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UDF National Director of Youth Affairs Brian Bowler on Wednesday told the party’s Young Democrats in their face he will not condone indiscipline under his administration, saying it is time the image of the ruling party became presentable.
Opening a workshop for the Young Democrats, the first of its kind in the history of the UDF, at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe, Bowler said he will insist on party youths who help to market the party through “clean and peaceful means.”
Funded by President Bakili Muluzi to the tune of K112,000, the workshop was held to find ways of mapping the way forward for the party’s youth wing whose history has been dented by acts of violence.
The day-long seminar pooled together 19 district officials from the Central Region, including regional directors of youth affairs in the Centre, South and North, Shabani Kadango, Abubakr Mbaya and Aman Nkhata respectively.
Similar workshops will be held in the North and South on dates yet to be announced.
“This is a new administration with new direction. We must be disciplined and peaceful in the way we do business. We must market ourselves through our actions,” said Bowler.
Speaking earlier Kadango, Nkhata and Mbaya distanced the Young Democrats from acts of violence, accusing the media of concocting such stories.
“Some people just put on our colours and indulge in violence, and the media just conclude without verifying facts that they are our Young Democrats. I want to say here that our Young Democrats are very peace loving,” said Kadango.
“These people in the media are very irresponsible because they just cook up stories. They invent and manufacture things,” said Nkhata. “In fact after this opening ceremony they must get out.”
“The media always try to look for things on which to fault the UDF. They started blaming the UDF on the third term issue, then the alleged violence. Thereafter they started talking about Bingu (Mutharika) being imposed on UDF. After the convention, they now talk about Muluzi giving out handouts,” said Mbaya.
But as if snubbing his officials, Bowler said: “I will be naive to say that things have always been crystal clear”, advising the Young Democrats to open up and become transparent
“If you do not want bad publicity you must not play into the hands of the media. We must open up and become transparent in the way of doing things,” said Bowler. “The media must not be fought, they must be partnered.”
Bowler’s deputy, Robson Jangiya advised the Young Democrats to take the media as partners in development not enemies, saying a relationship must be forged and fostered between the Young Democrats and the media.
On another note, Bowler said he would work towards helping the Young Democrats become self reliant, saying begging is dehumanising and must be put to a stop.
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