Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Boys wait to wash dishes in a suburb of Harare. Photo: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images
HARARE — For the first time in their lives, young Zimbabweans will be able to vote Monday in a closely contested election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot.
The bigger picture: More than 20 candidates — all first-time contenders — are running for the top post, each promising jobs and better living standards. Many of the youth say the promise of better employment prospects will drive them to the voting booths on election day.
- To encourage more voters to turn up in this election, youth groups and non-governmental organisations have held music concerts and mass registration drives, pushing the message that young voters can change the country's destiny.
- Astor Chingwa is a first-time voter hoping that this election will bring a change in his fortunes. Ever since he finished high school last year, he, along with many unemployed Zimbabwean youths, has been looking for work but to no avail.
- "I don't feel anything when it comes to casting my vote for the first time, but I'm excited about the elections," Chingwa said, his eyes glowing. "Things could be better. I don't know what the future holds. We have suffered for a long time and I hope this election brings change," he said.
Go deeper: Read the full Al Jazeera report.