Government says it is keen to set up financing for youths entrepreneurship projects in the 2013 National Budget in a bid to create more jobs. Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Miles Sampa said this on Monday after attending the opening session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 2012 Annual Ministerial Review meeting focusing on “promoting productive capacity and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at alllevels for achieving the Millennium Development Goals”.

This is contained in a press statement made available to the media by Chibaula Silwamba, First Secretary for Press,Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations.

Mr Sampa, who led the Zambian delegation to the High-Level meeting at the UN Headquarters,said youth unemployment was a global problem.He noted that all countries were grappling with unemployment especially among the youths.

“What we observed from the meeting today is that the solutions are not only in providing jobs to the youths from Government and companies. The youths should become innovative and come up with bankable ideas that can be financed either by the Government or the private sector,” the Deputy Minister said.

He urged the youths to start thinking of becoming employers and not depending on being employed. “I am happy to say that this Government is keen to set up, in the 2013 national budget, financing that will particularly target innovations coming from the youths,” said Mr Sampa, who is also Member of Parliament for Matero Constituency in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

The Deputy Minister called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders including opposition leaders and chiefs to address unemployment.

“Everybody needs to come on board and assist in getting the youths to be innovative to resolve the issue of unemployment,” Mr Sampa said. “Waiting for job offers is a slow and unreliable approach while innovative entrepreneurship ideas will render the youth instant employers.” The Deputy Minister advised that “youths should also think more of providing jobs than being given jobs”.

Delegates from across the world – developed and developing nations – bemoaned the high levels of unemployment, especially among the youths, mainly in the aftermath of the global economic crisis. At the meeting, ECOSOC’s president and Slovakia Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Milos Koterec said ECOSOC was scaling up its efforts to tackle youth unemployment and the creation of jobs.

“For today’s 205 million unemployed, work is worryingly difficult to find – and finding decent,meaningful work, harder still,” said Ambassador Koterec.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told the gathering that “only by generating decent and decently paid employment can we help the poor and vulnerable to escape poverty”.

ECOSOC, a founding UN charter body, deliberates and makes policy recommendations on world economic, social and environmental issues.Zambia is the immediate past-president of ECOSOC.

Mr Sampa will speak at two sessions of the UN Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) on Thursday

President Michael Sata has said that government will make the recruitment of defence and Security personnel a continues exercise. Mr Sata said that the recent protest by some youths after they were not picked in the recruitment of Zambia Army junior officers is evidence enough that youths are in dire need of employment.

The President who was speaking in Livingstone on Monday said this will require pumping more money into the operations of the defence and security wings so as to revamp their operations. The Presidents remarks come after hundreds of youths demonstrated over the Army recruitment exercise.

And President Sata has said political party leaders in Zambia should fight hunger as well as unemployment and potholes instead of attacking each other. Mr Sata said it was not part of African culture for anyone to attack people who had lost their own relatives.

The President was speaking at Villa Grounds in Livingstone when he campaigned for the PF aspiring Parliamentary candidate, Joseph Akafumba, as well as candidates for the Mosi-oa-tunya and Akapelwa wards, Chrispine Sepiso and Chileshe Sikazwe, respectively.

He said the recent attacking of mourners in Livingstone by alleged United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres was regrettable. “I was told from Lusaka that the MMD and UPND will bring people to disturb this meeting in Livingstone.

“We political party leaders should fight against hunger, unemployment and potholes instead of fighting each other,” he said. He urged Livingstone residents to liberate themselves by voting for PF candidates who were closer to the Government of the day.

Mr Sata said he had been accused that he did not like Tongas and Lozis yet Mr Akafumba was a Lozi speaking person while some Cabinet and deputy ministers namely Wilber Simuusa, Ngosa Simbyakula, Luxon Kazabu and Obvious Mwaliteta were Tonga speaking people.

Mr Sata made the three PF aspiring candidates in Livingstone and other supporters to kneel down to ask for votes from Livingstone residents. He joked that when he was MMD national secretary, he hated late UPND leader Anderson Mazoka and others because he thought they were weakening the former ruling party.

Mr Sata said he later received a resignation letter from Mr Mazoka while he was still MMD national secretary and the late opposition leader later formed the UPND. Speaking earlier at the same rally, Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo urged Livingstone residents to vote for PF candidates if they wanted development.

Ms Masebo said the PF MP and councillors would be closer to Mr Sata and other ministers in terms of lobbying for development. Senior Chief Mukuni of Kazungula district said he would work with the Government of the day.

“Livingstone tourism should grow and Government should do something to develop tourism in the tourist capital. President Sata assured me that Government will do something to develop tourism in Livingstone and he will also meet chiefs in Southern Province because chiefs work with the Government of the day,” he said.

Acting Senior Chief Mweemba of Southern Province urged Tongas to support the Government of the day. Health Minister Joseph Kasonde, Mufumbwe MP Steven Masumba, district commissioners, defence and security chiefs, senior Government officials and PF officials were among others that attended the public rally.

[Times of Zambia]

President Michael Sata has arrived in Livingstone where he is expected to hold a public rally. President Sata is in the area to drum up support for Patriotic Front candidate Joseph Akafumba in the Livingstone central constituency bye-election.

The President arrived at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula international airport aboard the presidential challenger at 11:10hrs today. He is accompanied by tourism and foreign affairs minister Given Lubinda and special assistant to the president for press and public relations George Chellah.

Mr Sata was received by Southern province minister Obvious Mwaliteta, provincial permanent secretary Edwin Zumbunu, heads of government and parastal departments.

President Sata visited road traffic accident victims in ward one and two at Livingstone General hospital. Thirty three people were involved in the accident and one person died on the spot on Friday. The accident occurred when the van they were travelling in overturned on the Nakitindi road opposite Livingstone old cemetery.

And all electoral materials for Thursdays parliamentary by-elections in three constituencies have been delivered.

The materials were delivered to Chama North, Muchinga and Livingstone constituencies over the weekend.

Electoral Commission of Zambia Spokesperson Cris Akufuna confirmed the development to ZNBC News in Lusaka on Monday.

Mr. Akufuna says the commission is satisfied that all is set for poll day on July 5.

And Mr. Akufuna has called on participating political parties in the three parliamentary by-election to observe the 48-hours provision on which to STOP political campaigns.

He said voters should be given enough time to reflect on different campaign messages that politicians have been delivering.

ZNBC

MMD will never rule this country again, President Sata has said. Addressing a campaign rally at Chibale Basic School grounds in Serenje yesterday, President Sata said just like UNIP has failed to bounce back in Government, MMD will also fail.

“For now we are the ones presiding over the affairs of the nation whether they like it or not. They will never rule this country again,” he said. President Sata said the MMD failed to deliver development in the country.

Mr Sata was in Muchinga constituency to drum up support for Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Jeliaty Ntembwa ahead of the by-election set for this Thursday. He appealed to the electorate in the constituency to vote for the PF candidate because he hails from the area and has a house there.

“Ntembwa is a son of this soil and he understands the problems you go through. He even owns a house here while these two others live in Lusaka,” President Sata said. The President said MMD candidate Howard Kunda should not cheat the people that he will develop the area like his father [George Kunda] did because he has no capacity.

“Mr Kunda was our Vice-President and that is why he developed this constituency. Howard, my son, has no strength to develop this area,” he said. Mr Sata said Howard and National Restoration Party (NAREP) candidate Kenneth Ngosa do not own houses in the constituency.

“Ask Howard where he is working. He does not even have a house in this constituency. You should not allow him to use you to get a job,” Mr Sata said. He said it is traditionally wrong for the MMD candidate to attempt to inherit his father’s seat.

President Sata earlier paid a courtesy call on Chief Chisomo where he promised to improve the staffing levels at a health centre and schools. Mr Sata also said the road network in the chiefdom will be improved.

He told the gathering that was waiting for him at Chisomo Basic School to vote for the PF candidate. President Sata later paid a courtesy call on Chief Chibale before addressing a rally at Serenje Basic School.

President Sata further advised the candidate to seek leadership knowledge from traditional leaders. He advised Mr Ntembwa: “When I came here, I took you to Chief Chisomo, Chief Chibale and Chief Serenje because if you have to be a good leader, first learn from the leadership given by God.”

And President Sata met all the four chiefs in Serenje district. These are Chief Chisomo, Chief Chibale, Chief Serenje and Chief Mailo. Chief Mailo appealed to the President to address chiefdom, district and provincial boundary disputes.

He said he has boundary disputes with Northern, Muchinga and some chiefs in Serenje. The traditional leader also appealed for rehabilitation of roads in the area and complained about a contractor who was working on a bridge but abandoned the project.

Chief Mailo called for electrification of schools and clinics in the chiefdom saying the chiefdom generates power but it goes to other areas. He also urged Government to consider increasing the floor price of maize from K65, 000 to K70,000.

Chief Mailo commended President Sata for his work since he assumed office.

[Zambia Daily Mail]