The Anti-Voter Apathy Project(AVAP)has urged youths in the country to avoid being used as mercenaries of political violence during the forthcoming 2011 elections.
AVAP Director General Bonnie Tembo told youths from various political parties in a training workshop at Fairmount hotel in Livingstone to desist from politics of insults and violence.
Citing the example of what transpired during the Mufumbwe by-elections in Solwezi recently,Mr Tembo advised youths to be messengers of democracy and not perpetrators of lawlessness.
“You see if you are sent to electorates in certain community you do not have to go there with pangas,machetes,stones and the likes because you are not going to the game park but you are going to a community where people live so avoid such kind of intolerance,” he said.
Mr. Tembo also challenged political parties in the country to place youth leadership skill at the centre of the 2011 elections.
He said AVAP wishes to see a country where political leaders are democratically mature unlike ones who breed politics of violence.
And government has pledged to support organizations that aim at promoting democracy and good government in the country.
Southern Province permanent Gladys Kristafor thanked AVAP for its consistence in supplementing government’s effort towards the realization of a liberalized Zambia.
“We must work together for us to make this country a better place so say no to violence we do not take pleasure to see what happened in Mufumbwe,”she said.
Ms Kristafor also urged the youths to take keen interest in understanding issues in politics such as the K5 bn that government allocated to the youth empowerment fund.
She said this when she officially opened the AVAP training workshop in Livingstone.
Recently President Rupiah Banda pledged to rebuild the churches and shops that where destroyed during the Mufumbwe by-elections.
ZANIS
If AVAP are serious, they should take these workshops all over the country – have follow-up meetings in smaller groups and demand that the youth they have trained be responsible for at least 10 other untrained youths. It will cost less, and our youth will learn some leadership skills in the process. We need to get rid of the Kaponya mentality before it’s too late; these youths should not grow up into pathetic old kaponyas who have no place in modern society.
you know wat, the only way you can prevent smethng lyk that is by empowering these youths bcoz ryt now they don’t hav anythin to do and would jump at any chance of makin a bit of change… so lets start thinkin in those lines if u don’t want to see these youths being used over and over again, ehh AVaP!!!/:)
As long as they remain metally and socially deprived, they will certainly be used….
Our boys…and young girls should be put to work in a better and professional way…by giving them an education and a decent place to work. Unfortunately this is the biggest problem in Africa… we luck leadership that cares for our people, and todays classic-putting our people to work.
But again democracy without education is impossible to implement…SO WHERE DO WE STAND? THE KIDS BORN IN THE 70s WILL DELIVER ZAMBIA…ALL YOU GUYS HAVE LET US DOWN…no, you have taught us how to be terrible and evil…i pray we do better come ten years from now…look at the brighter side, all Zedians under the age of 40, tens years from now there will be no Sata, Lupiya, Mwaanga, Chiluba (i hope), KK (am kind of sorry for the old man but…), Mwata, Litunga, Mupezeni, Muteteka (isnt he 34?!!) you know
AVAP should target the political parties that abuse youths. How can a youth deny an opportunity to earn some quick buck when he has been going hungry for days and has no hope in life. If the youths are busy and have stable jobs or businesses there is no way they can be ferried to Mufumbwe for 3 weeks or Luapula. These guys have nothing to do, no job, no shelter, no water, no income and no wife!