MIDWEEK REPORTER
HARARE- Masvingo Province legislator Naledi Lindarose Maunganidze Madzara has called for a framework to reserve 30% of all Government tenders for youths-led enterprises to promote empowerment and inclusive socio-economic development.
Moving a motion on the establishment of a dedicated framework to ensure Government tenders are reserved for youth led business enterprises, Maunganidze bemoaned high youth unemployment rate.
“This motion calls for the establishment of a framework to reserve 30% of all Government tenders for youth-led enterprises.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, young people in Zimbabwe, those under the
age of 35, constitute over 60% of our population, according to the 2022 census conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat). Despite their numerical dominance, youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, with the ZimStat Labour Force Survey revealing over 50% of youths are roaming the streets,” she said.
She said creative and ambitious youths have limited access to finance and markets.
“These young people are brimming with creativity and ambition but face systemic barriers such as limited access to finance, markets, and opportunities to scale their businesses.”
Maunganidze added that Section 20 of the Constitution compels the State to enable youths participate in all spheres of society yet youths are excluded from accessing public procurement opportunities.
“Section 20 of our Constitution compels the State to take reasonable measures to ensure that the youth are afforded opportunities for employment, empowerment, and participation in all spheres of society. Yet, many young entrepreneurs remain excluded from accessing public procurement opportunities, which constitute a significant share of our public expenditure,” Maunganidze said.
The motion moved by Maunganidze is in sync with regional and continental commitments such as the African Youth Charter and Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.
African Youth Charter urges state parties to create enabling environments for youth participation in development and prioritises economic empowerment as a cornerstone of youth policy.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 Strategic Framework for the continent’s development emphasises the importance of harnessing the demographic dividend by investing in the youth.
Zimbabwe is currently grappling with high unemployment, a recipe for disaster as most unemployed young and old people engage in drug and substance abuse.
