The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) warns that the future of young people in Zimbabwe is bleak, citing government neglect of youth education.
In a statement issued on Friday, 21 February, to mark National Youth Day, ARTUZ criticized the government’s ongoing failure to prioritize and fund the education sector, leaving millions of young Zimbabweans without opportunities for growth and prosperity.
The union argued that the current education system no longer meets the demands of the modern job market.
It also pointed out that the Heritage-Based Curriculum is poorly implemented and ineffective, leaving young people unprepared for the competitive global economy.
ARTUZ further claimed that over two million students have dropped out of school due to their families’ inability to afford tuition, while the constitutional right to free basic education remains unfulfilled. ARTUZ said:
<blockquote>
Zimbabwe’s youth are being set up for failure, with 80% of young people unemployed and struggling to find sustainable livelihoods. The lack of job opportunities for university and technical college graduates has resulted in a disillusioned generation with limited prospects.
The economic struggles faced by teachers directly impact youth education. Low salaries and poor working conditions have forced many skilled educators to leave the profession or the country altogether, further crippling an already fragile education sector. With no motivation to teach, students suffer the consequences of an understaffed and underfunded system.
</blockquote>
ARTUZ also argued that young people remain underrepresented in leadership and governance. Instead of empowering the youth, the government continues to exploit them for political gain, failing to create platforms where they can meaningfully contribute to national development.
The union has called on the government to fully implement free basic education as guaranteed in the Constitution and Education Act.
It also demands that the education system be aligned with the needs of the modern job market through investment in skills-based learning and relevant training programs.
ARTUZ calls for increased funding for education to ensure access to quality learning resources, well-trained teachers, and adequate infrastructure.
The union also urges the creation of job opportunities for young graduates by fostering a thriving economy and supporting youth-led initiatives, while ending the political exploitation of youth and guaranteeing their rights to freedom of expression, association, and fair representation.

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ARTUZ says young people in Zimbabwe have a tough future because the government is not focusing on youth education. Many students drop out of school because their families can't afford it. The education system doesn't prepare students for jobs in the modern world. Teachers are leaving because of low pay and bad working conditions, which hurts students. The government doesn't let young people have a say in important decisions. ARTUZ wants the government to give free basic education, improve the education system, and create more job opportunities for young people.

ARTUZ: Young Zimbabweans Face A Bleak Future

Youth Decide Zimbabwe (YDZ) has called for the enactment of the National Youth Bill and the implementation of the five-year National Youth Policy to promote and protect the rights of young people in the country.
In a statement commemorating the Robert Mugabe National Youth Day on Wednesday, 21 February, YDZ said:
<blockquote>
We are deeply concerned by the lack of implementation of the National Youth Policy (2020 – 2025) which was launched with much fanfare in 2020 but has not been translated into concrete actions and programmes that benefit the youth.
We are also dismayed by the lack of progress towards the enactment of the National Youth Bill, which would provide a legal framework for the promotion and protection of the rights and interests of young people.
We call upon the government, the private sector, the civil society, and the international community to recognize and support the potential and agency of young people as key drivers of change and development.
</blockquote>
Addressing thousands of people who gathered at Mushagashe Training Centre in Masvingo for the celebrations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the youths have a role to play in the development of the nation.
He also said his administration will create opportunities for youth empowerment through programmes such as the Presidential Heifers Pass-On Scheme, Integrated Youth Schemes Development and Agriculture Mechanisation Schemes.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwean Youths Bemoan Government's Unfulfilled Promises

MDC Alliance Bulawayo spokesperson Swethern Chiroodza said the late former President <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Robert_Mugabe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert Mugabe</a>‘s life should not be celebrated as he presided over the massacre of thousands of civilians in the 1980s in Zimbabwe’s southern regions.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com ahead of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day commemorations, Chiroodza castigated Mugabe and his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa for being the authors of the country’s current problems. Chiroodza said:
<blockquote>Mugabe is the tale of a man who as President in post-independence, with Emmerson Mnangagwa as Defence chief, presided over the murder more of black people than the total number of casualties in the pre-independence liberation struggle.
Mugabe is the tale of a man who together with Mnangagwa and other Zanu PF leaders tried to exterminate the entire <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Ndebele" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ndebele</a> nation.
Mugabe is the tale of a man who, in the words of <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Morgan_Tsvangirai" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Morgan Tsvangirai,</a> reduced Zimbabwe from a bread basket to a basket case.</blockquote>
Chiroodza, however, had a few kind words for the late first Prime Minister of independent Zimbabwe. He said Mugabe was able to manage the overpricing of goods and separating civilian rule from the military, an apparent dig on Mnangagwa.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/mugabe-day-painful-reminder-of-ex-leaders-atrocities-mdc-t-youths/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

'Mugabe Was Bad But At Least He Kept Prices Down & The Military Out Of Civilian Affairs'

<blockquote>National Youth Day
The commemorations for the National Youth Day are coming at a time when the Government of Zimbabwe is proposing allocating 10 parliamentary seats to young people through Constitutional Amendment Number 2 of 2019, Clause 11, Subsection C.ZIMCODD would like to note that the country has an already progressive Constitution which does not call for amendment when it comes to youth representation.
The major challenge lies in lack of implementation of constitutional provisions, for instance, Chapter 2 Section 20 (1) (b) clearly provides that youths “must have opportunities to associate and to be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life.”
The constitution is therefore already very progressive on youth representation and empowerment and what is required is implementation and not an amendment.
It is also regrettable that the commemorations are done against an unfavourable political, social, economic and environmental landscape for the young people in the country.
Despite Zimbabwe being one of the most youthful countries in the region, young people are the hardest hit by the political and macroeconomic challenges.
These include a high unemployment rate, insufficient political representation, lack of participation in governance and developmental issues and limited access to life opportunities.
As we commemorate the National Youth Day, it is critical for the nation and duty bearers to note the following issues.
Causes for Concern
<ul>
<li>The lack of self-representation by youth in decision making institutions and spaces for them to be able to determine the economic trajectory that improves their present living conditions and inspire future generations for people-centred development. The piecemeal amendment of the constitution as proposed by Clause I will not address this.</li>
<li>High unemployment rate and the participation of the youth in undignified jobs in the informal economy such as the artisanal and small-scale mining which ended up having youth being involved in the violent machete wars amongst themselves and in their communities.</li>
<li>The continuous promulgation of economic blueprints such as the Vision 2030 (Upper Middle-Income Economy Agenda) without full consultation of the citizens and in particular the youth as espoused in Section 20 of the Constitution.</li>
<li>The skewed nature of the economy where the ruling elites and beneficiaries of a patronage system tend to benefit from economic empowerment initiatives at the expense of the majority of the youths evidenced in Presidential scholarships, land distribution, housing, employment, business, loans and other government-funded initiatives.</li>
<li>The continuous churning out of graduates from colleges and universities without matching resuscitation of the industry or education that is well suited for current conditions to create entrepreneurs and jobs is also a cause for concern.</li>
<li>The systematic exclusion and disenfranchisement of youth in the country’s national political processes like elections for them to occupy influential positions and the continuous manipulation of youth by politicians to settle their political scores.</li>
</ul>
Recommendations</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>The government must respect the Constitution and ensure active youth participation in economic policymaking processes and create a conducive working environ for youth both in the formal and informal sector. This must involve consultation and inclusion of youths in policy formulation processes.</li>
<li>The government must expedite the reconfiguration of the country’s famed education to create an education system that provides solutions to the country’s socio-economic woes.</li>
<li>The government must guarantee free and fair participation of youths in governance processes as provided for in Section 20 of the Constitution by creating a level playing field that does not systematically exclude youth from participation. The Youth quota proportional representation in Parliament as proposed in the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 of 2019, Clause 11 is a piecemeal redress of the problem.</li>
<li>For equal youth representation in national elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) must apply the progressive provisions already in the constitution to ensure a level playing field for youths to actively participate. This must include the creation of safe political spaces for youth participation, especially young women.</li>
<li>The Parliament of Zimbabwe must enact laws to fully operationalise and protect the Constitution so that it’s not tampered with at any time.</li>
<li>Zimbabwean youth must remain resolute in pursuit of their economic freedom and in demanding accountability from responsible authorities when it comes to youth representation in key national processes.</li>
<li>Youth must capitalise on their demographic advantage, join forces and speak with one voice as a youth movement towards building a better Zimbabwe by shunning violence even in the face of structural provocation caused by the current economic challenges.</li>
</ul>

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