The value of attaining Independence the hard way

Zambia gained independence in the absence of armed struggle, but with a little bit of stone-throwing and relative quiet! What a useless way of gaining freedom. Why? Because it doesn't give anyone grit, courage and consciousness to fight for justice when things don't go right as the situation is at the moment. You have corruption going on unabated, political demagogues masquerading as chosen ones, no plausible ideas how the economy should be steered back on the right course, and no agenda. Who cares?

Dambiso Moyo: Does the Zambian Government take her Serious?

Once in a long while comes a Zambian who exhibits incredible flare, moral and intellectual acumen relating to a specific area of specialization. Those who keep track of world economic news and fora have read about a Zambian prodigy, Dambiso Moyo. Lately, she has generated media frenzy and attention on account of the views she purveys in her controversial book, "Dead Aid". Among her arguments, which make sense, are that aid flow from the developed countries to impoverished developing African countries has not benefited the recipient countries. She points out that there is nothing to show for regardless of the trillion dollars in aid African countries have received since the 60s'. She argues that, if anything, the majority of the aid has ended up in personal private accounts or pockets. One would agree with her that the absennce of accountability with the donor aid funds renders the whole donor aid system ineffective and subjects aid funds to diabolical and obnoxious abuse by those in power and thus perpetuates financial impropriety.

Dambiso Moyo has been featured on many major cable channels of industrial countries and she is still inundated with invitations from various media. One of her recent very high profile engagement was with the Rwandan Government whose leader Paul Kagame, who appears sold on her ideas, is in total agreement with her courageous stance against provision of aid to Africa. Obviously, the Rwanda Government sees enormous potential in Dambiso and is keen on tapping the wealth of knowledge and experience that the Zambian intellectual offers. By virtue of the fact that she is a Zambian, one would expect the Zambian Government to be the first to invite her to explore how her knowledge and experience with major world financial organizations and systems could be exploited to enhance Zambia's economic development. This has not happened, though! However, it would be interesting to hear Government's position and its response to Dambiso's opposition to aid which she emphatically advocates an end to. Since the Zambian Government has made no attempts to approach her, the question would be whether the Government appreciates her intellect and expertise. How serious does the government take Dambiso? Does the government consider her statements as mere rants or just meaningless hot-air? It's common knowledge that any person who openly parades their oppostion to donor aid instantly becomes an enemy of the State. It is important to understand that because aid to African Governments has been a lifeline or source of revenue for most of the financially corrupt leaders, her position and call for the cessation of donor aid to Africa is a huge threat to the lifeline. Donor aid has to come to an end inasmuch as it is a disincentive to development and makes African governments complacent with the assumption that aid will always be availed to provide support.

One wonders why the Government has not taken steps to bring Dambiso into the fold and positively exploit her knowledge and useful experience to develop the country. It may be safe to assume that Government's silence on the issues she raises in her book implies the lack of appreciate of her knowledge and experience. This assumption ties in very well with one of the reasons that have lead to and continue to contribute to Zambia's brain-drain and why the majority of Zambian-born intellectuals now live and work in the Diaspora where they are highly appreciated and held in high esteem. 

The Nchito Brothers Must Go

So what's with the Nchito brothers after running aground their Zambian Airways outfit? The millions of dollars they are alleged to have received as loans from financial institutions are still unaccounted for. The two Nchitos are shameless and immoral and lack integrity. It remains a mystery why the Government has allowed them to continue prosecuting corruption cases when they themselves should be answering corruption charges. Therefore, their resignation from the Task Force Against Corruption is long overdue. By resigning on moral grounds, Dora Siliya has set precedence that the Nchito brothers can emulate. They must resign from their public assignments now to allow for smooth investigation into the circumstances that led to the collapse of their Airline. 

Drifting Toward Uprightness in Zambian Politics?

Zambians have seen time and again corrupt leadership come and go. It 's a rare occurrence that a politician found wanting, while in office, on account of engaging in activities bordering on corruption resigns. In the recent past there has been many who held high offices in the land and were involved in corruption but still refused to resign until the powers that be forcibly relieved them of their positions. For instance, some of them are known to have stolen public funds while serving in the Ministry of Finance. One of such corrupt individuals went to a rare extent of going into hiding and purportedly used wizardry to hide from the law. However, taking advantage of the fact that Zambians are so forgiving of thieves, the man returned to active party politics as soon as  the dust began to settle.

Many of our readership are aware of the case involving Dora Siliya in which she is alleged to have contravened tender procedures to award a contract to RP of the Cayman Islands to value Zamtel as a prelude to it's eventual sale or privatization. Just as everybody was beginning to entertain the idea that Dora Siliya was going nowhere, she came out of the woodwork to announce her resignation. Rather surprisingly, the President swiftly accepted her resignation and much to the relief of many Zambians who felt that the President was shielding her and dragging his feet on her case and RP. The President's swift acceptance of her resignation raises questions impropriety in the way the case has been handled. But, come to think of it, the President had no any other option to deal with her request to resign lest he be construed as having blessed her decision to grant RP the contract to value Zamtel.

Let this be a lesson to all the politicians and all the Zambians that are involved in various business engagements with and on behalf of the Zambian Government that the culture of corruption leads the country nowhere and those involved eventually end up discredited. While the benefits of corruption and impropriety trickle into individuals pockets, it is the ordinary Zambians who feel the pain. These corrupt leaders and many other people that connive with the politicians to swindle the treasury of public funds, must appreciate that it is evil to engage in unscrupulous activities at the expense of the masses. Therefore, as a people and country, we need to seriously rethink and embark on a programme to rid the country of this corrupt culture.

In order to wage a credible and effective war against corruption and its offshoots, there is need for much more stringent and impartial laws to be promulgated in the country. Such new laws would have to be equally applicable to both those who have and the have-not without favouring those who have the undue financial capacity to throw money inappropriately.  I believe there is need to clean the judiciary by re-organization and ridding the system of those in the Justice system that have questionable integrity. This necessary change would transcend all areas of human existence and endeavour. I know corruption is now deeply institutionalized and so entrenched that any measures to fight it would face a long prolonged and tortuous battle. The fight to make Zambia upright again will be hard, but given the zeal and will to do it, the goal of a corruption-free society is possible although perfection is usually unattainable. 

With the resignation of Dora Siliya from her Ministerial position, the question that comes to mind is whether her resignation, in any way, signals cultural shift or simply a change in morals. If her example is anything to go by, the future may hold a little promise for morality and uprightness in the way politics and business is conducted in Zambia. Keep fingers crossed on this one!

Zion Cosmetics - An African Success Story in America

Immigrants from Africa are generally associated with businesses involving buying and selling or of the trading natuire. However, Africans are slowly starting to make inroads into the manufacturing sector that hitherto has been the domain of well-established multi-national companies. The most recent entrants into manufaturing are a couple who hail from Uganda and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The couple, Veronica and Dr. Ronald Magembe, are a paragon of transformational change. They have established Zion Cosmetics to manufacture cosmetics from natural ingredients. 

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, the couple were featured on BlogTalkRadio to discuss their amazing and inspiring story of how they started their business. The beginning of Zion Cosmetics was more circumstantial than by design. The two hour discussion with the couple was inspirational and a challenge to other Africans to emulate them and venture into businesses that add value to raw materials

Zion Cosmetics is currently manufacturing a range of products that are finding their way in retail outlets in the US. The cosmetics products are competitively priced and are already receiving very good vibes from the users. Zion Cosmetics has a presence online and those interested in more information about the cosmetics may visit the web site by clinking on the following link: www.zioncosmetics.net/.

Police summon PF official

In my view, one of the most astonishing issue is the constant involvement of the police in politics than in maintenance of law and order. It's commonplace to find the police brandishing their batons at a political party that commands a respectable following large enough to pose a threat to the ruling party. During the last 10 years or more, the common trend in Zambia has been that each and every time the PF issues statements opposing some unacceptable government agenda, they are swiftly condemned by the police and directed to appear at police command headquarters. Police directives may appear to be issued in collusion with the powers that be, but it is not clear to what exent this may be and is subject to conjecture.

I believe that the plan by the PF to stage a peaceful demonstration against ZESCO's 66% new tariff hike is not intended to cause public chaos but merely to register the party's opposition and discontent  about the new tariff. It's worthnoting that many organizations, among them the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, and academia at the University of Zambia, have all roundly criticized the tariff hike as being myopic. However, it is very clear that the Police Service Command, whether acting on their own or otherwise, does not understand the value of freedom of expression and their shortcoming may just qualify them for training in political education. Neither does the police command appreciate the immediate to long-term implications of such a diabolical tariff on the struggling masses and the economy. Whether police action is orchestrated by the government or is just a manouver by the police commandto stamp their authority and thus to stifle and muzzle liberty is something that remains to be seen. However, Government has the responsibility to create a favourable climate to allow its citizenry, regardless of their political affiliations, to exercise their freedom without hinderance.  It goes without saying that police beharviour in Zambia creates an impression that government subscribes to police intimidation of political parties especially the most transparent and vocal Patriotic Front.

Unstable copper prices will delay Zambia’s economic recovery

It's funny how copper is still revered and held at a high mantle in Zamba. The vicissitudes of the Zambian economy continue to be inextricably linked to bullish copper prices. This mineral is still considered as the ultimate panacea for all of Zambia's backward economy. It is quite a shame that even economist held in high esteem in Zambia can go on singing the same tune with the same lyrics year after year. Is it a sign of simple minds that get incapaciated and devoid of thought when allowed to think out of the copper-box? Economists in Zambia must attempt to think about development scenarios without copper as a driver. Thoughts like, given other abundant natural resources, how would Zambia's development be modeled? It's critical for these economists to seize the opportunity to use abundant natural resources as key variables to factor in the development equation to replace copper and assume the role of key drivers. We want to see independent thinking that does not echo the monotonous thinking of yester years.

When Chibamba Kanyama said that unstable copper prices will delay Zambia's economy, is he implying that subdued copper prices will prevent government from searching for different ways of resuscitating the economy? The impression one gets from such utterances is that bear copper prices tend to paralyzed the thinking of some the local economists. Why doesn't Zambia take a leaf from Japan and South Korea, just to name the two, that cannot measure to Zambia's abundant natural resources. Copper as a natural resource in Zambia should not be considered as a blessing but a source of mind-paralysis. It seems that economic sense and sensibility elludes some of these economists which tend to be influenced the behaviour of copper prices on the London Metal Exchange. It also seems that when the price of copper dips, some people take leave of absence from rational thinking. 

Zambia requires economists that are capable of originating plausible solutions to the country's historical and current economic problems. That said, it is important that economists stop thinking about copper as the panacea that will deliver Zambia from all the historical and existing vagaries of economic ineptitude, lack of vision and foresight. If anything, Zambia needs broad-minded economists that are sufficiently exposed to how other developed countries confront their own share of economic problems.

RB secures $475,000 for Senior Chipolopolo’s preps

Just where are Zambia's development priorities? Soccer always seems to take centre stage and every programme is thrown to the gutters on a mere mention of the word "soccer". From time immemorial, successive Zambian governments have treated the lack of funds to support soccer as an emergency and have thus gone all-out to source funds to support soccer and it's no-good players. When one looks back, one cannot remember if there was a time when the national team ever brought glory to the country even after spending vast sums of hard earned dollars and tax payers monies. When it comes to soccer, it's a no-brainer for the leadership and no much thought is put to it to determine the relevance and significance of the sport to the economy. If, for once, all the tax-payers monies spent on soccer could be directed at improving our "slap-stick" infrastructure more would be achieved over time. This brings to mind the endless and heartbreaking plight of Zambian teachers who struggle on daily basis to survive on their meagre salaries. These teachers are much more deserving and important than those knuckle-heads playing soccer for the Zambia National Team, includng their FAZ officials. Our currently demotivated  teachers would be better motivated to teach our children if they were to be well remunerated. One wonders why the Zambian leadership has failed to appreciate the importance of a teacher in our society. 

While the importance of sports to societal development cannot be negated, it is vital to appreciate the role teachers have consistently played in all our lives. I cannot imagine how some of those leaders that can hardly speak english coherently would have been if we didn't have teachers that still remain committed to their calling and ideals inspite of the unappreciative government. WIthout teachers, most people would not be able to read and write. If anything, the majority of the Zambian soccer players are miserable elementary and high school drop-outs that don't deserve to be paid more than our teachers. The current scenario makes it easy to understand why our educational standard in Zambia is currently lower than it was 20--40 years ago. It is common knowledge that poor teacher conditions obtaiining in the nation have condemned the teachers to a life of perpetually spending most of their time seeking survival alternatives to suplement their meagre incomes.

As a country, we must come up with policies that will enhance our educational standards through better teachers salaries and conditions of service. Among these policies would be one that would structure teachers salaries to levels above the country's poverty datum line, whatever it is. These teachers must receive a salary that would present them with opportunites save a portion of their salaries on monthly basis and also afford them a decent lifestyle.

Ongoing Rivalries in the Zambian Community

Does one wonder why it's so hard for Zambians to achieve unity of purpose? There is so much going on, so many intelligent Zambians of all gender all over the world and so many diverse ideas and opinions. By the way, I hear that attitudes and characters among Zambians are just as diverse as the numbers and these are largely believed to contribute to the absence of unity and success. Who cares? One would ask such a ridiculous question! Zambia has been badly ravaged by rogues and demagogues for far too long. We cannot pretend that we don't care about Zambia and how and where the nation goes from this stage. Neither can we all stand by and watch while an animal farm takes hold, form and shape. I know that the state of the economy and the mediocre infrastructure hurts every caring indigenous Zambian that has their roots in Zambia. It would make more sense, for a change and for us all, to realize that there is so much we may be able to do to help give the captain of the lost ship the right bearings so he may be able to steer it back on the right course. Many of us appreciate how much we may be able to achieve as an organized team than persuing a myriad programs as individuals. The starting point would be to start working toward eradicating personal differences and unnecessary latent rivalries. 

Corruption in Zambia

After several decades of independence Zambia's infrastructure and level of development remains far from acceptable. Poor leadership has been one of the major negative factors contributing to this backwardness. Chiluba' for instance is said to have stlen millions of dollar and was subsequently convicted in a London Court of stealing more than US$40million. Some people have also said the Late President has his share of corruption and now his widow is being mentioned as pocketing some millions of dollars intended for medical bills while in French hospital. Does any one have more information on these issues?