Youth leaders from across the political divide and civil society have combined forces to harness youths and encourage them to participate in national elections through information communication technologies.
The project, known as Young Vibrant Vote 2012 and coordinated through the social network site Facebook, seeks to encourage more young voters to take part in polls expected next year.
The founders include Bhekumusa Moyo, a protest poet, Promise Mkhwanazi (MDC-T youth secretary-general), Discent Bajila (MDC youth secretary-general) and Liberty Bhebhe, the leader of the National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) Moyo said the social page was for young people from all walks of life in a country that has been in perpetual election mode since 2000.
“The main thrust is to discuss youth participation in electoral processes and to allow youths to dialogue on electoral issues.
“What they have to do is just to like the page and then they are connected,” he said.
“The youths make up above 60% of Zimbabwe’s population, meaning that if they all get active as far as election participation is concerned they can effect the change they wish to see in Zimbabwe.”
Moyo said they were trying to attract youths from across the political divide into the forum.
“The political parties’ chairpersons embraced it as an idea well timed,” he said.
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“We want to have an administration person from MDC, MDC-T, Zanu PF, Zapu, MLF, youth civic organisations, student, media and ordinary youths.”
The first question the group dealt with last week was: Why are Zimbabwean youths active in petty party politics that involve violence while in the ballot, where it matters, they are absent?
