Young People's View on the Possibility for Dialogue, the Lack of it and the Stand-Off in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The Zimbabwean economy is in shambles, inflation has gone through the roof. Tension is almost palpable and cases of abductions, and beatings at the hands of state actors both alleged and actual are prevalent. The health system has all but collapsed with Doctors and government in a stand-off that has gone past ninety days. Fuel queues are longer than ever and recently the United Nations said about seven million people; almost half the country's population are Many are presenting dialogue as a panacea for Zimbabwe's woes, but maybe before we embrace it lets first define it. At the risk of being too academic I will take a definition offered by Paffenholz et al. (2016) which defines (national) dialogue as broad-based, inclusive and participatory negotiation platforms involving large segments of civil society, politicians, youth, women, academia and peace building experts. They are ordinarily convened to negotiate not a crime. A platform where our voice can be heard is long overdue, where we have the freedom to speak our minds without fear of being abducted or labelled "a western puppet". The current situation has not only spoiled our present but also robbed us of our future, our parents speak of the "good old days" but we have no such memories unless of course being shown baby pictures wearing Edgars clothing counts. We need an end to this impasse and just as dialogue led facing starvation. What everyone major political reforms or peace in to the end of Apartheid, Lancaster can agree on is that things in the complex and fragmented conflict House conference and the 2009 country are bad, very bad. To quote environments. Government of National Unity Retired Major General S.B. Moyo perhaps it holds answers for us. "The situation in our country has reached another level."