Chitotela calls for youth collaboration
Published On August 1, 2015 » 1560 Views» By Davies M.M Chanda » Latest News
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By JULIUS PHIRI and BY JOWIT SALUSEKI –
YOUTH and Sport Deputy Minister Ronald Chitotela has urged youths to constantly collaborate with Government, business entities and civil society to create employment and address many challenges facing young people.
Addressing the 2015 Junior Chamber International (JCI) Global Partnership summit under the theme: ‘collaborating for a sustainable future’, at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday, Mr Chitotela said about 45.5 per cent of Zambians were youths and that Government had placed them at the core of sustainable development.
This is contained in a statement issued by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations, Permanent Mission of Zambia to the United Nations Chibaula Silwamba.
He said Zambia has endeavoured to improve the status of the youth through increased investments in education particularly at secondary and tertiary level to improve on enrolments as well as quality training to impart development skills so that education becomes relevant to the young people.
Investing in infrastructural development including construction of sporting facilities, will keep the youths actively engaged in the development process and deter them from engaging in vices that were detrimental to their lives.
Mr Chitotela said youth empowerment funds aim to assist youths in all the 10 provinces in Zambia with seed capital to engage in income generating activities which contribute positively to national development.
He said Government provided measures to empower the youth through various initiatives and innovation and harnessing demographic dividends that would ensure the ratio of working adults including the youths significantly increases.
He said the Government’s initiatives could not be achieved in isolation.
“These efforts demand for participation and collaboration with all stakeholders including the private sector, cooperating partners and civil society.  This is why we support the JCI initiative as it opens the doors to further champion the cause of the youth particularly in the areas of education and skills development, health and job creation,” Mr Chitotela said.
The 2015 JCI Global Partnership Summit, organised by JCI in partnership with the office of the Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Youth (OSGEY), took place from July 28 to 31 2015 and discussions focused on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Meanwhile, a youth non-governmental organisation 2410 has appealed to young people in Solwezi West Constituency not to be used as tools of violence during the forthcoming parliamentary by-election in the area.
2410 executive director Brenda Gondwe said youths ought to exercise peace and harmony and not allow anyone to use them in violent activities.
Ms Gondwe appealed to politicians to desist from using young people as fronts in political battles.
“2410 is urging the youth in Solwezi West Constituency to remain firm to their fundamental objectives that is realisation of democracy in our country and to know that every youth with a National Registration Card and voters card can vote for the leader of their choice.
“On the day of polls, we encourage them to vote in numbers because the power lies with them as the youth are the majority in Zambia,” Ms Gondwe said.
Ms Gondwe also implored the contesting candidates to treat youth unemployment as paramount and a crisis that needs serious attention.
The Solwezi West seat fell vacant following the death of MMD Member of Parliament Humphrey Mwanza on July 3 this year and the Electoral Commission of Zambia has set September 24 this year as the date for parliamentary by-election.
2410 is an organisation which has four focus areas, namely: Governance, economic empowerment, public service delivery and culture.

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