I have had plenty of commentary mainly from PF aligned characters disparaging the debt restructuring deal recently secured.
For the longest time, our biggest problem in Africa has been that nothing is ever good unless you are the one doing it.
Even the current folks in government in Zambia today are guilty of the same.
Our biggest problem, as Africans is selfishness – unmitigated self-centeredness and our inability to see how our individual selfish interests are better served within the collective good of everyone.
It doesn’t matter how you cut it or explain it, some deal is better than nothing – this debt restructuring deal is not going to cure all Zambian problems but it is certainly a small achievement within the greater project of national economic transformation.
Here is the reality : PF (ECL era) was perhaps the worst government in Zambian history.
However, Zambia actually changed in the period between 2010 & 2021.
Here is how – before that, you had about two major malls in Zambia – Manda Hill & Arcades shopping malls.
You had very few ATMs & most retail shops did not take ATM cards.
Before 2010, very few Zambians owned cars, satellite TVs and ate out, never mind going out to theme parks or outdoor activities.
If you are in your 20s, then in 2010, you would have been below a teenager & if you are in your 30s, then you would have been either in your early 20s or a teenager.
Given that the Zambian population is predominantly made up of people below 30, that means most of you perhaps have ZERO clue where PF found Zambia.
The point is PF, terrible as they were, actually did achieve something notable.
What the folks in government today did well was to take advantage of the facts that the overwhelming majority of Zambian voters were not old enough to know the difference between the Zambia of today and the Zambia before PF and they made it look like PF achieved nothing in the 10 years they were in power.
The point is, our Zambian politics has always been about refusing to acknowledge the good anyone else is doing because you are not the one doing it.
This can’t be in our collective interest – a nation is not like a business that is built by one man. It is built on the series of efforts by so many people over many years and generations.
In this case, UPND are actually doing something notable by attending to one of our pernicious issues – that of too much money being channelled towards debt servicing.
By GC Library
@GC Library, this is as lazy as an article can be. It’s like you really wanted to say a lot and then just suddenly ran out of steam.
What a stupid article. Who is the author?
I made my case on another story by the Chamber of Mines and we seem to be of the same view
Just in the first line PF is mentioned. The people that are disparaging the debt “deal” are not PF characters. Even just calling them characters shows hate towards people with different views. Over dept whichever ways you look at it paying in ten years can no be cheaper than paying in five years. What people are saying is why not start taxing the mines and service the debt other than going to beg from the same people you are giving minerals for free. And do not down play KK, Chiluba, Mwanawasa, Banda and Lungu’s achievements. These built schools, hospitals as compared to CDF toilets and classroom blocks.
Why didn’t you tax the mines in the first place and carry out unprecedent devolopment but instead you go and borrow from them. This thinking is what has kept this God forsaken country and africa at large, where it is.
When you look and the heading and the photo you would think now let us get something refreshing Then poof PF this PF that. There was UNIP, MMD, PF and UPND. Among the three UPND have nothing to point at. Lungu can point at a lot of things and if it is KK you can not even manage to point at what was sold later by privatization thieves.
“- that of too much money being channelled towards debt servicing”.
When last did Zambia ever service any international debt? November, 2020. We defaulted during Covid-19 era, and have since not paid anything until 2046. What has Zambia been using that money meant for debt repayment for the last 3 years?
Why didn’t you tax the mines in the first place and carry out unprecedent devolopment but instead you go and borrow. This thinking is what has kept this God forsaken country and africa at large, where it is.
It looks like everything gets published on this website. This article is nothing but utter drivel!
It is also basic journalism that we know the credentials of the person behind an opinion piece. I am seriously losing interest in this site and the standards.
A nation is built through the blunders of many?