News / National
'Unemployed youths recruited to destabilise Zimbabwe'
04 Mar 2019 at 02:28hrs | Views
ZANU-PF youth league deputy secretary, Lewis Matutu last week alleged that unemployed young people were being recruited by "regime change agents" to destabilise the country through protests.
Speaking on the sidelines of a public lecture at Gweru Polytechnic, Matutu said his party youth wing would create jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities to ensure that young people are not used in demonstrations aimed at overthrowing the government.
"Unemployment levels obtaining in the country have left youths vulnerable to abuse by agents of regime change," Matutu said.
"Some are recruited to destabilise the country through demonstrations and as such the youth league is all out to ensure an end to this. Idleness is very dangerous; we want to ensure that our young people feel accommodated."
He said the youths would be afforded opportunities in various sectors of the economy by engaging government departments for employment and projects.
"We are spelling the vision 2030 to our young people so that we also inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship," he said.
More than 90% of youths in the country are unemployed, with most graduates from tertiary institutions roaming the streets earning a living as informal traders.
In 2013, then former President Robert Mugabe promised that his government would create more than 2,2 million jobs, a pledge that was never realised.
Last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told thousands of Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) graduates that they should create their own jobs.
Early this year, most unemployed youths joined protests against the worsening economic situation called by pressure groups and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
The demonstrations, however, resulted in loss of 17 lives after a brutal crackdown by the army.
Speaking on the sidelines of a public lecture at Gweru Polytechnic, Matutu said his party youth wing would create jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities to ensure that young people are not used in demonstrations aimed at overthrowing the government.
"Unemployment levels obtaining in the country have left youths vulnerable to abuse by agents of regime change," Matutu said.
"Some are recruited to destabilise the country through demonstrations and as such the youth league is all out to ensure an end to this. Idleness is very dangerous; we want to ensure that our young people feel accommodated."
He said the youths would be afforded opportunities in various sectors of the economy by engaging government departments for employment and projects.
"We are spelling the vision 2030 to our young people so that we also inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship," he said.
More than 90% of youths in the country are unemployed, with most graduates from tertiary institutions roaming the streets earning a living as informal traders.
In 2013, then former President Robert Mugabe promised that his government would create more than 2,2 million jobs, a pledge that was never realised.
Last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told thousands of Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) graduates that they should create their own jobs.
Early this year, most unemployed youths joined protests against the worsening economic situation called by pressure groups and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
The demonstrations, however, resulted in loss of 17 lives after a brutal crackdown by the army.
Source - newsday
