CDF should be utilised to meaningfully empower youths-Ndola Mayor

Ndola City Mayor Jones Kalyati has said the skills development component of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) should be utilised to meaningfully empower youths.

Ndola City Council has officially handed over funds to institutions that enrolled students who successfully applied for skills development bursaries under the Constituency Development Fund of 2022 in Chifubu, Ndola Central and Bwana Mkubwa Constituency.

Dr. Kalyati has told the Central Government that there is urgent need to consider promoting training youths in skills that don’t make them educated loafers.

He discouraged the heavy equipment handling training many youths on the Copperbelt are undertaking using CDF sponsorship saying there is little equipment and the trained youths will just end up with no jobs with their acquired skill.

Dr. Kalyati advocated Agriculture as one of the many viable skills youths can learn using CDF.

The Ndola Mayor has urged the government to support training in sectors such as agriculture for youths that are being supported through CDF.

Dr. Kalyati said this should be done because agriculture is more viable than training in heavy equipment handling when there is little equipment and the trained youths just end up with no jobs with their acquired skill.

He said the component in CDF sponsorship involves training in heavy equipment operations that include bulldozers, frontend loaders and graders among others and the Mayor is of the view that the money being put into this kind of training to a large extent is wasted as those trained end up unemployed.

Dr Kalyati questioned how many graders and other heavy equipment exists to absorb all those trained from across the country.

“Every Constituency is training hundreds per year. Where will they go where they will find such a huge amount of equipment? There is plenty of need for agricultural produce the world over, people are thirsty for tomatoes, people are thirsty for flowers, chilli and a lot more agricultural products,” he said.

He advises that those in charge must take advantage of the presidency opening up business opportunities between Zambia and Congo.

“There’s a huge market for agricultural products, Congo should be the number one market to absorb agricultural products. Agriculture training is very key,” he said.

He added that President Hakainde Hichilema has called for enhanced business between Zambia and the neighbouring country and this must be taken advantage of.

Meanwhile the Ndola Mayor has called on TEVETA to publish all institutions that are legal and can train people on CDF sponsorship.

Commenting on a recent statement issued by TEVETA over some institutions that are purporting to be TEVETA registered but are not, Kaliati said a list should be brought out and investigate and penalise those wanting.

“We should not see criminality happen and let it pass or else we end up being worse than the criminals themselves. We do not want bogus institutions to take advantage of the CDF skills development component to swindle the government.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Kalyati said he is contesting the PF party presidency despite calls from some party members.

“I wholeheartedly express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all comrades in and outside the party who expressed confidence in me and advised that I should throw my weight in the race to the top job of the party with clear thoughts that I stood a better chance to scoop the 2026 presidential bid on my beloved party,” he said.

“I am aware that the world over is looking for the younger generation to take over leadership but also a clear track record of experience, understanding and skill. I surely appreciate and know that I fall within the bracket as a student from the Michael Chilufya Sata School of politics. I chose to concentrate on the role that the people of Ndola have honoured me with. Mine is for now to reassure the people of Ndola with high level commitment to work for them. I will support and work with the one the party will give the mandate to be our leader,” he told Smart Eagles.

“What I however will not rule out is the fact that I am available to work in any capacity my party feels to assign me. Further I advise the one that will be chosen to embrace those that will not make it and help them get positions in the highest body of the party according to their abilities and gifts as this is what will make us strong further. May the love of God be the anchor in the party? I wish to congratulate my fellow mayors and comrades Mpasa Mwaya, Patrick Chishala and Theresa Kolala for having been elevated to the position of Members of the Central Committee of the Patriotic front. I wish them well in their new roles and capacities.”