Veteran politician Vernon Johnson Mwaanga has stressed the need to rekindle the spirit of hard work, selflessness and sacrifice in the millennials as espoused by Zambia’s founding fathers.

Reflecting on Mama Chibesa Kankasa’s life, Mwaanga observed that young people were too preoccupied with self aggrandisement.

He told News Diggers in an interview that millennials had failed to emulate the spirit of selflessness, sacrifice and hard work which made it possible to defeat colonialism.

“In many of our neighbouring countries and elsewhere, they have found ways of looking after those who fought for their independence and sacrificed so much. Why has this not been done in Zambia? Our young people are much too preoccupied with self aggrandisement; me, myself and I. The levels of commitment and sacrifice which was the hallmark of a great many of our freedom fighters is no longer being emulated by this new generation. Surely, there must be a way of rekindling that spirit of hard work, selflessness and sacrifice, which made it possible to defeat colonialism,” VJ said.

He regretted that majority of the freedom fighters died desperately poor because of governments failure to look after them.

“Our generation of freedom fighters has slowly but surely been disappearing as they are called to be with their creator. Sadly, the young generation has no idea of the selfless sacrifices they made, and the risk they took for Zambia to be free from the yoke of colonialism. Very little has been written by historians about that era. Many of them have gone to their graves desperately poor, apart from those who have been looked after by their families and friends,” said Mwaanga.