PRESIDENT Michael Sata has directed the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to accelerate the opening up of more training centres to accommodate more youths for skills training so that the youths can be resourceful and create jobs for themselves.
Mr Sata said key on the list of responsibilities of ZNS was the training of youths in life sustaining skills.
He said the huge influx of youths during the selection of each intake should be a constant reminder to the Commandant that there were a lot of youths out there who needed to be equipped with skills and create job opportunities.
He said this during the commissioning parade for the ZNS officer cadets of intake 03 of 2012 held at the ZNS training camp in Kafue yesterday.
The 136 officer cadets with a 30 per cent gender representation had undergone 13 months of military training at the camp.
“My Government is cognisant of the fact that for this youth skills training programme to have a significant impact on the country’s high unemployment levels, the youth need to be empowered with tools and resources after they complete their training to help them easily integrate back into society,” he said.
He said the task ahead was obviously enormous and Government was looking forward to partnering with various stakeholders in ensuring that the quest to urgently address this problem was expedited.
Mr Sata said Government considered ZNS as a strategic organisation that was well placed to help his administration address developmental challenges the country was facing.
He said Government was aware of the challenges that ZNS was facing even as they had been given a mandate to produce food for the nation.
He said Government was speedily working at mechanising production activities to build capacity and triple the food production levels to maximise on national food security.
Mr Sata wanted to see a service that was able to produce food to the satisfaction of the Zambian people and the surplus exported to neighbouring countries.
“I therefore expect all ZNS personnel including you who are passing out today to make food production a very serious matter like you do when you are on military operation.
“Government and the people of Zambia have placed so much confidence in your ability to help transform the economy of this country and we want to see you achieve this,” he said.
He commended ZNS for the work it was doing in constructing feeder roads as this would go a long way in opening up rural areas for easy access to markets.
He advised the officer cadets not to be complacent as they embarked on their duty as Government expected a lot from them and encouraged them to add value to the service that they had joined.
ZNS Commandant Nathan Mulenga said ZNS was aware of the challenges in youth unemployment and that the service was ready to expand the youth skills training programme from the current two centres to all the provinces of Zambia to increase the number of trained youths to enable them have a better life.
He said at the moment there were 344 males at Chiwoko in Eastern province and 192 females in Kitwe undergoing youth training.
He told the commissioned officers that they came to ZNS to render service to the Zambian people and advised them to be loyal, patriotic non-partisan, hard working, dedicated, committed and disciplined to form part of their make up or they would be off loaded and dropped out of the service.
He thanked President Sata for the goodwill that was being shown to ZNS through the funding of various projects in order to improve productivity.
He said the ZNS through the Link-Zambia 8000 had opened 262 km of road network in Msanzala constituency in Eastern province.
On the food production Lieutenant General Mulenga said the service had produced 32, 754 bags of maize and 13, 236 bags of soya beans , which have since been sold to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and private buyers respectively.
He appealed to the President to help them acquire a milling plant for them to add value to the maize and wheat so that they could assist in stabilising mealie-meal prices.
This is not employment – it’s police state! As long as these guys are not productive and create their luck as in engaging in farming they are just a drain on our national coffers. Disband the ZNS – not required!
Which police state ? Muleikalafye ngatamukwete ifyakulanda.
You are truely confused!!.Your thinking is miopic and very retrogressive.ZNS is not part of the police and ZNS produces a lot of food.They have chickens farms,they grow maize and cabbage while you are most likely sweeping some street where you are.Grow up man and be real!!
The problem is that it has become a habit for people to shoot down anything coming from PF or Sata especially among the online comunity.Let us give praise where it is due and not just hating ,no wonder we won`t develop because we don`t look at the bigger picture.The national service program is a very good program.I`m glad the president has realized this fact.
Confused.com you are spot on. Govt activities generally destroy the real productive industries which is the private sector. But it is ironic to know that real solutions to unemployment and economic stagnation are very unpopular to people not only in Zambia but the rest of world. People generally want the govt involvement in the economy because it appears logical and beneficial, but countries that have made it are those that have reduced govt involvement in the economy like, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. And the so called developed countries who have expanded govt involvement and programs in their economies have accumulated huge debts and are close to bankruptcy, countries like US, Greece, UK & Japan.
What a relief to some of us who know these things!!! Finally somebody summoned up courage to tell the president how to put on a commander in Chief uniform. That is how you wear a military belt and not in the waist. No wonder it fell of last time. The belt needs to be across the belly and not waist.
At least my shame is now taken away. Now at can look at the president in uniform without hurting my eyes
THE BELT MUST BE HORIZONTAL. OPEN YOUR EYES
Can someone please spot the differences in the pictures where male cadets are receiving their awards?? Are their any differences in the body language of the president, his body guards and the way he presents the awards???? Same or difference?? Body language can say a lot about what is going on in the mind of a person. Assess and conclude. Nuff said!
same old story. so sata thinks that he can only remain relevant to zed by making a continious chain of unatainable promises.
Nice pictures. Refreshing for a Change. Sata looks fit again.
Confused.com : possibly you are young to know that ZNS was formed with the view to train youths to enhance them with practical /military skills. I’m not trying to be sarcastic at one point many people used to call them cabbage growers. This is even what the prisons used to be producing foodstuffs. Therefore confused as per your name this is part of employment and not what you said
The ZNS Commandant Lieutenant General and the aide in the black suit should polish their shoes for such events!
yeah, I’m with you.
You know what they say about a man’s shoes and his character. Apart from that its sloppy for the head honcho to have scuffed shoes.
I can see sense in what the president has said.The ZNS program if well implemented can prove very vital to our economy.I have a friend who was some kind of an outcast in society but after he found himself in the program a big transformation has taken place in his life.The guy is now an accomplished bricklayer. ZNS gave him a lease of life when society and his family had given up on him.Now he is a responsible married guy with a beautiful family.The ZNS guys can also come in handy in situations where people have to be evacuated during flood and relief food distribution.What about buying them proper equipment too so that they can rehabilitate our roads and build those bridges and Pontoons in a proper and cheaper way ? These guys can play a big role in shaping the course of our economy.
Spot on bro.If only all Zambians were thinking like you.It is relief knowing that there are still some people using their brains out there.While others are busy talking about the presidents uniform and shoes you,you have shown objectivity.Keep it up
but….but…talking about the president’s uniform is more fun! And don’t forget the shoes – now there’s a topic I could spend hours talking about!
@Lumbani Zambia
Take a chill pill – there’s people a lot more intelligent/experienced than you that understand and appreciate lighter moments. Not everything has to be deadly serious all the time. Alternatively have some s*x.
# imwe ba Comfused.com for sure you are Comfused. Which police state. Tawaile na National Service what do you know, go and sit down my friend.
Too, too late the hero, the ship sunk yesterday, the captain was badly battered by the assistants and is lying in hospital. Condition was described as stable….
Currently visiting Kalomo hospital not happy with structure bt one local said a better one was being constructed up the road,to my surprise he quickly outlined these are MMD projects.,ZNS thanks sata for making funding available thats Govt Gud will towards youth training and empowerment if GOvt wants they can stop such projects and move cash to other things like travel expenses.Lets give credit where due.
Who else finds it bizarre to see african presidents in military attire even if they have never served in the military or belong a communist league of the 1960’s. Even China, Cuba, and North Korea, their leaders no longer don military gear for such parades. Why are we still living memories of the communist era? Just because Kaunda wore one, then all should wear one.
@what a life! damn right get a life. First-off Myopic is not spelt like this ‘miopic’ secondly, I haven’t got the bandwidth and time to waste and you haven’t got the capacity to understand that the ZNS falls under the home security arm of the defence force with full rules of engagement training. These are men and we women in uniform not boy scouts.They carry guns and have full military drills. Zambia is 3 & half times bigger than the UK with a population 5 times less than that of the UK. We have more than adequate land arable at that for farming. Remove the rhetoric, strip the uniform, dismantle the red tape and employ these guys in the mainstream agricultural industry. Otherwise, it’s counter productive as spend to keep the ZNS afloat is a drain on the state. Copper is a wasting…
Sata is busy issuing directives blindly when his finance minister is telling us that there is no money….where is he going to get the funds from and was this budgeted? Its these costly ill-informed selfsame directives that are putting us in debt. If at all, these people met in cabinet meetings he would have known better but its evidently clear that these people NEVER meet; its all confusion confusion and confusion.
@pafwanamwine, I hope I got the spelling of your name right. I like your approach and I respect that. I am offering my free consultative advice to those that may be a little under informed or confused as to what is the status quo. Therefore, don’t confuse my name as an implication to my input. I am here to enlighten the uninformed and in turn receive enlightment hence the ? in front of my pseudonym. The ZNS is dead in the woods story and a drain on resources. There is nothing wrong in growing cabbages. Change it to ZNFS (Zambia National Farming Service) drop the uniform and the guns, grab a pick and shovel to turn Zambia into a grain field and bread basket. We don’t need big spend on military gear.
http://zamlaws.zambia.co.zm/laws_view.php?chapter=121
@pafwanamwine, I hope I got the spelling of your name right. I like your approach and I respect that. I am offering my free consultative advice to those that may be a little under informed or confused as to what is the status quo. Therefore, don’t confuse my name as an implication to my input. I am here to enlighten the uninformed and in turn receive enlightment hence the ? in front of my pseudonym. The ZNS is dead in the woods story and a drain on resources. There is nothing wrong in growing cabbages. Change it to ZNFS (Zambia National Farming Service) drop the uniform and the guns, grab a pick and shovel to turn Zambia into a grain field and bread basket. We don’t need big spend on military gear.
1http://zamlaws.zambia.co.zm/laws_view.php?chapter=121 (remove 1 from http://)
@pafwanamwine, I hope I got the spelling of your name right. I like your approach and I respect that. I am offering my free consultative advice to those that may be a little under informed or confused as to what is the status quo. Therefore, don’t confuse my name as an implication to my input. I am here to enlighten the uninformed and in turn receive enlightment hence the ? in front of my pseudonym. The ZNS is dead in the woods story and a drain on resources. There is nothing wrong in growing cabbages. Change it to ZNFS (Zambia National Farming Service) drop the uniform and the guns, grab a pick and shovel to turn Zambia into a grain field and bread basket. We don’t need big spend on military gear.
1http://zamlaws.zambia.co.zm/laws_view.php?chapter=121 (remove 1 from 1http://)
Thanks LT for these photos. I love one of Africa’s most disciplined army, ZNDF. I miss you guys! I always enjoyed watching your bands play during international football matches and show grounds!
@pafwanamwine, I hope I got the spelling of your name right. I like your approach and I respect that. I am offering my free consultative advice to those that may be a little under informed or confused as to what is the status quo. Therefore, don’t confuse my name as an implication to my input. I am here to enlighten the uninformed and in turn receive enlightment hence the ? in front of my pseudonym. The ZNS is dead in the woods story and a drain on resources. There is nothing wrong in growing cabbages. Change it to ZNFS (Zambia National Farming Service) drop the uniform and the guns, grab a pick and shovel to turn Zambia into a grain field and bread basket. We don’t need big spend on military gear.
zamlaws chapter 121 ZNS …….check it out!
You are really confused dot com. Go wach those who watch amadog in Zambia. Police state? Everyone I have met visiting Zambia love it. Be patriotic and take away your ignorance plz.
I meant watch, so don’t talk to me too about my spelling. Really mental case.
Nothing wrong he is the commander in chief. There is a rope you can use it if you don’t like him Kimbadisgust..
There is a proverb that says “He who does not appreciate is a child of a witch!” Dogwatchers in Zambia, I wonder which witch?
@iye, pound for pound, toe to toe, synapses to synapses nor number of convolutions making up your grey matter – you can’t touch me. Catch me if you can. You are a typical Zambian who like to shoot down ideas when you have non to offer whatsoever! I ain’t even sure of what you are on about! What’s in a name? I didn’t not in any way say Zambia was not a great holiday destination not at all! Don’t have a brain of a fish that forgets in nanoseconds that the food it tried to eat was a bait. Where have you been? Have you not seen the behaviour of ZNS killing an unarmed family man recently, heavy presence of riot police in recent times. Kabimba vs GBM standoff causing more panic than peace in the country. Engage oblongata before opening your gob. Do you get me?
Is it the quality of bloggers dropping? who has given these kaponyas access to the Internet. You won’t find Kabimba here – so on ya bikes! Where are the regulars? I am outta here!
Good bye bro.It is better for you. Spending your time writing this crap ain`t too good for you.Spending time arguing this nonsense won`t pay your bills.
Yeah! go to hell…
Just a pet hate I keep seeing…..match and march are not the same in meaning, though they sound the same (homonym).
Confused.com and Commonsense make a lot of sense. Their contributions are the best.
1. Grow more Soy for their muscle build-up. They are malnourished-looking
2. Give them more physical work-outs. They look like they could hurt themselves carrying those guns!
3. Adjust their uniforms to fit – Once they’ve built their muscle-mass.
4. Do not order one-size-fits-all hats. Their heads are swimming in them
5. Get them to work on huge note-worthy projects – it will build their self-esteem
And Michael you win the century’s first prize for the following:
1.burying head in sand
2. Ignoring the biggest elephant in the room ever!
LT can you fix this flag sh!t? The last time I looked, I was living and thriving in the US of A, NOT Canada.
Fixed it myself.
PF with their band-aid solutions. Good military training to take over the useless BOMA.
Good Advice Mr President!
I need to surrender my loafing unemployed relatives and friends to ZNS for fine tuning!
I am with you on this one beloved Commander in Chief!
We need to appreciate the Bhuddist Economy which is not very different from the Jewish Economy!
Work builds character! Maybe the Chinese would help in Character building!
Unfortunately, this will be an uphill battle since we have a population that has already embraced laziness, stealing and drunkenness!
When I look around, I see a lot of work, and yet all our people can do is to be idle and cry for work and Jobs? It is not Government’s Job to create Jobs!!!
What is wrong with kaponyas accessing the internet? If anything the internet is an essential item or must be an essential commodity in every home! Most of them are unemployed youths with no basic skills to improve their lives and those around them. We need to support the government in creating jobs, training them in different areas and sponsoring them to start businesses. I think some of us have overstayed for too long in the developed world that you lose touch of what the real issues are in Zambia. While you brag about your American this and that…think about one kaponya who has a young family and also supports his other relatives, some of them sick and others disabled etc
The improved cinch knot is very effective for attaching a lure or hook in your fishing line. Put the fishing line with the hook and switch it 5 times. Then you grab the end on the line and said with the hole on the first coil. Finish the knot by pulling the end with the loop as tightly since you can.