By Alice Rowland Musukwa:
I stand to be corrected in a very polite and respectful way. If you have nothing sensible to contribute, please just skip. I think as a country, we need to change the mindset of thinking that the government will solve our personal problems. We need to understand that every political party will come in with its own propaganda to secure votes. They will try to label the other party as corrupt and liars, just to have their way.
One thing we have that is powerful as people with the political privilege of democracy is to make sure that the younger generation shows interest in politics, so that in the future, they can be the change they talk about. Zambia has a lot of recycled politicians; the same faces are trying to create different parties and are still trying to be active using other dynamics. As a country, we need to understand that as long as the younger generation is scared to take up space, the problem will remain the same.
Zambians are among the smartest people in Africa, but they suffer from fear of the unknown (scared to try). Sometimes we become too comfortable to try our potential, which is why even the Anti-Corruption Commission would leave their offices to investigate a 10-year-old Lamborghini with 120 mileage because we are afraid of money. Certain names and things scare us from afar without understanding the value.
We have a lot of young men and women with merits who are fit to be great leaders today and in the future because they understand the depth of their people. But they are scared to start the journey because someone will tell them that they are not politicians, and they can’t be politicians. Forgetting that those people who parade as politicians started from the bottom, it took ten years for some to even become mayors or area councilors.
His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema is currently the only strong party in Zambia, and he may lead until 2031. My thoughts and questions are, have the younger generation looked at all the opposition leaders and convinced themselves of one who will take over and fulfill the needs of the country after three to ten years?
So far, he has delivered the freedom you asked for and many more things. Some will agree, and some will disagree based on individual expectations, but the point is, if you have the potential to help your people, why are you being convinced that you are and never will be a politician? Stand up, shake it off, and think of three to ten years from now.
I agree with you. Zambian Youths are lazy and always begging for money. They can’t work or do anything apart from talking about how they drank last night. You will be wasting your time if your thinking doesn’t involve going out in the community and speaking directly with them. Get involved with them physically, maybe that way they can change, otherwise Zambian Youths just want to sit home with no jobs, “Nima John so ulye Ubwali”