. In Zimbabwe, our history is deeply-rooted in the struggle for land, symbolising not just territorial rights but also our identity and sovereignty.
“Today we focus on transitioning the mere access of productive use, it is imperative that we equip our youth with the necessary tools, knowledge and support systems to transform land into a source of prosperity.”
He said his ministry will continue promoting equitable participation for all Zimbabweans.
“Under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training is steadfast in its mission to promote equitable participation and development for every citizen of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“Our initiatives are designed to provide comprehensive support to young people, ensuring that they are not only landowners, but proficient stewards of the vital resource.
“One of our key strategies involves enhancing vocational training programmes that focus on modern agricultural and mining practices and sustainable farming and mining techniques to build generational and self-reliant entrepreneurs that contribute to the GDP.
“We will develop youth-friendly loan products and grant schemes tailored to support varied economic ventures, ensuring that lack of funding doesn’t impair the productive use of land.”
The summit, which kicked off last Friday and ends today, brought together over 800 youths, including students from Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“Africa Youth Congress leader Cde Taurai Kandishaya said the event was held to encourage young people to take ownership of their land.
“The summit was all about encouraging us as Africans to take full ownership of resources back home.
“We have discussed with delegates to say they must create their own jobs by focusing on primary industries, which include mining, agriculture, farming and forestry.
“Resources in all these primary industries are not imported because the major resource, which is the land, is always available through Government interventions.
“In Zimbabwe, we thank President Mnangagwa because we have access to land,” said Cde Kundishaya.
The summit included discussions on youth empowerment policies, access to land, entrepreneurship, and economic inclusion under the theme: “Empowering Africa’s Youth for Economic Liberation.”
The event also had delegates from the China, Nicaragua and Islamic Republics sharing their diplomatic solidarity messages on land and economic freedom.
In her speech, Nicaragua’s envoy to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Nadeska Imara Cuthbert Carlson, said the bonds between our peoples are not born of mere diplomacy — they are forged in shared struggle.
“In our lands, colonisers arrived not only with armies, but with systems to dispossess, marginalise and divide us. Land — the very source of our sustenance and identity — was taken from our ancestors and used as an instrument of oppression.
“We must learn from each other’s experiences. We must create our own development models-rooted in our cultures, our histories and our realities.
“Comrades and friends, in the face of the challenges that lie ahead, we must reaffirm our shared purpose. Land and economic justices are not gifts to be begged for, but rights to be reclaimed. South-South solidarity is not optional, it is essential.”
Various delegates from Europe, Russia, the United States, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Honduras and Canada among others attended.
The post Young Africans implored to unite appeared first on herald.
The post Young Africans implored to unite appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.