The Young African Leaders Initiative has welcomed the extension of the olive branch to the opposition and all Zambians to work with him and deliver the desired needs to the country.
YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza said his organization believes that Zambians must give the President and his administration support.
Mr Mwanza said the President should not only open doors to State House but ministries and other agencies if his vision is to be realized.
“While YALI welcomes these pronouncements from President Lungu and that he shall not be held hostage by anybody, group or clique, we call on him to open the doors to State House and all ministries and agencies to citizens who have the desires to contribute immensely towards developing Zambia. We hope to see more interaction between the President and society through regular press briefings and engagements.
“We also call on President to look around the prisons and police detention facility and consider extending his call by pardoning any political prisons which will be the beginning of dialogue and bringing all the opposition and ruling party officials on board,” he said.
He also called on the President to continue building the international image of the country
“President Lungu ought to ensure Zambia’s international image continue to be built and ensure we harness the potential of cross boarder relations beyond our boundaries,” he said.
He also advised the President to engage fresh minds among youth leaders in the country.
“YALI further wishes to implore President Lungu on the need to engage fresh and new minds, especially from among youth leaders from within the PF, the opposition parties, and society in general in providing leadership to Zambia and building it’s international image,” he said.
And the student body has welcomed the inaugural speech by President Edgar Lungu who was sworn in on Tuesday alongside his Vice President Inonge Wina.
Outgoing ZANASU Vice President Prince Ndoyi said the President’s speech sets a tone of what is expected in the country’s economic development agenda.
Ndoyi said the students body feels strongly that home grown industrialisation is a unique model for the country’s economic diversification.
“As ZANASU we welcome the inaugural speech by the President Mr Edgar Lungu for the clear goals he has set which sets the torn of the type of administration and subsequently the economy we shall see going forward. We welcome that he wants revamp Kafue District by creating an econmic zone for Iron and Steel.
“We strongly feel this is the way to go, the home grown industrialisation initiative is a unique model of economic diversification into manufacturing. This will be a great source of employment and growth in enterprise.
“We are hopeful that this is backed by systematic actions in the respective institutions responsible like the Industrial Development Cooperation (INDECO),” he said.
He added “Also the issue he raised of the green revolution is ideally the epitome of the 21st century development agenda and if harnessed well can retain Zambia to the food basket of of our region. Agriculture will create for Zambia the much needed wealth needed during harder economic tides in the mining sector.
“If and as at when this is coupled well with closing and sealing all bottle necks for graft and corruption, his administration will have an opportunity without difficulties to deliver the much needed development to the majority of Zambians.”
Hypocrite!!!!
And zambians in their docility are always taken for daipers, hes got one of the opposition leaders locked up just hours before his illegal inauguration, he preaches peace and unity.
My huge problem with YALI is that it is a US State Department initiative. These programs undermine national sovereignty, and are dangerous. For instance, in Zimbabwe, a recipient of a Freedom House Grant, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) usurped the ZEC’s mandate to declare the outcome of their election. Their negative opinion of the election, which was at odds with SADC and AU observer missions, was used by John Kerry to extend economic sanctions because of ‘election irregularities’. Not surprisingly, SADC and the AU made President Mugabe the head of their organisations, as a snub against the US State Department and government.
“We hope to see more interaction between the President and society through regular press briefings and engagements.” !!!!!
Keep on dreaming. Lungu giving press conferences where he will be asked how he suddenly got more that TWO MILLION DOLLARS in his bank account?
It will never happen. He only reads prepared speeches and avoids being accountable to the people of Zambia. Leopards do not change their spots!
kafue steel or steal?
This man has really managed to manipulate Zambians. What a shame!
Were these YALI chaps listening to the same speech as the rest of us or it is now blind support via wako ni wako? The guy said he had already found investors to develop the NORTH while he will institute a tribunal to investigate and punish the SOUTH; does that sound like an olive branch? We are bracing ourselves for tough times ahead, persecution will be the order of the day. But 5 years does come to and end; where is Sata today?