22 Sep 2019

 Leader of Umbrella for Democratic Change, Advocate Duma Boko says his party is determined to address social challenges of unemployment and poverty.

He shared the remarks at the launch of prospective parliamentary candidate, Mr Aubrey Lesaso and council hopefuls for Shoshong constituency on September 20.

If well catered for in terms of employment and other life empowerment programmes, Mr Boko said the youth would be able to provide for the welfare of their parents and prepare for their own future.

He said unemployment contributed to increasing levels of poverty, adding that the UDC would device policies and programmes that would address the challenges.

Further, Advocate Boko  said the UDC leadership was concerned by the challenges of the society.

Advocate  Boko observed that an estimated 87 000 youths were unemployed.

He therefore urged  the youth and all to make an informed decision by voting for the UDC.

Advocate Boko has also hinted that low wages contributed to poverty, saying  the current situation of poverty was by design as it was influenced by poor salary structure and therefore making it difficult for people to sustain their livelihoods. 

For us to take you out of poverty, we must first attend to your wages, he said. 

He said a minimum wage of P3 000 would sustain a person’s life and the UDC was  determined to deal with poverty.

“Your challenges do not need spiritual intervention, the UDC is the only solution,” he added.

Mr Boko also stressed on the need to revive the business sector and focus more on growing the industrial sector.

He cited that the salt and soda ash mined at Sua Pan must be used locally to produce goods for export.

He said the current arrangement of exporting the salt and soda ash as raw material created employment opportunities for the residents of the export destinations.

He said a happy nation was the most productive.

Therefore, he said the UDC would address challenges of poverty and unemployment as they led people to fully engage in maintaining the economy and improving their livelihoods.

Mr Boko described the prospective parliamentary candidate for Shoshong constituency as a determined individual who was willing to serve the nation and better the lives of the people.

“Mr Lesaso and a team of council hopefuls are the perfect team to serve you,” he said.

Their assignment under the tutelage of the UDC government is to come up with solutions to your challenges, said advocate Boko.

Meanwhile, one of the opposition veteran politicians, Mr Robert Molefhabangwe appealed to the Shoshong community to be focused and shun politicians who canvass for votes by making empty promises that never materialise after the elections. 

Mr Molefhabangwe said, “This is the time for a positive change and that change is only possible under the UDC government.”

Mr Molefhabangwe said Shoshong was a potential tourism destination with the possibility of creating employment opportunities saying it was unfortunate that the potential remained untapped.

The aspiring parliamentary candidate, Mr Lesaso said under the UDC government, Shoshong constituency would have improved health services and a revitalised local economy that would be able to create employment opportunities.

“I am determined to advocate for the empowerment of women and the youth,” said Mr Lesaso. Ends