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New Age Voice Issue 18
Youth Agenda Trust
July 28, 2011

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Border Gezi roars into life

The dreaded National Youth Service training centres also known as Border Gezi have been resurrected under veils of secrecy across the country disguised as places meant to instill discipline and skills development among young people.

The New Age Voices has it on good authority that young people in rural and peri-urban communities are being enrolled into the clandestine training institutions, failure to take part in the programme usually has far reaching consequences which can be aptly summed up as defiance of Zanu PF leadership.

On Monday 18 July, 70 youth converged in Bromley to embark on a militia training concealed as a "youth integrated skills programme" that is meant to intimidate villagers in the area. The training programme is allegedly being spearheaded by three men who could only be identified as Mapiye and Seremani and a war veteran known as Mambodzoukuni.

Last week, Minister of Energy and Power Development, Hon. Elton Mangoma told JOMIC that a youth integrated skills programme that is being conducted at Shenjere primary school in Headlands is meant to intimidate and incite violence among villagers.

Although some Zanu PF members in JOMIC desperately tried to dismiss Mangoma's claims, youth in the area who were interviewed by The New Age Voices said that many youth who are taking part in the programme are doing so out of fear.

JOMIC co-chairperson from Zanu PF, Oppah Muchinguri refuted the claims and said that the programme is necessary for the community.

Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere said that the programme is meant to eradicate poverty among the youths through skills development.

Speaking to The New Age Voices last year, Deputy Minister of Youth Indigenisation and Empowerment Tongai Matutu said that the youth training programme was put on hold because it was not properly set up.

"There is a problem with the set up of the programme. It should come from someone.s heart that he or she wants to join the youth service. The situation of forcing people to join is disastrous", he said.

The National Youth Service was condemned by Parliament 2 years ago after the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth visited the training centres and witnessed firsthand how young people were living in inhuman conditions and being subjected to untold abuse.

The latest move by Zanu PF to clandestinely resurrect the notorious training centres behind the back of the Inclusive Government is a clear testimony that the party is not sincere in fulfilling provisions of the GPA.

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