Zimbabwe is manufacturing weapons of pain
If you had not heard already the National Youth Programme is going to be reintroduced under the GPA. My question is, can these centers facilitate a youth friendly environment for full participation, especially of young women. With this weak coalition government and economy do we really need this now? I think these centers should only be reopened when they ensure that they are gender sensitive and enhance a culture of learning unlike the military style designed institutions. If these centers are going to be reopened then, as the youth, we should advocate for an independent National Youth Service Commission to be put in place after the amendment of the National Youth Policy. This commission and not the inter ministerial Committee should be responsible for the formulation of the national youth service policy.
I mean hey, do you teach anybody to be patriotic or should it be instilled in us to be so? I don’t need to be trained as a soldier to feel patriotic. The National Youth Programme must be based on a shared national vision. But here is the bigger question: is Zimbabwe really prepared to have this programme again seeing that the national healing and reconciliation programme has still not reached its peak. Why open up the wounds of the people who suffered under the youth militia by reopening the same centers that taught the youth and groomed them to cause so much harm and pain. What do you think any person who had a loved one killed or maimed by these youths is going to feel after hearing that our country is still manufacturing these weapons of pain?
Before these centers are reopened the matter has to be taken to society. The minister needs a vote of confidence from parents and the youth themselves given the magnitude of alleged abuse by the so-called recruits and Zimbabweans in general who suffered under the militarized programme. Can the national budget sustain this programme given more urgent issues faced by the inclusive government such as constitutional reform, social service delivery and economic growth based on a productive and not consumptive economy?
As youth we need a non-partisan national youth service and the policy implemented should comply with the standards of the international association of national service for best practice. I think the government should temporarily postpone the reintroduction of the National Youth Programme and instead utilize the transition period to put in place measures that will ensure the programme does not carry the negative perception from the past. My bat is for the programme to be implemented fully, the government has to identify what the youth need; not what it needs and force it on the young people.
Friday, April 23rd 2010 at 5:50 pm
Did not kwon that the youth service is coming back so soon.I personally feel it has to be delayed,restrategized and made inclussive.National Youth Service must be a pride of the youths not a forced way into the employment fratenity or militia.We need sustainability and a future not a programme.As a nation we did many programmes some of which are failures as we speak and to say the national youth can be a success now is day dreaming.Only army generals dectate what should be done,national issues like this one must be done through wide consultations.What if i may ask are the benefits that the nation got from the programme?Are the youths willing to participate?What context are we using the word partriotism?
Many answers to your questions today are no nad this is alarm enough for us to act.What we need are beneficial programmes that do reach out to the intended benefactors not tailor made programmes ment to manipulate systems and people.Should the government of the day decide to reopen this sad chapter in our Zimbabwean history which many will remember for its negatives than positives then they have to be responsible.They must be aware of the truth that you can not teach an old dog new tricks.the truth is we need to nurture in partriotic people not force people into being partriotic.