Youth should consider No Vote

constitution with well labelled references to empowerment and access to support.
Young people have not been successful in their efforts and are beginning to feel that their views seem to be falling on deaf ears and thus are slowly beginning to lose patience and confidence in this document that Copac has decided to call a draft constitution. 
Represented by different Youth Organisations across the nation, the youth in this country are beginning to hint of the possibility of a no vote on the referendum. When Bill Moyers an American Veteran journalist was asked why citizens often fight for the best possible representation in a constitution he said “Constitutional democracy, is no romantic notion. It’s our defence against some of our own, the one foe that knows our weakness.”
It is without doubt that the youth are the majority voters in this country and thus when they come together they have the power to decide even an election. This time around, against a vague constitution in terms of section 2:12 the youth have vowed to use their power to vote no to the Constitution if their proposals are not captured. Copac officials are on record citing the sentiments that it is their strong belief that youth is a temporary stage and thus cannot be provided for in the constitution to the extent which the young people are demanding.
The Copac definition of youth as a temporary stage fails to recognise the fact that youth is only temporary in reference to individuals, but for a nation youth is a permanent phase and state that will always exists. Per given moment there will always be young people in an economy requiring support and a constitution as the enforcing mechanism.
The constitution envisaged by the youth is that which does not remain fixed in any unchanging form, but grows and is altered with the change of the nation’s needs and purposes. The youths of today are the fathers and guardians of tomorrow, consequently they have undertaken not to entertain the possibility that tomorrow’s youth will ask them, as to “where were they when the constitution was being crafted.”
Young people have committed to contribute not only for themselves today, but also for the benefit of the incoming generations. The constitution must therefore provide clear parameters that will act as empowerment leverage for youth across all sectors, this is what young people are demanding now and for decades to come.
In light of the contents in the draft, organisation representing young people from across the country have resolved to convene a caucus to come up with strong recommendations that will be presented to Copac for inclusion into the constitution in line with the African Youth Charter which Government ratified and our National Youth Policy recently approved by Cabinet.
Often lawmakers make commitments and promises they don’t intend to keep and try to build a reputation on false pretenses. This constitution-making process is therefore a huge trial for our lawmakers to see if they will live up to the commitment Government has already made to youths.
According to the pledge made by the African Union we are within the decade of Youth Development in Africa 2009 to 2019 this means that of all the efforts being undertaken by African governments, youth issues are to be mainstreamed.
Critics within the youth sector suggest that a lack of a satisfying representation for young people in the constitution is due to the fact that youths were not given an equal opportunity to table their inputs, a limited number of young people were entertained during the consultations and also due to a lack of strong youth representation within the Copac crafting committee.
The term youth have been polarised over the years leading to the mere use of the word without strong intention to support or empower young people, if ever a country’s commitment to its young people is to manifest, now is the time the expression should be made. Through the constitution which in my opinion is a mirror image of what is important not only to Government, but also to a nation the youth’s legacy must be guaranteed.
It has been a long time coming and now it is here the opportunity to make our own law and decide for ourselves as to how we want to be governed, we will not let pass, the opportunity to decide our fate. For so long we read and have been told of how our ancestors, parents and grandparents lived under oppression and hostile circumstances because they were not allowed to contribute in policy formulations thus they had no representation. 
Worse off the law was made in such a framework that it didn’t make available provisions for them. This injustice cannot be allowed to prevail in a free Zimbabwe. No! Not when the youth have power and are the majority. In ensuring their safety and support the youth know that they have the power and intend to use it if they are not recognised in the constitution.
Young people understand the great need to support the constitution, but only if they are convinced that the constitution as they understand it, will be flexible enough to meet any new challenge of democracy and equality that recognises youth.
l Innocent Katsande is the Communications Officer for the Zimbabwe Youth Council.