BY Kapya Kaoma.
“If you want to hide something from an African,” so the saying goes, “put it in writing.” President Hakainde Hichilema’s budget did exactly that! Many Zambians don’t read, thus they don’t know the deadly Bally agenda–grow the UPND by bursaries and government jobs. Is it not an oxymoron that the New Dark Regime is out to grow the Civil Service without improving the conditions of Civil Servants? Does President HH understand the relationship between motivation and service delivery? As things stand, Civil Servants won’t strike since new ones will always prefer peanuts more than nothing. Great strategy Bally–keep fixing the lazy Civil Servants for your ballyvirus will kill all strikes in the nation.
There are many devils in the Bally 2022 budget, but I was highly disappointed by Dr. Musokotwane’s childish statement “Madam, in education, at a stroke of a pen, we have removed tuition fees at public secondary schools.” If it came from Bally, I would understand. But then I realized–in Zambian politics, the difference between the enlightened and morons is simply a title. Abolishing Parent Teachers Association, examination and Tuition fees is one thing, but defending the policy is another. The PTA fees are set by parents thus there are part of the people’s democratic involvement in the education process and governance. Another reason policy formulation should not be the President’s kantemba, but something to be debated, analyzed and properly implemented. We have two months before January 2022, and the Bally administration has not put in place any structures for implementation of this populist ideological program.
Had he thought it through, Dr. Musokotwane should have told us how much grant money Zambia’s 8000 primary schools will each receive, and the same with 1000+ secondary schools. He would have told us if urban schools will receive the same amounts as rural schools and whether teachers, head teachers, PTA and other stakeholders were consulted before reaching this decision. He would have told the nation who would administer the grants. Moreover, he would have informed the nation how schools would run APU programs. What would mission schools do–are they required to abide by the same standards since teachers in those schools are also on government payroll? HH prides himself as smart and democratic, but his actions suggest otherwise. The talk first, think afterwards HH syndrome of this ideological program will be an avenue for corruption and misappropriation of funds. But since it is the baby President’s rant, it will be overwhelmingly funded.
The politicization of bursaries is jaw dropping. The New Dark Regime has not abolished boarding fees. If your child attends boarding school and you are “deemed” able to pay by your Ward councilor and MP, “Bally won’t pay.” However, if you are deemed “unable” by the same, a bursary will be processed at the Ward level and then paid through the Constituency Development Fund. This policy kicks in this January.
Again HH’s thinking is exposed. How would a PF Ward Councilor process a bursary for the UPND cadre’s kid in Mansa Central Constituency? The same situation will play in UPND strongholds–persons whose political views are in opposition to its MPs will be disadvantaged in accessing bursaries. Moreover, how many bursaries will each Constituency receive? If I am a PF MP, I would easily deem all my Constituency unable to pay–thus Bally will pay.
How are we going to ensure that these bursaries are distributed equally across the nation and how will these funds be accounted for given that Constituency Development Funds have been locked in grand corruption? Is the Dark Regime taking us back to the Kaunda days, when nothing was done without carrying the UNIP membership card? Not so fast. The goal is to consolidate power by allowing cadres to control who gets paid. It is another avenue for increasing UPND political dominance across the nation–when you join the UPND, “Bally will pay.”
Relatedly, politicians are always looking to the next election. The employment of 44,000 Civil servants in 2022 and the promise to do so in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 is meant to politicize the Civil Service by recruiting new Bally worshipers (about 220,000 enough to secure his 2026 reelection).
This leads me to the second part of the budget–keeping the promises on job creation. Dr. Musokotwane speaks about unemployment as “a vexing problem especially among our youths” and “Government will create a minimum of 44,000 jobs in 2022.” This, the minister said, “is record breaking.” Is it? The answer is no! 11,200 will be government health personnel jobs while 30,000 will be teachers in government schools, bringing the total to 41,200. The administration will create 2800 other jobs presumably in the army and other government agencies. Is this something to celebrate or to be ashamed of? These jobs are not being created–they are government jobs paid for by the government. We need private sector jobs! We have accountants, engineers, lawyers, etc–all these are looking for jobs. If Lungu did this, HH would be calling him names.
I strongly believe that populist decisions are as dangerous as corruption–they deliberately waste national resources to advance one’s political agenda. Nothing has changed since President HH took office. Is he not the one who told us that the treasury was empty? So where are we going to get the money to finance his grand scheme?
I wait to see capitalist Bally fix what socialist KK failed to fix. As the youth of Zambia say, “Bally will pay.” The bad news is, Zambians will pay to keep Bally in power.
Let me finish reading before commenting
This is the most boring article from a clearly boring and idle author
Apart from the rude language used, Kapya Kaoma has a point here.
Ba Kapya Kaoma no one thinks that employing 44,000 public service workers is record breaking. You are just politicking albeit cheaply. The way to look at this is that the new dawn administration is correcting the wrongs. Suffice to say that so many things went wrong in the previous regime. Examples include but not limited to these: 1. non payment of retirees, 2. policy inconsistency in the mining sector 3. non-employment of teachers and health care professionals trained at great cost. 4 lack of support for the manufacturing sector 5. rampant corruption 6. senseless borrowing.
Therefore, for any administration to lay a foundation for success, they have to first correct these flaws. The 22 Budget, in part, seeks to solve some of this problems. This intent is salient in the budget.
I understand Kapya Kaoma is actually not in good standing with his religious group, the Catholic church. He’s considered as some kind of heretic.
Mr. Kaoma, the 2022 budget like you have rightly said has brought division and tribalism amongst Zambians.
Although PF members are Zambians, they will not benefit anything especially at ward level. I am missing Edgar my president. And everyday this new dark government is always talking about PF instead of working. Do you expect any upnd ward Councillor to consider any pf member at ward level?
That’s stupid thinking. Why not just accept the fact you are an Edgar Lungu sympathizer & apostle.
Your thinking is so myopic it’s such a shock the times continue giving you space to continue your tribal attacks
What is stupid thinking? Just accepting that you’ve different views and political views/affiliations and have a mature respectable discussion than insulting is healthy for Zambia.
Kapaya Kaoma does write in a provocative journalistic way and I should say a lot times sounds rude but I always go for the grain of what he’s saying.
The Same negative thinking is what always brings Zambia backward, @KAPYA KAOMA?? Have you thought of the loopholes that has led to loss of Zambian resources? What about the same Previous Corrupt Leadership, sponsoring you to write such an article? If only we can think for the Poor and work together to find a Common Good, Zambia will never Move forward. Especially with Our BEMBA Brothers who think only them and Easterners should be in Power and have the most brilliant Ideas. Stop being cynical and work with Facts then emotions. It is possible to fund free education if only people like you can stay away than criticize every suggestion. Put suggestions here than just complaining.
He said no kneeling, there he is kneeling. Looks like a fuuul.
Same drivel from an electrol mortally wounded lungu surrogate who can’t get over how a tonga can be president over bembas ………
When you see his name just know, same drivel…….
Bitterness crowding objectivity.
We the Zambian people have given HH the mandate of 5 years to rule ZAMBIA. He is less than 6 months old in government, he has not even started repairing the wrenched economy and people feel like jumping through the roof in how he is handling things….seriously?
Whilst I have labored in a painful,vexing manner to conceptualize or rather get a gist from the lengthy write up but in vain.
The author has written this article with I’ll intentions and misplaced facts.
One thing is clearly highlighted. The author has no bearing of the reality in the ground. It is clear that the author is either not alligned with the government in place or rather has not come to accept that there was a change of government and a govt in place that has spelled it’s course of action. Whilst in the spirit of divergent views the author has every right to have. This write does not in any way represent the views of the aforementioned masses it attempts to represent. This clearly again brings to the surface the detachment and lack of understanding of the subjects it…
Chitonena.
You sound confident in what you have written but you should know that it is not every Zambian who voted for HH don’t forget about the opposition.
Chitonena looking at How HH has started running this country this will just get worse and worse and finally people will rise up against him country wide to go in the streets and riots will ensure, so be careful we are all human beings because each one of us has a capacity to think and analyze situations.
Bally is not doing what he eloquently and loudly promised Zambians, what we are now seeing is total confusion this man has no direction.
All what Bally is saying will translate into failure and total chaos in the nation.
Let’s wait and see. The budget seems good. But looks like it is impossible to achieve. In education we needed to make budgets for term 1 2022, otherwise all our projects will come to a stand still. Very sceptical. Hope things will soon clear up.
Rev Kaoma, unlike in the days of PF when you could not speak freely, you can now make an appointment with President HH and put these points to him, privately. BUT, you want to show off that you are the only one who is clever and knows the truth, so you write publicly. This is arrogance and not humility. This is pride and not intelligence. This is unpatriotic. You are sowing seeds of discord by denouncing what has already been planned. What you should have done is offer ideas about the 2022 budget with all the other stakeholders BEFORE it was done. As things stand, you are opposing for the sake of opposing. Wait until December 2022 to write this.
You spend money to make money. The proof is in the pudding, I await the auditor general’ report at the end of UPND budget year. The writer and every Zambian expect all these matters to be included. We can not fast forward time in real time. For the sake of transparency, we also expect each constituency to produce a list of bursary recipients. For now we can just dream and hope that the funds will be looted or put to good use. Mr Kaoma, let your imagination to you wherever you want to go.
Upnd and pf should one day fight. It’s too much of this cold war. I’ll facilitate a friendly fight.
“The bad news is, Zambians will pay to keep Bally in power”
So where should tax payers money go to then? Not government coffers? Whose responsibility is it? One Bally!!!
This is not even a different view it is just a bitter guy venting his venom after the August 12 PF disaster. Current situation – Sanity is returning to bus stops and markets, the exchange rate has improved and will improve further, teachers and medical staff will be employed after languishing all these years, monies have moved directly to constituencies in the 2022 budget, procurement is being streamlined to stop wastage and to support local communities, ZNBC and public media is featuring opposition parties who also pay tax to run the same broadcaster. You wont see a toll gate (basic shelter) costing 4.3 million dollars again. Never again dear idle author,
You see the direct result of ignorance, what this chap is asking in his article is in the yellow book. The budget presented in parliament is high level, assuming he knows what high level is, if he does not, I will not spend time doing education here. The best budget ever presented since 1964, for the first time money will be the people, admittedly there will be teething problems but the direction is very right
UPND Kapya can make you laugh, yes you heard me, I said laugh. These points kapya is bringing out, we already saw. H² has not changed a bit. While in opposition he used to hallucinate alot. We would challenge him with the question, “how are you gonna achieve that”? He is not eraborate. To date you are now wondering how he and his cliques goona achieve the implementation of the hallucinative budget. Only h² understands his budget. It’s gonna be messy and chaotic. I too have not seen anything new. They tell us that come 2022 somethings will begin to change, I say hallucination.
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I think Kapya Kaoma, doesn’t understand the difference between a Budget proposal and tactical or strategic implementation is. A budget gives the framework and highlevel strategic view. The details, or changes will follow once the MP debates the budget, and after it is approved, then formulation of processes and implementation guidelines are provided. How can he start criticizing about lack of structures now, this is the first UPND government and their first budget, is he expecting the government to implement structures first without budget framework? He argues that Dr. Musokotwane, should have informed who will administer the GRANTS, but if Kapya listened carefully, Musokotwane said guidelines & process will follow. It follows that Kapya is shouting for nothing.
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Secondly, he argues that how would PF ward process a bursary for UPND kids. I am sorry, Kapya here again has proved, he is still stuck in the same sh!t that HH & Government are trying to fix, bursaries should NOT be based on party affiliation BUT on MERIT. And this is change and SHIFT, that Kapya should be promoting instead of criticizing.
Kapya also argues that it’s nothing to be proud of if government employed 41200 civil servants and 2800 admnistration. Here as well KAPYA is lost, on one hand, he blames government that they are creating 44,000 position for civil servants, then attacks HH that he is building a voter base BUT then with same token, he say actual, 44,000 is nothing to boost off, so what is his point? He is CONFUSED reverand !
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Lastly, Kapya, you don’t influence government decisions via comments on LT, if you think you are smart and has something to OFFER, you get in touch with UPND MPs, to ensure your concerns are reflected during budget debates. OR call Mr. Musokotwane and discuss. He is your servant, you don’t have to fear him. I would have appreciated if you came on LT and said, I called Mr. Musokotwane, and this is what I advised him and this was his response, then we would have held you in high esteem.
Unfortunately, your article is full of criticisms, BUT doesn’t offer any solutions. Typical of LT VUVUZELAS, and you are becoming one of them.
Kapya Kaoma’s shallow understanding of uncertainty is of course on show but he doesn’t know it.
This is another article that hits the nail on the head as they say. I have been wondering how a so called democratic leader would just decree things without consultation : abolish PTA fees which help to govern schools as part of a democratic process. If anyone ever doubted that we have a pseudo dictator in state house this is one of the numerous enough proofs and yet cadres would like to sing the song of wait and see. His ministers are scared like rats, they dare question the “gospel truth and Actions from their master” God help us.
You begin by asserting that most Zambians are illiterate, therefore incapable of reading. Yet you proceed to wear a winding grammatical confusious mask of illogical proportions. Your rhetorical nonsense serves no purpose. You are clawing at intellectual, academic exercise with grand futility. Try again, maybe we will be able to finish reading and, perhaps, comprehend your logic, if at all.
There is a lot of hope and promise in this budget like nothing before because situations have changed.
Only Id!ots do the same things and expect a different result.
This is different and is a good well thought out change.
Results will follow.
Kaoma go sit on the fence and grow fat feeding on popcorn and coke and watch for 4 years.