"Let go of the victim mentality"-Cont Mhlanga

The founder and director of Amakhosi Cultural Centre Cont Mhlanga last week said Matabeleland  had faced difficult times as it was a region that has continuously been made aware that  it was marginalised.

Mhlanga said this development had especially disempowered young  people who have lost all hope of being employed in the region. According to Mhlanga young people think opportunities that are availed in Matabeleland are for other people that are not from this region.

He however warned Matabeleland youths to let go of the victim mentality but instead engage the government.

He however urged young people to let go of victim mentality and engage the government if they wanted the government avail to them opportunities. 

But do the youths of Bulawayo truly have a victim mentality?. Of course the youths have developed an attitude that promotes what most could view as laziness but could rather be looked at as demotivation or hopelessness. 

Zimstats statistics show that Bulawayo has the highest unemployment rate in Zimbabwe which directly translates to few employment oppotunities for the youths that are toiling in the education system for the purpose of gaining knowledge that would transform to food on their plates and making a living. however due to the harsh economic situation in the region, youths eventually see no use in enduring the years and more so, spending money to go to school to go and attain a qualification that will collect dust in wardrobes and suitcases without being effectively utilised. this demotivating dire situation contributes to school dropouts and those who would rather do side deals to make a living. 

But despite considering the social dynamics faced by the youth of today in Bulawayo and matabeleland, one should also explore what the youth can do to not be victims but be leaders and shapers of their own destiny. 

The answer according to Zwelibanzi Ndlovu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stop to Start is a change in perceptions, the youth in particular should see opportunities in hopelessness and seek to fill them instead of dispersing to South Africa and so on. In that way the victim mentality that dogs the region will begin to fade away