GOVERNMENT REINTRODUCES NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS.
December 18, 2024
LUSAKA – PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says government has reintroduced the National Service training program for school leavers.
President Hichilema said this initiative, which had been phased out in previous years, will now offer young people the opportunity to undergo a structured training program focused on discipline, skills development, and community service.
The President was speaking when he addressed Lusaka District UPND officials this morning at the Party Secretariat.
“This decision is driven by the desire to empower our youth, provide them with practical skills, and instill a sense of patriotism and national pride,” President Hichilema said.
He also said that UPND believe that by reintroducing National Service, young Zambians will be equipped with the tools they need to thrive in their personal and professional lives, while also contributing to the development of our nation.”
President Hichilema said the National Service training program will be available to all school leavers, regardless of their academic background, and will focus on both hard and soft skills.
He said participants will receive training in a variety of fields, including agriculture, construction, healthcare, and technical skills, helping to bridge the gap between education and employment. The program will also offer opportunities for community service, where participants can engage in projects that benefit local communities.
“One of the key benefits of this initiative is its potential to reduce unemployment by creating a skilled workforce ready to contribute to Zambia’s growing economy,” President Hichilema explained. “It will also foster a sense of unity among the youth, as they work together to contribute to national development.”
By emphasizing teamwork, discipline, and social responsibility, the program aims to create a generation of young people who are not only skilled but also committed to the nation’s well-being.
The President emphasized that the program would be voluntary and open to all eligible young people, ensuring that it is inclusive and accessible. “This is an opportunity for our youth to give back to the nation while also gaining valuable skills that will serve them throughout their lives,” President Hichilema added.
And the President said the reintroduction of National Service is expected to begin in 2024, with training taking place in various centers across the country.
President Hichilema stressed that this initiative is part of the broader effort to empower Zambia’s youth, who make up a significant portion of the population, by offering them pathways to meaningful employment and contributing to the long-term development of the country.
The UPND’s mobilisation campaign is framed not just as a response to immediate challenges but as a strategic move to consolidate political support, foster unity, and position the party as the true champion of national development.
The President’s message is clear: by staying united and focused on delivering on campaign promises, the UPND can secure its long-term political future while shaping Zambia’s prosperous future.
(C) THE FALCON
Good plan Mr president for the young youths
But he already told us that this time, it will be voluntary and not compulsory the way it used to be in the olden days.
This is a new approach my dear. It’s not voluntary BUT compulsory. If you don’t go you will never work in any formal sector… because all employers will request for ZNS clearance or completion certificate.
The clearance certificate document will be issued if you are cleared to go to college after compulsory military training.
Completion certificate is issued when you finish the entire period of ZNS school leaver program.
Great move chifukwa young men and women are too idle, lazy and unpatriotic.
Am sure after ZNS training we shall see a jacked up Gen. Z. Not ya manje ya Yoh Barry.
Mr Crabs what is so new about that? Thats how ZNS worked before. And Kaunda put a stop in 1982. So tell that story to someone who was not alive then.
My point is that National Service is a cost to the public purse.
Has Zambia got a surplus in its Reserves? No! How is governmeny going to pay for this. Waffling without giving precise answers just to be critical is talking without substance.
Answer the point. How is this going to be sustainable? Its something that was tried before and was not affordable to government, that as well as the stape of typhoid and Dysentery cases that occurred around about the time the scheme was disbanded. Please answer the question about sustainability. “This is a new approach my dear” is not an answer bwana…its waffling at a point without an explaination
Mr Crab As one whose mother went through 20 months national service it was exactly what you are saying. Whats the difference? UNIP who controlled all the finances failed to maintain it so where would a government under somuch foreign funding pressure find the money to keep thousands of youth in camp for even one month?
@ZNSp project failed. Y?
Thank you mama…thank you very much. My point exactly.
I do not expect it to be a success. This is an impulsive decision.
Great move President HH!!! Though it should have been made compulsory, it will imbibe a spirit of patriotism, discipline, self reliance and hard work among our youth. I commend him on that move.
I hope this has been well thought through. Like, where is the funding going to come from? What happens after the training?
During the UNIP days, a lot of resources were wasted in the name of national service training and the military training had some unplanned for outcomes (we all learnt how to use an SAR, Semi-Automatic Rifle, and some used this knowledge to destructive ends).
Ultimately, the solution is to grow the economy so that people have disposable income to stimulate the growth of SMEs.
Can Zambia afford this? Why was it scrapped under Kaunda? Some decisions were made for a reason. Infintu should be sustainable.
Much better if the resources are wasted on our youth, rather than flats for few individuals
Another way to steal money from the poor