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Poverty is Zambia’s greatest enemy, says FODEP

Poverty is Zambia’s greatest enemy, says FODEP
By Kombe Chimpinde
Fri 13 May 2011, 04:00 CAT

POVERTY is Zambia's greatest enemy to social and human development, says Dr Alex Ng'oma. Dr Ng'oma, who is Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president, observed that most Zambians could not enhance their human development and remain independent from political manipulation due to high poverty levels being experienced.

He said some politicians had taken advantage of the continued high poverty levels to manipulate the poorest in a bid to influence their choices of leaders during elections.

“Sometimes no matter how much we try to educate communities, they still remain prone to manipulation such as the giving of foodstuffs and farming inputs during an election period,” he said.

Dr Ng'oma said until poverty is eradicated at national level, Zambia would continue to have challenges in conducting civic education, especially among voters.

He said there was need for the country to reach a level where people in rural areas would vote for a political party not because they had been given material things but rather because they believed in policies being floated by a particular party.

Dr Ng'oma, however, said there was need for non-governmental organisations to focus their civic education more in poverty stricken areas where the majority of people were prone to political manipulation.

Dr Ng'oma, who is also a lecturer at the University of Zambia, recommended that intensive civic education be done not only during election periods but throughout the year in order to create awareness among possible voters.

“We have begun carrying out civic education in Western and Southern provinces. We have not been able to go to other parts of the country due to lack of adequate funding,” said Dr Ng'oma.

Labels: ALEX NG'OMA, FODEP, POVERTY

posted by MrK @ 4:37 AM