By JOHN SAKALA
Copperbelt PF Youth Chairperson Don Mungulube has called on youths on the Copperbelt to form cooperatives in order to employ themselves.
Speaking with The Independent Observer, Mr Mungulube said that youths in groups are easier to work with than individuals seeking handouts.
He said youths should raise up and form legal entities and start to do something for themselves.
Mr Mungulube advised the youths to get started and allow the rest to fall in place.
“What is difficult is to start, once they start they will be shocked that more opportunities will be opened for them. As we know government cannot create jobs for every one of us. All what we need is an enabling environment for us to operate. We also need to know that it is easier to ask for business opportunities than to ask for financial handouts.
“The challenge we have had as youths is our desire to earn from white-collar jobs thereby neglecting the most happening industry which is agriculture. We have plenty of arable land in Zambia and we fail to utilize it fully. Most of chain stores have started buying agricultural products from local farmers, meaning we can seize this opportunity under the buy-zed concept which has been encouraged by President Edgar Lungu and we become self-employed,” he said.
He implored the youths to take a leaf from youthful leaders who are currently serving in government and are also active in farming.
Mr Mungulube said Home Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo is into fishing farming while Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) National Coordinator Chanda Kabwe is actively into animal farming.
“So as youths let’s spend more of our time productively and objectively by grabbing the opportunities government has set for us. Opportunities have always been there, although they awaits industrious and serious youths with sober minds to take up such opportunities and turn them into reality for the benefit of a better Zambia,” he said.
He said the youths on the Copperbelt Province have a single focus and more attention on copper mining related businesses which has a calculated life span like the black mountain and copper dump sites.
Mr Mungulube said the focus on copper related business has made youths to neglect agriculture which has an indefinite life span under the crop rotation methods of using the same land to produce different types of cash crops whose market is thirsty for such products given that our neighbouring countries depend on our traditional products whose health benefits are immense.
He said that Kasumbalesa border post is a prime market for all agricultural produce which can turn around the GDP of the economy in becoming the food market for the neighbouring countries.
“Zambia can only develop if all youths realised their dreams and say no to be political tools for violence which has no blessings under the one Zambia one nation slogan,” he said.
He said cooperatives are not formed for agricultural purposes alone, they are simply a vehicle used to excute a business venture.
