Chilufya applies for re-adoption, as more PF aspirants file applications
FORMER Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya has applied to recontest the Mansa Central constituency seat on the Patriotic Front ticket.
And both the ruling party and the United Party for National Development (UPND) have received a flurry of applications from candidates eyeing seats in Lusaka and other parts of the country.
In Lusaka, Kabwata has emerged as the hot seat where some youths are battling to be adopted by the PF against the incumbent, Mr Given Lubinda, who is also Justice Minister and has been its MP for 20 years.
In Kanyama, the incumbent, Ms Elizabeth Phiri is facing a serious challenge from three men, Musonda Sichone, Pastor Simukonda and Chrisantius Changwereza, who both applied in 2016 and were unsuccessful but are optimistic of their chances this time around.
And Mr Changwereza lodged in his application at the Kanyama constituency offices before proceeding to the Secretariat and provincial offices. The district offices were closed as officials had reportedly gone to a funeral send off for a Matero councillor, Moses Bwalya who was being put to rest yesterday.
Mr Changwereza presented a social contract which contains a litany of pledges he wants to fulfil in uplifting the lives of residents in the constituency with one focus being on poor drainages which has seen even the PF constituency offices being submerged.
“We cannot continue to live in water and wading in water every rain season when we have representation in Parliament, because that suggests something is wrong, and this we must put right,” he said. “We need pragmatic and effective leadership who live within Kanyama and have always done, to help change the fortunes of this constituency,” he said.
And Clement Tembo lodged in his application papers on Thursday in a low key even in line with the Covid-19 preventive measures.
Mr Tembo said in an interview that he decided to do a low key filing of his papers as opposed to getting people from different wards even outside Kabwata when the event did not call for such.
And Mr Tembo said he used a private vehicle and went to lodge his application to contest the Kabwata seat on the PF ticket. He later went to Mahopo to hand over a refurbished school among other donations to the local community.
Meanwhile, ZANIS reports that Dr Chilufya has applied for re-adoption as Mansa Central MP for the August 12, 2021 general elections.
Dr Chilufya told his supporters who escorted him that he is applying for re – adoption because he wants to continue with the development that President Edgar Lungu has begun in the constituency.
POLICY Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC) has acknowledge that the youth have embraced the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) to ensure the continued provision of goods and services amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
They have been front liners in the fights against Covid-19 in the health sector as well as embraced the use of ICTs to ensure the continued provision of goods and services amidst the pandemic, says PMRC Executive Director, Bernadette Deka-Zulu.
Ms Deka-Zulu said that the efforts were there despite the challenges being faced by the youth such as lack of employment.
She said this in her message on this year’s Youth Day celebration held under the theme: “Enhancing National Development through Sustainable Youth Partnership.”
“This year’s theme is a reminder that, in driving our development agenda, there is need to forge partnerships with youths in all spheres of development.
“It is also a call to collective action for the youths to take up their place in the socio-economic space and play their role in the development of the country,” Ms Deka-Zulu said.
PMRC, she said, acknowledge the hard work that the youths were putting in to ensure Zambians were kept safe, healthy and the wheels that had kept the country’s economy running.
Ms Deka-Zulu said as the country continued to develop efforts towards the prevention and mitigation of the Covid-19 pandemic, youths must be at the centre to drive the recovery agenda.
“In this regard the duty also lies on the youths’ shoulders to ensure that they step up to the responsibility being asked of them.
“They should strive not to keep their minds idle but instead use their time productively and avoid being drivers of illicit activities like violent behaviour and substance abuse,” she said.
Government, she said, therefore had a critical role to play in ensuring a positive and conducive environment for job creation and an enabling environment for employment opportunities.
Ms Deka-Zulu said leadership initiatives were needed to improve the functioning of the skills marketplace and the alignment of the skills supply with employment demand.
“Further, partnerships among Government, educators and businesses are needed in order to create more channels for young people to move from school to work,” she said.