DO WE DARE BELIEVE IN CHANGE?

 

As the Zimbabwean opposition leader Tsvangirai returned home two days ago, the election campaign is back on track and Tsvangirai seems certain about replacing Mugabe from his Presidential position.

 

Mugabe has tyrannised Zimbabwe for nearly three decades and does not appear to be ready to give up without a fight.

 

Mugabe lost the majority of votes in the recent election held on the 29^th March, but as the candidates need over 50 percent each to win completely, it is scheduled for a re election on the 27^th of June.

 

But not everyone is convinced that Mugabe won’t try and cheat himself to victory, as the March election has been shadowed by Mugabe’s desperate attempt to hold on to power. And the opposition and human rights groups have said hundreds of opposition supporters have been beaten up and at least 40 killed since the first round of the election.

 

After returning to Zimbabwe, Tsvangirai said that the South African Development Community would meet and discuss the possible deployment of peacekeepers and election monitors as fear of election violence might jeopardise the possibility to hold the re election.

 

But Mugabe is not a man that usually gives up with out a fight, and everyone that tries to challenge him is in danger. Even Tsvangirai return to Zimbabwe was delayed after rumours about the army having plans to kill him.

 

This Mugabe denies and said: “I don’t even have a bow and an arrow.” But history doesn’t vouch well for Mugabe’s credibility,  I guess we just have to wait in anticipation and see how far that moral stretched when Mugabe loses the election, yet again!

 

 

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BRITAIN’S TROUBLED YOUTH

It seems like not a day goes past without reports about young people being murdered by fellow youths in Britain. And while the Home office say that youth crime has gone down over the last 10 years, the crimes committed seems to be increasingly worse.

 

Today, yet another teenager was found dead. A teenager between 17-18 years old was found dead and battered in a West Yorkshire park.

 

The home office says: “We are committed to continuing this success in tackling youth crime, but also reduce the fear of youth crime.”

 

It’s seems like a paradox that the Home Office feel the need to emphasis that they are committed to continue to tackle youth crime, as it is supposed to be their job.  And anyone who has been attacked by youth gangs know that their fear of being a victim again is very real, particularly since there seem to be little legal protection available.

 

My friends and I were once attacked, and one of my friends was battered unconscious by tennagers hitting him with full beer cans. We didn’t provoke the situation we merely passed them and desperately tried to walk away. Worst of all, when the police showed up after we called for help, they had no interest in finding who did it. They blamed my friend who couldn’t even walk, for vandalising a car and they never took any of our details down or the description of the children who attacked us.

 

In 2007, 26 young people were killed in relation to gun and knife crimes in London.  And statistic show that the numbers of killings where both victim and offender was under the age of 18 tripled last year, from 12 in 2005 to 37 in 2007. Also the numbers of teenagers convicted or cautioned over violent offences rose last year from 15,590 to 24,102, the Telegraph reported.

 

But youth crime does not just effect children, also adults who try to stand up to the gangs are frequent victims.

 

What I find particularly interesting every time a murder which is in relation to gang crime is reported on, is the need to characterise the victims as outstanding citizens. It’s like desperate pleas to determine their innocent. But how can victims ever be guilty? And does a teenager deserve to die if that person is a member of a gang?

 

Children are never evil, but the government has to stop babying young offenders and make them learn the consequences of their actions. On the website ‘ChildLine’ crime is defined: “Some examples of things which are against the law are: Stealing, carrying a knife or a weapon, physically hurting or attacking someone, taking drugs which are not for a medical condition, smoking when you are under 16 years old, driving a car without a license.”

 

By putting, physically hurting or attacking someone and carrying a knife or a weapon next to how it is illegal to smoke cigarettes, I am starting to see more clearly why Britain’s youths are so confused.