Maravi

Younger generation can't do without us, says Munkombwe
By Stuart Lisulo
Wed 23 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT

DANIEL Munkombwe says the younger generation still needs the older generation more in order to foster national development. In an interview ahead of the country's 49th Independence anniversary, Munkombwe, who is Southern Province Minister, said young people willing to learn from the older generation's experiences must not be arrogant, if they are to learn something.

They cannot do without us; the younger generation needs us more than we need them. Those that are prepared to learn can learn a lot from Dr Kaunda's involvement in politics and to some extent from Daniel Munkombwe's involvement in politics. I think I am something worth copying, so I think that we need each other. Those that are willing to learn are learning more from us. But those that choose to be arrogant against us, if they continue to be arrogant, they'll learn nothing - arrogance is not a virtue, Munkombwe said.

And Munkombwe said there has been 'tremendous progress' made in several sectors of the nation's economy.

When we got independence, there was only one Munali Secondary, that is why some of us found our way to Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) at the time, now we have many secondary schools and universities and colleges. Now we have provincial hospitals at least, that is tremendous progress, he said.

Meanwhile, in assessing whether Zambia has missed many opportunities to fully realise the gains after independence, Munkombwe said shortfalls were inevitable in any democratic dispensation.

It is difficult to realise everything, we will still have some shortfalls here and there, it is nature. If you go to the United States, sometimes their governments are paralysed government shutdown for some reason or the other, so there is no way you have 100 per cent system, but you can go up to 90-95 per cent to 98 per cent, but you certainly cannot have a 100 per cent system, Munkombwe said.

In the run-up to 1964, Munkombwe recalled how 'useful' he was during the struggle for independence, having once served as the vice-president in the African National Congress (ANC).

I surrendered to serve the people. So I was there in the forefront, I have always been a leader in the driving seat. Vernon Mwaanga was once a youth here in Choma and because he was a useful youth, he rose up to the United Nations and so on. When you are bad anywhere, you are bad everywhere; when you are useful anywhere, you are useful everywhere; and if you are useless anywhere, you useless everywhere, he said.
And Munkombwe called for more unity.

Let us move with everybody in unity; whether you are PF today, UPND today, let us move together in order to maintain unity for which Kaunda, Nkumbula, Kapwepwe, Arthur Wina moved in, said Munkombwe.

Labels: DANIEL MUNKOMBWE

posted by MrK @ 5:17 PM