Youths’ vote can sway 2018 election

Source: Youths’ vote can sway 2018 election – DailyNews Live

Blessing Kasiyamhuru      23 May 2017

HARARE – As the 2018 general election fast approaches, Zimbabwe
Partnership for Prosperity (ZIPP) challenges the youths in Zimbabwe to
rise up and vote in numbers as this crucial vote will help shape their
future.

The first step is for them to register to vote and show up to vote on
Election Day.

While young voters in the past have been comfortable in apathy neglecting
the importance of voting, they should realise that  their voice is an
important one because democracy doesn’t work without citizen
participation. Their vote does matter, so much so because history has
shown that a collective youth vote could actually sway an election.

Voting gives the youths the power to make important choices as they decide
what they like, don’t like, and their voices are heard. If they fail to
vote they are yielding the ultimate power to adults to make decisions
about the leaders and laws that will shape and lead society for decades.

It is always essential that young Zimbabweans take advantage of their
right to vote, creating a future that aligns with their fundamental
beliefs and setting a precedent for future generations.

Regrettably, ZIPP has noticed that in the past the youth in Zimbabwe have
not used their huge numbers at the ballot box to shape political and
socio-economic decisions. Interestingly, the youths are known to complain
about issues that affect them yet squander opportunities to influence the
election of people who share their aspirations.

The majority of the youths today are walloping in poverty as the country
witnesses high unemployment levels believed to be hovering over 90 percent
which if unchecked, will be a disaster in waiting for the government. They
also still face a host of other challenges, including limited access to
entrepreneurship opportunities and credit for setting up businesses.

It is not a secret that high unemployment levels in Zimbabwe are quite
undesirable especially after President Robert Mugabe’s 2013 election
promise to deliver more than two million jobs by 2018 that has not come to
pass.

While every year Zimbabwe produces an estimated 300 000 graduates from its
16 universities plus others coming out of polytechnic colleges, nursing
schools, teacher colleges and apprenticeships, the country’s floundering
economy that is starved of investment and job creation can scarcely absorb
a fraction of them.

This paints a grim picture of many young people with no source of income
and no future to look forward to.

It is against this background that ZIPP urges all the unemployed youths to
take time out and exercise their only hope for a better future, which is
to vote for a government that will address their employment needs.

Young voters who want to inspire change need to show their support for the
candidates whom they feel best represent their needs because no one else
is going to vote in the interest of young people except young people.

In particular, the youths not only should they practice their right to
vote but the right to be voted for into office themselves. Zipp,
therefore, offers this opportunity as a youthful party to all youths that
aspire to be leaders and policy makers of the future government of
Zimbabwe  in 2018.

Voting and being voted for or supporting the candidates that includes
youths of their choice is effective youth participation in politics.

ZIPP urges government, Zimbabwe Election Commission, NGOs, political
parties, churches and learning institutions to create enough awareness
among the youth as to why they should vote.

It is only in Zimbabwe that we have an organisation like Zimbabwe
Coalition of Unemployed Graduates formed by jobless but highly qualified
youths. The coalition has since presented a petition to the Parliament of
Zimbabwe highlighting their dissatisfaction with the state of the economy.

We also challenge Zimbabwe Coalition of Unemployed Graduates to mobilise
its wide membership to register and vote.

Zanu PF government is struggling to deal with a worsening unemployment
crisis as companies collapse, hence our call for youths to use the only
weapon still in their possession – the vote.

Local companies have resorted to retrenchment for business sustainability
and survival while others have been forced to restructure and downsize as
a direct response to low capacity utilisation and product demand.

Over time, the increase in retrenchments has seen unemployment figures
rising.

For the few companies still operating, foreign currency to buy new
equipment has been a challenge and as a result companies are forced to use
obsolete machinery susceptible to frequent breakdowns.

As a government in waiting ZIPP has the advantage of a pool of known
professional human resource base; graduates that are jobless – be they
teachers, nurses, engineers  that we shall absorb into employment through
facilitating an environment conducive for creating the necessary jobs.

*Kasiyamhuru is President ZIPP.