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The
New Age Voices Issue 30
Youth Agenda Trust
June 01, 2012
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Mudzi
murder: A wake up call for youth
The murder
of an MDC activist in Mudzi over the weekend is surely a wake-up
call for youth and is a clear sign the country is not ready for
elections anytime soon, youths across the country have said. Analysts
in the youth sector said it is worrying to note that we are continuing
to get more politically motivated violence reports as we move closer
to general elections than ever before since the inception of the
Inclusive
Government a sign that next year's elections will be violent.
Youth leaders
interviewed by The New Age Voices said the recent fatal political
skirmishes are a true reflection of the human rights situation prevailing
in the country and urged the United Nations Human Rights chief Navi
Pillay who recently "toured" the country to take the
Inclusive Government to task over political violence.
"We are
not surprised by the recent violence because it has always been
Zanu PF's trump card in the run up to elections to intimidate
people to vote for its party. It is there for everyone to see that
Zanu PF is afraid of electoral defeat that is why they are trying
to block the constitution making exercise that is set to pave way
for free and fair elections.
"We have
not seen anything yet if the June 2008 run-off
tactics employed by the same party are anything to go by,"
said former Zimbabwe Youth Council Board Member Lawrence Mashungu.
Coordinator
of Youth Forum Wellington Zindove blamed politicians for fuelling
violence and hatred amongst youth.
"As a
young person fighting for a just Zimbabwe, I feel that politicians
are at it again inciting poor innocent youth into acts of violence
which unfortunately have resulted in the death of one adult. I urge
young people to refrain from being coerced into violence for violence
breeds more violence and I call upon the ZRP to act professionally
and true to their word in order to bring all perpetrators to book.
Its unfortunate that the ZRP record in such situations is always
opposite to public expectation," Zindove said.
Youth Agenda
Trust Programs officer Trust Nhubu said that the country's
political leadership are hypocrites who do not practice what they
preach.
"It's
a clear sign that the political leadership in the country is not
enforcing what they preach into action because supporters within
political parties are continuously fighting in the communities,"
said Nhubu.
Former Zinasu
Secretary General who also works with Heal
Zimbabwe Trust Lovemore Chinoputsa said the Mudzi murder is
just a tip of the iceberg.
"The murder
in Mudzi is actually a slap in the face of the human rights situation
that Chinamasa had wanted to portray in the country. What has happened
is just a microcosm of what is happening across the country and
it shows the insincerity of Zanu PF in the promotion of peace. It
shows Zanu PF has not changed its stance towards violence as a weapon
of silencing its opponents," said Chinoputsa.
Trevor Murai
of Students Solidarity
Trust (SST) bemoaned the ignorance of youth towards violence
saying they were digging their own graves. "The Mudzi violence
must be harbinger of bigger violence yet to be unleashed by Zanu
PF machinery. Any youth who shall be used to perpetrate violence
is insane," Murai said.
Grace Chirenje
a young female leader who works with ZWINIP urged youths to shun
violence and instead concentrate on developing the country.
"It is
high time youth begin to see themselves as leaders, transformative
leaders who are not violent but are determined to build the country,
person by person. Let us harness our energy for the good of the
nation, not violence," said Chirenje.
Youths who spoke
to The New Age Voices in Mudzi and Harare expressed dismay at the
manner in which the law is being applied selectively with newspaper
reports saying that the attacks in Mudzi took place in full view
of the police and fear that the dark days reminiscent of the 2008
run-off plebiscite are all but back.
Tedius Chimhare
of Mudzi lamented the partisan approach of the police in the area
saying if the murder had been perpetrated by youths from a different
political party, the police response could have been different.
Rodrick Shumba
of Mufakose said the police should be blamed for the lawlessness
that has gripped the country because it is treating some criminals
as sacred cows.
"The police
should just arrest people who commit crimes regardless of political
affiliation. No one should be above the law," said Shumba.
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