This is article 6 of 6 in the series ‘ A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution by Chief Chitimukulu ‘
- A Critical analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 1- The Preamble
- A Critical analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 2- One Man,One Vote
- A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 3 – The Consequences of Nationalisation
- A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 4 – The Art of State Craft
- A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 5 -NGOs: Leaders in the Constitution-Making Process
- A Critical Analysis of the Imperialist Driven Constitution Part 6-Zambia: A Nation without Conscience
By Henry Kanyanta Sosala-Chitimukulu
The question is: why have we allowed these stooges to lead us to the extent of self-destruction? Where is the intelligentsia that is supposed to be the conscience of our society? The Post observed in the editorial:
‘’Our society has very few thinkers…..when our future generations ask themselves who the greatest thinkers were at this stage of our history, what will they find? We are afraid they may come up with none. If they should see an amorphous mass of mediocrity ruled by fear of being thought different and in so being subversive. It should not surprise us. It is because we only have time to chase after the little material gleam that is left from the plunderers’ table and nothing more.’’ (ibid. 29th June 2005).
Indeed, it is very unfortunate that there exists in this country, a deep sense of intellectual timidity, which means that the majority of ‘’genuine’’ intellectuals are in the habit of ‘’thinking with breaks on.’’ This is where one realizes the excruciating dilemma in which bonafide intellectuals find themselves because they have to trim their minds continually in order to stay ‘’on course’’, that is, in line with quack ‘’intellectuals’’ who have dominated the intellectual scene.
And of course, this does not surprise me because I have been privileged to mix and watch many fortunate and ambitious intellectuals ascend career ladders with comfortable predictability, though none of those predictable steps necessitated original thought. This then follows that one must know one’s academic rank and respect group harmony and thus original thought would be discourteous if not offensive to one’s peers, (usually referred to as ‘’highly profiled intellectuals’’) and one must therefore shrink from freewheeling thinking in order to maintain peace. The safest career path is the surest path, and the surest path is sufficiently well worn out by previous travelers, so it cannot be missed.
I strongly believe that Zambia is an intellectual colony, but she badly needs intellectuals with swollen heads i.e., courageous, revolutionized and radicalized in order to become the kind of forum for freewheeling thinking needed to cultivate a creative and dynamic society. The most distinctive feature in the western societies is tolerance of the human being’s potential to think and create. And this respect for the individual’s mind is the key to creativity.
I also clearly experienced this timidity during my persecution because well-meaning individuals and even intellectuals were advising me not to respond even when Professor Nkandu Luo used to tell blatant lies about Bemba rituals of which being a Bisa knows nothing about. But to me it was clear that what they lacked was the active spirit of confrontation. And by confrontation I do not, of course, mean the negative way of an ugly scene of exchanging bitter words. Confrontation is speaking the truth in a personal face-to-face encounter regarding an issue that needs correction. Confrontation is having the courage to question and reject certain issues so as not to compromise one’s integrity.
And what has really made us so unreasonably docile? When the South African Communist Party, Secretary-General, Dr. Blade Nzimande visited Zambia, he wondered why we failed to do anything, ‘’the moment Chiluba begins to misbehave terribly such as selling mines and the country’s assets.’’ And according to Mr. Francis Kaunda in The Selling of Family Silver,
Konkola mine was sold to Anglo American at US$ 90 million rejecting an offer of US$ 310 million plus committed expenditures of US$ 400 million from Kafue Consortium for a similar package.
The greatest problem is that the entire nation reads the same type of books and we are therefore on the same political-wave bands and we cannot therefore detect any anomalies concerning the affairs of our country. And this was also easily identified by Dr. Blade Nzimande when he met leaders of different political parties as well as the civil society groups at different meetings:
“What is disappointing in Zambia is the extent to which virtually all major political parties that will contest elections this year (i.e., 2006) are effectively committed to a path broadly similar to that of Chiluba.” (Sunday Post 9th April 2006).
How true are the words of Mr. Kapwepwe:
‘’We have lost love for the people and political direction. We have fallen victims to the flattery from imperialists. We no longer mind what happens to the people of Zambia or to their children’s future.’’
For example the Ministry of Education has introduced computer subjects in the primary school curriculum and grade ix students are this year going to sit for examinations which will include practicals. I was last week shocked when a teacher brought students from a community school because they had never seen a computer to my palace just to come and have a look at my desk computer and lap-top. These are the people whose children play computer games and it can therefore never come into their perverted minds that they are people out there who had never seen a lap-top. These are the people who have never even heard of the rumour that about eighty percent of Zambians are living in absolute poverty.
Epilogue
Karl Marx once said,
history repeats itself; the first time in tragedy; the second time in farce.’’
The imperialist-stooges are demanding the referendum, yes give us the chance to have one and see if anybody will agree to set Zambia on fire.
We must raise our eyes and learn from Latin America about mass mobilization based on popular participation in the daily struggles around issues facing ordinary people. It must be mobilization based on the ‘’lived experiences’’ of the poor and not some ‘’feel-good’’ fake inflation figures, predominantly measuring the confidence of the bourgeoisie and the middle class.
What marks a new era in Latin America was that the workers and the poor, principally through movements, made it possible to more directly take charge of democratic revolutions without class mediation from the ‘’patriotic’’ foreign-stooges. And these popular revolutionary formations are beginning to master the election terrain as an important platform, to advance revolutionary goals. May the immortal soul of the Great CHAVEZ rest in peace.
Hezbollah’s success as an effective practitioner in the art of grass-root politics has a great bearing to traditional leadership in this country, because by using grass-root approach, Hezbollah has been able to convert the ignored Shi’ite underclass of southern Lebanon into a powerful lever in regional politics. The lesson is clear: chiefs being close to the underprivileged are more than able to work in the under-belly of local politics, as Hezbollah has done, since we are certainly very much aware of local pressure points and the knowledge of how to press the buttons and to get the desired results. And this is what must be done when we go for the referendum.
GOD BLESS
Chavez, Karl Marx? Sosala should ask his Bemba tribesmen to level down the Chitimukulu paraphernalia and get rid of all that cultural crap. That’s a good starting point if he aspires to be a revolutionary. Chieftainship is conservative and traditional. And Kapwepwe, the star of both Sata and Sosala, was just another Bemba tr¡balist advocating for Bemba hegemony. There’s no value in this discourse.
Reading these articles has made me so sad,so mad about how we Zambians have let down our people and our land. We are no longer ‘stand and sing of Zambia proud and free’….we are worse than we were in 1964..all because we do nothing.Government can pay $300 000 for one womans rent whilst UTH has no drugs,kids have no classrooms and we blog about it one day and life continues thereafter. PF can bribe opposition MPs cause by elections so that in Parliament stu.pid laws are passed like increasing our debt burden and we just blog about it and life continues.Presidents come and go flying abroad for treatment..we blog about it and life continues…This new constitution I dont even understand 95% of the things and their repercussion..it has to be explained so that my grandmother can understand
Some of his words:-
“May the immortal soul of the Great CHAVEZ rest in peace.”
“Karl Marx once said…”
“Hezbollah’s success as an effective practitioner in the art of grass-root politics…”
There is something seriously wrong with this man.
I simply get entertained by Sossala, wisemen now coming from the north.
Ba chitimukulu no doubt but i think ka weed mbichana epo kaba that is why his reason is beyond most of his age mets.
Ba Sosala, so much about imperialist. Give us alternative ways to look at things in objective manner. The imperialist will always be around the corner.
Chief you can do your part by telling your electorates that it does not matter where one hails from as long as they are capable. You traditional leaders are the ones making Zambia backward because you encourage the electorates to vote on tribal lines.
Nkandu Luo told lies about the Bemba rituals, Edgar Lungu was Minister of Home Affairs when Police descended on the Mwine Lubemba, these are the same people that will go and sing praises to the Chitimukulu at his installation this August. Disgusting!
Reading these articles has made me so sad,so mad about how we Zambians have let down our people and our land. We are no longer ‘stand and sing of Zambia proud and free’….we are worse than we were in 1964..all because we do nothing.Government can pay $300 000 for one womans rent whilst UTH has no drugs,kids have no classrooms and we blog about it one day and life continues thereafter. PF can bribe opposition MPs cause by elections so that in Parliament stu.pid laws are passed like increasing our debt burden and we just blog about it and life continues.Presidents come and go flying abroad for treatment..we blog about it and life continues…This new constitution I dont even understand 95% of the things and their repercussion..it has to be explained so that my grandmother can understand
@2Leigh
Don’t blame the PF blame the unprincipled opposition MP. In fact it is unfair to fine a man for adultery: The fine must be shared by both man and woman because if the woman was principled the act was not going to take place.
Great minds speak volumes. Thank you Paramount Chief Chitimukulu for your words of wisdom
It is typical among us Zambians to keep a guard dog, expect it to protect our homes and expect it to feed itself from dust bins.
Is’nt this new constitution there for some parties to score some political milage for votes? It’s the same old story to the poor, who would find the same flour bins empty after spending hours on queue s to vote in the name of “people’s constitution.” All countries do amend bad and even after passing this new constitution amendments will still be there. Four constitutions in half a century is phenomenon! The US was ratified in 1788, yet still stands with minor amendments.
I totally agree with the Chitmukulu, the level of docility in Zambia is mind boggling. We get tramped upon by leaders we put in power and we do nothing. Yet we are more powerful than them. Our vote put them there, they should be scared of us but we are scared of them. Why??? Look at what happens in Thailand, if they don’t want a leader, they sit outside Parliament or State House for days on end until that leader resigns. They don’t fight or do violent things, they just sit and demand the leader’s resignation. That is people power, which we in Zambia have but never utilize.
House of Chiefs material ba Chitimukulu. No wonder SATA did not like you. You are an analytical character and full of controversies. ZAMBIANS be wary uyu Sosala alefwaya ukumiteka. RB WOULD SAY NIBAMAMBALA ABABANTU.
Degazzette this man.He’s trouble. Put Chitimukulu alone in a room and be will start a riot. Put PILATO ALONE IN A ROOM and he will start a riot. Ababamtu aba!
Yes the greatest fear is the fear of unknown.we zambians are scared of challenges and we wud rather starve than to go and look for food just bcz someone rumours that there is a lion in the bush.most zambians are lazy.
This man is the only reasonable BEMBA person I have ever come across, the rest is just CRAP. He has shown some intellectuality in the way he has laid down the article. The BEMBAs that I know of are just STONGE THIEVES and nothing else. Harvest where they never sawed. The Zambian economy is at its ebu now because of the stealing that has continued when Chiluba came into power and RB just like his causins had a lot of misgivings on being honest, why let these thieves benefit alone ….Kodi NI ZAMBIA YA NYINA. It is like most of Zambians are completely disturbed at the level the BEMBAS are stealing. There is need to subdivide ZAMBIA according to ZAMBIAN earthinic groups, without which this will be a dissaster in future. We have a lot of street children and all these are from BEMBA irresponsib
Let those who have eyes see, and those who have ears listen. Wisdom at its best. A fool will look at a pointing finger, but the wise will look where the finger is pointing.
Mwine Lubemba tekeni fye icalo calubemba. Post Newspaper teyo mungala tuletela as citation. Are you a communist? Nga ba Carl Marx abo banshi? Ifiwelewele fyabantu ama murderers babantu. Those people you are citing had no conscious. They killed dissenting people calling them counter revolutionaries. What is the problem according to you with our current constitution?
Indeed the greatest problem is we (Zambians) all read the same books equates to the same mind sets…if only we are exposed to African consciousness literature and diverse business literature our people would look at issues from a different perceptive.
I regret the time I wasted in those sunday schools at an early age..
We need educated chiefs like this senior chief, the Litunga and the chief Inshinde. I feel ashamed to be a Zambian seeing what has been done and what is being done to our country.
This is my mentor, when I worked in Northern Province as Provincial Engineer we share a great deal. My mentor continue guiding us. I salute you once again.
Chief Chitimukulu has come up with pertinent issues that intelligent and forward looking Zambian should take to heart. This country has potential but its resources have been squandered by the very same people who are supposed to take care of them.
Sata saw that Henry Sosala has intelligence and would be a threat to his government hence the reason he, Luo and Lungu treated him like a criminal. When you have leaders who are irrational the section of educated people suffer because they are disregarded.