Kudakwashe Gwamuri, youth councilor, unveils progressive plans for Kwekwe’s youth
Staff Reporter
In an effort to champion the aspirations and concerns of the youth in Kwekwe, Kudakwashe Gwamuri, an experienced and dedicated young councilor, is taking charge and unveiling a series of innovative plans to uplift the youth in the city.
Gwamuri, a passionate advocate for youth development, recently assumed the role of Councilor for Ward 7, representing the voices and interests of the younger generation. His vision is to create an environment where the youth can thrive, cultivating a sense of empowerment, and providing opportunities for growth, and overall well-being.
One of the key components of Gwamuri’s plan is to establish a platform connecting the youth with successful professionals from various fields so that they are not left behind. By providing support, Gwamuri says there is a need to equip young individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate their chosen career paths effectively.
“Apparently as one of the youngest councilors in the council for Kwekwe City, as you know there are two of us, but speaking for myself as a councilor, my hopes, and goals, that I wish to achieve on behalf of the young people. There is a need for the youth’s voice to be heard when it comes to programs like service delivery, and policy making in the council. A number of things are not done for or cover the youths, for example, a number of businesses that the council carries out it turns to overlook the young people because we do not have a competitive advantage against the already advantaged. So we will look into issues that try to balance the demographic differences with the elders who already have an advantage over us the young people who are just starting without any capital or financial advantage.
“There are a number of things that have been overlooked, but benefit the youths, for example, recreational facilities are no longer being attended to. So these are some of the things we will be looking at, and trying to address. So that young people can have things to do. We have several youths with skills, and talent in sports, and there can be a lot of sporting activities that can be done in Kwekwe but have been overlooked. So we will make sure that such issues are addressed, so that young people can take advantage and better themselves, to shine with their potential.
“As an elected councilor in my ward, we have ward development committees so we will make sure that there are youths in those development committees to fulfill my representative role for the people. I will try to have platforms that I get to engage with in my ward, and push this to other councilors so that we can create a city platform for young people to engage and interact with the residents,” he said.
Gwamuri also spoke on the strategies that he will consider in implementing and encouraging youth participation in community development projects and budget consultation programs. He also explained how he envisions promoting inclusivity and diversity among the youth in Kwekwe, while ensuring that everyone feels represented and has equal opportunities.
“The most important thing is to have a meaningful participation of the residents mostly the youths because in terms of population, we are the majority, and our voice really matters. So we will try and encourage meaningful participation of the residents because this is a two-way street, as policymakers we will push for platforms, and activities that encourage young people to participate, but then it comes back to the residents, they need that willingness in local issues that affects them in issues of service delivery. So what we will try and do is to push for those platforms created by the townhouse at the same time we will try and push the young people to decide, and actively participate when it comes to budget consultations, which very young people attend. But I want to believe that most of the consultations done were never really meaningful to them, and never considered their voices, but this time with a youth in office, I will push so that their voices are heard, when they speak it has to matter.
“The most important thing is a good rap ore between the residents and the townhouse. Everything we do, we do it on behalf of the people, we have the people’s mandate, and so as an official, there is nothing you can do without consulting the residents, the people that matter. The residents are made up of different demographics, different groups of people, young people, women, and the elderly, it is a diverse group that we have in our communities. All these groups need to be consulted, they have different needs, or specific needs depending on their background, so I will make sure that when we do our consultations, we reach every individual so that as we make policies we will be speaking from a well-informed position after a thorough consultation where the voice of the residents really matters,” said Gwamuri.
Youths who spoke with this publication showed appreciation for having youth councilors who will represent them in Kwekwe City Council. They described Gwamuri as a dedicated, and hardworking leader who will assist his community in developing better.
“Congratulations to Kudakwashe Gwamuri on his appointment as councilor. We believe in him as a youth, and his dedication, passion, and commitment to serving the community are truly commendable. We have no doubt that he is going to bring positive change and represent the voices of the constituents with integrity,” said a resident identified as Rudo Mavedzenge.
“…fantastic to hear that we have youths in Kwekwe City Council. Gwamuri’s appointment is great for us as youths because he has always shown exceptional leadership skills and a genuine desire to contribute to the betterment of the community. Before he was elected he was doing great initiatives such as donating sanitary wear to marginalized girls in the high-density suburb area of Amaveni. So he has always demonstrated that he is capable of doing great for the community. We are thrilled to see him taking this important role, and we have full confidence in your ability to make a positive impact through his dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment. Kudos to Kudakwashe,” said Rainah Jumo.