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Mutsawashe Mashandure 

Herald Correspondent

Youth participation in the economy through innovation will continue to be supported by the Government, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Charles Tawenga, said yesterday.

He was speaking at the Zimbabwe Innovation Challenge top prize award ceremony in Harare.

Gracia Bvute won the top prize and walked away with US$1 000 for her exploits.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) engaged youths from institutions of higher learning to create projects that will boost local tourism.

Selection of winners was transparent, with the top 50 projects selected first, then reducing the number to 10, and then the final three in the provincial finals.

National finals are scheduled for next month. 

The top provincial prize was US$1 000, the second US$500, and the third US$300.

Speaking in Harare yesterday at the Harare Province Third Tourism Innovation Challenge Prize giving ceremony, Minister Tawenga said the occasion was part of the Government’s thrust to encourage, stimulate, and promote innovation and entrepreneurship among youths, in line with the National Development Strategy 1.

He added that Government has established Innovation Hubs at tertiary institutions to promote innovation.

“I encourage the youths in Harare Metropolitan Province to participate in these innovation programmes so as to competitively position the province, grow the tourism economy, and create employment.

“We believe that the youths are keen to create solutions that can address local challenges in our respective provinces and at the national level. 

“This will contribute towards achieving an upper middle-income economy by 2030, as enunciated by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa,” he said.

Minister Tawenga praised the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority for cascading the challenge for the youths at the provincial level in line with the devolution mantra and the thrust of “leaving no one and no place behind”.

He said Harare Province shall continue to support the ideas of youths and help them to grow from ideas to implementation.

Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa said they created the programme to challenge young people to be more proactive and think outside the box with regards to tourism development.

“This programme helps to remove the youth from the streets and encourage them to meaningfully contribute towards national economic growth and development anchored on the country’s national blueprints in the main, Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025), as well as the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy, which seeks to achieve a US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025,” he said.

“In doing so, we will not only help in youth empowerment but also in discouraging them from indulging in self-destructive practices, including the taking of drugs under the guise of seeking pleasure and excitement.

“I am therefore confident that the Tourism Innovation Challenge will, in the medium to long term, produce successful youth in tourism as entrepreneurs. In the near future, we look forward to increased youth participation across the country’s provinces.”

The winner, Gracia Bvute, said she worked for the prize.