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First report of the Portfolio Committee on Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation
Parliamentary Debates
March 31, 2004

Read the report presented to the House.

MRS. MASAITI: Let me first of all inform this House that I was the first one to give notice to try and investigate the allegations that were being levelled by the public about what was happening in the NYS training centres. When I give notice it was later agreed by our Committee that we at least go and investigate in order to find out what was really on the ground. There were allegations of sexual abuse of the girls and the high prevalence of STDs and HIV in the centres.

I would like to inform the august House that it was difficult for us as Committee to get the truth because by the time we got to the training centres it was only a month after enrolment of the students – so it was difficult to ascertain the allegations. Let me say the principle NYS is a noble idea in countries where there is democracy , for example, in Switzerland. However, here in Zimbabwe the way it is used is that of oppressing people. I am saying this because the NYS Programme implies State control of the youths and removes their individualised approach to life and social challenges. It is a direct contravention of citizen’s rights to choose the type of life and way to live it. Mr Speaker, I am sure you agree with me that this programme is a tool to force loyalty to the State. For a country like Zimbabwe where our economy is already in shambles, I think distraction of moral competition and differences will destroy the independent of opinion and freedom of enterprise. I am talking about what we used to see on the ground. Mr Speaker, I have already said it was difficult to find the truth because the students had already left the colleges. I think our own Constitution states that every Zimbabwean had a right to life and shelter but here we are with this militia who used to go around burning peoples houses – it used to happen – if you had rectified the situation, you should tell us that you have done so but it used to happen. Let us tell the truth. Our government is hiding behind the idea that they want to produce a youth who is patriotic and has a Zimbabwean Identity. My question is what identity? Are we trying to put up youth that are killers, murderers or perpetrators of violence, youth who are above the law and who do not respect others and youth who promote hatred?

My question is that, are there any Member of Parliament or Minister who are the products of the NYS. What mistakes is the government trying to correct that are found in today’s leaders which it feels should not be found in future leaders. It is regrettable that the current leaders in this House are defaulting because of lack of NYS training. Then this must be introduced to ministers and president to start addressing those problems, after all this programme is tailor-made for the poor since there are no chances that the elite and minister’s children abroad will ever undertake this programme.

I think hon. Nyauchi is the only one with a son there. Our government is taking advantage of current unemployment rate and what makes it worse is that the government is making it compulsory to all those who wish to enrol in colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning. Yes, we are told that it is what they are intended to do. The students and the majority of Zimbabweans want to know what this programme is all about, its relevance and the effect to those who do not wish to enrol in it. Students in this country view this programme with a lot of suspicion and that is why you find that there is a lot of violence that took place in colleges. I think it is being used to bring brainwash and indoctrinate students into adoring and praising ZANU PF.

It is to the best of my knowledge that the government has already established quite a number of NYS training centres and intends to spread them all the ten provinces. I also become suspicious when looking at the current scenario of our currency which was since crumbled beyond repair – the level of starvation and the high rate of HIV.

One other surprising thing is the prominence being given to this programme by our government. As a woman, I feel that the government’s priority is now focused on NYS at the expense of Gender issues. I am saying this because we have been observed from two previous budgets of 2003 and 2004 budget, about 40 % of the budget was allocated for the NYS activities and only about 5% was allocated to the department of Gender. In 2004, 31,3 % was allocated for NYS and only 2,8 % was to Gender Awareness and Mainstreaming. Our Committee had a meeting with Director of Gender and she also informed our Committee that it has been difficult for her department to popularise even the Gender policies because there were no funds to increase the number of the NYS centres. The reason why it is not being accepted by many Zimbabweans is because some think that it was introduced as a way of harass and intimidate members of the opposition. I am saying this because this was introduced just after the Parliamentary Elections and also towards the Presidential Elections.

Mr Speaker, hon. Members of Parliament and Ministers, I am sure we all have children, how do you feel if this happens to our own children?

MR MACKENZIE: Thank you Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to applaud the government for coming up with this wonderful idea of establishing the NYS centres across the country.

Secondly, I want to thank our Committee for coming up with this report. I think this report should be made available to the western countries who have tried hard to tarnish this wonderful project. Mr Speaker, these programmes are not only done in Zimbabwe but in other countries like China. The most important thing is that these centres train our youth to be loyal to their countries and to be proud of themselves as Zimbabweans.

It is unfortunate that hon. Masaiti and other members of the opposition do not want to identify themselves to Zimbabwe. I do not see any problem with our government spending money on this programme. This is the foundation of our country, to have patriotic Zimbabweans who are dedicated to their country. The problem with the MDC members is that they have been using money to mobilise youth from their party to cause havoc in this country.

MR. CHAMISA: It is sad to note that hon. Members come to this august House to try and advance their partisan line in very important national debate like the one confronting the House. I think those of us who have been always saying in our debate about the national youth service – there is need for us to interrogate the purpose of establishing those centres. What we have actually realised is that it is the intention by the government to turn young people into robots and not innovative thinkers, who can critic, analyse and be able to come up with a conclusion on the basis of analysis and proper considerations.

If you look at the curriculum, of the NYS, it is clear that people are being taught of one party state and to behave to behave in one party mentality regalia. I have got a sister who was taught to participate in a NYS. My sister was giving me an account of what was happening in those centres. She was taught of ZANU PF and President Mugabe. Mr. Speaker, these are just mere centres. This programme is specifically targeted to MDC supporters or those people who think otherwise. We must be, as Zimbabweans, be mature enough to know that we have provided to those young people is nothing but just use them as robots that are going to be used for political gains.

Mr Speaker, they are going to be used to try and promote polarisation and hatred in our country. If you look at it our government if interested in ensuring that our young people are patriotic, why that they are not targeting them soon after school is an indication of their bad intention. The bad intentions are located in their abuse which we see everyday. People have been raped at Border Gezi. I do not have any names right now but I can provide them at as later date. This programme is not intended to benefit our young people in this country. It is intended to benefit a certain political party with waning political fortunes. It is clear that this is not a NYS but a party youth service. They have shown that they have run out of ideas.

Instead of making sure they prioritise the use and utilisation of our resources on the young people that are suffering in this country, the resources have been channelled to a program which had proved to be wasteful and useless because it had not furthered the interest of future generation.

MISS STEVENSON: Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to the debate. I will start by saying how disturbed I am that the Chairperson of this Committee, who is a member of ZANU PF – the report that she came up with, the majority of members are from ZANU PF as all committees. I am very distressed by the findings of that Committee. I am sure that every parent who has children of age who might be going to those camps will be very distressed to hear the findings that they are prepared to give to this House.

Secondly, I note that when the Chairperson was giving an executive summary of the report, she said your Committee toured the camps to dismiss negative report about them.

Thirdly, I think all members would be interested about the vigorous training that was mentioned several times. The fact that there is no enough food for those trainees – the information that we were given about the curriculum does not stipulate the type of training that they are given. Stories have it that the trainees wake up as early as half past four for runs. I hope that the Chairperson will inform us about this matter in future. There have been some rumours that some of the trainees have fainted during training because they do not have enough food. This is very disturbing.

The next issue of trainees wearing uniforms – there have been other people wearing these uniforms to carry out criminal activities – as an excuse for not giving those trainees uniforms. These trainees are taught to defend themselves and they are just going to allow anybody to take away their uniforms. The fact of the matter is that there is not enough money and the uniforms are kept at head office and then everyone pretends that they will get that uniform during pass out. This is a sick joke.

The next issue I would like to touch on is the curriculum. I agree with what my colleague here has said. The actual objective which had not been stated in the report – the objective is clearly an election strategy to retain power. Talking about curriculum how would the organiser of this reduce or concentrate it from six to three months? In my view that is not possible. Its either you will skip other topics like democracy which I am sure is one which will most likely be left out and concentrate on things like political history.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is very irresponsible for government to start a programme, send our youth there and then make them live in those conditions, one of which the Chairperson referred to one of the camps as not fit for human habitation. What this ZANU PF government have done – sending our youth to camps which are unfit for human habitation, there is no defence on that whatsoever.

Mr. Speaker, I have said, it is shameful and disgraceful. My recommendation is that immediately every single one of these camps be closed down until there is a proper budget. I am sure we can ensure that decency in every respect can be properly carried out.

MR. GABBUZA: Mr. Speaker, I want to raise a few issues. It is true that hon. Members have visited just a small number of training camps. I would not like to say their findings are true or false because it might depend on the method of investigation they used. These people would not have divulged everything but as hon. Members, it was their duty to show the good and the bad things of that programme so that there can be improvements. There are a lot of areas where as a nation there is room for improvement.

Of course people say NYS is a voluntary programme but if you say to teachers, you are not going to have your contact renewed until you join the NS in Kamativi, would you say this is a voluntary programme when teachers are asked to produce national service before contracts are renewed? In Binga and Kamativi it is compulsory particularly to teachers.

We are teaching people discipline. Kamativi was a vibrant town but if you go there now you will see that it has been striped of its resources. Everything has been stolen and the police have managed to arrest some people. Some people steal in order to resell and buy some food. If the Chairperson is going to tour some of these areas, the next port of call is Kamativi. Perhaps it is different from Mashonaland. Kamativi is horrible. This is not a programme which the country can waste its resources on.

The Minister must quickly look in some of these areas because we do not need to come to this House and defend some of the things we know are wrong. Kamativi has just closed because government cannot run it. It is a clear indication that it is an expensive programme and we do not have money to waste.

Sooner and later the government might see that the whole programme fires back. The very thing that you think you are training them for the opposition will be the enemies of those who are training them because they would demand to go to training colleges. They would demand to go and train as nurses and you cannot provide. You have to introduce another programme so that it beats up those who had not gone up for the programme. I think we should look at this seriously and correct it. We need to rectify or maybe take a few and provide them with proper training which would help them than just running when you train them. Those will be the thugs of tomorrow.

MR CHAIBVA: Thank you for according me the opportunity to debate on this very important issue of the youth training programme. This idea did not come three years ago towards the year 2002. It was originated way back in 1980 when there was so much talk about the Herbert Chitepo ideological college. I was one of those selected to go through this training process when then I was in ZANU PF youth. There was this training camp called Robert Gabriel Mugabe Marondera in Mashonaland East. When we went there, we spent two weeks. What we were being taught by the late Ernest Kadungure who then at one point was a Minister of Political Affairs and member of the ruling party and secretary of the Politburo was how to deal with ZAPU. How to kill those who were opponent to ZANU PF during those days in 80’s. So the historical origin of this programme is very much well acquainted for me.

The idea was to train cadres – I said if hon. Mutasa were here In Nigeria for example, there is a national youth programme. They call it national service programme. It is regulated in terms of national law that once you complete your advanced level or higher education, you have to go to those training programmes. Their programme identifies your area of interest so much that if you want to be a medical doctor, you will then be associated with experts who are to deal with the medical professions. If you want to be an engineer for example, then you will go to a department which is associated with that as part of training programme. We in Africa, particularly those of us who have been well acquainted with the politics of the opposition and fighting dictatorship know the broad objectives of this NYS programme. This is why there is no legislation and in order for you to qualify, you have to be a member of the ruling ZANU PF party. You have to be recommended by the district chairperson, you have to be approved by the province of ZANU PF in order for you to ultimately be admitted into this training programme. They talked about trying to institute elements of discipline in some of these, what exactly you are talking about?

It is a matter of public knowledge that these "green bombers" as we have come to call them, are involved in aspects of violence in the several bi-elections that have been conducted in this country, ostensibly to advance the political programme and ambitions of the ruling ZANU PF party.

MOTION

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE: I move that the House do now adjourn.

MR CHAIBVA: I duly and respectively submit that if the purpose of interrupting private members business is for the purpose of adjourning the House, it is my view that I will not accept that unless if it was the intention of government business and that would supersede private members business. But honestly, the hon. Minister cannot stand up to interrupt debate only for him to want to adjourn the House. After all, the Standing Rules and Orders say that at Five Minutes to Seven o’clock pm you adjourn the House …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, your time is still there. You can continue to debate tomorrow.

Motion put and agreed to.

Parliament adjourned at Four Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.

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