MUSHIMBA CALLS ON 70s, 80s GENERATION TO REBUILD ZAMBIA
Organized People’s Party (OPP) president Eng. Dr. Brian Mushimba has called on Zambians born in the 1970s and 1980s to take greater responsibility for the country’s future by actively participating in leadership and national development
Dr Mushimba said the generation had reached a stage where it should move beyond questioning who would save Zambia and instead determine what it could do to improve the country.
“For Zambia, that moment is now,” he said.
He noted that those born in the 1970s and 1980s had witnessed economic difficulties, political transitions, social changes and the impact of technology and globalisation, giving them valuable experience to contribute to national transformation.
Dr Mushimba said the generation was old enough to remember Zambia’s past but young enough to rebuild it, adding that many had accumulated professional, business, institutional and life experience.
“We are therefore uniquely positioned to provide Zambia with experienced but transformational leadership,” he said.
He urged those dissatisfied with the performance of public institutions to stop remaining spectators and instead offer themselves for public service.
“Our generation must move from spectators to participants,” he said.
Dr Mushimba said leadership should not be pursued merely because it was a generation’s turn, but because citizens had a duty to leave behind a better country.
He called for political, regional, ethnic, religious and professional divisions to be overcome in favour of competent, ethical and accountable leadership.
“Zambia deserves competent, ethical, accountable and visionary leadership,” he said.
Dr Mushimba further said the country needed new standards of leadership, with public office treated as a responsibility and government resources regarded as public property.
He urged the generation to mentor younger Zambians, support entrepreneurs, invest in education and skills, and build institutions that could outlive individual leaders.
“Our responsibility is to build institutions strong enough to outlive us,” he said.
He encouraged Zambians born in the 1970s and 1980s to step forward and serve, saying their time to accept responsibility for Zambia’s future had arrived.