By Isaac Zulu
National Democractic Congress faction interim secretary general Charles Kabwita has charged that President Hakainde Hichilema has rendered the youths useless after using them to ascend to power.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Kabwita pointed out that youths played a pivotal role in ensuring that the UPND forms government because they actively used social media platforms to sell the UPND manifesto and campaign messages to the electorate; hence the need for the current Head of State to reward them.
Kabwita charged that, instead of rewarding the young people with government positions, President Hakainde Hichilema has been appointing recycled politicians to government positions.
“To the youths in the UPND that are still waiting for an appointment in government, you should forget. You were used and now you have been rendered useless. The process of the UPND getting into power started with the youths. I personally used to watch closely how the UPND youths played a pivotal role in ensuring that the UPND campaigns were successful by using social media platforms so that campaign messages reach the intended voters. UPND is on record of successfully used the Facebook platform to sell their party manifesto, ideas and campaign messages to the electorate. And this was done by the youths,” Kabwita explained. “But have they been rewarded with any appointments in government today? Nothing! They have, instead, been rendered useless. Kwamana! Today ba Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane even has the audacity to mock the youths that they don’t drive and so they should not complain about fuel pump price increment.”
Kabwita observed that there are a number of educated and energetic young people that the President Hakainde Hichilema can reward with opportunities in government, as opposed to bringing in recycled politicians to serve in his Cabinet and parastatal institutions.
“There are so many youths who are learned and energetic in the UPND these recycled politicians that the UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema have given positions in government. You have Josephs Akafumba who was permanent secretary in the PF government and he is back in the UPND as permanent secretary. Then you give government positions to the MMD old guard such as Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Dr Peter Machungwa, Felix Mutati and others that served in the MMD administration. These are recycled politicians,” stressed Kabwita.
