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New Cabinet has no hope for youths: Makoni

Politics
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s Cabinet presents no hope for youths in the country and is likely not to respond to the needs of the young people, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader Simba Makoni has said.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s Cabinet presents no hope for youths in the country and is likely not to respond to the needs of the young people, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader Simba Makoni has said.

STAFF REPORTER

Speaking during a discussion on Post 2013 Election — What next for the youth of Zimbabwe at Sapes Trust in Harare, Makoni said that Mugabe’s Cabinet faced a daunting task in addressing the needs of the youths.

“The appointment communicates Mugabe’s intention about governance of this country. We had a replacement of a younger minister with an older minister. If (Saviour) Kasukuwere at 42, failed to respond to the needs of the young people, how can (Francis) Nhema who is nearly 60 respond to the needs of the youths?” said Makoni.

“I was Minister of Youth in my 20s and Mujuru became the youngest Minister of Youth also in her 20s, but Nhema, I mean no disrespect, is a near geriatric minister. From this government, we may expect nothing different from what we saw in the last 33 years.”

Makoni said Mugabe was fond of interfering with the operations of ministries and reducing ministers into mere “megaphones” of his position.

He said Mugabe’s Cabinet did not have the capacity to revamp the economy and create jobs for the youths.

“If I look at where we are two months after elections, the challenges facing the people of Zimbabwe, in respect of how they earn a living, honestly, in broad daylight, there are overall impediments. The environment is hostile for entrepreneurship,” said Makoni, himself a businessman.

A human rights law student Pretty Mubaiwa said the government should come up with policies that benefit the youth.