Platform for Youth Development Trust Call for Intergenerational Justice.

The Day of the African Child brings together people of diverse background and harmonises community cohesion and in some respect raise an awareness on Child’s rights. The day was commemorated at Checheche Primary School on 16 June 2018 under the theme; “LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND IN AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT.” The commemoration was held on the backdrop of a harmonised elections under the so called new dispensation, and Zimbabwe is yet to discover if the assertion is an illusion or real. The guest of honour at the event was Sally Nobuhle Mlambo, who is the PYD Board Chairperson. The board chairperson extoled parents to protect children against rape, early child marriages and prostitution. Again, she provided a background information on the Day of the African Child and reconnected the current theme with the events unfolding in the district. She spoke strongly against violence as it is retrogressive for community development. The day had a variety of activities that included traditional dances, poetry, drama acts and sports tournament.

The team that eventually won a soccer tournament was 1:1  of Mutumburi village, and netball was won by Machona. The other soccer teams that participated included Mukhukhuzi, Garahwa, Guyo, Rimbi, Chisumbanje, Checheche, and Fogo Fire while in netball there was Katanga, Chisumbanje, Checheche, Rimbi, Manzvire, Manesa and Matsuro.

PYD has been involved in a voter registration project since October 2017 to raise an awareness for young people to register as voters during the BVR exercise. The organisation takes cognisance that the commemoration was an opportunity to denounce politically motivated violence and promote peaceful campaigns. Some of the sentiments that came out of the event were that political parties and their emissaries normally abuse the election period through intimidation, coercion and serious violation of children’s rights. The country’s socio-economic and political environment is currently suffering from structural inequalities that becomes a breeding ground for intergenerational injustice. Through this year’s commemoration, PYD urged the new dispensation to be a reality by ensuring free, fair and credible elections. The resultant effect of the harmonised elections must ensure that there is fair distribution of services and opportunities between the young and the old, and between the current and future generations. The aftermath of the elections, the country need to remove structural inequalities that have endangered social security of each child in Zimbabwe.

From the commemorations, it was clear that there is need to build a pathway to success for every child in Zimbabwe. In our communities, PYD has intervened where children have been neglected and made vulnerable. The organisation has done this through its gender activists who have been recording various challenges facing a Zimbabwean child. These challenges include school dropout, child pledging, rape by close relatives and forced prostitution among other worrying trends. PYD is committed to work closely with all stakeholders including government to prioritise laws and policies that promote the livelihood of children and their cognitive development. The priorities include right to health, right to education and economic development, right to a name and shelter. In the current political narrative that is underpinned by electioneering, children appear not to be prioritised and can safely be forgotten. As much as we have a legislative framework that protects children from abuse and harm like outlawing the marriage of children below the age of 18 years, we are still to implement these constitutional provisions.

Intergenerational justice is therefore never partisan, but it challenges everything about our socio-economic and political development.