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Police in Mazabuka have arrested and detained two suspected notorious criminals in connection with the spate of house breaking that has rocked most townships and church organisations in the district.
Southern Province Regional Police Commanding officer, Lemmy Kajoba, confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mazabuka today, said police have also recovered several household goods that include television sets, Hifi systems, fridges, car radios, kitchen utencils and other properties.
Mr Kajoba said the duo were arrested on Saturday after a victim of the theft identified his car radio in one of the taxis and informed police who immediately picked the taxi driver to help with investigations.
“I can confirm the arrest of the two suspects we are keeping in our custody. These suspects have been behind a spate of thefts since September last year,” said Kajoba.
He explained that the taxi driver cooperated and led police to the suspects’ home where they were apprehended and several goods recovered.
And Mr Kajoba explained that the suspects led police in the bush where they had buried a fridge believed to have been stolen from a named church organisation in the district.
He said the recoveries were made from Kabobola, Zambia Compound, Show grounds, Stage II, Kaleya Smallholders and Nakambala markets.
ZANIS
The Mweemba Area Development Association (MADA) has distanced itself from its Chairperson’s allegations that government has ignored the succession disputes to Senior Chief Mweemba who died in 2007.
MADA Coordinator Vickson Syankondo told ZANIS in Sinazongwe that their Chairperson Edson Sikalango issued the statement in his personal capacity as the association did not sit to discuss such matters.
Mr Syankondo said MADA was a development association and as such was not mandated to involve itself in Chiefdom wrangles as such matters were a preserve of the royal family.
He said it was dangerous for the association to take sides in the chiefdom wrangles because it would fail to address developmental issues in Senior Chief Mweemba’s area.
Mr Syankondo said Mr Sikalongo should not make government think that the association has abandoned its development agenda to entangle itself in chiefdom disputes.
He said it was wrong for the Association to fight government over matters that were for the royal family to sort out.
Last week Mr Sikalongo said government should intervene in the Mweemba Chiefdom wrangles before people start attacking each other.
He said government was pretending as though there was nothing happening when two people have declared themselves as Acting Senior Chief Mweemba.
The two, Ephraim Siatambika and Lason Siasokwe are claiming to have been declared as acting Senior Chief Mweemba by their royal families and have since both mounted flags at their homes.
ZANIS
FDD President Edith Nawakwi campaigning for RB in 2008 elections
By Madame Musonda
As a Zambian woman I was greatly appalled to have read in your paper about an MMD youth Chairperson Chris Chalwe threatening to rape Edith Nawakwi.I guess he planned to recruit a gang of MMD cadres to carry this out.I have been waiting for our President or MMD senior officials to condemn this primitive and diabolical threat but alas it seems our President, Senior MMD members and the Inspector General Francis Kabonde have given it a thumbs up!
This is greatly distressing and a sad day for all Zambian women.The Zambian leadership obviously have no regard for Women or their rights.
It was only recently that President Banda and the police harassed Mrs Chansa Kabwela when they called for her arrest.All she was trying to do was to bring to the attention of our leaders the deplorable plight of Zambian women at the largest health institution of the land. In this case, all focus was shifted from the poor health facilities availed to Zambian women in child birth.This would have been a great opportunity to highlight the poor antenatal case facilities in the country instead it become an international fiasco which showed how our “learned President” was victimising an innocent Zambian woman over the definition of “pornography”.
It is increasingly becoming obvious that The Zambian leadership has no regard for Zambian Women or issues affecting them.Who will Zambian women turn to? We can not even turn to the Police because apparently the Police chief did not find anything wrong in Mr Chalwe’s terrorist threat. Terrorism is defined as the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear) .
Mr Kabonde, I guess implies that terrorism is not an offense in Zambia.Are the police waiting for bodily harm to come to Mrs Nawakwi before they act?
As a man thinketh so is he. Mr Chalwe is obviously a rapist and has probably done this act before for him to so boldly utter it. In this day of HIV/AIDS such a threat can be likened to the threat of Murder.But once again since it involves a woman, no one really cares.
Are the true colors of MMD finally coming out? I shudder to think that the murderous MMD youth- the future of MMD could one day rule Zambia.In light of this I urge all Zambian women not to vote for MMD as our safety is at stake.If they can not guarantee our safety in Zambia they do not deserve to enter State house.Mr.President, you are either For or Against Mr.Chalwe, as Zambian women we want to know where you stand.
The NCC has passed a resolution that the next republican constitution should require that for a person to be eligible to stand for the position of Republican President he must have attained the minimum academic qualification of a degree.
I wish to argue in this article that this provision makes no practical sense and is a disservice to a pragmatic understanding of what Zambia truly needs in a leader.
First, this requirement out rightly reduces the pool from which Zambians could freely pick their president. With just 2 state universities for decades in Zambia, graduates from these institutions may be qualified, but are just too few to form the primary pool for presidency.
Those educated from outside Zambia are even fewer.
Secondly, this requirement wrongly places academic qualifications as a test of good leadership.
Africa should be careful here that we do not adopt western styled education as the only measure of wisdom. There are some who are saying that the need for a degree is because we need a leader who would be able to speak well at international fora.
I would rather have a president who genuinely cares for Zambians, and signs bills that are helpful to her people than one who can speak all the languages of the civilized world and yet cares less.
Qualities such as caring, honest, hardworking are some qualities we need to see in a leader. While education is important, it does not guarantee those qualities.
Thirdly, this requirement is a raw deal for women. Women are the most academically disadvantaged community in our country.
Even if they make up about 51% of our population a very small percentage of them reach grade nine. The NCC adoption of this clause disadvantages women from ascending to the presidency in Zambia.
Four male presidents have destroyed our country and it may be time for us to look to our womenfolk for the next president; but with this clause in place very few of our women would even be considered to stand for president.
Fourthly, this requirement may be an attempt to try and sideline Sata. This is déjà vu for us. In 1996 Chiluba’s government forced through some clauses in the constitution that were aimed at barring both Kaunda (the parental clause) and Mung’omba (the 20 year domicile clause).
From experience such maneuvers never work. I personally do have serious misgivings about having Sata for a president, but at the same time I think it is not right for the whole NCC with the support of the MMD government to try and deliberately sneak in a clause that would disadvantage his aspiration for the high office—especially if the Zambian people want him to stand.
In the end, it should be up to the Zambian people to decide whether they so feel that Sata should rule.
Fifthly, this provision confuses more than it clarifies. So what are we going to say is a university degree? Which field and which discipline, and from which school? President Banda holds a degree which he acquired at least half a century ago. Should that qualify him for president?
This provision is precursor of confusion. And it will not be long before we hear an appeal lodged in the High Court for interpretation.
Sixthly, the NCC desire for a well educated president should be appreciated, but at whose expense? It is the people of Zambia to choose who among them should rule them.
It is the people of Zambia to choose whether one has a degree or not. If the constitutional principle of our democracy is one man one vote then there should be no restriction why such a man should not even be eligible to stand unless he has a university degree.
If the NCC genuinely feels that only university graduates should rule Zambia, they should then begin by making primary education, secondary education, and college education freely accessible to all.
Without free access to education, we may find that we will need to ask Her Majesty in Britain to send us a President, because from the kind of mismanagement we are having at the hand of both degree holders and non-degree holders, universities in Zambia would fail to graduate anyone.
A little glimpse of the future? All the universities are closed, because the only pool of future presidents were busy rioting and burning cars on Buteko and Addis Ababa Drive, so much for who should be the next president!
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is targeting to register 2.5 million new voters to add to the 3.9 million currently on the 2006 register to bring the voter’s roll to about 6.4 million.
ECZ deputy director in charge of Information Technology Brown Kasaro said this in Lusaka on Wednesday when he presented a paper on the Implementation of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) at a stakeholders meeting.
Mr Kasaro said the commission’s projections are based on the Central Statistics Office (CSO) data which estimates that there are currently 6.4 million Zambians eligible to vote.
The CSO projects that there are 659,033 people in Central Province who are over 18 while Copperbelt has 1,033,211 with Eastern Province having 839,691.
Luapula residents who are over the age of 18 are estimated at 536,443, while in Lusaka the number is 927,841 with Northern Province having 801,224.
Those over 18 in North-Western Province are estimated at 372,372 while in Southern Province the number is 777,362 with Western Province having 487,095.
Zambia’s current estimated population stands at more than 12 million.
In 2000, the CSO announced Zambia’s population at 10,618,500.
The ECZ will in June this year embark on a continuous mobile voter registration exercise to last until September.
Mr Kasaro said the registration will commence with an initial 90-day mobile campaign in each of the 150 constituencies.
He said a minimum of six registration officers will be deployed in each constituency.
Mr Kasaro said the CVR will entail the continuous updating of the existing voters’ register through the registration of eligible citizens.
He said the exercise will also entail the replacement of voters’ cards in cases of loss or damage, change of details and transfer of voters from one polling district to another.
The exercise will provide for the removal of the deceased from the voters’ register and amendment of other details by registered voters.
Mr Kasaro said those who registered in 2005 do not need to register again but verify their details.
Government has this year allocated K70 billion for the CVR.
ECZ chairperson Florence Mumba said at the stakeholders meeting that the Commission would only be able to conduct its first phase of the continuous mobile voter registration because of insufficient funds.
“The budget has provided K70 billion towards the implementation of continuous voter registration.
With this level of funding, it is surely not possible to decentralise the continuous voter registration as earlier planned. Therefore, the commission has undertaken to commence the registration through periodic mobile registration campaigns,” Mrs Mumba said.
She said funds permitting, the exercise may continue later in the year.
Mrs Mumba said during the periodic continuous mobile voter registration exercise, mobile teams equipped with digital mobile registration kits will be deployed in each of the 72 districts of the country.
She said each registration centre under the exercise will be open for 12 days.
Mrs Mumba said continuous mobile voter registration will include periodic closures to allow the commission to update the voters’ register.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Mwense Member of Parliament Jacob Chongo has differed with party secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s claims that second Republican president Frederick Chiluba is engaging in active politics.
Mr Kabimba recently claimed that Dr Chiluba was engaging in active politics and the PF would seek the court’s intervention to stop the former president from accessing his terminal benefits.
But speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chongo argued that by Dr Chiluba mingling with taxi drivers and vendors on the Copperbelt, he was not in anyway involving himself in active politics.
As former president, Dr Chiluba was at liberty to comment on economic, political and social issues affecting the nation.
“I wish to disagree with the secretary general of the PF who is saying that Dr Chiluba is engaging in active politics and therefore he does not deserve his benefits, that is a lie.
Dr Chiluba is not involving himself in active politics but is it because of some good things that he did when he was president that people on the Copperbelt are following him?” Mr Chongo said.
Mr Chongo argued that in the 10 years that Dr Chiluba served as Republican president, not everything that he did was bad and it was out of the good things that he did that people on the Copperbelt and Luapula provinces were flocking to him each time he visited the two areas.
He said that it was important that Mr Kabimba and others desisted from exhibiting personal hatred against Dr Chiluba.
Mr Chongo said that it was because of the hatred for Dr Chiluba that the PF leadership was talking of seeking court redress over a straightforward issue.
“I urge the people of Zambia including Mr Kabimba to desist from hating Dr Chiluba. Some politicians have a natural hatred for this man. As much as people think that there were negative things that he did when he was in power, there were other positive things that he did and so on the Copperbelt and in Luapula, people are going to be following him,” Mr Chongo said.[quote]
He said that, in fact, Dr Chiluba was at liberty to support a party of his choice but that such did not constitute engaging himself in active politics.
During the campaigns for the 2006 elections, he said Dr Chiluba came out in the open and declared that he was supporting the PF but the leadership did not complain that the former president was engaging himself in active politics.
“Can Mr Kabimba explain what Dr Chiluba was doing in 2006 when he declared his support for the PF and why didn’t the PF condemn Dr Chiluba at that time? This is serious hypocrisy that we should not allow in politics,” Mr Chongo said.
He said the PF was worried that it was losing its popularity on the Copperbelt and Luapula provinces owing to Dr Chiluba’s seemingly soft spot for the MMD.
Chief Mwanachingwala and the Catholic church in Mazabuka have welcomed the decision by the Human rights commission to institute investigations into how the 46 women who participated in the Microbicide Gel clinical trial contracted the HIV virus.
Chief Mwanachingwala told ZANIS in Mazabuka today, that the probe is welcome as it will expose a lot of information the organisation has been hiding from members of the public.
Chief Mwanachingwala alleged that all the women who participated in the clinical trial have been banned from sharing their experience with outsiders especially the press.
He said only the human rights commission will rescue the affected women from the psychological problems they are going through since none of them has been briefed on the outcome of the trials.
Chief Mwanachingwala alleged that two days ago, a team of medical doctors who only identified themselves as researchers from the University of Zambia pleaded with him not to issue negative statements on the failed clinical trials when they visited him at the palace.
He however, said, he would not be silenced because the organisation is not sincere on the matter.
And Catholic Priest in Charge, Father John Mansaya told ZANIS in Mazabuka, the intervention by the human rights commission is a relief to the church.
He said the church is saddened at the negative development that led to the failed efficacy of the drug which was meant to help women in blocking the transmission of the HIV.
Fr. Mansaya complained that at the inception of the clinical trials, the church objected to the testing of the drug on human beings.
He said MDP officials maintained the drug was effective and was the quickest remedy to HIV/AIDS.
Fr. Mansaya, however, regretted that MDP has not taken trouble to brief the church on the outcome of the results.
Efforts by ZANIS to get a comment from MDP Community Liason Officer, Kennedy Mundia failed as his mobile phone was switched off.
Government has embarked on the constructing project of a boarding high school in Chief Musaka’s area in Solwezi district at the cost of K24 billion.Mushindamo high school will have 12 classrooms, 20 teachers’ houses, a clinic and 4 boys and 4 girls dormitories.
The construction project is being undertaken by Huajiang Investment a Chinese company is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Solwezi District Commissioner Frobisher Fulayi has expressed happiness at the progress made so far.
Mr Fulayi said the contractor was on course despite quarry dust for making blocks coming from Lumwana which is about 220 km away from the site.The District Commissioner expressed hope that the school will be completed on schedule.
He said once the school is completed enrolment numbers are expected to be high as it will not only cater for pupils from Chief Musaka’s area but also neighbouring Chikola and Mulonga chiefdoms. Mr. Fulayi added that the school will be the second biggest boarding school after Solwezi Technical High School (SOLTECH). He said people in the three chiefdoms will greatly benefit from the school as they do not have any nearby high school.
Mr. Fulayi reiterated government’s commitment to improving the education sector and achievement of the millennium development goal on education by bringing education facilities closer to the people.
And Huajiang investment site manager Lio Kilojing assured the District Commissioner that despite the bad state of the road and the quarry dust coming from afar, the project will be completed on schedule.
Meanwhile works on the K1.2 billion Kipushi border post bordering Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is progressing well. Jaids building construction company site manager Kingston Marumisa told Solwezi District Commissioner Frobisher Fulayi when he visited the site that the building materials were not coming as expected due to the bad state of the Kipushi road.
Mr. Marumisa said despite minor hiccups, the project will be handed over to the government by April this year as scheduled. Speaking after checking on the works at the site Mr Fulayi told ZANIS that some omissions have been discovered such as the warehouse, strong room as well as security rooms. Mr. Fulayi said despite the omissions he was impressed with the works done so far.
GOVERNMENT has expressed great concern over the increased cases of Zambians aiding prohibited immigrants to enter the country illegally through Nakonde border in Northern Province.
Nakonde District Commissioner Edwin Sinyinza told Zambia News and Information Services [ZANIS] in Nakonde today that his office is concerned and worried with the trend.
Mr. Sinyinza said the increased cases of Zambian nationals being caught aiding prohibited immigrants to enter the country illegally were posing a serious security risk to the country.
He warned those aiding prohibited immigrants that they risk heavy punishment once arrested.
The District Commissioner also called on the security officers in the border town to be patriotic and ensure that they do not allow prohibited immigrants to enter the country illegally as they would destabilize the peace and harmony the country was currently enjoying.
Mr. Sinyinza was reacting to the arrest of 13 Somali nationals in the early hours of yesterday who were intercepted at Nsansamwenje Basic school about 56 km from Nakonde border along the Great North Road.
The 13 were enroute to Lusaka aboard a Mitsubishi Carter registration number ACL 3411.
The driver together with the Somalian nationals is currently detained at Nakonde police station and would appear in court soon.
The named driver used Malawi road and connected into the Great North Road in order to avoid a police check point at Wulongo but security officers working on a tip from members of the public waylaid the truck and intercepted it just as it was connecting into the Great North Road from Malawi road around 01:00 hours.
A source from the immigration office said the driver of the truck failed to stop when ordered to do so forcing other officers in the operation to fire warning shots in the air.
The source added that initial investigations have indicated that the Somalian nationals had paid US$200 each to be taken to Lusaka.
The driver was found with US $200 in his pocket which he claimed was the only money paid to him to ferry the Somalian nationals to Lusaka.
Three weeks ago, another Zambian Fuso truck was intercepted with 21 Somalian nationals after it was involved in a road traffic accident along Nakonde / Malawi road in the night.
Others escaped into the nearby bush while others were captured and taken to the police station.
The immigration department has since impounded the two trucks which are currently parked at Nakonde police station.
Three other taxi drivers were arrested in September last year after they were intercepted with Somalian nationals in their car while another taxi driver and a senior immigration officer were also arrested last November with suspected prohibited immigrants in their respective cars.
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in Choma to join hundreds of mourners who will attend the burial of wife of Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe.
This is according to a programme released to ZANIS in Choma this afternoon by District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni.
Mr. Apuleni said President Banda is expected to arrive in Choma by helicopter at around 08.00 hours.
He said the President will be accompanied by first republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga and other senior government officials.
The late Mrs Munkombwe who died in Choma general hospital last Friday after an illness will be put to rest at Mr. Munkombwe’s farm, about 10 kilometres along the Choma-Masuku road.
Mr. Apuleni said traditional leaders from across the province are also expected to attend the burial of the late Mrs Munkombwe.
THE ruling party, MMD, has re-organised itself by bringing into the National Executive Committee (NEC) former national secretary Vernon Mwaanga, Education Minister Dora Siliya, former Nyimba Member of Parliament (MP) Chembe Nyangu, and Albert Chifita and dropping its deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande.
The party has also appointed a political mobilisation taskforce to rejuvenate the party and come up with a “winning formular” for the 2011 elections.
Briefing journalists at the party secretariat in Lusaka yesterday, national secretary Dr Katele Kalumba said the decisions were made during a NEC meeting chaired by President Banda at State House yesterday.
Dr Kalumba said the NEC formed a quorum and senior members perceived as the party’s black sheep like MPs for Chilanga Ng’andu Magande, Chongwe MP Sylvia Masebo and Western Province chairperson Simasiku Namakando were in attendance.
He said Mr Mwaanga and Mr Chifita were nominated as trustees. Mr Mwaanga replaces the late Frank Moyo while Mr Chifita fills a vacancy.
Ms Siliya replaces the late party spokesperson, Benny Tetamashimba, while Mr Nyangu replaces Mr Kaande, who has been dropped.
Dr Kalumba could not disclose why Mr Kaande has been dropped, but wished him well, saying the party will re-assign him to meet his expectations and those of the Zambian people.
“Mr Kaande has been a reliable deputy national secretary. I wish him well wherever he will have an opportunity to further his (political) career,” Dr Kalumba said.[quote]
He said the MMD is confident that Mr Nyangu, a former diplomat, will project the ruling party positively and defend Government policies.
Dr Kalumba said the ruling party would like its members to understand Government public policy and bring to the attention of the people what President Banda has done for Zambians.
He said President Banda has demonstrated good leadership qualities by getting Zambia out of its economic crisis and steering growth when the global economy was in recession.
Dr Kalumba said the MMD would like its members to defend President Banda’s legacy based on what he has done, as well as what they scored under the leadership of the late President Mwanawasa.
He stressed that credit should go to the MMD on whatever achievements a president scores because they do so on that platform.
Dr Kalumba said the political mobilisation taskforce, whose members he could not disclose, will bring the MMD closer to the people where this has not been done. Dr Kalumba said the taskforce will also come up with constructive ideas to rejuvenate the party ahead of the 2011 elections.
“The political mobilisation taskforce will comprise people with the experience of preparing for elections. We will also bring in experienced blood and new blood. It’s our hit group because it will come up with a winning formular (for the 2011 elections),” Dr Kalumba said.
He said this committee will also be tasked to attract new members to the ruling party because they want to infuse new ideas from outside and within its rank and file, too.
Dr Kalumba said the date for MMD convention and other internal elections will only be known after costing has been done and other logistical issues have been taken into consideration.
He said a committee headed by the treasurer has been tasked to come up with the detailed costing to undertake these elections. A report will be presented to the next NEC meeting during which the venue for the convention will be decided.
Dr Kalumba said the party will launch a membership renewal in Lusaka on February 13, 2010, to be followed by a nationwide exercise on March 6.
Meanwhile, Dr Kalumba has described as misplaced concerns by Patriotic Front president Michael Sata that the decision by the NCC that a presidential candidate should be a holder of a first degree is targeted at him.
Dr Kalumba said it is unfortunate that Mr Sata thinks that the NCC could conspire to exclude him from contesting elections.
He said the NCC was only exercising its mandate based on the recommendations of the Wila Mung’omba-led Constitution Review Commission.
Dr Kalumba said if Mr Sata has a degree as claimed by PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba in the private media, there was no cause for him to worry because it will be verified.
“If he has got a degree there is no need to worry, it will be certified. If he hasn’t got one he can secure one on-line,” he said.
Dr Kalumba, who is a member of the NCC, said he was pleasantly surprised to hear old freedom fighters during plenary discussions advocating improvement of credentials for leadership.
He said the freedom fighters said this is what they fought for because they would like their children to aspire for good credentials.
“It is a bit paranoid to think that the whole country is thinking about you. This may not be the case,” he said.
The MMD in Mazabuka has welcomed the decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to drop Mr. Jeff Kaande as the party’s Deputy National Secretary describing the development as good riddance.
MMD District vice chairperson, Takawira Mahere told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that, removing Mr Kaande from his position is good riddance and long overdue.
Mr. Mahere said Mr. Kaande deserves such punitive action because he allegedly contributed to the confusion that had rocked the MMD in Mazabuka and Monze districts following his un authorized dissolution of the party organs.
He said the dissolution of the party organs led to the resignation of district and constituency officials in Monze district.
Mr. Mahere said it had to take him to restrain senior party officials in Mazabuka district from resigning because he knew that Mr Kaande’s directives did not have the blessings of the party national secretariat.
He also congratulated Education Minister Dora Siliya on her appointment as party spokesperson.
Mr. Mahere also urged NEC not to entertain any members creating confusion in the party.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mahere has challenged the Southern Province MMD executive committee to resign their positions on moral grounds for failing to reject directives by Mr Kaande to dissolve the two districts.
Mr. Mahere threatened to de-campaign the provincial executive committee if it does not resign within three weeks.
ZANIS
“The RUINS“ University of Zambia student residence
By P. Hatontola:
Following the NCC’s unanimous adoption of an article that requires a presidential candidate to have the minimum academic qualification of a degree, it goes without saying that all those who work with a Republican president in public office must be his equals academically.
To this effect, natural law and morality will dictate as a prerequisite, that ministers and their deputies including permanent secretaries and their deputies too, must be subjected to the same litmus test. They must be degree holders if they are to be real partners with the president and operate as equals. Members of parliament too must not be an exception. This should apply to them as law makers. In fact, even NCC members ought to have degrees to render this clause legitimate. How about the electorate, shouldn’t they also possess a degree to vote ‘wisely’? Without these considerations, this development would be a step in the reverse and a disuniting factor to the nation.
A degree is desirable. But it is not an end in itself. Rather, it is a means to an end. As such, this clause can be generally classified as being myopic, discriminatory and ill-conceived. Where does this clause leave those with professional qualifications such as CIMA/ACCA? This clause would disadvantage credible candidates who never attained a degree for circumstances beyond their control. For example, the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, could not attain even a grade 12 qualification as he was a fugitive. He was in exile while others were going through the ranks of education in class rooms. Notwithstanding his humble educational background, the social and economic strides made by his government are enormous for all to see. One the other hand, the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe has an impeccable academic background. The world is yet to see a President who will match Mugabe’s academic achievements. Mugabe’s academic achievements are second to none in the history of the world’s Presidents. The question of whether these academic achievements for this President translate into any benefits on the citizenry of Zimbabwe is left to one’s individual assessment. Whether the high academic success of Mugabe has aided the socio-economic well-being of the people of Zimbabwe is there for all to see. It is public knowledge that perhaps his education has worked more to his country’s detriment.
Coming back home, Zambia has had four Presidents, namely Dr. Kaunda, Dr. Chiluba, Late Dr. Mwanawasa and the incumbent Rupiah Banda. Based on the performance of all these presidents, every honest Zambian, irrespective of their political affiliation, will admit that Dr. Kaunda made the most significant contributions to the development of the region in general and Zambia in particular. His commitment and dedication to duty does not compare to any of his successors, let alone his achievements. He did all this with very humble education. There was an engine to this. It was not a degree. He didn’t have one. But he had love for the people; passion for service, good leadership skills; honesty, integrity, wisdom and finally, vision for the country. All these attributes are not learnt from a class room. I agree that these are qualities and virtues of a president that can guarantee success for Zambians in all their aspirations. Zambia needs a president who is visionary. Period! Talking about ministers with degrees, the likes of Felix Mutati have displayed exemplary performance. His degree is worth the paper it’s written on. Conversely, Micheal Sata as Minister of Health far outperformed degreed inisters like Dr Chituwo when they served as health ministers.
Goodness! The clause does not specify what degree is needed. With a degree in dancing, one will have their way to presidency at the expense of candidates with a good value system. I neither despise any degree nor encourage anyone not to study for one. I have them. But I have seen many people with degrees yet they can’t manage their own lives. How about a country? Like an economist must have a degree in economics, shouldn’t a president have a degree in ‘Presidency?’ and a Minister of Home Affairs one in ‘Home Affairs’? This clause is a joke.
Lastly, UNZA like any other university is run by people with many degrees, even professors. I am yet to hear anyone who is inspired by the governance of UNZA by these learned colleagues. It is no public secret that even some students pursuing these degrees at UNZA have exhibited behaviours that are unbefitting of a president in making. How this institution is run does not inspire confidence amongst Zambians. Unless we want Zambia to become like UNZA, this clause remains a fallacy. There is still time to redeem ourselves from an impending disaster owing to this clause.
We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all made wrong choices; but as believers in Jesus, that doesn’t change our heritage. God doesn’t kick us out of the kingdom because we’re not perfect. Maybe you don’t feel like you deserve God’s goodness, or you think you’re supposed to suffer through life and just endure that problem. But friends, this is what mercy is all about. His mercy will renew and restore you if you receive it by faith today.
No matter what you may have done wrong, you are still the apple of God’s eye. You are still His most prized possession. You can still activate God’s promises by faith today. Why don’t you shake off the guilt and condemnation? Put your shoulders back and say, “I refuse to live below my privileges. I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven. I may have made mistakes, but God knows my heart is to please Him, and I am changing my ways. Even though I may have brought this trouble on myself, I’m going to stay in faith and expect God to turn it around.”
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
” Gracious heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for receiving me, loving me, cleansing me, and changing me. I dedicate every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
