Maravi

Youths and Cabinet positions

Youths and Cabinet positions
By The Post
Mon 22 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT

Peter Matoka says in his wisdom Dr Kenneth Kaunda had appointed a number of youths, including himself, as ministers in Zambia's first Cabinet after independence in 1964.

Dr Kaunda, himself was just 40 at independence. And according to Matoka, himself and Sikota Wina were Cabinet ministers under the age of 35. And Zambia's first Minister of Finance, Arthur Wina, was just 35. A youth is defined as someone of the age of 35 and below.

Clearly, Zambia's first Cabinet was one of very young people. And it represented the way the independence struggle was waged and who led it.
It is good to have a Cabinet, a political leadership that represents all the politically active age groups. From the older generation, more wisdom arising from their many years of experience, of struggling is brought into the leadership. And from the youth, who lack experience but have abundance of militancy, enthusiasm and energy is added the experience of the older generation. A combination of these is required for efficient, effective and orderly leadership.

But one doesn't become a Cabinet minister simply because he is a youth. And one doesn't become a Cabinet minister simply because he has four, five, six, seven or eight decades of experience. Leaders should come from those who are able and are willing to lead. Dr Kaunda summed it up very well in an address to the UNIP national council in 1968: "Every struggle that is not spearheaded or supported by the youth will not succeed. For one thing, like mothers they are fearless;
secondly the future of the country depends very much on how we shape the young ones of today.

You will not become leaders simply because you belong to the youth of today. This nation will choose its leaders from among those who are responsible, those who realise, understand and appreciate the importance of man and his position in all things on earth. The task of preparing the young people of today is a responsibility that must be shared between them and us."

And there is another observation by Dr Kaunda on this score that deserves noting: "It falls to few generations to share in the task of building a new nation. But this honour carries with it great responsibilities. If we are to live up to the challenge before us, we must cultivate certain essential values; a love of learning, tenacity of purpose, a mind attuned to new ideas, a sense of urgency, respect for the human personality and a dedication to the service of mankind" (opening of the University of Zambia, March 18, 1966).

Political leadership should not be the preserve at any given time of one generation only. The best of all generations should come together, blend, cooperate and lead the country. The best of each generation brings something to the table that is of great importance. The experience of older leaders cannot be done away with. But so is the militancy of the young leaders. All over the world, it is young people who are actually involving themselves in the struggle to eliminate oppression and exploitation and improve the lives and dignity of their people. They are the ones who most quickly identify with the struggle and the necessity to eliminate the conditions that exist. Nelson Mandela once said, "Young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom."

Young people who are concerned with the affairs of their country, community and nation deserve to be admired and to be respected. But unfortunately, the young person who embarks on that path does not have the experience of someone who has been around for a longer period. One would wish a young person, with all his militancy and energy, had also the experience of someone older. This combination is difficult to find in one person. And because of this, there is need to blend people from different age groups or generations into a nation's political leadership.

And moreover, this country is for the young people as well as the older ones, but in the last analysis, it is for young people. Young people, full of vigour and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun in the morning. Our hope is placed on them. Our country belongs to them. Zambia's future belongs to them.
They must be helped to understand the challenges of our country and that only through the united effort of our younger generation and all our people, working together, can Zambia be made strong and prosperous.

And because of their lack of political and social experience, young people may not always be able to see the contrast between the Zambia of yesterday and that of today, and it may not be easy for them to comprehend the hardships our people went through in the struggle to free themselves from colonial and neo-colonial domination and put the nation where it is today. It is therefore important to constantly carry on lively political education among the young people and tell them the truth about the difficulties that crop up and discuss with them how to surmount these difficulties.

Young people are the most active and vital force in society. They are the most eager to learn and the least conservative in their thinking. We hope those in the political leadership of our country will do everything possible to bring into full play the energy of our youth by appropriately incorporating them in the structures of government and in the political leadership of our country.

Young people should not be treated in the same way as everybody else and ignore their special characteristics. Of course, young people should learn from the old and other adults, and should strive as much as possible to engage in all sorts of useful activities with their agreement.

There is need to include more and more young people into the highest structures of government. Currently, we do not have anyone who can be said to be a youth in our Cabinet. If an opportunity arises to infuse a deserving youth in our Cabinet, there should be no hesitation to do so. It shouldn't be forgotten that the basic clay of our work is the youth. Let's place our hope in them and prepare them to take the banner from our hands.

posted by MrK @ 3:54 PM