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YOUTHS CRY FOUL AT CAMP LOCATION

By Susan Mwape

The youth camp that is running parallel to the third Southern Africa Social Forum (SASF), this is a platform for young people to express their views and try to find solutions to problems that affect the youth in the region. The camp also seeks to analyse the impact of activities and find solutions to youth problems.

During the deliberations at the camp, youths felt that having the youth camp away from Civil Stadium forum is a sign that the youth and their issues have not been taken seriously, they feel that they are marginalised. Kondwani Kanjo from Malawi gave an example from the bible, “it’s like in the bible where leapers are thrown out of the village”. He said.

The youth further observed that time table of the forum hadn’t mentioned the youth, it was at this point that they youths decided to march back into camp to express their displeasure and also show that the ‘lepers’ have resurrected.

Youths discussed the issue of being used by politicians to disrupt politics, the positioning of youth was another problem raised and youth placement and it was noted that youth have to change and be responsible to gain trust from other sectors of society.

It was with great Sadness for the youth to realise that a 75 year old person should be minister of youth. James Chamanyazi a renowned Zambian youth performing artist from Zambia gave an example of Zambia which has just come from the polls, on how they sensitised their fellow youth on being used by politicians that as artists they had made road shows in different constituency and they advised and sensitised youths to vote wisely, should politicians pay them to vote for them, they should get the money but vote wisely.

The Youth demanded to be involved in social forum at all levels other than being restricted to discussing youth problems without any youth representation and the same youths must communicate to their peers.

The youths were later relocated to the main arena at the grand stand of the civil stadium where they then had a tribunal which most of the delegates attended after breaking from their respective thematic clusters.

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