FIGHTING THE YOUTH REVOLUTION: A COUNTERPRODUCTIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT
I recently came across a statement social media in which Chiengi Member of Parliament, Given Katuta was urging fellow old MPs to “gang up against youths aspiring for parliamentary seats.” The article talked about how the MP had launched an anti-youth campaign in which she was calling for other elderly members to ensure that the door is closed on young people aspiring to run for public office in 2026 because they are incapable and accused them of being power hungry and being only after money.
I found this statement to be part hilarious and part hypocritical at the same time. Just by virtue of that statement, one can tell how the Honourable minister is not the quickest of cats at the best of times. Her being against youth participation in governance issues, something that even those who don’t have much faith in youth leadership have being advocating for tells us how big a problem this country has. Her being against youth participation in politics only paints her as the one who is power hungry and only after money. Because why have issues with youths coming to the fore, especially in a democracy?
This article was followed by a statement from our Youth, Sport and Arts Minister, Elvis Nkandu cautioning young people against joining “The Youth Movement” without understanding it’s agenda. Honourable Nkandu cautioned young people to introspect before joining this movement as they might end up falling into a trap. A statement which clearly aims to make the youth movement appear like it has ulterior motives which it clearly doesn’t. The only trap that young people have fallen into has been constantly voting for non-perfoming and selfish politicians who are now shaking in their boots because the youths are making the bold move of taking matters into their own hands.
These young people are inevitably the eventual leaders, so why not let them take up the roles now, they will mess up, if course, but they will learn. What happened to wars being won by the wisdom of the old and energy of the youths? Bringing change and development to our country requires the efforts of both the young and old.
The truth of the matter is, both the honourable MP of Chengi and our Minister are scared. The youths have so much power and seeing what is happening in the Sahel region has made most young people in Africa see youth as the future of this continent. The other thing is, the honourable MP cannot say the youths are not capable when she has also seen the wanders that have been done by a 37 year old Captain Ibrahim Traore. And it’s not in a ward or a constituency, it’s an entire country. He has done things in two years that his predecessor Roch Marc Christian Kabore who took office at 58 years and ruled for six years failed to do. In short, our old and experienced leaders have failed us in an epic way and they have no right to call prospective lawmakers who have not been given an opportunity to prove themselves incapable.
Our parents and elderly politicians are scared because they know that the youths make up the majority of our population, and it is easy for young people to back each other at the polls because they will feel someone who is in their age group will understand their challenges better than the older generation. It’s so unfortunate that these older politicians are trying to oppose this movement when under normal circumstances they should be happy that the young people are finding the courage to take up leadership roles as these are the government in the making and are the people who will take over from them eventually. Every parent prays that their children do better than them by taking on great responsibilities. So what is wrong with these parents?
But the fear that grips most of these politicians when it comes to youths taking over is understandable knowing the energy, the numbers, and what happens when the youths set their minds on achieving something. Youths make and break governments. So if the youths today decide they want young leaders, then young leaders it shall be. It doesn’t matter whether the dinosaurs say they have the power and money, right now.
Before the said post, I came across a video by one of the young politicians our honourable MP is against. A young man who is also aspiring for public office talking about how he ran into a veteran politician who advised him to wait a few more years before running as he had more to learn. But to this old timer’s surprised, this young man refused to take that advice and reminded him how these old politicians will say you are not ready for a noble undertaking like governance, but they won’t do the same when they want you to do their dirty work or give them your vote. I LOVED this response and I think other young people who have these old timers trying to talk them out of taking on leadership roles should respond the same way.
For the longest time, young people in Zambia, have been used as tools for campaigns mobilization, intimidation, insults, and every other task that serves the old leader’s path to power and keeps him in power. And the truth is, the older politician want it continue in that same manner. But unfortunately, the youths have been used enough and they have now woken up to the truth. Today the youth no longer wants to be the tool, he wants to be the one wielding the tool of power. The days of youths being exploited for the seasoned politician’s gain are coming to an end, and it’s about time. This revolution is long overdue.
ALL THE BEST and more power to the YOUNG POLITICIAN aspiring to take up leadership roles. Tomorrow is yours and don’t let anyone tell you different. Of course this young leadership will not be perfect, but they can’t do worse than what we have been exposed to.
By Kelvin Musonda