ALL is set for the National Youth Day commemorations where President Mnangagwa is expected to address a congregation of 40 000 youths from across the country at Lupane State University on Tuesday.
Transport to Matabeleland North has been organised and about 50 buses have been set aside to ferry youths from seven districts of Matabeleland North. Other provinces will also be sending youths to the commemorations and buses will be dispatched to all the provinces.
Chief Director in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Recreation, Dr Bensen Dube told Sunday News that the support that they were getting from the Lupane community was amazing.
“Food is being organised and we are going to feed all those who will attend the commemorations,” Dr Dube said.
The day will be running under the theme: “Drug and substance abuse, a threat to vision 2030; every community’s responsibility,” and will see community leaders and prominent people talking about the dangers of drug and substance abuse.
“The Lupane community is so ecstatic about the coming of the President as their guest of honour and they are all coming in numbers to assist in the preparations. Through an indaba, community leaders and prominent people will talk about the dangers of drugs and substance abuse and what drugs have done to our youths. Some will testify from their experiences and encounters with this problem,” he said.
Expanding on the theme, Dr Dube said the theme for the commemorations was a continuation of what was pronounced by government in 2022 about the fight against drugs and substance abuse which is now prevalent among young people.
“This scourge is threatening the future generation and we need all hands on the deck to try and stop drug and substance abuse among our youths,” he said.
Dr Dube added that it was sad that school going children were among the youths affected by the scourge of drug and substance abuse and said schools should take it upon themselves to organise activities around the national theme in the week running to 26 February.
“Schools are advised to organise activities in their respective locations around the theme. Some of the youths that are affected by this scourge are the school going ones and we want to nip it in the bud.”
Commemorations are also expected in other provinces with Ministers of State officiating. Activities are expected to run through out the week. Music, sports and drama will be part of the entertainment in an effort to recognise and celebrate the contributions made by the youths throughout the history of the country. The celebrations also seek to teach young people to recognise and emulate leadership values.
The commemorations are expected to see youths being honoured for outstanding achievements in various sectors of the economy that is in, entrepreneurship and financial services, mining, energy and infrastructure, environment and tourism, agriculture, health and social welfare, sport, arts, Information Communication Technology, innovation and advocacy. Various exhibitions will also be mounted at the venue. The National Youth Day was born out of the 21st February Movement meant to celebrate the birthday for the late President Cde Robert Mugabe. – Sunday News
