Africa-Press – Zambia. The former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has resolved not to participate in this year’s International Women’s Day which falls on March 8th and Youth Day which falls on the 12th of March.
In a statement released after the party’s weekend central committee meeting, the party said that it will use these days to galvanize their women and youths across the country to do community service in their various localities.
The Party accused the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of completely ignoring the youths and women and have relegated them to the tail-end of the social, political, and economic strata, adding that President Hakainde Hichilema has systematically excluded women and youths from critical governance issues by deliberately sidelining them as far as appointments to key government positions is concerned.
The party further said that, with his failure to deal with the economy, the President and his government are pushing the youths and women further into an abyss of poverty and desperation as unemployment, cost of living, and lack of business opportunities and lack of empowerment are steadily on the rise.
Below is the extract from the statement The Patriotic Front wishes to reiterate that it extols the commemoration of all national holidays and national events as demonstrated by the importance we attached to these holidays and events throughout our 10 years in office.
Youth Day which falls on the 12th of March each year is an important holiday that highlights the importance of the youth to the country on the anniversary of the disturbances in 1962 that resulted in the deaths of young Zambians during the nation’s turbulent journey to independence.
Equally International Women’s Day which falls on March 8th is a special day that is normally used to celebrate women and to also highlight some of the challenges that our womenfolk face. The day can also be used to craft ways to promote gender equality in a bid to create a fair and just society devoid of gender bias.
It is therefore sad to note that barely 6 months after assuming office, the UPND is driving Zambia back to the very evils that we fought against, 58 years ago during the struggle for independence. The UPND regime is fast eroding the gains we had achieved as a nation to ensure enhanced participation and equal opportunity for our women and youths in all facets of our social, political, and economic life of our country.
The UPND has completely ignored our youths and women and have relegated them to the tail-end of the social, political and economic strata. President Hakainde Hichilema has systematically excluded our women and youths from critical governance issues by deliberately sidelining them as far as appointments to key government positions is concerned.
With his failure to deal with the economy, the President and his government are pushing our youths and women further into an abyss of poverty and desperation as unemployment, cost of living and lack of business opportunities and lack of empowerment are steadily on the rise.
At Party level, the UPND regime has continued with its policy of harassment and persecution of PF members; many of our women and youths today are either in incarceration, in hiding or are facing various trumped up charges and have become victims of harassment and intimidation by the state’s investigative wings.
For the reasons highlighted above, I wish to announce to the nation that as Patriotic Front we will not take part in marching or any government planned activities on Women’s and Youth days respectively; instead, we will use these days to galvanise our women and youths across the country to do community service in their various localities.
As a Party we want to send a clear message to President Hichilema and his government that we are displeased and gravely concerned with the manner in which his administration is abusing the rights of our members and how his failure to provide a clear Economic Plan is worsening the poverty levels and the suffering of our people.
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