6^th August, 2008

LUSAKA

PRESS STATEMENT

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Leslie Mbula, has said that Zambia can only  hope to develop economically if its youths, as future leaders,  are well prepared both academically and spiritually.

Speaking when a group of 38 students from Lusaka’s Chalo Trust School in Chamba Valley paid a courtesy call on him at the Zambia Chancery in Pretoria on Tuesday, Mr Mbula said Zambia  needed the type of youth who was disciplined, hardworking,  humble and spiritually upright.

“I appeal to you to work hard on your studies, follow what your teachers tell you and desist from anti-Christian activities.  The future of Zambia depends on you and if you mess up your  education, then we are doomed as a nation,” he told the students, who were accompanied by their school director, Mrs Jenny Chileshe.

Mr Mbula commended Chalo Trust School and the parents for the initiative they had taken to organize an educational tour for the students. He said such tours were very important in exposing the students to the outside world so as to enable them to have a broader outlook on life.

He hoped that other schools in Zambia would emulate Chalo Trust School’s example. He was particularly happy to learn that the school was also doing extremely well in national exams, saying this was as it should be.

But Mr Mbula warned Mrs Chileshe and her staff against complacency. “Continue to work hard so that you can  improve on the achievements already made. Don’t concentrate on the academic aspect only. It is equally important that you produce students who respect God and are morally upright,” he said.

It was also important that teachers led by example. “If a teacher smokes or does anything unbecoming, the child will follow what he is doing. We need high quality young men and women to lead us in the future and to develop our country. We don’t eat politics. Economic development is the key and only disciplined, well educated and God-fearing citizens can bring this about.”

In reply, Mrs Chileshe assured the High Commissioner that moral education was part of her school’s curriculum because they strongly believed that as future leaders, the students needed to  appreciate the importance of Christ in their lives.

Earlier, the High Commissioner briefed the students on the functions of a foreign mission and those of the officers operating under it. He also briefed them on the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa during which thousands of foreign nationals, including some Zambians, had their property vandalized or stolen by locals.

 PHILIP CHIRWA

SECOND SECRETARY (PRESS)