By Virginia Njovo
4-H Zimbabwe launched a youth development committee in Masvingo on July 2 at Chevron Hotel where various political parties converged to engage and discuss their experiences pre and post elections.
Speaking during the launch, 4-H Zimbabwe Director John Muchenje said their organisation was mandated to create safe environments among youths to ensure development in their communities as well as amongst themselves.
He said the committee was going to spearhead development through promoting peace across political parties.
“This development committee will be the tool of promoting peace across political parties, I believe there cannot be any development when there is no peace. We will be engaging Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira so he can hear the concerns of the youths as one without political affiliations,” said Muchenje.
Muchenje said the executive will have two representatives from each of the 11 political parties in the country.
One of the facilitators, Youngerson Matete said youths should adopt various strategies of youth inclusion in peace building processes.
“There are various strategies that should be adopted in minimizing violence across political parties which includes creating inclusive platforms for dialogue and discussion allowing young people to engage with diverse stakeholders and promote social cohesion.
“There should be monitoring and evaluation so as to ensure that youth inclusion is monitored and evaluated using feedback to improve and adapt peace building strategies,” said Matete.
Representatives from political parties shared their experiences on how they were deprived their rights as opposition leaders in communities pre and post -election.
Chirumanzu South MDC National Youth Organizer Liliosa Mujere said she was persecuted during elections time and was once blocked from participating in School Development Committee (SDC) elections.
“If you are not from the ruling party it is difficult to be part of community development programmes, I was once blocked from participating in an SDC election at our local school. During the run up to the August 2023 elections I was beaten,” said Mujere.
She applauded 4-H Zimbabwe for providing the opportunity for various political parties to meet which she said changed her perspectives about the ruling party.
“I want to thank the 4-H team for this engagement platform as the trauma which I got from the ruling party is now fading I am now realizing that not everyone is cruel, you can meet a kind person who supports growth from the ruling party,” said Mujere.
Another NPC member said he was evicted from his land by a powerful ZANU PF member after ditching Zanu PF for NPC.
“I was evicted from the land which I had an offer letter to only because I had chosen to join NPC from ZANU-PF. If the systems remain like that there will be no meaningful development as the minority parties are not included,” said Mujere.
ZANU PF Masvingo District Youth League Political Commissar Tawanda Junior Makwazhe said youths should observe peace if they are to be included in developmental programmes.
“We have some projects that we are doing in Masvingo as youths and not as ZANU-PF, it is high time young people swallow their pride and leave political backgrounds aside and do one thing with one common ground not working with assumptions.
“Our party does not have a policy of grabbing others people’s things neither does it support violence” said Makwazhe.
The political parties included ZANU-PF, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), Democratic Official Party (DOP), Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), NPC among others.
