text: Zambian institutions and its people | Zambia Daily Nation
  Zambian institutions and its people
  our institutions are established to serve our people and not to facilitate trouble. The reported clashes on the copper belt notwithstanding the cause, is not only regrettable, but an affront to Zambia's democracy. Let the authorities get down to the roots of the matter since the country faces serious economic challenges requiring a nationalist response. My submission is that there should be no compromise on Zambia's brand as PEACE.
  WHY: All the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy are a result of the peaceful dividends, whose seeds go fifty years back.
  I have dealt with people who have either lost jobs or are about to lose their jobs. In this matrix, clearly, human dignity is at stake! Lets us look at our miners as human beings deserving of dignity. In this respect, all employers, notwithstanding the clearly burdensome debts of some mining houses, are in th3e dock.
  For instance, it is a fact that one of the owners of the big mines on the copper belt has a huge debt more that Zambia, as country. Just around Thirty Billion United States dollars (US$30 billion) It is also a fact that a known giant mining firm, about fifteen (15) years ago, pulled out of Zambia, citing a poor business environment.
  It is also a fact that if President Edgar Lungu had not gone to the copper belt to dialogue and reason with some Mine owners, there would have been more job losses – a thing that can never be in the best interest of this country and in particular, the labor movement and the Treasury.
  I am certain that this is not the first time copper prices have gone low and it is a matter of time before they recover. This in my view gives the Presidency and Zambian people a challenge that requires serious and deep diversification. The well known business strategy of causing more pain and anguish when a misfortune occurs to a competitor, is nothing but a cheap corporate puff of extreme greedy.
  The mine company in question has to deal with a recommendation from its financial experts that it must do away with some of its assets in order to meet its financial obligations.
  (GRZ will either have received or will soon receive communication that only states a fact of closure, meaning that our due diligence studies many years ago, were not that comprehensive) One of the assets to be disposed off, apparently, is a mine on Zambia's copper belt! In this respect and with this mine alone, the government may have to prepare for the worst case scenario and consider many options that any government has recourse to. There are many questions to be asked and answered: Could the crisis in the mines be presenting an opportunity for Zambians to get involved in the mining business beyond being mere employees?
  To what extent are Zambians willing to take a dive in the future by putting up with understandable disruptions in life, for a better Zambia tomorrow?
  Why would Zambians think that it is ok for other nationals to sacrifice for our luxuries (Tax payers abroad)?
  I hope we have not forgotten the fact that one of the western Diplomats did not actually know the existence of the expensive toy or motor vehicle, called Hummer. But, it came in Zambia and just like many other imports, was definitely paid for in foreign currency and not Zambian Kwacha! And, the rot of hypocrisy continues.
  Make no bones about it; as the unionists say, "divided we fall and united we stand".
  The choice that we need to make is not an option but a must, to ensure that Zambia remains an oasis of Peace, otherwise Zambia will be made ungovernable, under the guise of pursuing individual freedoms and liberties. Not even the greatest democracies can allow any Tax payer to fan anarchy at the expense of public good.
  Look at it from this reality check.
  The country Zambia – specifically the Zambian government, has facilitated citizens to become wealth. This is as it should be and those who have benefitted must help others and not fan problems for the already troubled. The challenge is when such citizens begin to torment and mock other citizens and make government institutions look very bad. The point being that others have been so well placed and probably lucky to facilitate either deals or contracts whose commissions run in millions of dollars.
  Only last month, a Zambian pushed a business transaction worth over US50 Million dollars. This Zambian has committed serious offenses but has been able to stay afloat and cause trouble mainly because he has had access to good legal minds and has used his financial muscle to undermine justice.
  The real and potential victims in this matrix of deceit are many, including all Zambian tax payers; as well as the agency of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), that is severely affected by tax avoidance.
  I can only hope that the Financial Intelligence Unit is on top of things and will save us from potential money laundering.
  It is simply unrealistic, unreasonable and an act of greed, to embrace the Robin hood style of robbery, without interrogating motive and the standing of political maneuver when faced with imperatives of the rule of law.
  Somebody somewhere is not doing his or her job because, as I have said before and I repeat now under my hand, it is simply unreasonable to hold the Zambian dream at ransom through the many schemes of blackmail.
  So who is not doing their Job? To this, I have opted to invite all Zambians to look hard at and respond. In doing so, some piercing questions such as the following, may be considered:
  (a) Zambia has security agencies whose major brief is to insure adequate security of all its nationals – from haves to have nots: Why are we allowing politically motivated clashes as happened recently on the copper belt?
  (b) What is to be gained in sacrificing the lives of ordinary citizens? (c) How does democracy deal and accommodate "suicide bombers"?
  (d) I am able to see how an unstable Zambia can attract international capital on very harsh conditions, how can any political party benefit from an unstable and miserable Zambia?
  (e) Are Zambians and their institutions agreed that development will only be achieved by the "beginning afresh syndrome"?
  (f) Is it in order to accept a brief or detail from any President and/but while harboring intentions of betrayal, in the submarine manner?
  This incident and the other reported one involving a musician, are a serious indication that we should not take our peace for granted. This is how civil wars begin and the tragedy is that the consequences affect national stability.
  I am convinced that this is a good enough reason for the government of the day to prioritize this matter, irrespective of other political maneuvering however so done and by whoso ever!
  I am of the view that something be done quickly to engender the spirit of patriotism among all citizens. I say so because it remains a notorious fact that Zambia, will forever be here as a country, notwithstanding the negativity one reads on the information Highway.
  Friends, from time immemorial; propaganda has played a key role in massaging situations. We all have a choice.
  The choice is whether to be gullible and fall prey to misinformation or remain steadfast and seek the truth. Let me take the opportunity to state here that as a nation, we need to appreciate the difference between a politician and a statesman.
  The difference is that a politician will tell you what you want to hear and a statesman, will tell you what you must know.
  Recently, President Lungu told the nation about the many challenges we face and that one of the important options, is to seek divine intervention, while hard work remain a critical ingredient.
  So who is telling the truth and who is entertaining Zambians with drama? Inbox me as usual and let's talk next week.