Young People; Local Authorities Dividend or Loss

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Masvingo Leave No Youth Behind Campaign
Zimbabwe is facing the demographic dividend and happens to be oblivious on how to yield proceeds. This marks a potential gain for local authorities if planned well. It is a pity that investing in young people has never been on the local authorities agenda. It is rather sad that most local authorities in Zimbabwe do not have the foresight on the implications of not investing in young people. The improvement of local authorities is based on the payment of rates by ratepayers, business opportunities that comes with investments and the manner in which the local authorities plan. It becomes a plan to fail, when 67% of the population is not taken into account when planning, implementing and evaluating for whatever purpose towards development. It becomes insightful with devolution rolling out.

Employment creation is the greatest investment local authorities could gain from the demographic dividend. Although it is not the outright role of local authorities to employ, it has the direct impact on employment by attracting investment that yields employment opportunities. The current situation is dire for most local authorities as much of its residents are not employed. With 67% between the 15-35 year age group, it is the age group with the highest unemployment rate. A very few are employed and many are under the informal sector. Attracting investors will lead to employment. An employed resident is a financially empowered ratepayer.

The life line of any jurisdiction is to attract investment. Attracting investment is twofold when it comes to young people and a local authority. Firstly, it is the job offers the investment will bring against the available local labour force. This is a critical component any local authority should look at. Secondly, is the services the investment is bringing vis a vis the service that the local needs. Unless the investment seeks to export its services outside that local area. The council should be informed by research. Thus a local authority should investigate these questions whether the investment they are attracting are relevant. It is sad that companies in Zimbabwe closes production or manufacturing for their reasons but local authorities are never bothered to investigate and come up with ways in which business can stay.  In as much as attracting investments is concerned, maintaining or retaining existing ones is equally important. 

However, the terms of investment which local authorities can determine will also be detrimental to the employment gains any investment will bring to the local authority. I pose the case of Delta Super plant that was built in Masvingo, the majority of employees there were from Bulawayo. I will also bring the case of Holiday Inn contracting Harare based companies that also brought employees from Harare. Let’s not understand it as tribalism or some segregation of any sort. In these cases, the persons who gain employment will invest their monies home (another local authority). Bulawayo and Harare respectively in these cases. Of course other business might be boosted. The reality will be the local unemployed residents are the local authority`s ratepayers. As not uncommon, the majority are youths and are not employed. Where will they get the money to pay for their rates? Slowly, they will develop the syndrome of defaulting their rates, ending up with arrears that they won`t mind if the water is cut. Unless it is local authorities agenda to take properties owned through debt collection. 

The majority of the youths that are employed are in the informal sector. One would question the logic of local authorities on the way the handle informal businesses. Vendors will be allowed to operate for months as if the local authority has forgotten its by-laws to stop it. Vendors are let to operate for months, to the point that they become accustomed to their business. Without timeous notice, local authorities poses their by-laws to thwart the vendors dubbed illegal. They rather not seek to update their by-laws but take away their wares, not even trials are heard which is unjust. Despite the lack of rule of law, these illegal traders are the local authority`s ratepayers. The local authorities want them to pay their rates monthly. The biggest question is, where will they get the money to pay the rates? Thus the manner in which local authorities are handling informal players will shape their future existence and development. 

The economic activity of any local authority, have a direct impact on its responsibilities to offer public services efficiently and effectively. Most, local authorities operates in the semi-autonomous behavior assuming its central government`s duty. The economic idleness of youths will certainly have a negative impact on the local authorities. The devolution process ought to give autonomy, it is high time local authorities up their game plan or remain babies of the central government. 


Location: Masvingo, Zimbabwe

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