Our country has been caught napping by the Coronavirus pandemic. Our leadership was in slumber! With billions of dollars to pay in external and domestic debt, we have been hit by a calamity with no recovery plan. This is a stark reminder of why a country needs visionary leadership.
Every year, governments of every country of good repute engage in civil contingencies. Civil contingencies are those things that any government will do to plan for any eventuality, whether it is a contagion, pandemic, an outbreak or whatever you call it. It could be an accident, a train derails and overturns, toxic chemicals spilling over a resourceful river, anything. When dealing with such civil contingencies, a government plans ahead by putting constraints on expenditure.
Here in Zambia, it is clear that we do not have this initiative. We have talked and talked about a sinking fund for public debt, but we have failed to walk the talk. Our treasury is empty. We have made declarations and pronouncements over austerity measures, but they have yielded nothing. Without private sector donations towards this pandemic, one would wonder where we would have found ourselves. In fact, it’s safe to say that here in Zambia, it will be by the Grace of God that we will survive this current health crisis.
But governance should never be left to chance. Leadership is not a gamble which you get into and hope that during your reign, there will be no disasters such as the prevailing crisis. The first responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens by making basic needs available. A sober leadership invests in the health system and budgets for the recruitment of healthcare givers. That preparedness saves you from employing under duress without a line budget.
Look at how much money has been going towards defence in Zambia! We have have seen massive procurement of military armoured tanks and heavy artillery being transported to various bases across the country. Millions of dollars have gone towards the defence budget, but it is the poor, neglected nurse today who has to stand up as the last line of defence for this country’s citizens. After millions of dollars poured into military preparedness, only to be saved by a poor nurse who gets peanuts at the monthend. What a shame!
For a long time, the civil society in this country has been questioning the surge in budgetary allocations towards defence and a sharp drop in funding towards the health and education sector. Who are we at war with? The President has spent over US$130 million on himself to buy the so-called anti-missile “Ferrari in the sky”, while the country is bleeding from unprecedented debt. who can feel pity for a leadership that has such lopsided reasoning?
Imagine how many doctors and nurses would have been employed out of this ill-timed military investment. Imagine how many health facilities would have been built from the money spent on presidential jets? The Minister of Health wouldn’t be begging hotel owners for quarantine space. There would be enough ventilators to cover a good number of COVID-19 patients. This all comes with good leadership that puts the interests of the people first and sets priorities right.
This is a wakeup call! We should not, as citizens, relegate the debate around the leadership of this country to social media jokes and memes. We have to sit down and do some hard talk about the future of Zambia. Leaders take their followers where they want to be taken; if citizens of Zambia show happiness with this kind of leadership, those in power will have no reason for changing the status quo. But if they walk on the streets, open the newspapers, turn on the TV and see discontent from the people, they will know that they have failed. They will wake up and start working.
Zambia is in this state because the people have tolerated mediocrity from government leaders. We have accepted it as a new normal for those in government to steal with impunity, without thinking about the future. We have accepted that corruption is the normal way for getting rich once you hold public office. We have accepted that those with state power can abuse it as long as they want, and can only be made to account if they leave office.
We need to have a sober conversation around our national leadership. We are where we are because we have accepted to be dumped here. The stupidity of the elected reflects the foolishness of the electors. Zikomo!
11 Responses
Long article indeed. Let each profession be ready for eventualities. They are all very important. Imagine war started along side covid, what could have been your comment? Lets not condemn but critisize where its due.
This is a badly written editorial. No country in the world could have prepared for COVID 19! Look at the Western countries with their money and military might! Please rethink your analogy, it is a bad piece of writing.
No one was ready for covid 19 not even China or america in as much as u think military spending is a waste of money we are safe becouse trouble makers know the zambian army is ready for them any time so thy dont dare do anything stupit countries that never prepared for trouble makers have been at war by the time thy wake up with thr poorly equipt armys.
Nice write-up… In deed the govt needs to plan for eventualities and invest more in health bcz even if war broke out..health comes first… Our soldiers will need medical attention as they fight…. health must be a priority too.
Very long article but with no substance, Covid 19 has ravaged even the world’s biggest economies with the best medical facilities and highly paid medical staff; America, Britain, Italy, Spain, China, France, Germany, Portugal, south Korea and now Russia not forgetting South Africa near home.
Much as I agree with the writer that we have a lot of misplaced priorities in Zambia like the ones he has highlighted including the issue of fire tenders, expensive fleet of vehicles, the covid 19 example is rather misplaced.
Sometimes people can have points but what makes their contributions irrelevant and mere rhetoric is misplacement.
This is why the opposition in Africa usually doesn’t add real value to politics because they oppose all the time even at times of national unity of purpose.
I have learnt that you can see wrong in anything look at if you wish to. Military is an arm of government just like health, if the government invested in health and war broke. What was going to be your comment? I guess government to blame, sometimes it’s important to analyse before commenting more especially on serious issues. I submit.
Let’s appreciate the role the government of Zambia has played during this COVID 19 pandemic, note that we have had very serious disasters difficult business challenges such as droughts floods low copper prices, load shadings etc of which governments has handed especially very well, before time we are now on this world wide COVID 19 pandemic.
This has not been easy at all.
Let’s open our eyes and see what this government has done.
We have had a very big infrastructure deficit in the past, as many past governments did very little, moving with time or in tandem wit population growth.
Today for instance we have more government universities when PF came in power they found two universities UNZA and CBU today we have about six new government universities, this includes new colleges primary and secondary schools etc.
New clinics and hospitals,district hospitals as well as new provincial general hospitals and three high specialized hospitals so tha we lessen taking or sending people to go and be treated abroad.
New airports to increase tourism visitation in Zambia as growing this sector.
New roads to shorten routes to make transportation of goods quicker and cheaper and also expand some roads to reduce congestion.
Energy new power plants kafue gorge lower soon coming with additional capacity of 750 MW, solar 600 MW, the first ever coal fired power plant mamba started in this PF government all this is job creation and economic.ic growth, Zesco is currently upgrading the power network system to catch up with the population growth.
Water and sanitation development projects that once completed will bring water to all homes.
New Dams for both water conservation and irrigation for us to grow crops through out the year.
Railways services was running trains at 10/20 km per hour today this time in PF government trains are ranning at 60 km per hour in route to increase the speed to ran trains at 80/100 km per hour in the near future.
This government has stimulated economic development and job creations open you eyes and see.
Political write up indeed. Stick to COVID-19 and appreciate what the GRZ has done and continues doing. This is not time for campaigning. No substance in this campaign article at all.
Not a single country globaly was ready for Covid-19. Not even the G8 nor superpower. Zambian let’s not just write for the sake of writing.
The current death toll in the United States of America stands at +35,000. According to this article, they must have been very prepared indeed! America is the world’s largest economy in other words a Superpower, yet they have covid cases way above 600 THOUSAND to date. With all their military might and advanced medical services, they are the first country to record 2000 plus deaths in a day. Mwebena Zambia sambilileni ukutasha and to give credit where it is due. Yes the government has its faults – but which government worldwide is perfect? Are you aware of the scandals caused by US governments from time immemorial? Why was Mr. Donald Trump impeached? The Middle East has a record of violent human rights abuses, China has an authoritarian regime as such there are no freedoms like the one you enjoyed just now when you wrote this article, South America is laden with corruption and drug cartels, look up the impeachment of Brazilian presidents. In certain countries, women are not even allowed to do a number of things including driving. In a small country called Zambia, your mother, your sisters, your daughters have freedom to do much more than drive, the constitution gives them the freedom to buy their own assets, get an education, run their own companies, worship as they please, move as they will – which is unheard of in some countries. I reiterate a comment made by someone here, the opposition serves no purpose in Africa – all they do is criticize the incumbent government even where not necessary. I was reading an extract of our presidents letter to Mr. Jack Ma, and it started, Dear Sir, and it made me think of one thing – respect and regard that he has for the man. Jack Ma is younger than the president, but to the president, Mr. Ma is nothing but SIR. Look at these online papers we have in Zambia and indeed our leaders in opposition and the disrespect they have for the president – tell Lungu to explain this and that, let Lungu address the nation. We have reduced our president to a mere colleague as such we refer to him in first person, some to the extent of even using his first name. Whether you like it or not he is still the president of this country and as such not at your level. Zambia being a Christian nation, I will end my comment with a Biblical perspective Romans 13:1-2 NO AUTHORITY EXISTS WITHOUT GOD’S PERMISSION. While we choose to disrespect our leaders, Lungu that, Chagwa that – if you believe in God, then these words in the book of Roman’s stand to be true. “This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So then, let ALL people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that He can give them to anyone He chooses – even to those who are the least important” Daniel 4:17 (GNB). Read the book of Numbers 12 and learn what made several of the Israelites to perish before entering the promised land – ifya kuilishyanya lishyanya. All they did was complain and criticize God and who, His appointed leader Moses. Good or bad leaders, God sees it fit that they should be leaders and ensures that it comes to pass. I am yet to read an article from any of these online papers that actually lauds government even for one thing – just one thing. The leaders in opposition tend to forget one thing, campaign before God not before man, because it is not the votes from man but Gods approval that you need, efyo cha lembelwa ati “humble yourself before God, that He may elevate you in His own appointment time”. Criticize when necessary but equally give credit where due.
How cowardly Zambians can be to comment anonymously on such an.important topic, what are you fearing? Please disclose my full.identity, I am a free man.
This is one of the best editorials to have come out of our fragile medias. How can Edgar spend billions buying those.military trucks we recently saw come through Mpika and Nakonde? Who allowed him to spend those billions?
Please let’s wake up Zambians, no country neighbouring and beyond is preparing to attack Zambia. Tell me one country Zambia should prepare against, tell me? With South Africa’s freedom and democratisation in the region, this is a period of the peace dividend for us. It’s game over for war unless of course Edgar is as before preparing to.unleash his military minions on the opposition UPND. I will understand of you say the army is being beefed up to prepare once again to lock up HH and still the vote as in 2016. To make sure there are soldiers everywhere each time 🙂 is driven from prison to courts.
If not for hh, who is Zambia preparing war for? Does the Zambia army want to invade Zimbabwe, for what? Does it want up invade the DRC or Angola perhaps further South South Africa? And can it really? Can Zambia army fight any of our neighbouring armies?-Isn’t it just dreaming, a very bad dream by a drunkard?
Political science should confirm that based on prevailing circumstances and in view of the regional geopolitical conditions, Zambia will not go to war with another country for which the army is mandated to respond to protect Zambians for the next fifty to hundred years. Rather, it is clear there will be internal war which is not responsibility.of the army. Due to extremely high levels of ccorruption in government including in illegal procurements of military hard and software, there will most certainly be war. But this is internal war for which the army cannot constitutionally be mandated to intervene.
The problem in Zambia is we have a weak state. One person as in this case can do whatever they like with public resources and power. This is the problem we face. There is no democracy and t therefore no institutions or vibrant citizenship to scrutinise arbitrary and unlawful decisions. Instead of spending money on heAlth like ensuring mass testing of citizens for corona, some idiot spends billions yo buy useless military trucks for his ego and to instil fear in citizens.
Cry the Beloved Country!
Prof. Hansungule