Government has stepped up efforts to combat drug and substance abuse among young people by scaling up youth empowerment initiatives across the country.
Speaking during the National Youth Symposium held in Harare today, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Solomon Mhlanga, said the root causes of substance abuse, such as idleness, unemployment, and lack of access to information, must be addressed through practical interventions.
The symposium, which drew youth participants from across Zimbabwe, is being convened to expose young people to various opportunities in entrepreneurship, vocational training, and economic development.
“We are confronting the challenge of drug and substance abuse by engaging young people directly and giving them access to real, practical opportunities,” said PS Mhlanga.
He noted that many youths falling into drug abuse do so due to inactivity and limited economic prospects, despite the existence of Government-supported programmes in areas such as agriculture, mining, innovation, and skills development.
“A lot of the youths involved in substance abuse are idle, unemployed and unaware of the empowerment avenues that exist in Zimbabwe. Events like this one help bridge that gap.”
Mhlanga further expressed concern that some of the available empowerment programmes were being taken up by foreign nationals while local youth remained uninformed.
“These opportunities are being taken by nationals of other countries while our own young people are not tapping into them. We urge every Zimbabwean youth to come forward, participate and learn.”
He assured the youth that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that empowerment initiatives are accessible, practical, and linked to sustainable livelihoods.
“We want young people to leave here today not just inspired, but equipped with at least one or two ideas they can develop into viable projects. Empowerment is not an event, it is a process, and we are here to walk that journey with you.”
The Ministry also pledged to increase outreach in rural and peri-urban areas through upcoming provincial empowerment expos in 2026.
The National Youth Symposium forms part of Government’s broader Vision 2030 strategy to build a self-reliant, skilled, and economically active youth population capable of driving national development.
