By Political Reporter- The majority of the country’s young population has shown growing discontentment with politics and government, a recent report has revealed.
Research conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), produced last week, shows that 7 in 10 young people blame the government for the country’s economic failures. Yet, nearly half would still vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa if elections were held today.
A staggering 68% of respondents believe the government is mismanaging the economy, with 85% saying they’ve lived without cash income in the past year and nearly half (48%) going without food.
61% feel the country is headed in the wrong direction, largely blaming the leadership of Mnangagwa’s regime.
The paradox between economic frustration and political support is labelled as “schizophrenic” by Professor Eldred Masunungure, MPOI Director.
He finds this contradictory behaviour puzzling and difficult to explain, as young people—constituting the majority of those critical of the government—are simultaneously disconnected from political parties, with 4 in 10 saying they do not feel close to any.
Claris Madhuku, Director of the Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), attributes the disillusionment to youth becoming “risk-averse” and unwilling to challenge the status quo.
“I can relate very well with this description of Zimbabweans, considering that most young people I engage with have become ‘risk averse’ and unwilling to confront and challenge the status quo. These young people are either too reserved and cautious in their participation or they are leaving the country in search of alternative livelihood,” Madhuku concurred.
Economic decline, exacerbated by hyperinflation, chronic unemployment, and a weakening currency, has left many citizens, especially the youth, in a state of despair.
Official unemployment rates hover at over 90%, with informal jobs providing the only source of livelihood for most.
Young people, who represent a significant portion of the population, face bleak prospects, making them less likely to engage with a political system they feel is failing them.
Political violence and repression have also played a significant role in youth disengagement.
Over the years, Zimbabwe’s political environment has been marred by intimidation, arrests of opposition figures, and violent crackdowns on protests, further discouraging youth from participating in governance.
The sense of fear, coupled with a stagnant economy, has driven many young Zimbabweans to emigrate, leaving behind a political vacuum where they feel neither empowered nor safe to demand change.
This growing disengagement signals a worrying trend for Zimbabwe’s future, where the country’s youth, disillusioned by economic hardship and political repression, increasingly choose silence or exile over political activism.