Hjoe Moono
For a while we have focussed on the shortcomings of the PF’s government, and have conveniently forgotten and turned a blind eye to its achievements thus far. Until now, those that have been attacking and criticising government—including ourselves—seem to have been doing a much better job than the seemingly few who have been trying to defend it. While there are so many things we deem could be done better, there are equally a lot of achievements that deserve mention. And so, it is only fair that today’s homily be dedicated to enlighten those who may not be in Zambia about government’s forgotten and unsung achievements—even at the risk of being deemed a PF cadre.
Name calling
One of the most consistent critics about Zambian governments and politics is that it has a poor record of achievement. Most in opposition have constantly promoted the idea that government fails more often than it succeeds. And when they make it to government, the same sentiments continue from those ‘outside’. We need to better understand, and appreciate the vital roles that government plays in our country.
Let us face it, no party would form government with the sole purpose of crippling our country and economy, though its actions may lead to that, if not curbed and guided properly. Herein lies our role to realign the government of the day’s policies with the needs of the population just in case it fall out of tune.
We all recall the sad names our people called Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (MHSRIP), and how, even the incumbent leaders issued derogatory remarks and mocked his seemingly poor health, and yet, today, everyone, including our leaders, claim and agree that LPM is perhaps the most accomplished president in modern day Zambian politics. Enter Rupiah Banda, again, all sorts of ill names were levelled against him, and became the most unpopular president Zambia has ever had in 2011. Michael Chilufya Sata- probably the most accomplished political strategist in modern day Zambian politics—and you have people that hated RB now claiming they miss him, and some regret having voted for PF. So then, are we going to be a country, a people, that consistently fulfils the adage-You only realize the value of something when it’s finally gone?
Giving credit where credit is due
I think it is only fair that we look around us, and for a minute, realise the good that our successive governments have done, that our current government, even with its flaws, is doing.
One of the most common complaints about government is that it is not doing enough to address a whole host of problems. For example, the recent increase in road traffic accidents could in part be addressed by improving the state of our roads—and this is being done aggressively so. But then, there is a corresponding responsibility from the citizenry that use these roads to abide by the set driving rules to ensure road safety; to make their cars road worthy and to drive in a manner that does not put their lives and the lives of others at risk. It should not always be the responsibility of government through RATSA—we need to play our part too.
Poverty— of course our people remain in extreme poverty with a high level of poverty among the general population still existing, but it is important to note that government efforts in the recently rolled out Social Cash Transfers to the elderly in rural areas are helping alleviate the suffering of our elderly who have no muscle for any economic activity. I have seen this work in our villages, and our elderly appreciate this. Surely it is worth noting.
Infrastructure
However, we know that government could actually do much more. How do we know this? Because governments in many other countries have already done much more to effectively address these problems as we are facing.
Around the country, crucial infrastructure facilities – roads, bridges, sewers, etc. – are rapidly deteriorating. Most of the nation’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. In addition, most of Zambia’s wastewater systems face enormous needs. Most sewer systems are obsolete, just take a walk into Kanyama, Misisi and George Compounds and you will be greeted with the real face of infrastructure deficit facing our country.
But thanks to the multi-million dollar agreement under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) initiated in the MMD era and signed in the PF regime that will help improve water and sanitation infrastructure in Lusaka.
Furthermore, if it is true to their word that the recently acquired enormous debts from the euro bond is aimed at reducing this infrastructure deficit and improving the already existing ones, then we need to appreciate and develop more confidence in the work of government, but that will also yield the need for accountability, and that will be our role, as well as that of the auditor general.
Visiting Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Airport two weeks ago was a good sight—the state of the airport’s international arrivals is superb, and this is hoped to increase tourism in Livingstone. However, there is need to move beyond just tourist arrivals, we need to further empower the locals of Livingstone to enable them benefit from the increased tourist traffic.
The overall state of infrastructure in Livingstone seemingly has improved, but there should not be a blind eye turned to the farm-to market roads that feed our nation. These should be prioritised. We do look forward to the new KK Airport that will be a state of the art to replace the rather ancient structure currently standing.
I have seen, and personally inspected the soon to be opened ring roads aimed at reducing congestion in Lusaka, and can only compare the marvel it will bring to our city to the newly created ring roads in Nairobi. This is a good development deserving mention, and should not be swept under the carpet in our critique of government’s work.
I could go on to list an array of success stories that deserve mention, but I am sure the readers would be better placed than I am to compile an exhaustive list. Nonetheless, with all said, there is considerable room for improvement, and it is the responsibility of each one of us to hold our government accountable.
Individual responsibility
To end, let me emphasis the need for individual responsibility irrespective of the nature of the administration in power. Whether a new party wins the 2016 elections or the PF continues, the blame game on government will continue, as it has always. But let us ask ourselves, is it government to blame when 30 secondary school girls at Kaoma fall pregnant? Should we blame the sex education programs in our public schools? When our kids are misbehaving and defying authority? Is it the fault of the public schools for not teaching them the right values? Are you worried about promiscuity among young people and teenage pregnancy? When WHO reports that our women are the heaviest drinkers in the world, should we take the blame to government? There is a lot of litter around our city? Should we blame our government for not policing us to litter in the designated places? Boma iyanganepo?
I thank the MMD for the millennium account because of good governance under the Pf this would have not been.
This is looooong on words and short on evidence – is it any wonder people complain and criticise? Too little too late! even the projects inherited from MMD, they struggle to see through to completion. what a shame!!!
Which projects inherited from MMD has PF failed to complete? Evidence please! Did MMD ever dream of building any Universities or 600 plus health posts? Read the last paragraph and seriously reflect on it
@Zon van der bull. MMD created Mulungushi University. Turned Nkhumura College, COTSCO, into a University Colleges, PF has failed to legally change NISTCOL into a fully – university when all paper work was done under MMD – Mulakupikwa (whatever name PF has given it) University of Science and Technology is not finishing. Okay enough examples as per your request!
Positive article; well done. The actual problem, in my own view, is the poor communication from government because they try to politicise everything, so people are turned off. What PF could have done: (i) allow CEOs to summarise and discuss problems inherited, e.g., power shortage, water shortages, poor road networks, poor sanitation infrastructure. (ii) allow CEOs to explore the strategies to resolve these, including the time frame; (iii) give CEOs time to update everyone one about progress; even if the resolution was going to take 15 years, so be it; but to be truthful about it. It is not too late; this can be done; but if they miss 2015; it will all be shrouded in politics AGAIN!!
What achievements are you talking about. Where is the money that MMD left in the reserve. Instead, all was put into some people’s pockets and the government is borrowing-euro-bond. In additional, fuel subs were removed and we are not seeing any projects being completed in two years……..shame—-viviv—–HH—–HH
This article has been written by a PF stooge who has really struggled to be diplomatic in order to appear neutral. It is quite evident that the article is meant to prop the downgraded PF image after they told a myriad of lies to the Zambian people. The dent is too deep for such damage control measures to change people’s perceptions. We know what is happening and we don’t need a cheap lecture from party cadres who are eating our money. We are resolved to kick the PF out of government come 2016 or even before that time. So don’t waste your time.
@ Rigoe Sanchez you are spot on ,if politicians can leave expert works to the professionals this country could have advanced in terms of development.The problem with our politicians is that they want to be seen that they are hard working involving themselves even in fields they don’t understand all they count on is how much political support they have scored.Other wise exellent article by Mr Moono.
Moono Says:
For a while we have focussed on the shortcomings of this government, & have conveniently forgotten & turned a blind eye to its achievements thus far.
Visiting Harry Airport 2 wks ago was a good sight—the state of the airport’s international arrivals is superb, and this is hoped to increase tourism in Livingstone….
The overall state of infrastructure in Livingstone seemingly has improved… We do look forward to the new KK Airport that will be a state of the art to replace the rather ancient structure currently standing. I have seen & personally inspected the soon to be opened ring roads aimed at reducing congestion in Nairobi, Kenya. This is gud development deserving mention, & should not be swept under the carpet in our critique of government’s…
Mpundu trust your point being………?????
In the first place I can not read the first name of this author. I came from Zambia last week and all I saw was ancient Zambia, from Sesheke to all those small and dirty towns along the way up to the most filthy and disorganized capital city in the world. The city greets you with smell of filth and there is dust and waste all over. Its like there is no working local authority.The infrastructure development talked about by this PF cadre appears to be disjointed and moving at a snails pace because it was hijacked from MMD who probably own the strategic plan.
This writer is just waffling. With the currency getting worse by the day, what are you talking about? People are dying in numbers on a daily basis in road accidents because your failure to build dual carriageways. What good is it if you improve the airports for tourists and the same tourists die on their way to the Copperbelt due to poor road network? Nonsense!
Muletasha mwendoshi mwe. Traditional bloggers on Lt have remained mute conveniently lelo simply because their bululu had finally realised the truth.
It’s not ‘turning a blind eye’ per se, rather, it’s frustration feed by the realization that they in spite of these developments’ there remains underlying problems . For instance, merely sprouting universities does not make for a well trained pool of people Zambia will need to compete effectively in this global marketplace. While the apparent push towards expanding the higher level educational institutions, there remains a lack of focus in terms of adapting the curriculum, from primary to Uni.,to reflect the changes in the way the world operates. There is a need to do just that, because every developed country invests in education/training to gain an edge on the rest. Clearly, it’s a vital part of a country’s success. Then there’s the case for meaningful, and sustaining…
The link’s road project is a great move, however, without a strong manufacturing base to, it won’t get much use. Roads don’t earn income (yes you can add tolls but that presents a myriad problems-grafting). You point this out in your writing when you mention the run-down water and waste water treatment systems countrywide. In order for the almost $1.5 billion bond money to be meaningful, we need to have a plan to maximize the impact and that can best be done by ensuring that the economy is not reliant on mining for almost the the entire GDP (about 60-70%). We need to start manufacturing more products locally. These companies will use the roads, they will pay taxes which will fund the repair and expansion of the roads networks.
I had a rather fortuitous discussion with a gentleman from Nigeria, lets call him Mr. Baratunde. He likened govs. to a machinery. He posited that developed countries are developed because they are better run (not perfectly -just better). When this machinery develops a ‘fault’ the faulty part is replaced with a brand spanking new one. On the other hand, African governments instead just patch up and polish the old, faulty part and put it right back and seemingly expect it to work better. Now this is over-simplifying a somewhat complex dynamic but hopefully you get the point; the leadership we have in government are not working like a well oiled machine, thusly affecting the effectiveness and reliability to deliver on meaningful development. There is need to examine our priorities. China:
I promise, this is the last post haha: China, in the past 20 years shifted from their form of communism (KK espoused humanism during his single party reign) and embraced capitalistic ‘mannerisms’. Their growth has been called remarkable, others have other opinions but my focus is on how, in part, they achieved that. SInce 1978, China instituted economic reforms. Today their GDP is only 1/40th that of the worlds number 1 economy, USA and projected to by-pass them in the next 10 -20 years. Under these economic reforms, China pushed citizens to have high saving and investments. Another major push was and still is into production. Overall, gradual and persistent institutional change and policy reforms that have reduced distortions and improved economic incentives leading to growth. mic…
This is like the childrens story ‘the emperors clothes’. Where the emperor had no clothes on and was parading down the street while the bootlickers cheered him on. Any initiative mentioned here were started during MMD. Where they have tried to implement their policys it has been one epic fail after another, mostly because PF policy is retarded stuff like teaching children in local languages up to grade 4. Chikwandanomics has led the kwacha into freefall, our freedoms and rights are trampled on a daily basis. You think common man aliba dull you will see. You will even regret the phrase donch kubeba because it will be used against you. Propaganda and lies cant fool us .PF has failed! Your emperor has no clothes on.
PF is doing very well on infrastructure. I would vote for their second term had it not been for the arrogance and violence of its cadres, It is like being served a sumptuous meal while you are being insulted and beaten. That is PF rule.
this article only covers those places which the writer has visited. too little coverage whether on positive or negative side, Zambia is too vast to be squizzed into this small article. my conclusion is that the article was not ready for publishing -more research please!
@ peace nation, the writer wrote “I could go on to list an array of success stories that deserve mention, but I am sure the readers would be better placed than I am to compile an exhaustive list”. So please add to the list if you have successes and subtract if at all you have failures of the PF Govt. No doubt PF has recorded a number of failures and it has also recorded a number of successes. Judge by yourself blogger!!!!!!!!!!
New Constitution in 90 days?
From agrarian production to industrial manufacturing, the rate of poverty via HDI(human development index) will be moving from the 0.54 towards 1 or 0.74 in less than no time. Work first, talking follows thereafter. Influencing local people rather Zambian citizens into investing massively is part of change n as citizens we should learn to think outside the box. Knowing that as an individual u are your own competitor and at global level still the same phrase. We can do far much better than lying to ourselves. Took a survey back in the day, people in tipical rural areas still think getting rich is only of the devil n most of ’em look at the rich to be devil worshippers yet they even know how to cast their votes.