By
Blessing Vava
The
election of Mmusi Maimane as the leader of South Africa’s biggest opposition
party the Democratic Alliance (DA) was received with mixed feelings after his
election as the first black leader, of the ‘assumedly’ white controlled party.
Maimane’s election has been received with suspicion with the tag ‘puppet’
bracketed over him and that he has been put there to protect the interests of
white monopoly capital.
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| Malema and Maimane leaders of South Africa's biggest opposition parties |
However
I would not want to waste time debating whether Maimane is a puppet, or that he
has no history of the struggle as Jonathan Moyo labelled him, that is none of my
business and a debate for another day.
My submission is that Maimane’s election to lead South Africa’s biggest
opposition party at the age of 34 is not only historic but an inspiration to
the youth in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
Indeed
it is a feat that many of his young generation dream of and yet the chances are
slim in a world where the youth have for too long been ignored in the affairs
of their countries or simply given irrelevant roles. Apart from Maimane, there is Julius Malema
(33) also at the helm of the second biggest opposition party in South Africa
the EFF.
There is no doubt that Malema and Maimane,
will be at the centre of the youth vote in the 2016 elections, because of the
growing calls for political and economic
regeneration by the youth of South Africa. The rise of Malema and
Maimane is thus a confirmation that the young people are capable of
self-determination and do not need someone to decide on their behalf (future).
The more the youth get into these decisions making spaces, the more they
influence in pushing for their interests.
We should not continue placing our hopes in
the old guard who believe the youth are mere objects of violence and should be
used for political terror activities.
Equally not that the old guard is still living in the mantra of the
liberation struggle and to them national leadership is a preserve for those
with a history of the liberation struggle.
While
we acknowledge the contributions made by the generation of the nationalist
liberation leaders, it is not an excuse for failing to transform, adapt to the
changing times and focus into the future. A reality that some leaders in ZANU
PF are still failing to come to terms with. They are still obsessed with the
past, they do believe that the young generation are robots who cannot think or
lead. They need to acknowledge that each generation has its own mission. Waging
a struggle against a racial oppressive system was no child’s play; it had to be
done because that was their generational mission and we can’t continue living
in the past.
For
people like Jonathan Moyo they need to learn that leadership has nothing to do
with the struggle credentials and sadly for his party they are still stuck with
Mugabe because they have failed to establish a clear succession plan, with
definite dates for their own political exit, moving aside for those behind to
move ahead.
That’s
the essence of democracy and regeneration of ideals.
The
generation of the young people today must indeed discover its mission, it has
to be organised. The liberation movements have failed to renew themselves, and
it is evident that there is no space for the young people. The disbanding of the ANC Youth league was mainly
an issue of generational gap because of the old guard’s perpetual denial and
failure to appreciate the aspirations of the young people.
The
formation of the EFF, thus was a signal to the ANC that the young people do not
need someone to decide on their future. And Malema and crew have clearly stated
that theirs is a fight for economic freedom to fulfil the aspirations of the
Freedom Charter.
While
South Africa’s biggest opposition parties are being led persons under the age
of 35 years, Zimbabwe’s political space is still closed for the young people.
Recently a senior ZANU PF official Shuvai Mahofa openly confessed that ZANU PF
is being run by old and uneducated people. She also called on the youth that if
they wished to be leaders one day to remain faithful to the aged. REALLY?
But
to still think that Zimbabwe still needs such type leaders is rather
unfortunate and spells doom for the future of the country. Such utterances only
proves that the liberation leadership is disconnect with the masses and hence a
compelling new covenant with the electorate.
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| Mahofa-ZANU is being led by old and uneducated people |
Therefore,
'generational mandate' has to be seen as a logical process of not betraying the
decolonisation project but taking it to the next phase where democracy and
creation of opportunities has to be entrenched and enjoyed by the masses of our
people. That generational mandate necessarily means liberating the state from
being captured by a rapaciously consumptive elite which is largely unaccountable,
unresponsive to the people's demands and only interested in reproducing itself as an
extracting class.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
The
youth have to ask themselves these questions, are they content with being led
by old people who are out of touch with our aspirations?
Are
they afraid to take risks and challenge those in power? Why are they not
mobilising themselves as a generation to fulfil the mission?
The
task at hand is generational change. In so doing, there is need to take giant
leaps and decisive action without shifting goal posts, it is clear that as a
generation, our mission is not yet
complete.
Where are we coming from?
The
young people who participated at the National Peoples Convention on the 8th
of February 2008 in Harare made this declaration in the Peoples Charter:
7. Believing that at all given times the youth,
both female and male, represent the present and the future of our country and
that all those in positions of leadership nationally and locally must remain
true to the fact that our country shall be passed on from one generation to the
next, The People state that, in order for each generation to bequeath to the
next a country that remains the epitome of hope, democracy and sustainable
livelihoods, the following principles for the youth must be adhered to and
respected:
a) The youth shall be guaranteed the right to
education at all levels until they acquire their first tertiary qualification.
b) The youth shall be guaranteed an equal voice
in decision-making processes that not only affect them but the country as a
whole in all spheres of politics, the national economy and social welfare.
c) The youth shall be guaranteed access to the
right to health.
d) The youth shall not be subject to political
abuse through training regimes that connote political violence or any semblance
of propaganda that will compromise their right to determine their future as
both individuals and as a collective.
e) The youth have the right to associate and
assemble and express themselves freely of their own prerogative.
For
these principles to be realised there is need to take decisive programmes of
action to change our society for the better for generations to come. The
emphasis however should be centred on the strong conviction that the young
people should be mobilised to play a developmental role in the democratic
struggle. The only political solution will be a
youthful political alternative whose agenda will be a revolutionary transformation
of society based on a combination of ideological clarity and determination. It is equally important to train and invest in young leaders, who
have the ability to construct and realize a forward-looking vision for our
country and the continent at large.
Blessing Vuvuzela Vava is a Defender of the Peoples Charter. He writes from Chipinge and can be contacted on blessingvava@gmail.com. He writes in his personal capacity.
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