Since CYDT published and sent a petition to the parliament of Zimbabwe that demanded an improved youth representation in all government levels in August 2020; communication and engagement between the government and the youths has significantly improved while several key youth initiatives have begun.
The organisation has held meetings with government representatives in a bid to find better ways to deal with the youth concerns. In February 2021, CYDT participated in a virtual public hearing meeting with members from the Portfolio Committee on Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation (PCYAR) in relation to the 30% youth representation petition sent by the organisation. This was followed by another meeting in parliament where Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry as well as minister of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi were expected to provide evidence on youth inclusion and involvement. All these meetings sought to seek clarity on CYDT`s petition that demanded an increased representation of young people in all government levels.
The fact that the government has been constantly engaging the organisation on youth matters, serves as evidence that CYDT petition has greatly improved relations with the government stakeholder. This is a key success towards the goal of youth inclusion and development in Zimbabwe.
In clarifying some of the terms of the petition in these meetings organized by the government, CYDT supported by the youths from Mat South pointed out that, as much as young people appreciate the benefits of the Amendment Bill Number 2, that sought to set aside 10 seats for them in parliament, they believe that the proposed 10 seats are not enough for a balanced and fair representation of young people in parliament considering the undeniable fact that youths constitute a majority population in the country.
It was brought forward that, it was not enough for a province to be represented by a single youth due to the fact that in each province there are districts, and every district has its own youth issues, hence it was too much weight for all youth issues to be dealt with by a single youth in the province.
In responding to the raised issues by the organisation and young people, Minister Coventry said that, her ministry was ready to listen to the concerns being raised by the youths, however, it was imperative that youth clearly spell out their demands; what needs to be done and how.
Young people were also reminded that as early as 21 years of age, a person is eligible to become a member of parliament hence it was imperative that young people who are interested to be part of the parliament register themselves as public office runners as well as seek guidance from those with experience. It was however, highlighted that the lack of resources was a major stumbling block for young people to be part of the candidates gunning for public offices. It was noted that there are already young people who have tried running for public office in Mat South and other provinces but failed dismally due to lack of financially resources; hence the need for an improved youth quota.
The petition has played a key role in the drafting and development of a National Youth Bill that seeks to deal with youth representation and inclusion issues.
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