GOVERNMENT WILL NEVER LEAVE THE YOUTHS IN THE COLD – MWEETWA
LIVINGSTONE – 15/07/22
The UPND says the New dawn administration under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema still considers the high unemployment and under employment levels among youths in the country as a time bomb that cannot be left to chance.
UPND Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says it is a fallacy by the opposition to think that the government would throw the youths in the cold without any alternatives to their plight.
Addressing the media in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Mweetwa who is also Southern Province Minister who was commenting on the recent removal of mobile money booths in most strategic streets in Lusaka said there is no need for the opposition to get excited.
“The removal of the youths from the streets does not mean throwing them in the cold without any alternative.Government is aware of the level and scale of unemployment and under employment in the country among the youths. Whatever measures government takes are taken steadily being mindful of the consequences such measures would bring,” he said.
He said it has become evidently clear that the said booths were owned by leaders from the previous regime hence their loud cries at the government decision as that would affect their daily income.
The UPND spokesperson said the outbursts from among leaders in the former regime have nothing to do with their love and care for the youths but rather their own loss of income.
” As the party in government, we respect those jobs created by mobile booths and mindful that other than providing a living by being employed in the booth,a number of those colleagues in the booths are under employed.We are aware of the measures that are being put together to ensure that some of those youths who were working in mobile booths and have gained experience to run that business can now be formally empowered through CDF and ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises so that they can become owners and not workers in those booths as small and medium entrepreneurs.That is what the government is looking at. GOVERNMENT will not abandon its youth,” Mr Mweetwa added.
He said the government under the new dawn administration does not believe in handouts but opportunities in business with the youths being at the centre of the planning for empowerments.
Government through the Lusaka City Council last week embarked on a clean up exercise of the City of Lusaka with the removal of mobile money booths from strategic streets such as the Great East Road and the Central Business District of Lusaka,a situation that has left the city looking clean to the amazement and gratitude of most residents.
There have been calls for the government to extend the clean up to other major towns across the country as a way of maintaining cleanliness in the country and to avoid communicable water bone diseases.
(C) THE FALCON