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Youth Agenda Trust condemns violence
Youth Agenda Trust
March 04, 2011

Youth Agenda Trust (YAT) strongly condemns the recent upsurge in violence that is taking place in the country especially in the high density suburbs of Mbare and Epworth in Harare. The organisation notes with great concern that the timing of these well orchestrated violent activities, which have come on the backdrop of proclamations by Zanu PF leader Robert Mugabe that elections will be held this year.

YAT is deeply disturbed by the manner in which the youths of this country have been held at ransom by some unrepentant politicians who only view the existence of the young people only within the scope of electioneering and the achievement of selfish political ends. We also note with sadness that since the first round of elections that were held in independent Zimbabwe in 1980, young people have been occasionally used as pawns in the bigger political puzzle.

Despite being used by politicians to fane political violence which in most instances has claimed thousands of lives, youth in Zimbabwe remains among the continent's most poor people who have been denied a piece of the cake by the powerful elite of this country. Unemployment in the country hovers around 90 percent yet the plight of young people has never featured prominently in national planning.

The recent violent activities only expose the unpreparedness as a country to holding a peaceful, free and fair election that is held under the SADC's rules and regulations on the holding of elections in the region.

The organisation is deeply disturbed by the manner in which the police have also handled the crisis in these areas where in many instances victims of violence have been arrested while perpetrators of violence have been left to go scot free.

The recent xenophobic attacks at the gulf complex in the capital were a clear indication that intolerance levels have reached unprecedented levels in the country which is desperately crying out to foreign investors for life support.

We also note with great concern the awesome deception by the state media notably the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and the Herald in the coverage of these violent skirmishes which has so far claimed a life in Mbare. Although it is public knowledge that Zanu PF through its notorious youth wing, has been the main perpetrator of violence, the state media has chosen to shift the blame from the real culprits to the innocent citizens of this country.

Although there have been calls for the reform of the state media, these have fallen on deaf ears and these government entities have all but become a mouthpiece of Zanu PF.

Zanu PF has coined fake empowerment rhetoric as a result of the perennial poverty It has entrenched amongst young people. Zanu PF should instead move away from its divisive and impractical economic policies and ensure that there is broad based and genuine empowerment of all young people regardless of their political inclinations.

Youth Agenda views this violence and those propping it up as a clear sign that there is no sincerity on behalf of Zanu PF in as far as implementing the Global Political Agreement is concerned. The formation of the Human Rights Commission and the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation has proved to be deceptive political gimmicks because they have not served any purpose at all.

Youth Agenda calls on all the young people of this country to strongly refuse to be used by these sunset politicians whose political fortunes largely depends on polarized youth who are made to believe that they have differences, yet all the youths in this country are suffering together today because of a generation of politicians that is content with the sun rising tomorrow as they have failed to meet the demands of today.

We view these latest xenophobic attacks a mere regression into the pre-colonial smith era where property and business was the privy of a certain political and racial elite. We call upon Zanu PF officials to stop political grandstanding forthwith and also call upon the police to ensure that bases that have been constructed in Epworth and other areas are disbanded.

We also call upon the Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri to stop forthwith treating our honorable ZRP into an extension of Zanu PF but a professional body that is politically blind. It is also in the same vein that we challenge the co-home affairs ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone to quickly move in and protect the young people of this country who are under siege from tired and failed politicians.

We also reiterate our desire to have the non functional Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation disbanded to pave way for a properly constituted body divorced from these political clowns who have failed this country since day one, with one that has time to attend to issues that the present office bearers have failed to address.

YAT and other progressive young people of this country demands and urgent audit of the violence and non partisan execution of justice to victims and perpetrators and urgent SADC facilitation on outstanding issues so as to create a conduce environment where young people will not be coerced into being vectors of violence but active participants in the election process.

Visit the Youth Agenda Trust fact sheet

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