ZAMBIA: A Country without a future

At the height of Zambia’s independence, young people were an epitome of hope and a new beginning but as the country celebrates its fifty years since the end of the colonial rule they have been become a shadow of themselves.The prospects of young blossoming Zambia had been anchored on the very existence of our young generation to facilitate the country’s development. They beamed with hope to lead the rest of the generations to the Promised Land, a land of milk and honey. However, fifty-years after our young people are wallowing in abject poverty and unemployment, a daunting nightmare. Today’s young people face a real and increasing difficulty in finding decent work.The Central Statistics Office reported that unemployment is a more serious problem in the young age groups of 12.-14 (19.9 percent); 15-19 (22.6 percent); 20-24 (20.8 percent) and the 25-29 (13.9 percent). Zambia's President, Michael Sata’s pledge to the electorate that his administration would create jobs for young people three-years ago still remains mere political rhetoric simply put jobs are not forthcoming.The least Zambian youths have come to accessing jobs is through statistics promulgated by Government officials yet the promise of creating jobs for Zambia's most productive age remains elusive for now.Therefore, many young people have failed to find justification in celebrating “Youth Day.”As we reflect on this year’s Youth Day in the Jubilee year, the role of the young people should be properly dignified, as regards to their contribution to the economic emancipation of their country. Additionally, the country’s educational sector should be overhauled to be able to meet the challenges of the modern times in making young the existence of the young people more economically sustainable.Therefore, entrepreneurship is fundamental for a country in sustaining the gains of an emerging economic powerhouse in the region, we are proving to be. Entrepreneurship education facilitates an informed citizenry among young people, who in turn can establish their own institutions and create employment to absorb those roaming the streets. I also wish to commend comrades, who were recently arrested for petitioning the powers that be over the constitution during the youth day celebrations in Lusaka. As much, as I sympathize with the governing political party that Zambia does not need a constitution, I am comforted with the fact that many of these people that shot down the constitutional road-map are in their evenings of their times and understandably their action is justified, as they have been webbed to colonial tactics of suppressing their own people. How do you justify the arrest of someone for merely expressing themselves? Zambia deserves better especially that it is a democratic society where people should be tolerate of other people’s views. This country does not belong to one political party, as we are made to believe. The Zambia Police Service should also stop exhibiting double standards having allowed the governing political party cadres match in the streets of Lusaka several times without any hindrance.The best thing the Police should do is to arrest those who have wasted our tax payers’ resources in funding the process they did not believe in unlike innocent who are merely preparing their future as the future is only certain for those who prepare for it today and you get arrested for merely defining the future you wish to have? Furthermore, the police action amounts to a violation of human rights and Freedom of expression, which is well engraved in our national constitution. Clearly all these things will one day sure haunt us, as a country that suppressed its youth in an attempt to sustain our tummies. This is the Zambia we wanted to see at the reintroduction of multi-party politics? Worse still, to arrest innocent youths and undress female youths who were only celebrating their day while PF cadres are allowed to put on military uniforms during youth day. Is it true that young people are the future leaders of tomorrow? Do they really belong to the future? Happy Belated Youth Day