By Yvonne Manjengwa
1 February 2018 – Activista Zimbabwe has called upon the government to sign, ratify, implement and report on the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
The ACDEG was created by the African Union (A.U) in 2007 as a roadmap to encourage better governance across the continent.
Addressing journalists today in the Capital, the National Coordinator of Activista Zimbabwe, Thando Gwinji, said as a network of Youth Activists in Zimbabwe they stand in solidarity with the African Governance Architecture ,realising the need to promote the effective participation of Africa’s youths in democratic governance initiatives especially with a focus on democracy ,elections ,human rights and governance in Africa.
“Though the number of youth participating in electoral processes through registering to vote and running for office is increasing ,frameworks that make it possible for effectiveness and full engagement, such as the ACDEG ,are still alien to the young people and unfortunately alien to our policy makers as well” said Gwinji .
Zimbabwe is one of the 16 African states which has not yet signed on or ratified the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
The charter speaks to a culture of democracy and peace, it speaks about sanctions in cases of unconstitutional changes of government, and above all it speaks about the political, economic and social governance which is key in youth leadership and sustainable development.
“As young people across Zimbabwe we should start democratizing curiosity towards the understanding of the continental definition of democratic processes and confidently demand the domestication of this and other regional policy frameworks”, said Gwinji.
Activista Zimbabwe urges all stakeholders of human security and development as outlined in section 44 of the charter, not only to comprehend, but to commit and ensure the implementation of the principles, objectives and core values enshrined in the ACDEG.
