HARARE – Zimbabwe has offered employment to over a thousand youths from the controversial youth service programme, long shunned by opponents as bastions of Zanu PF propaganda.
At a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said 1,077 national youth service training graduates are set to be absorbed by government institutions and the security sector.
The controversial youth service programme was introduced by former President Robert Mugabe’s government before it got temporarily suspended due to resource constraints.
The programme was relaunched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May 2024 with ambitions to train 100,000 youths inside five years.
Muswere said the programme “is already harnessing positive dividends on the youth demographic group”.
“The first two cohorts of students numbering 1,077 who graduated from the six months’ training programme are already earmarked for employment at State-funded higher and tertiary education institutions, the Public Service, uniformed forces, state-owned enterprises, including special programmes, such as the Presidential Solarisation Programme, the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme and the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme.
“Other graduates are already enrolling for further skills upgrading at various Vocational Training Centres around the country,” Muswere said.
The Zanu PF led government also makes it mandatory for vocational certificates to be prioritised for accessing empowerment loans and entrepreneurial start-ups, from the Empower Bank.
Opponents say youths from the programme have been used as Zanu PF foot soldiers who were being unleashed on the population to terrorise citizens in order advance the ruling party’s political interests.
Authorities have denied the programme was a conduit for Zanu PF ideology saying it was meant to instil in youths, values of patriotism, national identity and a spirit of volunteerism.
