Only vibrant economy can provide jobs to youth: ACT
ACT Wazalendo vice chairman, Othman Masoud Othman speaks at a rally at Mpikatango Grounds in Mkoani, South Pemba. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The party’s vice chairman, Othman Masoud Othman emphasised the need to govern the country with civilised principles, achieve full autonomy, and establish a government that meets the needs and expectations of the people
Mkoani, Pemba. The Opposition Party, ACT Wazalendo, has asserted that only a vibrant economy can guarantee provision of meaningful employment for Zanzibari youth, not membership cards of any particular party.
Speaking at a rally at Mpikatango Grounds in Mkoani, South Pemba, the party’s national chairman, Othman Masoud Othman, urged the youth to remain vigilant against false promises.
He identified two major issues, stating that if they are not addressed, Zanzibar and its citizens will not be able to escape poverty and develop the economy.
Othman, who is also the First Vice President of Zanzibar, emphasised the need to govern the country with civilised principles, achieve full autonomy, and establish a government that meets the needs and expectations of the people.
“What we are saying is that our work and your work will not progress if we do not tackle these two major issues: achieving full autonomy for the country and having a government that operates on legitimate and civilised principles,” he said.
He pointed out that under the current system, theft and corruption of public funds will persist due to illegitimate methods used to gain state power.
In the 2020 general elections, over 21 people were killed, more than 700 were injured and others were permanently maimed.
Othman suggested that the best way to resolve these issues is to create an environment where the 2025 elections are free and fair, especially if the ruling party claims to have made progress.
“If you have brought development and claim to have built everywhere, why are you afraid of the very citizens you have served? By fearing them, you are admitting failure.
No country can advance through oppression,” he said.
He also noted that the demand for Zanzibar’s autonomy is enshrined in the Constitution, and it is every Zanzibari’s duty to support it, even though some people neglect this for personal gain.
The party’s Vice Chairman in Zanzibar, Ismail Jussa, added that the focus should not be on the political party itself but on the ideology of Zanzibar’s liberation, which ACT alone currently represents.
