By ALICE NACHILEMBE
National Democratic Congress (NDC) Nchanga parliamentary aspiring candidate Arthur Teleshi says unemployment, tribalism, lack of empowerment, corruption and not privatization are major battle fronts youths must be confronting.
Mr Teleshi said the case of privatization should be left to Hakainde Hichileme, Edith Nawakwi, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and those concerned.
He said the youths should deal with issues which are as a result of the bad privatization process conducted by the ones before them.
Mr Teleshi said youths should undo the evil that was caused by privatization by vigorously pushing an industrialization agenda whose priority is Local industry.
“We had a battery manufacturing industry in Zambia, tyres, processed food, bicycles, vehicle assembly, ginneries, textiles, tailoring, local banks. After privatization and the uncontrolled liberalization of our economy, all these industries died. These industries died because the government put the economic wellbeing of our country into the hands of foreigners.
“They let China, South Africa, India, Lebanese and all to bring in cheap batteries, bicycles, textiles, tyres, processed food and foreign banks with lower lending rates into Zambia to compete with our own local products and companies but we were no match, our industries, companies and markets were not protected,” he said.
He said government should have protected the local industries by charging high import taxes to every product which was coming into Zambia which were already being produced in Zambia to promote local products.
Mr Teleshi said unemployment would be an irrelevant topic right now if the ones before now made the right decisions.
He said youths should learn something from the privatization as it is an eye opener for them not to repeat the mistakes of forefathers and focus on that what can work out now.
Mr Teleshi said the voice now should be strong on policies to protect local industry and secure market for our products.
