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Weekly activity update
National Youth Development Trust
September 20, 2011

Bulawayo activities

Youth think tank meeting: Young people met at the NYDT information Centre to discuss the topic, "Wiki leaks explosion: Impact on the Zimbabwean political landscape". The discussant, Rodrick Fayayo, steered the debate by highlighting that diplomats are there to maintain relationships with the countries they serve in and are therefore when people engage them they do so in confidence and are free to express themselves. This he said is a factor that qualifies what the wiki leaks are exposing as true.

Wiki leaks were said to have an impact at 3 different levels, interparty, intraparty and interstate. At interparty level he said that the 2 leaders being attacked by their subordinates (Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai) are likely to engage each other on what has been going on. However, the Wiki leaks were said to have more implications at an intra-party level especially within the Zanu PF party where people pretend to be patriots that are preserving a national legacy that is under threat from imperialists when in fact those same people are confiding in the so- called imperialists behind each other's backs.

There was also a feeling that the Wiki leaks are exposing US interests in Zimbabwean affairs, something that may be used as an excuse for denying foreign observers the chance to observe the next Zimbabwean election. Young people at the meeting also came up with a number of theories regarding the Wiki leaks. Some of them felt that they were part of US foreign policy to make targeted regime changes so the wiki leaks were meant to create commotion within Zanu PF.

Questions were also raised regarding to whether there is a relationship between the death of Solomon Mujuru, the renaissance of the Wiki leaks and the political trajectories in Zimbabwe. The meeting was the first of a series of meetings that NYDT shall be holding in its information centre every week to discuss different topical issues.

Focus Group Meeting: Ward 17 saw young people having a focus group discussion on the importance of youth participation in national processes. The discussion had a bias towards elections, emphasizing the need for first time voters to register in time for the next election. Young people were encouraged to register as voters so that they meaningfully participate in developing the nation.

Lupane activities

Lupane Youth council: A full council meeting was held on Saturday September 17, 2011. The youth councilors discussed several issues, key among them was the need for the councilors to come up with community action projects. They agreed that it was important to continue doing programmes in their respective wards even in the absence of NYDT. Each ward agreed to come up with a work programme that would be availed to NYDT. They also highlighted that they needed the organisation to assist in terms of resources to carry out the different projects. Police officers from Lupane tried to attend the meeting but were sent out on the basis that it was an internal meeting and they had to right to intrude.

Focus Group Meeting: a focus group meeting was held in Matshokotsha village on Saturday September 17, 2011. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the importance of youth participation in community development. Young people were encouraged to work with their community leadership to contribute to the development of their community. They were encouraged to be innovative instead of just waiting for other people to act on their behalf. The youths requested that information be shared with them regarding national processes as they are failing to participate in some processes due to lack of information regarding those processes. They appealed to NYDT to continue holding meetings in Lupane so that they are kept abreast with what is going on at a national level. There was a general fear amongst those that attended the meeting as the police refused to clear it. Working in Matabeleland North has been difficult to work in lately, as the police have refused to clear any meeting in the province.

Nkayi activities

Sports for peace festival: More than 250 young people converged in Guwe village for a sports festival. 4 soccer teams and 2 netball teams from 4 different wards participated. The festival was used as a way of mobilizing young people to peacefully participate in key national processes so that they contribute to Zimbabwe's development. Various issues were discussed including the exclusive nature of most of the processes especially with regards to young people. They were however encouraged to be active participants in such processes so that the voice of young people is not suppressed.

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