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Yeukai Tazira Herald Reporter

The Zanu-PF Youth League yesterday hosted a Youth in Conversation (YOICO) discussion workshop meant to unpack and educate youths on the effects of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Addressing youth organisation including students from tertiary institutions, Zanu-PF Youth Affairs Secretary for Administration Cde Tendai Chirau said the workshop was a build-up to anti-sanction campaign scheduled for Friday.

“It was meant to educate youth on the effects of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West to cripple the economy.

“The youth is the largest demographic group in the country in terms of percentage. We decide that it is important that as young people we hold ‘youth on conversations’ discussing the impact of sanctions on young people. We are aware that sanctions are affecting investment which creates employment opportunities for young people.

“We thought we will take bring together youths from different social backgrounds to unpack sanctions.

‘‘Most importantly, we are being guided by what the President said in January that we will not continue mourning about sanctions,” said Cde Chirau.

One of the moderators at the discussion workshop, Mr Richard Mahomva, said the platform speaks to the broad-based and ongoing conversation to debunk and dismantle the effects of sanctions in Zimbabwe

“It is part and parcel of a complementary initiative to the mandate that Zimbabwe has received from SADC.

“This is a proposition that was brought forward by SADC so at the end of the day there is need to have an all-youth inclined conversation but far beyond that also bring Zanu-PF to the centre of this conversation.

“This issue should graduate from being a SADC matter but also escalate to being an African Union matter so Zimbabwe is leading that progression of the discourse around sanctions and, of course, creating a more liberal space for African interests,” Mr Mahomva.

One of the panellists,  the Zanu-PF Seke-Chikomba women’s quota MP Tatenda Mavetera, said the workshop was aimed at addressing the concerns of the youth.

“We want a united force as youths towards sanctions and to make other people aware on what sanctions really are and I think that is really im-                                                        portant.

“We have talked about sanctions for the past three months and there are still some people who still do not understand their effect on the country.

“As young people we have taken it upon ourselves to inform our fellow young people to understand where we are as a nation and also understand the effects of sanctions and also why sanctions have been here,” she said.

The workshop was held under the theme, #Iamasanctionsbuster.