There has been so much talking about “continuing with the Mwanawasa legacy” by Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) leaders recently—a legacy whose content they have not been able to explain to the Zambian people.
If the so-called “legacy” includes the introduction of free education up to Grade 7, it does not match the legacy of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), which provided free education from Grade 1 through university from independence until the mid-1980s.
If the “legacy” includes the provision of “free” healthcare to rural dwellers, it does not match UNIP’s free healthcare for all Zambians from independence until the mid-1980s. If it is about the fight against corruption, the scourge had never been pervasive until the MMD assumed power.
There is, however, still a great opportunity for President Rupiah Banda to leave his own legacy rather than continue to sing about someone else’s questionable legacy. Let me suggest some of the potential initiatives which President Banda can pursue if he is interested in leaving a legacy after his term of office:
1) Creation of a smaller Cabinet with fewer Ministers, and abolition of the positions of Deputy Minister and District Commissioner, among other sinecures.
2) Operationalization of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in order for the broadcasting industry to be regulated by an independent body.
3) Enactment of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill and make it possible for journalists to access information that is vital to both the media and members of the public.
4) Creation of an autonomous “Bureau of Statistics and Archives” and place the Zambia Daily Mail under its auspices. The Bureau should replace the Central Statistics Office (CSO) so that it can freely and independently collect, process, maintain, and publish essential data and information about our beloved country, and should incorporate the National Archives of Zambia.
5) Establishment of an Electoral Complaints Authority of Zambia (ECAZ), which should assume the functions of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) stipulated in Clauses 6 through 8 of Article 112 of the Draft Constitution prepared by the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission (CRC). These functions could be designated as a separate Article and amended accordingly.
There is a need for a separate governmental watchdog designed to monitor the activities of officers of the ECZ, and the conduct of elections in the country. This will hopefully lessen the vulnerability of the ECZ and the electoral process to the influences, manipulation and/or machinations of unscrupulous politicians and political parties.
6) Conversion of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), which is currently vested in the Office of the Vice-President, into an autonomous “National Emergency Management Agency” (NEMA). The agency needs to be made autonomous in order for it to perform its duties without any political meddling or manipulation by government officials to achieve partisan objectives, and should incorporate the functions of the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme currently administered through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, which includes the Social Cash Transfer Scheme. NEMA should be accountable to the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Welfare.
I make these suggestions knowing very well that some of the MMD leaders are likely to interpret the gesture as an insult to the President and his administration.
Henry Kyambalesa
Form your own party not this internet arm chair critism. The facts on the ground are different. We shall meet your internet party on the ground come 2011. even your friend prof. chirwa dreams of riding on the popularity of mmd. invite him to join the party that never was …bloggers will vote for you!!!good luck prof!
Henry Kyambalesa, you are a man of wisdom your words are not only inspiring But a woke up call to those in Government wether to adhare to ur advice or pretent all is well with them. The people of Zambia will then Judge them in two years time……..
Henry Kyambalesa, You are the main man.
You have really helped this administration. I equally wonder why RB should uphold or follow the so-called Mwanawasa legacy when he can leave his own.
Keep it up.
In my person view I would suggest you can be a very good Leader, in you (Kyambalesa) there is vission of purpose and Task focused kind of a leader, as compared to these other Mbuzi’s who are recycled Politicians full of PRIDE and self centeredness. No Agenda whatso ever but are there to fufill their personal interests and think they are Masters of the people…..Alas!!
In addition to the above, Mr. Kyambalesa, another opportunity for RB to leave his own legacy like Levy……kufwafye.
Levy left his own legacy whether good or Bad. So let RB do his own thing not to continue with the dead man’s dreams which have gone with him. I agree with my Lecturer Dr Kyambalesa. RB start creating your own legacy. Levy is gone, period. Let the dead burry themselves
What legacy???
The ony legacy RB will leave is the actuallity of being one of Zambia’s presido.. nothing more or less…
What a joke of a legacy…. a holiday legacy.., no tangible effective results whilst in tenure…
The only legacy the president will leave behind is the presidential plane. Simples!
The man will be remembered for lies, sugar donations, globe trotting and confusing cheap chiefs………
I have said it and I will say it again. ….Nikufa che.
I hope the selling of Zamtel and Zesco wont form part of RB’s legacy.the legacy of freeing FTJ, Dora scandal, RP Capital details and a damn good president! There is still alot more to come
unfortunately,RB’s legacy is easily predictable and even with such progressive advice, there isn’t much that can change about this man(RB),that is the reality we have to live with.
Akhulu Mphuno’s legacy will be that of a sugar daddy. Finnito.
Well spoken. Every president has to leave his own legacy, so if RB has to be remembered he has to show his own. Zambia has gone backward since the MMD came to power. All that KK built was destroyed and the MMD have nothing to show for their time in power.
He will remembered as the most corrupt President in the world.
I believe he should have his own legacy. Mwanawasa was really not an oustanding politician such that RB should be happy to be swallowed in his shaddow. However these proposals are quite politically naive to say the least. They all entail reducing the ruling party’s strength and believe me that is not something that the MMD want to do.. Its sounds allvery academic like a fresh mand assihnment in political science
Like it or not you are stuck with RB for …..kaya years?
…after RB you will then be stuck with another *****t…
will be remembered for having sharp and business minded children ..not the castro chiluba type! Nenani Banda, Henry Banda – are shrewed guys who make it happen . ..
Ba RB#19.. your sons name Nenani Banda sounds cute… like Kambani..
Nostalgic….
Ka RBB ulitole,wavionelanji?
MrK
These are great points!! Well done Henry. I’m confident that we shall have a more intelligent leadership after 2016.
theres no leagcy to talk about in the first place..
RB’s legacy will be that he was the President who evicted monkeys from their home in statehouse grounds. I wish that monkey had diarrhea instead of a weak bladder! Maybe the monkey thought he was’nt worth pooing on!
I have found it so interesting that the Post is only reporting on what RB is saying in Kasama. What are the other candidates saying? I assume that they are also campaigning. I expected the Govt. controlled to be the ones that are polarized. Also, LT there are a lot of things that have been said in Kasama that would be interesting for the bloggers here to debate. One is the statement by the Chitimukulu on the PF Vice President where he has asked whether the PF VP would be accepted as President if his boss were to pass away in State House. It would be interesting to hear the views of bloggers here.
His legacy- he has accumulated frquent flyer miles he’s the envy of African Leaders,he tops them all,for what the Devil knows.