BRIEFING | “I Have No Plan Yet for Youths” —Mundubile
TONSE Pamodzi Alliance presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has raised eyebrows after admitting that he currently has no specific empowerment programme for Zambia’s youths, saying he would first need to ask them what they want if elected into office.
Speaking on youth empowerment, Mundubile said he would not impose programmes from government but would instead engage young people and allow them to determine the direction of interventions.
“I am not coming in as a bally, but as a big brother to the youths. That is why I am saying I will have to sit down with them, get first-hand information on what they exactly need and then pick it up from there,” he said.
The remarks come at a time when youth unemployment remains one of the biggest issues in the election campaign, with thousands of young people entering the labour market each year amid limited job opportunities.
Mundubile acknowledged the scale of the crisis, describing youth unemployment of over 20 percent as a national emergency requiring urgent attention. However, critics are likely to question how a presidential candidate seeking the country’s highest office can campaign without presenting a clearly defined youth agenda just weeks before voters head to the polls.
The opposition leader said his administration would move the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts to State House to accelerate implementation of youth programmes and would deliberately place young people in leadership positions to influence policy
The comments add to a growing debate around the Tonse Alliance campaign, which has so far focused heavily on criticism of the UPND government while facing increasing scrutiny over what specific alternative policies it is offering voters.
With youth constituting one of the largest voting blocs in the country, the question many young Zambians may now be asking is simple: if the candidate is still waiting to hear what they need, what exactly is he asking them to vote for?
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