Voting: youths in denial of the first step to participation

Poor youth voter turnout has been subscribed a litany of school of thoughts. These schools of thoughts have propelled youth not to consider utilizing the invaluable merits and reason behind voting. They ascribe youths as leaders of tomorrow (not today), the window of hope, which has seen youth adopting such notions and waiting for adults to do the voting until they are adults to.

The notion, The election will be stolen…why vote have seen youth distancing themselves from the electoral process and the national discourses…instead of protecting vote by voting they abscond from the process.

Ignorance, personal deprivation of national information have succumbed youth not to be aware to issues of the national development discourse  leaving it to adults world to determine a future they won’t be part of it is rather adamant bigwigs in the political domain have taken advantage to enjoy the status quo demarcating the lives of young people.

Considering the Zimbabwe political sphere which is adverse in acknowledging the voices of youths in a democratic manner, where all platforms have been connoted to crimes especially treason due to inhumane laws like AIPPA and POSA. These have stolen the public podia for civic education.

By virtue of a large youth voter turnout on the Election Day, whatever outcome, the incumbent leadership will acknowledge youth existence as such will condone to voice of the youth. The leadership will be forced to listen to the youths as they need to lure the biggest electoral threshold to vote for them. In turn youth by and large will benefit in every facet of the national development discourse.

Thus voting has remained the footstool way youths can utilize to amplify their voice. It is a voter who can protect ones vote from being stolen. Considering youths in the voting strata, they constitute 60% of the voting populace. However, it’s sad that the minority adults are making a decision for the majority youths. The previous election on 18% of the youths voted. Noting more youths are eligible to vote as the ushering of new voters after 2 years.  It makes it ideal for youth to take the opportune by voting in the imminent elections and referendum. It is plausible to have a youth generation that is informed of party ideologies and will vote in anticipation of ideologies they subscribe to.

Tinashe Chirape

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