Mr. Lusambo who is also Kabushi Member of Parliament said Government through the Ministries of Youth, Sport and Child Development and Commerce, Trade and Industry has a number of youth targeted economic empowerment programmes.

He said as part of its economic diversification programme away from copper dependence, the Zambian government is now promoting investments in agriculture.

Mr. Lusambo said youths should now shift their attention to venturing into agriculture than depending on getting white collar jobs.

The Copperbelt Provincial Minister was speaking to Journalists in Ndola shortly after officiating at a wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph to commemorate Youth Day.

“My appeal is to the youths of this great country to embrace agriculture. His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is focusing on diversifying this economy and young people should be driving that agenda,” Mr. Lusambo said.

He added, “Youths including Graduates should change the notion that agriculture is for retirees. We are promoting agriculture production even for young people because it a well-paying sector and can be a good foreign exchange earner if well harnessed.”

“The theme for this year’s Youth Day celebrations is Unity and Innovation for a Smart Zambia. My message to the youths of Zambia and particularly for those on the Copperbelt is that the time to seize the moment has come. Innovate and be part of the solution that Zambia requires,” he said.

Mr. Lusambo also appealed to the youths of Zambia to support President Lungu’s administration saying he is the only leader in the history of Zambia that has demonstrated his true love for the youths.

He said President Lungu has appointed youths into key portfolios in his administration which is a clear demonstration of his support towards youth development.

“Since 1964, this country has never had a leader like President Lungu who has appointed a lot of youths into key positions. Myself, I am a true example of President Lungu’s faith in young people. He appointed me to be in charge of a very strategic Province and he has always supported me,” he said.

“President Lungu fully understands that there is no country on this earth that can attain social and economic development when it leaves behind its youth. So the youths of Zambia should rally behind President Lungu administration in order to realise their full potential.”

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says South Africa cannot remain silent over the media crackdown happening in Zambia.

NUMSA Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi said South African’s voices should shout loud and clear over the situation in Zambia.
Ms. Hlubi said the situation in Zambia is unacceptable.

“During the darkest days of apartheid, Zambians played a critical role in providing a home base for South Africans fleeing oppression. The Zambian government of that time risked major repercussions from the diabolical South African regime. It hosted the leadership of the ANC, and the SACP as well as other liberation movements. It provided accommodation, military training and other crucial support. The people of Zambia opened their homes and hearts to South Africans in peril,” she said.

She added, “It is because of this history that the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) cannot ignore the situation facing media workers in that country. As a trade union we will not be silent when basic democratic principles are being violated, and workers are suffering.”

Ms. Hlubi who is also a Journalist said |as journalists and media workers in this country we have a duty to express solidarity with our comrades in Zambia and on the rest of the continent.”

“If we were unfortunate enough to find ourselves in the same position, who would speak for us? Who would rise to our defence? We have no choice. We must speak out on behalf of the Zambian people. If we truly believe in democratic values, we must be uncompromising in our condemnation of such heinous acts.”

The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia Mrs Esther Lungu arrived in New York on Saturday, and expressed optimism that her high-profile engagements at the Sixty-First session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) will help Zambia mobilise resources for women and girls’ empowerment.

Mrs. Lungu – who is a strong advocate for women empowerment, safe motherhood, protection of the girl child, promotion of rights for persons with disabilities and fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) – was speaking to Zambian journalists covering the Commission on the Status of Women that will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017.

“Zambia’s participation at the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women is of great importance in the sense that I take it to be an exchange programme of ideas springing from the international community where we shall have the involvement and participation of high profile personalities and people from countries from around the world,” Mrs. Lungu said.

She said CSW was significant to Zambia and that the country would utlise the platform to highlight the milestones it has achieved in the protection and promotion of the welfare of women.

“Our cooperating partners would also want to hear the challenges that we are facing in our quest to provide protection and promotion of our women and children’s welfare,” Mrs Lungu said. “As we are here, me as First Lady I should lobby and mobilise resources from our cooperating partners including the UN agencies that are already in good books with us, but upon receiving our report on how much we have done, it should encourage them to do much more.”

She said the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust act as one of the vehicles for the line ministries to use in delivering services to the people of Zambia, especially the less privileged.

“We want to make sure that our girl children receive empowerment – education, good health – and our women also need economic empowerment because they are the people who have a lot of responsibilities in these households,” said Mrs. Lungu. “Empowering women means the children will grow up in decent environment, they will receive the education that they need and in the end they will be independent citizens who are going to contribute towards the economic growth of our country.”

The First Lady will participate in the largest annual women’s gathering, which draws hundreds of participants from Government Ministers and officials, First Ladies, princesses, policy makers and implementers, heads of UN agencies and other international organizations, donor agencies, civil society organizations, corporate executives, women’s movement, celebrities, human rights activists and other stakeholders from across the world.

Gender Minister Honourable Victoria Kalima, MP for Kasenengwe, will lead the Zambian delegation to the Sixty-First session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The priority theme for CSW61 is “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work” and the Review theme is “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls (agreed conclusions of the fifty-eighth session) while emerging issue and focus area will be “the empowerment of indigenous women”.

Zambia has won international respect for its advocacy and implementation of policies and programmes that protect and promote the wellbeing of women and girls.

Speaking at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel, FNB Chief Financial Officer Ackim Chalwe said the sponsorship deal was a long term commitment by the bank toward the support of the game of football in Zambia.

Chalwe revealed that the negotiations that had gone on for over five months had been catalyzed by the success of the U-20 at the on-going continental youth tournament being hosted in Zambia.

”We are proud to formally announce the official sponsorship of the U-20 team. The sponsorship is worth K1.5 million (USD 150,000.00) over a three year period,” Chalwe said.

“FNB being long term partners and friends of football, our sponsorship is guaranteed for three years and is not in any way tied to the results of any matches the team plays,” he said.

FNB Zambia Limited has 21 branches countrywide and over 60 automated teller machine (ATM) network, as well as FNB Zambia Online and Cellphone Banking ensuring that customers have access to their accounts around the clock.

And FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said the sponsorship to the U-20 will be fitted in the association’s blue print for promoting youth football.

The FAZ president said the sponsorship for the U-20 will help the team prepare for the FIFA World Cup in Korea but most importantly be spread across the country beyond the forthcoming tournament.

He said that the right investment in talent could unearth talents beyond Lusaka and the Copperbelt as seen by the rise of Edward Chilufya from Kasama’s Mpande Youth Academy.

“This money will help us take football development across the country. Like you know, one of the stars of this U-20 national team, Edward Chilufya, is from Kasama,” said the FAZ Chief.

Chilufya scored the goal which sent Zambia into the final of the 2017 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations where they will face Senegal at the National Heroes on Sunday, March 12.