RE: YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

Reference is given to the above stated subject matter.

I am a young Zambian youth, a graduate from the University of Zambia (UNZA). I have decided to write to you on the subject matter as reflected above. I have heard your manifesto and how you intend to provide descent jobs to the youths of Zambia. As you maybe aware, the majority of us youths are unemployed. Statistics indicate that more than 50c/o of the youth population in Zambia is unemployed and most of the youths depend on their vulnerable parents to survive.

The current regime which was voted on the premise that it will absorb youth unemployment among many other promises has failed to deliver what they promised. The majority of us youths are living in abject poverty despite the fact that we have the right educational qualifications. In Zambia today, for a youth to get a descent job it has become a game of connection. You need to be connected to one or two individuals in the corridors of power for you to be given a job. On the other hand, the private sector, has put up tough qualifications especially on the experience part for a graduate to get a job. Most of the jobs that we see around they need 2-7 years experience making it difficult for a young person to get employed.

As a result of this, a good number of our youths end up being frustrated and resort to doing all sorts of things in order to survive. The government seems to have no plan on how to combat this problem.

For those of us who have entrepreneurial skills we do not have the necessary capital to start our own ventures. Am sure you do understand that access to finance especially for small business holders or perhaps startups is a tall order in our nation. I understand that government has a sink fund for youths entrepreneurs but to access this money you need to be connected to power and for some of us we have no relatives in power making it difficult.

1 | PageAs such, I have written this letter to you on behalf of so many youths so that you can explain in clear terms on how you will provide the much needed jobs as well as jump start our businesses when ushered into power. I understand, the majority of us youths we are ready to support anyone including you as long as you tackle this salient issue of unemployment which has rendered us useless in society. You need to tell us the duration in which those jobs will be provided and how you will curb the high levels of nepotism in public offices especially at Public Service Management Division (PSMD). We do not want another fake promise just like the way the Patriotic Front (PF) government did.

We want to assure you that once we evaluate your stance on this matter and if at all it will be feasible enough to address our plight, we are willing to go flat out and campaign for you. We are tired of fake promises and fake politicians who do not even show any concern. All they care about are foreigners who have a high bribing power.

Yous sincerely
Barnabas Robert Zulu Jnr.

Opposition National Democratic Congress Leader Chishimba Kambwili has called on President Edgar Lungu to constitute a Commission of Inquiry to determine whether or not CIVID-19 exists in Zambia.

The opposition Leader has charged that the COVID-19 story in Zambia is a hoax meant to achieve three things by the PF regime namely to block the opposition from engaging their members, disadvantaging the poor by closing their businesses and to attract donor funding.

Mr Kambwili has condemned the President for openly contravening COVID-19 Public Health measures when he traveled to the North Western Province on a three day working visit.

He has said that the COVID-19 figures that have been given by the Ministry of Health are fake and has lamented that the freedom that Freedom fighters fought for has been destroyed by President Edgar Lungu.

Mr Kambwili has wondered how the President who has been preaching adherence to public health measures recently abrogated the same measures by traveling to North Western province where he interacted with the masses and went into markets where he interacted with the people.

He said the behavior of the President who is breaking the law with impunity does not give confidence that there is coronavirus in Zambia.

Mr Kambwili has also charged that the partial lockdowns was a political mission to block the opposition while President Lungu was busy trotting the nation campaigning for the PF.

He has challenged the President to immediately open bars and other places that have remained closed due to COVID-19 as there is seemingly no coronavirus in Zambia saying the effects of the partial lockdown have been bad on the Zambian people and President Lungu’s behavior does not give any hope.

He said what the President has done will haunt him forever and he will do well to allow businesses to operate normally.

Mr Kambwili has also wondered why Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya and his information Counterpart Dora Siliya have remained home when other people testing positive for the pandemic are being quarantined.

He said President Lungu must be ashamed for openly breaking the COVID-19 measures and should resign on moral ground.

Schools in Zambia have reopened for examination classes today after over a month of closure caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Some pupils in grades 7,9 and 12 have reported for class today with measures in some schools checked in Lusaka seemingly in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Pupils entering school premises are all seen wearing face masks while hand washing basins have been placed at school entrances to ensure that pupils wash their hands and sanitize as their temperatures are being checked.
However, some parents especially for grade 7 pupils are reluctant to allow their children back into schools saying current disinfection efforts are not enough to convince them it’s safe.

Those talked to have said that nothing was done in some schools before now to prepare for the reopening of the schools and wondered how the disinfection will now be done with pupils in class.

Others have said that the reopening of schools was I’ll timed as Zambian leaders are struggling to contain the virus, which has infected over 1000 people.

They have expressed fear that schools risk becoming the epicenter of the pandemic.

And the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia says fter monitoring a total of 631 schools across the country, between 22nd and 28th May with their counterparts Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia it has been revealed that three quarters of rural Primary schools are not ready for reopening today.

The two organisations have advised government to give rural primary schools one or two weeks in order for these institutions to receive all protective equipment, be safe and ready for both Teachers and Learners during this devastating period of Covid 19.

They said out of the 631 schools monitored,413 were Primary schools while 218 were Secondary schools.

“308 were rural Schools while 323 were Urban Schools”, they said in a joint statement adding that out of 308 rural Schools visited,290 of them ( 94.2% ) did not have sanitizers,no masks,no temperature recorders, fewer desks ,were not disinfected and had poor sources of water.

They said this makes them fertile environments for spreading and contraction of the Covid 19.

“We are of a considered position that allowing rural primary schools to reopen when they are clearly not ready would be going against the very good and plain guidelines put in place by Ministries of General Education and Health, aimed at fighting the Corona virus”, they added.

They explained that out of 323 Urban Schools visited,298( 92.3%) had put in place measures necessary for reopening except that they all lacked masks and thermometers but because of the advantaging locations and economic standing of most Urban Schools they should go ahead and reopen.

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has named the road adjacent to Football House as Danny Pule Road.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Lusaka Deputy Mayor Christopher Shakafuswa said the Council decided to honor Dr. PULE for his contributions to religious and political development of the city, and the country at large.

Mr. Shakafuswa said the Council has adopted a policy of naming roads after residents of Lusaka who have contributed to the development of the city.

He called on residents who feel that they have any contributions on who should be honored in the same manner to follow Council procedure by submitting the profiles to Lusaka City Council for consideration.

Speaking at the same event, Dr. Pule expressed gratitude to the Mayor of Lusaka for honoring him by naming a road after him.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, M.P, led the Zambian delegation in Lusaka which participated in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers videoconference meeting on Friday, 29th May 2020.

Hon. Kampyongo was representing Hon. Joseph Malanji, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs who was out of town on official duties.

Hon. Kampyongo was accompanied by Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya M.P., Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Hon. Christopher Yaluma, M.P., Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary International Relations and Cooperation Ambassador Chalwe Lombe, Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Budget and Economic Affairs Dr. Emmanuel Pamu, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Technical Services Dr. Kennedy Malama, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Mr. Mushuma Mulenga, and other senior Government officials.

Council deliberated on the implementation of its previous decisions on the fight against COVID-19 in the region.

In this regard, Council directed the Secretariat to convene, this week, a meeting of the expanded multi-sectoral Committee on Health to finalize the revised “SADC Guidelines on Harmonisation and Facilitation of Cross Border Transport Operations across the Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

During deliberations on this agenda item, Hon. Kampyongo informed Council that Zambia recognized the scale of the threat of Covid-19 and His Excellency Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia had put in measures to curb the spread of the disease.

The Minister hailed all member states for instituting similar measures adding that countries will only yield the desired results through a coordinated response.

Reacting to the report of the Secretariat on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the SADC region and its implications, and on the Status of Finances, Hon. Kampyongo said the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the global economy with Zambia recording a decline of 22.1 percent in revenue collection in April 2020.

He added that foreign currency denominated payments such as debt and other foreign payments have increased resulting in the Government recording a shortfall in the expenditure of 32.1 percent in April 2020.

In this regard, Council directed the SADC Secretariat to undertake an assessment on capabilities of Member States to remit contributions in view of the pandemic and present a report at the next Council of Ministers meeting in August 2020.

Earlier during the official opening, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Chair of the Council of Ministers Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi noted the challenges in the implementation of the regional guidelines on the harmonisation and facilitation of cross border transport operations.

Prof. Kabudi called on member states to quickly harmonise policies to ease congestion at the borders.

Prof. Kabudi urged members states to take advantage of challenges posed by Covid-19 and the increasing need for medicines by creating a favourable environment for the establishment of new pharmaceutical industries and provide incentives for the already existing establishments.

And SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Tax commended member states for the rigorous measures put in place to address and deal with the pandemic.

Dr. Tax said SADC had conducted a mapping exercise of regional manufacturers of essential supplies and a needs assessment and that the information gathered was being used in ongoing efforts to mobilise resources and enhance capacities in the context of the regional bloc’s industrialization strategy.

She said SADC had engaged several cooperating partners with the aim of supporting a regional coordinated approach in the provision of personal protective equipment and other medical equipment to deal with Covid-19.

“To date, the Secretariat has secured Euro 7.3 million from the German Government, Euro 3.6 million from the European Union, Euro 190,000 under the GIZ/African Union Commission, whereas, the African Development Bank, has considered a support of UA 7 million,“ Dr. Tax said.

The SADC Council of Ministers is the principal advisory institution to the Summit on matters of overall policy, harmonious functioning and development of SADC.

Gender Minister, Elizabeth Phiri, has called for increased participation of women in politics. Ms. Phiri says women have for long been left behind and not considered when it came to political participation.

She says it is high time society started supporting them to aspire for political office.

And The Minister challenged Political Parties to adopt 50 percent of women in the coming 2020 General election.

“Give women opportunity to lead. They can do much better given an opportunity in the political arena. I challenge all political parties in the country to ensure that as the 2020 election comes, they appoint 50 percent as a way of empowering the females.

Rwanda has done, we can also do it,” she says.

She was speaking during the launch of a Manual on Women Leadership and Political Violence Management by Zambia Center for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) today.

The manual which is done in conjunction with Hivos and Zambia National Women’s Lobby, is aimed at strengthening public influence and increase the role of women leaders in shaping the Country’s development and addressing political violence especially during elections.

She says women’s track record in shaping developmental decisions needs to be effectively profiled though it can only be done in a violence free society.

And ZCID says the launch of the manual will contribute positively to achieving more numbers of women in Politics.

Mr. Silavwe says Zambians should stand to support women in Politics if development is to take shape in the country.

Meanwhile, William Chilufya, representing Hivos says it is projects like what ZCID has embarked on that will see women be empowered and have a safe space in Politics.

He has hope that women can make it in Zambian Politics only if they are supported by society.