“YOUTHS MAKING NOISE WITH ZERO PLANS – NJOBVU”
…….“DU President lashes out at aspiring young leaders, warns that age alone won’t win Zambia the change it needs.”
Democratic Union (DU) president Ackim Antony Njobvu has slammed fellow young politicians as “noisemakers with zero plans,” warning that Zambia cannot be led by people who talk big but have nothing to deliver.
Speaking on 5FM’s Burning Issue program, Njobvu said while he supports youthful leadership, ambition without vision is meaningless, and only those with clear plans will earn his backing.
“We have a lot of young people making noise that it is our time to rule, of which I agree. But when you ask them what plans they have, it is zero,” Njobvu charged.
The DU leader, who has declared his ambition to contest the 2026 presidential elections, said it was not enough for youths to demand power simply on the basis of age, without articulating a clear vision for Zambia.
“It is not just about wanting to lead this country. You need to have a vision. I am willing to work with everyone who shares the same ideologies as the Democratic Union,” he said.
Njobvu added that he envisions a Zambia where young people are at the forefront of driving development, but insisted that leadership must be anchored on ideas, not mere slogans.
Taking a swipe at conventional wisdom on political progression, Njobvu rejected the notion that one must first serve as councillor or MP before aspiring for the presidency.
“People say you need to have been a councillor or MP before you aspire to be president. I don’t agree with that. Some of our former leaders who did good for this country didn’t have such political backgrounds. The presidency is a whole different office,” he argued.
He further accused the ruling UPND of betraying the people’s trust with empty promises, saying Zambians are now reluctant to believe politicians.
“It has become difficult for people to trust politicians after what happened with the UPND which made a lot of promises. But one thing I can tell you is that you can trust me and the Democratic Union because we mean well for this country. We have offered ourselves to be accountable to both God and man,” Njobvu said.
Njobvu’s remarks reflect growing tension within Zambia’s youthful political movements, where calls for generational change are increasingly colliding with questions about capacity, credibility, and vision.
©️ KUMWESU | August 22, 2025