Zambian journalist Njila Banda reflects that young people’s voices can shape the future. Weekly blog
I live in an African country, Zambia, where the majority of people are Black, and since independence in 1964, we have had governments in which the majority of politicians are Black Zambians. You might think, therefore, that we are removed from the Black Lives Matter campaign that gained momentum in the US after the death of George Floyd, and which we see on our TV screens and on the Internet spreading around the world.
Because I am interested in Scotland (my education was supported by the Scottish organisation ZamScotEd), I see that there have been protests in cities like Glasgow and Inverness, with people of all ethnicities seeking justice for those who suffer prejudice and racism.
I could understand, therefore, if you might think we in Zambia don’t have such problems. But while freedom of speech and expression are enshrined in the Zambian Republican Constitution, supposedly enabling people to freely express themselves, our young people are protesting because often they are not given the chance to speak on what they see as injustices.
Young Zambians believe there is corruption in government, they have witnessed ill treatment of Zambian workers in some industries, and seen rising unemployment. They believe that freedom of speech is threatened. These issues have brought them together to protest against the government.
Their plans were to stage peaceful protests, but when government officials and the security forces heard of the plans, the would-be protesters were told the police would not allow anyone to destabilise the peace that the country enjoys.
And so, fearing police harassment in the city, the young protesters went to the bush to make their points. With them were human rights activists Laura Miti and Fumba Chama – a Zambian hip hop artist from the Copper Belt known as PiLato. They felt it was the only way to gain the space to speak out against injustice.
Brian Bwembya, one of the young advocates for justice, told me, “When we talk, people in authority don't hear us. What we're promised goes in vain, unemployment levels are still high, most Zambian employees are harshly treated. How can we be heard?”
Zambia's former Attorney General Musa Mweenye thinks that even religious leaders are slow to help or speak for those who are oppressed by their leaders. He said, “There is a deafening silence in matters of social and economic justice, even when people are maimed, brutalised or when leaders steal from the poor.”
Churches do understand how the young people are feeling, however. Bishop Mambo of Pentecostal Church agreed that many are denied an opportunity to express themselves on matters that affect them, and even jailed for exercising this right. He says many Zambian employees are subjected to poor working conditions and slave wages.
As young people protest around the world about the issues that affect them most - racism, the environment, freedom of speech, employment - I hope that today’s world leaders remember that young people are always the potential leaders of tomorrow. I pray that they will hear us and work with us for the just development of nations.