Young people have demystified the controversies surrounding generational consensus mantra saying their call is to be accorded space in national governance as opposed to usurping power from the older generation.
Speaking at Budding Voices Debate and Dialogue Series organized by Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT) yesterday, young people from across the political divide were unanimous that the generational consensus narrative was not premised on the need to institute a bar between the old and the young.
In an interview with 263Chat, YETT Youth Advisor, Darlington Muyambwa said the meeting demystified the generational consensus narrative as a mere call by young people for more space in governance activities.
“The message that resonated with all our debaters today is that generational consensus is not an issue of age, but it’s an issue that touches everyone living in this current environment in Zimbabwe.
“The idea being to agree on the fundamental improvements and drastic changes in our society in the economic, social and political areas,” said Muyambwa.
A political analyst, Richard Mahomva challenged political leaders to create space for young people so that the generational consensus narrative is transformed from just rhetoric and sloganeering.
“What came out of the presentations quite indicates that there is need to strongly conceptualize our political mantras and never revolve issues around electoral life cycles.
“But what is important is that our philosophical thrust to power should reside on permanent national interest because it is true that we certainly need new faces to power and that is a generational concern,” said Mahomva.
Another political analyst, Ostallos Gift Siziba said the onus was on young people to confront their challenges and demand space in national governance.
“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.
“We are very clear even up to this day that age is not an ideology, age does not matter in the politics of our life time but age is the most important orbit for this country to move forward because those who took power in 1980 failed to run this country,” he said.
WELEAD official, Namatai Kwekweza said the generational consensus mantra must encapsulates harmony and unity among people of different ages across political lines.
