ZAMBIAN YOUTHS MUST NOT BE REDUCED TO HANDOUTS
…says Sconel Lusambo as he condemns initiatives designed to keep the youth silent, idle, and broke
Lusaka… Saturday April 5, 2025
The Socialist Party’s National Youth Deputy Spokesperson, Sconel Lusambo, has strongly criticized the UPND government, stating that it is deliberately reducing the future of Zambian youths to short-term poverty relief initiatives rather than offering lasting empowerment.
In a statement, Lusambo contended that the ruling administration had chosen to keep young people dependent on “Cash for Work” and Social Cash Transfer programs, which he described not as tools for development but as mechanisms of control.
He argued that these initiatives were designed to keep the youth “silent, idle, and broke.”
According to Lusambo, the government had demonstrated no real interest in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, or skills development among the youth.
He maintained that what Zambia needed were policies aimed at unlocking the potential of its young citizens, not programs that merely “buy silence.”
“Giving a youth K200 today without a plan for tomorrow is not empowerment—it’s economic sabotage,” he reportedly said, emphasizing that the current approach undermines long-term progress and self-reliance.
He further expressed concern over a national crisis of youth unemployment, criticizing the government for celebrating what he termed “the distribution of crumbs.”
He questioned the absence of significant investments in sectors such as industry, agriculture, technology, and the creative arts, which he believes could serve as genuine engines for youth empowerment.
Mr. Lusambo also accused the UPND of intentionally keeping the youth poor in order to use them as political tools during elections.
He urged young people across the country to recognize this pattern and reject “poverty politics.”
In his call to action, he urged the youth to demand leadership that prioritizes empowerment, productivity, and opportunity over dependence and charity.
He concluded by asserting that the best solution was to remove the UPND government in the next general election, advocating for a leadership that believes in the potential of Zambia’s youth.