ZW Youth discuss Constitution

Zimbabwe: The following are some of the most frequently mentioned comments made by the youth during and after Constitution Culture programmes or walk-in campaigns in the many districts visited by the WELEAD Trust team.

We were denied the opportunity to learn about the constitution as the youth, and now we are paying the price. 

According to male youth in Norton, Chegutu district, the negative effects have become so severe that it is difficult to explain how the facts in the constitution can affect his or her life as a young Zimbabwean.

Knowing the constitution is not enough; as Zimbabwean youth, it is our responsibility to resurrect constitutionalism. Without constitutionalism, those constitutional provisions may not be implemented. According to a UZ student, we young people prioritised the alignment and implementation of the constitution over its changes.

"I believe that we as young people should have conversations about how to safeguard our constitution because it is ours, we are the people, and above all, the majority of the Zimbabwean populace," a young person from Glenorah said.

Why should we wait for fewer members of parliament to propose legal frameworks that they clearly do not intend to implement when there is a constitutional clause stating that all Zimbabweans have the right to vote?

The year 2022 has passed since the constitution went into effect in 2013. What assurance do we have that the legal framework will be put in place right away?

“If a country's founding document is its supreme law, it must be followed!” a young man from Harare stated.