Platform For Youth and Community Development - PYCD

06/10/2026

Disaster Preparedness becomes a high priority in Chipinge as National budget consultations kick starts.

The Platform for Youth and Community Development is convinced that its work has contributed to raising awareness for the government to intervene.

30/09/2026

28/09/2026

PYCD PRESS STATEMENT

UPHOLDING INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE: THE ROLE OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN ADDRESSING INFORMATION DISORDER

28 September 2026

The Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) joins communities and stakeholders in commemorating the 2026 focus on Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The Role of Access to Information in Addressing Information Disorder.”

Since its establishment in 2008, PYCD has recognised access to accurate and timely information as essential to community participation, accountability and the protection of human rights. This commitment has been demonstrated through PYCD’s Access to Information Campaign, under which the organisation sought information from public institutions, including Chipinge Rural District Council, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and the Ministry of Education. These efforts demonstrated that access to information can transform citizens from passive recipients into informed participants who can demand accountability.

PYCD therefore welcomes the growth of community broadcasting in Zimbabwe, particularly the licensing of Vemuganga FM and Ndau FM in Chipinge. Community radio has created additional platforms through which communities can access information in familiar languages and participate in discussions about issues affecting their lives. PYCD has previously described community radio as an important component of peacebuilding and improved access to information.

Through collaboration with community radio, PYCD has supported public awareness on land displacement and dispossession, gender-based violence and harmful gender practices, child marriages, drug and substance abuse, governance and community development.

As information disorder increasingly spreads through digital platforms, PYCD calls for greater investment in media literacy, fact-checking, responsible digital communication and community-based information systems. Reliable information must remain a public resource for defending rights, strengthening accountability and enabling communities to make informed decisions.

Fepa
Urgent Action Fund-Africa
MISA Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Media Centre - Zimbabwe
Gender & Media Connect
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
Zimcodd
WWF Zimbabwe
ActionAid Zimbabwe

25/09/2026

🌦️ What if climate data could shape budget priorities?

Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe NACOF Outlook warns of an increased chance of below-normal rainfall across the country from October to December 2026

This is a powerful starting point for evidence-based advocacy for Disaster Risk Reduction Parliamentof Zimbabwe

22/09/2026

PRESS STATEMENT TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2026

PYCD: BUILDING PEACE THROUGH COMMUNITY-ROOTED CONFLICT RESOLUTION

The Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust (PYCD) joins communities across Zimbabwe and the world in commemorating the International Day of Peace, reaffirming its commitment to peaceful coexistence, justice, dignity and community-led solutions.

For PYCD, peace is not simply the absence of violence or conflict. It is the ability of communities to address grievances, protect their rights and resolve disputes through dialogue, lawful processes, knowledge and mutual respect.

Over the years, PYCD has been involved in addressing serious community conflicts involving land displacement, land dispossession, environmental concerns and Gender-Based Violence. Its interventions have been strengthened by trained community advocates who understand local realities and apply Indigenous Knowledge Systems alongside contemporary approaches to mediation, advocacy, psychosocial support and counselling.

According to PYCD Director, Mr Claris Madhuku, the organisation has developed systems that enable communities to access practical assistance when confronted by difficult conflicts.

“PYCD has always acted like a one-stop centre where community members have visited and received guidance on how to handle most of the conflicts they experience with local government structures and at the family level. PYCD systems have adopted psychosocial and counselling approaches to help our communities,” Mr Madhuku said.

PYCD believes that sustainable peace requires communities to be equipped with knowledge, confidence and appropriate mechanisms to manage disputes before they escalate into violence. Its community-rooted model brings together human rights awareness, Indigenous Knowledge, gender justice, youth participation, environmental justice and peaceful civic engagement.

On this International Day of Peace, PYCD renews its commitment to strengthening community advocates and supporting communities to become active architects of peace, justice and social cohesion.

16/09/2026

🌍 HAPPY WORLD OZONE DAY 2026!

Today, 16 September 2026, Zimbabwe joins the global community in celebrating the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, a.k.a World Ozone Day, commemorating the historic signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987.

History of the Protocol
❇️In the 1970s and 80s, scientists discovered that man-made chemicals, primarily Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in cooling and aerosols, were destroying the stratospheric ozone layer. This created a dangerous "hole" over Antarctica, exposing the planet to harmful solar Ultra-Violet (UV) radiation.

❇️Adopted on 16 September 1987, the Montreal Protocol became the first treaty in United Nations history to achieve universal ratification.

❇️The Government of Zimbabwe ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1992, committing early to international efforts to protect the atmosphere.

❇️In 2016, Parties adopted the landmark Kigali Amendment to phase down Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases driving global warming.

❇️Officially ratifying the Kigali Amendment on 18 October 2022, Zimbabwe is now actively executing the Stage I Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) to cut HFC use. Phasing down HFCs worldwide can avoid up to 0.5°C to 1.0°C of global warming by 2100!

How You Can Action Sustainable Cooling Today:

✅️ Buy ozone-friendly and energy-efficient appliances.

✅️Have certified technicians service your RAC equipment to prevent gas leaks.

✅️Promote green cooling awareness in your home and community!

14/09/2026

Chinyamukwakwa Coexisting with Green Fuel as Confrontation Disappears

The relationship between Chinyamukwakwa villagers and Green Fuel Pvt Ltd is showing encouraging signs of transformation, with years of confrontation over land, boundaries and community interests increasingly giving way to dialogue, cooperation and practical development partnerships.

At the centre of this transition is the Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), whose consistent grassroots presence in Chipinge has enabled it to represent community concerns while creating opportunities for constructive engagement with the private sector. Having historically supported communities through research, advocacy, legal empowerment and peaceful engagement, PYCD is now demonstrating that defending community rights and promoting positive relationships are not contradictory objectives.

Green Fuel's interventions are contributing to this emerging relationship. The company has provided at least two boreholes to Chinyamukwakwa, where communities face serious challenges accessing safe water, with some local water sources reportedly being sour and unsuitable for human consumption. Green Fuel's wider investment in community boreholes and sport demonstrates the potential of private-sector participation in rural development.

Sport has become another important bridge. The Green Fuel-sponsored netball tournament held at the Green Fuel Netball Arena provided an important platform for mentoring and empowering girls, while soccer initiatives have created opportunities for boys. The participation and success of schools such as Katanga High School and Chibuwe High School demonstrate how sport can unite communities and inspire young people.

For PYCD, this represents an important evolution in community advocacy. Its partnerships with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, ZILAN and universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa have strengthened community capacity to understand land rights, beneficiation and fair compensation. PYCD's earlier legal advocacy over the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje land dispute established its commitment to peaceful, rights-based representation.

The emerging engagement with Green Fuel therefore offers a new chapter from confrontation to coexistence, from litigation to dialogue, and from disagreement to shared development. PYCD remains committed to ensuring that community expectations are heard while encouraging Green Fuel and other stakeholders to work together for sustainable and inclusive rural development.

Fepa
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
Zimcodd
Green Fuel (Pvt) Limited
Green Institute
Media Centre - Zimbabwe
NANGO Zimbabwe
Urgent Action Fund-Africa
MISA Zimbabwe
Marcel Dreier
Barbara Müller-Frei

14/09/2026

PYCD Intervention in Mahachi Land Dispute Raises Appetite for Constitutional Literacy

The transformation of Checheche from a rural growth point into an emerging town board has brought development opportunities—and renewed questions about land, belonging and the rights of communities whose ancestry is deeply rooted in the area. At the centre of these concerns is Mahachi Village, where residents have long grappled with the implications of expanding urban development and possible displacement from ancestral land.

The Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), a grassroots organisation rooted in the community, has remained a trusted presence in the dispute. Through documentaries, research, community dialogues and advocacy, PYCD has sought to ensure that engagement between the Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC) and villagers remains lawful, peaceful and sensitive to the rights and interests of affected families.

A significant milestone was a High Court interdict that halted arbitrary and unplanned urbanisation and land-grabbing initiatives attributed to the RDC, demonstrating the value of combining community mobilisation, legal knowledge and litigation.

PYCD has worked with the University of the Western Cape, University of Zimbabwe and Midlands State University to document community experiences, strengthen representation and explore lawful remedies. Through Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the organisation has also supported litigation.

The current project, "Enhancing Legal Awareness and Empowerment to Address Land Conflict in Chipinge District" , supported by GERDA HENKEL STIFTUNG and involving University of Zimbabwe lecturers, is deepening this work. In Mahachi, 10 trained paralegals are helping translate constitutional rights into practical community knowledge.

PYCD also recognises that urbanisation must benefit residents, while addressing associated challenges including child prostitution, drug abuse and gender-based violence through partnerships with like-minded stakeholders.

Mahachi is therefore becoming more than a land dispute: it is a growing call for constitutional literacy, accountable development and justice rooted in community participation.

Fepa
Zimcodd
ActionAid Zimbabwe
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
Access To Information Zimbabwe Campaign
Zimbabwe Council of Churches
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Marcel Dreier
Phillan Zamchiya
Barbara Müller-Frei
Zilan Trust
Urgent Action Fund-Africa
Centre for Applied Legal Research

12/09/2026

Maunganidze: Urbanisation Must Not Erase Community History

The story of Maunganidze Village in Ward 1 Chipinge, is a powerful reminder that urbanisation must not erase the history, livelihoods and legitimate interests of communities that existed long before development plans were drawn.

For the Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), a grassroots, community-rooted organisation, Maunganidze is not merely a Growth Point on a planning map. It is a living community whose families have occupied, cultivated and developed the land for generations. The Maunganidze Irrigation Scheme, established in 1997 and benefiting 84 farmers, provides important evidence of this longstanding relationship with the land.

The proposed Growth Point development has consequently raised concerns among approximately 645 affected families, including some linked to the irrigation scheme. PYCD, working with trained community paralegals, is amplifying these concerns and advocating for transparent processes that recognise existing occupation, livelihoods, developments and ancestral claims.

The 2023 High Court intervention, which halted contested urbanisation activities by Chipinge Rural District Council, reinforced the importance of due process and meaningful engagement. PYCD's position is not anti-development, it is a call for lawful, inclusive and people-centred urbanisation.

The paralegal programme seeks to equip communities with practical knowledge of constitutional rights, land tenure, legal remedies and mechanisms for documenting and responding to rights violations. The Training of Trainers Manual supported by Gerda Henkel Stiftung, further enables knowledge sharing so communities can independently identify, document and challenge injustices.

At Maunganidze, this approach has also exposed concerns around child marriage, drug abuse, school dropouts and child sexual exploitation linked to emerging economic and tourism activities.

PYCD therefore believes that development must secure communities, not displace their history. Regularisation, infrastructure and tourism can be positive only when affected families are meaningfully involved and their rights are respected.

Fepa
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
Zimcodd
ActionAid Zimbabwe
MISA Zimbabwe
Media Centre - Zimbabwe
Green Institute
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
WWF Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Phillan Zamchiya
Marcel Dreier
Barbara Müller-Frei
Urgent Action Fund-Africa

12/09/2026

Kondo Village: From Land Conflict to Community Empowerment

Kondo Village in Chipinge has become an important example of how grassroots advocacy, research, legal empowerment and constructive engagement can transform a community’s response to land and development challenges. Kondo’s land struggle emerged strongly in 2019 when plans to urbanise communal land raised fears of dispossession among residents who have historically depended on the land for settlement, agriculture and livelihoods. Research by the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), including work covering Kondo, documented the wider pressures facing customary land-rights holders in Chipinge.

The dispute reached the courts in 2022 after the Chipinge Rural District Council began surveying and pe***ng residential stands without adequately consulting affected villagers. Represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the community successfully obtained a High Court interdict on 23 June 2022 preventing the Council from urbanising Kondo Communal Lands without following due process.

For PYCD, however, the court victory was not the end of the journey. It became an opportunity to deepen community knowledge, strengthen dialogue and address the broader challenges confronting Kondo.

Today, PYCD is implementing 'Enhancing Legal Awareness and Empowerment to Address Land Conflicts in Chipinge,” supported by GERDA HENKEL STIFTUNG. Through a stakeholder approach combining research, training, legal support and advocacy, PYCD has worked with ZLHR, PLAAS and researchers from the University of Zimbabwe to translate evidence and legal knowledge into grassroots action.

Ten trained community paralegals are already identifying human-rights concerns and supporting knowledge-sharing within the community. Their work is extending beyond land to child marriages, school dropouts, child protection, culture and community leadership.

Kondo has not been evicted and is increasingly experiencing peaceful engagement with local authorities around development, including the emerging Mulagugu township and education infrastructure.

Kondo Village will never be the same.Its experience demonstrates that sustained grassroots accompaniment can turn a land dispute into a broader platform for rights, dignity, culture and community development. PYCD remains committed to staying close to the people and pursuing sustainable solutions with them.

Fepa
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
Green Institute
Zimcodd
ActionAid Zimbabwe
WWF Zimbabwe
ActionAid Zimbabwe
Vemuganga Community Radio
Green Institute
Marcel Dreier
Barbara Müller-Frei
Phillan Zamchiya