Tuesday, March 19, 2024

50 Years Of …. What Exactly?

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Jubilee Babies: Group of Zambians who were born at the time of independence in  1964
Jubilee Babies: Group of Zambians who were born at the time of independence in 1964

A few weeks ago on, I put forward a thought experiment that I called “The Great Swap” as follows:

“Imagine that intelligent aliens come on earth, put everyone to sleep and swap all the citizens of Zambia with those of the United Kingdom, such that all Zambians wake up in the UK and all British people wake up in Zambia. The aliens make it impossible for either group to return to their original country for 50 years. What would the citizens of the two countries find when they visit their original homeland after 50 years?”

One of the more humorous comments in the discussion that ensued said that for the first time, London Bridge would fall down, reminding me of the famous nursery rhyme we used to sing in Primary School. Someone else said that there would be a modern subway linking “Mutendereshire” with “Materobrough” in Zambia.

I went on to comment thus:

“Pretty much everyone agrees on the outcome of this thought experiment. ie that UK would be a mess and Zambia a paradise. But when asked to explain Zambia’s economic stagnation the last 50 years, most people refer to external reasons like Copper and Oil prices in the 70s, debt burden, IMF/WB conditionalities, ‘Neo-colonialism’, etc.

After 50 years of self-rule, it is shameful that our economic statistics are equivalent to war-torn countries, some of which are now doing better than us in many areas. Every Zambian government has blamed something other than themselves for the mess we are in. They are elected to bring change but they fail, while we the citizens are not putting enough pressure on them. It is time we the new generation make a change.

I don’t have all the answers, but one of the big mistakes the first Zambian govt made was to chase the whites quickly before there was proper handover of skills and knowledge. This created a huge competence gap that has never been filled. The subsequent two governments failed to correct many such things and I hope the next govt shall do better.”

What interested me the most in the discussion was this argument made by another contributor:

“Let us ‘re-colonise’ Zambia! I have always maintained that Ba Zungus [white people] especially the British are a well-organised lot and better managers in so far as running a country is concerned. We should have fought for equal rights and not independence! That way we could have complemented each other in the development of our country.”

This argument may sound absurd and unthinkable, but it appears to hold some truth, notwithstanding the brutality and discrimination of the British against the natives. It seems that equal rights for all citizens was really the core issue, not necessarily self-rule. Minority rule is not necessarily a bad thing if people’s rights are fully respected and no one is treated as a second class citizen. This is where the British failed.

The independence freedom fighters did not believe the British would grant equal rights so they pushed for self-rule which has turned out to be disastrous on many fronts. Most of them found being ruled by whites inherently offensive but they forgot that the Bantu tribes that migrated from elsewhere did the same thing by overthrowing the local tribes they found. Most of the tribes in Zambia today did not exist a mere 300 years ago and they imposed minority rule. How different was the Bemba or Kazembe kingdom from the British empire?

[pullquote]By the time MMD left in 2011, the country was in a much better state than they found it in terms of the economy and political institutions. UNIP left Zambia worse than they found it.[/pullquote]

Let us not forget that the British in 39 years (1925-1964) achieved far more than “independent” Zambia has achieved in 50 years (1964-2014). The British came into a bush and introduced governance structures with codified law and accompanying judicature, an education system, modern medicine, a road and railway network, a thriving commerce system that extended to villages and many other important structural elements.

As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee, I have been asking myself, what does it really mean to be “free”? Free from colonial rule? Is it better to be “free” but poor or ruled over but have a good standard of living? China immediately comes to mind here. How can we explain the political and economic decline that has happened to us in the 50 years we have been in charge of ourselves? Did we get independent too quickly before we were ready? What lessons can be learned by the incoming government of 2016 for the future?

If I were to apportion blame for our current bad situation, I would place most of it (about 70%) on the governments we have had in the last 50 years. The other 30% is ourselves as citizens for failure to hold our governments accountable. Of the 70%, I would give the lion’s share (50%) to the United National Independence Party government (1964-1991), 25% to the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (1991-2011), 15% to the Patriotic Front administration (2011-2014) and 10% to the British colonialists.

The British created the current system of governance in Northern Rhodesia starting in 1925 when the charter that was given to the British South Africa Company expired. It was decided early on that Northern Rhodesia would be a place to extract minerals while labour came from Nyasaland (Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) would be where the British settled in larger numbers. They pumped most of the profits there and Zimbabwe still has better infrastructure.

Over time, the British improved the lives of everyone overall but they failed to reform when the natives began to complain about marginalization in education, commerce and health facilities. The educational budget for whites was many times that for blacks and it seems the British were not willing to invest heavily in Africans in those early years.

Everything eventually came to a head when the Cha Cha Cha uprisings started. The British had not taken enough steps to accommodate the natives. Instead they reacted with force and intimidation until their authority became untenable and they were ejected and all the positive things they had done eventually forgotten. For this they deserve sharp criticism because things could have turned out much better and we could perhaps have been a happy British colony like Hong Kong up to now or a more sovereign state like Canada and Australia.

Despite the tendency of many (mostly young) people of today to attempt to eulogize first Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, he made many bad decisions which destroyed this country. UNIP took over a growing middle-income country with almost all statistics improving and left an almost failed state in which we had to queue up for many hours to buy sugar and salt. Just to catch a bus to another province would often take days. Life expectancy had declined, infant mortality rates worsened, infrastructure destroyed due to lack of maintenance, and the UNIP governance record was deplorable to say the least.

 

[pullquote]Mr Sata had never pretended to be a democrat during his entire ten years in opposition. True to his character, he used the powers vested in his office to maximum effect against the MMD, UPND and other opposition parties.[/pullquote]

Because of his propensity to make himself a demi-god, Kaunda spent 27 years consolidating and concentrating power into the office of the president by introducing new laws, eliminating political opponents, appropriating private companies and stifling the free press. It had to take a popular mass movement (the MMD) to remove him from power in 1991, but he continued with his lust for political power by contesting the 1995 UNIP congress elections for party president, hoping to contest the 1996 General Elections (He had stepped down in 1992 and was succeeded by the younger former Prime Minister and UNIP Secretary-General Kebby Musokotwane).

Kaunda defeated Musokotwane at the convention and set about marketing himself using the usual excuse that “the people” wanted him back and he was being selfless. Yet his long history of consolidating power betrayed his expressed intentions. After being constitutionally barred from contesting the 1996 elections, he forced UNIP to boycott the elections and allowed MMD to gain more ground and eventually consign UNIP to the political scrap-yard. I suspect that had Musokotwane remained UNIP president and not died in 1996, UNIP would be a much stronger opposition party today. Who knows, they may have even come back into government in 2001 when 71% of the people of Zambia voted against the MMD.

It is very difficult to find good things that Kaunda did, but I suppose free education (although implemented not too well) was one of them. Kaunda’s efforts to fight tribalism were also commendable, though some commentators opine that his real aim was to kill the influence of the Bemba tribe which was disproportionately powerful in UNIP. They claim that introducing tribal balancing in appointments was just a trick as he was aware that Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe would one day unseat him. Handing over power peacefully to President Frederick Chiluba in 1991 was perhaps his most commendable action. Whether he did it because he believed it was the right thing to do, or was forced to is another question.

Lord Acton said that “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Kaunda left an omnipotent presidency which acted as the agent of the downfall of President Chiluba and others that followed. Chiluba unfortunately also abused his office to steal in broad daylight by using the intelligence bank account Zamtrop, a crime for which he was convicted by a London Court. He went after The Post newspaper and many other perceived enemies.

There were many inexplicable deaths that took place under his watch such as former Finance Minister Ronald Penza who was murdered in his own home despite all the security around him. Paul Tembo, the former MMD Deputy National Secretary was murdered in 2001 the morning he was due to testify in parliament about corruption in the Chiluba government. Other suspicious deaths were Baldwin Nkumbula, Wezi Kaunda and Dean Mungomba.

Depite their chequered past, the MMD government did many more things right (unlike UNIP which did more bad than good) by measurably improving the living standards of the average Mulenga and Jelita. By the time MMD left in 2011, the country was in a much better state than they found it in terms of the economy and political institutions. UNIP left Zambia worse than they found it. I have heard many dishonest people claim that MMD did nothing or that they destroyed the economy. Such people are either intellectually bankrupt or woefully ignorant.

My earlier assessment that MMD takes about 25% of the blame for our current mess is because they had the greatest opportunity in the multi-party era to correct all the evils of UNIP, and yet squandered a large chunk of it. They won at presidential level in 1991 by 75%, had an absolute majority in Parliament by winning 125 out of 150 seats, and their margin increased further in 1996 when UNIP boycotted the elections and lost their 25 seats. They could have easily passed any reforms.

Granted, MMD had to bring down the entire Zambian house and restart the foundation from scratch by setting in place a private sector driven economy and improve democracy and governance. No one can take away from the MMD the improvements they made to Zambia by leaving it as a lower middle income country, but they failed to reduce the role of government in the economy enough. Some of their interventions often produced negative results, their foray into maize marketing under Levy Mwanawasa via the Food Reserve Agency being a case in point. FRA buys and sells maize at a loss which is not only absurd, but a waste of colossal sums of tax-payer money. MMD failed to fully liberalize the economy and complete the privatization process. They left behind inefficient behemoths like ZESCO, Zampost, ZNBS, ZSIC, NHA, etc.

Chiluba and his two MMD successors Levy Mwanwasa and Rupiah Banda failed to curtail the powers of the president that Kaunda had left and they all abused the office to varying degrees by going after political opponents and critical media houses. The Post Newspaper bore the brunt of most of the assaults on press freedom until more recently when they warmed up to the Patriotic Front Government.

Chiluba’s political dribbling resulted in a presidential third term bid and a massive fallout in MMD whereby about 70 senior MMD members left or were expelled. This sowed the seeds of the downfall of the MMD in 2011 when the lost to the PF. Mwanawasa barely won the 2001 election and set about trying to impress Zambians by taking a more Socialist economic route which began to undo the foundation laid by Chiluba and his team. He failed to privatize the rest of the about 20 parastatals left in 8 years of his presidency and he did not reform the political and economic system enough to produce high economic growth rates.

He benefited from Chiluba’s work on HIPC and reached completion point. He reduced government borrowing which released funds to the private sector. Banks began chasing salaried employees to offer them loans for the first times since the early 80s. The massive reduction in Zambia’s debt allowed Mwanawasa to have more money to spend on other things which helped grow the economy at a respectable 6% average in his second term. His presidency was a mixed bag that should have been far better.

In 2008, Vice-President Rupiah Banda succeeded Mwanawasa in a presidential by-election with the narrowest of margins; a mere 35,000 votes. His presidency turned out to be another mixed bag. He did relatively well on the economy by privatizing Zamtel, reducing licensing fees and simplifying business procedures. He was probably the most business-friendly president. He travelled the world to court investments and produced some good economic results.

For the first time in 30 years, inflation dropped to single digits (7%) and the economy grew at close to 7%. Life expectancy improved and he accelerated Mwanawasa’s 2006 plan for improving the health system as district hospitals, clinics and rural health posts were constructed and opened. The Levy Mwanawasa Hospital was perhaps one of his crown jewels and he flagged off a massive road construction project all over the country.

However, his political decisions were less than optimal. He went after The Post newspapers by dragging one of its editors, Chansa Kabwela to court on silly charges of possession and distribution of pornography. His misguided fight with the Post is partly what led to them supporting Michael Sata and the PF for 2011 and they succeeded in painting him as a corrupt selfish president.

The involvement of Mr Banda’s sons in his presidency did not help as they were viewed as “eating” from many lucrative contracts that were alledgedly awarded to their business associates without following procedure. Corruption allegations abounded and were not properly dealt with. Mr Banda’s handling of Barotseland’s potential cessation caused him to lose many votes as people were shot dead, others imprisoned and charged with treason. To add insult to injury, he did not even attend the Kuomboka ceremony in his last year in office, opting to send his Vice George Kunda.

He fell out with some MMD Ministers like Ngandu Magande, Syliva Masebo and Mike Mulongoti. He suddenly fired his ministers Jonas Shakafuswa and Lamech Chibombamilimo at State House when MMD cadres marched there. In this and many other incidents, he projected an image of extreme arrogance which came to haunt him at the 2011 elections. His abuse of state media to push his agenda also worked against him.

With Mr Sata’s incessant attacks on MMD plus civil society, the donors and the church losing faith in Mr Banda, MMD’s doom was sealed. No matter how much they tried to campaign by attacking Mr Sata and dishing out money, chitenges, alcohol and other freebies, the electorate had had enough. Mr Sata was not exactly the best candidate to replace Mr Banda but he was the most viable and people reluctantly voted for him, contrary to the popular view perpetuated by PF that their win was resounding (Voter turnout was only 54%, the lowest since 1991, which was a drop from 71% in 2006).

The PF came into government having created great expectations. They had successfully attacked and dethroned MMD and many Zambians were excited about the prospect of change. Change is what most voters wanted. However, it was not to be, as Zambians again became disappointed by broken promises and an increasingly authoritarian state, UNIP style.

The failure of MMD to dismantle the excessive powers of the president’s office finally came home to roost. Whereas the MMD presidents pretended to be democrats while secretly doing anti-democractic things, Mr Sata had never pretended to be a democrat during his entire ten years in opposition. True to his character, he used the powers vested in his office to maximum effect against the MMD, UPND and other opposition parties. It became common to see opposition leaders arrested and dragged to court on flimsy charges or denied permits to hold meetings, including indoor meeting with their members.

The current MMD president Dr Nevers Mumba was arrested and locked up for merely vising a chief. His counterpart Hakainde Hichilema (president of United Party for National Development) was similarly locked up and Elias Chipimo, the National Restoration Party President was detained at a police station.

Press freedoms under the PF remarkably declined as journalists were arrested or threatened, and publications were taken to court such as the Daily Nation newspaper for defamation of the president. Websites of some critical media houses got blocked in Zambia, thanks to Chinese telecomms equipment which spurred accusations of spying on Zambian citizens in cahoots with the Chinese.

PF began failing on fiscal discipline early on, despite being left with almost $3 billion in reserves, 7% inflation and 7% GDP growth. They thankfully continued most of the MMD projects. But lacking a historical understanding of all the complex planning and negotiations that went into these projects, they stretched themselves thin by attempting to do too much too quickly in an effort to consolidate their position with the electorate.

They increased salaries of civil servants astronomically, such that 75% of government revenue is now spent on personal emoluments for 200,000 people out of a labour force of 700,000. They created about 30 new districts without any budgetary planning and employed people before there were any district offices or accommodation available. This led to more wastage as people were paid mostly for nothing and lodges were booked for many months to house district officials. Wastage occurred in 23 by-elections (and counting) as ministers and MPs were sent to campaign.

Inevitably, the sum total of all these unplanned expenditures eventually depleted the national coffers such that PF had to resort to borrowing internationally and domestically. The current external debt is at $4.7 billion and local debt is $3.5 billion (at K6.30 per Dollar). Repayments will drain the coffers for decades to come and there appears to be no debt sustainability measures on the horizon.

Is Zambia is cursed with a failure to get a fully responsive government? Each one of the 3 parties that have ruled so far have tended to have a very parochial view of governance, even when they meant well and began with the best of intentions. UNIP certainly never intended to oppress the Zambians with a despotic One Party state but they did it anyway.

MMD took office with grand plans and intentions but it only took 3 years for things to begin unravelling, such that many founder members including Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika, Baldwin Nkumbula and Levy Mwanawasa resigned in disgust that the dream was lost. MMD survived beyond 10 years by a combination of luck and political dribbling as corruption and theft abounded.

PF similarly sincerely believed they could fix the country. They thought governing was simply being men and women of action. They over-promised and set in motion many things that have come to haunt them and for now, they appear incapable of turning things around in time for 2016. The train has left the station and it’s not coming back.

 

[pullquote]Civil Society, the Church, political parties and all of us must press for a drastic reduction in the powers of the Executive, arguably the greatest single problem.[/pullquote]

So what is the way forward? I believe there has to be a change of ideas and attitudes. Zambians should firstly realize that they should take their vote seriously and not be swept off their feet by smooth talking politicians. They should adopt a skeptical disposition and thoroughly question prospective candidates.

Civil Society, the Church, political parties and all of us must press for a drastic reduction in the powers of the Executive, arguably the greatest single problem. For example, removing cabinet from parliament removes the ability to manipulate the legislature since no MP would be compromised by the promise of a ministerial job. Making the appointments of the Cabinet and Supreme Court judges subject to strict parliamentary oversight would also help a lot.

Other constitutional officers like the Attorney General, Auditor-General and Anti-Corruption Commission Director-General need to be de-linked from the president’s office or otherwise subjected to strong parliamentary oversight. Power needs to be decentralized to the provinces who should take over budgeting, taxation and economic policy decisions through Governors and Mayors. A president should become more of a figure head than a demi-god.

A friend of mine related how one nation in Europe where he went did not have a Prime Minister for years but most of the population did not even notice or care. Most of the citizens could not even name the Prime Minister when he was in office. They were busy being productive with less government interference in their lives.

If Zambia wants to develop in the next 50 years, drastic steps have to be taken. The economy needs to be opened up a lot more, just as the Chinese did. Prosperity is not a miracle. The ideas behind it are documented. The more an economy is private sector driven, the better it does. The better the legal framework becomes, the more certainty there is in business. The stronger the property rights regime, the greater a nation’s prosperity.

I totally appreciate the peace we have had for 50 years. But it is simply not good enough. We do not need to take 200 years to develop the way the West did. Their knowledge was more incomplete and we have access to their history to know what works and what does not. There is simply no excuse for the mediocrity we have gotten used to as Zambians.

Let us change our thinking and move on, so that in 2064, there will be something to truly celebrate about.

See my other article, “A Development Blueprint For Zambia”:

This article is written by Michael Chishala, an ordinary Zambian citizen, and is an assessment of the record of all the past Zambian governments in the context of the Jubilee celebrations.

Combined Choir of political parties that have ruled Zambia at the jubilee festivities: MMD, PF and UNIP
Combined Choir of political parties that have ruled Zambia at the jubilee festivities: MMD, PF and UNIP
Combined Choir of political parties that have ruled Zambia at the jubilee festivities: MMD, PF and UNIP
Combined Choir of political parties that have ruled Zambia at the jubilee festivities: MMD, PF and UNIP

56 COMMENTS

  1. Silly article give credit where it is due ffs

    50 years is impressive and there is no need for the this macho reporting.

    I have had people congratulating me and that is the mood to be in and not these adverse nonsensical articles

    Thanks

    • The article and owner is trying to compare the West with Zambia? You comparing a Ferrari with Toyota cressida.

      Toyota cressida will first have to be compared to a Nissan primera or something similar

      My point is, you compete and get to the likes of you neighboring countries Botswana etc before you compare yourself to most European state.

      The writer strikes me as someone who is engraved in thinking the lagging of Zambia has a lot do with Zambians instead of looking at what resources you have and how to maximize those resources to become that step better instead of comparing oneself to the pinnacle and were even SA have not reached.

      I do not like the tone of this poem

      You need to walk before you can run!

      Thanks

    • Mushota, please write your own article to counter Chishala’s arguments, point by point and leave it to the bloggers to judge as to which one has a tincture of intelligence in it. Whether Michael is right or wrong in his assertions, he’s at least tried to bring to the fore an emotive subject of discussion among the LT bloggers.
      Whatever you may think of him; in my opinion, he’s a good example of a ‘one eyed man’ among the ‘blind.’
      For once, show us your true level of competence, if at all, or else let the great minds speak. And, before you react in your usual ‘looney tunes,’ I would humbly remind you that I am the fella who called your bluff when you once lied that you were a student at Oxford Brookes…I have never heard of you in all my years of service at this noble…

    • Mushota. You have lost your head and direction. Surely you can pass a useless comment to anything. Is this how PF has employed you for. I know that you work at the PF secretariat. But tone down. You lose nothing by being truthful. Next time I will release your true name and phone number.

    • I have to bow to the author, Michael Chisala for an excellent article which perhaps reflect the journey of our nation from the British rule to the current PF administration. I do not agree with one or two points but the article is arguably the most refreshing and balanced with a credible proposal for the way forward.
      I feel the author fails to acknowledge and document the role of the media and in particular, the Post Newspaper in influencing Zambians in the political leadership we end up with especially in recent years. He paints a picture of successive Govts attacking the media (The Post) simply to consolidate power. However, M’membe has been the most influencial politician in Zambia while hiding behind his Newspaper. That needs to be documented.
      Otherwise, excellent work..

    • Michael Chishala, other than plagiarizing other people’s writings, what have you done for Zambia personally?

    • the only thing these white people have done is to take our copper. these chicalas can polish my bottom with coconut oil any day and then massage my balls with butterscotch cream. evans mfula at evaduco reporting live from lusaka

    • HH will develop zambia that even Nick and Mushota will move to Chibolya, by then Chibolya will be like Chelsea London SW.
      Good job West Ham United FC, hahahah City rent boys :/

    • So that Michael Chishala is another unsuccessful Zambian. There are many disappointed Zambian.
      I would surprise if Michael Chishala took his life, his friends should be concerned of that kind of bitterness. He is another Field Ruwe.
      Celebrate SOMETHING atleast your birthday.
      I celebrate ANYTHING… and award my self. Like I deserve the LT Jubilee Award.

    • MUSHOTA, LET ME BE HONEST- ABOUT A YEAR AGO I NEVER USED TO READ YOUR BLOGS. BUT OF LATE I DO. I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED THAT SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MEANT FOR HUMOUR WHILE OTHERS ARE FOR SERIOUS REASONING. I DO AGREE WITH YOU. ZAMBIA HAS ACHIEVED A LOT POLITICALLY AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, ECONOMICALLY. MOST AFRICANS COUNTRIES WILL NEVER ACHIEVE THE POLITICAL TRANQUILITY AND ONENESS THAT ZAMBIA HAS ACHIEVED AND WE MUST BE HAPPY WITH THIS ACHIEVEMENT- UNLESS YOU ARE EMPTY IN YOUR HEAD LIKE THE WRITER ABOVE. ZAMBIA HAS POLITICALLY LIBERATED MANY COUNTRIES DURING WHICH MANY ZAMBIANS DIED. NOW ZAMBIA HAS STARTED TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY IT CAN BE SEEN.

    • @Nostradamus
      Watch this person, he is drawn by death. He uses words like “take life” “Hang self.” They say people whose minds are inclined to such usually end up doing it on themselves. Some of them take the lives of the people around them. Again, watch him. He has deep personal issues. If anyone knows him, they should seek doctor’s advice.

    • @Psychiatrist @ Nostradamus
      He is also a pathological liar. He takes issues so personally as if they are directed at him. Yes, I agree with you. He needs attention. But as dumb and confused as he is, he will come out blogging like a rabid dog. It is true it does not matter what he says for the reasons you have forwarded. LT must censor him when he wishes others death. Readers watch him and pay little attention.

    • @Psychiatrist, in Canada,
      Here we go again… it doesn’t matter how many times you change name. People have told you before, there is no way you can take-down Nostradamus. It is impossible.
      Just HANG YOURSELF by the balls…
      I posted my phone number and address before, why don’t you call me, coward webo!

    • @Nostradamus
      Aha, this is now beginning to make sense. This could be Chanda Chashi the assailant. No wonder the death language. He is the only one who publicly gave his phone number and address. It is said that his real name is Reuben Chanda. He is so confused he will soon reveal his real identity. I agree, Lusaka Times must monitor him and censor his language.

    • INDEED SILLY ARTICLE. ONE CANNOT IGNORE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ZAMBIA AS COMPARED TO ALMOST ALL TROUBLED AFRICAN COUNTRIES. EVEN SEEING THE COMBINED CHOIR IN PICTURE TELLS IT. THERE THE RULING PF, MMD AND UNIP WOMEN WHO HAVE PUT POLITICAL INCLINATIONS AND AGENDAS ASIDE TO FORM UP A CHOIR FOR THE PURPOSE OF CELEBRATING THIS IMPORTANT EVENT. ONLY BITTER PARTIES ARE MISSING IN THIS CHOIR AND WELL MEANING ZAMBIANS DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT THEM AS THEY ARE NOT FIT FOR LEADERSHIP.

  2. Home sweet home, Zambia has achieved a lot of developmental projects. Learn to travel then you will appreciate mother Zambia.

    • A typical Zambian fool the likes who call KM father of the nation and celebrated the Choma declaration. The type that find inspiration in Kabimba and Kambwili

  3. @Mushota, I agree with you my friend. While benchmarking is always good in such analyses, we need to be realistic and begin our comparisons from 1964. The best I think is to look at countries with similar fundamentals in 1964 and compare how the two countries have grown over the years. The writer seems to believe that KK and his colleagues chased the whites, well I donnot agree with that though most people think so. There is lack of understanding of the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.Thats why people believe such crap. Why did they stay in Zimbabwe? Can the writer cite any declaration that chased the whites.
    Also, the writer has a very simplistic view of development. Its either he believes its magic or a miracle. He does not believe that its multi-dimensional, multi-faceted process.

  4. What’s there to celebrate while we still called third world and poor, We should strive to get better, Mushota you are the very guilty one when it comes to comparing, how many times have you compared Scotland to Zambia and laughing at us, provoking responses.

  5. Mushota @ 1.1 for the very first time you have spoken sense. I agree with you in totally. This is not time to mourn and apportion blame. It is time to sit down and chart the way forward. Let us be forward looking and thinking. Yes, let us learn from history to avoid the mistakes of the past as we move forward.

  6. The brits had to go period. The important thing is rightly or wrongly we are developing now faster than britain is in relative terms. It doesnt matter where youve been its where you wanna end up and what you do right now about it, as in this very minute, right now. Thats all that counts. Work ethic, incredible focus, persistence, we will succeed.

  7. Very amusing viewpoint.

    I put it to you that the generation of Brits of today would not survive and evolve as new ‘explorers’.

    Here’s the nursery rhyme you would remember. London’s Burning. Except it would be Lusaka burnt to a crisp, looted and ravaged as some of the country’s best brats would do what they did for several days while all politicians fled including PM who sat cowering in the States while the streets of London were taken over by youths who took breaks during looting to cook and serve MacDonalds and KFC to each other. Some of their parents ordered phones, TV’s and trainers by text.

    We can also expect more f.s and b.s to enter the language. There will be others perplexed by how to survive without the dole. Business as usual in London as it is run by foreigners!…

    • And let’s not forget paedophiles. Apparently they announced the other day that there are too many to prosecute.

      A population of 60 million in Zambia will take another fifty years to set up but I am sure the Zamb United Kingdom and Barotseland together with Scotland, Wales and NI who won’t leave to join the bl..dy English will enjoy the benefits of immediate housing for the entire population and more jobs than they can take on. Dole time four for those in need but an empty coffer which we will fill with spoils of war and the profit from lending the republic of England in Southern Africa much needed pound kwachas as ‘kind debt aid’.

      We will visit the old country when we get cold and come as volunteers (secretly paid) to help out by rewriting their history so they forget any past…

  8. Why such a long article when people are in the mood of celebrating the Jubilee. Mr author, please get a life. No one has time to read your lengthy but empty article at the time of ululations. Bad timing indeed!!

  9. The article has been well articulated, very informative and propertional analysis and critism. I believe that the third generation of leaders have failled us, they are believers in depositing the rule of law in their own hands. Lets make the other institutions more powerful than the president and lets free the economy, lets champion for a self driven economy where its citizens become more enterprenurial. In as much as its bad to compare ourselves with the European developments but if you always set your limit so low, you will always end up achieving low things. I believe&agree with the writer that liberilizing the provinces and making them accountable for their budgets&laws will be a very reasonable thing to do and will lead to developments. Fellow youths, lets forcus on…

  10. The author of the article credits President Banda for the drop in the inflation rate to single digit. He writes: “For the first time in 30 years, inflation dropped to single digits (7%)…” He also gives credit to President Banda for the construction of the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital. He writes: “The Levy Mwanawasa Hospital was perhaps one of his crown jewels…”. I find these statements to be mischievously and maliciously misleading. The inflation rate was reduced to single digit during the Mwanawasa New Deal Administration. It is President Mwanawasa who laid the foundation stone for the hospital. Just like the Robert Makasa University in Chinsali and the two new stadia in Ndola and Lusaka are some of Mwanawasa’s outstanding achievements during his administration of only six years.

  11. Zambians waking up in UK and British in Zambia is not a proper comparison what you should look at is Zambians waking up tomorrow with the British mindset and the British waking up with Zambian mindset in their own respective countries and see what happens. Only two things make difference between countries and they are the thinking of the people and the freedom given by the government to allow their citizens to fantasize and live their dreams without injuring others.

  12. I think 70% we the people and 30% the first and successive governments. Lets take the Jubilee celebrations we just had…. we thevpeople all agreed that the form (an independenc party run smoothly) without the substance (a full account of where and how the head of state is and at what cost) was more important to Zambia. Never mind that the person acting so soberly and impressively was and continues to be party to the deception. From what I am reading we even want to reward him with making his ill gotten position permanent. I now understand that you get the government you deserve. I can’t help wonder how the clients whose money he reportedly failed to account for feel – they must be petrified at the prospect of his position becoming permanent and what recriminations they will…

  13. 50years of Independence ofcouse. Wew are a free country and what ever problems we face we are responsible for it. You cannot entirely blame he current and previous governements for te current stateof affairs. us the citizens are partially to blame. Ask the Chinese and they will tell you that Zambians are lazy! We need to change our mindset.

    • I entirely agree with you. Individually and collectively we are responsible for what has happened to us since 1964. Like President J. F. Kennedy aply put it, let us collectively ask ourselves: “What can we do for our country?”, and individually: “What am I doing for my country?”. Our docility, our negative attitude to work, our support for wrong causes, our failure to condemn wrong doings, our passivity, our failure to stand up for the good of our country have brought us to where we are now and no one else is to blame but ourselves. Zambia, with all its natural endowments, is supposed to be a middle class nation by now. But to date we have continued to let our rsources to benefit other nations. Let us change our mind set and attitude to move forward.

  14. Until we as a people begin to ask ourselves the hard and uncomfortable questions and be prepared to answer honestly and sincerely -it will take a miracle for the next 50 years to be not much worse than the last 50. It seems one of our best characteristics as a people is working out to be the worst enemy of true progress- we forgive and forget easily we do not persist in preserving the little democractic acheivments we have gained and carry on focused on our individual pursuits while the political and economic opportunists pillage at will- I am flabbergasted at just how deceitful incoherent and frightengly self serving the PF governance has been. What is more alarming is how complicit we have been in all this. I implore zambians now that the party is over to demand answers.

  15. One thing I have noticed in life is that the truth show always set you free. The Romans arrived in Britain in 55 BC (before the birth of Christ),

  16. Michael Chisala is one of the poorly educated Zambians who just speak and write good English. He states without shame that UNIP left Zambia worse than the colonialists! UNIP built hundreds of schools, clinics, roads, and created companies to produce goods and services for Zambians. Chisala’s colonial administration established these in Southern Rhodesia which was settler colony. Pleading that the colonialists should havae stayed a little longer is not sensible, almost stupid! I feel offended by this article!

    • I must agree with you.
      What most of these kids do not realize is that we did not fight for independence so we can build roads, schools, bridges and so on. We fought for our rights to be humans, to be treated with respect and dignity. We were displeased with people calling us names and deciding the course of our future for us, and working for their grand children and our grand children’s expense.
      We wanted to move freely on our land without any asking you for passo. We wanted equal access to everything, shops, school, transportation, and so on. Even for the right to express oneself as Micheal is doing.
      We wanted that for our people.

      Chishala was not even born then and here he is trying to redefine the goal of the struggle.

  17. Very interesting scenario, if Zambians where shuttled to the UK and the British brought to Zambia, what would be the state of these two nations after 5 to 10 years?

  18. The painful truth is that Zambians (if not Africans) look to an individual to pull the country from squalor. A swine says Sata will take us out of poverty while another hog feels HH & yet another warthog feels its Nevers. Wake up you caders of stupidity!! Its is the system that fails us!!
    Well compiled thoughts @ Chishala!!

    • The swine that said Sata would take us out of poverty WAS the swine SATA himself! and he promised to do it in 90 days!

      Now we all know the only thing he has done is tell us lies!

  19. Mr. Chishala do not be bothered about flippant comments saying the article is too long. It is how much the standards of education have dropped in Zambia – too much texting. Anyone who has been to university would find this article thought provoking and not take anything away from it. We are good at criticizing but how about writing your own articles? My only point of correction is that Mwanawasa did not barely win the 2001 election. The truth of the matter is that Anderson K. Mazoka won that election and FTJ during his reign and his cohorts had stolen so much that he did not want an unfriendly in-coming govt so he rigged the election. Did you see how the swearing in was rushed? People give accolades to Mwanawasa but I have no respect for him for accepting a rigged election.

  20. Mushota write you own article that criticizing other people. Not every thought in that article was as bad as you put it. That’s the problem with people who think are educated like you are just good at criticism than thoughtful contribution. Yes we can’t compare Zambia to UK. But the fact is that in this world we all have the opportunity and chance to develop, the people are selfish starting from leader to citizens. Citizen don’t vote wisely and then leaders abuse the office. Who is to blame the one who put him in that office or the leader?

  21. Mushota write your own article than criticizing other people. Not every thought in that article was as bad as you put it. That’s the problem with people who think are educated like you are just good at criticism than thoughtful contribution. Yes we can’t compare Zambia to UK. But the fact is that in this world we all have the opportunity and chance to develop, the people are selfish starting from leader to citizens. Citizen don’t vote wisely and then leaders abuse the office. Who is to blame the one who put him in that office or the leader?

  22. The problem with Zambian we are quick at blaming other people and not willing to work together. We have the power, vote wisely and education you relative to do the same than just talking. Judge the leader based on what development they achieved in the last 5 year. The problem we bring back same old politicians to power. Let’s wakeup and think with our head not heart!

  23. This article was to some extent balanced on evaluating the Parties and what they did or did not do for the country. However, the electorate also has a part to play. If you asked me, the electorate are responsible for the direction their county takes and maintains. They have the Authority to challenge and admonish their leaders who make the absurd policies that have landed peaceful but poor Zambia in this state. Authority not exercised is meaningless and I wonder why the people of Zambia pretend to be perplexed at what is going on around them when they have left leaders unchallenged. 50 years, yes you may celebrate still having a land called Zambia but for goodness’ sake make good of your God-given authority as the electorate and harness what is in it for the good of many and your…

  24. First lady I totally concur with you. Zambians made their own bed and they should sleep in it. Basic rights to assemble are being denied to the opposition but the bottom feeders of PF still sing praises to the party in power. Such cadres you can even urinate on them and tell them it’s raining and they will still believe you because they are so brainwashed. The problem in Zambia we vote with emotion – look at how we discarded the one party system led by UNIP only to create the same monster of dominance by emuemudi! As long as the kaponyas wield the power they currently show there will be no credible change despite the good alternatives we have that can take our country further into this century.

  25. Not sure if I shall ever understand my fellow Zambians. 50 years after independence we cannot even reveal our true identities on blogs i.e. we are all hiding under pseudonyms which clearly means there is something seriously wrong with the system. We are all fearful of our lives even as sung by Fela Kuti, our own shadows because we all know what our government can do in retribution for mere comments we make online. If they had the powers they would even shut the internet. They introduced it in the mid 90s because they did not know what kind of power it contained. They never foresaw social media and that it would liberate people to say whatever they wanted. In my view politicians are the lowest of the low….right next to drug dealers. They lie.

  26. Apart from a few factual errors, this article is the most refreshing and thought-provoking I have read yet. As expected, the author has been vilified by bloggers who lack depth in their analytical acumen. The argument that Zambia should not be compared to the UK is really vain. That is like saying someone who lives in Kanyama should only compare himself to someone in Chawama, not the one in Ibex Hill. That is really sad reasoning. That means we have no desire to come out of our mediocrity.

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