An emerging leader, Clement Tembo has observed that it is possible to entrust women and youths with leadership.
Speaking when he featured on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview Mr. Tembo who is an aspiring candidate for Kabwata constituency said the perception that young people cannot be entrusted with leadership is wrong and that it is high time that young people started to demand for their share of responsibility in running the country.
He observed that young people were mostly involved in the liberation of the country and took over the running of the country’s affairs with first republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda being the youngest person to have been at this country’s helm.
“The perception that once you entrust young people with leadership then they will misuse it but the idea is that this country was liberated by young people and we have had young people in leadership positions before. We have had the VJs ( Vernon Mwanga) and our first republican president who were young when they took over the country at independence.
I think there alot of elderly people who should be paving way for young people and the idea is that we need to invest in young people so that they can be able to take over from these old leaders. Young people should also demand that they become involved in running the affairs of the country,” Mr. Tembo said.
And on women Mr. Tembo said women were running homes in the country hence it wouldn’t be difficult for them to take up leadership positions in society.
He noted that women had something in them which makes them more responsible and that due to the social norms which have always considered women to be helpers, women are not getting the credit they deserve.
“I think that for a long time we have thought that women are supposed to rely on men because a man is the head of the house but now we are able to see young ladies being managers or running their own businesses. It is also funny that when you go to most of these homes it is the women who are running them.
If you carry out a research most women will tell that I am widow, I lost my husband a long time ago and I have been taking care of our children alone. They will tell you that they have children and they are able to take them to school so once you empower the woman then you the nation. Women have the sixth sense, they have the potential to rise above board, the have the potential take up leadership because they have a sense of responsibility that you can not find in men,” he said.
On political violence Mr. Tembo called on the youths to avoid being used as tools of violence and that leaders should put the right investment in youths as opposed to buying youths beer so that they can be used negatively.
running in circles on utopian phenomena; utterly nonsense !
just let’s respect the power of cyclical mobilities
that office bedroom is so empty……hope the brain is diffrent
Just do what you want do Mr Tembo. You don’t have to be young to be a good leader, you just need the right qualities. If you want to be an MP, just say what your manifesto is. People should not vote for you just because you are young, that is a myopic way of looking at issues.