Socialist Party President Fred M’membe has charged that the main reason for Zambia’s high rate of poverty is the failure of the current economy to provide sufficient employment.
In a statement to the media, Dr. M’membe said that it is not the socialists who are worried about this problem, but capitalists only because of the social turmoil caused by this inequality and unemployment, which increasingly threatens the capitalists own privileged position, adding that the long-term inability of this same system to provide growth, jobs, and a decent standard of living.
Dr. M’membe further promised that his party, the Socialist Party, will therefore prioritize job creation with a macro-economic approach as well as massive investments in education, health, housing construction, and agro-processing.
Below is the full statement
We must not tire of talking about “jobs, jobs, jobs” until the solution is found. How can our people survive without jobs?
For last 27 years, Zambia has been on an unbridled neoliberal capitalist path, which has been privatizing and commercializing everything, including land. But the net result is what we see: unceasing and growing inequality and unemployment.This worry and fear exist among capitalists as well. The worry and fear is that rapid technological progress will lead to mass unemployment, with machines replacing workers in a vast range of jobs, both manual and white-collar, particularly with the advent of advanced computing techniques, such as machine learning and voice recognition.
It is real and a fact that, in Zambia today, machines have taken over our people’s jobs in the mines, on commercial farms, construction sites, in the banks, and so on. But our people need jobs to survive. Where are the jobs going to come from for young people leaving school, college, and university, and indeed, those who are being retrenched? We have to answer this question and solve the issue of jobs.
One of the main reasons for our high rate of poverty is the failure of the economy to provide sufficient employment.
It is not only we socialists who are worried about this problem. Even capitalists are worried, not only because of the social turmoil caused by this inequality and unemployment, which increasingly threatens their own privileged position, but also because of the long-term inability of this same system to provide growth, jobs, and a decent standard of living – that is, to develop productive forces.
Every winter they go to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum to discuss, mainly, ceaseless and growing global inequality and unemployment. The main cause of this growing inequality and unemployment is not because the world is today less capitalist or producing less goods and services. How much more capitalist do they want the United States, Europe, and indeed, the whole world, to be?
The SP will therefore prioritize job creation with a macro-economic approach as well as massive investments in education, health, housing construction and agro processing.
Fred M’membe
By raising the PF symbol of power, Mmembe is merely acknowledging the leadership of the Chosen One, ECL..
I just don’t trust Fred…its like a croc reassuring me to cross the river as its now turned vegan.
Where do they get the money to hire these planes…..
Zambia’s economic indicators have been trending down ever since PF era began.Its time to make their political fortunes also dove down hard.
Zambia’s economy was very healthy until PF took it the Intensive Care Unit.
Is this not the same aircraft HH claims the airspace was not cleared because it was a UPND aircraft? Did they clear it for Fred the Shred.
Fred is correct with his statement. But unfortunately for him the Socialist Party won’t make the difference on August 12!
He is also a contributor to this PF poverty as he was instrumental in ensuring that the nincompoop sata wins which lead to where we are today.
#2 Anonymous I was also thinking the same. Kerosene must be very cheap in Zambia. The money used to charter that plane could be invested in various job-creating projects. Just the construction of a school, a clinic or decent housing for rent will give hundreds of people jobs for at least a year and is a huge contribution to the economy. This can be done by anybody including Fred himself.
Zambians are puzzled how a party against capitalism is able to hire airplanes for campaigning.
@Nine Chale
Good point but unfortunately Politicians don’t think like you and me….look at what’s happening in South Africa and Haiti….these guys don’t care about the rest of us…..and they work in Gangs…..the Haitian President caused alot of misery on his opponents….and Mmmembe thinks flying around in a chartered plane thats when he will be considered a Presidential candidate
Any other president is better than lungu….
Lungu has set the bar so low, that any ninconpoop can be seen as improving things….
A new president just attending a free press conference will be seen as improving things….
Fred created this same monster called PF…surely a big aircraft like that only two blokes in it
I thought this chap was supporting ECL. Why is he complaining now
This is another fallen forensic dinasour – jst like Nawakwi. Very very well Educated but seasoned into a mediocre by politics.
And bane, once technocrat turns into a bootlicker, that’s it, kwanana. He/She is gone! Gone down the drain for good. Uneducated natural fools do know how to turn their lives around, in no time(e.g Lusambo, Commander). But educated people don’t. E.g ( Nawakwi, Fred membe, Wynter Kabimba etc)