By Durrell Namasani
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent” Martin Luther King Jnr
There has never been a time when the youths of Malawi have been hit with a barrage of problems than this time. The country is full of vibrant young men and women, having university degrees but remaining jobless. The country is full of young people, that have lost a sense of direction as the opportunities for survival remains scarce. There is one thing I have noted though- the youth of Malawi are lacking a mouthpiece, a strong voice that would speak on their behalf and lobby the government to take a serious look on the issues that the youths are facing in this country. The reality is that the youths are lacking a revolutionary figure like Timothy Mtambo.
Mtambo has been silent, he is missing at a time when the country needs him most. After leading the youths of this country in a revolution that deposed the despotic regime of Peter Mutharika and his DPP- many youths believed Mtambo will continue to be the figurehead. That potent link between the government machinery and the youths of this country. When Mtambo established his revolutionary movement called Citizens for Transformation Movement (CFT) there was excitement among the youths that they now have a platform that they can use to take the government to account if it doesn’t deliver for the youths.
The youth’s problems have become critical. Growing up being encouraged to work hard at school for a better future, the youths are finding themselves with qualifications that have become useless as there is no job opportunities. The economic situation in the country means most parents are struggling to pay fees for their children, hence increasing what economists call Neets (Not in Employment, Education or Training).
The youths of Malawi are being choked with lack of opportunities. Banks are not offering them loans as they have no securities, the small job opportunities that becomes available demands that that the youths should have enough experience before they are employed. We are now left with a country that has majority of young people doing nothing. This is a ticking time bomb. What is worrying is that there is no powerful voice to represent the plight of the youths in the country.
This is why, after leaving government , many are asking , what is Timothy Mtambo doing ? Many are asking if he is able to see the many problems that the youths are facing and if he still stands by the principles that made him form the Citizens Transformation Movement . Martin Luther King Jr said “ Our lives begin to end the day we become Silent “. The silence of those people that were supposed to speaking up for the youths is something very worrying.
