DISADVANTAGES OF YOUTHS IN POLITICS

There is a tendency in African young people who enter politics., they often end up having a corrupt mindset and at the end of the day failing to participate fully, fail to be the voice of the voiceless and advocating for what they stood up for in the first place.

Kenya, picture taken by Hussein Abdille / Mercy Corps, 2008

According to Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), youths have not been spared in corruption, where in some cases during electoral periods; they have been used by unscrupulous politicians to perpetuate acts of violence in exchange for money. they get involved for all different reason but the major one being for money.

 Young men and women get involved in violence for diverse and context-specific reasons. The main reason is that most youths get into violence because of the exclusion and lack of opportunities. They are faced these problems therefore leading to disillusionment and, in some cases, their participation in violence. Unemployment, insufficient educational opportunities, poor governance and social marginalisation can lead to the deep disaffection of youth in society, increasing the likelihood of them resorting to anti-social activity and engagement in violence. 
The violence which overcame Kenya in 2007 was largely a result of young and blood thirsty youths who found a way of expressing themselves through violence

picture showing young people engaged in political violence

Therefore, it then scares the people of a country to put their confidence in young people as they are' in  most of the times associated with violence when it comes to political issues. Then it makes me wonder if it is just a case of misplaced guidance or it is because of lack of employment that leads them to indulge in uncouth behavior.