Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) is calling for a reduction of retirement age to at least 55 for youth empowerment and participation in a communique to the incoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson Hage Geingob, who is also the President of Namibia.
The call comes as SADC documents estimate the unemployment rates in the Southern African region to be approximately more than 40% of the active population, with the youth constituting a majority of the figure (15-24 years of age).
“The declining rates in employment are exacerbated by a number of challenges,” the Draft Implementation Plan SADC Employment and Labour Protocol 2017-2020 says. “One such impediment is slow rate of domestication and operationalisation of regional instruments by SADC member states.”
The communique, which brings in the issues raised at the 2018 SADC People Summit in Windhoek, goes on to say the region should also address in the reduction of age at which one is eligible to contest in presidential elections to 30 years.
Besides the reduction of retirement age, SAPSN also calls for sustainable youth economic empowerment programmes/fund and set an average salary wage for employees.
The Southern African network that gathers developmental organisations calls for an active desk for youth and children at SADC Secretariat for self-representation and support organic youth social movements.
“… In the same vein all SADC governments to set up an ICT fund, increase investments in education, health, agriculture and ensure academic freedoms,” SAPSN says.
“Explore youth employment and financing opportunity in the renewable energy sector done through SACREE and revive the SADC water youth network.”
SACREEE (SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency) was established by the SADC Member States in 2015 to contribute towards increased access to modern energy services and improved energy security across the region.
Although SAPSN calls for a reduction of age at which one is eligible to contest in presidential elections to 30 years in the SADC, Zimbabwe’s current ruling party legislature Joseph Chinotimba wants the aspiring candidates to be at 55 or 60 years.
Zimbabwe’s presidential aspiring candidate’s age limit is 40 years.
“I want the presidential age limit to change from 40 years to 55 or 60 years. I am going to introduce this motion in Parliament. This is because some of the presidential candidates are very young; they are not yet mature to lead this nation,” Chinotimba is quoted in a local newspaper.
Africa’s youngest President is Joseph Kabila, aged 43, who took over power in the Democratic Republic of Congo after the assassination of his Father, Laurent Desire Kabila and the world youngest is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz at 31 years.
Zimbabwe seems to oppose SAPSN’s calls to reduce the retirement age as the military, two weeks ago, extended the soldiers stopping working years from 65-70.
The average retirement age for Zimbabweans is 60 years.