CENSUS EXPOSES TIME BOMB
…chaos that awaits us will be worse than war – Changala
By Ernest Chanda
GOOD governance activist Brebner Changala has urge the new dawn administration to honour the youth who took them into government.
Commenting on the high turnout by the youth on Wednesday for census recruitment aptitude tests in Lusaka and other parts of the country, Changala said the multitude revealed how much the new dawn government has neglected the youth.
“The census which began today (Wednesday) has exposed and revealed one dynamic essence of what has transpired in the last 11 months which has been building up over the years. The chaos that has been exposed and revealed by the recruitment of census enumerators. I was in Lusaka. The turnout was so overwhelming such that they had to change the venue [from Lusaka Trades School] to Heroes Stadium,” he noted. “I am now in Kafue. The entire Kafue is paralysed. The youth and young generation has assembled at the NCZ Club looking for a temporary job of enumerators. And this, other than looking for employment, is sending a serious signal that as a government and as a people of Zambia we are sitting on a time bomb. The signal that has been shown on two occasions: 12th August [2021] and today the 3rd August [shows that] August is a revealing month to the new dawn. And the new dawn must accept and honour the young generation. It’s their time, it’s not our time. Anybody above 50 it’s not their time. Please accommodate the youth and peace shall return to our land.”
Changala reminded the new dawn administration that they came to power through the youth vote.
He however, noted that the youth have suffered under the current administration, hence the scramble for temporary jobs such as census enumerators.
“The new dawn administration came to power courtesy of the youth. Courtesy of the vibrancy, tenacity and commitment of the youth to liberate themselves. But the youth in this administration have suffered imaginable dislocation from the very administration that they elected,” Changala said. “It’s high time the new dawn administration clearly spelt out the agenda for the youth – how they will participate in our governance system. And most importantly, the agenda on job creation to absorb the massive human resource. Not only massive human resource but massive energetic human resource that is day-in and day-out lying unrecognised. And yet they formed government. It is their government.”
Changala outlined several programmes that the government should implement to absorb the youth.
He warned that if the youth are not taken care of they will rise and cause chaos in the nation.
“One way or the other we need to start national service. We need to develop capacity in industry. We need to energise our meagre resources to benefit the generation that, although not in charge, is indirectly in charge. The day they’ll rise and say enough is enough it will be a recipe not only for anarchy but for total chaos,” Changala said. “I urge the new dawn administration to take these signs that are coming out clearly. Not a rumour but signs coming out clearly that the youth is desperate to take its position. And this is the more reason the Cabinet of Mr Hakainde should have at least been half the youth, those below 35. The permanent secretaries of the new dawn administration at least half should have been those below the age of 35. The boards that have been littered all over and full of those that are considered loyal to the UPND should have been littered with a generation that is at the moment calling the shots. Creating boards full of retired men and women, especially recycled politicians, recycled permanent secretaries, recycled directors just because they supported you one way or the other will not ameliorate the impending catastrophe. The chaos that awaits us will be worse than the war in Ukraine.”
He said the youth are a resource that the African continent needs so much, hence the need to utilise it effectively.
“Africa is shot of food security and yet we have the human resource that can be energised and inspired to work on the land, to work in our industries, to work in our education sector, health sector; and most importantly to contribute to the development of this country,” said Changala.
Mr Changala, yes the exercise has shown the extent of un employment in the country but to say it is UPND is the one that has let the youth down is far fetched. This problem is historical and even if time is on UPND’s side, the problem will not go away any time soon.
This old man Changala can be extremely foolish sometimes, opening up his filthy mouth without thinking.
If he knows the issue of youth employment has been building up over the PF years as he is saying, then how come he is saying UPND has neglected the youth??
This fossil are fossils and Changala is just bitter, his paymasters lost the election.
Truth is nobody promised to employ 7 million youths; and he better let that sink into his greying head.
They don’t have to re-elect Bally in 2026 if they want; let them choose a better leader! Bally is only human and will NOT perform miracles to please Changala and his associates.
Changala knows the PF criminals that stole Govt funds and is quiet about it but happy to criticise someone who has done nothing wrong!! How foolish can old man be? At his age, one would expect a lot of Wisdom but the bastard does have it!!
The recruitment exercise was not done well, whatsoever the motive was for calling such large numbers, they should have filtered the names first. I do not agree that every one who was there doesn’t do anything, others where driven by the money to be paid. All in all, people talk whatever the activity.
Changala has yet again shown his bitterness at not being handed a job by the new dawn administration.
His remarks are a veiled attempt at inciting the youth to rise against the government. This is a clear case of treason yet, as usual, law enforcement agencies are fast asleep.
I expect the police to question Changala over this serious matter aimed solely at fulfilling his selfish need. Other well-meaning citizens must be equally concerned. Luckily, the overwhelming majority of the youth fully understand the genesis of their collective predicament and as such would not engange in any barbaric acts of self destruction.
Changala should be blaming the PF thieving clowns for the high rate of unemployment since jobs could not be created when economy growth during their rule experienced a strong negative reversal from plus 7% to negative 2%, or 9% underperformance from the MMD watermark.
Oh okay, now we have opposition cadres that are really selfish and liers. You identify the problem correctly but want us to believe that it the same government we voted for which has generated the problem?
Mr changala, how long does it take to raise and produce a vibrant corps of learned youths, ten months?
Even if you don’t agree with HH and his government, at least tell the truth. The problem has been growing since mmd days and worsened during the pf government of which you were in a way instrumental through the post association in ushering in. Tell me the total number of positions and jobs that were created in the 11 years of pf?
Please grow up and learn to be truthful. You have always leaned on Fred mmembe and his late post newspaper for survival. Just join him to advance the socialist party because you are wasting time trying to hide in being a human rights activist because you want to twist and hide the truth by advancing a false narrative that the government the youths ushered on is the one responsible for the backlog in lack of employment for the youths. That is an absolute uncouth plain and disgusting lie.
Youths if anything, have even seen a bit of change, improvement. They have hope in the government. In thirty days, government has absolved more youths, taking them off the streets by giving them positions in government.
Don’t try to accuse us youths of having caused the problem because we supported the new dawn government. We know you and your pf mostly, and others before them, created The problems we face today.
Stop wishing war worse than Ukraine on Zambia simply because your chance of appointment to a position under this government has diminished.
Stop the lies. Us youths we know better and remain more hopeful now than before.
Ba Changala, how long has UPND Alliance been in government?
Have you taken time to ask the affected youths how long they have been searching for employment since graduating?
Any analysis that is biased and laced with bitterness exposes folly in the author!
What we should appreciate is that the exercise has unearthed the magnitude of the problem and the backlog of Unemployment! What we now need is to have an honest dialogue at national level. Government alone cannot employ all these youths.
The good thing is we are slowly getting somewhere!
The new government is very serious with the plight of the youths. In under One year, they have employed over 50,000 people – those they have directly employed and those to be employed by the employed.
We have not even talked about employment created by the private sector as a result of the more favourable business climate created so far. Talk of the Youths who have made a decision to follow the entrepreneurship route. They have employed themselves and their friends.
What we just need now is to track unemployment variable after the census to keep track.
The Higher Education Authority must must supervise institutions of higher learning to regulate the mass production of professionals our economy does not need. Let these institutions not only concentrate on making the money but to make sure what they are producing is needed by the economy! Let them also look at the export market. Zambia can make a lot of money from exporting of skilled human resource!
Every problem presents opportunities!
Not long ago they said Free Education cannot work. There are not enough desks and classrooms. What have we seen? Children are kept busy at school. Donors have come on board to fund the construction of more classrooms and teacher’s houses. Desks are are being delivered by local suppliers. Some schools have scaled up production of desks for their own needs and for sale to government to distribute to other schools.
This Census was supposed to be done in 2020. PF failed to do it for obvious reasons. They bankrupted the treasury. If they decided to do it, we may not have had the aptitude tests to start with. People would have been asked to pay something to be included in the exercise. Have you forgotten how people were paying as much as K10, 000 + to be considered for employment or promotion! Some had to pay in kind to be considered. The fact that there is now a level playing field, that’s when everyone has appreciated the magnitude of the problem.
But don’t worry, Bally has already started fixing the problem.
He is still fixing the blocked Sewer System and drainage that PF was not paying attention to.
Sela babombeko aba Mano!