University of Zambia lecturer in the school of political science and administrative studies, Phineas Bbaala has said there is no justification for change of Government this year because there is no socio-economic crisis in the country.
And the Kaonde Inamusale Kapijimpanga clan of Solwezi has observed that Zambia is currently undergoing positive economic and social development and has endorsed the candidature of President Rupiah Banda in this year’s elections.
Mr Bbaala said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda’s Government had performed well in the last two-plus years he had been in office and deserved a full five-year term.
“It will be unfair for the Zambians not to give President Banda a full term. He has just completed Levy (Mwanawasa)’s term and from where I stand he has performed extremely well.
“Those who are agitating for regime change are not explaining and convincing Zambians on the alternatives they are providing. There is no socio-economic crisis to warrant a regime change,” he said.
Mr Bbaala said people campaigning for change of Government had not explained what they would want to do differently from the current administration.
Meanwhile, the Kaonde Inamusale Kapijimpanga clan of Solwezi in a statement in Lusaka yesterday said Zambia was currently undergoing positive economic and social development as evidenced by the single digit inflation figures, the stable Kwacha rate to foreign currency, the growing foreign direct investment, and the massive investments in health services and education infrastructure.
“I Opa Kapijimpanga, on behalf of the Inamusale and Kapijimpanga families, would like to express our position with regard to the current political and economic situation prevailing in the country.
“Firstly we would like to acknowledge the achievements made in the last three years by the Rupiah Banda administration, which has come about through his decision to carry on the positive facets of the legacies left by all three of his predecessors,” he said.
Mr Kapijimpanga said President Banda had carried on the legacy of first president Kenneth Kaunda of uniting all Zambians under the flag, providing for the poor in rural areas through enhanced agricultural production, the establishment of new schools and hospitals, improved road networks, rural electrification and citizenship empowerment programmes.
“The pesident has continued where Levy Mwanawasa left off by completing initiated projects, strengthening the fight against corruption by empowering the legislated organs with greater responsibility and clearer guidelines, allowing greater independence and authority of the judiciary and fostering growth and economic stability through fiscal discipline.
“This positive approach that President Banda has chosen to take can only yield more positive results for our beloved country. Therefore, as a united family, we pledge our full support to the ruling MMD and President Banda in this year’s elections,” he said.
He said Mr Banda had also continued with the late president Frederick Chiluba’s legacy of poverty alleviation through further liberalisation, increased foreign direct investment and support for home ownership.
[ Times of Zambia ]
people who are afraid of change are dead
the indians say,”change is a spice of life” and the scientists echo the same sentiment that without change,life becomes static and tends to zero which implies death of the system. so ba bbala talk about something else coz you in lusaka cannot imagine the hunger in nearby sinazongwe.
“…..The lips of the righteous teach many…But fools die for want of wisdom…..” Bob Marley. So how should we be surprised that there are people who cannot see that there is development. Sata and his cronies can’t see anything positive in Zambia now because we know who he is. Just look at the spite he had been saying about Chiluba. And now he is saying he loved him and would have quashed the court cases and proceeded to condemn Banda for allowing the cases to continue in the courts. It’s as if he believes strongly that Zambians are thoughtless. Is this man normal?………Genuine Zambians answer this question.
It is embarassing for a lecturer to say such things. There was crisis when Clinton,s adminstration was ushered into office. Change is a catalyst for development. When MMD took over, there was some positive developments in the early years. They started messing up in 1996 until we had a paradigm shift during Levy’s time who managed to bring some sanity to the country. When RB took over, he went back to the Chiluba way of doing things. He is lucky Levy left a strong foundation and so the economy has basically been static. We need change to move things forward. People have food in their homes, the copper prices are high but our currency has remained weak and our rural dwellers poorer.
It is embarassing for a lecturer to say such things. There was no crisis when Clinton,s adminstration was ushered into office. Change is a catalyst for development. When MMD took over, there was some positive developments in the early years. They started messing up in 1996 until we had a paradigm shift during Levy’s time who managed to bring some sanity to the country. When RB took over, he went back to the Chiluba way of doing things. He is lucky Levy left a strong foundation and so the economy has basically been static. We need change to move things forward. People have food in their homes, the copper prices are high but our currency has remained weak and our rural dwellers poorer. And you call this socio-economic stability.
There is no crisis to warrant change. Change for the sake of change is no change at all. If at all there was really a better option, RB and MMD would never see my vote. But I am realistic enough to use my head that you don’t shout change jjust for the sake of it. The people who are singing change…I challenge you to list a few things that you feel the opposition can do better…The Opposition Manifestos have nothing out of the ordinary, infact, they are sugar coated peaces of dreams that are only intended to be used to get into state house.
In short this academician would rather we don’t hold electionz az long az there iz “no crisis”. Oh Lord precious Jehova God pleaze hear us.
This must be a very dull don, no wonder his friend Chiguta cannot advise RB properly. Who told him there needs to be socio-economic crisis in the country does for people to change govt? Is that the nonsense he teaches his students at UNZA. If you want a job find a way to do it than turn into a cadre, I can now not see a difference between you and William Banda. Useless don, UNZA should replace you , you are poisoning our children at UNZA with such stupid and useless analysis
#6 Lasa Lasa
You have said it so well……………………. thumps up!
I am not sure how far the Zambian policy on production is exploitable (but judging by the influx of ‘investors’ I suppose it must be well articulated). When a currency is weak it is a boon for producers. I am not sure what it is that makes us want to have a strong currency; I suppose it is a clear indication of how we have become perpetual consumers who wish to be able to afford dollar-based consumables whenever we go out shopping. Perhaps a paradigm shift in the way we view our economic march would be helpful so that when we clamour for political change it is backed by a desire to move forward productively.
Its amazing that a Villager like this Chief can even express and understand economics much more better than alot of comments i have read on FT blogs from so called educated people. It clearly shows one thing that the people on the ground are feeling the effects of the economy and understand real issues of development and upliftment much better. What is also interesting is that its them who have the majority vote….
There is a crisis when a UNZA lecturer joins Lifwekelo, Chifire, Mumbi, and Siulapwa to scavenge for handouts or in the hope of getting a job by churning out such baseless nonsense. The hallmark of a scholar is sound reasoning supported by good evidence. A political scientist worth his salt would not take the current electioneering projects for genuine development. Phineas, are you so desperate to join discredited scholars like Chigunta or Machungwa? My advice is for you to try and work on improving your academic credentials which I question seriously.
No 12. If you personally believe the current projects are electioneering projects, why do you want everyone including this Don to have the same belief? Do not impose your personal thinking on others, respect other peoples opinions. You must be ashamed that even uneducated chief Opa Kapijimpanga quoted in this article makes more sense than you
The Engineer, Opa Kapijimpanga doesn’t sound uneducated. But perhaps you know him better. The word ‘imposing’ is too strong. All am saying is a scholar who wants to be quoted as such should be able to see through the cosmetic projects meant to fool people into voting for them but which they will abandon as soon as elections are over. This has typified MMD’s behavior over the past elections unless you are too young to have observed or you are too old to remember. But you seem cocooned in the MMD paradigm that any reasoning from outside of it will not make sense. Ciao!
I have said it many times, if RB has brought up all this economic activity just because it is an election year, then so be it. It is better than what we have seen in a number of past election…Chibuku and chitenge materials for buying the votes. Thanks RB, you will buy our votes through your projects, besides RB has demonstrated to us that it can be done, that the Gov’t has the capacity to do it if committted and we will not let RB and friends off the hook if they show otherwise after the election, believe me hell will break loose, for now….thumps up for you RB.
The lecturer is very foolish.. simply because the govt. has increased their allowances he is talking like that. its shameful
No 14. Do not be cheated. Any government anywhere in the world carries out its projects to stay in power… tell me which government carries out projects to go out of power?? Its the aim of each and every government to carry out projects which the citizens of that country will appreciate in order for that government to stay in power.. be it in USA, UK, Japan or Australia.
Politics is not like running a charitable organisation, NGO or a church. its a career just like any other be it medicine, engineering or finance. You make good to stay in your job period
mmd have over stayed dont respect anybody see how they handle constiution case of corruption and mines tax sell of zamtel even the last chiluba’s funeral let cadres control it and president remain silence over security of others. change is not brougth about by economical issue our lecturer why cannot be slience than saying thing we dont expect from learned,
Never mind this so-called don. He is so blind in his comfortable hand outs from the MMD. He cannot see any problems. To him all is well and all is good.
What an embarrassment to academicians at UNZA! Even villagers can see that MMD has over-stayed and Zambia has gone back to UNIP days. Practising politics of the belly even by UNZA dons who are supposed to be the brains in the nation is so disgusting. It has become an obnoxious trend for Zambians to be used as a vuvuzela for rupia and get some media coverage for a few coins. This lecturer has been singing praises for ripia for some time now. I hope they are paying you well for selling your integrity and dignity!
Who says when PF takes over then development will stall.Look at the PF manifesto.What we dont want is to end MMD impunity so that others learn from this that the people are masters and they are elected to serve us.Did America develop with one party and one president in power? We need a different approach and direction in persuit of national developement. Be mindful that that is how dictators are created by the people because the will start feelin and thinking they are indespensable leading to supression of descenting veiws and oppression of people percieved to be opposed to their style of leadership.MMD cannot develope this nation alone as the people investing in this nation are not cadres but it involves a collective efforts bya cross section of zambian and foreigners.Change is pulpable
The latest Wold Bank report rates Zambia’s achievements in the last few years highly. This is an international institution using international bench marks to rate Zambia. The focust is that Zambia will even do better in the next few years, the economic conditions have improved, infra structure development is at its hight. Infact, our friends in the diaspora who ran away in Kaunda’s days will hardly recognise Zambia, some of us have seized opportunity with both hands and will not suffer again…ever again. Please, instead of just complaining, seize the moment…do something for you and your families.
Typical Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail and ZNBC stuff. No sensible media can continue to harp on such nonsense week in, week out. We need change so that sensible things can happen in Zambia unlike now that people of questionable credentials are given coverage because they support the new UNIP (MMD).
Am sure this lecturer works for the Government controlled newspapers. When the PF vuvuzela harps on about Mupombo, Patrick, Silvia then its sensible..when a lecturer who airs his view suddenly he is not news? We have seen the latest poll after the burial of FTJ who the Post vuvuzela of PF promoted to presido and then failed to bid him farewell have egg for misleading the voters..the same will happen again..their prefered candidate is NOT presidential material but they will do ANYthing and EVERYthing to rid of RB…the reasons are known.
Am appalled by my fellow blogger’s inability to use this platform to interrogate the UNZA don’s assertions and provide the masses some useful insights on the matters at hand. Please note that character assassination is a trait of the intellectually defeated…
The issue that Mr Bbala raises is that there is no socio-economic crisis and, on the basis of that, there is no need for political change. The question is, is this true?
First, Bbala is right to suggest that there is no socio-economic crisis because the pass-on effects of the global financial crisis that have marred a large part of Mr Banda’s presidency have dissipated. If the global economy picks up fully, the Banda Administration could possibly achieve more…
Second, Bbala is partially right if, and only if, a socio-economic crisis is the only criterion for political change. On the contrary, there is at least one other criteria for political change – a socio-political crisis. The moot issue all the political parties need to address weather or not there a socio-political crisis in Zambia?
In my opinion, what Zambia has today, are usual socio-political problems of inclusiveness. It’s no secret that the current MMD appears less inclusive than it did during the Chiluba and Mwanawasa administrations. It probably needs to start reflecting deeply on the mechanics of how it engages and manages those with dissenting views (corruption, mining tax, rule of law, and due process, etc).
The opposition on the other hand, needs to prove beyond reasonable doubt that what we have is a socio-political crisis – one in which, the MMD will do nothing to change…
First and foremost, who is Opa Nachisali? Who is s/he to stop us changing governments? The essence of multi-party politics, elections and democracy is for competing parties to ask the electorate to vote them into office.
Bbaala naeve he has lost it as a lecturer of politics. Who said Gaddafi didn’t provide for Libyans? It is just that people are fed up with the MMD arrogance, abuse of office and corruption. As I have said before, we are fed up with one bunch of a.r.s.e.holes, we want to try another bunch. The MMD can grade all the roads, replace all pit-latrines but ichebo kuya bebele.
To tell you the truth there can never be a dull don at any university. In fact not even a dull student. By the very fact that one is able to pass grade seven, nine or form three then, form five or grade twelve means one is intelligent. Why did most of you bloggers fail to go to university? Or you Children? It is not easy to be reading or teaching at university. So if those of you condemning the lecturer have blotted thinking because of your too much love for Sata then I can only say sorry for you. You must have problems with your thinking as it lacks logic.Bbala’s reasoning is objective and no amount of insults will change facts. We demand respect from you who were not good at school.
Infact, if you have not attained a higher education, it is most likely that irrespective of who comes into Gov’t you will never really make it. Few really make it without good education, but a good education garantees the freedom of the mind, even if it may not garantee economic freedom. School will increase your chances to a good life and a sober mind too. If you have not gone to school yourself, ensure your son, your daughter does so without hesitation.
This is one Dull Don
The Don mighty be labelled dull but the advocates of change don’t seem to advance good reasons for change. It makes a little bit of sense to say no need for change if the option is the contemporary of the current. A real change should have no resemblance of what is being changed. Making the passenger a driver and the driver a passenger in the same old car on the same road with potholes headed the same direction – but may be using shortcuts is NO CHANGE at all. By the way the increased allowances are for the students and not for the Dons.
We should learn from examples like Zimbabwe. It is people like this don who tend to mess up countries by convincing people with their theories that we should not change the government when the people themselves have seen a dictator in the making. Zambia is being mismanaged due to corruption and poor economic policies. This don is looking for a job. 90% of Zambian chiefs have been corrupted and they don’t care about their subjects, they only care about their pockets. If you have been to Solwezi, what development is he talking about? People have been crying for a sewer system for a long time and nothing has happened.
Oh ya, this Lecturer is ideally static and requires to go back to school to relearn. Which University qualified him? Cant the press listen to some alternative ideally dynamic minds? Please, save him from the emabrassment. The Country can do better BUT for corruption (evemn stealling funeral money) entrenchec even in state house (RP capital, Fuel crisis, Mwanawasa state funeral, Global funds etc). If government has always refued to act on Auditoor general’s reports then they are party to it. Sop whatever your name is, rethink your education and possibly take a break from lecturing as you may be teaching the young ones stale matterial. Cheers
Where did Phineas Bbaala study his political science where they teach that there should only be change of governments if there is socio-economic crisis in a country? With lecturers like these, why should it come as a surprise that a full post graduate degree holder from UNZA, and cabinet minister for that matter, remains clueless about the meaning of the word “NULLITY”, in a court of law!
The Don uses his head to think, some use their belly to argue. What the Don is saying is simple. There is no reason for a vote of no confidence to a Gov’t that has not completed its two terms and is doing well. If the Don was advocating for a third term for the incumbent, you would have questioned his reasoning. If the current President has perfomed well, there is no reason to change Gov’t for the sake of change. Even if the incumbert finishes his two terms, as long as the people of Zambia are content with the perfomance, the party should be re-elected. For now, unless there is a crisis, there is no need to Change Gov’t. I certainly can’t see any crisis.
There is need to change government because poverty levels are still high and bad governanace is prevelant however there is only one reason why we may not change government this year and its because we do not have sound alternatives. If only we had better and strong opposition we should have changed government. This is why RB may have to continue until the opposition proves to have a better offer than just talking.
# 36, I hear you!
RB told us he would only complete Levy’s term, so he should not contast unless he agrees that he was cheating us. Sata should not contest, his health is failing him. Therefore, we shall have HH, Mmembe (pf), Chipimo and Milupi .