Unemployment, poverty and marginalisation in the country’s decision-making processes are only a few of the difficulties they face. To make matters worse, the past decade has seen the perpetuation, rather than the resolution of these issues.
Instead of being drivers of the country’s future, youths are used as merchants of violence and campaign tools. Political manipulation has been identified as one of the main reasons Zimbabwean youths are not solving their problems.
No political tolerance
MDC-T Youth Assembly National spokesperson, Clifford Hlatswayo, said the major problem bedeviling Zimbabwean youths today was political manipulation.
“Political manipulation is the biggest problem for the divisions among youths because youths are at the mercy of powerful figures who have got the resources, influence and authority in political groups,” said Hlatswayo.
“The youths are so divided on political lines and they have allowed their different political ideologies to divide them. Also there is a very low level of political tolerance among the youths.”
Hlatswayo said empowering Zimbabwean youths economically would help alleviate their challenges and guard against manipulation.
“As young people, we are advocating a broad-based empowerment programme and that’s why we talk about the creation of one million jobs and support SMEs which are the enterprises of young people,’ said Hlatswayo.
No representation
Upfumi Kuvadiki chairperson, Alison Darikayi, bemoaned the lack of deliberate policies on the part of government to ensure youths participated actively in critical sectors such as mining.
“The divisions that exist with regards to political beliefs are the key divisive aspects that have prevented the youths from being united in addressing their situation.
“A person who believes in the policies of Zanu (PF) does not want to mix with someone who is MDC. That is the major thing causing polarisation among the youths,” said Darikayi.
He blamed rowdy politicians for diverting youths from concentrating on solutions to their problems to wasting time on unproductive and often unlawful political activities.
He said representation of youths in key economic institutions should be improved to allow the youths to take an active part in the economic affairs of the country.
No regard for youth Zimbabwe Youth Forum National Coordinator, Wellington Zindove, said it was regrettable that young people had the capacity to move the country forward yet they were being relegated to mere recipients of policies formulated in their absence.
“Political parties themselves show little regard for youths and that is where the problem lies,” said Zindove.
Zindove blamed politicians for not prioritising the development of youths in the country.
A May 2012 report by the Research and Advocacy Unit titled “Political Violence and Intimidation Against Teachers in Zimbabwe” identifies the youth and war veterans as key culprits.
“The government is saying they have no financial resources to invest in the youths but a lot of money is being used to manipulate the youths,” said Zindove.
No division
Zanu (PF) provincial chairperson for Harare Province, Jim Kunaka, said: “There is no division within the youth of Zimbabwe. We support different political parties and the other parties do not bother to secure the future of the country”.
He blamed the MDC-T for the marginalization of youths in their party.
“If you look at the party’s leadership, they are telling their youth to keep away from the Indeginisation policy because it’s headed by Zanu (PF). It is only the clever few who have benefited from the policy while others are struggling to make ends meet,” said Kunaka.
Post published in: News