HARARE – A new generation of African thinkers, doers, and dreamers gathered in Harare this week, not to ask for permission but to assert their right to shape the continent’s destiny. The 2025 International Youth Summit on Land and Economic Freedom was not a conference, it was a bold proclamation. Its core message? Africa’s youth refuse to wait their turn. The time is now, and the key is land.
The summit carried a weight far beyond its agenda. It was a fusion of revolutionary intent and intellectual clarity, with land emerging as more than a resource, it was spoken of as identity, history, empowerment, and power. Delegates from countries like Zambia, Jamaica, and others didn’t mince their words. They called out the systemic disenfranchisement of African youth, the exploitation of natural resources, and the geopolitical manipulations that have long stalled the continent’s economic sovereignty.
A delegate from Zambia set the tone: “Look at the DRC, conflict is not just about politics; it’s about resources. Our land is our power, and until we take control of it, development will always be imported and unsustainable.” A youth voice from Jamaica echoed this, saying, “We came not to be guests in this conversation but to demand strategy, policy, reform, ownership. Because land isn’t a souvenir. It’s our inheritance.”
Zimbabwe provided the living case study. Often vilified on the global stage for its land reform programme, the country was reframed by summit speakers as a pioneer of post-colonial correction. Honourable Taurai Kandishaya, Chairperson of the Africa Youth Congress, reminded participants that development without redress is cosmetic. “Zimbabwe chose justice over popularity. The land is now in the hands of the majority, and we will not apologise for that,” he said. “This summit is where truth meets courage.”
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, delivered a powerful endorsement of the youth’s stance. Hailing President Mnangagwa’s leadership as visionary and inclusive, he emphasised the Second Republic’s commitment to placing young people at the heart of national development. “We’re not just saying youth are the future. We’re putting the future in their hands, starting with the land that sustains us all,” he said.
Delegates were taken on field visits to youth-led farming projects, visible proof that land, when placed in capable hands, transforms communities. These visits shifted perceptions, giving international participants a firsthand look at empowerment in motion.
The summit concluded with one undeniable truth reverberating through its halls: Africa’s youth are no longer spectators. They are architects of a new era, an era where land is not merely inherited, but actively reclaimed and reimagined. It is no longer enough to speak of innovation, vision, and transformation in abstract terms. The foundation of all of these is land. And for this generation, land is not just a dream—it’s a demand.
