NEVERS Mumba has told youths that they have proved to be absolutely spineless.
In an emotional message to young people between ages 15 and 35, Mumba said they represent the largest group of cowards.
“Yes, cowards that Zambia has ever produced,” Mumba said. “You have proved over time to be absolutely spineless. You have watched the country that you are going to manage in the next few years get wrecked and you still remain silent.”
Mumba said he sometimes wondered whether the youth had any interest in their country.
He wondered who the youth would lead the country without passion and courage.
“I know you are angry at my words; yes, I want you to be angry. I repeat, you are a bunch of cowards,” he said. “For some reason you think the country does not need your input, you are afraid of being arrested, imprisoned or ostracised, somehow you believe good things come cheap; no they don’t.”
Mumba, the MMD president and former Republican vice-president, said if the current crop of youths was the one at independence, the country would still be under colonialism today.
He said Zambia’s forefathers, Kenneth Kaunda, Kapwepwes, Nkumbulas resolved to secure the freedom the country enjoys today.
He noted that the forefathers were beaten, imprisoned and even killed for the country’s freedom.
Mumba said the early breed of youths grew up differently, walking without shoes to segregated schools, used latrines, fetched water and firewood early in the morning.
“They made their own beds and swept their own surroundings everyday, they were brought up with strong culture and character. They were warriors. That’s how come we got our independence,” Mumba noted. “They held back nothing; they gave out their all and because they did, we are free today. Your generation on the other hand has grown up in front of television sets, playing video games, your world is a virtual one on Facebook, Instagram and twitter. Nothing wrong with that but I want to explain something: a driver takes you to school and picks you up. The maid makes your bed, you don’t even make your own bed and someone washes and irons your clothes. With this comfort, some of your youths have no fighting spirit in them.”
Mumba noted that today’s youths shy away from anything that looks like a fight.
He urged them to be ready to fight if they had to prepare their future because nothing comes on a silver platter.
“Stop hiding behind laptops and your strange English accents, come out and challenge us not to destroy your future by our corruption and our greed that is being demonstrated in governments not only in Zambia but across this continent,” Mumba said. “Challenge us not to auction your gold to foreigners, challenge us not to sell your birthright to foreigners or to Chinese as a matter of fact. Challenge us not to insult your intelligence by relying on foreigners to think for us on restructuring the debt we recklessly accrued against the advice of many.”
Mumba cautioned the youth that if they do not challenge the current leaders, they would inherit a wrecked nation.
“I call for courage amongst our youth. If you belong to a political party, learn to ask the difficult questions to your senior officials. If you are in the opposition, ask us to be clear about the future we intend to create for you once we assume power. Challenge us to include you in our planning. If you belong to the ruling party, ask them how some of them have become so rich overnight, ask and keep on asking until we change, until they change, after all it’s your future, it’s your country, you have nothing to lose. In any case you don’t have anything now.”
Mumba said failure to ask the critical questions would not improve the youth’s lives.
Mumba announced that he formed freedom from fear campaign committees in all provinces in Zambia.
He said the thing that had held the country back from progressing was the spirit of fear.
“Fear of government, I have made it clear and I want to say it again; government must not be feared, governments must be respected. The moment to start to fear your own government then you are fearing your own capacity to develop into a successful human being,” he said.
Mumba said government’s strength and capacity was drown from people’s ideas.
“We have appointed leaders in all the provinces, these shall demand answers from government, they shall use all democratic means to get answers from government. The youths of Zambia, you may not have grown up like we did but if we are lions who grew up with a rough lives, if we are lions who have spoiled our cubs by spoon-feeding them, I have good news for you today; inside you is a real, unprovoked lion, they have spoiled you from the outside but if you are our son and our daughter, you are still a lion inside.”
Mumba told youths of a story of an eaglet that was raised among chickens but one day flew after realizing that it did not belong to chickens.