I wasn’t feeling too good on Sunday. It started out as just an intense coldness. Then it exacerbated to vertigo, nausea, fever, stiff neck, and other uncomfortable things people feel when they overlook the importance of wearing warm clothes at the advent of winter, y’know.
But as any media person, duty required that I pretended that I was well by the time H.E. Emmerson Mnangagwa was delivering his 41st Independence Day Speech. And for fuck’s sake, I was when the time was on.
Of course, the first 2 minutes hit each of the points that we have expected to hear or that we have been hearing since God knows when. A protracted list of protocol that made up of folks all not quinquagenarian younger. Folks who came from an age where giving a child a single simple name meant you were a brat parent ill-informed about the struggles Zimbabwe was going through. Those and well, families of the heroes of the liberation struggle, the traditional leaders and the faceless and nameless you and me as represented by the cliche of cliches in the linguistics of public addresses: Ladies and Gentlemen.
Anyway, H.E. was elated, firm, gracious, emotional, and unapologetic as he underlined that Independence Day is a constant reminder of the need to preserve, safeguard and protect our liberation war heritage and the rich history of our country.
Then there was a talk of “devolution”. Or rather, the “spirit” of it. The COVID-19 pandemic. The dedication and sacrifice of frontline workers and security services. The National Vaccination Programme. The Global Compensation Agreement on 29 July 2020 as some sort of re-affirmation of the irreversibility of land as well as a symbol of our commitment to constitutionalism, the respect of the rule of law and property rights.
And while not overtly charismatic in a way that jumped off the screen, H.E. possessed the appropriate timbre for a leader at the helm as he continued with his historic speech.
He spoke of the successes of the Presidential Climate Proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, Presidential Input Support Scheme, Command Agriculture and Presidential Horticulture Programme. The Transitional Stabilisation Programme and its successor programme, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1). Local Content Strategy. The Energy and Power Sector. Tourism ZimBhoo Campaign. Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme. The ZUPCO fleet, yeah that as well, and of course from a perspective of a non-user because, well, you and I both know the trouble that awaits us every morning and evening trying to get into those overrated public transport.
Innovation Hubs and Industrial Parks also took a centre stage in the speech. The licensing of six privately owned television stations and six language-based community radio stations. The spike in gender-based violence, child abuse and other heinous social crimes, etc.
As I watched and listened intently – despite my fever’s sensitivity to sound and disorientation -, I could still tell H.E. was so close to having the sort of impressive and immediately unforgettable landmark speech he wanted, that he could probably taste. Like I was so ready to go on Twitter to tweet, “Thank you, Mr Pres, give yourself a pat on the back and have a shot of Henny on me (but on you) at your convenience.”
And then, he got to the part where he was talking about youth development and empowerment.
“Regarding youth development and empowerment, Government successfully reviewed the National Youth Policy and has reintroduced the National Youth Training Programme.
These provide a broad framework for the empowerment of youth in a comprehensive, coordinated and multi-sectoral manner. The new focus will see the nurturing of young people who are technically skilled and knowledgeable, patriotic, honest and hard-working.
It is envisaged that the refocused programme will inculcate a sense of national identity and the spirit of volunteerism among the youth, for the good of the country.”
Let me categorically state that I’m all for the inculcation of the spirit of volunteerism among the youth for the good of the country.
For young persons who are starting out (especially in the creative sector), I want to believe that the idea of “volunteering” would make you quite thrilled, hoping you will do it for the good of the country.
But what of the young people who since their inception into the labour pool all they have ever known is “volunteering”? Like a generation of young people who have not seen any better than just rendering their specially acquired skills, minds and time with nothing in return but a reference letter? How do you rebrand that exploitative term (volunteer) for us, because we have seen how that word can be abused to mean a completely different thing.
And doesn’t bundling up all youth-related “development and empowerment” to a programme that historically raised questions of what it stood for raises a red flag? Won’t that potentially see a new crop of young people – the majority of which are apolitical due to our devastating political history – distancing themselves from the NYTP?
So, for me, when I heard H.E. talking about the spirit of volunteering, it rang as this:
“Hey young folks, remember those 60 000 jobs that I vowed to create when I was politicking in 2018? Well, the Sunday Mail claimed that I have already delivered them, but you are smart enough to read between the lines, ‘cos I still hear that some of you are still gathering pamabridges. You know, some of these things are nice to say, y’know. But hey, let us not dwell much on the past. Since the State has clearly failed you, you need to do good by the State, OK? Volunteer whatever you can do for the good of the country. This is your country, build it through volunteering. That’s what we did; that’s what our heroes of the liberation struggle did.”
Personally, I feel that inasmuch as the spirit of volunteering should be inculcated and promoted, the onus is on the volunteer to assess if, where and as of when they can volunteer. It shouldn’t be demanded.
As to those to whom these young people or any other persons are volunteering must bear in mind we are living in a world of value. Where value is given, value must be reciprocated, not in a mere reference or recommendation letter. What’s good is volunteering, say at a big corporate, only to get home and the landlord has kicked all your shits out because you can’t fucking afford rent?
Point is, that term “volunteer” triggers the eff out of me, and I will gather courage someday to tell the roots of that.
Anyway, I long to see a Zimbabwe that’s not built on the sweat, tears and blood of underprivileged, underappreciated young people whose only crime is being born in a country where the idea of job creation is not only farfetched but weaponised by all political players as a way to garner votes during the campaign period. A Zimbabwe where youth are actually paid their worthy, not called for volunteer gigs. That shit is heartbreaking.
Methinks if we’d be believing and supporting youth projects in all ways possible, talking about the rampant that is corruption so loudly as we are talking about “youth volunteering”, these young people wouldn’t be jobless.
But hey, what do I know? I’m just yet another alcoholic.
