Former Botswana president Rtd Lt Dr Ian Khama has said youths and women have the ability to turn the economy around should they be given an opportunity.
Speaking at the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries yesterday, Khama said during his tenure he included youths’ representation in each ministry to enable young people to create opportunities for themselves.
Botswana is one country in Africa that has middle-income economy a vision Zimbabwe attains to achieve by 2030.
In sharing Botswana’s road to success with Zimbabwean business people, Khama said his government appreciated the plight of unemployed young people hence they crafted ideas on how to create opportunities for them.
“We realised most of our young people were unemployed after completing their tertiary studies,” the statesman said.
“A graduate internship program was hence introduced where the government and the private sector would employ graduates as interns.
“This was effective in the sense that young people would gain vast experience in their areas of expertise, making them employable due to experience gained”.
Khama also acknowledged women’s capability in holding influential positions in government.
“People need to understand that when women are given influential positions it is because of merit and not mere gender basis,” he said.
“There was never a moment when I regretted appointing women in their respective positions”.
