Jasper Maposa
Jasper Maposa is the Programmes Manager of the Zimbabwe Organization For Youth In Politics (ZOYP) a community-based organisation that is located in Kwekwe. ZOYP is a youth organisation formed in the small mining town of Kwekwe, in the Midlands Province, in December 2009. It began its operations in 2010.
It was formed after realising that young people in Zimbabwean politics are manipulated in many different ways. For instance, they are bribed into committing crimes such as beating up political opponents, kidnapping, killing or causing harm to their property. Often the youth have no idea of the magnitude of the crimes they commit and are caught by surprise when they have to appear in court, are ostracised by society, or suffer cultural related consequences. ZOYP works to ‘conscientize’ the youth on their roles, rights and those of the other people in the community. It also trains them to ambassadors for peace.
Despite the challenges faced, the human rights defenders community in Zimbabwe is well organised, active and broad-based in terms of issues and actors involved. It includes NGOs, faith-based groups, human rights lawyers, student activists, social movements, community-level activists, trade unionists and members of the political opposition. Womens’ rights defenders are prominent.
