Youth participation took center stage as over 2000 young individuals gathered in one hall to engage with President Hakainde Hichilema during this year’s National Youth Indaba at the Mulungushi International Conference.
Over 2000 youths came together in one hall to interact with President Hakainde Hichilema during this year’s National Youth Indaba held at Mulungushi International Conference.The youths were given an opportunity to express themselves freely and had a question and answer session with the President on a variety of issues affecting the youths in Zambia.The event was described as a remarkable gathering where members of the National Council of Students Unions(NACOSU) and union leaders,students convened to witness the launch of the new Youth Policy.
One of the attendees Shalom Yeta said , “Finally the youth policy has officially been launched. I have learned that the change starts with me.I encourage everyone to read through the National Youth Policy and Implementation Plan. ”
The occasion was graced by the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including His Excellency, the President, as well as the Ministers of Education, Youth and Sports, Technology, Science, and more. Their collective presence underscored the significance of this initiative, demonstrating a unified commitment to the empowerment and advancement of our youth.
The event served as a platform for constructive dialogue, empowering our youth community to actively participate in shaping their future. Their presence and active involvement contributed significantly to the success of the Indaba.
President Hakainde Hichilema issued a stern warning to youths, urging them not to support politicians advocating for the abolition of the free education policy in Zambia. Speaking at the National Youth Indaba and launch of the National Youth Policy in Lusaka, President Hichilema emphasized the government’s commitment to providing free education and reintroducing meal allowances in universities to address challenges faced by young people. He highlighted the positive impact of free education in reducing unemployment and early marriages across the country.
Furthermore, President Hichilema announced stringent measures against parents who marry off their underage children, stating that they will now face imprisonment. He underscored the importance of education and condemned early marriages for depriving children of educational opportunities.
In a separate development, President Hichilema fulfilled his promise made last year to donate a bus to students at the National Institute for Public Administration (NIPA) to address transportation challenges. He directed his Political Advisor, Levy Ngoma, to oversee the handover of the bus without delay.
Meanwhile, Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati revealed that over 60,000 students have been sponsored under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to study skills in 28 Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) institutions nationwide. Mutati highlighted the collaboration between the government and Lumwana Mine in constructing a technical college in Kalumbila District, with plans for another technical college in the North Western Province in the 2025 National Budget.
Education Minister Douglas Syakalima disclosed that the government is allocating 254 million kwacha to complete infrastructure projects at the University of Zambia, Copperbelt University, and other schools left unfinished. Syakalima emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the completion of all abandoned infrastructure projects to enhance educational facilities across the country.
Here are the highlights of the event:
- Launch of the National Youth Policy aimed at supporting wealth and job creation among the youth and ensuring their meaningful contributions to national governance and development.
- President Hichilema’s emphasis on the advantageous role of Africa’s youth in Zambia and the continent as a whole.
- Commitment to gender inclusivity, equity, and fairness, as evidenced by notable appointments in the New Dawn Administration.
- Pledge to increase bursaries for students and allocate more funds to education annually to support free education initiatives and combat child marriages.
- Streamlining paperwork for accessing loans at the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to encourage transparency and accessibility.
- Progress made in addressing the plight of pensioners, with the vast majority receiving payments after long delays.
- Assurance from Education Minister Douglas Syakalima that all unfinished secondary schools will be completed soon.
- Commencement of the construction of a technical college in North Western Province in collaboration with Lumwana Mine, announced by Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati.
Just empower the youths you hypocrites. Stop selling false hopes to young adults & create business opportunities to the young adults. Remove Tax from the start up businesses for young Zambians. You give big foreign mining companies Tax holiday & you Tax a young Mutale or Hamoonga… what kind of nonsense is this. All governments in this world do not create jobs but creates business opportunities to their people & in return the business empowered people create employment… my God.. you guys are too asleep… NEVER trust anything that comes out of the mouth of a politician. SHAME……Ufimgenuma iwe.