• Education

Don't silence the youth

They say the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. I have always wondered what it means when they tell us that we are the leaders of tomorrow.

Why tomorrow? Why not now? We should let it happen as soon as possible.

I have realised that many of our old political leaders feel threatened or intimidated and thus stop the youth from participating in things that are vital to them. Our political leaders do not have enough trust in the youth and they also do not believe in our abilities to lead this country. This generation of politicians, if not some of them have failed the youth miserably. The youth in this country are capable of contributing towards the development of the country. Instead we are treated like inexperienced and immature people. If the youth want to be the leaders of tomorrow just as much as we are promised by our elders than we need to be very strategic and use force to become the leaders we are destined to be. The time for nodding our heads in agreement when our leaders say something is done. The times when we clap our hands every time our leaders say something is done. The times when we used to agree with our leaders without questioning them is done and as the youth we need to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. We cannot sit at the dinner table serving our leaders; we need to eat with our leaders. We cannot sit and let our leaders lead while we follow, we need to take the lead with them. We all need to enjoy the benefits that come with leadership in this country. I am not calling for a national revolt from the youth when it comes to authority. I am also not asking the youth to rebel but they need to stand up for themselves and fight for their own rights. Promises have been made for many of us and how our lives would change in the future but nothing really happens for us. The youth need to work together and for one another if one day we really want to lead this country. I am also not saying that all the old politicians should walk away from their jobs and that they should make way for young people but they need to create opportunities that are beneficial for the youth. I am also not only referring to the political circles in the country but in general, we need to see more young people in positions that can help them help other young people. Many of the people who are responsible for projects that impact the youth are old and frail and have no idea what goes on in the lives of young people. Such people need to vacate their offices for the young ones to make relevant decisions that can impact their own lives. The economic and social turmoil in the country being experienced right now is due to the older generation. We as the youth feel like we can fix the issues if granted the opportunity but our politicians have shut us out of the system.

We need to challenge the status quo and be a part of the system. Our leaders need to mentor and guide the youth in the right way. It is also up to us the youth to make sure that we listen, respect and work with our elders.

As a developing youth, youth leadership would start off by meaning self-leadership. Being able to lead the self develops what we know as independent thinking, confidence, autonomy, decision making and many more.

So youth leadership is important for them to develop the capability to develop one self. One such example is Lilongeni Unoovene who is a student at Nust and prides himself in motivating the youth and uplifting them. We need to challenge the status quo and be a part of the system. Our leaders need to mentor and guide the youth in the right way.