I wish to add my thoughts to the ongoing debate on the intentions of President Mugabe youth interface meetings that are currently ongoing across the country. This is one of the most debated issues among political parties today with some opposition parties crying foul alleging that state resources are being used to campaign for ZANU PF ahead of the 2018 elections. In this conversation, I will not try to probe whether its noble for the President to do such a thing but rather on why youths are a key constituency as 2018 elections loom. The Youths interface meetings were also necessitated on the need to capture new voters who seem reluctant to participate in electoral processes. At these meetings his message has been one of rallying this important group to vote for ZANU PF resoundingly in the 2018 elections. What’s rather suspicious is why the interface meetings are specifically targeting youths and not women or men given that in past election campaigns, he has combined his rallies to address all age groups. A quick review of such a move will better help us to understand this sudden departure.
New Voters on the horizon
Previous voter registration campaigns by political parties and civic society, especially in 2013, failed to capture the youth vote. This is attributable to the fact that most youths who have found themselves in urban centres due to varying reasons, have distanced themselves from participating in electoral processes due to a number of reasons. The high levels of unemployment have created a youth who is mindful about bread and butter issues at the expense of other responsibilities such as participating in democratic processes such as voting. Because of the pinching economic environment aswell, youths have somehow shied away from processes such as voter registration exercises that seem to consume their time and energy. Previous voter registration such as that experienced in 2013 were tedious and discouraged the few youths who were willing to register to vote. What remains true is the fact that new voters have been born and they constitute a sizeable chunk of the new electorate. As 2018 elections approach, people born in the year 2000 will add to the number of people eligible to vote. This has created a tussle among political players for this new constituency of youths who if convinced to vote, can be a game changer come 2018 elections. Let me attempt to interrogate the reasons behind some of the reasons why the President is on a country-wide campaign to meet this new crop of voters.
It’s a numbers game!
President Mugabe has been credited by many for having a sound ideological grounding, that of nationalism coupled with cheap populist rhetoric. Over the years, he has used this to his advantage by utilising local and international platforms to churn out his agenda in a bid to convert and indoctrinate people. Of special mention is his anti-western stance which has become his mainstay every time he gets an opportunity. Over the years he has tried with limited success to sell this to the younger and unemployed constituency. Of course his message has failed to find meaning because it has failed to explain the current state of affairs that the youths are facing. President Mugabe knows and appreciates that for his rhetoric on recolonization and onslaught of western sanctions to find meaning, the younger generation needs an ideological orientation of some sort. His youth meetings are very predictable, and will likely involve narratives on the liberation war, what his government has done to safeguard sovereignty and lastly, what the youths should do to ensure that the gains and sacrifices made are not washed away. This will be done by voting resoundingly for ZANU PF in the 2018 elections. Lastly he is likely to make false promises such as creation of jobs and projects and stands for the youths. This is rehearsed because he knows that at the heart of every youth is the urge to make progress in life and be able to be self-sufficient. So it’s a matter of capturing this important constituency by whatever means.
Closely linked to this is the fact that over the years, youths especially from across the country have complained over the lack of direct access to the Presidium. This includes even youths drawn from ZANU PF structures. The intermediaries between them and the Presidium have been blamed for using youths to further their own parochial agendas while neglecting their concerns. What this has created is a sense of resentment for the Presidium on the basis that it does not engage this important constituent. The youth interface meetings will seek to demystify this perception among the youths and create a false picture of a President who is easily accessible to them.
Lastly and equally important is the fact that the current crop of youths have horrific stories to tell about the consequences of being actively involved in politics. The widely held view among the youths is that politics is a dangerous game. The vicissitudes of past electoral violence in 2002,2005 and 2008 have constantly reminded youths of the dangers and risks that exist within the political arena. Over the years, this new crop of voters who by the way are very active on social media have read and watched heinous videos of how ZANU PF crushed dissenting political voices and intolerance. This has then relegated them to spectators despite the fact that they make up the majority of the population. By creating the youth interface meetings, President Mugabe wants to dissolve some of these widely held perceptions.
Can opposition parties capture the youths vote?
I have been criticised so many times for opposing the need for a coalition in 2018.In my view, I think that the problem facing opposition politics is not necessarily that a single opposition party cannot beat ZANU PF in an election. No. If the MDC-T did it in 2008, it means it’s still possible today. There is no doubt that the majority of people desire change in Zimbabwe. The deepening economic crisis that we are currently experiencing have in some way acted as a catalyst for the ordinary citizens to desire to seek change via the ballot. So in my view, it’s not a question of having opposition parties coming together under an umbrella of a coalition. It’s a question of how opposition parties can be organised as we draw closer to 2018 elections. How can they capture new voters and convince the youths to register to vote? It’s a question of strategy used to lure them to vote. Politics in general is a discipline where blunders are costly and that has been the case with our opposition parties in Zimbabwe. The height of naivety by opposition parties was demonstrated when they chose against better advice to boycott all by elections citing issues of electoral reforms. What still confuses till today is their intentions to participate in the 2018 elections without even a single electoral reform implemented. With such discord at this eleventh hour, we can even begin to read and make predictions of what the 2018 elections will yield. So, I don’t believe in a coalition on that basis. I just believe that if “bigger” opposition parties can best organise themselves better they are able to get something out of the 2018 elections. I have deliberately avoided to delve deeper into the debate of what is a big opposition or what numbers do some opposition parties have. This is best left to the reader to stir such conversations, lest I be labelled.
Rawlings Magede is a rural political enthusiast,and writes here in his personal capacity.For feedback vamagede@gmail.com
New Voters on the horizon
Previous voter registration campaigns by political parties and civic society, especially in 2013, failed to capture the youth vote. This is attributable to the fact that most youths who have found themselves in urban centres due to varying reasons, have distanced themselves from participating in electoral processes due to a number of reasons. The high levels of unemployment have created a youth who is mindful about bread and butter issues at the expense of other responsibilities such as participating in democratic processes such as voting. Because of the pinching economic environment aswell, youths have somehow shied away from processes such as voter registration exercises that seem to consume their time and energy. Previous voter registration such as that experienced in 2013 were tedious and discouraged the few youths who were willing to register to vote. What remains true is the fact that new voters have been born and they constitute a sizeable chunk of the new electorate. As 2018 elections approach, people born in the year 2000 will add to the number of people eligible to vote. This has created a tussle among political players for this new constituency of youths who if convinced to vote, can be a game changer come 2018 elections. Let me attempt to interrogate the reasons behind some of the reasons why the President is on a country-wide campaign to meet this new crop of voters.
It’s a numbers game!
President Mugabe has been credited by many for having a sound ideological grounding, that of nationalism coupled with cheap populist rhetoric. Over the years, he has used this to his advantage by utilising local and international platforms to churn out his agenda in a bid to convert and indoctrinate people. Of special mention is his anti-western stance which has become his mainstay every time he gets an opportunity. Over the years he has tried with limited success to sell this to the younger and unemployed constituency. Of course his message has failed to find meaning because it has failed to explain the current state of affairs that the youths are facing. President Mugabe knows and appreciates that for his rhetoric on recolonization and onslaught of western sanctions to find meaning, the younger generation needs an ideological orientation of some sort. His youth meetings are very predictable, and will likely involve narratives on the liberation war, what his government has done to safeguard sovereignty and lastly, what the youths should do to ensure that the gains and sacrifices made are not washed away. This will be done by voting resoundingly for ZANU PF in the 2018 elections. Lastly he is likely to make false promises such as creation of jobs and projects and stands for the youths. This is rehearsed because he knows that at the heart of every youth is the urge to make progress in life and be able to be self-sufficient. So it’s a matter of capturing this important constituency by whatever means.
Closely linked to this is the fact that over the years, youths especially from across the country have complained over the lack of direct access to the Presidium. This includes even youths drawn from ZANU PF structures. The intermediaries between them and the Presidium have been blamed for using youths to further their own parochial agendas while neglecting their concerns. What this has created is a sense of resentment for the Presidium on the basis that it does not engage this important constituent. The youth interface meetings will seek to demystify this perception among the youths and create a false picture of a President who is easily accessible to them.
Lastly and equally important is the fact that the current crop of youths have horrific stories to tell about the consequences of being actively involved in politics. The widely held view among the youths is that politics is a dangerous game. The vicissitudes of past electoral violence in 2002,2005 and 2008 have constantly reminded youths of the dangers and risks that exist within the political arena. Over the years, this new crop of voters who by the way are very active on social media have read and watched heinous videos of how ZANU PF crushed dissenting political voices and intolerance. This has then relegated them to spectators despite the fact that they make up the majority of the population. By creating the youth interface meetings, President Mugabe wants to dissolve some of these widely held perceptions.
Can opposition parties capture the youths vote?
I have been criticised so many times for opposing the need for a coalition in 2018.In my view, I think that the problem facing opposition politics is not necessarily that a single opposition party cannot beat ZANU PF in an election. No. If the MDC-T did it in 2008, it means it’s still possible today. There is no doubt that the majority of people desire change in Zimbabwe. The deepening economic crisis that we are currently experiencing have in some way acted as a catalyst for the ordinary citizens to desire to seek change via the ballot. So in my view, it’s not a question of having opposition parties coming together under an umbrella of a coalition. It’s a question of how opposition parties can be organised as we draw closer to 2018 elections. How can they capture new voters and convince the youths to register to vote? It’s a question of strategy used to lure them to vote. Politics in general is a discipline where blunders are costly and that has been the case with our opposition parties in Zimbabwe. The height of naivety by opposition parties was demonstrated when they chose against better advice to boycott all by elections citing issues of electoral reforms. What still confuses till today is their intentions to participate in the 2018 elections without even a single electoral reform implemented. With such discord at this eleventh hour, we can even begin to read and make predictions of what the 2018 elections will yield. So, I don’t believe in a coalition on that basis. I just believe that if “bigger” opposition parties can best organise themselves better they are able to get something out of the 2018 elections. I have deliberately avoided to delve deeper into the debate of what is a big opposition or what numbers do some opposition parties have. This is best left to the reader to stir such conversations, lest I be labelled.
Rawlings Magede is a rural political enthusiast,and writes here in his personal capacity.For feedback vamagede@gmail.com
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