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Africa Arise . . . Arise Africa
Youth Assembly, Movement for Democratic Change
May 26, 2011

The MDC Youth Assembly joins the nation and the continent of Africa in commemorating the Africa Day which comes at a time when the Zimbabwean question is high on agenda topping dialogue efforts to find a lasting solution to long time man-made crises. We at the Youth Assembly representing one of the largest youth movements not only in Zimbabwe but also the whole of sub Saharan Africa, welcome this year's theme '' Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development''. We acknowledge that empowering the youth is a leap in the right direction and also an investment for a brighter tomorrow.

However, we strongly hold that acceleration of youth empowerment and indigenisation will never interpret into something meaningful unless there is a credible government in Zimbabwe that has the mandate of the people to govern. The current on-going efforts by the ministry of Youth do not cater for the needs of a wider youth population outside partisan affiliates of one party. We are further concerned that accessibility is a major problem on the ongoing empowerment efforts as a large section of youths are either sidelined or discriminated for political expediency.

The state of the youth in the country can never be over emphasized as unemployment is hovering somewhere above 80% with most companies closing down. The majority of our parents find themselves either unemployed or earning a paltry salary that is below the poverty datum line, not enough to support an average family of four. Given such a scenario, we therefore believe that we are discriminated against on economic grounds. We no longer have such inalienable rights to decent education, professional training or skills development to enable citizens to make sustainable development for our families and the nation at large.

Our frustration is in the current government that is greatly infiltrated by undeserving partisan self serving personnel who are not accountable to the tax payer but battling for political survival at all cost. As we commemorate this year's Africa day, we urge the African Union to seriously take heed from the recent developments on the continent and beyond that have culminated in uprisings by a people united by common cause to demand human rights, democratic rule, freedom and good governance.

It is our determination to continue with the unfinished business of the late heroes of African liberation like Kwame Nkrumah, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Chief Albert Luthuli, Joshua Nkomo, Samora Machel, Ndabaningi Sithole, to mention but just a few. We believe we have reached a point of no return that therefore any mediation or intervention efforts from the regional institutions like the AU and SADC on the Zimbabwean crisis should be nothing less of consolidating the people's voices as shown by the results of the March 2008 harmonised elections.

We reiterate our position that we need elections as soon as practicable and be held under a clear roadmap satisfying the minimum SADC principles and guidelines on the holding of elections. Elections will only serve their purpose if they are held under an environment that guarantees a free and fair vote, in which people's will is going to be observed and a transfer of power will be possible.

It is actually a mockery of the second chimurenga and all the struggles that precedes it to have military personnel who masquerade as professional security forces to hold the country at ransom when it comes to election time with threats of not saluting a person they do not approve, at the same time claiming to have liberated the people from the jaws of a white supremacist rule.

As a Youth Assembly we strongly believe another Zimbabwe is possible - Yes we can.

"Together to the End, Building a Youth with a Difference "

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