explained that attendance at the rallies did not necessarily translate into registered voters. Traditionally in Zimbabwean politics, youth have been largely apathetic and have not exercised their right to vote. Representatives from Zimbabwe’s National Association of Youth Organisations noted that young people have felt politically disenfranchised. The youth within political parties were often side-lined, and youth wings were used primarily to add legitimacy to governing policies. This has led to varying levels of frustration, which has translated to young persons deciding to run as independent candidates. Youth organisations expressed views that previous elections and campaigns in Zimbabwe have been characterised in the context of the liberation struggle and the ethos of black empowerment. This reflects the popular belief of older generations, especially some war veterans, who tend to affiliate good and effective leadership with persons coming out of the liberation movement. Some young people expressed concern that this attitude locks out young people from leadership and decisionmaking processes, and further illustrates the divide between the priorities of young and older voters. In the lead up to the 2018 Harmonised Elections, there was a concerted effort from civil society, youth organisations and the ZEC to encourage youth electoral participation and most importantly to improve the electoral literacy of young voters. The ZEC made use of targeted TV commercials and other audio/visual communications to create dynamic messaging across media platforms, including social media. Meanwhile, social media is becoming more prominent among the youth, with an internet penetration rate of 50.8 per cent according to the International Telecommunication Union 2017 Annual Report on Sub-Saharan Africa. Social media has allowed many young persons to have direct access to the country’s leadership and share important information in a timely manner. Furthermore, social media has been used as a platform to rally around issues and concerns, while also playing a significant role in capturing the youth vote. In the pre-election period, several organisations like Heal Zimbabwe tried to engage the youth in peace campaigns and peace pledges, using the hashtag #13MilVoices4Peace, encouraging young people to shun political violence. However, in many instances, social media action has not translated into political action. Concerted efforts are required to ensure an increased number of youths are registered as voters and participate in the electoral process. Despite these efforts, youth leaders from the Youth Empowerment Transformation Trust (YETT) and the National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO), in their briefing to the Observer Group, expressed frustration with and suspicion of the electoral management system. They further noted that the National Youth Council, which has the mandate to empower young people across the political spectrum, was perceived as biased and partisan and did not broadly reflect the interests of the 28