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Pamela Shumba Bulawayo Bureau
Youths have a critical role to play in the attainment of Vision 2030 and the improvement of transparency, accountability and good governance in the country, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said on Friday.

Addressing students from Bulawayo’s higher learning institutions during a public lecture at the Bulawayo Polytechnic, Minister Mutsvangwa said sustainable good governance cannot be achieved without the participation of youths.

The public lecture, which was also attended by Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo, was held under the theme: “The role of information and the youth in achieving Vision 2030.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said it was vital for the youth to play their part, while the Government plays its part as the country moves towards a better economy.

“Vision 2030 will only be attained if we improve the governance of this country. We’re working hard to improve transparency and accountability as the Government, but sustainable and good governance can’t be improved without the participation of the youth,” she said.

“For Vision 2030 to be sustainable, it has to be inculcated into the population from the early years. It has to be normalised as part of our culture.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said in Africa, about 60 percent of the population was below the age of 24, while 35 percent fall within the 15 to 35 age range.

She said Government could not attain any of its goals without involving the youth, adding that her ministry will ensure that the youth have adequate information and capacity to participate in the journey to Vision 2030.

The youth, Minister Mutsvangwa said, have a huge assignment to work hard in modern industry and complement the efforts made by previous generations, who fought for the country through military battles.

“We have thousands of youths who died as they were being trained to master modern weaponry and fought epic military battles,” she said.

“They paid the supreme price of life to create freedom so that future generations can live in prosperity. The youths we have today need to take it from there.

“Clearly, the odds are better, lighter and not life threatening. I’m confident that they can live up to that. Zimbabwe is a democracy. The Second Republic is opening the space so that the youths can fully exercise their rights and freely participate in governance.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said youths should take pride and be inspired by what Zimbabweans in the Diaspora have shown the world in terms of the country’s work ethic.

She said President Mnangagwa was working hard to provide a business environment that is better than what the Zimbabwean youths seek in other countries.

“Let’s take pride in that our fellow Zimbabweans are well regarded as diligent workers in various nations,” she said.

“This makes our task in Government that much easy and clear. The Government continues to embrace transparency and accountability and we can’t attain Vision 2030 if we can’t uphold the freedom of the people.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe’s future could only be secure if the youths took a leading role in the industrial revolution through innovation and information technology.

She urged the youths to demand space for their creativity and knock on the doors of Government until someone not only opens, but also delivers.

Minister Mutsvangwa said youths could choose to be merchants of anarchy and destruction or drivers of peace and national unity.

“This country will not achieve its national aspirations if a peaceful environment does not prevail,” she said.

“Vision 2030 is not only value driven, but it’s youth driven with information being the key driver. So, our young people should find their niche, not wait for opportunities, but help create them.

“As a nation, we want to develop our young people to be the custodians of our national aspirations and developmental goals.”

The youths, led by the Zimbabwe Congress of Students’ Union called on Government to help them become technologically advanced to reach out to the rest of the youths in the country in their drive to work with Government.