By Brenda Zulu
The Triple V campaign has been commended
for encouraging youths to be involved in governance issues.
Triple V Campaign which stands for
My Vote, My Voice and My Victory under the Go Out To Vote project is a coalition of National Women Lobby Group (NWL), Operation
Young Vote (OYV), Young Women in Action (YWA) and Anti- Voter Apathy has brought joy and excitement to Kabwe
residents.
Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Ronald Sinyangwe
observed that Zambian youths in the past 50 years were trained in certain way
whereby they feel that government should provide everything for them. He however emphasized that there was need for a paradigm
shift to such thinking as the future lies in the youths.
“As you sensitize young people, it is important for them to
understand issues of governance. It is about the youth being relevant to the
nation. I am glad that this is the first year after the jubilee year as the
next 50 years are for the youths,” said Sinyangwe.
He emphasized on the need for youths to have their own
visions. He pointed out that there was need for every youth to be hard working
and not allow anybody else to buy their vote.
“Buying a vote is putting a curse on someone. My vote is
priceless and it cannot be bought,” he said.
He called on the Triple V campaign CSO coalition to assist
the country focus on the development of the country.
He pointed out that in Makululu area which is one of the
biggest settlement in Southern Africa after Soweto in South Africa, they have
highest HIV/AIDS statistics and it would be important for the people to learn
how to live positively.
He urged the youths to be self-sufficient and depend on
their own and not be dependent on other people. “It gives a lot of pride to be
on one’s own and to have a back bone. As for the youths it is time to grow up
despite their young age. One has to be resilient. It does not matter how one
begins but how you finish. God determines our victory,” said Sinyangwe.
“Without the youths it is would be very difficult to achieve
our objective of putting leaders in office,” said Patrick Chishala, Kabwe District Commissioner.
Chishala was encouraged by the un-conversional way of
reaching the youth on their social media and through music as this attracts the
youth. He however emphasized that the youths should target other youths in
voter education because in the past the youths have been targeting older
people.
“You should encourage and motivate the youths and the
approach mattes,” said Chishala.
“Reminding young people to be involved in governance is the
pivotal role that the council has on voter registration,” said Pamela Zulu,
Director Housing for Social Services at the Kabwe Council.
She observed that when organisations make linkages as the
Triple V CSO coalition has done, news spreads fast. She however observed that
targeting the female and male youths starts at family level. She urged the
Triple V Campaign CSO coalition to at one time also target the parents.
“When it comes to governance issues, we have not done so
well because we started very late to involve the youths. We have the voter
campaign and now we are doing monitoring. District Voter Education DVEC started the publicity very late
and ECZ has been doing the media campaign. We have been strategizing to use the
church because it is the same people who go to church and who also vote,” explained
Ms Zulu.
“I used the church platform at the Seventh Day Adventist Day
Church where I educated the youths on voter registration. It is not a sin. The
bible says give Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser and if you love God, you will
abide by what he has allowed you to do,” said Ms Zulu.
As a council they have been looking at decentralization and
were re-tracking the community welfare and have since deployed five community
centers. It is hoped that the youths will be able to spend time at the
Community Centers for networking and skills development.
The Triple V concert to be held in Kabwe today will be
graced by Brian Bwembia populary known as B-Flow at Comet Grounds, in Makululu mine,
Kabwe. Brian will entertain and also educate the youths on voter education of which
he will the youth to register as voters.
The Triple V campaign was all about reducing voter
apathy and encouraging the youth to register, verify and to go out and vote
said Guess Nyirenda, OYV Director and Chairperson of the Triple V campaign.
The Triple V Campaign is targeting young women and men
and is supported by OSISA and HIVOS said Juliet Chibuta Director NWLG.
