Government has expressed deep concern and disappointment over many young people’s behaviour of engaging in drug and alcohol abuse and unprotected sex.
Central Province Minister Ackimson Banda said in Kabwe today that it was sad that while government was trying to provide a conducive environment to foster youth development, most of them were following a destructive path.
Mr. Banda was speaking during the commemoration of the Africa Youth day whose theme is ‘productive youth for stability and economic development.’
He observed that if these vices were left unchecked, the youths, who are future leaders of the country, would be completely ruined.
Mr. Banda said to avert this situation, government would establish at least one youth resource centre in each district, which would contribute to the eradication of youth unemployment in the country through skills training. He explained that the targeted youths were those that dropped out of school and those that have never been to school.
Mr. Banda said the provision of life long skills to vulnerable young people would enhance their livelihood through better employment prospects in the formal sector and through self employment.
He said government would use such programmes in its effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goal number one, which aims at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015.
“I wish to direct local authorities in all the districts in my province to work tirelessly and swiftly act in collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure that perpetrators of these vices are brought to book,” he said.
And speaking earlier, Central Province acting Youth Development Coordinator Azele Mbewe congratulated all African youths aged between 15 and 35 years and encouraged them to be productive and positive agents of economic development of the African continent.
Mr. Mbewe said the African youth charter that was launched by Youth, Sport and Child Development Minister Kenneth Chipungu yesterday was aimed at empowering African youths and increase their participation in the process of consolidating peace, stability and establishing sustainable development in Africa.
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The government should concentrarate on instilling moral uprightness in the youth and not the so called safe or protected intercourse.
Latest but Old/Whistleblower
One women along Great North road carried an operation by force on a young woman’ private parts (malepe /labia majora) to get ingridients for her juju with a view of attracting customers at her drinking place. The said woman runs a small bar in Kanona Serenje. She was, a few years ago, involved in an accident and had her legs ampputed. Law enforcement agents-Police are aware and are sitting on it. It is sad and where civil society organisations? I want them to follow up this issue. This type of behavior correspods to level moral degradation in our soceity.
“Central Province Minister Ackimson Banda said in Kabwe today that it was sad that while government was trying to provide a conducive environment to foster youth development, most of them were following a destructive path. ” This is not true as our leaders’ focus is prolonging their stay in government besides they have not laid out any development plans let alone implementing any. “He observed that if these vices were left unchecked, the youths, who are future leaders of the country, would be completely ruined.” on paper they are future leaders but in reality thats different. We have had more or less the same leaders to a larger extent over 30 years. Alarming and calamitous. loook at where we are now. VJ is a classic example.