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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
President Mnangagwa yesterday reminded the young people of Africa that solutions for African problems shall come from nowhere else except the Africans themselves.

He was speaking during the High-Level Ministerial Conference on the Role of Governments, Regional Economic Communities, and Regional Mechanisms in Promoting the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda in the Southern Africa Region.

The ongoing five-day continental youth conference started in Harare on Monday and is expected to be concluded today. President Mnangagwa was represented yesterday by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Frederick Shava at the session.

“In Zimbabwe, we have a number of young champions of peace and it is my hope that some will be able to participate at this conference where they will share their experiences and views while also learning from their peers from across our borders,” said the President through Minister Shava.

“In declaring this conference officially open, I wish to remind the young people of Africa that solutions for African problems shall come from nowhere else except from the Africans themselves. “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”.

“I have gone through the objectives of this conference; they put you and the youth at the centre of peace and security in the region,” said the President.
“It is your rightful place.  Through this conference, Africa and our region, in particular, affirms and commits to the role that our youth must play now in key and most pressing issues of our times,” said President Mnangagwa.

“The conference is an important initiative which is well recognised by the AU Peace and Security Council, which consistently underlines the importance of robust and sustained synergies, coordination, partnerships and collaborations between all relevant stakeholders, including the AU and its Member States, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Mechanisms, UN and Development Partners to advance the Youth Peace and Security agenda and avoid duplication of efforts.”

President Mnangagwa said this was further reiterated recently in the communique of the PSC held on March 3.
He said over the past two decades, most of the countries in the Southern Africa region have been relatively peaceful and stable, though the region still faces challenges of infrequent armed insurgencies and some forms of protracted conflict.

President Mnangagwa said these conflicts have negatively impacted the lives of people, especially young people who make up more than 60 percent of the Southern African population.
“We can no longer view our youth only within the prism of their potential in an unnamed future.

“Neither can our narratives on the young continue to be tainted by an impression that our young people are misguided.

“This narrative is false and as young people, you must reject it; our media must not popularize it and our leaders must never be persuaded to believe it,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said in his experience he has become known for his belief in the youths.

President Mnangagwa expects the conference to hear from youths how barriers that prevent their involvement in matters that affect them can be removed so that there is complete communal cohesion and harmony.

The youths agreed to strengthen the implementation of the AU continental framework on youth, peace and security, to strengthen youth engagement with decision-makers.

Youths also jointly agreed to strengthen national youths’ councils, technology advancement, research and development as well as strengthening monitoring and evaluation.

Chair of the COMESA youth advisory panel, Ms Angel Mbuthia also called for the youth councils.
“In order to further build the leadership capacity for youth, we are asking that you also lobby other Heads of State to do the same to see to it that National Youth Councils are enacted through parliament and are allocated subventions to run their activities on their own,” she said.

Zimbabwe has taken a step forward in this regard by retaining the National Youth Service training programme that will be voluntary.