Lima Constituency Member of Parliament Kelvin Kaunda has said justice will prevail in the assault case he faces, now that the matter is before the courts. He thanked the people of Lima and Zambians at large for standing with him while he was in detention. Mr Kaunda was recently…

Lima Constituency Member of Parliament Kelvin Kaunda has said justice will prevail in the assault case he faces, now that the matter is before the courts. He thanked the people of Lima and Zambians at large for standing with him while he was in detention. Mr Kaunda was recently arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an incident reported on 7 August during a campaign roadshow in Lusaka. Speaking for the first time since his release, the lawmaker said he had placed his faith in the judicial process to establish what really happened.

Mr Kaunda said the people of Lima had shown patriotism and remained strong throughout the period he was held. He said their support in a difficult time had meant a great deal to him. Turning to the charge itself, the lawmaker said he was confident the court process would clear the air.

“We want to thank the people of Lima and also the people of Zambia by and large for standing with us during the period of incarceration in which we have been alleged to have committed a crime. Now that the matter is before the court, the truth will eventually emerge as to whether or not we committed the reported crime,” Mr Kaunda said.

The lawmaker was quick to move from the courtroom to his constituency’s development agenda. He assured the people of Lima that the case would not distract him from delivering on the promises he made during the campaign, both in the constituency and beyond. Mr Kaunda said his commitments covered jobs, empowerment and infrastructure, and that all of them would be met before his term ends.

“In terms of development, we want to assure the people of Lima that we are equal to the task regarding our campaign promises. We promised jobs for young people. We promised empowerment for both men and women, as well as young people. We promised infrastructure development that will be delivered within our five-year tenure,” he said.

The centrepiece of his plan is the Lima Constituency Industrial Yard, which Mr Kaunda said would be launched in the next few days together with all leaders in the constituency. He described the yard as one of the most exciting initiatives on the table. It is designed to kick-start job creation, especially among young people and the less privileged. The lawmaker said the project was a response to the weight of expectation resting on the constituency’s unemployed youth.

Explaining why the industrial yard sits at the top of his agenda, Mr Kaunda said young people with ideas needed a place where those ideas could grow into livelihoods.

“There’s so much that is expected from our young people, in particular, who are without jobs. There is so much we expect collectively as a constituency when it comes to creating a platform for our young people who are involved in innovation and creativity to thrive. In terms of skills development, we are only as good as our people,” Mr Kaunda said.

The lawmaker said he remained committed to accelerating skills programmes that match what employers actually need. Rather than training young people for jobs that do not exist, he said his office was holding discussions with industry so that graduates of the programme would move straight into work. Mr Kaunda said the aim was to close the gap between training and employment that has left many young people with certificates but no jobs.

“Ours will be to provide demand-driven skills. We are talking to the industries so that once our young people are given the necessary skills, the industry out there will be quick to absorb them. We have quite an exciting package,” he said.

Mr Kaunda’s case will now be determined in court, where he will answer the charge arising from the August roadshow incident. In the meantime, the lawmaker has signalled that he intends to carry on with constituency business, starting with the launch of the industrial yard. For the people of Lima, the coming weeks will show whether he can keep both the legal battle and his development promises on track.

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