As Zimbabwe counts votes from yesterday's elections, the entire country is anxious to see who its next leaders will be. But the conclusion of this political chapter brings added anxiety to another segment of the population. In the past few months, young Zimbabweans have been dutifully employed as campaign staff. But with their jobs now done, many face a jobless future. That's worrisome in a country with up to 85 percent unemployment.
Since dropping out of secondary school, 24-year-old Tecla Mathonsi has survived by working menial jobs. It hasn't been easy, but not too long ago her worldview changed. Same goes for Sylvester Ngwenya. The 23 year old, trained as a teacher, has only been able to find temporary work, but he's still dreaming big. Why the optimism?
Mathonsi and Ngwenya have been major players on a focal campaign team for aspiring MDC member of parliament Sindiso Mazibisa. If their candidate comes out on top, these two campaigners expect to reap some success of their own. A Mazibisa win means that the two youth will get to stay employed.
The plan would be for them to continue working for their MP, as outreach officers in the constituency initiating programmes under the Constitutional Development Fund. And, the logic goes, any sensible MP will make sure the needs of his backroom staff are catered to.
Free meals, better communication skills
"I hope something will come out of this," says Mathonsi. "If our candidate wins, I could go back to school since he intends to start a programme to help disadvantaged people such as me achieve their goals."
At the height of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, Mathonsi had failed her ordinary level education. It was 2008, the same year Zimbabwe held general elections that eventually ushered in the inclusive government. Back then, she had no interest in politics; all she ever thought of was going back to school.
However, with no money she had to settle on being a "house girl", a local term for a maid.
But over the years, the dream of finishing her education began to vanish It was then that Mathonsi thought of joining a team that could shape the future. It was probably her best shot at going back to school, she reasoned.
"As a maid, I used to earn US$40 per month. But now, as a campaigner, I get an allowance of US $20 per day," she explains. "I don't miss my old job. I get free meals and my communication skills are improving by the day, as I meet with the community, explaining our goals. That on its own is cultivating something I never thought I was capable of."
This role has also encouraged her consider a career in social work. "I don't want to be a politician, but working behind the scenes executing social initiatives could be fun. I would rather work on projects that are funded by politicians instead of being one," says the young woman.
A new kind of election
Sylvester Ngwenya carries a lot of weight on his shoulders. Having moved out of his parents' home to start his own family - he has a wife and a young child to feed - he ponders how he will earn a living now that the elections are wrapping up.
Sylvester Ngwenya with colleague Mduduzi Madzinga
"I have been a temporary teacher for about a year. There is no guarantee that my contract [will] be extended and I need a steady income. My future is invested in the success of this election campaign," he says.
Unlike in previous elections - where youth were wont to engage in unruly behavior, intimidating voters at the behest of their leaders - Ngwenya says the key to winning an election is through commissariat work.
"I have a heart-to-heart with youths in the area I am campaigning in, and then relay the information to my seniors, who include it in their speeches. When I meet youths from other parties, we chat. No violence is necessary. After all, our backgrounds are somehow similar," he explains.
Youth hold the key
But Ngwenya and Mathonsi concur that the hardest thing about their latest jobs is the fact that in politics there is no guarantee; everything is decided by the masses. Then again, their candidate's loss, could mean a dream come true for their opposite numbers.
Some say youth hold the key to the outcome of Zimbabwe's elections. The majority of registered voters are under age 35, and it's believed that youth comprise the majority of nearly 800,000 new voters.
As for Ngwenya, he intends to become a full-fledged politician one day. For now, he says: "I am an understudy," but adds, "my time will come".
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