Over 1,000 national youth service graduates offered govt jobs

The Zimbabwean government has confirmed that over a thousand graduates from the controversial National Youth Service programme are set to be absorbed into public institutions, sparking fresh debate over the political undertones of the initiative long criticised as a Zanu-PF propaganda tool.

Speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere announced that 1,077 youths who recently completed the six-month national service training would be deployed across various arms of government, including the civil service, uniformed forces, and state-owned enterprises.

Muswere defended the programme, saying it was yielding positive results and contributing to youth empowerment and national development.

"The first two cohorts of students numbering 1,077 who graduated from the six months' training programme are already earmarked for employment at State-funded higher and tertiary education institutions, the Public Service, uniformed forces, state-owned enterprises, including special programmes such as the Presidential Solarisation Programme, the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme and the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme," Muswere said.

He added that other graduates are enrolling at Vocational Training Centres to further upgrade their skills, with the government now prioritising vocational certificates from the programme for access to empowerment loans through the state-owned Empower Bank.

Originally introduced during the late President Robert Mugabe's tenure, the National Youth Service programme was suspended due to funding constraints but has since been revived by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who relaunched it in May 2024 with the goal of training 100,000 youths over five years.

However, the programme remains deeply divisive.

Critics, including opposition parties and civil society organisations, accuse the government of using the programme to groom loyalists and deploy them as political enforcers during elections and protests. They allege that graduates, often dubbed "Green Bombers", have historically been involved in acts of intimidation and violence against government critics.

Despite this, authorities maintain the programme is not partisan.

"This is not about politics," Muswere insisted. "It is about instilling values of patriotism, national identity and a spirit of volunteerism among young Zimbabweans."

While the government frames the programme as a youth development initiative, its implementation and outcomes are likely to remain contentious in the run-up to future elections, particularly amid growing economic hardship and widespread unemployment.