By Mingeli Palata
Not that I want to talk about the much acclaimed Obama inauguration seeing as most of the media has gotten the better of that story but just I want to say it was amusing to have my grand mother who isn’t really concerned with any form of politics glued to TV- she couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of the man on everyone’s lips. I have read all of his books and can really go on talking about the man or the joke that Joe Biden passed on the Supreme Court justice but this article is really about effective government. I mentioned Obama because news has it that he has introduced a new code of ethics for government officials in the capitol, I found that quite interesting and so I pondered to see how that move can apply to the local situation.
I find it funny that politicians in today’s Zambia view ministerial or political appointments as a reward for service or loyalty rendered to the President. And true to the word we saw how various politicians agitated over RB’s appointments. Yes political appointments for many today are but a conveyer belt to riches or a door opener to lots of opportunities. When you are appointed as a minister or an army chief its a chance for you to get some loot, loot loot the poor Zambian coffers. Shame!
I looked up the word minister and I found that it had interesting synonyms, some of which include servant. I would like to stop there. If we go by government for the people, by the people and of the people, we can arrive to a conclusion that ministers or government officials including the President are there to work for us- the people. Yet the contrary is true of today’s politics. Government officials are more of the upper class than our servants, they look towards their interests other than our own.
Allow me to propose the following points which, in my view will help make our government run more effectively. For starters I have always told people that our government is the biggest government and if simple business theorem is anything to go by, the government should be closed- its too costly, we cant break even as a country. I think its time we considered a small government. Decentralize governance and reduce the number of ministries. They are too many and some of them can qualify as ministry departments, come on guys!
We need to deal with government work from a pragmatic point of view; yes we need to change our perceptions to suit the true meaning of service. Hence all vying for government posts should bear in mind that their job is to serve and they owe it to the people. That said I would like to add that government ministers should be chosen from outside parliament so as to ensure that only the best brains are recruited for national duty. Hiring ministers outside parliament will also ensure that MP’s concentrate on making laws and policies that take our country forward. This will improve checks and balances thereby breeding a more effective and efficient government.
Maybe all this might happen when we come up with a code of ethics for public servants unlike allowing a situation were people pursue selfish interests other than national interests. Maybe then we can have a government that believes in its own people and invests in its people than think that somehow some investor from Malaysia is the one that will redeem this country’s economic downturn. Maybe then we will have a government that will bail out Zambian Airways, so that we can move to and fro with ease and resuscitate Nitrogen chemicals so that our farmers can have their fertilizers. Maybe we can have a government that is smart enough to takeover the mines now so that when the price of copper rises, they can channel the money towards alternative sources of energy such as biofuel and invest in sustainable agriculture. Maybe some day!
turn around and follow T.I.P:-\”
Goodmorning 3RqU and congrats! LT this story is a few days old.
Spot on Mingeli and I do agree with most of the points you`ve put across.
It`s true people think once they are appointed all they have to do is worship a certain simple man called president. All this is because presidents in Africa have more powers than even Obama.
I was surprised to hear the watse of money, good for nothing, NCC were recomending that the number of MPs be increased.
I beg to differ with you on the subject of appointing minsters outside parliament. To be honest with you it make the situatin even worse. What will be happening is, presidents will appoint as awlays, people to stand as MPs just to give them jobs and them appoint more freinds/relatives to be ministers. l-)
LT delete 1 and 2 pliz they are :(|) from your company.
Lady Chiza’s legs, have you ever been l-)? Learn from Obama & me!:d
Nine Chale thanks and good morning. How is Jamaco?
Haven`t seen Baby C what happening today?
Wakubalilapo again l-)
Nine Chale 1-0 to 3RqU:d
Lady Chiza chill you are numbala 10. :d
Maybe some day Lady Chiza’s legs will be l-)
3RqU I haven’t spoken to Jamaco today, I think he’s stll sleeping because he was out last night.
Anyways, the day has just begun…
#7 Bonjour, nous sommes presque intoxique a LT , nous inclinons vivant sans blogging !
A BIG WHATS UP TO ALL BLOGGERS !!!! FROM MUNA WA KUTA.
Shani uko Ba Mareen, lelo ni fi french? anyway, mwela onse. Good to see you on the blogg. To the rest of the bloggers, Good afternoon?
#12 Ala lelo ni French bige
I see that Mingeli Palata is using Obama’s inauguration as a springboard to address our problems.
I think many Africans will be disappointed as Obama wont be able to stop their problems, their wars or the millions of deaths each year from poverty and disease – nor will he keep all racism at bay – nor will he even prevent another global economic recession as well as the evils of capitalism throughout the world.
Obama is a good politician but he is not a revolutionary.
Well done Ba Maureen, You are #10. =d>
This article is filled with strawmans and appeal to ridicule fallacies.
It is painful to read. :-@
#16,So you dont know that sa human beings sometimes we learn from others?.You dont know that others are inspired by the way other pipo do things?Learn to appriciate.Mingeli is right.STOP :-@IF YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY
Ba Maureen has gone french! Nomba yakosa
#17. KISWA
You’ve got your opinion and I have mine. I am sorry but I would rather spend my time either advising or making suggestions to govt than spending the first 3 quarters attacking them and then considering to advise them on the last quarter.
That is just me.
I think we should applaud Dora Siliya for having come up in Parliament & outline reasons as to why a bailout to zambian Airways, is not a considered viable option. I’d hope ministers would take a leaf from this performance & deliver to Parliament & the country without holding any paunches.
Greetings to you to you all!! Still nothing interesting pa LT!!
Let me go back to bed. Still tipsy from last night :d
Whats the normal price for a 6 acre plot in Zambia? I just saw some price on home net zambia and the price was $50000:-?
Not with Zambia.
Mingeli
Can you check out how MMD cadres are being rewarded left right and centre for political jobs. I think we can just as well forget about LPM, of blessed memory. Zambia shall never be the same again.
leardership of comparison may not help us. lets do with what we have. we had started to move forword until RB can in. KK free us and built school hospitals etc, FTJ opened our brains, LPM taught us law and how to eat well. RB is taking us back to KK’s era of worshipping ^:)^ presidents as he sleeps |-) and goes to watch his pals :(|). apart from his huge appetite nothing impresses me.
Read the Citizens Democratic Party Draft Manifesto on thier website and see if you agree with the author. Maybe some day indeed.
Michelle Obama, woman of substance and integrity.
Made sure her mother moves with her to the White House,..
I would do the same.
<:-p<:-p<:-p<:-p
With inaugurations that take place when all Zambians are asleep, one wonders when the so-called democracy will grow up.
Self-styled believers in democracy at the Electoral Commission have taken on the country, teaming up with a corrupt judiciary and irresponsible police and military
The Electoral Commission needs a complete overhaul, starting from the officers at the Commission to the very Commissioners themselves. Mr. Jalasi and company should see themselves out as commissioners if Zambians want progress.
Moreover, who the hell put Jalasi at NCC?
ZO
With inaugurations that take place when all Zambians are asleep, one wonders when the so-called democracy will grow up.
Self-styled believers in democracy at the Electoral Commission have taken on the country, teaming up with a corrupt judiciary and irresponsible police and military
The Electoral Commission needs a complete overhaul, starting from the officers at the Commission to the very Commissioners themselves. Mr. Jalasi and company should see themselves out as commissioners if Zambians want progress.
Moreover, who the hell put Jalasi at NCC?
ZO
Ba Nine Chale,
Leadership and revolutions are not about starting and ending wars. Sometimes, it’s all about inspiration!! And imagine Zambia getting that.
Zambia has been producing copper as long as our memories have been able to serve us, but no leader has managed to transform the country’s economy, let alone our lives
And why do you want Obama to end the world’s problems if Jesus failed??
ZO
It’s all hot air! To compare a democracy that is over 250 years old to one that’s 18 years old is lunacy at its height. The author is either ignorant of the facts or sadly optimistic about a turnaround in the mentality of a Zambian.
An underwhelming article. 🙁
I like the idea of Ministers being appointed from outside Parliament. I honestly and believe this goes hand-in-hand with the suggestion by one Mr VJ Mwaanga to allow the President to be appointing many more MPs to our Parliament.
In light of this, I will submit that let elected MPs come only from the 72 Districts of Zambia, but then the President must be appointing 78 MPs of people from various interest groups to get the total 150 MPs that we currently have. Then the President can be allowed to form Cabinet only from the appointed MPs inside of the elected ones so that the elected MPs can concentrate on develpoing there Districts as the people in those ares need them from time to time.
32. Maestro Hhehhehhehhe continued.
With these Cabinet Ministers will only worry about there SERVICE to the whole Nation Zambia instead of their constituencies also as in the present case.
In all, I think the NCC deserves to critically look at Mr Mingeli Palata’s articles and then syphone some useful points from it to consider in the mush awaited New Constitution to come out before 2011 tripatite elections.
===
LT 2008 Award Winner. =; for Zambia in 2011.
#32 Maestro,
I thought the idea of appointing cabinet ministers from outside parliament is to achieve true seperation of power among the three arms of government, which under the current system is non existence. Corruption and abuse of power is perpetuated by the current form of governance. You can’t have the same people make laws and answer to themselves. It is equally difficult to discpline erring ministers because of the enormous power they hold by virtual of being MPs and cabinet ministers at the same time. Therefore, your suggestion doen’t solve the problem to the current problem.