Scramble for youth support in Zimbabwe
Report by Samuel Takawira
HARARE – Moves to garner votes from youths ahead of the anticipated elections this year have intensified among the major political parties amid indications from population census results that youths form the majority population in Zimbabwe.
Leading the race for youths’ support is Zanu PF and MDC formations. Recent population census results show that youths in Zimbabwe constitute a larger percentage of the population.
In addition, most middle class people have migrated to other countries in search of greener pastures leaving the country with more youths than adults.
This was reinforced by an independent political analyst, Pedzisayi Ruhanya who added that the migration of most middle class people left the youths as the focal target for votes in the forthcoming elections.
“The youths also form part of the increasing group that use ICTs thus political parties have utilised this forum to reach them in the campaigning process”, said Ruhanya. He added that the youths are an active, organised and innovative group that can be easily reached hence the scramble for their support.
The decade long economic recession posed a blow to the youths who are struggling against high unemployment. This has also resulted in two contrasting policies from Zanu PF and MDC.
Many analysts have labelled Saviour Kasukuwere’s indigenisation and economic empowerment policy as Zanu PF’s lifeline and its score against their main rival the MDC. Through the policy, scores of young people have received empowerment loans ranging from $2000 to $3000.
Deputy Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Tongai Matutu however critiqued the empowerment policy, saying that the amount being provided was not feasible for one to commence a business.
“You can’t start a business with $2000, that’s not practical, it’s all about making noise, in actual fact those youths who got this money vamwe vakaenda kunoroora vamwe vakatenga shangu because they could not start substantial businesses”, revealed Matutu, adding that youths needed stable jobs rather than loans.
Counter to the indigenous and empowerment policies by Zanu PF, MDC has engaged in Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital and Environment (JUICE). According to the MDC, this initiative is meant to counter the sky rocketing levels of unemployment as it seeks to create over a million jobs in the next five years.
In an interview with this reporter, Lawrence Mashungu of the Youth Agenda Trust said he favours the MDC policy because it provides an answer to the problems facing young people everyday.
“JUICE seems to be the much needed answer for the high unemployment pandemic and we are rallying behind it. ZANU PF has proved that they do not care about creating jobs, mind you loans are not long term investments,” Mashungu said.
Another youth activist, Sydney Chisi of Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust (YIDEZ) urged both parties to stop fooling the youths and deliver tangible developments.
“It is the same old theory with politicians; we will build bridges where there are no rivers at all. Stop abusing young people with promises that you are not able to fulfil deliver real things to the youths not just eying for their support with nothing at all,” Chisi said.
With elections just around the corner, political parties are burning candles trying to woo young people to their side. The Zanu PF side has been the busiest, launching all sorts of fashion labels to try and sell their party to young people who are identifiable with fashion trends.
