Since I was a small kid, I always thought that the easiest way a Government can create employment for it’s citizens within it’s borders is by exporting its home-made products abroad and believe me, feels as if someone has kicked my groin whenever I hear of Zambians blocking there Congolese counterparts from crossing back to their territory with a few bags of maize meal they pay for from Zambia… I mean these people don’t steal for goodness sake. We should just invest more in the growing of maize at home. Why has it been so hard for all our governments to invest more in agriculture? The Congolese people don’t get our unga for free and they don’t steal either… they bring money into our country which creates jobs on your farms and at our food processing centers, which also translate to increased revenue for the Zambia Revenue Authority…
Why has it always been about food security in Zambia for over 40 years? Are we ever going to have a government that will view agriculture as a multi billion-dollar business?
Monday, April 13, 2009
My open letter to those in leadership positions.
Zambians in leadership positions and/or any other well educated individuals please help me understand why does it always have to read like “Government to invest K3 trillion in infrastructure development” in Zambia? What infrastructure? Why can’t leaders be more specific? Isn’t this how tax payer’s money goes missing??? If I remember correctly, shortly before the late President Levy Mwanawasa passed on, there where talks about huge sums of money intended development lying idle in commercial banks, and then after his death, no follow-up statements were made at all and no developments to write home about were seen… I’m I wrong to suspect that the money is missing or has been stolen??? Why can’t leaders be more specific like their equivalents in South Africa who specify where the money is going like for example, R20 billion in the construction of the Gautrain railway, R10 billion in the expansion of the OR international airport, R20 billion for stadiums etcetera? What is infrastructure? Please be more specific because some of us have a very limited understanding of economics and English language so statements like “Government to invest K3 trillion in infrastructure development” can be quiet difficult to absorb.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
What will it take to turn the tables around for Zambia?
By boasting about the plentiful supply of water and other natural wealth that we have within our borders, we are just making big monkeys of ourselves.
It’s actually our disadvantages that out-weigh our advantages and we are busy singing “copper, copper”, for what? Which copper mine is owned by Zambians?
We have been mining for as long as we can remember but what do we have to show for it?
Our road infrastructure is pathetic, the health care system is also very poor, the HI virus is widespread and there is brutal hunger that when you go visit rural areas, you will find that people are skeletal that you will fail to differentiate who’s got AIDS and who doesn’t… I really can’t find anything to make noise about.
Fortunately, the main causes for the sufferings are man-made, so there is hope but the big question is: what will it take to turn the tables around for Zambia?
To find the solution, we have to understand what causes the misery. Of course, our country is blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources and naturally humble citizens but that alone is not enough. We need to grow, but how do we grow?
Personally, I think everyone has the potential to change the world they live in one way or the other, but again, I believe that it’s people in leadership positions, those whom we have entrusted with power to manage our taxes who should make certain that Zambia tomorrow becomes an improved place than it was yesterday without fail.
The way in which the South African government is empowering its previously disadvantaged citizenry is something our leaders should lean from, like for example the owner-driver program at the South African breweries whereby the company gives its recruits a real chance to become independent businesspeople.
I believe that Zambia can be turned into an improved place to live in if we can put to power a clever leader who can, among other things, Institute a transport system that will overcome or at least lessen the disadvantages of the country’s landlocked status, Cut down on government spending and Take citizen (black) empowerment programs very seriously because We can’t have foreigners owning all the mines and again have foreign trucking companies transport almost all the copper to the harbor for us and only have our boys working in the holes.
Something must be done
It’s actually our disadvantages that out-weigh our advantages and we are busy singing “copper, copper”, for what? Which copper mine is owned by Zambians?
We have been mining for as long as we can remember but what do we have to show for it?
Our road infrastructure is pathetic, the health care system is also very poor, the HI virus is widespread and there is brutal hunger that when you go visit rural areas, you will find that people are skeletal that you will fail to differentiate who’s got AIDS and who doesn’t… I really can’t find anything to make noise about.
Fortunately, the main causes for the sufferings are man-made, so there is hope but the big question is: what will it take to turn the tables around for Zambia?
To find the solution, we have to understand what causes the misery. Of course, our country is blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources and naturally humble citizens but that alone is not enough. We need to grow, but how do we grow?
Personally, I think everyone has the potential to change the world they live in one way or the other, but again, I believe that it’s people in leadership positions, those whom we have entrusted with power to manage our taxes who should make certain that Zambia tomorrow becomes an improved place than it was yesterday without fail.
The way in which the South African government is empowering its previously disadvantaged citizenry is something our leaders should lean from, like for example the owner-driver program at the South African breweries whereby the company gives its recruits a real chance to become independent businesspeople.
I believe that Zambia can be turned into an improved place to live in if we can put to power a clever leader who can, among other things, Institute a transport system that will overcome or at least lessen the disadvantages of the country’s landlocked status, Cut down on government spending and Take citizen (black) empowerment programs very seriously because We can’t have foreigners owning all the mines and again have foreign trucking companies transport almost all the copper to the harbor for us and only have our boys working in the holes.
Something must be done
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Lets talk about the Angola-Zambia railway link
Let’s talk about the Angola-Zambia rail re-construction, but first, let me wish a happy fresh 2009 to all of you, I trust you all cerebrated conscientiously, and by that, I mean a bit of money left to see you through the usually tough month of January.
A piece of writing on the internet caught my attention; it was about the reconstruction of a rail road from Zambia to the Benguela town in Angola. I wasn’t really aware that a railroad existed between the two countries and who can blame me? the situation in Angola has been quite bad from before I was even born and with the influx of refugees from that country into ours, I was not aware of anything positive from that county, but it was after I looked at the African map again that I began to understand how important the rail-link with Angola was to Zambia, and some further reading of the same article helped me understand why good relations between Angola and Zambia should always be maintained.
I’ve also learned that the railroad to Benguela needs to be reconstructed as soon as possible as it will boost both countries export earning as well as guarantee millions in transport savings, because at the moment Zambia suffers long and often expensive road routes to and from South Africa through Zimbabwe or Botswana.
As our President Mr. Rupiah Banda has rightly pointed out (while I can’t be so sure if he sincerely meant that personally), year 2008 has been a tragic year for Zambia and many other countries world wide, but I’ve also heard the president repeatedly during his campaigns promising to continue from where late President Levy Mwanawasa left off, and if those are his real intentions, we should see the Angola Zambia rail completed soon…lets say at least before his term ends in 2011.
A piece of writing on the internet caught my attention; it was about the reconstruction of a rail road from Zambia to the Benguela town in Angola. I wasn’t really aware that a railroad existed between the two countries and who can blame me? the situation in Angola has been quite bad from before I was even born and with the influx of refugees from that country into ours, I was not aware of anything positive from that county, but it was after I looked at the African map again that I began to understand how important the rail-link with Angola was to Zambia, and some further reading of the same article helped me understand why good relations between Angola and Zambia should always be maintained.
I’ve also learned that the railroad to Benguela needs to be reconstructed as soon as possible as it will boost both countries export earning as well as guarantee millions in transport savings, because at the moment Zambia suffers long and often expensive road routes to and from South Africa through Zimbabwe or Botswana.
As our President Mr. Rupiah Banda has rightly pointed out (while I can’t be so sure if he sincerely meant that personally), year 2008 has been a tragic year for Zambia and many other countries world wide, but I’ve also heard the president repeatedly during his campaigns promising to continue from where late President Levy Mwanawasa left off, and if those are his real intentions, we should see the Angola Zambia rail completed soon…lets say at least before his term ends in 2011.
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