Independence as a concept and practice evokes scenarios of self-determination. The quest to be free, to be able to do what pleases you most - given that it does not outrage others rather too much - is a yearning that every youth desires. Thus, independence for a youth entails the availability of opportunities to fulfill one's potential.
Chatting to some youth on what independence means for them, one gets a version of that line from the 1776 American declaration of Independence 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness'. Independence to young people, borders on the ability to fulfill one's dreams and the promise of ones life, with the facilitation of such by the great men and women that the votes of ordinary people have so transformed into.

For Kabelo Ditsebe, a 29-year-old self-employed youth, independence is about "my freedom to choose for myself how I wish to live" and to know that "I am in control of my own destiny. Not where some person barks instructions at me on what I should be doing". He further says independence for him cannot be separated from an ability to make a living through gainful employment.

"I feel as a young person living in an independent country we need to be given opportunities to work and be productive. But as it is, if you do not know somebody somewhere, your chances are very slim. You have people who went to university but still are no different from those who did not. Some places they ask for many years of experience that you do not have forgetting that they too started somewhere," he says.

Further, independence for him ought to be coupled with being respected and held in dignity. "Many of our young people do not work; some young women are even into prostitution. Some of them do not stand by the street corner at night, but have to depend on elderly men to fend for them in exchange of sexual favours. The young men resort to stealing and crime is so high because they have so much energy, but few things through which to channel such energy," Kabelo says.

Asking him if it is anybody's fault that they do not work somewhat agitates him and responds with uncharacteristic seriousness since we met, "you think its fun when you have to snatch people's purses to survive? It is not, those people also wish to live in big houses and drive good cars, but they do not have jobs to help them live such lives. Why do you think they do not rob poor people's homes mostly? Some of them are tired of regrets and are angry."

Meanwhile, for Segomotso Ngongorego, a University of Botswana student, independence is 'time to celebrate our achievements'. "There is a difference from the time when we were colonised even though I was not born by then. Colonialism was like imprisonment,we were not free to make decisions for ourselves, now we can use our resources in whichever ways we feel are appropriate for our people," she says. 

On what it means particularly to youth she says it is about the extension of spaces for youth to participate in decision-making, especially on issues that affect them. "As a young people, we are aware of our rights and they are largely respected. We also are able to contribute in decision-making, even at national level, every individual is allowed to choose their own leaders and as such have themselves to blame if the people they choose to represent them do not do so adequately," she argues.

She is not happy though with the tendency with which we choose to copy what we see happening in other countries without first looking at our own particular situation. "There are those times when certain things are done, like I heard on radio this morning somebody justifying a new policy on that, it is done in other countries. That is not enough reason for us to do it too. Independence must mean true independence, we must stop blindly copying what other countries do, we ought to make our own free decisions and choices and come up with suitable ideas for our own development," she explains her position.

The social work student feels we ought to invest more in our children. "I feel this country needs to focus more on its children. Most are losing their potential. There is need to teach them life skills at an early stage. It's of no use to let them commit crimes then punishing them after the fact.  We must teach them such that they can make the right choices, sort of prevent bad choices. If the need arises take them to court or prison to see how unpleasant life can be if you do wrong things. Kids learn from examples they see," she says.

As the country celebrates its 43 years of independence, she argues there is need for redirection of our efforts at curbing HIV/AIDS. "A lot has been done on HIV/AIDS, it is time to preach change in attitudes, while at the same time we do our own research into finding a cure. I suspect if the western world was as hard hit by this virus they would have found a cure by now. That is why it is important for us to make all possible efforts to find a cure or some vaccine for HIV/AIDS."

Some are, however, not as excited and optimistic, and it is hugely not out of choice but what they see as a hugely exclusionary system that accommodates those with 'contacts'. "It (Independence) means nothing to me really. I am not excited. I feel we do not have enough opportunities in this country.  I do not have much challenges leading to opportunity. It's like I am born, schooled at various institutions then expected to go work. It's like life ends as I go for higher education. There is no room for those with special talents to explore them. This country offers no room for exploration and not conforming. So Independence Day is just another day for me," Oarabile Machola says with a grain of indifference.

She further decries the lack of equality in opportunities for most youth simply because they do not have access to certain people that others have access to because of familial ties with people who 'matter'.

"One area is education; I know my parents should help out, but I feel we are not having equal opportunities and there aren't enough sponsorship avenues. You cannot make a break through unless you are well- connected. There are no opportunities for transformation and growth," she elaborates.

The youth lack role models and mentors who are committed to their welfare, or so Machola feels. "We need lots of guidance, but nobody really cares. We have few opportunities to be heard and have no mentors. Mentorship is not held in high esteem in this country even though we need it. Also, as women, we have low self-esteem. We have to be encouraged and assisted,"

One may add that in many cases as well, the youth lack people who can be exemplary, often times they are corrupted even by those who should guide and protect them.
The question then becomes, after 43 years of independence, have we seen a development trajectory that is broad-based and inclusive or have we seen one where a huge number of people are excluded? If the answer is a broadly exclusionary one, then the problems we are facing are a creation of our own. It is for us to deal with those criminals, it is for us to deal with those deemed immoral and it is for us to deal with the anger of the excluded.

In the end, many youth still ponder, what independence if I cannot be able to fend for myself, what independence if I cannot have dignified housing and other opportunities necessary for the fulfillment of the promise of independence; which is self- determination. A poor person can never be free, for they mortgage their soul to fill their bellies.

Meanwhile, they eat forgetting that we are hungry, and angry. Bob Marley said it; 'them bellyful but we hungry, a hungry man is an angry man!'