Doesn’t it boggle your mind as a youth that there’s no sustainable government program or policy for youths on the ground which has stood the test of time? These programs are either marred with corruption or just fail, for instance the Youth Development Fund(YDF) which was suspended a long time ago. The question is, WHY?
The reasons at the moment are too numerous to make mention. But I am sure by the end of it all, as long as there is a youth somewhere in Zambia, we will exhaust all the possible reasons and find and implement solutions.
In the mean time, let me guarantee you that not even the John Sangwa’s, Kelvin Bwalya Fubes’s or Tutwa Ngulube’s of this time will stand and sustain a long battle for us the youths. We have to get off our bums and do the dirty laundry ourselves if a youth emancipation is to be realized.Tell me any single lawyer, youth advocate or politician who has ever stood on any podium and talk about how redundant the National Youth Development council act Cap 144 of the laws of Zambia is or the programs contained in the Action Plan for Youth Empowerment and employment and i will rest the revolution I have started for the youths.
For now lets talk about Cap. 144 which the majority of the youths don’t even know exists.
As youths, to focus on Bill 10 and the eligibility of the president is a patriotic thing to do. But we also have to realize that no one is fighting our battles. We have to wake up. We have too many pressing issues that we need to raise, address and fight for.
For instance, the Ministry of Youths, Sports and Child Development is obsolete. 99% of the youths don’t even know the name of the youth minister. It’s like the ministry doesn’t even exist. One specific factor in my well researched opinion which is contributing to the ministry not to function at all is Chapter 144 of the laws of Zambia. Cap. 144 is the National Youth Development Council Act. It supports the establishment, the powers and composition of the National Youth Development Council. The council advises the Minister of youths, sports and child development on the programs which should be implemented and policies to be established in order to empower youths in terms of employment and entrepreneurship
Article 8 of cap 144 spells out the functions and importance of the National Youth Development Council. It reads as follows.
8. (1) The functions of the Council shall be- Functions of Council
(a) to advise the Minister on programmes relating to youth development;
(b) to co-ordinate youth activities;
(c) to evaluate and implement youth programmes;
(d) to assist and encourage organisations interested in youth development in
the initiation of youth training and development programmes;
(e) to initiate, operate and manage non-profit making or profit making projects
in support of youth development; and
(f) such other functions as the Minister may, from time to time, direct.
As the saying goes: “the devil is in the details”, there are a lot of things wrong with the well intended Cap. 144. For instance:-
From article 5 to 7, the act just gives too much power to the minister which renders the council toothless. When the minister says jump, the council always has to say how high.
To start with the minister appoints all the members of the council and then appoints the chairman and the vice. As if not enough these serve at the mercy and good will of the minister because they can be removed at any time the minister feels like it. Let’s look at some clauses in the act which make almost impossible to be operable.
“5. (1) The Council shall be composed of- Composition of
Council
(a) the Director of Youths;
(b) twenty-two representative members APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER,
(2) There shall be a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman who shall be APPOINTED BY THE MINISTER from amongst the members.”
“6. (1) A member, other than an ex-officio member, shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of his appointment and may be re-appointed upon the expiration of such term.”
This article doesn’t even provide a term limit for the members of the counsel. This means that if they so wish they can continue to be elected till kingdom come.
“(2) A member, other than an ex-officio member, may resign upon giving one month’s notice in writing to the Minister and MAY BE REMOVED BY THE MINISTER AT ANY TIME.”
7. Whenever the office of a member becomes vacant before the expiry of the term provided in section 6 the MINISTER MAY APPOINT another person to be a member:
Section 7 of article 9 makes reference to Subpragraph (i) and (iii) of Section 5 subsection 1. This subsection does not exist anywhere in that article.
Section 9 of Article 9;
“(9) The validity of any proceedings, act or decision of the Council shall not be affected by any vacancy in the membership of the Council or by any defect in the appointment of any member or by reason that any person not entitled so to do took part in the proceedings.”
The above articles means that any person can be invited to any council meeting and the decisions made, regardless of their influence shall be upheld.
Article 12.” No action or other proceedings shall lie or be instituted against any member, member of a committee of the Council or member of the staff of the Council for or in respect of any act or thing done or omitted to be done in good faith in the exercise or purported exercise of his duties under this Act.”
This article in itself is a lacuna, because something done “in good faith” is too open to interpretation.
16. ” (1) An application for registration as a youth organisation shall be submitted to the Secretary in such forms as may be prescribed.”
Article 16 still provides that registration of youth organizations is done by the Ministry of youths when infact its now done by the registrar of Societies under the ministry of Community Development and social services.
The way the whole act is poorly drafted is like it was meant for kids who cannot think for themselves or make informed decisions. If at all the same council exists, I am sure the show is being run by a bunch of “Yes bwana” nitwits who cannot question jack.
Comrades, colleagues and fellow combatants, I am making a clarion call on all of us the youths to make a stand and be serious about issues which affect us. Our lack of seriousness and concern about how the government conducts its programs and activities which concern us is terrifying.
My heart is burning for a revolution, to make protests if need be, until the government and other stakeholders start taking us seriously. *If you are a youth who is honest with yourself, you need to be as outraged as me.*
By David Chishimba
AUY President.
Youth Advocate.
Youth Commander.
You kids should start by removing Mpondela. He has been destroying youth programs ever before you were born.
You are a lazy and useless youth if you think government is there to wipe your backside. You are the problem with the youth of today because you are teaching to not be proactive and entrepreneurial but rather to sit on their backsides all day and expect to be spoon fed. I can inform.you we will not spoon feed anyone unless you are disabled and unable to genuinely generate self income. Kz
How can the poor youth in a Zambia under PF leadership have any hope when even monies raised from markets goes unaccounted for , starving local councils of viable funding ????
Not under lungu and PF , you have no hope
KZ
Provide jobs for them the youth so they can sustain them selves….
‘Spaka’ you have a point, but Kaizar has a bigger point… If you say government has to give youths jobs, that is like telling the captain of the Titanic to put every person on board the titanic in those life boats which was impossible as we saw in history the death toll that was recorded. Zambia is a young population, that means above 70% of Zambians are youths and the sad reality is that 50% are unemployed but government cannot employ all of them. Youths like Kaizar puts it must do something that government can help pull them up. For example, government will not employ uneducated youths so youths should get an education, and that doesn’t only mean diplomas of degrees which for some maybe a bit expensive but some youths can engage in life skills like plumbing, carpentry and other…
Look deeper wherever you are, please get in touch with me. You are the type of people I want to engage with and progress this country.
You Kaizer Zulu
You are a source of nonsense have you paid a fine slapped on FAZ ($7 000)
For home match disturbance of which you were part of it??
Chishimba Kambwili was at the center of the mismanagement of the Youth Fund. Many youths were recruited into the gassing project. GBM was caught training youth militia at his premises. One day the savage youths that the PF unleashes on us will turn against them, and that day isn’t far from now. The only skills available for youths now is showing biceps, Edgar saw them on Youth Day
Don’t even go far. Wht’s happening in various Youth Resource Centres over which millions of kwacha were spent building them?
I can’t take you disaporans seriously I won’t even comment again on this article. I would rather stay sat cuddling my beautiful wife regina while watching TV. This corona has brought us closer together more than ever mmm