Story by Godfrey M Bonda
Harare — Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Tinoda Machakaire, has announced that the theme for the 2026 National Youth Day commemorations will be Youth Agenda for Transformation, as the country prepares for a major national gathering of young people later this month.
Minister Machakaire said Zimbabwean youths will converge at the Igava Training Centre in Mashonaland East Province on 21 February 2026 to mark Robert Mugabe National Youth Day, one of the country’s key youth-focused national events.
He confirmed that the Guest of Honour will be His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, who is expected to officiate at the celebrations.
Approximately 30,000 youths are expected to attend the event, including representatives from regional youth councils and foreign youth delegations, reflecting growing international youth cooperation and exchange.
Minister Machakaire said this year’s commemorations will also recognise graduates from the Youth Service in Zimbabwe programme, with trained cohorts from the 2024 and 2025 intakes set to showcase their skills through coordinated drill displays and discipline demonstrations.
He emphasized that one of the central goals of the programme is to cultivate a responsible and productive youth population that rejects drug and substance abuse while embracing national development values.
In addition, the programme will include the launch of a state of the art Youth Service and Vocational Training Centre, which will be named in honour of President Mnangagwa. A Vocational Training Centre Business Unit, equipped with irrigation infrastructure to enhance agricultural productivity and youth participation in agribusiness, will also be commissioned.
The Minister said the initiatives reflect Government’s continued commitment to youth empowerment, skills development, and sustainable economic participation by young people.
