PF owes youths jobs - E/Province minister
By Christopher Miti in Chipata and Fredrick Mwansa in Itezhi-te
Tue 13 Mar. 2012, 13:59 CAT
EASTERN Province minister Charles Banda says the PF government owes the youth job opportunities. And youths in the province have pledged never to get involved in any kind of corruption. Meanwhile, UPND youths in Itezhi-tezhi yesterday defied their national leadership's order to boycott Youth Day celebrations by taking part in the commemoration.
Speaking during Youth Day commemorations at Chipata's David Kaunda stadium yesterday, Banda who was represented by Chipata district commissioner Masautso Banda said
the PF's electoral victory achieved in the 2011 elections was largely owed to the youth.
He said the job opportunities would be provided for by creating employment opportunities both in the formal and informal sectors.
"The challenge of my government is therefore to improve the quality of life of the youth through sustainable economic activities in order to uplift especially the lives of youths in rural areas. It is for this reason that the PF government is introducing programmes to accelerate the social economic empowerment of citizens especially the youth and women," Banda said.
PF and UNIP youths were the only ones from political parties that participated. On behalf of the youths, Dalitso Zulu said the youth in the province support the government's fight against corruption.
Dalitso said the youth would expose all forms of corruption by reporting all suspected corrupt practices to the relevant investigative wings of government.
"We applaud your government for reviving the fight against corruption as the vice is a dangerous cancer capable of destroying our province's and Zambia's economic development and reputation," she said.
Dalitso appealed to the government to consider abolishing the examination fees at grade 12 level.
She commended the government for abolishing health user fees in government institutions but urged it to ensure health institutions were well stocked with medicine, well equipped and well staffed so that the youth and the poor were able to receive quality medical care.
Dalitso said this year's theme "Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable National Development" was appealing to the youth as it called for the development of the strategies for strengthening public private partnership in stimulating domestic resources for implementing youth development programmes.
She said the youth had continued to face numerous social problems and challenges such as inadequate information, limited recreation facilities in the province, unemployment and HIV/AIDS whose prevalence rate was still very high.
"We therefore call upon the government to consider the following: putting in place development and economic policies that stimulate employment creation and provision of quality services in the health and education sectors including recreation, establish a special fund to facilitate youth exchange programmes at local, regional and international levels and involve the youth in decision making on matters that affect them," Dalitso said.
She also urged the government to increase the threshold for youth development fund for developing entrepreneurial skills.
UPND youths in Itezhi-tezhi joined hundreds others from all walks of life in commemorating Youth Day at Itezhi-tezhi court grounds.
The UPND youths who carried a banner with their president Hakainde Hichilema's portrait were seen marching and singing along with their Patriotic Front counterparts.
UPND national youth chairman Likando Mufalali announced that UPND youths would boycott Youth Day celebrations but would instead concentrate their energies doing community work.
However, Itezhi-tezhi MMD youths were conspicuously absent from the march past though some youth leaders were seen at the venue of the cerebrations.
And Itezhi-tezhi district commissioner Roy Nang'alelwa says it is regrettable that some opposition parties are engaging youths to create anarchy instead of engaging them in productive economic activities.
Nang'alelwa said that it was unfortunate that some opposition parties were politicising the Youth Day celebrations by inciting youths to boycott the celebrations.
He urged youths in the district to refuse be used as accessories of tribal politics.
"I urge the youth to refuse to be used as instruments for tribal politics at the expense of weightier development issues the district is grappling with," he said.
He announced that the government had released K70 million to commence construction of skills training centre in the district.
He said the PF government would establish a micro credit financing facility so as to lend to established district vocational training centres and small scale enterprises as well as facilitate access to market through procurement opportunities for goods and services.
And Itezhi-tezhi youth Lupinda Chimwasu urged the government to create employment for the youths by making a deliberate policy that will compel investors in the district to employ 70 per cent local youths.
He further said that due to unemployment, many youths had engaged themselves in illicit activities such as beer drinking and prostitution leading to high HIV contraction rates.
Labels: CHARLES BANDA, EASTERN PROVINCE, JOBS, PF, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNIP, YOUTHS
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FDD spokesperson resigns
Written by George Chellah
Friday, May 15, 2009 2:18:42 PM
OPPOSITION Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has lost direction, party spokesperson Charles Banda has stated. And Banda stated that there is too much secrecy in the party especially where finances are concerned.
In a letter to FDD president Edith Nawakwi dated April 14, 2009, Banda stated that he had resigned from the party's National Policy Committee (NPC) and subsequently from the position of chairperson for information and publicity.
"...after carefully reviewing and holding exhaustive consultations with my family, friends and colleagues, it has become abundantly clear to me that I should give way to other members of the party to take over and help drive the party's agenda to achieve the intended goals for which it stands today," Banda stated. "In my view, the party has completely lost direction in that very few people are driving the whole process in a very selfish manner without due regard for the rest of the membership. There is intolerance in the FDD to the extent that any divergent views are translated to mean power struggle and rebellion."
Banda, who is also former FDD Kapoche member of parliament, stated that there was too much secrecy in the party especially where finances are concerned.
"Up to this day madam, despite several reminders and requests by other party members and myself the NPC has never received any financial reports regarding the money the party has been receiving from the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) and other donors," Banda stated. "You have personally witnessed how violent some senior members of the FDD become when it comes to money issues, especially the ZCID funds. I am not going to be party to an arrangement where people will be personalising party finances. I am not going to be party to the legitimisation of abusing the party and its general membership for personal gain.
"The national policy committee will recall that the national secretary, Mr Newton Ng'uni promised to call up a meeting at which he himself would present financial reports. He promised that there was going to be physical fighting after presenting his financial reports. Whatever precipitated his anger I have waited for that day, unfortunately, it has not come."
He stated that the democracy that began with the party has faded away completely.
"What we have today is complete dictatorship. It is either this leader has said or that leader has decided that it be done in this or that way. Any other suggestions are met with hostility from the top most members of the NPC," Banda stated.
Banda also criticised and questioned the party's inclinations to the ruling MMD.
"I would rather my colleagues dissolved the party and joined the MMD than say we are in the opposition but supporting the ruling party. What are we opposing then?" asked Banda. "How do we hope to wrestle power from the MMD? How shall we present ourselves to the electorate in the event of another election?"
Labels: CHARLES BANDA, EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD
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Ronald Banda, Charles Banda join Sata's east campaign
By Mwala Kalaluka and Jack Zimba
Thursday October 09, 2008 [04:04]
Former community development deputy minister Ronald Banda yesterday said he will support Michael Sata in the October 30 presidential election because he does not subscribe to primitive politics of supporting people on tribal lines.
And opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson Charles Banda yesterday announced that he will back Patriotic Front president Michael Sata in the October 30 presidential election.
Ronald Banda, who is now an active member of the PF, said in an interview that there was no way he could support the MMD following what he described as corrupt activities in the ruling party. He also said he could not endorse the candidature of the MMD’s Rupiah Banda just because they both hail from the same province.
“I do not believe in primitive tribal politics,” Banda said. “We have intermarried, for example my wife is a Lozi.”
Banda claimed that the PF, which he joined at the beginning of this year, had launched a vigorous campaign in some parts of Eastern Province.
“I have just come from Petauke. MMD at the moment has got camps and in those camps, they are giving K700, 000, chitenge materials, saladi (cooking oil) to people and I have told the people that follow me that just chew the foodstuffs that are given to you. The MMD are desperate,” he said.
Banda said the PF’s campaign was fairing very well, especially in Petauke, Kapoche and Msanzala constituencies.
“I can’t comment on the other areas fairly but it is like a revolution. When we go again, we are going to touch those places we have not been to,” he said.
And Charles Banda said he decided to support Sata because he was a member of the opposition and that there was no way he could back the MMD candidate.
“I am campaigning for PF and Mr Sata in my constituency, which is Kapoche and Petauke district and Eastern Province, as a province where I come from,” Charles said. “We have nothing in common with the MMD right now. Mr Rupiah Banda comes from the Eastern Province, it is true. People are saying koma wa kwasu, meaning someone who comes from my place of origin…It is not that I should support the MMD simply because Mr Rupiah Banda comes from Eastern Province.”
Charles explained that he is going to campaign for the PF because the ideals that the FDD stands for are similar to those of the Sata-led opposition party.
Charles said people saying that Rupiah Banda currently enjoyed a 100 per cent support from Eastern Province were cheating.
“That 100 per cent is a dream. There are those of us who do not agree with him and we are going to tell our people to follow the ideals that we believe in and we can only find them in the opposition,” Charles said. “The way the MMD is approaching politics in this country is one thing that we do not agree with. There is a lot of corruption, intimidation and bribery. The MMD are diverting from the law. They say they are a government of laws and not of men but much of the time we have noticed that the MMD is a government of men and not of the law.”
Charles charged that corruption within MMD had been enhanced after president Mwanawasa’s death.
“There is no one who is following the law. Look at what is happening. There are cases of bribery. People are bribing political parties to endorse the candidature of Rupiah Banda. I do not think I want to be part of that,” he said.
Charles said although there could be other people within FDD with contrary views, the majority fully agreed with him .
Meanwhile, former president Frederick Chiluba yesterday said he has not yet decided on which candidate he will support in the October 30 presidential poll.
Asked on whether he still supported Sata, whose candidature he endorsed in the 2006 elections, Chiluba said: “I’m a man that will never shrink from my position because I base everything on principle; I’m dictated by what I believe in, I’m dictated by what I see in the leadership and I haven’t made my position here; yet I’m sure I will, you can be assured I will.”
Chiluba was speaking after the funeral service of the late bishop Samson Phiri, who was national overseer of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, at Lusaka’s Edwin Emboela Stadium yesterday.
Bishop Phiri died last Sunday after suffering a stroke and was buried yesterday.
Labels: CHARLES BANDA, MMD, RONALD BANDA, SATA
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