Minister of Youth, Sports and Arts Elvis Nkandu has demanded that youths who got loans in form of buses, grinders and wood-mizers during the Patriotic Front Government payback.
Mr. Nkandu said loans are meant to be paid back unlike donations or handouts. The Kaputa Member of Parliament revealed that many youths who got loans in form of buses, grinders and wood-mizers during the PF government are yet to pay back the loans.
Mr. Nkandu warned that the government may be forced to repossess the buses, Grinders and wood-mizers if the affected youths do not show commitment toward paying back the loans.
He also questioned the criteria used to empower people with buses, grinders and woodmizers. Mr. Nkandu said he suspects that some people who got loans from the Minister of Youth are not even youths.
“Whoever gets money from Government should learn lessons from their colleagues that they should pay back. If they don’t pay back the law will take its course,” he said.
“I still have a feeling that there are some empowerment programmes that we have given but have not reached the youths. When I was interviewing some of the people who got loans I was told that we were just told to register in our names and they are not even our buses.
“So it is like there are other old people behind, who collected those buses on loan using the youths but you know if we are very serious on absorbing the unemployment levels then I would warn the youths not to be used,” Mr. Nkandu added.
“You know youths have been used in violence and now they have sacrificed again to be used as fronts that can collect something on behalf of the adults. I don’t think we are going anywhere so that trend must be stopped.”
The Government March 2021 procured 50 fuel tankers and some buses as part of its programme to empower youths in the transport sector.
25 of the fuel tankers were distributed to youth cooperatives in some parts of the country such as Lusaka, Copperbelt and Eastern Provinces.
At that time, then President Edgar Lungu said he did not want youths who were empowered to fail to pay back the loans.
Mr. Lungu had said the culture of not paying back government loans among the people was growing, adding that the situation needed to be addressed if government is to empower more youths.
The Ministry of Youths and Sports had promised to arrange various capacity building programmes on how the youths can successfully run businesses and payback loans.
Meanwhile, the New Dawn Government at the weekend launched Empowerment Scheme targeting to benefit 360 young people on the Copperbelt and over 2,000 youths across the country.
Do you have to go public? You know who got the loans. Simply and quietly summon them and remind them of their obligations. Oh you want to show you are working.
Who is a youth? Yes many who purport to be youths are not. Please discuss YOUTH in Parliament
Please join empowering those youths as it was a brilliant idea, may you can reduce the stress from the hurting youths whom you promised mountains and valleys.
That is just one of them but the list is endless of promises.
What we are mostly worried about is rain, don’t you know where it comes from,,!
Is it from H H or the green ministry which replaced the Lord.
The headline is misleading, very poor grammar. It’s coming out like the youth have paid back.
Uyo Chagwa, sold you down the river, ati “Alebwelelapo”!
You are now on your own holding dust & facing ruin.
Now everyone sing loudly, “Dununa iye’ aaaahhh yeaahhh,…… Dununa iye, Dununa reverse!!
#4 Keleni .How were they sold out. The former president was clear on the conditions. Read the story in full: He told them that they were expected to repay the loans. He went further by reminding them not to default. So where’s the selling out?
Good luck getting our money back…most of these youth do even have a pot to piss in as an asset…that’s how reckless the previous regime was!
Is this even a report? A loan is defined as that which you borrow for a limited time to be paid back. Also, loan matters are confidential between the lender and borrower. Next time do the right thing. Report only defaulters who have been taken to court. Alaa!
“Mr. Nkandu said he suspects that some people who got loans from the Minister of Youth are not even youths” This is indeed a ” Chipante pante” Govt of under fives. Loans are loans and must be paid back. Just get down to do work and collect more information about who got the loan, how much and form of loan and when they are supposed to start paying back. This is how a working Govt does not just talk shows of telling us half truths like your VEEP. Please before you come out to open your mouth to your employers go and do your work for which you are paid then come and tell us properly. You have no idea of the contracts, you have no idea whether they are youth or not, you do not even know whether or not they have contracts. God help us.
How can you grow the countries economy when you have irresponsible people who want o get things for free.Youths with vision and foresight
Ba PF was looking after its own ……But UPND atase!! No benefit. Mulelya fye mweka!
Pay for them ….Kabili niwebo fish monger!!
Imwe please, just write off that debt, because even adults are defaulting on loans. In this tough economic environment asking youths to pay back is unfair, unless you want to chase PF cadres which the public will be happy to support.
Actually the Minister should ensure that those who got loans start repaying if at all there was a break. The intentions of the scheme were ok but its like politics had an over bearing over business sense. Even it means getting a pound of their flesh let it be done. Nkongole is Nkongole and its business even if it means empowering the youth.
Work with those same youth so that they can pay back reasonably
Help them with their businesses and win them on your side
This issue of “empowerment ” must just stop as it is not workable in a country like ours.
#2 ninomwa
There’s nothing like ‘youth’ in the actual sense
This is just a slogan politicians use to hoodwink naive minds and further debilitate their mindsets into stasis
In developed countries they talk of ‘young people’ which is more decent and inclusive