BY KUDAKWASHE VHENGE
Youths organizations have bemoaned stringent conditions placed on the Youth Fund which are making it difficult for intended beneficiaries to access it.
The government last week announced Covid-19 relief funds for youth-led businesses and associations.
“Up to ZWL$17 Million Relief Fund was set aside to support youth-led businesses and associations and to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their operations across the country,” read the statement.
However, requirements like bank statements and Zimbabwe Youth Council affiliation fee are posing a challenge to the ordinary youths who do not the documentations.
Youths have called upon the government and relevant Ministry to unconditionally remove stringent conditions like bank statements to ensure fair distribution of the grant.
The majority of ordinary youths in Zimbabwe operate informal businesses and this automatically marginalizes them from the grant as many are not formally registered.
Government is yet to honour any of its promised relief funds with the Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavhima having yesterday admitted they have not yet disbursed the promised relief cash transfers to vulnerable citizens of the country.
