Zimbabwe presidential hopefuls use music, stars to woo crucial youth vote

Supporters of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa cheer at a rally ahead of the 2023 general elections on August 23, at Robert Gabriel Mugabe Square in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo

HARARE (Reuters) - The local version of Jamaican dancehall has become the unofficial soundtrack of Zimbabwe's presidential election as candidates go all out to woo a key generation of voters who were children when long-time ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted six years ago.

But while many young voters have been energised by a high-tempo campaign featuring pop stars and sporting heroes, a generation that has only known economic chaos and rocketing prices is taking some convincing that real change is possible.