By 
As Zimbabwe marked National Youth Day on the 21st of February 2025, the streets of Bulawayo echoed with a mix of applause and discontent, revealing a generational divide on the day’s significance. The national holiday which was meant to be a celebration of the country’s future was however received by some as a bitter reminder of the struggles they face on a daily basis.
Bulawayo residents had mixed feelings about National Youth Day, with some hailing it as a chance to unite, inspire and empower the youngsters. One youth even showed gratitude to His Excellency thanking him for the food that would last them for ‘months’. However, looking at the different side of the same coin, others did not shy away from dismissing the event as a hollow gesture in the face of poverty and unemployment. Bulawayo voiced out that the youths are not empowered and have nothing tangible.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
“I cancel this youth day, it should go back to being just Robert Mugabe’s birthday, not a national youth day because it is useless to us, we don’t benefit anything…”,
said Lwazi Abrahams, a disheartened youth from Bulawayo.
Most of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe’s youths at large possess degrees and academic qualifications but are now dependent on betting and selling drugs while those who cannot withstand the pressure that comes with adulthood, turn to drugs for escapism. Lwazi added that too many betting companies are ,mushrooming and people have become to occupied with numbers and teams to worry about the current affairs in the country.
Due to unemployment, most have turned to selling on the streets of Bulawayo and some are going on the road to be ‘Umtshova’ or ‘kombi’ drivers. However, according to another resident of Bulawayo, those in these two industries are highly terrorised by the authorities on a daily basis.
Standing as a mouth piece for most youths of the city of queens and kings, Mr Abrahams pointed out that the situation was such that he feared having children as they would be brought into the world to suffer.
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