Mnangagwa in Lupane on National Youth Day

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is expected to be the guest of honour at this year's National Youth Day commemorations that will be held in Lupane where more than 5 000 youths from across the country will converge, an official has said.

The day is commemorated annually on 21 February and this year, for the first time, the day will be held outside the capital Harare, in the spirit of devolution and in line with President Mnangagwa's pronouncements that the capital city should not have a monopoly over national events. Lupane is the provincial capital for Matabeleland North Province.

Speaking in an interview with Sunday News on Friday, Chief Director in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Dr Benson Dube said the National Youth Day will be held at Lupane State University. The day will run under the theme "Drug and substance abuse: A threat to vision 2030, every community has a responsibility."

"We are going to hold the National Youth Day celebrations on 21 February in Lupane at Lupane State University where we are expecting more than 5 000 youths from various provinces of the country.

"The day will be celebrated outside Harare this year in the spirit of devolution and to fulfil what the President said about national events having to be held in every other area in the country, to afford everyone a chance to partake in them.

"The President is tentatively expected to grace the occasion and be guest of honour. We are also going to see youths from other provinces gathering in Lupane where they will be celebrating the national day and where awards will be given for those that would have excelled in various disciplines," he said.

Expanding on the theme, Dr Dube said Government was declaring zero tolerance to drug and substance abuse, especially among the youth, adding that a generation of drunkards was a threat to the attainment of Vision 2030 where the country envisages to be an uppper middle economy.

He said the theme was a follow up to last year's theme that was about alleviating drug and substance abuse by the youth and that coincided with the launch of the National Drug Abuse Fund.

Dr Dube said various activities were lined up for the day and they were planning on making sure that locals benefit from the day by providing entertainment and from other opportunities.

The National Youth Day honours the late former President, Robert Mugabe who was born on 21 February and it emanated from the 21st February Movement.

The focus of the day is biased towards the youths specifically to recognise and celebrate the contributions made by the youth throughout the history of the country as well as for young people to recognise and emulate leadership values.