By Elizabeth Sitotombe
THE fire of a nation’s future burns brightest in the hands of its youth. They are the pulse of progress, the architects of tomorrow, and the custodians of a legacy forged in blood and unwavering conviction.
As Zimbabwe commemorates the Robert Mugabe National Youth Day this Friday (21 February), we are reminded not only of the sacrifices of those who came before but of the immense responsibility resting upon the shoulders of the present generation. It is a day of reflection, a day of reckoning, and above all, a call to action.
In the echoes of the Second Chimurenga, the spirit of youth rebellion against oppression reverberates like an undying anthem. Young men and women, barely out of adolescence, cast away the comfort of their homes and the innocence of their years to take up arms in the fight for liberation. They did not wait for the future to shape itself; they seized it with their own hands, moulding it through sweat, sacrifice and sheer will.
Thomas Mtetwa, known as Cde Mambo Tasanganisa, was still a boy when he found himself in the fields, preparing the land for planting, when the brutal forces of colonial aggression struck Chimoio Camp on November 23, 1977. The enemy’s bombs rained down on the settlement, merciless and indiscriminate. Yet even in the face of such horror, the youth did not cower. They fought. They endured. They pressed on.
Saul Nzuma, later known as Cde Rex Hondo, was a schoolboy when he abandoned his classroom in August 1976 to join the liberation struggle. He understood, as did many of his comrades, that history would not be rewritten from the safety of a desk. To dismantle the chains of oppression, they had to bring the battle to the doorstep of their oppressors. And so they did.
But history does not reserve heroism for one side alone. Even in the darkest corners of the past, youth have been at the centre of every great upheaval. Frank Johnson, an Englishman, was handpicked by Cecil John Rhodes to raise a force of young white mercenaries, all below the age of 25, men and women with the promise of land, wealth and dominion over foreign soil. They carried out their mission with ruthless efficiency, carving the land into the grasp of the British South Africa Company, a venture rooted in exploitation and theft.
The contrast is stark but revealing. The youth, no matter their allegiance, have always been the instruments of change, wielded either by imperial ambition or by the righteous cause of liberation. And in Zimbabwe’s history, it was the latter that prevailed.
The generation that waged the Second Chimurenga did not hesitate. They did not fold under the weight of adversity. They understood, with an unshakeable certainty, that the future belonged to those willing to fight for it. Today, that same truth remains.
The path before Zimbabwe is not one of war, but of economic emancipation, of self-reliance, and of nation-building. The struggle has shifted from the battlefields of Mozambique and Zambia to the farms, factories, boardrooms and digital landscapes where the future of the nation is being written. The question remains, will today’s youth rise to the challenge?
With over 62 percent of Zimbabwe’s population being made up of young people, it is they who must drive the nation forward. The vision is clear: Zimbabwe seeks to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2030. But economic transformation does not happen in speeches or Government policies alone. It happens in the fields where young farmers till the land, in factories where industries must be revived, in technology hubs where innovation must flourish, and in the corridors of leadership where integrity and patriotism must reign.
Each year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa echoes this call. He urges the youth to step forward, not as spectators, but as participants in the grand mission of nation-building. The same daring that saw young liberation fighters take up arms must now see young Zimbabweans take up the mantle of leadership in politics, agriculture, manufacturing and mining.
Africa’s youth are its greatest asset. With nearly 60 percent of the continent’s population under the age of 25, this demographic is not just a statistic — it is a force waiting to be harnessed. The revolutions of tomorrow will not be fought with guns but with ideas, innovation and a commitment to self-determination.
The foundations of this vision were laid long ago. In 1986, the ZANU PF Youth League embarked on an ambitious project, to create an educational and cultural movement that would instill in young people the values of hard work, honesty and patriotism. Inspired by similar movements in Cuba, Angola and Mozambique, the initiative sought to shape Zimbabwe’s youth into disciplined leaders committed to upholding the legacy of independence. The spirit of this movement must be rekindled, now more than ever.
National Youth Day, observed annually on February 21, is more than just a holiday. It is a solemn remembrance of the life and legacy of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the founding father of independent Zimbabwe. It is a moment to pause and ask: What does it mean to be young in Zimbabwe today? What does it mean to inherit a land won through sacrifice? And, most importantly, what will this generation contribute to the unfolding story of Zimbabwe’s destiny?
This year’s celebrations will take place in Bulawayo, where over 20 000 young people are expected to gather. Initially slated for Barbourfields Stadium, the venue was changed due to the prevailing rainy season. Across the country, thousands more will follow proceedings in vocational training centres and institutions of higher learning, bearing witness to an event that is not just ceremonial but deeply symbolic.
Dignitaries, including Ministers and Youth Council representatives from across Africa, will be in attendance. The international community watches, recognising that Zimbabwe’s youth hold the key not just to the nation’s future, but to the broader transformation of the continent.
The programme will commence with a youth exhibition, an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses, their talents and their solutions to Zimbabwe’s pressing challenges. It is a rare chance for young visionaries to network, to inspire and to forge collaborations that transcend geographical and ideological boundaries.
But the day is not merely about celebration. It is also a day of reckoning with the dark spectre that looms over Zimbabwe’s youth — drug and substance abuse. The plague of narcotics is stripping young people of their potential, luring them into cycles of self-destruction and despair. Violent outbursts, reckless behaviour, and a growing culture of escapism threaten to undo the progress made.
Recognising this crisis, President Mnangagwa established an inter-ministerial task force in 2021 to combat drug abuse. But policies alone will not suffice. The fight against this scourge must be waged in every home, every school, every community. The youth must reclaim their strength, their discipline, their purpose.
A highlight of the event will be First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Ixhiba/Nhanga/Gota, a traditional mentorship programme that imparts cultural values to the younger generation. Rooted in indigenous wisdom, it is a space where young people are guided toward maturity, responsibility, and self-respect. In an age of cultural dilution, such initiatives are critical in preserving Zimbabwe’s identity.
The celebrations will culminate in a clean-up campaign, sporting events, cultural performances and a community outreach programme. These activities are not mere formalities; they are symbolic acts of renewal, a reaffirmation that the youth of Zimbabwe will not stand idle while their country demands their contribution.
As the festivities unfold, one thing must remain clear — Zimbabwe’s youth are not passive beneficiaries of the nation’s future. They are the custodians of its destiny. They must rise, as their forebears did, to the call of their time.
The Second Chimurenga youths fought for the land. This generation must fight for its prosperity. The baton has been passed. The only question that remains is: will they rise?
