By Henry Kyambalesa
The statement made in Parliament recently by Vice President George Kunda that the government was treading carefully on the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill because it can be used for espionage by what he referred to as some irresponsible and unpatriotic media houses does not make sense because state secrets are not supposed to be made available to the media even if the Bill was to be enacted.
Besides, voices of dissent and criticism of the government come from citizens who love their country. There is a need for George Kunda to avoid using rehearsed statements designed to brand Zambians who are critical of mediocrity in the governance of the country as being unpatriotic citizens. We are fed up of such language, which was often used during the UNIP era, and which has now been adopted by the MMD government.
In fact, the preoccupation by President Rupiah Banda’s administration with enacting legislation designed to regulate the operations of NGOs and the private media is a clear case of misplaced priorities. Zambians have now become tired of asking MMD leaders to address their demands on the government. Among other things, Zambians want a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.
Moreover, they want lower PAYE and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, sustained protection of the fragile natural environment, and consolidation of our oneness and common future as members of the Zambian family.
Criticisms of the MMD government by some segments of Zambian society are clearly a result of government’s failure to address these demands. If the government can start tending to these demands and set timeframes for meeting them, they will be surprised how quickly the criticisms will subside and give way to genuine praise from both the private media and the general public. It is as simple as that!
Private media institutions are, therefore, not the problem; it is an inept government that is actually the problem—a government that has clearly failed to address the sources of the discontent among citizens and continued to castigate the private media through which such discontent is expressed!
If Zambians expect the Rupiah Banda administration to address their basic needs, they are fooling themselves; they will eventually realize that they have government leaders who are more interested in lining up their pockets, and the pockets of their kith, kin and sympathizers.
MOVEMENT FOR MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY WHICH IS NOT THE CASE THE HOUR HAS COME ITS FINISHED NEW DEAL ADMINISTRATION AT WORK IN ACTUAL FACT ITS AN OLD DEAL WITH OLD PEOPLE OF OLD MINDSETS.
No doubt the “kitchen sink politics” of Henry Kyambalesa, has espoused his dangerous leadership thinking deliquency. Not being a political parody basher, but feel embarrased to follow Kyambalesa’s reasoning despite all his passion to blog “school yard opinions”.Not stunned that his Agenda For Zambia Party has remained an internet based circus for over 9 years now. It lacks core leadership values and reasoning other that blogging.How did the state of Colorado, USA risk their kids in classrooms with such a stale mind far left liberal faculty member?
Even liberal icons today we can consider as the founding fathers of liberalism such as Thomas Hobbes, John Kenneth Galbraith, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill to mention but a few never exhibited this level of unparallel deliquency and irrationality Henry personifies in his daily blogging.Its embrassing to read it all considering that he is from the lecture theatres many we have all gone through.
Truly speaking,Henry you are too left.Yes the govt has responsibility to offer those services but not in the utopian manner described above.
“The Government Is the Problem, Not the Media” Quote
Henry is parroting dialectics he has no ability to synthesize or indeed capacity to intelligently plug in his daily blogging monologues while arguing his failed “far left Liberalism”.
To summarize him all, he is trapped in dangerous “utopia”
One would have thought that George “Pelican” Kunda would understand how FoI works in countries where it is in place as a lawyer and VP. What happens is that a request for information is put through to a government department or organisation covered by the Act. A person in-charge would then look at the request and decide whether to release the information or decline the request. In the case of declining release of the information, such an official should give valid reasons for the decision. There you go Mr “Pelican” Kunda, simple.
Veteran what is your job? Sorry, I know it..you are employed just to read newspapers by MMD
Veteran, please safe us all the cadreism. You have a chance to make a real contribution, so please address individual issues in prof. Kyambalesa’s article.
Sharp Shooter,
There is nothing utopian about the things proposed here. Most governments in Europe and many in Asia provide just such services.
The way to pay for it is by massively taxing the only economic game in Zambia – the mines. And that means the main parties have to say sorry to their friends, and start acting in the interest of the country. In the words of Charlie Wilson, if you can’t **** their women, drink their liquor, take their money and at the end of the day vote against their interests, you have no business being in Congress. Or Parliament in this case.
That’s what is wrong in politics in Zambia today.
MrK,
You and i know each better at a personal level. I respect your cadreism with culture of political defections from UNIP, UPND, UDA, Agenda For Change to now PF with last 5 years. I do not expect principles from you. But surelly even your armchair criticism sadly is naturally at variance with wisdom and maturity.Many blog threads carry entries from you with failed reasoning despite your age. As a communist yourself, i expected you to see dangerous liberalism in Henry.
each other better at a personal level
Goodmorning all
Firstly, let Veteran speak his mind – if you disagree with him, present your facts without fear. Fight the war of words or leave it to the eloquent because the pen is mightier than the sword. Many are they who have quit blogging after sustaining severe injuries….
To the lecture at hand: I scheme that the Media and the government will always be at loggerheads as long as the tide of time rages. However the observation by Kyambalesa that “…a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare , greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities for all Zambians.” is a great one – I hope RB reads this.
#9 MrK
In other ways you are saying that taxes from the mines can finace all that has been mentioned by Henry?First we have too look at our National Income before engaging into ambitious public projects to ensure there are no adverse effects at macroeconomic level.Lowering of PAYE and VAT will automatically reduce our national income.Mr Henry doesnt mention ways of encouraging private investment which is a major contributor to national income.Developed nations like the US receives 2/3 of its income from the private sector.Pres.Obama recently anounced that jobs are created NOT by the govt but by businesses taking risks.Yes the govt has to spend for infractucure but mines taxes alone is not enough for what henry has outlined.
Kunda is a traitor to the country and his profession. This ‘Jonathan Moyo’ of Zambia is nothing but a big disappointment to all those who had hoped that having learned people in government would help entrench democracy in our country. It is clear that he thinks only about his pocket.
Mr Henry would have proposed what will cushion the vacuum that will be left when VAT and PAYE is reduced.It will be a good relief to the citizenry.Criticism has to come with alternatives.
Zambians want a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.tbc
Moreover, they want lower PAYE and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, sustained protection of the fragile natural environment, and consolidation of our oneness and common future as members of the Zambian family.
And where is the money supposed to come from to provide these free goods Mr Kyambalesa is proposing? tbc…
Where (in Zambia’s current state) can govt supposed to raise funds to finance this ambitious spending Mr. Kyambalesa is proposing? We must be careful with Mr. Kyambalesa, he might trap us in external debt to finance his ambitious spending plan.
“The way to pay for it is by massively taxing the only economic game in Zambia – the mines. “
Taxing the mines will not release Zambia from the dependency it has on copper. It will mean Zambia will face an unpredictable unstable business cycle where business booms with a copper boom and the nation faces a recession with the copper slump. Didn’t KK already do this and might I add it trapped the nation in a debt amounting to over $9 billion dollars.
The best thing we can do for the nation is to diversify our industries, increase our export basket and integrate economically with our neighbors through strategic economic bodies (SADC, COMESA). Putting your eggs in one basket is not a good strategy mr. Mrk. Your obsession towards the mines is worrying.
Pipo in Zed, we should then look onto the other sectors farming and tourism if our economy has to improve, It is saddening that the whole lot of Zedians think the mine industry will last forever?we have to diversify and look onto other sectors of this country, if caanot we can copy form Zim how they managed properly the farming despite the political instability by selfish leaders.We should again go back to the cry of our first rep pres KK, go back to land principles.Then we can have free edu, medics,clean water etc
Mr Capitalist, are you being serious when you say… ‘he might trap us in external debt to finance his ambitious spending plan.’
That is what this MMD Goverment is doing right now! 55% of our national budget is funded via aid and unilateral loans my friend! Our external debt now stands at over $2 billion having been reduced to $500 million as of July 2006. The scenario that you seem so scared of is happening here and now my friend! As for Veteran, please can you provide some constructive criticism on the article backed up with facts? Merely saying that the author is a ‘leftist’ and calling him names doesn’t address the facts at hand. We are a society wallowing in poverty, yet we have companies in our midst that have made $10 billion in profits. Taxing them more might help.
“That is what this MMD Goverment is doing right now! 55% of our national budget is funded via aid and unilateral loans my friend”
If you look at the 2009 budget, about 25% is funded from aid. This has been reduced to about 15% in the 2010 budget. If you add up the loans, then maybe we can talk about the 55% you are talking about. I cannot prove or disprove (feeling lazy) that 55% of the budget is funded via aid + unilateral loans.
There is a difference however, that 55% goes towards infrastructure development and long term developmental projects like MFEZ. Mr. Kyambalesa is proposing spending on social goods. Basically borrowing to spend on consumption rather than on investment.
Guys, let’s not be shallow minded. I don’t believe that anyone is proposing that we don’t diversify our economy away from mining. The thing is that diversification needs investment from government. We need the transport infrastructure, the market conditions, the laws, the labour force to enable diversification. Govt has a duty to provide all of these even in the most capitalist countries (Veteran and Mr Captialist). What Prof. Kyambalesa is saying (I support him btw) is, rather than borrowing from the IMF, our Chinese friends and others, let’s institute a fairer (in my eyes) system of taxation on the mines. Is it not more logical that we build all the infrastructure to aid our diversification from money gained from taxation than on borrowed money?
…’free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians, greater and sustained food security, and greater employment opportunities.’…’safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs…’
Erm, can you tell me which part of the above is not about infrastructure, capacity building and long term developmental goals?
Whisper
“Govt has a duty to provide all of these even in the most capitalist countries“.
And who has denied that govt has the duty of providing the necessary conditions for private sector investment to thrive. It is MMD market policies that will see this nation thrive. All the MFEZ, CEEC, and other public sector institutions like the ACC are all to enable private sector investment and development thrive. It is also your duty to take part in working hand in hand with govt to spur the development of private sector development.
By stating “we should tax mines more” is simply being an advocate for unemployment as mines will have to make up for this loss of revenue somehow, one of them being cutting jobs and cutting capital investments as it will no longer be viable.
cont…
What we need is private sector participation in infrastructure development. With the help of govt through adequate policies and private sector drive, the process of infrastructure invested through the private industry will thrive.
Before, it was govt leading the construction industry. Today there is a construction boom which is greatly contributing to Zambia’s GDP spurred by the private sector. This is but an example of how private sector development can thrive through good govt policies being enacted.
I think Henry Kyambalesa you are spot on. I like your last sentence its eactly what i have been telling people “if Zambians expect the Rupiah Banda administration to address their basic needs, they are fooling themselves; they will eventually realize that they have government leaders who are more interested in lining up their pockets, and the pockets of their kith, kin and sympathizers.” Thats all they are up to the current government is not there for the people they are their for themselves.
A farmer who prays for rain without putting in the effort of actually tilling the land to grow the maize is still going to starve even though his prayer for rain has been answered. In short, unless the farmer works hand in hand with the rain by tilling the land to grow the maize, he will not benefit from the rain. Rain is nothing but a conditional factor in this case.
The same can be said. Govt is but a conditional factor in private sector business growth which creates jobs. Govt can just provide the necessary conditions but if we as the citizenry do not work hand in hand with govt by starting businesses which employ people and create wealth, we shall always wallow in poverty and blame govt for all our problems. Maybe the problem is not govt but you.
you may have a full belly but no mouth,i’d rather die a free man than one oppressed,we need to have a free media in zambia,if not what is MMD scared of? real democracies have free media,access to information and independent juduciaries,we meanwhile have leaders who think by muzzling the press the citizenry will be blinded,if so start with the church.all of us throwing theories and bombast around are nothing but little old women,if we really want to stand tall,let’s face the government headon,give them what the people are craving,THE BOOT!!!!
Does anyone truly believe that any government is interested in a free Media? They do indeed allow journalists like Henry to “witter” as no one takes any (or much) notice of what they say – but the system continues – the wars continue and poverty crime and corruption continue throughout the world – regardless of whether we call it deomocracy or dictatorship –
what we have is this simplistic concept of voting for “parties” (all of which are corrupt) but the real rulers of the states are big finance companies and industries and the military and the very rich (allbacked by the police forces, CIA, MI5,6 and the Mossad, and of course the military etc. That is – the Ruling Class – those who – collectively – own the ‘means of production’ – as defined by Marx.
Mr. Captialist, I suggest you go though the debate again.
YOU said… ‘Where (in Zambia’s current state) can govt supposed to raise funds to finance this ambitious spending Mr. Kyambalesa is proposing?’ I then went on to highlight that all the items on Prof. Kyambalesa’s ‘ambitious spending plan’ were free education, free healthcare, investment in infrastructure, upstaning laws and social justice (some of the money for these can be sourced via revised taxation on the mines). Now you have done a 180 degree turn and are saying that these are indeed, ‘ necessary conditions for private sector investment’. Like you, I am not a proponent of interventionist policies, but this government is actually being disincentivising investment, just look at the fuel crisis for a recent…
cont. example. Where has either Prof. Kyambalesa or I said that the Govt. needs to be involved in industry? Your rhetoric about the situation in Zambia where construction is thriving is not applicable to our discussion (I realise that I’m also off topic because this is actually about press freedom) because no one has questioned the role of free market policies. I will respond about the question of the mines later as I need to go out for a while. Good debating with you by the way.
#8. 4get about this fool, #2. He a complete *****. He thinks when he goes into McDalnod’s for a BIG Mac even his grandma has done the same. What is the gvt going to be merited for, if not for what Henry has put across?
The biggest problem in Zambia is not the media or NGOs but an inept government.The MMD government does nothing but fight persived enemies in this case the media and NGOs. Without a free media and independent NGOs (free from government meddling) Zambia is dead and burried, even this quasi democracy currently in place will disappear.The country will go back to the bad old days when only UNIP propanda was fed to us day in day out.I am ready to pick up arms and fight this cancer called MMD for the sake of mother Zambia.Zambia needs to be rescued from these MMD hijackers before they demolish everything thats left after all the plunder,corruption and infesting and looting done by foreigners.
No 34, spot on . I agree with all that. I’d also join in the armed struggle…,…A radical approach is what’s needed..!..As to what our learned Kyambalesa is saying, it will certainly seem like UTOPIA if one chooses to interpret it that literally. What’s important is the msg he is trying to convey. And i think that’s quite clear.
#34 Well said. MMD is killing Zambia from the inside out. We need to take it out, fresh minds with fresh ideas. Unlike some people e.g; Veteran who lives in the Twilight Zone.
bafikala we’ll win 2011 election without dought. the hour has come again
this is democracy why are you sensoring my comments? fools
Calling a spade a spade.I think Kaunda is somehow to blame with his Humanism where he made Zambians to believe that the Nation will be doing everything for then.That was then.This philosophy is still entreched in us zambians.Instead of thinking what we will do for our country,Zambia,we are busy crying for what Zambia will do for us.Ka Chiluba nangu kaliiba,awe kalituchangamuna.Manje apa ni survuval ni nkhondo where the lazy ones will be separated from the hardworkers.
13. Sharp Shooter,
” Developed nations like the US receives 2/3 of its income from the private sector. ”
There is a lot I could say about the US economy. For instance, the only reason they are the strongest in the world, is because 80% of their GDP is US citizens trading with other US citizens – in other words, their Gross Domestic Product truly is domestic. Contrast that with Zambia, where most of the profits are immediately expatriated to grow other people’s economies, not Zambia’s. Until we have Zambians trading with and producing for Zambians, we are going to be poor. And yet his is what this obsession with FDI at all cost is fueling. The continued expatriation of money from the Zambian economy.
” Pres.Obama recently anounced that jobs are created NOT by the govt but by businesses taking risks.Yes the govt has to spend for infractucure but mines taxes alone is not enough for what henry has outlined. ”
That is an old ideological point about free trade. Of course the US economy does not need to be run by the government. However look at the mess that free trade has caused in the US. Banks are no longer lending to consumers, who are in over their heads in consumer debt and are abot to lose their jobs.
That means there are three bubbles that may still sink the US economy in the weakened state free trade has left it:
1) The States – they are facing a huge tax shortfall, which means individual states can easily go bankrupt. 2) Banks lending consumer credit and credit cards – VISA, Mastercard, and all the small credit card banks. Either they go bust, or their money is replaced by cash from the government and it is put on the national tab through inflation.
This is the mess that unregulated free trade has created. Thank you, Ronald Reagan, Alan Greenspan and all the free marketeers.
This is how the globalized economy works and why it is destroying the very economy it depends on, in the name of efficiency and maximizing profits. The transnational globalized corporations has 1) It’s headquarters in a tax shelter, so it does not contribute to any economy through taxation, anywhere in the world;
2) it’s operations (factories) are in a low wage country, robbing workers in the US from income and thereby undermining demand for goods and services and 3) It has it’s retail (shops) in the economy with the richest consumers, the US, EU, etc. without concern where those consumers get the money to buy their goods.
Welcome to the corporate version of globalisation. And there is no reason on earth Zambia should participate in that game.
Zambia should be developing it’s internal markets, and then expand to regional markets like the DRC, Malawi, Botswana, etc. Education, infrastructure, service oriented government, and using the capital from the mines (over $4 billion in turnover and over $2.4 billion in profits annually) to finance it.
BONGOZ, ” Calling a spade a spade.I think Kaunda is somehow to blame with his Humanism where he made Zambians to believe that the Nation will be doing everything for then. ”
So what is the alternative? Foreign corporations? Corrupt deals with politicians who are only experts in taking bribes? The real mental switch is not that Zambians think that the government will do everything for them, it is that Zambian politicians and too many of the public think that like the colonial myth, salvation will come from abroad. This is why there seems to be no consultation about development with the Zambian people, and all of a sudden, there are Chinese people all over the place. Has anyone held a referendum on Chinese aid? Donor aid? Taxing the mines?
They are acting like governors of a colonial state, and the people just wake up to whatever decision they have made. The present government is just an extreme example.
This is why there is a blind obedience to foreign investment. Foreign investment and donor aid are completely unnecessary to a resource rich country like Zambia. Japan did not develop through foreign investment. They had strong state participation in the Keiretsu conglomerates they created to corner the market on cars and electronic consumer goods. In the beginning, their production quality was abysmal, and became a proverbial joke. Then they *sent their people abroad* to take back the state of the art production methods, which resulted in the Kaizen or continuous improvement concept.
They did NOT open the Japanese car market to foreign producers because ‘we don’t have the technology’ or ‘we don’t have the money’ or any other lame excuse.
They understood that if the Japanese economy was to develop, free trade was what you did to other people’s economy. They sold their electronics all over the world – but they never allowed a single Western car company to set up in Japan. Never.
And that is how they accumulated huge amounts of wealth, and because the second largest economy IN THE WORLD.
With these bribe takers in charge, Zambia will always be poor, foreign corporations will always walk away with the money our miners and our mines produce, and manufacturing jobs will always be shipped overseas with the copper THEY (NOT WE) export.
And there will always be cries of ‘limited resources’ and ‘meagre resources’ coming from the government.
The only alternative is to heavily tax the mines. They take out $4 billion of which at least $2.4 billion are taxes. Tax 50% and they will still make $1.2 billion in profits every year, but we will make $1.2 billion from the mines alone. By comparison, in 2004, Zambia collected $6 million in taxes and received $600 million in ‘donor aid’. We can collect twice all the donor aid in taxes from the mines – in other words, Zambia does not need donor aid at all. The only reason we ‘need’ that, is because we don’t tax the mines at all.
And that is because of bribes, not because ‘free trade’ is a good thing, or because ‘you don’t want the government to restrict business’.
Continued from 42… 3) The derivatives bubble. Unless that is deflated, the entire world economy could blow up. They created a derivatives bubble of $192 TRILLION dollars – the total global economy has a GDP of $60 trillion. This is what deregulation and a non-manufacturing financial service economy has brought. Unless that is wound down somehow, the banks holding that trade in hot air are going to go bust themselves. (Can you say: Goldman Sachs?)
But there is an upside. As paper assets become massively devalued, real assets massively increase in price. That means FOOD and raw materials will appreciate. And that is why we need to move, or the people will starve to death, because they will find that their money is no longer valuable enough to buy food with.
Freedom of Information (FOI) is a necessity for Zambia, it is purely for the benefit of the masses, including Veteran who does not seem to understand the benefits it offers unless he has something to hide. Freedom of Information if passed enables the public to have access to records which would otherwise be deemed confidential, in this regard to be specific; the public will have the power to demand information on how public funds are being utilised and in case of procurement you will be availed information on bidders and how the selection process was conducted. So in short Kunda being a Lawyer realises that if FOI is passed, a number of prominent figures who have been gaining unfair advantage on public procurement, will be, “dead-men walking”. This will also help reduce speculations
FOI empowers people to scrutinise public resources utilisation. It is also to the benefit of the Government to allow this to be adopted, because the Country is dependent on Donor funding and the tax payers want to know how the funding is disbursed. It is in keeping with, “Ethics of Transparency”, so those who are asking for it to be shot-down have something to hide. If Zambia needs more aid, they have not much choice but to allow this to pass, because the Ministry of Health saga has not helped matters and Donors are withholding funding. In the UK reforms are being undertaken and soon Ministers/MPs will not be allowed to employ their relatives on Govt pay. Expenses scandal uncovering is another benefit of FOI. RB’s children will be able to walk with their heads high if not involved?
The govt is the problem and not the solution to what Zambians are going through. I have never heard of Ruphia Banda telling Zambians that he understands what they are going through and his govt has plan A for the problems they are facing. All he does is trotting the continent whenever there is a problem. What type of a president? We have seen politicians in the western world cancelling meetings to attend to problems facing the people by addressing them to show that they are with them. It shows how shallow minded RB. Is it because he got plot one on the silver plate thats why he doesn’t mind? The proposed sale of Zamtel 75% is born out of corruption and striping Zambia a viable asset. Why not selling the shares on LuSE to Zambians? RB and minions hands will be burnt so what may 2011.
At the moment, we all depend on information provided by independent media such as the post and most times when they disclose scandals their weight is against Government Propaganda machinery which is designed to make the papers seem liars. This I can imagine is why the Media are keen to have FOI adopted, that way we will have an, “Open door Policy”. No more brown envelopes under the table, we will all know!. So baba Ba Kunda kansi mu yopa chani? Mwa dya chani cha bene?
The Veteran sounds like he has some American influence in his ramblings but correct me if im wrong the people of Zambia need leadership with vision.The fact is that the people of zambia want lower PAYE and value-added taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved socio-economic conditions in rural areas, improved public infrastructure, lower water charges and electricity tariffs, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption.Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Lets just group ourselves and take over the country, Meeting place call 0977542829. i knt organize 30 guns.
Lets just group ourselves and take over the country, Meeting place call 0977542829. i kn organize 30 guns.
# 34, 35 and 51 are disillusioned fanatical cadres ever distant from the prism of critical thinkers that foster dynamism in the real world. Who is interested in their Madrassas school yard terrorism curriculum? Do you have to mention that you are prepared to shower peace loving Zambians with terrorism? The world has a collective security policy of dealing with terrorism and their terror insurgency is no exception. Good luck to them in their fate. I doubt if they even understand the gist under discourse here beyond their kaponyalism.
Veteran (aka Senior Citizen / BK), what specific issues raised in this article are you not comfortable with? Or did Kayambalesa do you a wrong that is troubling your heart? What is in this article makes a lot of sense to any person who is able to read it with an open mind. Kayambalesa’s job or political affiliations have nothing to do with this article; he is just expressing his views as a Zambian — if he is a Zambian. You also have a right to challenge him on specific issues he has raised in the article. That is a civil way of handling matters. The blogs are not a war zone …
Sata has appointed Inonge Wina as the chairperson of his tribal boat with the reason being that he heard she had vigorously campaigned for him in the last polls where he nearly polled zero in Barotseland. Anyway, it just shows that in 2011, there are going to be three battleground provinces, Northwestern, Central and Western. Whoever carries two of these will win the day but for one, I cannot see how Sata can win in North-Western or Western, it had to take an intervention of biblical proportions, even with the appointment of the likes of old Inonge.
Mr. Capitalist, Whisper, Sharp Shooter & MrK,
Good elevated level of discourse on this thread by you mentioned. Hope we can sustain it with this standard. To clear the misconception, it’s not from without that I have called Henry a far leftist politician doing kitchen sink politics. His proposition may be good but largely reflect trademarks of the Utopian world political view with dangerous disconnections. As said, not even fathers of liberalism in the likes of Thomas Hobbes, John Kenneth Galbraith, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill would doubt the illusions of Henry in given dispensation of Zambia.
Personally I’m a capitalist with unconcealed inclination for social progress policies that keep social progress in line with resource mobilization and economic development to foster national stability. I believe that anything short of this is a recipe for growth of extremism and public backlash against the global trade and investment system. To argue against MrK, I must say I strongly believe that the cause of the social and economic malaise in the world is not Globalization as such, but the flaws of the Washington Consensus that failed to regulate and manage global markets effectively and foster independent nations to develop or tailor their appropriate domestic policies.
Despite being a capitalist, I believe that economic policies must have clear cut social objectives that realize the danger of heavy indebtedness seemingly Henry is advocating for. His Utopian propositions have a clear cut disconnection on the resource mobilization and expenditure factor input. He has lamentably failed to articulate with details the resource factor in this phase of urgent need to diversify the economy. Without doubt, his thesis is based on perpetuating copper dependence as if he has not kept track of dangerous commodity price cycles. Zambia needs to show a spirited economic policy resolve of developing other economic life lines besides our mines. Ambitious public over expenditure is usually dangerous if debt contraction is the source of funds.
Henry’s liberalism has lamentably ignored the fact that growth effect of public expenditures and social allocation depend on the resources and way these expenditures are financed. As a management professional informed that over the years, Zambia has had a substantial volume of theoretical and empirical research works which have been directed toward identifying the elements of public expenditure and allocations-at its bet aggregated and disaggregated levels that bear significant association with social progress and economic growth. What Henry need to do before blogging is to examine available data on the extent to which the growth effect of public expenditures depends on the method of financing such ambitious expenditures. We can look at the USA stimulus expenditure and ask ourselves…
Deconding MrK’s socialist posts
For instance, the only reason they are the strongest in the world, is because 80% of their GDP is US citizens trading with other US citizens – in other words, their Gross Domestic Product truly is domestic. Contrast that with Zambia, where most of the profits are immediately expatriated to grow other people’s economies, not Zambia’s. Until we have Zambians trading with and producing for Zambians, we are going to be p
Firstly you are forgetting about the size of markets. The USA has a market of about 300 million consumers. If you compare to that of Zambia’s 10 million consumers, you’ll see why the USA can trade within itself. China has not contracted to the levels of other nations because [tbc
cont…
because of its large 1.5 billion consumer market. Zambia cannot rely on its internal market with such a small consumer base. It needs to externalize its consumer market and that is why we have COMESA and SADC.
And yet his is what this obsession with FDI at all cost is fueling.
The basic economic model is savings -> investment -> growth.
Zambia has got very little savings. This means higher interest rates and therefore very little for investment. What FDI is doing is skipping the step of savings and channeling it to investment and growth. In short, other nations already have the savings so invite them to invest in your country which will lead to growth. It is just a basic economic efficiency policy of skipping the savings step to lead to faster economic growth.
However look at the mess that free trade has caused in the US. Banks are no longer lending to consumers, who are in over their heads in consumer debt and are abot to lose their jobs.
I should point out that the US banking system is far from being free. The banking system (more especially in the USA) is the most regulated industry in any economy anywhere in the world. This regulation is what chocked the banking system as banks where thinking of how to escape from this chocking regulation to make more profits more especially at the time when housing demand shot up. The problem was too much regulation and not a lack of it. To blame it on “free trade” or the free market is absolutely false.
Welcome to the corporate version of globalisation. And there is no reason on earth Zambia should participate in that game.
Zambia must absolutely participate in globalization. This is because Zambia has a small consumer base. An example would be Switzerland with a population of about 7 million and has benefited greatly from the EU. China during its economic reform process sold many of its state owned companies to foreigners and also employed tax free economic zones which saw China grow at a fast pace of even up 13% economic growth. Many of the policies China employed is what Zambia is employing today. Why must we run from a policy we have enough evidence has worked elsewhere.
So what is the alternative? Foreign corporations? Corrupt deals with politicians who are only experts in taking bribes? The real mental switch is not that Zambians think that the government will do everything for them,
The alternative is free market policies which will see economic growth and a change in people’s attitudes towards the free market. More liberalized markets and more regional integrated markets similar to the EU model. Humanism failed badly just like communism failed. There is not a single country that has obtained OECD status with strictly communist/humanist/socialist policies (not a single one). We have enough evidence from North America of capitalism working. We have enough evidence from the EU of economic regional bodies working.
#63 I concur. The basic fact is Zambia’s so called investors have not developed Zambia. They are not improving the community they work in and do not care about infrastructure ,education or health . MMD is mismanaging the Zambian economy. Other donor countries like Norway are the one’s helping out…The question is where is all this so called investor money being directed??? To develop other industries like farming , tourism etc Zambia needs the mines and other foreign investors to be taxed properly to raise funds. If they are not ready to be taxed they should leave the Zambian resources…..Why are hospitals not able to function? teachers and nurses etc not paid well ….The picture is not right.
Excuse me ladies and gentlmen, but this Veteran person sounds Senior Citizen. Sounds like the same old crap, utter nonsense.
Zambians need a mental switch. Many are against the sale of ZAMTEL forgetting that the sale of ZAMTEL will ensure efficiency in the communication industry the same way the sale of ZANACO saw the company growing at a pace of 30%. Only the private liberalized market can ensure such efficiency and not state owned over taxed industries similar to KK’s that trapped us in debt.
too many of the public think that like the colonial myth, salvation will come from abroad.
Too many of the public does not think in this sense. The public wants to engage with the people abroad as strategic business partners and not salvation makers. An example is the consultation of Zambezi Airlines with a Namibian based airline which will see Zambia have a route from Lusaka to Windhoek. [tbc
It is this strategic partnership that Zambians need from the business people from abroad and not seeking them as salvation makers. Dump the whole “we can do it ourselves” attitude and start engaging experienced business people as strategic business partners.
#70 I do not agree the sale of Zamtel is a good idea. It just needs new management …it would have been wiser to get expatraits from abroad to run the company. infact they should get expatraites to run Indeni. All the Zambians need is work ethics. Do not sale your resources over a bowl of soup.
Foreign investment and donor aid are completely unnecessary to a resource rich country like Zambia
Foreign investment is heavily needed as it will fill the gap of “savings” (remember our basic economic model) that we lack. It is a good policy that even harvard and oxford educated economist Dr Dambisa Moyo supports.
Foreign aid must be seen as a short term policy that will help Zambia not to overburden itself. It must be short term and finite and so it is still needed to reduce on the strain on the limited resources.
#72 please mind the typo errors. my main point is do not sell your resources over a bowl of soup. Zambians need leaders who have confidence in them . If it means getting managers from abroad with powerful resumes to put these companies in order….employ them. Selling is not always the best answer.
Japan did not develop through foreign investment. They had strong state participation in the Keiretsu conglomerates they created to corner the market on cars and electronic consumer goods
Japan had huge savings as the people believed traditionally in saving. This is why they had excess money to develop their strategic industries.
They did NOT open the Japanese car market to foreign producers because ‘we don’t have the technology’ or ‘we don’t have the money’ or any other lame excuse.
They understood that if the Japanese economy was to develop, free trade was what you did to other people’s economy. They sold their electronics all over the world – but they never allowed a single Western car company to set up in Japan. Never.
This was the time when OPEC colluded to reduce the production of copper in order to raise the market price. Japan as a small country had to produce small fuel efficient cars due to its geographic circumstance. The USA had enough land and cheap oil to produce large gas guzzling cars. When OPEC colluded, the price of oil shot up leading to Japanese cars being more…
Japan had not closed its market. It just happened that American cars could not compete in Japan due to their size and their fuel consumption. You are totally false when you state Japan closed its markets. It did no such thing. It was just the situation that US cars could not compete in the Japanese market.
The only alternative is to heavily tax the mines.
Taxing mines will result in job losses and reduction on capital investment. Companies will not see it worthwhile to invest in new capital due to the low profits. Heavliy taxing mines will also lead to a persistent dependence on mines. “Why develop other industries when we can just tax mines for social expenditure” would be the mindset. Heavily taxing mines will trap us in dependence once again. During KK’s time, most revenue was from the mines and this brought about dependence. There is no evidence which shows KK attempted to diversify the economy. The solution is diversifying and not over taxation.
Hallejay :Windfall tax
We are not selling our resources for a bowl of soup. ZAMTEL has not run efficiently through the state. The best alternative is privatization. We have enough evidence from ZANACO that privatization has worked as it has seen the company grow at 30%. From this evidence, we can see that a ZAMTEL privatization will work. We must opt for policies that work and not stick to ones which do not.
It is better to privatize it and tax it rather than keep it state owned and continue recapitalizing. The benefits of ZAMTEL privatization greatly outweigh the costs.
Veteran / Senior Citizen / BK, it is not too late for you to read the differences between a “liberal” and a “conservative” and between a “socialist” and a “capitalist”. You need to learn to use words in the correct contexts. Your assertion that “not even fathers of liberalism in the likes of Thomas Hobbes, John Kenneth Galbraith, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill would doubt the illusions of Henry in given dispensation of Zambia” tells us volumes about your shallowness. There is nothing in what my former lecturer Prof. Kayambalesa has written that suggests that he is a “liberal”. And people like Thomas Hobbes, John Kenneth Galbraith, Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill embraced extreme capitalist ideals that would not support the provision of public services freely to citizens.
Veteran / Senior Citizen: The U.S. where you currently live would support Kayambalesa’s advocacy for a smaller and more efficient government, free formal education, merit-based scholarships for vocational training and university education, low-interest educational loans, greater and sustained food security, greater employment opportunities, lower taxes, lower interest rates, safer local communities, improvements in garbage collection and disposal, improved public infrastructure, a system of justice that is free and impartial in both word and deed, greater care for children and the handicapped, a genuine effort to address the scourge of corruption, and sustained protection of the fragile natural environment. Don’t criticize for the sake of it, or out of ignorance. What’s your answer?
Imfumu1, don’t waste your precious time on a MMD cadre aka Chinyenye Citizen who doesn’t see anything wrong with this most corrupt govt being runned by stiff necked dictators who cant listen to what the majority are saying. Zambia with leaders like these is doomed.
Bitch please! Henry, you are full of shit!
Mike Kyambalsesa
You need schooling…how can a man or woman, grown up in this country…with all wisdom not see that this article is written with a sufffering Zambian at heart? Henry has written so much truth and needs support for being fearless and taking on our failed govt…our only hope is to pray that these fellows start listening to the people…but even i know that its not happening…poor Zambia…HOW DO YOU LEADERS SLEEP AT NIGHT?
Ba Kunda! Bushe ba Lawyer mulesebanya law
Bola panshi mwaiche wandi Kunda. Your new name is “Kunda-Nshiletonntonya Bwino”.
Veteran and you other MMD apologists, the issue is not one of communism, socilaism or being lost in a utopia. The issue is the vast majority of people in Zambia are living in s**t and the elected government has a duty to do something about it, not to avoid responsibility and deflect blame
K148m NGOs fraud: Officials reported to police
THE first two cases of NGO officials, who allegedly pocketed more than K148 million donor funding will be handed over to the police fraud department, Home Affairs Minister, Lameck Mangani said yesterday.
He said in an interview yesterday that the matter had been referred to the police for further investigations and warned that all found culpable would face the law.
“The matter has been referred to the police for further investigations and these are some of the NGOs that are vocal and talking a lot about corruption and the acquittal of Dr Chiluba. Once they have been found guilty, they may face the law,” Mr Mangani said.
Mr Mangani said what was annoying was the fact that the NGOs in question were among those vocal civil society organisations that were agitating for honking against the acquittal of second Republic president, Fredrick Chiluba, thereby being in the forefront to promote anarchy in the nation.
Commenting on the whistling by the CSOs which went on undisturbed in Lusaka on Friday last week, Mr Mangani said such action was still an offence, especially that the CSOs had agreed that they had stopped their action when they last met with the Government and the police.
He wondered what the CSOs would achieve by whistling.
Where to with our Make Zambia ungovernable troops? If theft is proving rife at this level then how do we realize the Make Zambia ungovernable goals of President Hichilema and Sata or execute a successful war tper # 34 and 35 which are two expensive undertakings?
The matter is not about who lives in which Utopia or in a capitalist dream? The issue is the government delivering what it is mandated to deliver? Is the MMD govt fulfilling its side of the social contract entered with the people of Zambia? About NGOs, how does the govt know about the K148m fraud as if it funds these NGOs? Last time I check the budget, there was no NGO funding. So, were do these figures come from apart from just trying to brand some non govt supporting NGOs as frauds? Could it possible to brand the Zed govt as fraud considering that lately, we have heard about very serious crimes at MoH, Local Govt with the Hearses, Mobile “4 Star” Hospitals, Zamtel issues, ZESCO “Fibre” network issues, Gas and INDENI situation, the purchase of Oil from Mombasa with no pipeline…
Just in case some people are confused about what Kyambalesa is talking about, he is not advocating about socialism as espoused by ba Ben Kangwa (Veteran Senior Citizen). There is a huge difference between socialism and social programs. USA, Norway, Finland and Sweden, very good capitalist nations have these social programs that cannot even be found in socialist nations. Govt doing what is right for its nationals is not socialism per se, but leveling the play ground. I have never a heard a normal minded adult call the American free education, k thru 12 as socialism, 76% of American students go thru college using Financial Aid. Call it socialism. The Welfare Program, the Medicaid, Medicare, WIC, will you call that as socialism too? Health-care in Europe. Get real guys.
Mr. Capitalist,
” Japan had not closed its market. It just happened that American cars could not compete in Japan due to their size and their fuel consumption. ”
There are all kinds of barriers to entry to the Japanese market. You have to partner with a Japanese (does that sound like the kind of free market ‘investors’ enjoy in Zambia?). There is the language barrier. There are all the long term relationships car companies have with local suppliers, that cannot be transferred to foreign companies.
I quote from Source: “The future of U.S. foreign policy in Asia and the Pacific : hearings before the Subcommittees on International Economic Policy and Trade, Asia and the Pacific, and International Operations and Human Rights of the Committee on International Relations:
Direct import barriers on importation of foreign rice, aluminum, wood products, beef, fish products, feedgrains, and leather and leather footwear; an array of nontariff, or structural,
barriers (NTBs) make it difficult to sell foreign products to Japan; government’s procurement policies discriminate against foreigners at many levels; Government agencies frequently preclude foreign bids at the outset, using sole source selection and selective tendering. But even if bidding is open, foreign firms, especially small-to-medium sized concerns. Each company must qualify with individual government organizations, a task complicated by the lack of common qualification requirements among procuring agencies.
Continued… ” Foreign firms also have less time than their Japanese competitors to tailor bids to the goverrunent’s specifications because domestic companies generally receive the necessary information long before the plans are made public. ”
It is an often repeated myth that the Asian Tigers grew through free trade. They sold their electronics all over thew world, but the kept their domestic markets to themselves through all kinds of deals and arrangements, and in the process accumulated great amounts of wealth.
And they did not take Zambia’s route of throwing open the borders for all and any product, in the process undermining their own manufacturers and farmers, and destroying jobs where they should have expanded employment.
# 91,
I’m alarmed with your ignorance and failed thinking. You mean you are that dumb on Government operations and NGOs? You mean there is a country where NGOs’ funding and mandate is a secret to the state? Since you are in the US, read the IRS tax codes on the civic society and come back to explain why some NGOs have been visited by the FBI while others deregistered. Where did you do your Sophomore State and Federal Government courses or Government 1 and 2 to be this dumb? Your ignorance is not fitting someone in the USA a country with strict NGO laws.Ask CPAs, Finance and criminal justice professionals for guidance then you will realize how much you are embarrassing yourself.
I agree with Mr Kyambalesa on the needs of Zambia, but I disagree that NGOs and the media are not to blame. This is because prosperity and progress ride on the backs of peace and harmony. Even democracy is threatened when there is anarchy. NGOs receive vast amounts of funds for development in various spheres of human endeavour. Transparency and probity are essential if the ordinary Zambian is to benefit, hence the NGO Act. Actually debate on this Act started in 2007, under Mwanawasa! As for the media, they hold the power of words! A misrepresentation that is not checked can bring the nation down. To achieve these milestones you have stated, requires a sober media and open NGOs as well as government. RB was vilified by some media houses even before he officially became MMD candidate.
We have been independent for 45 years and various governments have lamentably failed to address the issues you have mentioned. How can anyone deal with them in 365 days? RB has begun to address many of the issues you have raised, but the hostile media have elected to cast a blind eye to any progress but will make news about anything negative. Let me deal with some of the issues you raise one by one:
1. Employment. The world is just recovering from the throes of a crippling recession. In spite of this, fewer Zambians have lost jobs in the last one year, than in the years when there was no recession! More jobs in mining, construction, tourism and farming, not to mention financial services.
2. Justice: The general impression given is that the executive had a hand in Chiluba’s acquittal. However, this is not the case at all. The constitution bars anyone, save the Attorney General to interfere with the DPP in the prosecution of cases. When a white dominated bench acquitted 2 Portuguese nationals of spying, Zambia Youth service organised demonstrations and riots at the High court. KK did nothing for a while. The AG at that time was Skinner. He resigned and so did the judges. That IS interference. Chiluba paid Chief Justice Ngulube and at a time when his petition cases were in court! LPM, a lawyer, said ‘I will forgive Chiluba, if he returns half of what he stole!’ Where is the presumption of innocence. He later said, ‘I will be the happiest man if he is acquitted.’
Going by the result, LPM is not ‘turning’ but ‘rejoicing in his grave!’ RB never made any sub-judicial comments on Chiluba’s case. Yes, he consorted with him, but that is in accordance with the rule of law, where one is innocent till proven guilty! Had he distanced himself from Chiluba, he would have been influencing the course of justice. I agree, that there is the other matter of the London judgment, but that to be effected, must be registered in Zambia.
3. Smaller and more efficient government. I agree with you here, but the time is not ripe yet until we have such infrastructure that improves communication. Technological advancements will replace bodies. But, you are contradicting the employment stats here. To many, government means politicians, but that is not the case.
The government remains the single biggest employer in the country. Making government smaller will mean loss of jobs in education, healthcare, police, military, prisons and civil service! Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher were ardent proponents of this. It did not work in UK. Thatcher divorced the National Health Service from government, and spliced off several services to private companies (including prisons, and prison transportation!), sold off council houses etc. The number of ministers did not decrease but actually went up! The Labour govt. have had to recruit thousands more teachers, doctors, nurses, armed forces personnel etc!
4. Free life-saving healthcare for all Zambians. What is ‘life-saving?’ You have cast the net too wide here. Healthcare does not come cheap. In the 1960s doctors had few inexpensive tests to carry out and the panoply of medicines to prescribe was small. Advances in technology and medicine have made health care very expensive. HIV/AIDS pandemic has loaded health services with a burden that no developing country can handle on its own. This started in the 1980s when there was a sudden exponential growth in the number of admissions due to severe diarrhoeas, tuberculosis, cancers and chronic lassitude. These people were too work to contribute physically to production on the mines. Productivity went down in all sectors of development. Shelves were depleted of drugs. Money run out.
HIV positive patients take longer to recover from surgery and stay longer in hospital. So, instead of advocating ‘free healthcare’ we should be advocating universal HIV testing and counselling. The mortality and morbidity statistics in Zambia are heavily skewed because of this disease. Perhaps if every Zambian knew their HIV status, they would take care not to spread the virus and would take care not to worsen their health state!
5. Greater care for children and the handicapped. I cannot agree more. Yet, it is not a government problem, because there are laws already in place to protect these groups.
6. Environment. The tree preservation council of wise men led by KK is one good start.
7. The others I will group under this heading: Income and expenditure. Unless the government prints money, the source of revenue is tax. You cannot have increased expenditure and lower taxes. It is daft economics. We need to increase production. The GDP in Zambia has been rising year on year. 6% is the estimate for this year. This is good news that is not widely publicised. In a global recession, our economy has grown! Initial estimates were 4.3%. What I would like to see is less and less dependence on foreign aid. “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”
8. Cleanliness and garbage collection.This is Local government duty. Some of our city councils are actually led by the opposition PF! Why do they have to blame central government for the local filth? I would suggest that every council should mobilise its own people for a once a month Saturday environmental clean up day. Labour day could be better spent as a day of neighbourhood clean up than street marching with placards for politicians! Charity starts at home. Each household must be educated about waste disposal. Children must be educated against throwing litter anyhow. In our days in boarding schools we cleaned up for ourselves! It can be done in one Zambia and one nation!
This bill or not this George is running scared. He is shameless. Look at how he has made 360 degree turn from what he supported Levy. If he is told to walk naked by RB he will do it and justfy it by saying that suit are foreign items.
# 96, Cook, Sorry. I did not know that we are discussing NGOs in the US. I thought we are in Zambia. Now since you know that we are discussing NGOs in Zambia, can you address that fact. What does the IRS and FBI got to do with Zambian NGO’s? What kind of ignorance is this? Why do you people leave the fire and pick up smoke? US govt has money going into NGO’s in form of grants, when did Zambia ever give grants to NGOs? Probably you know more. Tell us the budget you read that mentioned grants to NGOs. Silly.
One, do not expect Rupiah, who was Foreign Minister and Ambassador in the UNIP era, to have any form of respect for the media. Two, we’re fooling ourselves if we think the brown envelope-syndrome will ever stop. Pressmen have and will always be bought, so long as we have the kind of leadership we’ve had since Independence. We need a vibrant media to move forward, one that practices fairness to all sides. Don’t expect “Without Fear Or Favor” to inform us correctly. Believe you me, a free media is part of the way forward – both for the pro-government lot and for those who, like myself, want to see a radical change in governance.
Media regulation is present in UK. The reason is simple. Left to themselves, these people can publish anything for the sake of sales. At the end of the day, it is a business and that is why media moguls are so rich. They shouldn’t kid us by pretending to be concerned about the truth, they make a lot of money by reporting. What is called ‘free media’ in the west is still not free because it is owned by billionaires such as Murdoch, Turner, Disneys and Redstone. These control news. There is nothing wrong with the media taking sides in political debates, but there is everything wrong when they publish UNtruths to mislead the public and raise angst against a legitimate governments.. Indeed corruption and law breakers should be exposed but the broom should sweep without favours!
I am glad that some Zambians seriously consider the cost of government projects and programs. We can work together against NCC’s recommendation to increase the number of Parliamentary seats from 158 to 280. Free education in Zambia today is from Grade 1 through Grade 7, while healthcare is provided free to rural dwellers. We can provide free education through Grade 12 and free healthcare to all Zambians from savings to be realized from reducing the number of Cabinet portfolios by merging and/or abolishing some ministries, abolishing the positions of Deputy Minister and District Commissioner, reducing the number of foreign missions by having clusters of countries to be represesnted by single embassies, and so forth. Free tertiary education is already generally catered for through…
Ba L.T. ndiye chizungu chabwanji ichi?? ati ‘the govt is the problem’…
Mr Kyambalesa says that government has prioritised NGO and media regulation! This is not true. The speech RB read in parliament did not say anything about this. It is the hateful media that have prioritised these bills and are mis-informing the public. The bills were first debated under LPM’s watch in 2007. It takes quiet a long time before a bill becomes law. As for NGOs there is need for transparency and accountability with published returns because this is an age of serious fraud and money laundering. For example Al-Qaeda have been financed through NGOs. People, look at the broader picture and do not be short sighted. The men at The Post may be well meaning, but some day another Paper will arise that will publish what they don’t like and they will seek redress.
No 57, Imfumu1…Thankyou..!.
.I don’t seem to understand how attacking other bloggers.. (56).. can be an ‘elevated level of discourse’.
63. Mr. Capitalist,
” Firstly you are forgetting about the size of markets. The USA has a market of about 300 million consumers. If you compare to that of Zambia’s 10 million consumers,”
The number of consumers has nothing to do with whether the economy can be based around trading with itself. The difference between the two is that incomes in the US (and also disposable incomes) in the US are much higher than in Zambia. This in no way means that Zambians cannot produce what they consume. Clothes, food, housing, can all be manufactured domestically, translating domestic consumption into domestic jobs. Then, any surplus production can be exported to SADC countries.
The real key to creating demand in the Zambian economy, is to raise incomes. Guess what, all the neoliberal pro-corporate policies enacted by the MMD governments have undermined incomes. The absence of an enforced minimum wage, the destruction of the manufacturing sector through open markets for foreign products, all kinds of new levies and taxes on education and healthcare are depleting disposable incomes.
Why not create works projects and upgrade roads and create new roads, and other infrastructure? Everyone can attest that the neoliberal governments have let infrastructure run down, in their attempt to maximize the profits of foreign corporations.
“The question we ask today is not whether our govt. is too big or too small, but whether it works– whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified… The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our GDP, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart– not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.” Barak (Blessed) Obama. Inauguration speech.
The test for government is 4 P’s.
PEOPLE: What is it’s attitude to its people? Are people held in dignity? Is the autonomy of the individual protected and sanctity of human life upheld?
PROPERTY: Whether private or public, property is protected and preserved and the environment sustained. There is accountability and probity in handling public funds.
PROSPERITY: Every citizen is given an opportunity to better themselves. The playing field is levelled for all and the unabled/disabled have a fair chance to prosper too.
POSTERITY: Nothing is done with short sightedness, but for the long haul. A rich legacy is left behind for the children to build upon. Everyone must leave an inheritance and leave the world better than they found it.