HWANGE Local Board junior council patron Veronica Nyathi has called on councillors to prove their relevance through participating in various initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods in their respective communities.
Nyathi told Southern Eye that there was need for junior councillors to be actively involved in capacity building in developmental issues and local governance in their wards to enable communities to embrace them and appreciate their importance.
“They aren’t fully aware that their authority allows them to formally publicise youth programmes, garnering community support. At the moment, they are just subdued and some people in their localities hardly know they exist,” she said.
“Junior councillors should move around their communities and be known. They should be in a position to visit places like clinics and find out challenges being faced by such institutions in serving youths. Overall, they should co-ordinate all youth activities within their constituency.”
Nyathi highlighted that junior councillors are most suited to take up issues affecting youths to policymakers for formulation of policies that cater for their peers.
“Junior council is a platform of breeding future leaders. It’s of paramount importance to have these junior councillors because they are better placed to speak out about issues affecting their peers and have more zeal on such issues compared to adults,” she said.
Nyathi blamed lack of recreational facilities as one of the factors leading to an increase in drug and substance indulgence in early sexual activities among youths.
“Junior councillors should be in the forefront in advocating for revival of all recreational facilities most of which are now in a dilapidated state, while there’s a need to have one in areas where these aren’t available,” she said.
- Patron calls on councillors to drive positive change
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“Recreational facilities play a big part in ensuring that youths aren’t lying idle to the extent that they end up exposed to ills such as drug and illicit substance abuse, among others.”
