When Zimbabwe’s political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) celebrated its ninth anniversary on September 7 this year, an information pack in a thin blue folder from the party’s Information and Publicity department was issued to guests. An eye-catching, nine- page document dubbed “MDC’s Roll of Honour” had a list chronicling how 314 people alleged to be “MDC supporters who were callously murdered in state sponsored violence since 2000.” Though the above allegations are subject to debate, of great concern however is the number of deaths purported to have been directly caused by not necessarily ‘Zanu PF youths’ but youths in particular.
Of the 314 death cases, a simple physical count indicate 58 of these emanating from youths “beating”, “attacking”, “assaulting”, “abducting”, “axing”, “torturing”, “burning” victims to death.
One would then wonder, if the youths are the leaders of tomorrow and with so much blood on their hands, what should then become the future of this country, being led by such ‘murderers.’
The politics in Africa, Zimbabwe included, is one arguably smeared with an ugly scenario where youths are abused and used at the forefront of perpetrating violence against opponents. Most countries in the world including the United States of America, Britain and New Zealand have youths training programmes, but Zimbabwe’s youth programme came under the spotlight when opposition political parties accused Zanu PF of grooming youth militia used to antagonize rivals.
Last Monday, when Zanu PF and the two MDC formations signed the power sharing deal, Article XV of the agreement addressed the need to recognize the national youth training programme, part of which reads, “recognizing the desirability of a national youth training programme which inculcates the values of patriotism, discipline, tolerance, nonviolence, openness, democracy, equality, justice and respect…”
It is against such background as espoused in the power sharing agreement that that MDC youths from Zimbabwe’s third largest city, Gweru sought to redefine the role and position of youths in the expected all inclusive government at a public meeting to explain the power sharing agreement to MDC supporters over the weekend. MDC Gweru Urban Youth Chairperson, Moses Mikaele, lamented the abuse of youths in Zimbabwe’s pre-election, election and post election period.
“There are youths who accepted to be used. Those who were killing people were the youths. Those who were beating up people are the youths. Those who were victimizing people are the youths.
‘Now we are saying time has come for us to stop terrorizing our parents. The time has come for us to stop being used. We must now work for our good because the future now looks bright.”
Zimbabwe’s second Vice President, Joyce Mujuru once urged youths during the election period not be used in violence saying “blood will be on your hands” and not on those who send them to perpetrate violence.
A Scholar, Abdullah (1999) notes that the majority of youths in conflict areas in Africa can barely explain why they are fighting. He further notes that they are neither middle class kids nor members of the educated elite. Most of them come from marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
Mikaele also raised the important issue of HIV and AIDS as it affects the youths in Zimbabwe. Under Article XV of the power sharing agreement on National Youth Training Programme there is a segment, which touches on the pandemic, and it reads…. “Determined to ensure the National Training Programme raises awareness of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, engenders a spirit of community service, skills development and a commitment to the development of Zimbabwe.
Said the MDC youth: “It would be useless to have a situation which when Tsvangirai is fully in power we would take him to Mtapa cemetery (in Gweru) to show him the graves of many youths who will have died of AIDS. We should behave ourselves.”
As Zimbabwe expects an all-inclusive government that encompasses people from the different political divide, it is prudent that the Zimbabwean youths shift their focus to self-advancement and desist from acts of self-destruction including being used as pawns in the political chess game.
