Launch of youth policy and action plan cheers ZANASU

By Staff Reporter 

The Zambia National Students' Union (ZANASU) has reacted to the President Lungu's address on the launch of the “2016 Youth Policy & Action Plan For Youth Empowerment & Employment.” 

ZANASU vice-president, Prince Ndoyi says ZANASU has joined the millions of youths and students across the country in celebrating the youth policy and action plan. 

“As ZANASU we are in full support of this undertaking in our history as a nation. Firstly we would like to commend government on the completion of Robert Makasa University, this will enhance access to high education in the surrounding communities and ease the stress on the three public universities University of Zambia (UNZA), Copperbelt University (CBU) and Mulungushi University (MU), this is unprecedented,” he commends. 

Mr Ndoyi further commends the Ministry of Education for quickly re-opening CBU and hoping UNZA will be opened on time. 

He adds that yesterday's speech by President Lungu was full of hope, motivation and must be taken beyond political barricades. 

“Zambia today is faced with adverse youth unemployment and as observed in the World Banks' Reports Youth Unemployment poses a great danger to our economy,” Mr Ndoyi quotes. 

According to Mr Ndoyi, the main reasons leading to high levels of unemployment among others include lack of skills possession by youths. 

“Given the plight of the students in our country, and the falling standards of education, the grants and other funds allocated to tertiary institutions must be redressed to achieve this plan,” adding that ZANASU believes Tertiary institutions are breeders of human capital and any delay by government to improve this sector will stifle development. Therefore, if government seeks to achieve the foregoing, it must increase funding into tertiary and vocational skills training through research into entrepreneurship and innovation if Zambia is to achieve the 500,000 jobs. 

Mr Ndoyi says the need to address the challenges of high tuition fees students are subjected to various public institutions. 

“We also appeal to the President as a parent to reinstate the students leaders who have either been expelled or suspended at the various learning institutions due to voicing out on behalf of students, this will help as a way of allowing every youth to participate in this process,” he stresses. 

He further says youths must take advantage of the massive infrastructure development being undertaken by government. 

“Statistics continue to show lack of skills transfer to the Zambians working for the investors and contractors, which still remain an issue to be addressed. Of course these will provide in the immediate short term some soluble employment but we demand sustainable skills transfer,” Mr Ndoyi says, adding that contractors must not bring expatriates to do jobs that Zambian youths can do. 

He discloses that ZANASU is proposing that government must consider reducing tuition fees for public institutions; providing and constructing of affordable accommodation at all high learning institutions; overhauling of dilapidated infrastructure in both colleges and universities; reinstating of expelled or suspended union leaders; extending the students loans to all public institutions; decentralizing the youth fund to all rural areas and extending it to high learning institutions for brilliant entrepreneurial innovations.

Mr Ndoyi charges that the era where leaders who live in well furnished offices, export their children to learn in foreign institutions and erect mansions worth billions for themselves while students are suffering must come to an end. 

“When failure becomes law, resistance becomes a duty,” he charges. 

Mr Ndoyi has since urged all Zambians to give President Lungu and his government a benefit of a doubt. 

“He has given us ammunition to use to judge his commitment to youths through implementation of the plan. We also encourage all youths to be proactive in the highlighted sectors. We ought to remain vigil and bold to voice out once we observe the government straying away from this action plan. We warn and remind government that we are the majority voters in this country hence the need to treat such policy directives very seriously,” he says. 

He further points out that all line ministries must take heed of the instructions by the President. 

“We will not allow a situation were this ends as literature in booklets and handouts to gather dust on the shelves and be a mere formality, but must be implemented,” says Mr Ndoyi.