By Father Alex Muyebe, S.J. JCTR Executive Director
The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) joins the rest of the country in commemorating the 56th Anniversary of Independence on Saturday 24 October 2020. The Centre upholds in high esteem the role that the nation’s forefathers and mothers played in attaining independence for our beloved country.
However, the Centre wishes to raise pertinent issues in relation to independence and freedom with respect to economic and social justice informed by human rights and moral imperatives. The commitments to the independence narrative and ideology are slowly fading away. Independence is about every Zambian citizen living a dignified life. We owe a moral responsibility to the next generations to pass onto them a viable and enabling environment characterized by economic emancipation through self-sustainability and reliance.
Over the last 56 years of independence, Zambia has enjoyed the long earned reputation of peace on the continent and beyond. However, JCTR is concerned with the rate of political violence threatening this long earned reputation. The Centre implores government to take a lead in sensitizing its citizens to reject all forms of violence in our society.
JCTR is also deeply concerned with the rapidly weakening economy in our country which is jeopardizing the economic and social justice of the ordinary citizens, especially the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable. The irony is that as we celebrate our country’s independence today, we cannot but lament the current shrinking fiscal space in Zambia.
Zambia’s total external debt stock now stands at US$27 billion dollars, which, literally is equivalent to the country’s GDP. The national debt stock was US$11.97 billion as of June 2020. Further, the fiscal deficit, the inflation rate and the depreciation of the currency are on the rise.
This is not the first time Zambia has found herself in a debt crisis. Government must learn from these experiences and come up with a lasting solution to avoid finding ourselves in this same bad place over and over again. Government must pursue fiscal consolidation and stop further borrowing. Further, government must put in place a transparent debt contraction mechanism and a robust and workable debt management and debt sustainability strategy.
From the 2021 national budget, it is evident that funds allocated to the social sector have shrunk significantly thereby affecting the ordinary person’s access to health, education, clean water and sanitation. This will further compromise human development and undermine promotion of human dignity and attainment of the common good.
Additionally, JCTR calls for adoption of transformative and servant leadership model at all levels of governance in our society. As we celebrate 56 years of independence, the maturity of our independence and democracy will be measured by the degree of our leaders’ willingness to drive a common good agenda rather than a self-enrichment agenda. All the wealth and resources divinely endowed on Zambia is meant for the benefit and the welfare of all the Zambian people without any discrimination. Happy Independence Day and may God continue to bless Zambia.
For further clarifications contact the Social and Economic Development (SED) Programme at the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) on 0976735208 and 0977883129. Email: [email protected] and [email protected]. Martin Mwamba Road, Plot 3813 Martin Mwamba Road, Olympia Park – Lusaka. P. O. Box 37774 Lusaka – Zambia
Very well said. It’s not independence when we are still under the yoke of debt. All this because shambolic leadership. The poverty in Africa is self inflicted because of bad leaders we keep allowing and tolerating when they’re at the helm.
liberated from the British colony in 1964 but 56 years later essentially a colony of China due to reckless debt by the PF.
Let me hear someone say Zambia is sovereign country.
Sovereignty my foot.
Catholics make up a substantial voting block, if the leadership can just call on their flock to eradicate this current group of pests that are just in government to enrich themselves would benefit us all. PF is a cancer that must be excised in totality before it is too late.
Every economy in this world is dependent on another. Grow up. Even to trade you depend on another country so what are you talking about
Uyu tollmber humble know call, why the F??k does he hide his incompetence in prayers.
President Kaizer, how are you doing sir? Please take over and help us
THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE DEBT
THE PROBLEM IS THAT 56 YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE THE ECONOMY IS SO SMALL
THAT IS WHY WE BORROW
THAT IS WHY THERE IS SO MUCH UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY
IT IS BECAUSE THE GDP IS PALTRY
THEREFORE WE SHOULD CHANGE THE ECONOMIC MODEL
LET US HAVE A NATIONAL INDABA TO DISCUSS THIS
WHERE DID WE GO WRONG AND HOW DO WE CHANGE COURSE?
Don’t be too hard on yourselves, some countries with over 1000 years of independence are still dependant on the African continent for survival. Just wise up and start being self-sufficient to determine your own destiny. That concrete jungle is not progress, we have natural beauty and an abundance of natural resources. Little animals such as lizards are extinct in Europe so consider yourselves lucky we still have gods creatures roaming our land.
Prayers will send You to hell.
Its more like 56yrs of being lost/wandering in the economic wilderness especially the last 5 years under Lungu.
Being President Doesn’t Change Who You Are—It Reveals Who You Are
We need to mature as a nation. 56 years later, we are still electing fools and criminals to be our leaders. What does that say about us? If we want to grow our economy, we need to elect someone who understands business. Someone who has already proven he knows what he is talking about. We’ve given PF too long, and they continue to fail us day after day.
Two families live in the same neighbourhood. The heads of both families went to China bank to get loans. One borrowed to pave the driveway, paint the house in gold and add new bed rooms for the Chinese visitors. The little money that remained, he spent on a posh car, new clothes for his favourite children and put up a great party to welcome the visitors. The other neighbour, spent the money on a plot of land, a tractor and other farming inputs. His driveway remains unpaved and his house has the dull old whitewash paint. There is no spare room for visitors. His children subsist on an essential diet and help out on the farm.