By Trevor Makonyonga
The Ministry of Youth Sport Arts and Recreation will on 25 and 26 February host online Robert Mugabe National Youth Day celebrations.
The ministry will host these celebrations through the Zimbabwe Youth Council, National Arts Council, Sports and Recreation Commission, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the minister of Youth Sport Arts and Recreation Dr. Kirsty Coventry said that the youth were essential in the quest of achieving a middle class economy by 2030.S
“As Zimbabwe embarks on transforming into an upper-middle-class economy by 2030, this year’s celebrations will seek to capture the voices, actions and initiatives of young people to combat the pandemic and its effect s to retard socio-economic development”.
“The Minister said that the ministry will provide Zimbabwean youths with opportunities to help in their innovations.
“The Ministry of Youth Sport Arts and recreation is proud of our youths and will take advantage of every opportunity to provide young people with opportunities for growth and participation in the broader national economy,” Dr. Coventry said.
Dr Coventry also bemoaned the impact of Covid 19 to the youths saying that they haven’t been spared from it’s impact.
“The pandemic has impacted on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Zimbabweans. Young people who lead active and adventurous lives have been impacted the worst by the global pandemic. Ironically, as the world adjusts to a new normal where ICTs have become the answer to the demands of daily activities, it is the resilience, easy adaptation and innovativeness of young people that is called upon,” she said.
The twist to this year’s celebration is that the innovative youths have an opportunity to earn technical and financial support for their innovations from the government. The youths who want to participate in this initiative have until February 23 to register.
The number they can use is +263772306903
Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day formally known as 21st February Movement was recognized as a public holiday on February 24 2017 on the same day President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as leader of Zimbabwe following a coup which led to the resignation of Mugabe as President
This was after the youth arm of the ruling party lobbied for the former president’s birthday to be declared a national holiday for what the organization says the leader’s role in empowering the country’s youth.
