Open ParlyZW is an online platform determined to bridge the gap between politicians and Zimbabwe’s youth. Recognising that young people constitute over 60% of the country’s population, Open ParlyZW strives to empower them with knowledge and tools for active political engagement.
“We want young people to be involved, to understand what is going on in their own country and know that they can be part of creating a brighter future” says Lynette Manzini, Chief Editor of Open ParlyZW, who broke new ground in Zimbabwea by pioneering live streaming of parliamentary sessions and creating new spaces for public debate.
Open ParlyZW’s mission extends beyond mere content dissemination. Through platforms on YouTube, Facebook and X they actively cultivate youth participation in the democratic process through various initiatives. By facilitateing online discussions, interviewing politicians in the show ‘Meet the candidate’ and letting young people question and hold officials accountable in another show youth are encouraged to take an active interest in the country’s politics. Open ParlyZW also offers programmes in local languages, hosted by journalism students where young people together can discuss current events and host question-and-answer sessions, bringing their questions directly in front of Parliament.
“We have learned that young people are not interested in reading voluminous texts, so we always break down information to bite-size chunks and disseminate them via social media channels as well as our website,” says Lynette Manzini.
During the recent elections in August 2023, Open ParlyZW actively supported youth engagement through extensive voter information, coverage of election campaigns and live streaming on the day of the election, keeping voters informed throughout the process. The live streaming offered updates from across the country on voting irregularities. A much debated issue was that of polling stations in several opposition strongholds not opening until late in the evening due to missing ballot papers.
“During the 2023 election voting day, we heard that the election management body, The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), were printing ballot papers as voters were standing in the queues at the polling stations, causing severe delays. After interrogating the issue, we uncovered that ZEC lied when they a week before the commission claimed that they were ready. As a result, young people could hold them accountable when facing them at the polling stations,” says Lynette Manzini.
By making parliamentary proceedings accessible and fostering youth participation, Open Parly is playing a crucial role in strengthening Zimbabwe’s democracy. The platform’s innovative approach empowers young people to become informed and engaged citizens, shaping a more transparent and accountable political future. The project expanded by launching local ‘Open Councils’, as well as on the continent with the launch of Zambia (Open Parly ZED), Nigeria (Open Parly Nigeria) and Somalia (Kalfadhi.com).
