When young people commence the long, tortuous and torturous journey in education they are often told that education is a key that opens doors to opportunities. As a result, many commit themselves to go all the way in the process getting separated from their families hence causing them to lead lonely and depressed lives in search of this kind of divine key.
Many who enrol in schools far from their homes have to contend with walking very long distances to and from schools every weekday having to brave chilly weather, rainstorms, serial rapists and ritual murderers. Similarly, many have to contend with abusive teachers and administrators while others eventually develop a range of mental disorders occasioned by the stressful school life in the burning desire to get an education and unlock countless opportunities.
Thus, getting an education and in particular, earning a university or college degree takes a lot of time, commitment and willingness to conquer a myriad of challenges. It involves a trade-off between starting one’s working life at the earliest opportunity as an unskilled worker and delaying one’s working life for many years in order to get certificated. This trade-off is made in anticipation of bigger things to come especially the expectation that the ultimate rewards for delaying one’s life in order to get an education are priceless and satisfying.
This partly explains why we so often throw huge graduation parties and celebrate our achievements at the end of the journey. Our families, friends, relatives and former teachers or lecturers heartily and joyfully celebrate with us to mark the successful completion of the tough journey and opening of opportunities for a great life ahead. The awarding of the academic degree marks the climatic point of the long journey towards glory.
When such efforts are not rewarded promptly, graduates’ lives become understandably wretched and their dreams go up in smoke. The graduates feel betrayed and justifiably aggrieved. This is the reason why unemployment is generally regarded as an economic problem but youth unemployment, especially graduate unemployment is singled out as a potent concoction capable of instigating a rebellion.
The phenomenon of youth unemployment in Botswana is well documented though it would seem that government treats it just like any other economic or social problem. In many parts of the world, governments have committed themselves to aggressively dealing with this challenge hence many have a dedicated Action Plan on youth employment. This is in recognition that youth unemployment is a time bomb whose detonation is imminent.
It should be noted that the youth all over the world are dynamic actors in the political landscape and should never be taken lightly. Essentially they are ambitious and full of inflated dreams and do not take it kindly when their dreams are frustrated. They are combative and sometimes reckless in pursuit of their seemingly childish dreams, which is why they so often resort to seditious acts to express their feelings and extort empathy. It is for this reason that we should not be surprised that in recent times Botswana is starting to experience agroundswell of discontentment.
The government is warned that if the problem of youth unemployment is not addressed as a matter of urgency or should the government continue with its business as usual attitude, Botswana is braced for Arab Spring-styled rebellion. In ‘Lessons from Sebina: protests do force the government to act and so must be organized frequently’, the Badge of Courage demonstrated that protests ÔÇô peaceful or violent- generate excitement and raise social and political awareness. It was also demonstrated that protests bring people together to express their grievances in some ways revealing beyond any shadow of doubt that government can only serve the weak if it is pushed against a wall.
President Dr Khama recently revealed that there will be no more new vacancies in the civil service due to budgetary constraints. Considering that prospect of private sector employment have remained limited mainly due to the economy’s failure to diversify, a stagnated public sector employment spell doom for unemployed young Batswana more especially graduates. The situation is worsened by the reality that existing state-sponsored programs targeting the youth have tended to be temporary and do not specifically target the most potent segment of this population, the graduates, who believe that their degrees and diplomas entitle them to a better life, at least according to popular wisdom.
Relatedly, the living standards of those tending these unemployed youth ÔÇô their parents, brothers, sisters and guardians ÔÇô have suffered an abrupt decline leading to extremely harsh living conditions. This is in addition to the worsening living standards of ordinary citizens since 2008 due to stagnated wages that have seen tragic decline in their purchasing power.
A combination of youth unemployment that compromises the dignity of young people more especially graduates; generally declining standards of living and increased authoritarianism means that necessary and sufficient conditions for a rebellion have brewed. There is frustration everywhere; palpable anger and a growing tide of resentment. Batswana, especially the youth, are sincerely concerned that Botswana is digressing in all fronts. Personal freedoms have been slashed with entertainment, young people’s treasured pursuit and stress-busting pastime having taken the severest knock. Batswana generally, and the youth in particular are no longer passive and cannot be taken for granted. In fact, they are just waiting for an opportunity to explode.
Recent spontaneous and disorganized protests by unemployed youth and the Police’s heavy-handed intervention by sjamboking and detaining the protesters have been effective in gradually breaking the erstwhile barriers of fear that has limited popular action against indifference and excesses of the state. These seemingly unprovoked spontaneous and peaceful acts, however disorganized they may appear, are a clear sign that expression of dissent among the youth is intensifying. Their persistence clash with the security forces and resolve to disregard the Botswana Police Service warning against use of social media to attack, belittle, disparage and brazenly insult the leadership of the country is an unambiguous show of defiance.
The youth are very much aware that the challenge is no more for the government to accommodate them, but for the youth to gather courage to organize themselves to face to their challenges and make Botswana a better place for all. And indeed they are gaining necessary courage and are quickly getting emboldened individually and collectively in ways that point to their readiness to risk torture and jail in their quest for workable policies that would inspire the economy to create jobs or awaken Batswana to bring about regime change. They are getting ready to fight fire with fire and all that is left is for the often bored, overzealous and trigger-happy security agencies to set the country on fire.
