Youth Charter Delivered To State House
On Monday civil society activists successfully delivered a Youth Charter to State House.
The Charter details a number of concerns with the current situation in the country and sets out a number of demands for action across ten major areas including employment, education, corruption, human rights, taxation and the environment.
It was previously used as a guide for protests last month in which musician Pilato was a key figure. With riot police deployed in Lusaka ahead of the planned protest, armed and in full body armour, the youths instead held the protest in the bush and live streamed their speeches against corruption and poor governance to an audience of half a million.
The full text of the Youth Charter reads as follows:
“WE the youth of Zambia:
RECOGNISE that we are the future of Zambia and that the mistakes being made today will affect us in the future;
BEAR in mind our position as custodians of the future welfare of our country;
BELIEVE that Zambia’s best days are yet to come;
ENVISION a society in which all the rights enshrined in our constitution are accorded to every Zambian and protected irrespective of age, physical or mental ability, gender, geography, religion, education, or socio-economic status.
ASPIRE to a free society in which every Zambian can aspire for and attain a decent living forthemselves through employment or business ventures; AND are
CONCERNED with the current climate of joblessness, unchecked and rampant inequality, grand corruption and infringement of our rights, including the right to freely assemble, the right to free speech, the right to freely receive and disseminate our ideas are a major barrier to the realization of the advancement of the youth and enjoyment of our constitutional rights and the dignity of all Zambians,
We therefore, DEMAND the following:
1) Employment - Decent job opportunities for us the youth to avoid violent cadre-ism and involvement in illicit activities that result from the high unemployment levels which endanger our country now and in the future. Decent jobs are the key to our livelihoods and our dignity.
2) Corruption - Action against any individual reported to be involved in corrupt activities and that Government intensify the fight against corruption. We refuse to tolerate the abuse of public resources when a number of young people are starving in public universities for lack of money and we have continued to see and hear corruption allegations among top government leaders but no tangible results or actions to curb this evil.
3) Respect for Human Rights - That the State commits to the protection of the human rights of every citizen within the borders of our country. We demand for the Freedom of the Assembly, freedom of expression, freedom to receive and disseminate ideas and freedom of access to information. We believe these freedoms are important for all Zambians in their pursuit for a better society now and in future. We further
demand for protection from victimisation, suppression of youth voices by the state through the police and political cadres. We also demand for fair application of the Public Order Act.
4) Accountable Leadership - A leadership that is accountable and transparent to all Zambians. This is because we understand that our leaders are the servants of the people, therefore, the people must be aware and approve of what their servants do whilst in the office.
5) Respect for the constitution - That the sanctity of our constitution should be preserved and protected from those that may attempt to violate it. The constitution should guide our behavior and not the politicians guiding our constitution and any amendment to the constitution must reflect our desires as the people of Zambia and not the narrow partisan interests of a few politicians. Any amendment to the
constitution must only be done after full and adequate consultation of, we, the people of Zambia.
6) Education - Improved Learning environments for learners across the country, especially in rural areas. We believe that only decolonized quality education is key to the success of young people and that of our country. Comprehensive Civic Education focusing on Civil Political Rights, Constitutionalism and Patriotism. Enhance education to include compulsory Entrepreneurship, agriculture and Environmental education as part of the curriculum. We also demand equal access to education for
the girl child who continue to be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender. We also demand for the reinstatement of meal allowances for all students in all government universities because we feel even if we do not have resources, education cannot be one item we can compromise. Education is a right that every Zambian deserves. The rest of the world is positioning itself for the 4th industrial Revolution which entails the digitalisation of systems. It is our demand that the state should invest in computer literacy of our young people from primary to university. Computer literacy is not an option anymore but a necessity and we feel that the state must make prioritise computer literacy.
7) Access to health, good housing, clean water and good sanitation
So many of our citizens live in squalid conditions without access to toilets and clean running water. Many cannot afford to access good healthcare when they fall sick. We demand That equal access to these amenities be provided for all citizens to live in dignity. A properly funded public healthcare system is our right. Currently, decent healthcare is a distant dream for most Zambians. Healthcare remains chronically underfunded, and is a threat to our future. If we cannot be healthy, we cannot lead the country in the future and enjoy our right to a decent life.
8) Women’s Rights
The Zambian government and leaders at all levels must commit to include and protect Zambian women and girls in all arenas of our national life – in education, business, health, agriculture, government, mining, politics, and the home etc. Women’s contributions to Zambia’s development and well being is immeasurable and must be afforded the recognition and investment equal to their contribution. In Zambia, as elsewhere around the world, women’s unpaid care work in health,
agriculture, in the home, and the community must be recognized, reduced, and respected. In addition, Zambian women and girls must be defended and protected, especially from sexual and gender based violence.
9. A Fair Tax System
A tax system where the richest citizens and companies pay their fair share. Zambia is a country with huge natural resources. Currently, a few Zambians and multinational companies enjoy the benefits of our natural resources, such as copper and gold. This is the wealth of our country and her citizens, and must be shared equitably to our benefit and to develop our nation. The tax system must ensure the wealthiest contribute the most, and the poorest citizens the least.
10. Environment - That the state commits to making deliberate efforts to protect the Environment against the rampant deforestation and pollution of natural water basins. Zambia like rest of the world is battling climate change and we find it necessary for the state to provide affirmative action on environmental preservation.
We the youth of Zambia are committed to ensuring that these demands are met in our lifetime.”