Opinion / Columnist
Youths most affected by Bulawayo's de-industrialisation
20 Feb 2012 at 14:17hrs | Views
The closure of industries in Bulawayo has made youths resort to illicit deals as a way of generating income.
Such petty dealings and activities have degraded the values and the moral fibre of the society. As evidenced in cases where the youths have turned into prostitution and thievery with an aim of making ends meet. Such cases cannot be ignored especially by any serious nation that hopes to invest in the youths who constitute the majority of the population.
Owing to the various challenges in the industrial sector, levels of migration have increased owing to high levels of unemployment. A case in point is the high levels of illegal cross boarders in Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts. According to the news statistics, nearly 2000 people cross the border to South Africa whilst the same figure is noted on those that use official routes. Such statistics paint a gruesome picture on the international picture of Zimbabwe and shows an economy that has dismally failed to set out policies to effectively support its own people.
In the political scene de-industrialisation has further increased the susceptibility of the youths to be used as pawns to fulfill political gains. The reduced space of economic survival for youths has further ensured that they slowly depend on the mercy of political parties or political candidates. This scenario has left youths vulnerable to exploitation by the political structure, in some cases being forced to ferment violence and intimidate other political players and citizens.
It is such cases that clearly show that the vibrancy and energy of the youths has not been fruitfully channelled towards economic growth, but rather, has been used for unorthodox practices. Therefore, far from viewing the aspect of de-industrialisation in the ethno centricism matra nor in the leftist state, the nation as a whole ought to view its ripple effects to the most populous constituency, the youths.
Such petty dealings and activities have degraded the values and the moral fibre of the society. As evidenced in cases where the youths have turned into prostitution and thievery with an aim of making ends meet. Such cases cannot be ignored especially by any serious nation that hopes to invest in the youths who constitute the majority of the population.
In the political scene de-industrialisation has further increased the susceptibility of the youths to be used as pawns to fulfill political gains. The reduced space of economic survival for youths has further ensured that they slowly depend on the mercy of political parties or political candidates. This scenario has left youths vulnerable to exploitation by the political structure, in some cases being forced to ferment violence and intimidate other political players and citizens.
It is such cases that clearly show that the vibrancy and energy of the youths has not been fruitfully channelled towards economic growth, but rather, has been used for unorthodox practices. Therefore, far from viewing the aspect of de-industrialisation in the ethno centricism matra nor in the leftist state, the nation as a whole ought to view its ripple effects to the most populous constituency, the youths.
Source - NYDT
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