News / National
Youth training center facilities 'worse than pig sties'
16 May 2012 at 10:01hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's youth vocational training centres under the charge of Zanu PF's Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Savior Kasukuwere have been likened to pig sties.
Infamously referred to as the Border Gezi training centres used for political indoctrination of youths by Zanu PF, was condemned as inhabitable by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Gender and Community Development chaired by Sunningdale MP Margaret Matienga.
The committee recommended that the centres be depoliticised and living conditions there be improved.
This was disclosed in a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Gender and Community Development on Tuesday.
Chiredzi East MP Abraham Sithole (Zanu PF), described the living conditions at the youth centres as worse than pig sties where girls were exposed to humiliating sexual molestation.
"In some cases we found girls and the principals were sharing rooms and why are we putting a cat and a mouse in the same room because the cat will eat the mouse? The situation is unbearable and even someone taking care of his own pigs cannot run an institution like that and, as government, we should take things seriously because, as a committee, we cannot cheat and give a wrong picture to this august House," Sithole said.
The committee report exposed how heads of the VTCs had been found to be sleeping in the same rooms with girls while in some instances, even male students shared the same hostels with girls.
"At most, if not all, centres, the infrastructure, lecture rooms, offices and accommodation like hostels and ablution facilities are either inadequate, in a bad state or are still under construction and at Mount View VTC, female students were sharing hostel premises with members of staff, and the male students' hostel was yet to be finished and furnished with beds. About $80 000 would be required to complete that project," the report states.
The committee condemned the use of the centres by political parties who were deployed during election time to instil fear in the people. As a result, most youths in Zimbabwe, states the report, were now afraid to enrol at the centres which were ideally meant to benefit young Zimbabweans.
"All VCTs should not be used as centres of political activities and political campaigns (as was the case at Sizinda VTC in Bulawayo) before, during and after elections in order to improve the image of the centres as non-partisan institutions of youths development," reads the report.
Infamously referred to as the Border Gezi training centres used for political indoctrination of youths by Zanu PF, was condemned as inhabitable by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Gender and Community Development chaired by Sunningdale MP Margaret Matienga.
The committee recommended that the centres be depoliticised and living conditions there be improved.
This was disclosed in a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Gender and Community Development on Tuesday.
"In some cases we found girls and the principals were sharing rooms and why are we putting a cat and a mouse in the same room because the cat will eat the mouse? The situation is unbearable and even someone taking care of his own pigs cannot run an institution like that and, as government, we should take things seriously because, as a committee, we cannot cheat and give a wrong picture to this august House," Sithole said.
The committee report exposed how heads of the VTCs had been found to be sleeping in the same rooms with girls while in some instances, even male students shared the same hostels with girls.
"At most, if not all, centres, the infrastructure, lecture rooms, offices and accommodation like hostels and ablution facilities are either inadequate, in a bad state or are still under construction and at Mount View VTC, female students were sharing hostel premises with members of staff, and the male students' hostel was yet to be finished and furnished with beds. About $80 000 would be required to complete that project," the report states.
The committee condemned the use of the centres by political parties who were deployed during election time to instil fear in the people. As a result, most youths in Zimbabwe, states the report, were now afraid to enrol at the centres which were ideally meant to benefit young Zimbabweans.
"All VCTs should not be used as centres of political activities and political campaigns (as was the case at Sizinda VTC in Bulawayo) before, during and after elections in order to improve the image of the centres as non-partisan institutions of youths development," reads the report.
Source - Byo24News
