By Clive Thabo Dube
Statements such as ‘Voting will not change anything or elections are rigged’ have negative effects on how youths perceive politics, political analyst Methuseli Moyo had said.
Despite young people being one of the most vulnerable groups that are hardest hit by political, micro- economic challenges, young people have generally shunned issues to do with governance in the country.
“Youths are absent in the participation and representation in decision making, electoral, budgeting and resource allocation processes. The high rate of unemployment is leading to negative copying mechanisms including drug and substance abuse.” Moyo who is a veteran journalist and editor also said.
He told Zim GBC News that voter education should be intensified among young people. While also calling on government to foster and implement policies that ensure propotional, and adequate representation of youth.
“Young people make up more than half the country’s population (75%), they are affected by the effects of bad governance yet they have no interest in the selection of the country’s leaders,” Norton legislator Temba Mliswa chipped in.
“There is 60 women in parliament through a quota that was put up by government due to the fact that women participate in electoral and law making processes. For youths to earn a similar provision, they need to emulate their sisters, aunties and mothers who are the most active section of the country’s political set up.” The firebrand former Hurungwe East law maker also said.
Through his Youth Advocacy For Reform and Democracy (YARD), Mliswa has been pushing for young people above the age of eighteen (18) from across the political divide to aspire for political office. He also praises young people like Tafadzwa Mugwadi (ZANU- PF director for Information and publicity) and Gift Ostallos Siziba, the national deputy spokesperson for the Nelson Chamisa led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) for aiming at political levels that most young people dare.
The ZANU- PF National Youth Chairman Freedom Murechu believes young people should be empowered to take part in politics.
“Politics is an expensive game in which it requires lots of money and resources to mount serious campaigns, therefore i believe political parties should pour resources into their youth in order to take up political office,” Murechu said.
He added that so far the government is moving in the right direction with the introduction of the youth quota system in parliament. While the ruling ZANU- PF through its Herbert Chitepo ideological school offers continuous political capacitation to young members in its structures.