By Panashe Kaseke
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono urged young people in Zimbabwe to leave the country in search of greener pastures, saying the current political leaders have no plans for the youths.
Posting on X, Chin’ono said Zimbabwe is a broken nation with no opportunities for young people except for those linked to political elites.
“The politicians in Zimbabwe have no viable plan for you, you either choose propaganda or you choose to build yourself. Zimbabwe is a broken nation with no opportunities for young people except for those of criminal type or those linked to political elites.
“There are many opportunities for young people across the world. I am 52 years old there are people of my age who have never had a tittle deed in their name, the same will happen to you if you stick around doing nothing hoping for a miracle to happen.
Zimbabwe is a mess, it will be a mess for a long time unless a miracle happens or someone fearless emerges to take on the corrupt elites and bring revolutionary change,” said Chin’ono’s post.
Chin’ono’s opinion has been opposed by a number of his followers on X claiming that instead of telling the youths to leave the country he should encourage them to fight for a change and he further supports his opinion with another post on X.
Chin’ono argued that he cannot encourage the youth to stand and fight looking at the fact that a number of fearless men and women who stood against the ZANU PF regime were either killed or jailed and their families got no financial support from their alternatives.
“There is no leadership structure that has been able to manage and assist the families of these comrades in the past 20 years.
“In recent time two Zimbabwean opposition politicians, Job Sikhala and Jacob Ngarivhume were jailed for protesting against state corruption, their families have struggles financially and have only been helped by ordinary citizens through Go-fund campaigns and individual handouts.
“There is no revolution that takes place without leadership, it is unfair for anyone to blame the young people who are leaving the country expecting them to fight.
“I asked young people to register and vote, they voted and their votes were stolen. South Africa defended the election heist, what more can they do? ANC, PAC and many opposition parties to apartheid thrived because they had leadership that was prepared to take huge risks.
“Meanwhile in Zimbabwe the alternative is terrified of being arrested, so who will lead the young people?
“While we figure out how to answer that question, let us allow the young people to seek for greener pastures because life doesn’t stop, they have families to feed, they have a life to live,” he said.
The rate of youths leaving Zimbabwe in search of greener pastures is rising and the driving factors being economic downturn, lack of job opportunities, political instability and social unrest.
