Dear Editor,
IT has been correctly said that youths are the future leaders and there is no debate about this saying.
Our first Republican President Dr Kenneth David Kaunda dealt with the youth so very well.
In the first place, he gave them free education like any other citizens at that time right into higher learning institutions.
Youths were trained in various fields and equally got employed and positively participated in national development as responsible citizens.
The Kaunda administration had proper youth policies which kept the young ones busy and away from illicit activities unlike what we are seeing today.
Upon completion of secondary school education, the youth were taken to the Zambia National Service camps in readiness of participating in national development.
This helped a lot in removing laziness and fear from the young ones as they got drilled in military training.
President Kaunda went further to make sure that townships had playing fields for football and netball.
All in all, sport was promoted to the extent of producing highly talented boxers like Lottie Mwale, Chisanda Mutti, Charm Chiteule, John Sichula among several other sportsmen and women.
Those who graduated from the ZNS and higher learning institutions were free to apply for jobs.
Dr Kaunda encouraged the youth to take keen interest in learning farming skills through the agricultural learning institutions which were created across the nation as copper was a wasting asset.
Today, youths are vulnerable as we seem not to have proper direction on how to handle them.
WhenPresident Kaunda left office, we saw how most playparks, football and netball pitches were dubiously sold and turned into residential plots.
This has negatively affected the nation in terms of sports and left the youth in the cold.
President Kaunda put 55 as normal retirement age to accommodate as many youths as possible in work places but today we have 60 as normal retirement age and 65 as extended retirement age.
This has blocked the youth from accessing jobs due to time factors.
When we talk of political hooliganism, pornography, drugs, drunkenness, thefts and the like, are all being advanced by the youth as most have nothing meaningful to do.
They spend time on phones, internet,and social media trying to look for satisfaction.
Do we really have to give our youth money and then call it youth empowerment?
The answer is a big no.
All we need is to give youths free education and skills coupled with decent jobs of their choice and then revise our retirement age so as to accommodate them in good time.
These are some of the long term benefits unlike handouts which do not last long.
DR CEPHAS MUKUKA,
Political Researcher.
