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Youths bemoan national projects sidelining

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THE Zimbabwe Youth for Development Agenda has bemoaned the continued sidelining of youths in the distribution of resources and other projects in the country.

THE Zimbabwe Youth for Development Agenda (ZYDA) has bemoaned the continued sidelining of youths in the distribution of resources and other projects in the country.

WINSTONE ANTONIO

Speaking during the unveiling of the new organisation, ZYDA, in Harare on Tuesday, chairperson of the organisation Liberty Bizure said youths have a critical role to play in the development of the country.

“ZYDA is an apolitical organisation with the agenda to push for youth development and participation in developing the nation,” Bizure said.

“We want to increase the participation of youths in nation development projects and we are calling for the leaders of the country to come open and discuss clear political will that will deal with corruption.”

He said the government must adopt policies that do not scare away potential investors.

“There should be commitment towards the fight against all forms of corruption and action should be done on those implicated in corruption and there should be prioritisation of national projects which will benefit many people,”  Bizure said.

He said it was disappointing that key national projects such as the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam and the Harare International Airport road construction had been stalled for many years although the requisite human capital was abundantly available in the country.

ZYDA secretary-general Advocate Rutendo Machiridza said there should be an increase in the level of participation by youths in the political debate of the country for developmental purposes.

“The youths have become increasingly concerned that the developmental agenda has not been fully exploited in the country as witnessed by the inability to attain six of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with the 2015 deadline looming,” Machiridza said.

ZYDA Trust will provide young people a platform for engaging political, social and economic actors in an effort to help foster national development and growth, he said.

Machiridza urged young people to take advantage of local resources to help develop Zimbabwe into a first-world country instead of taking refuge in already developed nations.

Using the MDGs as a barometer for development, the ZYDA Trust has prioritised increasing youth participation in the economic sphere and in the political debate for developmental purposes.