The mountain kingdom of Lesotho held elections last week, and the results were telling. This small, land-locked, impoverished country that held out at the time of the formation of the Union of South Africa, has a tumultuous political history, replete with coups and political murders. It is hoped that the new government will bring stability and a return to normality. 

The majority was won by a new party, the Revolution for Prosperity, set up only six months ago by farmer and businessman Sam Matekane. While the political rookie did not win an outright majority, gaining only 56 of the 120 seats in Parliament, a coalition enabled Mr. Matekane to secure the position of Prime Minister in this constitutional monarchy. 

In a first public address, he warned that there is no money in the treasury and that austerity was the way forward. Acknowledging that the substantial participation of the youth was responsible for his win, Matekane promised to push through political reform. He also promised that Ministers and government officials will likewise scale down their lifestyles to save money. And someone tweeted that the results were the revenge of the youth for the treatment they had received in the past. 

This is quite reminiscent of the inaugural speech by incoming President William Ruto of Kenya, who, although a lifelong politician, managed to present himself as an outsider to mobilize the youth vote. He, too, warned his electorate that they should expect vote-buying subsidies and other unsustainable perks to stop in a move back to economic sanity. 

In Malawi, the 2020 elections saw a similar, substantial youth turnout resulting in a dramatic change in the political environment, though it is not yet clear if there had been great improvement in the access of the youth to economic and societal advancement. 

In Zambia, a businessman, Hakainde Hichilema, elected President by an unexpectedly massive youth turnout at the 2021 polls, promised the youth that policies to develop the access of young people to the economy and to education remain a priority for his government.

Already opposition leaders in South Africa and Zimbabwe are crowing about the coming defeat of the long-sitting parties at the hands of an eventual youth rebellion in upcoming elections. In both countries, the large young populations are notoriously apathetic and uninvolved in politics. Leaders that succeed in mobilizing this tranche of the electorate are sure to reap the benefits. 

 It is your future! Get involved, register, vote!