CONGRATULATIONS TO IRIS AND TASILA ON BEING ADOPTED

Dear Editor, I wish to congratulate Iris Kaingu and Tasila Lungu Mwansa on being adopted as the Patriotic Front (PF) parliamentary candidates for Mwandi constituency and Chawama constituency respectively. Tasila is the former Patriotic Front Councillor for Nkoloma Ward of Chawama constituency whilst Iris is the former student of Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies (ZCAS). Iris is daughter of Dr. Michael Kaingu, the former Minister of Education and former lawmaker of Mwandi constituency. She was jailed in 2012 for circulating obscene materials likely to corrupt the morals- of the people. She has since reformed and she has in the recent past been involved in community works in uplifting the welfare of the vulnerable people. However, the adoption of Iris and Tasila by the Patriotic Front party has set a good tone and clearly demonstrates the party’s commitment to empower young people with leadership roles in political spheres. Gone are the days when political leadership was a preserve of the old people. Things are slowly but surely changing such that young people are taking up the mantle of leadership to serve. As the Bemba adage goes, “imiti ikula empanga” (the young people of today are the future leaders). The adage implies that the young people are the future leaders. In view of the aforementioned, I implore leaders of the various political parties to empower the young people with leadership roles. The right time to empower the young people is now. It is disheartening that the youth have in most cases been used as tools of political violence particularly during election time. This should not be the case. All said and done, I wish Iris and Tasila all the best in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for Thursday August 12, 2021. If the above is not good enough, other youth should take a leaf from Iris and Tasila by aspiring for public office in future elections. ELEMIYA PHIRI Lusaka.