A WELL-TRAINED, WELL-TREATED AND WELL-PROTECTED LABOR FORCE

I was just thinking.

Zambian leaders need to ask themselves three simple questions:

          1. Where are we now?

          2. Where are we going?

          3. How are we going to get there?

      

One of the ways we will get to our destination as a country is through a well-trained, well-treated and well-protected labor force in our various institutions.

The people who have worked under my leadership will tell you that one of the things I did was to ensure that they were well-equipped to handle any task set before them. I ensured that they were widely exposed to the operations of Colgate-Palmolive worldwide and in most cases traveled with them for important meetings to other countries as part of their learning experiences. Because of the freedom that the company gave me in determining their pay, I tried as best as I can to make sure that their performance was rewarded and appreciated. I sat with each of the employees to determine their career paths in the company, which even included taking over my position and then helped them through the process of achieving their goals.

When our founding fathers formed the first government after independence, there was no pedigree, no historical benchmark by any one of our own people in the echelons of colonial power to draw experience from. They ran government and the entire country without being prepared by the colonial powers.

Speaking in London some years ago, President Kenneth Kaunda told a gathering of members drawn from the House of Lords:

“At Independence in 1964, the country had produced only 100 university graduates after 70 years of colonial rule. Of these, only three were doctors. We realized that we needed to develop our manpower in order for the country to attain the capacity to develop. To cut a long story short, by the time I was leaving office in 1991, we had produced about 35,000 university graduates.”

President Kaunda and his comrades came with a vision. While moving quickly to establish the University of Zambia and other Trades Institutions, they sent our young men and women all over the world on aggressive training programs in various professions. Our people were trained as metallurgists, doctors, secretaries, diplomats, lawyers, pilots and many others. Some of our young people may not know that some secretaries for Cabinet Ministers were from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago! Some of our veteran diplomats today were attached to other countries’ Foreign Offices for training. Even as our hydro-electricity projects were going on, Zambians were being trained in Yugoslavia and Germany.

At Libala Secondary School, from Form 1 to Form 5, I was taught Geography, Art and Civics by British nationals, Physics by a South African exile, Chemistry by an Indian, Mathematics by a Sri Lankan (then Ceylonese), French by a French, History by a Black American (“Negro” at the time), Athletics by an Australian!!! The first indigenous Zambian to teach me was a Mr Sililo who took us for Math. He, I believe, had been trained in Russia and was absolutely brilliant at his job. Today, we have Zambians in charge of our learning institutions because of the amount of work our former leaders put into training.

The Industrial Development Corporation (INDECO) and its subsidiary companies sent scores of young Zambians all over the world. Oh, yes, I used to meet a lot of them at London’s Shepherds’ Bush and Liverpool Street Markets even during my travels! There were young people being trained in public relations, purchasing and supply, transport logistics, mechanical engineering, various areas of the energy sector, textile technology and many other fields all over the world.

In just a few years after its inception, our National Airline had Zambian pilots, flight engineers, cabin crew, maintenance personnel, Air-Traffic Controllers, etc. Zambia Airways was managed by Zambians, at one point by a brilliant pilot at its helm, Captain Godfrey Mulundika, who also piloted the DC 10 Aircraft.

Is it not therefore shocking and mind boggling that, where during the days of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, ZCCM, Zambians were in top positions both above and below the ground, today there are expatriates from India, Peru, South Africa and Australia performing jobs that Zambians did. How can we allow this to take place?

We have for many years now lost thousands of skilled labor to other countries. If our people can get jobs overseas, it means they are able to perform. Because we have not recognized the professionalism of our people by paying them well and respecting them, they have gone to countries where they are appreciated. There are Zambian teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc., all over the world while we allow expatriates to do the very jobs Zambians were doing.

Our government must seriously ensure that Zambians do not lose jobs to expatriates by reconstituting and strengthening the Zambianisation Committee, stopping the indiscriminate issuance of work permits to foreigners. While doing that, foreign companies must be urged to implement professional development programs that will equip Zambians for the future. Zambians must no longer lose jobs to foreign drivers, cooks and managers when citizens are well capable of performing these jobs.

Zambia should welcome and work with investors who will not just open retail shops to sell furniture but manufacture the furniture here and even export it. We must support investors that create jobs, provide training and expertise, and bring in new technology into the country.

It is therefore very important that as Government looks for investments in the different areas of our economy, people resources are adequately prepared. That was the UNIP Government did.

The Government must encourage local and international investors, but we must have regulations in place to safeguard the Zambian worker. We want our people to be paid well. It is vital that the appropriate labor laws are enforced to ensure that our people are not exploited in any way or any form. Where these laws don’t exist, the government must ensure that the appropriate legislation is enacted.

There are some huge foreign fast food companies right now in Zambia that would have their employees go to a supermarket around the corner to buy lunch or just sit around until time is up, but cannot provide a free or subsidized meal from their own outlets, yet huge profits are made and externalized. That is grossly unfair. It is wrong. In the old days, this was unheard of. People are the most important resource any organization will ever have and must be looked after. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that this is done.

It’s just a thought.

OUR FAITH IN GOD AND RESTORATION OF NATIONAL PRIDE

I was just thinking:

The Bible says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” - Psalm 33:12

I believe that if our genuine Christian men and women had not been standing in the gap through intercessory prayer, Zambia would have been worse off than it is today. There are believers, men and women of God, probably unknown and unheard of, who have not sort the limelight by standing in front of cameras or important dignitaries but heeded the teaching of the Lord. Jesus taught us not to pray like hypocrites who love standing that they may be seen by all the people but to retreat into the closet and pray, believing, by faith, that the God we call upon in secret shall reward us openly. He shall hear our cry and heal our land. These men and women have individually and collectively prayed for the nation of Zambia.

 At my church, Bread of Life, Kitwe, our Pastor at every Sunday Service prays for this country from the pulpit and calls upon God to protect and bless all the people of Zambia including the various leaders. He declares and acknowledges that “You are God in Heaven and You are God in Zambia! You are Lord in Heaven and You are Lord in Zambia”

The Apostle Paul told us to pray without ceasing. We must be a country and a people who individually or collectively pray, earnestly seeking the face of God as guided by the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Zambia must be a nation that dwells in the secret place of the Most High and abides under the shadow of the Almighty. He alone is our Refuge and strong Tower. He alone can deliver Zambia from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous moral, political and economical pestilence through His intervention and impartation of wisdom that can only descend from His Throne of Grace. You can today take all the credit for everything that has worked for us in the past forgetting that there is someone bigger than you and I who has been watching over us all these years. 

There is also an urgent need for us as a people to renew our national pride.

In 1945, the nation of Japan was brought down to its knees by the Americans who dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although World War 2 was now over, the Japanese were utterly defeated on every flank including national pride. Just under 40 years later, the Japanese economy became one of the largest in the world and their products can now be found in every country on this planet and even in outer space.

The Japanese are a hardworking people and a proud people. They ought to be proud of their achievements in the last few decades. Here are a people who refused to wallow in defeat, but picked themselves up by their bootstraps and built a nation that is now the envy of most countries.

As a long time fan of City of Lusaka Football Club, I have over the years, always admired the pride of its supporters. They are proud of their club. I grew up in Matero but went to Libala Secondary School in 1967.  At assembly every Monday, it was a must that the weekend's football match result would be part of the school captain's announcements. If City lost 4-0 to Kitwe United, the announcement would be, "City narrowly lost to Kitwe United yesterday." If we beat Bancroft Blade 1-0, the announcement would be, "Yesterday City completely whitewashed, humiliated and annihilated Bancroft Blades 1-0." 

In Matero where I lived as a kid, there was a competing club, Lusaka Tigers, but I stuck with City. I loved and still do love City. In my days, even when the chips were down at Woodlands Stadium, we would  still shout “Hi City Man!” and “City yamoto!’  Stick with Zambia.

 There was a time when Zambians were a proud people. We would greet each other with "Hi Zambia Man!" Remember that? Our young people today don't know how proud we were. Gone are the days of “Hi Zambia Man!” We must restore that kind of pride to Zambia. We do have the opportunity to achieve and make ourselves proud again.

To restore this pride and love for our country, perhaps we should start by putting into practice the Scripture that our First President Dr Kenneth Kaunda often reminds us of: “You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself”, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Jesus Christ, apart from other issues, addresses this very subject in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Jews regarded the Samaritans as dogs, outcasts, a cursed people, but in this parable Jesus brings up the tribal issue by proving who the real neighbor was. It was a man from a different tribe who could have regarded himself as superior and passed on by, but he didn’t. He loved his neighbor as he loved himself. Every Zambian from every tribe, we are neighbors and we should “do unto others as we would do unto ourselves”. We should love each other as we love ourselves. This is what Jesus Christ taught us. This is what Dr Kaunda reminds us all the time. We can celebrate that. We can drink to that.

Let us build a new Zambia. A Zambia where we can differ politically but live together peacefully, respecting divergent views and rejecting any form of violence, corruption in high and low places, abuse of authority by those in power, tribalism and other all that would divide us, but instead celebrate our nationhood, celebrate each other with pride and treating each other fairly with love.

That great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said,

“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”

This is the challenge that we as a people have. This is our challenge for tomorrow and that “tomorrow” starts today, this very moment.

It's just a thought.

ZAMBIA’S FOREIGN POLICY: RECLAIMING OUR LEADERSHIP ROLE IN WORLD EVENTS

I was just thinking.

If there is a subject very close to my heart in politics, it is Foreign Policy and I thought I should write about it because I have been both very disappointed and concerned about what I perceive to be a decline in Zambia’s ability to influence some world events.

Zambia’s Foreign Policy position and its conduct were well pronounced by our First President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, even before we became independent. Further into our time as a free people, the objectives to be pursued became well defined. Even as a young person in primary school, I knew where this country stood on some of the world events because our President talked about them often. He explained to the people of Zambia on regular basis why Zambia made certain decisions, why some countries were our enemies and why we supported certain countries. The entire world knew where Zambia stood on global issues because of the ability of the President and his people to boldly articulate globally issues from a well-defined position. Our foreign policy took specific positions without any ambiguity. A broad outline of our Foreign Policy was as follows:

      We pledged to support those that were fighting for freedom and self-determination.

      We pledged to co-operate with all independent countries irrespective of their social systems.

      We pursued a policy of Non-alignment.

      We pursued a policy of good neighborliness

      We supported and were committed members of the United Nations, the Organization for African Unity, Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth and other regional and sub-regional groups.

It is well-known that Zambia supported liberation movements around the world. When we disagreed with some of our friends, we told them so and we told them why.

For example, on Namibia, Zambia expressed great disappointment at the lack of progress on the question of independence for Namibia. The problem had been compounded by the question of linkage between the Independence of Namibia and the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. Our views on this subject had been made abundantly clear on several occasions that Zambia did not agree with this approach to the problems in Namibia. Our view was that the presence of Cuban troops in Angola had nothing to do with the independence of Namibia.

On South Africa, we condemned most strongly the system of apartheid which governed that country. We supported the ANC of South Africa because it represented the aspirations of many South Africans, both black and white. Zambia also condemned in no uncertain terms, South Africa’s aggression against sister Republics of Angola and Lesotho. We condemned South Africa for supporting anti-government elements in Mozambique, Angola, Lesotho and in all other States. We condemned the racist regime for violating the sovereignty of Botswana and Zimbabwe and for her constant threats against all Frontline States. We stood firm in spite of all acts of aggression against us.

Zambia strongly supported the people of Western Sahara, in North Africa, under the leadership of Polisario (Popular Front for the Liberation of Sagua el Hamra and Rio de Oro) who were fighting against Morocco for self-determination. We did this as a matter of principle. We were not against Morocco. We had no reason to be against Morocco. In fact, our relations with Morocco were cordial. In spite of this, we believed that the people of Western Sahara had a just claim to their country which, for a long time, was under Spanish rule. Sadly, just a short while ago, the current Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister announced our “withdrawal of recognition of Western Sahara”. This, I regard as a senseless act a disaster in our foreign policy and a betrayal of the Saharawi people.

In the Middle East, we stood with the Palestinians although we recognized Israel’s right to exist as a state and blamed her for the instability in the area. In dealing with the Middle East, we called for unity in Arab ranks because there was so much internal friction amongst them.

There were other troubled spots where Zambia tried very hard to intervene: Nicaragua, Nigeria/Biafra, Kenya/Somalia, Zaire, India/Pakistan, Kashmir, Grenada, Iraq, etc.

Some of you may not even know that the strong ties we have with The Peoples Republic of China today go way back from Independence when we fought hard to have that country admitted into the United Nations. We advocated the “One China Policy” whereas the powerful Western countries supported China. Our U.N. Ambassador at the time, Mr Vernon Mwaanga, as the youngest individual to hold the position of President of the General Assembly led this fight against the West led by then U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mr George H. Bush who later became President of the United States. When the fight was over, Mr Bush congratulated Mr Mwaanga and the two men remained great friends even into Mr Bush’s stay in the White House.

Dr Vernon Mwaanga is the first to admit that KK was the architect of our foreign policy and sent him on shuttle missions around the world which resulted in what was known as the “Bible” of Zambia’s foreign policy. Dr Kaunda wanted Zambia to take a stand on various global issues and not just watch from the sidelines. Not long ago, I spent a lot of time with VJ discussing Dr Kaunda’s foreign policy. The Nordic countries, Italy, USSR, Yugoslavia and even the Queen of Great Britain held KK in the highest esteem.

The position Zambia held then was recognized all over the world and that is why Dr Kaunda welcomed many powerful world leaders here and in turn was hosted by them in their countries. Because of his statesmanship, he remains the only Zambian President to have been hosted at the White House and Buckingham Palace, The Kremlin, Great Hall of the People, etc., in some cases, several times. All these visits resulted in many benefits for our country. We do not need a President who rushes to every tea-party and Trade Fair in the world. That is a waste of public resources and we must not see such presidential behavior ever again.

I've been reading as many of Dr Kaunda's speeches as I could find and I've been amazed on how he tackled issues in every troubled spot in the world, even after he left office. With various leaders, whenever he visited their countries, he just did not discuss Zambia, he discussed the world. Whether it was with an American President in the White House, Josep Tito in Belgrade, Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow, Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street, at the UN General Assembly podium in New York City,  Sofia in Bulgaria, KK could hold his own an any world issue. He did not mince words on issues.

Not only was KK the vitamin A of the liberation struggle and a thorn in the flesh to those world powers who supported oppressive regimes in the world, but on many occasions, he got involved in the peace process. Some of you will remember the almost cataclysmic situation between Kenya and Somalia in the late 60's into the 70's. Dr Kaunda successfully negotiated a settlement between the two nations. Sadly, decades later, Somalia is now once again supporting terrorists who are destabilizing Kenya but unlike before, Zambia is not taking a lead role. KK was a skilled negotiator.

In August 1989, following the execution of Iranian-born freelance journalist Farzad Bazoft by Sadaam Hussein for alleged spying, a British nurse, Daphne Parish who had been driving him was also arrested and sentenced to 15 years in jail. President Kaunda negotiated for her release from an Iraqi prison and was flown to Lusaka where she was reunited with her family at State House.  I also do recall the President arriving late for a press conference at Mulungushi Hall because most of the night and morning, he had been engaging world leaders on the telephone to help stop the imminent execution of ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by General Zia.  

It is due to our strong Foreign Policy and ties with major global players that we achieved unprecedented infra-structure development in power generation (Yugoslavia), oil refinery (Italy), railway line (Chinese), military training and equipment (USSR, Italy, and Yugoslavia), health support (Scandinavian countries), manufacturing (India and Japan), etc.

Our President and his Foreign Affairs Ministers, from 1964, were well-versed in global issues covering countries both near and far. Our views were well known to the world. Now, we hold a weak position in conflict resolution due to an inert leadership which has had no clue of global issues coupled by the inability to be an example of good governance. Our ministers of foreign affairs are not heard commenting or stating our country’s position on various global issues. Western Sahara is today a victim of our inability to carefully apply a coherent foreign policy. Zambians have no idea of our voting record at the United Nations. Major events take place around the world, some of which Zambia fought for and defended in the past but our foreign affairs minister remains quite. 

We have had weak Foreign Affairs ministers who remained aloof to problems that we helped solve in the past. This is very worrying to me and is responsible for our low-key and extremely poor performance on global issues. Even now, the current minister remains the weakest link and probably the worst Zambia has ever had to hold this portfolio. Major events have taken place around the world and there has not been any comment or statement on Zambia’s position. For example, Zambia, in the 1970’s was a strong supporter of Cuba and spoke fearlessly for the people of that country mainly calling for the United States to get out of that island and lift the trade embargo. A few months ago, President Obama made a bold move in that direction but our Foreign Affairs minister found it totally unnecessary to make a statement expressing Zambia’s delight with America’s new stance and urging that country to do more in normalizing relations between those two countries. Zambia needs a strong and proactive Foreign Affairs minister.

One major mistake Zambia is making in its foreign affairs management is that the country is no longer proactive, no longer taking the lead and has either left it to countries like South Africa who were born yesterday or remained mute. Zambia used to take her position to the then Organization of African Unity, Frontline States, Non-Aligned Movement, Commonwealth Heads of State Summit and other world bodies and influenced certain issues in which we believed. It seems now we have delegated our foreign policy steering wheel to the African Union and other such institutions. That is both weakness and cowardice.

Diplomacy does not mean that even as neighbors or friends, we have to be nice to each other by keeping quiet when there is obviously a difference of opinion between us. Our position or disagreement with a close friend does not mean a break in friendship. Dr Kaunda had some bitter words to say to the Zairean President Mobutu over his allegations that we were aiding rebels in that country. We remained friends. There are so many examples of close friends in the world, such as America and Israel, who can differ seriously but still remain friends. America has been spying on Germany and listening in to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone calls and this caused major diplomatic problems but the Germans let America and its President know that they were very angry about it. President Kaunda again, for example, did not spare the Soviets when they invaded Czechoslovakia. The Russians l remained one of our strongest supporters, even still.

In conflict resolution, our Government must seek to help nations experiencing external and internal turmoil so that they can also experience joy and peace in their nations. Zambia should be helping out in South Sudan, Congo DR and Zimbabwe in one way or another. For us to do that, we will have to ensure that our own standards of governance are beyond reproach. Zambia must once again take a leadership role not only in the region but on this continent and the entire world. South Africa is far less experienced than us but they are shining in this area than us. This must change.

I should also state that never has Zambia seen such nepotism in the appointment of Foreign Service personnel as in the MMD and PF administrations. Our Foreign Service has been taken over by ruling party cadres and relatives of the leadership, some who have no idea of what diplomacy entails. Appointment of diplomats must be based on ability and not on family and forest trees or tribal inclination. We need to have career diplomats. Our relations with other countries play a major role in establishing new opportunities for Zambia and thus the need to have creative people well-versed not only in world affairs but business. A serious purging, therefore, of party cadres and family in the Foreign Service must take place swiftly.

Since September 11, 2001 when the world was shocked with the attack on New York City’s World Trade Center Twin Towers, terrorism has become a major source of global concern. We cannot ignore this situation at all as if Zambia was not at risk. We have very porous borders in the East and North of Zambia where there is potential danger of this country being infiltrated. I once indicated to someone in President Mwanawasa’s administration my concerns on this very subject and other foreign policy issues and I know that the President received my message. I was informed that the President wanted to see me and tasked someone to contact me but the meeting never took place due to his untimely death.

As countries such as America, Britain, Belgium and France pursue terrorists, it is very likely that these terrorists could retreat and lie low in countries where they are least expected to be found. Zambia is a relatively peaceful country and would be a candidate for these people to hide and plan before resuming their activities without raising any alarm. I doubt if we are monitoring such potential danger. Zambia must ensure that to the best of our ability, our land shall not be used as a training ground or safe haven for terrorists. Our banking system shall not be used to siphon money to support terrorism. We must aggressively support the fight against terrorism around the world as best as we can.

It’s just a thought.

Photos (L-R): With Dr Kaunda, Former British High Commissioner James Thornton, Former Chinese Ambassador Zhou and Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Ambassador to the U.N. Dr Vernon Mwaanga.

REVENUE CREATION FOR LOCAL COUNCILS THROUGH NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Our councils have totally collapsed.  They lost a huge source of the revenue through the sale of council houses by the MMD. Sadly, there was really no plan to ensure the continued survival of these institutions, not even now. As a result, not only are Councils limping but they are also unable to deliver adequate services to the community.

It is not impossible to source funding on behalf of local councils for construction of new low and medium cost houses that would be rented out. With competent managers in place, our councils must be able to generate the required revenue to sustain themselves and provide better services to the community. If funding has to come through loan facilities, the government must back those loans.

After Independence, President Kenneth Kaunda’s government moved quickly to address the critical housing situation in the country. I am not aware of any new townships built to the standards of Chelstone, Chilenje South, Lilanda, various stages of Libala, and New Kabwata, New Kamwala in Lusaka or New Ndeke in Kitwe, Kafue Estates and many others which were constructed after independence by the UNIP government. These homes were affordable for our people. How many Zambians can afford to purchase or rent the NAPSA houses near Kalulushi, for example?  Many of those NAPSA houses are still empty and even the walls are cracking. I went there to see for myself!

Huge pieces of land are being sold to individuals and companies to build housing estates which are in turn sold to individuals and companies at unaffordable prices to the ordinary Zambian. I was shocked the other day to discover that in one of our cities, large tracts of land were sold by the Council many years ago and many of the beneficiaries were military officers, council administrators and political figures. This land remains undeveloped today. Government has been borrowing expensively for consumption and “projects” with little or no return on investment. Thousands of new houses could have been constructed by councils on these large pieces of land currently being given to the Chinese and other “investors” for concrete block making, shopping malls and other frivolous businesses. By the way, every time a new shopping mall is commissioned by the President, you must realize that our country has in fact increased productivity and jobs in South Africa and China. If you want proof, go to Shoprite, Spar and Pick and Pay to see how many Zambian manufactured products are on the shelves.

As we develop, we must ensure that no unplanned residential areas are allowed. Our towns and cities must be well planned. No housing construction in any new site must commence before full services such as roads, clean water and sewer systems are in place. There should be no house in urban areas without waterborne toilets. Party cadres and councilors must never be involved in land/plots allocation. Tough laws with stiff penalties must be put in place to stop this. We must set high standards for buildings in town centers and residential areas.

Just opposite Kamwala Secondary School in Lusaka was a huge piece of land where someone used to have a concrete block-making company. That land should have been reserved for the future expansion of the school. Concrete blocks are still being made on plots situated in residential areas and that is a potential health hazard. There must be order in the way we do things.

I once attended an open council meeting somewhere and I asked the Councilors where they saw their town in 10, 20 and 50 years time. They had no plan, no vision. I asked, “Do you see yourselves as a small roadside community, town or city in 50 years?” If you are a town and your vision is to be a city, you have to begin to “think city, plan city and develop like a city now”.

Here is an idea I have been toying around with.

Chongwe town, for example, which is just 35 kilometers from Lusaka can be redesigned into a dormitory town. At present, that town is badly planned; in fact there is no plan at all because it is both a village and a town in one. With proper planning and decent housing, Lusaka can be decongested by having people commute from the dormitory town of Chongwe to Lusaka for work. This can be made possible by Chongwe Council, perhaps in partnership with Lusaka Council, constructing affordable low, medium and high cost houses for rent thereby providing long term revenue. A rapid transit commuter train running between Chongwe and Lusaka will even decongest the Great East Road into Lusaka and economic activity in that area would flourish. New affordable council houses for rent will no doubt drive down the escalating and unrealistic rentals controlled by greedy real estate agents in the country.

If a shopping mall is built in that area, there has to be regulation put in place stipulating that workers will be recruited from that community first, agricultural produce would be purchased from nearby farms first and transporters and other suppliers would come from that area before outsiders are considered. The Chongwe and Lusaka Councils partnership I have given as an example could be emulated throughout the country.

Successive governments have failed to administer or seriously address the issue of land allocation in Zambia. In the cities, this has resulted in unplanned settlements. If mayors, councilors and party cadres are going to continue allocating land, then we will continue having problems not forgetting corruption. There must be clear guidelines and laws that eliminate political party officials, individual Councilors and others from allocating even an inch of land to anyone. Stiff punishment must be put in place and made clear to anyone acting otherwise.    

Of great concern to me is the purchase and allocation of land to foreigners. In this country foreign nationals own huge pieces of land. Between Silver Rest on the outskirts of Lusaka and the Great East Road turnoff to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, there are six different concrete block manufacturing companies, all with foreign names. One of the companies even has an “A” and “B” premises with a space of a two kilometers! This is prime land on the road front where council housing estates could have been built. This is not right. Land is a very sensitive issue and has caused great problems in other countries.

It's just a thought.

THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND PERFORMING ARTS

Zambia is a wonderful tourist destination but unfortunately, in my view, we have over the years not done enough in this area. I have heard several government leaders talk about boosting tourism but I believe that we could have been more innovative. To boost tourism, we have to be creative in our marketing efforts. Simply talking about it will take us nowhere. There are other avenues that can be used to publicize Zambia’s tourist attractions. Observing from the outside, however, I want to suggest a more aggressive, proactive and creative stance in order to leave a strong impression on the visitors. Let me begin by making some observations concerning Zambia’s tourism and offer some suggestions for the future.

During my time at Colgate-Palmolive, I used to travel the world quite a lot. Flying on British Airways from London to Lusaka via Harare was a sad experience for a marketing person like me.  Before landing in Harare, passengers would be shown a video of tourist spots in Zimbabwe including the Victoria Falls which was said to be in Zimbabwe. On the flight from Harare to Lusaka we were shown “Mr. Bean”.

We know the Japanese love to travel the world; the Germans, British and Americans love the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania and possibly Namibia. Americans love England, Japan, South Africa and Kenya and a few other countries. Other nationals have their preferred destinations. What we ought to be doing is negotiate with some of these major airlines that ply these areas and flight short documentaries, infomercials and advertorials during their in-flight entertainment. These could be something like five to ten minute hard-hitting promos that must leave the potential tourist desiring to see more of the country in person. Not only should the above be on air carriers but selected cruise ships that visit the coastal cities of East and Southern Africa and even other carefully selected parts of the world. We have to think outside the box and venture into new territories of tourism marketing.

Look at what countries like Macedonia, Estonia, Malta, Zanzibar and Nigeria are doing on international TV networks such as CNN. I once saw one of the English Premier League football wearing an “Invest in Tanzania”  strip during one of their matches. That is smart marketing. Yes, it is costly but very effective. 

There must be a deliberate move to establish tourist spots in areas were no natural tourist attractions exist. I have been to Chilubi Island two or three times and that place can be turned into a wonderful tourist spot complete with a wild game sanctuary, hotels and other entertainment facilities supported by a modern medium-size airport to handle shuttle flights. I envision cruise boats on the lake for fishing and shuttling tourists to a floating casino and entertainment center built on the middle of the lake including a nine-hole golf course by the shore. This is the kind of thinking that South African businessman Sol Kersner had when he developed Sun City and Lost City in South Africa. The only thing natural about Las Vegas in America is the desert, but it has been the entertainment capital of the world for years.

Another tourist spot could be on the TAZARA rail line corridor. There is already a game park along the way in Northern Zambia which could be developed into a full tourist attraction. I learned years ago that TAZARA had a fully equipped presidential coach and a director’s coach which were never used. After developing this tourist spot, a special train with these two coaches or even specially manufactured ones can be used by tourists or, companies can have board meetings or workshops on board the train. If the normal passenger train is used, it can “unhook” the tourist coaches at the tourist resort and pick them up on the way back from Dar es Salaam.

In the Chongwe District, I don’t need to mention the need to develop the Chinyunyu area with its hot spring. This must be supplemented by other “artificial” but natural looking forms of sites and entertainment areas. The proximity of Chongwe to Lusaka opens up the potential of local tourists and economic growth for the district.

A lot of research would have to be carried out to determine what the tourist really wants to see, do and enjoy. Feasibility studies and development strategies and plans can then be put into place. The sad thing at the moment is that some of the tourist sites are targeted toward game-viewing only, which foreign investors find easy to do because they are already in existence in other countries.  In marketing, we talk about “the Point of Difference”. What is the difference between my product and the competitor’s? Why must you then buy my product? In advertising, this is what is known as “The reason why”.  The reason why you must visit Zambia and not Kenya is...

To develop something to the magnitude of Sun City or Lost City takes vision and willpower. This is something that investors in the United Arab Emirates have commendably achieved and they would be my prime target for investment.

Another area to be seriously looked into is investment into arts and culture as a tourism tool. Visitors go to London’s West End and thousands go to New York’s Broadway to watch plays and musicals. We really do not have anything like that in this country. South Africa has the Market Theater, Sun City, etc where local and foreign visitors go. Even Harare has open-air performances of various kinds on First Street, right in the town center.

Every major city and  tourist site must have a facility for performing arts where Zambian musicians and dancers, actors and standup comedians, for example, can entertain tourists. This opens up a much wider arena for our artists who can be hired to perform for some period thereby exposing them to performing in front of diverse cultures as well as earning regular income. Just imagine one of our own comedians, dance group or music outfit engaged to perform for a period of time at a tourism venue on the shores of Samfya, Kasaba Bay, Chilubi Island and various game parks.

The government must move quickly to help grow the film industry in Zambia, for example, by facilitating the introduction of a film commission as is the case in other parts of the world. Various countries have film commissions that attract major movie productions and market business as well as foster the growth of the creative media industries in their various locations. This not only exposes those locations to the entire world but give an opportunity to our own actors, cameramen and sound engineers to be exposed to higher production values.

Zambia has some brilliant talent in the arts that, unfortunately, are still not appreciated. In Lusaka, apart from the Lusaka Theater Club House, there is no other venue suitable for performances. The Mulungushi International Conference Center or the New Government Complex were not designed for major theater productions or musical performances. We need modern auditoriums specifically designed for performing arts. This opens up a whole new area for our cities and towns entertaining both local and foreign tourists. At the moment, businessmen and other visitors come to Lusaka, do their business and go back when they could spend more time and money enjoying what Lusaka has to offer in performing arts.

Government must also not pay lip-service to enforcing copyright laws. There must be no stone left unturned to protect our musicians’ works from piracy. A special force must be constituted to enforce the law and completely wipe out piracy in this country. Pirated copies of CD’s and DVD’s are all over and are sold in daylight with no serious or continuous action taken against perpetrators. 

It must also be borne in mind that tourism is not just for foreign visitors. Zambians must be able to be a major part of the tourist population in their own land. In the United States, Americans themselves are huge contributors to tourism as they travel throughout their nation seeing the beauty of their country.

Here in Zambia, our tourism campaign is targeted towards foreigners while most Zambians will never have the opportunity to visit places of interest in their own country because it is unaffordable. Government must encourage Zambian tourists.

For us to achieve this, we have to make it affordable for our people. Egypt is a perfect example of a nation that promotes tourism amongst its people. While living and working in Egypt in 1992, I paid much more as a foreigner to visit tourist sites such as the national museum and the Pyramids of Giza, but Egyptian nationals pay a fraction of that including accommodation. The tourism industry in Zambia can generate increased numbers of Zambian tourists by emulating what Egypt has done.

To strengthen family values, it is important that they spend time together without the everyday pressure at home and at work. We must encourage employers to work out internal schemes that will make it possible for their employees to take time off work and relax in the wonderful tourist sites in their own country. With reduced rates for Zambians, tourism providers would benefit from increased business volume, especially during low peak periods when special offers could be made available for citizens.

To further underline the importance of creative excellence in marketing tourism, let me give an example of the opportunity we lost during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. A lot of noise was made here by government that we would witness thousands of tourists, as if we were the ones hosting the event. What was not done was proper creative planning and marketing Zambia to the countries participating in the finals and therefore Zambia benefited little or  nothing from that event. I had a plan for this but no one was willing to listen. Creativity and the ability to expertly market and execute an idea bringing it to life are vital. Here is what I would have done to prepare and market Zambia in readiness for the World Cup:

I would have engaged a top flight professional Public Relations or Advertising Company or at least assembled a highly creative team of marketing experts to produce a promotional video about Zambia. This would cover the following:

•           A country overview

•           Tourist destinations and shopping complexes, entertainment, etc.

•           Transportation facilities, (Motor vehicle hire, roads)

•           Training grounds and football stadiums, (e.g. sports complexes or even some facilities at schools such as Baobab College, Barclays Sports Complex etc.)

•           Hotels, Lodges, etc

•           Other recreational facilities, Golf courses, basketball courts, cricket, etc

•           Airline services in and out of Lusaka to Johannesburg.

•           Security services 

•           Similarity of climatic conditions between Zambia and South Africa during the period leading to World Cup finals.

·                     Communications facilities

The video would be Zambia’s marketing tool targeted at Football Associations around the world inviting them to use this country as their final preparatory base before the World Cup finals.

The first pitch would be to the foreign diplomats accredited to Zambia who would be the sounding spring-board to their governments and football associations. A small team with great communication skills and marketing expertise would then make a pitch to the various football associations in person and be able to answer any questions arising. Countries like England, Holland, Germany, Mexico, Belgium, USA, Japan, South Korea, etc. would have been my prime targets.

After selling this package, it is very likely that some of the teams would have come to camp here. We did not do this and we lost out from establishing new sporting links and an influx of visiting football supporters. Yes, tennis star, Rafael Nadal did nip into Livingstone for a short while and that was it.

Now, you are probably thinking: “Mr. Malunga, if you had that idea, why didn’t you come forward?” In fact I wrote a letter to a former Tourism Minister  with ideas on how we could revamp our tourism industry. I never got a reply and not even an acknowledgement of receipt! And I was offering ideas for free!

In conclusion, we do not have to break our necks or recreate the wheel. A lot of good things were done in the 1970’s by the then Zambia National Tourism Bureau from which we can learn a few things. I stand to be corrected but I believe a foreign institution was hired a few years ago to “rebrand” Zambia’s tourism. I didn’t think that was really necessary but a waste of money.

Zambia needs to move quickly and creatively to expand, lead, win and maintain a strong market share in tourism regionally.  We need to do this in manufacturing, agriculture and other fields because opportunities will not always be there. See how the West moved into Eastern Europe with huge investments? This in a way was to show that communism had failed. This will happen to us when the situation in Zimbabwe changes for the better. Remember they were doing much better than us in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism before internal conflict. Things in that country will definitely improve and new investors, especially from the Western countries will move in and one of the areas will be tourism aside from other sectors, just to prove that the Mugabe regime messed up and the call for regime change was correct. We need to capture and dominate this area of investment  quickly.

When I was living in America in the 1970’s, I had in my bedroom room a huge poster by the Zambia National Tourism Bureau  which had a full color
picture of a hippo with its mouth wide open. Screaming across its mouth were the words: “COME ON IN, IT’S GREAT IN ZAMBIA!” That powerful payoff line said it all about our beautiful country.

                                                              It’s just a thought.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT

The 26^th American President, Theodore Roosevelt once said, “To go against the dominant thinking of your friends is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform”.

An individual’s freedom to choose is an inalienable right that even God Himself respects from “In the beginning” (Genesis 2:17). The decision to do right or wrong in your personal life or, indeed, in our democracy, in this political dispensation, is personal and ought to be respected. The consequences are yours to bear. The right to vote for one individual over another is personal and a right which every one of us must respect.

In this coming election, most of us are more focused on a Presidential Candidate that we desire to lead us for the next five years more than, perhaps a candidate for parliament or councilor, or even the referendum.

We must remember though, that the Member of Parliament we choose must be equal to the task that is laid upon him or her, should the President appoint them to a ministerial position that requires certain competencies. I have that in mind as I decide on whom I should give my vote for Parliament in my constituency.

Many of us by now have already, for various reasons, settled on a Presidential Candidate to vote for. Some have based their decision on patronage, to keep or get a job. Some have decided based on party loyalty or the emotional hype generated by that party and its leader. Some have decided based on promises made or favors expected, while others have believed the lies told by various candidates during campaigns. For some, the decision is based on personal protection from persecution or prosecution for misdeeds of the past. Some have based their choice on issues they believe in, their conscience. Indeed some have decided based on tribal affiliation as one former high-ranking government official said to me in the January 2015 Presidential Election, “Mr Malunga, don’t make a mistake, support your own.” I considered that an insult to my intellect and I did not respond.

Now, more than ever before, is the time to elect leaders who will be dedicated, creative, hardworking and honest. I expect them to do things that have never been attempted before; bringing in new ideas and implementing them, not out of desperation for the next term but as an obligation to all the people of Zambia. I expect them to know who their masters are and not get puffed up with power as I have witnessed in the past. I expect good governance and a vicious fight against corruption.

Because you are in power, it does not mean that you are more intelligent than the governed and are entitled to plunder the peoples’ resources, use and abuse the people, violate their civil liberties and create an arrogant elite whose main reason for power is to enrich yourselves. I want a leader with character.

Former Arkansas, USA, Governor Mike Huckabee once said, “Character is who we are when nobody but God is looking. Character is who we are when nobody has caught us. Sadly we think that character is our public performance and not our personhood.”

The reason we need leaders and the reason we need to put character first in our lives is because in those moments of crisis and in those moments in which our decisions will affect the lives of others, we need to make decisions that can be morally defended, decisions not based on what is good for me but what is good for others. That is the God Spirit in us. It is how Jesus Christ would call us to live. We cannot live that way publicly if we are not that privately.

The best government we will ever have is self-government. It is a government of simply saying; “I will do unto others as I will have them do unto me”. What we do, is really the ultimate result of who we are.

Many of my friends know, and it is no secret, that I am a great admirer of our First President Dr Kenneth Kaunda. You may not like the way he handled certain issues, but I hold the view that what this country needs now is a 21st Century Kenneth Kaunda, a visionary leader whose private deeds are as clean as his public deeds; men and women of character.

As I thought about the leader I will vote for as President of this great nation, I put together 22 points that I view to be extremely important to the Zambia I want. The areas covered consist of the following:

1. The need for Good Governance and aggressive fight against corruption in high places.

2. Job creation through the resuscitation of the manufacturing industry and the protection of the Zambian worker from exploitation.

3. Implementation of a strategically effective health plan.

4. Energy Sector development for the future.

5. Creative Tourism Program Development and Implementation

6. Dealing with lapses in the agricultural sector.

7. Development of a revenue plan to sustain our Local Councils.

8. Ending and rectifying bad land administration policies.

9. Dealing with unresolved and neglected critical issues in the educational system.

10.  Information Technology uplift.

11.  Getting Zambia back to a leadership position through a proactive Foreign Policy performance.

12.  Preparing and protecting our people against possible International Terrorism attacks.

13.  Developing a regional networking strategy for the future.

14.  Addressing concerns in our Defence Forces.

15.  Rebuilding a profession Police Services.

16.  Addressing Zambia’s poor and worsening Road Safety record.

17.  Developing a Sports Plan and implanting a program that makes Zambia globally competitive.

18.  Freeing the State Media from abuse and supporting private media initiatives.

19.  Developing a vibrant performing arts industry that rewards our artists.

20.  Urgently resolve outstanding constitutional bottlenecks.

21.  The Presidency: Preventing abuse of the authority.

22.  Our faith in God and restoration of our national pride.

I have evaluated the various candidates based using the above issues as a means of determining who best among the current Presidential candidates has similar, not necessarily the same line of thought, but who best is capable, knowledgeable and equipped enough to deliver my vision for Zambia, and above all has the character to lead our people into a vibrant and prosperous future in the midst of the challenges we face as a nation.

Zambia is now at the crossroads. From this election, we must emerge victorious from the failures of the past. We want to emerge as a people whom our founding fathers and mothers meant to be: One Zambia, One Nation. Our people deserve the best regardless of tribe, color or faith.

Our country must never ever be turned into a den of thieves and robbers but a sanctuary, an oasis, where our people dwell in peace, progress and prosperity.

In the last 36 months, I have had an opportunity to pay more attention to various political party leaders in my quest to determine if this country can be governed any better. I respect the decision of those whose choice may differ from mine, and hope that as mature adults, they will in turn respect mine, my position. For me, the choice is perfectly clear.

I have in the past been very critical of the United Party for National Development President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema. I did not trust him. I did not believe him. I believed he was a bitter man with a hidden agenda that was meant to benefit and create a tribal click in this country.

By paying more attention to and listening to the UPND President over the last three or four years, especially during the 2014/2015 and 2016 campaign trail, I believe he has the greatest ability amongst all candidates currently vying for the Presidency of Zambia to bring about an economical, social and moral cleansing of Zambian politics and to move our people forward. Our people deserve the best regardless of tribe, color or faith. I believe that unlike as portrayed by some sections of a biased media, he is a good and decent man who is fit to be our President. I believe he is ready to be President. I believe he is well placed to move Zambia forward. Yes, I do have a problem with certain men and women close to Mr Hichilema but I am overlooking that concern believing that he is a strong manager who will crack the whip should any of these people fall out of line.

I have therefore decided to support and endorse the UPND President Mr Hakainde Hichilema and on August 11^th 2016, I will be voting for him as Zambia’s next and 7th President of the Republic of Zambia.

With your vote for the UPND and Hakainde Hichilema for President on August 11th, the future for you, me and for our children, can be redesigned to effectively provide opportunities for all and privileges for none.

God bless the Republic of Zambia.

Wynegood Malunga