LETTERS - Youths

The Zambian youth
By Daaram Simakungwe
Saturday March 15, 2008 [03:00]

Please allow me as a youth to share my views with the nation on the state of affairs for the Zambian youth. Most youths do not even know whether they will complete their secondary education.

If they pass Grade 12, they are not sure if they will get sponsorship at our universities. If they graduate at university level, they do not know if they will get jobs. If they get employed, they are not sure if that company will be sustainable (especially in Kafue district).

This cycle of uncertainty is making it impossible for the Zambian youth to prosper and fight poverty. Only the privileged ones with government contacts get free sponsorship to study overseas.

It is a sad to see how many of our friends are languishing in the streets everyday despite doing well at school, all because the system do not favour youth development in Zambia.

Politicians need to critically analyse the real state of the lives of the Zambian youth if we are going to respect their speeches.
It's now rhetoric to hear annual speeches from the Head of State on Youth Day but things are hardly changing on the ground.

Many youths have no jobs. Others have no education. We won’t have a good future for the Zambian youth as long as the status quo persists.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=39102

Levy's blacklisting of construction companies
By Kangwa Musenga
Saturday March 15, 2008 [03:00]

The directive by President Levy Mwanawasa to the Zambia Tender Board not to award contracts to 42 companies for poor and shoddy work is very much welcome.

I wish the blacklisting could have extended to private companies so that these cheating contractors learn a lesson of doing a good job for the huge some of money paid by taxpayers.

There is no way a country which is striving to upgrade its infrastructure can risk awarding contracts to briefcase businessmen who end up doing a bad job.

For the sake of transparency, can the Tender Board publish the names of these companies so that we know them. And can the board also consult the Anti-Corruption Commission for any company suspected of being awarded contracts without following legal tender procedures.

Can we also know apart from blacklisting these companies, if they will pay back some of the money.

There are many companies in Zambia today which are run by top government officials, there relatives or close friends and are awarded contracts based on relationships; this is corruption and must be stopped.

These are some of the companies which end up doing shoddy works.