By Takura Zhangazha *
Explaining the contemporary political consciousness of young
Zimbabweans is little explored social commentary in the country. Except where issues relating to levels of unemployment, pursuing technical
courses and sexual/reproductive health are placed on the table. Where there is
an increasing dearth of information is the character of their political consciousness
and how it affects their understanding of the broader state of affairs in the country.
It is a consciousness that has as its initial measurement
point, their right to express themselves.
And in political matters, they have not sought so much to independently
portray their views as opposed to finding homes in the mainstream political party
youth wings, church organizations and civil society organisations.
In these latter organizations, their voices have been muted
either by way of structured discourse that relates to what is seen as their mainstream
but peripheral roles. Alternatively they are limited to the straight-jacketed
discourse that comes with the globalised human rights narratives or
understandings of ‘development’.
This has left them with little option but to discover new,
informal and much more easily accessible means for organizing and seeking to
explain their socio-economic predicament.
This is also reflected in the way they have taken to the informal
sectors of the economy with greater enthusiasm and vigour.
But because whatever they do they tend to find ways of expressing
their views of it, it is this key measurement of their national consciousness
that is the subject of this article.
Contemporary younger generations of Zimbabwe rarely get
platforms to express their own views on how they are governed or whatever
direction their country is taking. With universities
and tertiary colleges functioning like personal fiefdoms of Vice Chancellors, schools
being semi-privatised, churches remaining conservative in outlook, the price tag for exercising their right to assemble
or express themselves in these spheres remains too high.
And this is where the not so new but increasingly ubiquitous
phrase ‘ghetto youths’ has come into being.
It is also a quasi informal movement with common characteristics particularly
for the sprawling high density suburbs of our major towns and cities. It borders on representing ‘pop culture’
while at the same time being expressions of how realties, ideals and roles are envisioned
by an urban majority of young people in our country.
The latter youth have taken to social media via both mobile
telephony (smart(ish) phones, Whatsapp, Facebook) or fixed internet to express
their views of the society in which they exist.
It is haphazard usage but it is a new means of expression their new consciousness
all the same. It’s a medium that has
been used both for serious issues but largely for entertainment purposes.
Especially where it comes to music and videos that are distributed either via
social media, including YouTube or DVDs.
Common themes that emerge in this new social consciousness that
is becoming apparent are about pursuit of recognition (ma fans), money, love,
football, unemployment and departing for the Diaspora.
There is limited direct reference to political matters in
the main forms of expression about their existential circumstances. Except
where it concerns some party activists and civil society activists. This means broadly spoken for, politics is no
longer at the fore of what young urban Zimbabweans consider significant.
The reasons for the nonchalant attitude toward politics is
probably because it no longer speaks directly to their lives as experienced on
a regular basis. It only tries to do so
during elections, and even then, its presentation is so materialistic, it does
not exude any specific values. It
therefore takes on the character of temporary fashion, momentary material
benefit impact. The t-shirts, mobilization allowances are welcomed but with the
understanding that politics is essentially about those that have the money
seeking to purchase those without.
After that, its back to social media and the urban subculture
of struggling to survive while making the most apolitical sense of their lives.
This in itself is not a bad thing. The only problem is that most of the solutions
to the current socio-economic malaise that is affecting their consciousness
requires principled social democratic politics for it to be resolved
holistically.
As it is, this new but haphazard social consciousness of Zimbabwe’s urban young
has taken on a life of its own. It is multifaceted
but also essentially no longer has confidence in politics as a vehicle of
organic change. The young do not really
expect specific positive changes to the health, education or even economic circumstances
that obtain.
They expect to continue to hassle for the dollar, engage in escapist
behavior that will straddle varying extremes which include the informal
economy, leaving the country, religion and even materialist politics. Their vision of their own country however
remains limited in its optimism. Each
day may be indicative of them getting older but their lives not getting any
better.
*Takura Zhangazha writes in his personal capacity
(takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)
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