Recognising the crucial role that youths play in driving the fortunes of any progressive nation forward as embodied in the Southern African Development Community Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment (2015), enshrined in the African Union Youth Charter, and epitomised in Zimbabwe's Heritage-Based Education 5.0, the Second Republic, under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, formed a new ministry responsible for this key constituency.
Realising that young people below 35 years fall under a vibrant "demographic window of opportunity", constituting 76 percent of the population in the region, in 2015, SADC reaffirmed, committed and declared to invest in policy frameworks aimed at developing and empowering youths through participation of the private sector and other stakeholders.
The Declaration acknowledges that empowered youths play a significant role in consolidating, defending and maintaining democracy, security and stability as well as sustainable socio-economic expansion in the region through regional integration.
The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, led by Minister Tino Machakaire, deputised by Kudakwashe Mupamhanga, speaks to the Declaration's clarion call, and testifies to the Government's commitment to empowering young people.
Since knowledge is always in a state of flux, the expedition to narrow the gap remains a continuous process, hence the need to create a ministry separate, but complementary and interconnected to both the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
