CITIZENS, particularly the youth, should not leave the duty of oversight to legislators only, a legislator has said.
The legislator said youths should hold the government accountable while protecting their future.
This was revealed at the 2026 Youth Inclusive Budget Conference at New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden by chairperson of the Parliamentary Youth Caucus, Stanley Sakupwanya, this week.
Hundreds of youths converged at the New Parliamentary Building for the second edition of the Youth Inclusive Budget organised by Parliamentary Youth Caucus in partnership with the Zimbabwe Institute and Zimbabwe Youth Council.
The conference was meant to equip the youth with knowledge and appreciation of parliamentary procedures, oversight, debate and law-making.
“By giving young people exposure to parliamentary processes, we are not only preparing them to engage constructively with the Legislature today, but also nurturing them,” Sakupwanya said.
“Oversight is the duty of citizens, especially the youth, because it is your future that is being shaped in these decisions.
“It is your chance to step into the shoes of legislators, to understand what it means to debate, to question and hold government accountable and propose bold solutions.”
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Sakupwanya said the objective of the conference was to create genuine interaction between youth, Parliament and the Executive.
He said the conference sought to deepen collective understanding of youth priorities in the national budget and build consensus on national issues.
“Standing before you today, I am filled with a deep sense of pride and hope. When we gathered for our very first Youth Inclusive Budget Conference last year, many doubted whether the voices of young people could truly shape the national budget.
“But you, the youth, proved them wrong. You spoke boldly, you raised difficult issues and you demanded action. Today, we can look back and say with confidence: your voice made a difference.
“One of the most powerful outcomes of last year's conference was the fight against alcohol and substance abuse, especially the dangerous brew known as mukozodo. This poison is destroying our brothers, our sisters, our friends and our communities.”
The 2025 budget further demonstrated government’s commitment to combating this menace by allocating resources to equip drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centres and capacitate law enforcement agencies to undertake surveillance and policing of drug dealers, he said.
Sakupwanya said MPs could not forget the heartfelt call that came from young women and girls who asked, simply, for dignity.
“The issue of free sanitary pads was raised so passionately last year and once again, your voices reached the ears of decision-makers,” he said.
“Today, because of that push, free sanitary pads have been placed in the national budget.
“This was not just a policy change, it was a triumph for dignity, equality and justice for every girl child in Zimbabwe.”
