Statement by the NYDT on 16 days of activism against gender based violence

The National Youth Development Trust joins the world in commemorating 16 Days of Activism against Gender based violence. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness on gender based violence as a human rights issue at local, national, regional and International levels.

The commemorations also provide a forum in which various organisations develop and share effective strategies while demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world in challenging violence against women.  Gender based violence has profound socio- economic consequences for all of society. It undermines the possibility of gender equality and negatively affects women’s health care, education, political and economic participation.

This year the commemorations carry over the theme from last year, which is:  From peace in the home to peace in the world: Let’s challenge militarism and end violence against women. The theme could not have been more fitting as it comes at a time when women are still the major victims of gender based violence in Zimbabwe, and also when the country is preparing for an election and cases of harassment by the militia and other political players are expected to increase.

Access to technology key to youth development opportunities

In Ndebele they say, ''Ukungazi kufana lokufa", meaning that without information one is rendered powerless. As such being well informed gives one power by enhancing their knowledge. With the world slowly but surely turning into a global village, the need to be in touch with global trends becomes inevitable. However, keeping abreast poses a number of challenges for young Zimbabweans who still struggle with issues of access to information and communication technology. 

In this global world of technology, employment vacancies, scholarships and opportunities for youth development are shared online. As such, young people who lag behind in terms of access to information technology miss out on such key opportunities, leaving a negative impact on their personal development. 

It is against this background that the NYDT has taken the initiative to provide young people with access to information through different forms of media. The organisation runs a youth information centre that offers access to desktop and laptop computers that are connected to the internet, a television with DSTV subscription, daily and weekly newspapers as well as a number of books, newsletters and magazines. All services are available to the young people who are part of the 5 000 member database of the NYDT.  

Youth development initiatives to capitalize on social media

By Karen Gwinisa

The introduction of mobile internet has caused many youths to become addicted to social sites to the extent that most youths in urban areas are living the greater parts of their lives online.

While social networking sites help youths remain in touch with other people by facilitating cheaper and faster ways of communicating, they have also made youths become anti-social to their immediate neighbours. As a result of economic instability and deindustrialization in Bulawayo, most youths in Luveve are unemployed. However, they seem to be content with their situations as long as they can keep in touch with friends in the virtual world.  As such, technology and social media is creating a society of isolated individualistic young people offline.

While there is a lot that young people can learn online, there is the danger that parents have no control of the kind of advice these youths get online so they are left vulnerable to being misled. For instance, some sites also act as online dating platforms that expose youths to immoral activities such as pornography. In some cases this results in them engaging in early sexual activity exposing them to STIs, HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. 

A brief survey with young people from Luveve showed that young people have no interest in the youth center as they feel it is boring, has outdated equipment and no interesting activities that are attractive to them. 

Therefore it is critical for young people themselves to revolutionize the youth centers and lobby the relevant stakeholder to avail new advanced technology that will be attractive to youths. Given the fact that the youths in Luveve are already spending most of their time online, initiatives in the youth centers could be focused on giving them knowledge of how best they can use social media and the internet to develop themselves by finding opportunities online rather than focusing on immorality.

Karen Gwinisa is one of the youths trained by the NYDT in citizen journalism and effective use of ICTs. She is currently doing her A’levels and writes in her personal capacity.   

Statement by NYDT on the decision by NUST administration not to admit students who have not paid full tuition

The NYDT has received with grave concern, the plight of students from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) who were last week sent away by university authorities for not meeting their full tuition fees obligations in time for registration.

Thousands of students, many of them from outside Bulawayo, had to travel back home empty handed after they were greeted by a notice on the campus walls that there would be no fees payment plans for students for the first semester of the 2012-2013 academic year.

Many students owing from the previous semester and some disappointed by the cadetship scheme after government reneged on its earlier commitment to help students with loans to pay their tuition fees, were suddenly told they could not pay the $200 they have usually paid before registration nor could they sign for payment options as has been the case in previous semesters.

Despite keeping students abreast of registration dates and tuition fees amounts over the institution’s website and Facebook account the university decided to keep mum on the changes to the payment plans leaving many students who had travelled back to prepare for the new semester stranded in without an immediate solutions to their problems. 

Zimbabweans have always complained that university fees are too high and pleaded with government to revert back to the old system of offering college students grants to help support them in their studies. Instead the government has made the situation worse by suddenly stopping the student cadetship scheme which allowed students to study on a loan basis. The current situation is greatly disadvantaging the majority of current and prospective students forcing many of them to get into risky behaviour like unprotected sex with older men or women to meet their tuition needs. As such, education has become a preserve for the elite depriving many young people the right of access to higher education.

Therefore such a move to bar students from attending lectures due to failure to pay tuition fees in full cannot be condoned as it is not only discriminatory but also retrogressive. It threatens the country’s ability to invest in future leaders by providing them with education. While it is appreciated that the university has expenses to cover in order to provide quality education to the students, it should also be noted that the majority of employees in Zimbabwe are earning way below the poverty datum line. As such, there is need to come up with amicable solutions to such a crisis that will see benefit for both the university administration and the students. 

In consultation with a number of university students from Bulawayo, the NYDT would like to implore the university to consider allowing the students to pay the tuition fees in instalments throughout the semester. This would ease the pressure on the paying parents /guardians and at the same time allow the smooth flow of the university calendar without compromising the quality of education the students receive. After all, the students will be forced to pay the full tuition regardless of whether they were allowed to attend lectures during the semester or not. 

Also, the university must work on its methods of communicating with the students to avoid miscommunication and confusion. This will help address issues of taking students by surprise  when  they read such notifications at the university campus on registration day rather than getting notified well in advance. 

We strongly recommend that government plays its part in subsidising education costs in order to ease pressure on the students and allow every deserving young person an opportunity to get an education. This is inclusive of paying fees for the students who are on cadetship in time and increasing the number of such beneficiaries.  It is the responsibility of government to provide such opportunities to its citizens and as such government needs to play a major role in ensuring education for all, bearing in mind that a country that does not invest in the education of its young ones is doomed.  

It is the hope of the NYDT and of many other young people in Zimbabwe that the university will desist from  chasing away students but rather will engage them in coming up with solutions that are of mutual benefit.  

Statement by NYDT on International Peace Day

NYDT joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of peace under the theme Sustainable Peace For A Sustainable Future. As Zimbabwe commemorates this day, there is need to reflect on the peace initiatives that have been put in place and the changes these have brought to Zimbabweans, especially young people.    

To date, Zimbabwe is yet to have a concrete legal framework that supports and legalises any peace building initiatives. The Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) is currently operating without a specific mandate, disjointedly and in fear of victimization by law enforcement agents. As such, this has stifled its ability and potential to address past and present conflict related issues.      

Young people, particularly from Matabeleland continue to bear the brunt of the mass killings of their parents, guardians, family and community members in the 1980s. Coupled with this, some have been battling with trauma as a result of bloody electoral periods since 2000. As talk of a general election in 2013 intensifies, cases of political violence are beginning to emerge as has been the trend since independence. The most affected as the main perpetrators and victims of such violence are young people. 

It is against this background that as we celebrate world day of peace, the NYDT calls upon the government of Zimbabwe, politicians, civic society and youths to show recognition of the importance of building sustainable peace in Zimbabwe by:

Setting up a commission that will be the main body responsible for uncovering past injustices and providing platforms for both victims and perpetrators to tell the truth about their past experiences. This is based on the belief that a spirit of nation building in Zimbabwe cannot be achieved without a commonly acknowledged history and honest means of facing and dealing with the human rights violations that have dogged the nation since independence. 

Finalising the legal framework for peace building national roadmap that clearly states the mandate of the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) so that it achieves its mandate of building sustainable peace in Zimbabwe.

Cessation of abuse of young people by political players and using them as pawns of perpetrating violence against their fellow citizens. Instead, political parties should partner with peace-building and conflict management actors and institutions in spreading the message of peace and tolerance amongst young people from various political backgrounds.  

Putting an end to the structural violence that continues to haunt Zimbabweans in some regions of the country; bearing in mind that the effects are more dire for young men and women. The draft constitution remains an opportunity to address such and other injustices by the constitutionalisation of devolution of fiscal, political and administrative power. This would guard against marginalisation while making provisions for social and cultural harmony.   

Police bar NYDT training workshops

Police have denied National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) clearance to conduct trainings in Lupane citing an excuse that the life skills training clashes with another meeting in the same venue. Quite interestingly in all this case is the fact that NYDT had already secured the same venue for the life skills training which the police officers claim it was reserved for another meeting. It is from this basis therefore that the reason forwarded by the police officers fails to gain subsistence. 

The organisation had planned to conduct two different training workshops for four days from September 11, 2012, starting with a two day life skills training followed by a Leadership and capacity development training. The life skills training workshop is aimed at improving young people’s  understanding of gender, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS while ensuring that they make use of the acquired knowledge in decision-making, interpersonal communication and planning for their lives. It largely involves gender mainstreaming, HIV/AIDS and career guidance. The life skills training also focuses on ensuring that the youths are aware of and do get tested for HIV and AIDS. Similar life skills trainings have been conducted in Nkayi and Bulawayo with specific partnership with the local health practitioners.

The capacity development training on the other hand aims at equipping the youths with leadership skills and encourages them to able to engage with duty bearers in and outside their communities thereby increasing their meaningful participation in decision making structures. The broader aim of such capacity development trainings is meant to ensure that young people share on leadership related issues and promote the ideal of assuming leadership in their respective communities so that they can be significant contributors to development.   

Observations that have been made indicate that space for civic activity has been shrinking in Lupane as the district continues to face strong protection from security agents. In total the work of other civic society organisations has been made difficult. In March this year Lupane police arrested the NYDT Senior Programs officer for conducting a life skills training workshop in the area. The police had initially denied the organisation clearance for the workshop but were forced to let it proceed by a High Court order interdict obtained through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). However they went on to disrupt the workshop saying they did not recognise the High Court clearance. Ironic enough despite such a disturbance, the police officers failed to provide process the necessary documentation leading to the arrest.

More recently, the same police in Lupane arrested three NYDT officers for allegedly conducting unlawful meetings. This happened regardless of the fact that the consultative meetings they were conduction did not require police clearance as they involved only four people and they we meant specifically for the councillors

Currently the organisation has challenged the police response to the notification by seeking intervention from the Magistrate’s court. However, the threat of harassment and arrest of its officers remains valid as has happened in the recent past.  

Zimbabwe Youth Council out of touch with reality of Matabeleland Youths

Youths in the Matabeleland regions have expressed outrage at what they call “careless” utterances by a Zimbabwe Youth Council official that youths in the three regions of Matabeleland are failing to submit bankable business plans or simply shunning the Youth Fund scheme. These sentiments made by Miss Yolanda Washaya and published in the Chronicle of 03 September 2012 have been viewed as nothing less than careless, unfounded stereotypic views that have been used repeatedly by state officials in the media to trivialise the concerns of the region and keep its citizens from benefitting fully from national programs.

Firstly the official claims that youths in Matabeleland have failed to produce bankable business proposals. The question is what is a bankable business proposal? The idea that what sells and makes good business sense in the capital Harare where the decisions are made will sell in Binga, Beitbridge and even Nkayi shows just how out of touch the official is with reality. Both the ZYC and the ministry have failed to hold consultative meetings with young people to gather views on what businesses are viable and would need funding in their regions. It also failed to orient young people into the requirements and needs of how to apply for the fund or write a business proposal and expects to be taken seriously as a voice of young people? Obviously, many young people, a large number with just O`levels and others with non business related degrees will need assistance one way or the other with how to write and apply a business project proposal.

Marginalisation a major source of conflict in Gwanda

Young people who are active in various political party structures have lamented marginalisation on grounds of ethnicity as a root cause of conflict in Gwanda district.   

Speaking during a political parties forum held in Gwanda, the youths said that lack of education opportunities as evidenced by the low number of schools in their district, high unemployment and unfair distribution of local and national resources were all a result of the marginalisation.  

“As a party we believe that young people should have equal access to opportunities. However the administration and distribution of resources in this country does not reflect that equal access and that makes it a source of conflict particularly in Gwanda,” said MDC-T who added that while Gwanda is rich in minerals, those were not benefiting the area in any way.   

Unity of purpose key to youth development

Youths in various political parties have been urged to promote tolerance and unity of purpose in addressing issues that they believe are a hindrance to national and youth development. 

As a way of achieving such unity of purpose, political parties’ youth wings have agreed that there is need to build a spirit of coexistence, tolerance and diversity within the political contours in the country. Speaking at a political parties’ forum organized by National Youth Development Trust (NYDT), a representative of the MDC-T said that there is need for young people to have a clear understanding of their respective political party ideologies so that the level of political debate among young people is enriched. 

“People usually become violent when they run out of ideas during a debate. As such it is important for young people to fully understand the issues they say they believe in so that they are able to defend it in a peaceful manner,” said Kunashe Muchemwa from MDC-T.  

ZANU PF representative, Fundisani Dewa urged the youths to desist from merely taking a partisan stance to critical issues. "We need to remove political jackets and critique issues that we feel are affecting our development as Zimbabwean youths. First of all we all have a part to play in building lasting peace in Zimbabwe and finger pointing will not assist us in any way,” he said. 

Youths still ignorant of constitution making

Despite the fact that the constitution making process has been ongoing for the past 3 years and has undergone various stages, a number of young people continue to express ignorance about the whole process. Some have shown that although they have heard about it before, they have not made any contribution to the process in any way. 

This came to light at a youth policy dialogue meeting convened by the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) in partnership with Children Solutions Trust in Nketa on Saturday August 18, 2012. The meeting was held under the topic: Youth Participation In National processes. The youths who attended the meeting expressed ignorance on the importance of processes such as the constitution making process. As such, the facilitator had to define a constitution and briefly highlight why it is important for everyone to participate in the process before delving into the contents of the draft constitution.  

Amongst other issues, the facilitator highlighted the fact that the draft defines a youth as anyone aged between 16 and 35 something that has been lacking since Zimbabwe lacked a single definition of what a youth is.  The Bill of Rights was said to be more comprehensive than in the current constitution as it also includes socio-economic rights. The setting up of independent commissions was also accepted as a welcome move in the constitution as most young people have been calling for the establishment of such committees that would address youth specific issues in the areas of human rights, electoral processes, peace building, media and gender.  

Through the meeting, the organisation managed to reach out to a new crop of young people altogether who had never benefitted from NYDT programming before. The young men and women called for more involvement in such and other critical platforms for engagement so that they can be able to meaningfully participate in governance issues.  

International Youth Day Commemoration

NYDT joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Youth Day under the theme Building a better world, partnering with the youth. This theme is commemorated in line with five priority areas under the UN System Wide Action Plan on Youth which include:

·         Employment,

·         Entrepreneurship,

·         Education (including sexual and reproductive health)

·         Political Inclusion

·         Citizenship and Protection of rights

As the world commemorates this day it is pivotal that Zimbabwe conducts introspection on the attempts at supporting the key youth priorities under the Youth Action Plan. The International Youth day is equivocal in recognizing and appreciating the youths as central towards the development of the world in general and country in particular.

As much as NYDT recognises attempts at youth inclusion and government supporting initiatives that are: The development of the National Youth Policy, the establishment of the Youth Funds and inclusion by the Indigenization and Medium Term Plan policies.

However efforts must be enforced by the government in partnership with other stakeholders in promoting Youth initiatives in Zimbabwe.

We strongly implore that political parties should mainstream the total inclusion of youths as key decision makers and proponents in party policy developments

We underline the critical need to implement the MTP in totality as it promotes entrepreneur development and attempts to reduce the unemployment rate from 80 percent to close to 55 percent

We encourage the Government to strategically partner with NGOs and Civic Society Organisations in promoting youth awareness on various issues that contribute towards national development.

We recommend that issues that promote youth development in totality should not be used as a smokescreen for political aggrandizement and machinations, instead they should be a base in developing a prosperous generation.

Building a better world, partnering with the youth

NYDT’s Position on the Draft Constitution

National Youth Development Trust held a youth Convention on the 23^rd of June 2012. One of the key outputs from the Youth Convention were the non-negotiable benchmarks that ought to be factored in the draft constitution.

The current draft constitution has managed to factor critical issues raised by the youths during the Youth Convention these issues are:

·         Broad based bill of rights that safeguards the right to education, shelter, health and life.

·         Establishment of the Independent Commissions. The commissions that have since been proposed in the draft constitution include the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Gender Commission, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and the Anti- Corruption Commission.

·         A clear recognition of 16 official languages in Zimbabwe.

·         The inclusion of the citizenship clause that ensures that youths are registered under the Zimbabwean law

However, the Draft Constitution as per the expectations of the youth did not recognise:

1.      The establishment of an Independent National Youth Commission to support youth economic and social developments programmes.

2.      A shift in the majority age from 18 to 16 years and the call for young people in that age to be allowed to vote and be voted for political office. The law recognises that at 16 anyone can choose a life partner if that is so why not be allowed to make a decision about voting.

3.      The total inclusion of devolution of power as a part of the governance architecture. Currently the draft contains a watered down version of devolution which is not clear on fiscal devolutions and has no provisions for the direct election of provincial governors into office.

NYDT will continue engaging with other stakeholders to ensure that the youth convention resolutions at the convention are factored into the 2^nd draft before it goes for a referendum.

Nkayi Registry refuses to register, sets police on youths

Officials at the Nkayi registry office had to call police officers to disperse a group of determined youths who refused to leave their offices without being registered to vote.

After several failed attempts to register in the past few weeks, a group of close to fifty youths said after they had provided all that was necessary to get registered including having their village heads personally vouching for them, they were still turned away.

“First we were told that the office wants to deal with those applying for identity (IDs) and birth documents before they attend to us. Then they said our letters of proof of residence were forgeries. When we went to fetch the village heads that wrote the letters, they demanded that we bring letters stamped by the chief” said one frustrated young man.

After half an hour of waiting and the youths insisting that their letters were genuine enough to get them registered, the district registrar who identified himself as Mr Ngwenya appeared and addressed the youths saying he would not register them unless they told him which party they belonged to.

When the youths refused to divulge this information being adamant that they were citizens and had the right to register regardless of political affiliation, Mr Ngwenya called the police to disperse the youths.

The action has been condemned by rights and youth groups working in Matabeleland with the director of the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) Mr Liberman Bhebhe calling the Nkayi registrar’s actions as “illegal” stating that his organisation is willing to approach the courts to compel Ngwenya and his subordinates to comply with the laws of the land.

“Even if these youths were from a said political party, they still deserve to be registered if their documents are in order. Zimbabwe uses an open roll system and this mandates the RG’s office to register voters at anytime that they present themselves and their documents at the RGs offices. Voter registration must be treated like any service every Zimbabwean is entitled to,” he said.

The refusal by various RG branches to register voters for useless reasons like staff shortage and it not being their core function, has led to wide calls within civic society to have the duty of registering voters moved out of the RGs office and put under the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s mandates as the RG has proven to be incompetent in that regard.

An Appraisal of the Medium Term Plan within the Context of the 2012 Mid-year Fiscal Policy Review

The recent pronouncements in the Mid-Term Fiscal Policy review are framed with the framework of Medium Term Plan (MTP) which was enacted by the Government in 2011. The legal provisions of Section 103 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe read together with Section 7 of the Public Finance Management Act oblige the Minister responsible for Finance to provide full and transparent accounts before Parliament indicating the current and projected state of the economy, the public resources of Zimbabwe and the fiscal policy of the Government.  In that regard, the fiscal policy review becomes a critical benchmark to measure and monitor the progress that has been made by the government in upholding the set objectives of the plan. The NYDT as a youth focused organisation is very much interested in this review offering bias on the efforts by the government towards youth empowerment. This commentary examines the current policy review and juxtaposes this with the pronouncements made under the MTP.

According to the report by Minister Tendai Biti on the mid- year Fiscal Policy review on the issues concerning the youths and women, the government has instituted policies that, "Enable women and youths participation in the mainstream economic activities for example, National Youth Policy, National Gender Policy, Mining Policy, Land Policy and Small to Medium Enterprises Policy."

The report further indicated that as a drive to support such policies, the government has instituted funding facilities such as the Indigenisation and Empowerment Fund, Youth Development Fund, Mining Industry Loan Fund, Women Development Fund and SME Fund that are meant to “facilitate indigenisation, youth and 

women’s access to skills training and affordable credit as well as expand employment opportunities”.

Hyde Park Youths Lament Lack Of Development Of Their Community

Young people from ward 17 encompassing Pumula and three peri-urban villages of Robert Sinyoka, Methodist and St Peters have lamented lack of income generation projects in their area amid high unemployment levels in the country. 

They said given the fact that it is already difficult enough for educated people to get employment, there is no need for them to bother looking for jobs as the economy is clearly not creating any. Instead, the youths called for a diversion from focusing only on formal education at the expense of vocational skills training.     

“The majority of young people in our areas are not only unemployed but uneducated as well. So we need a training centre that will help us improve on the skills that we already have and that we can use to generate income for ourselves, “said Sithabile Ndlovu. 

The youths acknowledged that there are some negative perceptions about their community, attributing these to high levels of crime by a couple of unruly elements within the community. Despite this, economic conditions have not helped the situation either as young women have to turn to prostitution as a means of survival, while others settle for menial jobs such as being maids.  Lack of sexual and reproductive health information in the area has also immensely contributed to increased numbers of early pregnancies, the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections and a high HIV prevalence rate. In this regard, the young people pleaded with the partner organizations present at the meeting to come up with the necessary interventions that will ensure an improved way of life for youths in the area.  

First time voter Campaign launched

Youth representatives from ZANU PF and the two MDC formations have endorsed the first time voter campaign, dubbed X1G campaign, a meaningful engagement of youths in electoral processes.

Addressing youths at the launch of the campaign, ZANU PF Youth National Secretary General, Leslie Ncube emphasised the need for young people to participate in elections in positive light. He also urged them to be tolerant of each other despite their diverse political backgrounds and affiliations. Fortune Mlalazi from the MDC also underlined the need for youths to respect each other's ideas for the betterment of the country. Adding on to those sentiments, MDC-T provincial youth chairperson, Themba Nyathi said that youths should effectively participate in the elections and become a vibrant force in setting up a youthful agenda.

“Unless young people begin to be active in voicing their issues and positively participating in elections, youth issues will not be given space.  As young people we need to be proactive in setting the youthful agenda for the nation,” he said.   

Press Statement on Elections and Constitution

On the 23rd of June, 2012, the NYDT consulted youths from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, drawn from its membership, political parties, youth movements, church organisations and youth focused civic society organisations on the non-negotiable demands that ought to be underlined for them to effectively participate in the upcoming referendum and elections. The youths stated that:

·         No elections should be held before a people driven and centred constitution is adopted and that constitution to be acceptable to them must have:

a)       Uncompromised inclusion of devolution of power as a part of the governance architecture

b)       Broad based bill of rights that safeguards the right to education, shelter, health and life

c)       Establishment of independent commissions which include, Human rights commission, Judiciary services commission, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Media commission and more importantly a national youth commission, among other independent bodies.

d)       A shift in the majority age from 18 to 16 years and young people in that age must be allowed to vote and be voted for political office

Press Statement on the Day of the African Child

National Youth Development Trust joins the continent in commemorating the 22^nd Day of the African Child under the theme The rights of children with disabilities: The duty to protect promote and fulfill. This particular theme come s within the context of a number of international conventions  that have been ratified by states to protect and uplift children with disabilities, chief amongst these conventions are Convention on the rights of the child  (CRC)in 1989,the African Charter on the rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in 1999. The African Youth Charter in 2006 also contains provisions of youths with disabilities.

Alert: NYDT Officers arrested in Lupane

Police have arrested three NYDT officers in Lupane. The arrested officers are Senior Programmes Officer Bhekumusa Moyo, Assistant Information Officer Prosper Ndlovu and Logistics Officer Meluleki Dube. The charges against them are not yet clear. The three were arrested while conducting consultative meetings with various councillors in Lupane to share notes on youth programmes that the organisation intends to implement in the District. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have since been notified and are expected to establish the reasons for the arrest soon. The NYDT shall keep all partners informed of any new developments regarding the arrest of the said officers. 

Methodist Youths Lament Marginalisation

Youths from Methodist Village, located in peri-urban Bulawayo, have blamed their lack of interest in voting processes on the lack of accountability and consultation by their elected leaders.

Speaking at a focus group meeting organised by the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT), the young people said that the last time they interfaced with both their councillor and Member of Parliament (MP) was during the campaign stages of the 2008 elections. Despite being the poorer parts of the constituency, they claimed that the MP even failed to allocate a portion of the Constituency Development Fund to them but concentrated the fund in the urban side of his constituency.

“Even our MP seems to have forgotten about us because we only heard that there was CDF but all of it was used to benefit Urban Pumula,” complained Thembinkosi Mafu. 

They blamed the delimitation process for joining together their area (peri-urban) with an urban area to form one ward as a major contributor to their marginalisation in developmental processes. They instead called for the separation of Peri-urban Pumula from the urban side of Pumula. “It is obviously difficult for one person to serve both a peri urban and an urban area so to me the solution would be to separate the two so that at least we are adequately represented,” suggested Calvin Dube.   

The challenge of inadequate representation was also cited as the reason why most young people have chose to stay away from voting. However at the end of the meeting it was agreed that more young people from the area should register to vote as this will oil their campaign for the designation of their area as a separate constituency.   

Young women speak out on lack of participation

Young women from Luveve high density suburb met at the Luveve Youth Centre to interrogate the reasons for poor participation of young women in national and local developmental and political processes.

 The young women highlighted  parental consent as a major challenge to their effective participation, saying that they needed to explain to their parents how such programmes are of benefit to them before being allowed to attend, if at all they are allowed. This, they said does not usually apply to their male counterparts.

“It is difficult for us to participate in national processes and general activities that have to do with development as our parents prohibit us from attending. If allowed, we have to explain to our parents why we need to attend these activities and how they will benefit us. If there are no immediate benefits we are not allowed to attend,” said Selinah Dube.

She further said, “Our biological build has contributed to us being prohibited to attend meetings as we are viewed as the vulnerable group that will fall prey to men and may later bear the consequences of unwanted pregnancy.”

Legalise abortion youths call on government...

Young people seem to be calling for the government to legalise abortion and make such services available in public health centres, following shocking statistics from a report by local NGOs that at least 20 000 women die annually during illegal abortions and child birth.

In conversations the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) had with young people on facebook, various solutions were suggested and were centred around ensuring an effective health delivery system and legalising abortion.  

“There's need for a realistic approach in dealing with it now that it is known that women opt to abort for one reason or the other,” said Clemence Leonard.

Bukhosi Moyo who suggested that legalizing abortion would be the solution, said that this isssue is now a matter of reality vs. principles. “Yes we have our own principles that are against abortion but what is the reality? It’s better to lose one than to lose both the mother and the child,” he said.

Elections in 2012: Is this possible under the current political and socio-economic environment in Zimbabwe?

The following is a brief summary of the outcome of a Youth Think Tank convened by the NYDT to discuss young people’s views on the feasibility of holding general elections this year.  

Context

The debate on elections has been tossed across two main political parties with each political party creating media hype on when Zimbabwe will be best suited for elections. One of the proposals underlined by the Zimbabwe African National Party-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) is that the elections will be held this year ‘with or without a new constitution’. The party argues that the collapse of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is long overdue and as such, President Robert Mugabe should use the powers accorded to him through the Lancaster House Constitution to call for the elections immediately. On the other hand, the Movement for Democratic Change led by Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai has indicated that elections will only be conducted in March 2013.

Given the fact that elections in general tend to affect the youths in Zimbabwe by turning youths into susceptible tools for political machinations, the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) conducted a youth think tank meeting meant to get the views from young people on their view regarding the elections in Zimbabwe.

March 9, 2012 A discussion paper by National Youth Development Trust on the Indigenisation and Empowerment in Zimbabwe

...one gets the impression that the approach to its development and application has been ad-hoc, piece meal and lacking in international consistency. It has been a product of circumstances and at times mainly of politicians reacting to unfavourable economic situations and the demands of small groups of business individuals who felt that the prevailing economic conditions put them in an unfair position vis-a-vis the foreign competitors. It was hardly the original work of development planners, although their involvement became inevitable after political decisions have been made[1].

Young women in Magwegwe speak out on low participation.

Women have often taken the back seat particularly when it comes to participation in national processes and civic programming. This is largely prevalent in Africa where women have blamed culture for silencing them; as women are viewed as inferior and are not accorded space to air their views.

At a young women’s study circle organized by the National Youth Development Trust in the western suburb of Magwegwe, young women spoke out on why they do not actively participate in national processes and civic programming.

Chief urges political parties to unite.

Chief Sigola from Umzingwane district has encouraged young people from different political divides to unite and to desist from perpetuating violence that is usually rampant during the election period.

Most of this violence he said, is a result of political bickering between ZANU PF, the two MDCs and other political parties in Umzingwane district.

Chief Sigola with young people at Sihlengeni Hall.

“What you children should realize is that whether you are from ZANU PF or MDC you are still people of Umzingwane and beyond the elections you will still have to face each other as neighbours. How are you going to relate to other people knowing very well that you are responsible for the loss of their property, their relatives’ lives and harassing them  during elections?” asked chief Sigola. 

The chief said this at a youth meeting organized by National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) at Sihlengeni where young people were discussing youth participation in elections. Most of them admitted that young people are active in electoral processes but their participation is usually negative. They cited unemployment as the biggest contributory factor to their negative participation.

“Most of us are unemployed and have no means of making a living so when a  politician is offering $40 and free alcohol in exchange for number of nefarious political activities the choice is not too difficult to make,” said one of the youths.

We Are Not Motivated To Vote: Binga Youths

Youths in Binga have cited several reasons for their lack of interest in electoral processes, key amongst them being the fact that political parties usually field candidates who are not from Binga and therefore do not understand and prioritise their needs.

As such, these leaders have made little or no efforts in contributing towards community development. They said that the elected leaders are not accountable to the electorate but only go back to their constituencies to solicit for votes towards elections. These sentiments were raised by youths at a leadership training workshop organised by National Youth Development Trust (NYDT). The youths told the meeting that Lusulu is one of the most underdeveloped areas of Binga and their elected leaders have done little to improve the situation.

“Lusulu seems like a forgotten area, as it is we have no idea who our Member of Parliament is. They only come to our constituencies when they want us to vote for them,” said a participant at the workshop.

The area suffers from a poor road network that has crippled all other avenues of development. The youths applauded the NYDT for making efforts of bringing civic activity to their area, saying that they have minimal engagements with NGOs probably because their area is remote. As such, this has led to a situation in which the youths have been starved of information on contemporary affairs. The youths stated that bad roads and geographic location of Lusulu was said to be part of the reasons why the youths there have limited access to information. 

 “One of the reasons why we do not participate in these processes is that we have no source of information or any knowledge of what is happening in the country. By the time we get to hear about some things they would have long been completed. We desperately need a way of bringing such information to us in time so that we can contribute effectively,” said Cynthia Nhomwe.

The youths further appealed to the organisation to set up a library at Lusulu High School and to regularly supply them with information material that will keep them up to date on Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political affairs.  

Contrary to the Government stipulation that there must be a primary and secondary school within a five kilometre radius, the closest school to Lusulu High is 12 kilometres away. This is adversely affecting the quality and levels of education in Binga, thus negatively contributing to their poor pass rates and ultimately participation in key processes.  Young people at the workshop also expressed ignorance about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which is meant to develop the area cannot be accounted for as youths have little to no knowledge of how it was used.

 “It is difficult for us to go and vote as most people who want to be our leaders are not interested in developing our area. As it is, we have no knowledge of what the constituency development fund was used for. It is evident that Lusulu has never been prioritised in terms of development as shown by the poor road network and few schools,” said Toonse Mutale a youth from the area.

Of the forty (40) workshop participants, only six (06) were registered voters despite the fact that the registration centre is accessible to them.

Statement by NYDT on the International Women’s Day

As the world commemorated International Women’s day in 2012, under the theme “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”, opportunities remain bleak for the young women in Zimbabwe.

 The celebrations come at a time when young women are facing challenges in accessing basic services that have an impact not only on their day to day lives but on their futures development as well. Access to identity documents remains a hustle for young women who have to spend nights in long queues in an effort to obtain the documents which are a right not a privilege. These young women, are left at risk of being swindled their hard earned cash by con men and corrupt officials who promise swifter services at a price, yet it is the duty of the office of the registrar to ensure that these young women gain access to IDs, passports and birth certificates without incurring extra costs.

This year’s International Women’s Day happens at a time when Zimbabwe is undergoing a landmark in its history because of the constitution making process. Participation of young women throughout this process so far has been minimal and no effort has been made to address to even understand the factors contributing to such trends and address them.  On the other hand, limited strides have been made to promote the participation of young women in critical political decisions an element that has seen them being left out of all decision making processes.  There remains therefore a need for a new constitution that guarantees the up-liftment of young women, particularly the rural young women.

Lack of assistance economically is a challenge that faces young women in Zimbabwe and is potentially a threat to their futures. The number of young women who are benefitting from the youth empowerment projects for instance is pitiable, owing to lack of information, gender insensitive selection criteria and lack of transparency in implementing the projects.

 It is therefore the view of the NYDT that as a way of providing opportunities for the young women, to inspire their futures, the Attorney General’s office, COPAC and the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment, make all the necessary strides to empower the girl child.

The Ministry of Youth Indigenisation and Empowerment should revise the method used to administer and distribute the youth fund as well as the requirements as they are limiting particularly to the disadvantaged youths who should be the priority beneficiaries of the fund, with particular reference to the young women.

The Office of the Registrar General should ensure that their service delivery is reorganised to equally meet the needs of young women. Attempts should be made at improving the service delivery so that women can have an easier and efficient access to the basic registration documents. Additionally, leniency should be underlined in voter registration procedures to eliminate the element of the whole procedure being stifling and cumbersome. Such a move presents a potential in promoting young women’s participation in the various national processes in the country.

The COPAC together with the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary affairs should promote the supreme law of the land to encapsulate the aspirations of young women. As such, the COPAC and the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs should ensure that the new constitution allows for a conducive environment to build the capacities of young women to take up leadership in all developmental spheres alongside with their male counterparts. 

NYDT Zimbabwe: Youth call for transparency about the Youth Fund

NYDT Zimbabwe: Youth call for transparency about the Youth Fund: Young people in Matobo are calling for equal and fair distribution of the Youth Fund across districts by the ministry of youth, developmen...

NYDT Zimbabwe: Youth call for transparency about the Youth Fund

NYDT Zimbabwe: Youth call for transparency about the Youth Fund: Young people in Matobo are calling for equal and fair distribution of the Youth Fund across districts by the ministry of youth, developmen...

Youth call for transparency about the Youth Fund

Young people in Matobo are calling for equal and fair distribution of the Youth Fund across districts by the ministry of youth, development, indegenisation and empowerment after the realization that US$250 000 has already been distributed but none of the youths in the district have benefitted from the fund so far.

They expressed discontent with the way the fund is being handled saying that there was a need for the ministry to capacitate the youths in project proposal writing and project management before distributing the fund. They emphasized that it is possible for some of them to fail to write convincing project proposals even if they know exactly what they want to do and their projects are viable.

“A number of us here applied for the loans through the representatives of the ministry here in the district, they are the ones who helped us write the project proposals but we are surprised to date we still have not received any response,” said Lethukuthula Ndlovu, one of the youths in Silozwi, Matobo.

Ndlovu also lamented the lack of information that exists in their communities about the youth fund saying that it was affecting their chances of accessing it.

“A lot of us would like to access the money because we are unemployed and have no ways of generating income unless if we engage ourselves in income generation projects. The fund would go a long way in guaranteeing most of us a means of living but the problem is that very few people know about the fund,” she said, adding that even the officers from the ministry in their district seemed not to have sufficient information about the fund to share with the rest of the young people.

The ten million United States dollar fund was launched last year in an effort to assist young people who are hardest hit by unemployment. Each province is expected to receive one million dollars each and so far $250 000 has been distributed although it is unclear how each of the provinces have benefitted from the fund so far. The concern so far has been the fact that the requirements for accessing the fund are limiting especially to rural youths who are also affected by lack of information about the fund. 

Statement by National Youth Development Trust on the distribution of the youth fund so far.

The Ministry of Youth Indigenisation and Empowerment in partnership with Cabs and Old mutual have, over the past few stays, been releasing statements on the progress made thus far in distributing the Old Mutual Kurera/ Ukulonda Youth fund. Through the statement, the partners announced that so far $250 000. 00 out of a possible Ten million dollars has been distributed under the Youth empowerment fund.

Such progress by the ministry is very much commendable and is indicative of the step in the right direction towards promotion of youth entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe.

However, through various consultations with young people, NYDT has concluded that there are still a number of critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure equitable distribution, transparency, fairness and gender sensitivity in the distribution of the Youth Fund.

Draft constitution allows youths to contest any election

Young people have expressed delight with the fact that the draft constitution has no age limits for those who wish to contest in elections, saying this grants them the opportunity to contest as candidates for council, parliamentary and presidential elections. This among other things, they argued would enhance their participation in community and national processes.

These sentiments were echoed at a Youth Meeting convened by the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) in the Pumula North suburb of Bulawayo. The meeting was held to discuss the contents of the draft constitution which has found its way into the hands of the media, political parties and civic society despite the fact that it has not officially been released by the Zimbabwe Constitution Select Committee (COPAC). The draft constitution stipulates that everyone who is at the legal age of participating in elections is also eligible to be a candidate.

Youths most affected by de-industrialisation

The following article was submitted to NYDT by a young resident of Bulawayo. 

The closure of industries in Bulawayo has made youths resort to illicit deals as a way of generating income.

Such petty dealings and activities have degraded the values and the moral fibre of the society. As evidenced in cases where the youths have turned into prostitution and thievery with an aim of making ends meet. Such cases cannot be ignored especially by any serious nation that hopes to invest in the youths who constitute the majority of the population.

Owing to the various challenges in the industrial sector, levels of migration have increased owing to high levels of unemployment. A case in point is the high levels of illegal cross boarders in Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts. According to the news statistics, nearly 2000 people cross the border to South Africa whilst the same figure is noted on those that use official routes. Such statistics paint a gruesome picture on the international picture of Zimbabwe and shows an economy that has dismally failed to set out policies to effectively support its own people.

In the political scene de-industrialisation has further increased the susceptibility of the youths to be used as pawns to fulfil political gains. The reduced space of economic survival for youths has further ensured that they slowly depend on the mercy of political parties or political candidates. This scenario has left youths vulnerable to exploitation by the political structure, in some cases being forced to ferment violence and intimidate other political players and citizens.

 It is such cases that clearly show that the vibrancy and energy of the youths has not been fruitfully channelled towards economic growth, but rather, has been used for unorthodox practices. Therefore, far from viewing the aspect of de-industrialisation in the ethno centricism matra nor in the leftist state, the nation as a whole ought to view its ripple effects to the most populous constituency, the youths.  

Youths turned away for bringing Affidavits to register as voters

Youths from Bulawayo are deeply frustrated over the change in positions by the Registrar General when it comes to initial voter registration. This came to light after groups of Young people from Magwegwe and Nkulumane respectively went to the registrar’s office to register for the first time to become voters but were turned away for bringing affidavits.

“We went to the registrar’s office on Friday to register to become voters, we had everything that was required to get ourselves into the voters’ roll however things did not go as planned as we were told that affidavits were not required for the process but written letters. We were turned away for bringing affidavits which legally speaking are much better than a written letter,” said a concerned youth who chose to remain anonymous.

In a statement which appeared in The Zimbabwean in 2011, Tobaiwa Mudede, the Registrar General said,”one of the requirements needed for one to register as a voter are: A Sworn statement by employer of applicant confirming applicant's address and any other information or document sufficient to ascertain the applicant's residence. While rural dwellers would need a confirmation letter from the chief, headman or village head, farm owner or mine owner”. 

An Independent Commission is the Answer: Youths

Young people have called on the Inclusive Government to look into transforming the organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI), into an independent Truth, Justice and Reconciliation commission with quasi Judicial powers as this will enable it to fulfil its mandate which is enunciated in article VII of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Young people, speaking during a District peace workshop in Gwanda said that ONHRI in its current state is nothing more than a tool to be used by political parties in the inclusive government to gain political mileage. It has failed to deliver tangible results to communities that have suffered from different phases of both state sponsored and politically motivated violence.

“Devolution of power an idea whose time has come”, Hon. Moyo

Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals, Honourable Godern Moyo has said it is inevitable that devolution of power should be enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution and as such debates should now be centred on the nature of devolution that Zimbabweans want.

Speaking at the recently held conference on Devolution and Democracy, Hon. Moyo dismissed anti-devolutionists saying their arguments are fallacious and illogical. He also dismissed the notion that devolution will bring about ethnic division saying Zimbabwe has had the worst human rights abuses under a centralised state. Making reference to Rwanda that adopted devolution as a solution to a genocide, he said;

“Devolution is in fact a solution to division because it recognises plurality and multiplicity of voices and thoughts. The centralised system has been marginalising some sectors of the country and that is why we have people who are now even calling for cessation.”

Moyo said that the argument that Zimbabwe is too small for devolution is unfounded because countries far much smaller both in geography and demography than Zimbabwe are devolved states, a case in point are countries like Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda as well as Switzerland. “Even in terms of the economy Zimbabwe cannot be considered small because in terms of per capita it is one of the strongest economies in Africa,” he added.    

Devolution of power has been identified as one of the issues that deserve space in the new constitution as it will lead Zimbabwe to a modern democratic state.

Giving a legal analysis that is focused on minimum conditions to make devolution work, Dr. Alex Magaisa underlined some of the salient cons associated with devolution of power. Shifting of responsibilities could lead to central government neglecting some of its duties and blaming the local authorities. Dr. Magaisa said that by devolving power, government would be allowing people to be part of making decisions that affect them and it is a good thing that the issue is being discussed during a defining moment in Zimbabwe’s history.

“I call this a defining moment because Zimbabwe’s governance system will never be the same again after COPAC completes the mandate of leading the constitution making process,” said Dr. Magaisa, adding that there is the assumption that devolution is about functions only but it should be about both power and functions. He emphasised that systems are usually not the problem but the individuals given the obligation to exercise power. Therefore it becomes imperative that as the nation debates on devolution, effective systems of governance should be implemented so as curb effects of mismanagement of resources.

The concept of devolution was interrogated by academics, politicians and civic leaders at a conference held under the theme, “Deepening Democracy Through Devolution” where it was agreed that development on its own is not enough and democracy without development is equally void.   The conference was convened by the NYDT in partnership with BPRA and Bulawayo Agenda.