Thursday 12th MARCH, 2020: Press Statement by OYV Executive Director Guess Nyirenda on 2020 National Youth Day themed: ‘I Take The Lead’.

OPERATION YOUNG VOTE (OYV)
Lotti House, 6th Floor, Suite 21, Cairo Road P.O. Box 30153
Email: oyvleader2000@gmail.com Cell: 0955/77-769 688
LUSAKA

OYV Executive Director Guess Nyirenda (Right) hosted by Zambia’s envoy to Ethiopia, Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba (Left)

12th MARCH, 2020: STATEMENT BY OYV ON THE 2020 NATIONAL YOUTH DAY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The commemoration of the National Youth Day needs to be given life by critical actions at the level of Presidency or else the celebrations remain as business as usual punctuated with rhetoric and lamentations.
The mere attendance of the National Youth Forum or indeed any other function by the Head of State and his reading of the speech written for him amounts to nothing if his passion for the youth and the young people is cosmetic let alone believing and thinking all is well from the speeches read.
As OYV we are of the conviction that a person passionate about something or someone needs no speech to deliver their message or indeed directives across except maybe for the records. However even for the records ones gestures (body language) must conform to what they are reading. We say this because we saw that during the 2020 National Youth Forum held on 11th March 2020 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu read a very nice speech which he should have spoken to. The speech contained among other things empowerment initiatives and schemes the PF regime has embarked upon such as Aquaculture, Agribusiness, Tricycles and ICTs, which we feel the President should have taken advantage and ceased the opportunity to carry along the Youth/Young People and the entire nation on this trajectory to the ‘Promised Land’. However the message that was crystal clear was the lamentation by President Lungu (who is not old but Youthful to comprehend with youth matters) on why the Youth/Young People had abandoned government programmes meant for their wellbeing. The following are our considered views and recommendations going forward:
1. The lamentations on the Youth/Young People abandoning Government Programmes meant for their wellbeing should not even arise as the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has always ensured that all Government programmes/project for the youth benefit only those that sing praises for the party such as cadres and not the objective and progressive young people that can contribute to prospering Zambia for the greater good of all. Take the example of the Higer Buses and other failed projects. The empowerment of the youth under the PF has been more to do with patronage and political affiliation;
2. We at OYV have noted with sadness the mere fact that there has been failure at both party and Government level by the PF, to take stock of youth concerns since the PF ascendance to power but more so even after the launch of the well-crafted National Youth Policy, its Implementation Framework and the Youth empowerment and employment Action Plan in 2015. If we as a people look at the themes that have run since 2015 meant to guide the progression of the youth and their agenda as follows: 2015 “The Youth building a stable and sustainable future”, 2016 “Youth Champions of Dialogue, Peace, Unity and Economic Emancipation”, 2017 “Unity and Innovation for a Smart Zambia”, 2018 “Leveraging opportunities for young people through ICTs”, 2019 “Zambia Youth: Generation Unlimited”, one wonders what is really wrong with us. Perfect themes but…probably wrong leaders who put politics above everything. We remain pessimistic that even the 2020 theme “I take the lead” is a brought in dead (BID) theme because of the PF’s strategy of “killing” whoever and whatever is progressive as long as they are divergent from the PF;
3. The other sad reality is that the Youth component of the Ministry has since time in memorial being overshadowed by the Sports sector.

Operation Young Vote Executive Director Guess Nyirenda in Derrick Sinjela’s selfie 2020-02-09 at 16.56 (1)

This scenario has further been compounded by the Ministers appointed to the Ministry have vividly exhibited their lack of comprehension with Youth issues and ended up throwing all their weight on the Sports side so as to remain relevant to the Ministry and Government. We still retaliate our conviction of having a standalone Ministry of Youth so as to prioritize Youth matters;
4. The continued operation and engagement on Youth issues on an archaic piece of legislation is very disheartening and is indicator enough of the non-prioritization of a sector by the duty bearers. It is so unwise to get, impose and use the so ancient National Youth Development Council (NYDC) Act of 1978 on the youth of the 21st century. This is shameful to say the least. While we appreciate the efforts that were done in the past through the Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) to draft a new law – we remain surprised as to what stalled the process.

Bright Muenga and Guess Nyirenda of Operation Young Vote pix by Javis Lupheol KNC TV Sun 9 Feb 2020 Lusaka Premier Hotel

We speculate as to whether it is Government’s lack of interest in addressing the plight of the youth.
With the foregoing, Recommendation: OYV recommends that:
i. Government Empowerment of the Youth/Young People be blind to one’s political affiliation and views held but based on objectivity, merit and capacity to contribute to the wellbeing and emancipation of the Youth Sector and for the larger good of the economy and society;
ii. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu appoints for once a Minister that comprehends with Youth Matters if the country should witness desired progress in this sector that can be termed a sleeping giant and when awaken would fast-forward the development of our country at a supersonic speed;
iii. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu ceases the opportunity to break the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development into: (a) Ministry of Youth; (b) Ministry of Sport and Recreation; and (c) Ministry of Child Rights and Development. This action would profile the Youth and Children while demystifying the notion that sports is synonymous to Youth and Children. The action would also bring about Youth emancipation hence put into motion this year’s National Youth Day theme of “I take the lead”;
iv. Government reengages stakeholders on the process of repealing and replacing the NYDC Act of 1978 without any further delay;
v. All stakeholders (Government, Political Parties, Civil Society Organisations, Institutions of Learning etc.) support the initiatives articulated in the 2015 National Youth Policy, its Implementation Framework, the Industrial and ……..and other policy document including the Youth Charter for the great good of society.

Guess Nyirenda (Right)

It is OYV’s prayer and hope that the commemoration of this year’s (2020) National Youth Day will foster a new but more robust trajectory in resolving youth challenges as articulated in the above issues and recommendations.
As OYV, we call upon the Youth/Young People to reject any manoeuvres by any politician/political party to attend to youth matters with focus that promotes handouts and rhetoric that succeeds only on scoring short term political mileage at the expense of long term sustainable national and youth development goals.
For and on Behalf of Operation Young Vote (OYV)

Guess Nyirenda (Mr.)
Executive Director

Guess Nyirenda

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