The youths said since the
inception of the Inclusive government that saw ZANU PF and the two MDCs sharing
power, there has been a drastic decline in the number cases of politically
motivated violence. They however noted with concern the statements being shared
in the media about the possibility of an election this year.
“We do not want to hear anything
about an election because to us elections mean death, torture and gross human
rights violations amongst other things. Since the inclusive government was
formed we are enjoying a semblance of peace which we did not enjoy when ZANU PF
was single handedly in charge of government,” articulated one of the youths.
Another young person added that
there are a lot of issues that are still pending in the inclusive government
and as such there is no reason why anyone should rush for elections.
“Governors that were appointed a
long time ago still have not assumed office and we are also still in the
process of finalising a new constitution so there is no reason why we should be
talking about elections right now. Instead, the principals (of the Inclusive
Government) should be talking about finalising all the issues that will make
sure that the next elections are free, fair and violence free,” he said.
The youths echoed these
sentiments at a youth meeting convened by the National Youth Development Trust
(NYDT) in Lupane. The youth meeting was done to gather the views of young
people on the pending elections and assess whether they were ready for an
election or not. The NYDT uses such platforms not only to gather the views of
young people on various topical issues but to share information on current
affairs with youths in the remote areas.
