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POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN ZAMBIA TODAY
Zambia today is confronted by immense challenges. 80% of our people are living below the poverty line, which means they lack basic human needs. This is a shame and an aberration on the leadership of this country of great wealth potential. Why are we in this position of despondency after a bright start in 1964?
The answer is LEADERSHIP. Our country has suffered from NEGATIVE LEADERSHIP. Eugene Habecker, a Christian writer, in his book “Rediscovering the Soul of Leadership” made a great observation about leadership, he said: ‘it can be positive or negative; it can be slanted toward God’s divine purpose or in another direction. It is leadership just the same.’ He goes on to identify four characteristics of a NEGATIVE leader based on Chapter 34 of the Book of Ezekiel in the Holy Bible.
These characteristics of a negative leader are:
1. Selfish Ambition: The leaders’ priority of taking care of themselves and their own needs rather than expressing care to and taking care of their people.
2. Lack of Caring: The verses quoted in Ezekiel point to the need for a leader to be caring for the ‘flock’ (people), such as, strengthening the weak, healing the sick, and binding up the injured and bringing back the stray flock. In Zambia this would translate to the fact that pensions are not paid on time, hospitals do not have enough drugs or beds and if they do have drugs these are expired drugs; and no proper emergency disaster facilities. More significantly, we have allowed our best brains to ‘stray’ out of the country for greener pasture.
3. Brutality: According to the Bible leaders are instructed to lead with a quality of gentleness and not cruelty. This means ensuring the rule of law and not imprisoning or denying bail to people who are innocent until proven guilty in the eyes of the law.
4. Inability to Unify: Negative leadership has consequences for the nation. As a result of negative leadership the flock wanders and becomes separated as we have increasingly become in Zambia. Political leaders are appealing to the masses on the basis of tribal allegiance. Major LEADERSHIP POSITIONS TODAY ARE ALLOCATED ON THE BASIS OF BLOOD RELATIONSHIPS OR LONG TIME FRIENDSHIP.
From the above characteristics outlined it can be concluded that Zambia has suffered negative leadership from the top at varying stages of our country’s history. During the beginning of the first republic we had a selfless young leadership dedicated to the independence struggle and development of Zambia as an African nation. As the years went by and power corrupted their minds that same idyllic leadership became ever more brutal towards its own people who dared to show any dissent.
Hence the first unlawful detentions of many Zambians from Northern Province (i.e. all alleged members or sympathizers of the UPP) took place in 1971 ordered by the then President of Zambia, H.E. Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. These detentions included Kaunda’s closest friend and confidant Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe. This heralded the beginning of the end for Zambia’s nascent democracy.
From 1971 onwards Kaunda showed his brutality, selfish ambition and inability to unify the country by declaring a so-called ‘one party participatory democracy’ that saw him rule unopposed for 27 years. Those were the days we began to be told that Kaunda was ‘Wamuyaya’, symbolizing the vanity of power. Today Zambia continues to suffer the legacy of this negative one party state economic and political policy that saw our country move from a middle income economy to a less developed country and today into a Highly Indebted Poor Country.
Then Lo and Behold came the ‘Great Orator’, Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba (simply FTJ) in 1991, exactly 20 years after UNIP declared the one party state. Here was a man who professed biblical principles and managed to unify the country under the slogan “The Hour Has Come”. The hour for many Zambians came and went away like a flash as all their hopes and dreams were shattered by a leadership consumed with selfish ambition, lack of care for the people and brutal treatment of all those it perceived as enemies of Democracy! This negative leadership of 1991 took the country further back than where Kaunda had left us.
What is the status today after 40 years? Today Zambia is left with the remnants and discards of the last 40 years of leadership in Zambia. In Zambia today we have a leadership that has selfish ambition (both ruling and the opposition), lack of care for the people, brutal and with total inability to unify our people towards a single vision and purpose.
Leadership in Zambia today is devoid of any reality. We have a President that talks good intentions but cannot deal decisively and fairly with the corruption and malpractice of his own administration. We have a Vice-President that professes to be a Man of God but sits in a Government that denies bail to citizens selectively and bans civil society groups, including, churches from advocating for a good constitution.
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Writer Profile
chabala katulwende
PERSONAL PROFILE
I. Business Experience
My Previous positions have included: Youth Political Adviser, Government Of Zambia during the the last tripartite elections, Lead Consultant-NGOCC funded Baseline Study on the Gender Gap 2006 elections, Research Analyst and Junior /Associate for ATRADE-Partners, Sales Executive for Corporate Headlines Ltd, Data collection and analyst for Central Statistics office and Science and Technology of the government of the Republic of Zambia/ World Bank Funded Projects; These positions have included direct responsibility for strategic business planning, public policy analysis, Business development ,market research and youth private sector development capacity building and Political/Economical research and development.
II. Interpersonal Skills
At the young age of twenty five I am acting as deputy managing director and I am responsible for economics, administrative and market development assignments. Also supervised a professional staff of nine. More importantly I am directly responsible for Business and Staff Development activities for the firm. And participated in the formulation and implementation of the Fifth National Development Plan under the National Youth Policy of 2006. (Zambia), from the above demonstrations I am of a strong conviction that my skills are unique and will exceptionally improve my learning environment during my MBA program (course)
III. Cultural and National Prospective
Outline your cultural and national prospective and demonstrate why this will be of interest to other members of an international class.
I have successfully demonstrated effective and unique skills for helping business organisations and Government departments improve their competitive advantage, performance and their business environment to promote increased youth entrepreneurship and investment. I have wide range of practical experience in areas related to youth business development, political analysis, inter-provincial marketing and economical as Junior, Associate, and Lead Consultant .I am a nationally acknowledged expert in youth private sector development and has featured Hone fm, University of Zambia Radio and taking it global international online publications
Particularly my cultural background is very rich in tradition Iam Lunda/Shinga, every Year about July/August in Luapula Province we have a Traditional Ceremony that attracts tourist from across the globe, this will interest my would-be class members and mates and eventually during vacations I intend to invite some colleagues so that they can have a practical feel of my culture. I am very positive that they will not be disappointed but instead have the best vacation of their lives.
IV. Special Attributes: Outline any academic or other specialised skill achievements that you possess which will enhance and contribute to GLOBAL ECONOMY class discussion and debate.
I am the current acting managing director of Youth Enterprise Support Network (YES) Zambia. The establishment YES was a realisation that the process of empowering the youth needed youth concerted efforts and thus, YES was born to inspire, inform and involve youth. Now let me stress the point that I have a mentor who mentors in school for life and I started putting his teachings in practise and I am able to execute policy decision on his behalf the our organisation and it’s partners , environment I will bring new dimensions of interpersonal relationships with strong Christian values. I come up with the vision/vision for YES:
A youth network contributing to pro-poor development to its members and the community. Empowering Zambian youth to create wealth. Lives have been changed through our youth oriented programs and activities
Yes is an umbrella organization of youth NGO’s and CBO’s inspiring, informing and inspire youth in active national development. This is the quality of data I will bring to discussion classroom debates and discussions.
5. General attributes
Generally demonstrate why your application should be considered ahead of others from your region.
My application must be considered before any because of I am of the belief that am the only one applying for this assistance in my sub region and particularly the only one from Zambia, If not because I will write part of your colleges ‘history because I am destined for greater height and I will not stop until I get to the top; there is always room at the top.
The author has a BA and is soon going for second degree early next year.
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Comments
political leadership in zambia Felix Mkandawire | Feb 19th, 2008
I certainly agree with you on the isssue of political leadership in zambia. surely the situation has even gone from worse to worst because there is no way the same people keep on circulating in leadership positions in the same corruptable, selfish and ambitious manner.it is sad to note that tha same corrupt individuals who have tarnished the image of this country for years are still lingering around to finish off of what is left of this once great nation of ours. most of them keep on giving empty promises to electorates when it is time for elections just to fulfill their own self desires once in office. considering a large percentage of zambians are iliterate and ignorant about their rights and their need to protect the interest of their future generation, these people are the most vulnerable to politician's schemes.
in my conclusion, i honestly think we've had too much of recycled leaders even those that are aspiring offices and it is about time the youth leadership of the nation started taking lead in making a change for mother zambia before we 'poor' citizens can finally become refugees in our own country. there is a serious need of sound and moral leadership for our country that has a pure intention of divinity, integrity and a sure heart for zambia. I challenge all youths and other abled leaders to stand and make a change. WAKE UP ZAMBIA!!!
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