Youth utilisation key to taking Tanzania to the next level

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) yesterday opined that the views collected by the Task Force appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan must be implemented before preparations for the 2025 elections.

Speaking at a meeting for the launching of a project to strengthen the participation of youth in political processes and elections, TCD vice chairman Ibrahim Lipumba noted that the appointed task force was only for a short-term, so there was no reason to delay the implementation of various views given, especially those related to electoral reforms.

“The process of finding solutions to various issues in the country normally take a very long time. There still is no solutions for everything yet. Now, it is good that the opinions have been collected. These must be implemented before 2025 elections,” he noted.

Stakeholders argued that in order to solve the various problems facing the country, especially those related to the economy, it was important to engage more young people in all key matters.

Prof Lipumba said it was the youth in the country who were most impacted by the problems facing Tanzania and so should be given a greater chance in finding solutions.

He noted with concern that currently the country has over 20 million young people aged between 15 and 35 and who continue to suffer without having a chance to air solutions they have for their challenges.

“The youth must be at the forefront in bringing about the needed changes in the country because you are the biggest victims of the bad state of running the country,” he explained further.

According to him, the country must enhance youth participation in political and electoral processes to inclusively prosper its people.

For her part, CCM’s Dar es Salaam Region vice chairperson Kate Kamba said young people within political parties had a chance to help the country’s efforts to fight difficult economic conditions through good policies, clean politics and good leadership.

“Young people should come forward to vie for various positions within political parties to be able to reach higher positions for solving these challenges, as well as using social networks properly,” she said.

However, ACT-Wazalendo Youth Council chairman Abdul Nondo noted that the biggest challenge facing young people and making them not participate properly in politics was the fear of missing on opportunities when they find themselves being members of the opposition.

“We need to strengthen good governance with democracy and young people with ideas different from those of the government in power should not be criticised because many are afraid of politics for reasons like this,” he said.