WASHINGTON DC —
Eight youths drawn from Zimbabwe’s parties in the unity government have arrived in Washington for a month-long visit to familiarize themselves with America’s democratic processes as Zimbabwe prepares for crucial elections to be held sometime this year.
The youths from the two Movement for Democratic Change formations and Zanu-PF have already attended several workshops and visited various institutions of democracy such as the Harry Truman Center and several others.
They will soon be attached to non-profit organizations specializing in politics and democracy in Iowa and Philadelphia.
One of the visiting youths, Descent Collins Bajila, Youth League secretary general of the MDC formation of Industry Minister Welshman Ncube, told Studio 7 they expect to learn a lot about the American political system.
“The people of the United States regardless of their political differences and the fact that the U.S is essentially an immigrant nation, they have some things that are common to all of them and whenever duty calls they all adhere to them and keep to them religiously,” said Bajila.
He said it appears as if the majority of U.S citizens understand their political processes compared to some parts of Africa “where apathy is very high in terms of what people know about their own nations.”
Mr. Bajila further said he admires the citizens’ power in the USA in determining their way of life through the federal system of governance.
He said Zimbabwe has come out with a weaker version of federalism in the form of devolution of power which is contained in the nation’s new constitution.
“You find that people living in difference USA states have got ways through which they can determine what needs to be produced, various laws and other issues. We can have such kind of dispensation in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The youths from the two Movement for Democratic Change formations and Zanu-PF have already attended several workshops and visited various institutions of democracy such as the Harry Truman Center and several others.
They will soon be attached to non-profit organizations specializing in politics and democracy in Iowa and Philadelphia.
One of the visiting youths, Descent Collins Bajila, Youth League secretary general of the MDC formation of Industry Minister Welshman Ncube, told Studio 7 they expect to learn a lot about the American political system.
“The people of the United States regardless of their political differences and the fact that the U.S is essentially an immigrant nation, they have some things that are common to all of them and whenever duty calls they all adhere to them and keep to them religiously,” said Bajila.
He said it appears as if the majority of U.S citizens understand their political processes compared to some parts of Africa “where apathy is very high in terms of what people know about their own nations.”
Mr. Bajila further said he admires the citizens’ power in the USA in determining their way of life through the federal system of governance.
He said Zimbabwe has come out with a weaker version of federalism in the form of devolution of power which is contained in the nation’s new constitution.
“You find that people living in difference USA states have got ways through which they can determine what needs to be produced, various laws and other issues. We can have such kind of dispensation in Zimbabwe,” he said.