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Youth
lay demands for elections
Youth Agenda Trust
April 16, 2013
Youth in Chitungwiza
on Sunday laid down demands that they said would enable the holding
of a free and fair poll ahead of the watershed plebiscite expected
later this year.
Speaking to
Youth Agenda Trust on the sidelines of the Play Your Vote Sports
Tournament held in Zengeza 3, youths drawn across Chitungwiza said
the Inclusive Government must fix all outstanding issues in the
implementation of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) before elections are held.
Among some of
the reforms the youths demanded included security sector realignment,
a robust national healing and reconciliation framework, audit of
the voter’s roll and comprehensive voter education and education
on the new constitution.
The youths also
challenged the principals to the GPA to assure the youths that the
violence
that rocked the 2008 elections will not erupt again as Zimbabwe
looks at turning a new corner and emulate the recent elections in
Kenya.
The youths who
were from various political and social affiliations said they want
international observers to come and monitor the elections and for
SADC to ensure that Harare strictly adheres to the body’s
guidelines on the conduct of free and fair elections.
“We do
not want to be bullied by politicians this time around. The last
time we witnessed our brothers and sisters running away from their
homes, all in the name of elections. We do not want that situation
to be repeated again. As the youth of Chitungwiza, we have all come
together today to speak out against violence in all its different
forms, said Obey Mwariwangu of Zengeza.
A petition by
the youths will soon be tabled before the principals to the GPA
which clearly outlines the demands of the youths as well as a collective
youth manifesto.
T-shirts and
caps with voter education messages aimed at young people provided
with support from the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust
(YETT) were distributed. The regalia were inscribed with messages,
“Real Swagg is My Vote” and “Kana usina kuregister
wakasara”.
Meanwhile, the
sports tournament which was organized by Youth Agenda to urge the
youth to register to vote was briefly disrupted by a group of suspected
Zanu PF supporters driving a white Honda CRV. They left the ground
after making several movements across the soccer field before they
went to fetch the officer in charge at St Mary’s police station
identified as Inspector Badza.
Badza came and
quizzed the youth on the motive of the sports games and confessed
that he had been tipped off by Zanu PF supporters but found no offence
with the activities.
The incident
served a reminder that despite all the efforts that are being made
to inculcate a culture of peace in the country, there are some who
are still living in the past and do not want to repent.
In 2008, Zimbabwe
held a forgettable run-off election that ended up with President
Robert Mugabe as the sole contestant and winner but saw hundreds
of innocent Zimbabweans perishing while others were left without
limbs. The election was widely condemned and described by SADC as
a sham.
Visit the Youth
Agenda Trust fact
sheet
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