National Youth Service (Zimbabwe)

[1][2] Its stated purpose was to "transform and empower youths for nation building through life skills training and leadership development.

"[3] The National Youth Service had been condemned in the West and in Africa for gross human rights violations on behalf of the ZANU-PF party.

[8][9] In 2021, the government under former military general President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a plan to reintroduce a rebranded national youth service.

[3] The opposing view, both inside Zimbabwe and abroad, held that the service indoctrinated its members with absolute loyalty to ZANU-PF and trained them for military operations to enforce its dominance.

The speeches glorified Mugabe's land reform programme and ZANU-PF leaders Border Gezi and Chenjerai Hunzvi.

[17][18] Conditions in the service training facilities were reported to include poor construction, frequent hunger and sexual abuse of girls and women.