By Henry Kyambalesa
According to the 2010 edition of the Human Development Index, the quality of life in three countries—that is, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—has slid backward, while many people around the world have experienced dramatic improvements in education, health, economic well-being, and other key aspects of their lives.
The decline in the socio-economic well-being of Zambians has, by and large, been a culmination of several factors described in a nutshell below.
Dependency on Copper:
Zambia’s initial failure to diversify economic activities away from the mining industry has subjected the national economy to the vagaries of steep decreases in copper prices and production levels, which, together with low mining taxes, has resulted in dwindling government revenues to cater for essential public services and infrastructure.
Petroleum Prices:
Unprecedented hikes in petroleum prices by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1973/74 and 1979/80 resulted in a steep rise in the price of imported oil from US$2.50 to US$35 per barrel, thereby draining the public treasury and making it difficult for the government to meet the basic needs and expectations of citizens.
Mismanagement:
Rampant economic and public-sector mismanagement resulted in diversion of human, financial and other national resources to unproductive projects and programs. For example, the creation of the Central Committee (a somewhat parallel structure to the National Assembly) and the position of Prime Minister that followed the introduction of a one-party State in 1972 contributed greatly to the misappropriation of public resources.
Other examples of the mismanagement of national resources in the country include the following: the creation of sinecures like the position of District Commissioner, unnecessary expansion of ministerial and deputy ministerial positions, excessive number and staffing of the country’s foreign missions, the recommendation by the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) to increase the size of the National Assembly from 158 to 280 members, procurement of the over-priced hearses and the controversial mobile hospitals, and the excessive and costly foreign trips by the Republican president.
National Service Program:
The compulsory recruitment of Grade 12 students to undergo military training and engage in agricultural production activities between 1975 and 1980 at Zambia National Service (ZNS) camps (as mandated by ZNS Act No. 121 of 1972) contributed to the draining of public coffers. A lot of money was wasted on ZNS personnel, the construction of facilities to accommodate Grade 12 graduates, payments of stipends to the graduates, and on procurements of food, uniforms, semi-automatic rifles (SARs), and live ammunition and blanks for training purposes.
Postponement of Adjustment:
The postponement of macro-economic adjustment by the United National Independence Party (UNIP) government on May 1, 1987—which would have enabled us to create a competitive and more productive socio-economic system—exacerbated the socio-economic problems facing the country.
Cost-Sharing Schemes:
The introduction of cost-sharing arrangements in the dispensation of educational and healthcare services during the late 1980s has continued to make education and healthcare less accessible to a lot of citizens. The unprecedented numbers of street children and the lower life expectancy obtaining in the country today bear witness to this fact.
Socialist Policies:
UNIP’s socialist policies barred both local and foreign private investors from certain commercial and industrial sectors of the country’s economy and recommended the creation of state companies to operate in such sectors of the economy from the late 1960s to 1991. The policies—which former president, Dr. Kenneth D. Kaunda, promulgated through his April 1968, August 1969 and November 1970 speeches to the UNIP National Council—ushered in an era of state enterprises.
Naturally, the monopolistic position enjoyed by state companies in the country’s economy culminated in complacence and gross inefficiency because, in the absence of competition, they apparently found it unnecessary to seek innovative ways and means of improving the quality and quantity of their product offerings. The rampant commodity shortages which the country experienced during the late 1970s and the 1980s were largely a direct result of the socialist policies of the government of the day.
I leave the solutions to our beloved country’s predicament for another day. More than ever before, we need to pursue radical and comprehensive policies, projects and programs that will make it possible for us to remove the “s” from what seems to be the “curse” against our beloved country.
In passing, heightened and sustained socio-economic development will not come to Zambia like manna from heaven; it will need to be adequately planned for and diligently pursued. And this will need to start with our acknowledgment of the problems facing us rather than refuting the conclusions of the Human Development Index published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) about our country as “highly misleading.” The Index has become one of the world’s most trusted indicators of the socio-economic well-being of citizens in the 135 or so countries it currently covers.
There is no doubt that access to healthcare services, basic material necessities of life and education and training has become almost impossible to well over 65% of Zambians. In fact, socio-economic conditions during the first 10 years of our country’s independence were at least good enough for a country that could be said to have been born with a copper spoon in its mouth!
THIS IS BULLS….T
Sata has been in the top echlons of all these misgiuded ploices. Add to that the 10 lost years by FJT were he was angain chief custodian of mis-managment, you have a man with unprecidented level of faliure.
with so many natural resources both human and natural, the truth of the matter is the country is cronically poor thanks to mismangement of resources ie stealing.
Its so sad hearing the so called vice president pointing to the expansion of manda hill as development in a country of 12 plus million people were 80% of the population leave in cronic poverty.
with world copper prices selling at over $8000 and the country producing close to a million tonnes a year, it sadness me to see how we have allowed such mismanagement of resources by thieves in goverment..
zambians should understand thant we have allowed such conditions because we have come to believe that poverty is party of life and as long as you have a piece of the pie, barracade your self in a wall, electric fence then nothing matte
look at the faces in the streets of lusaka and you will see people both angry and hungry. the gabbage along main streets in the capital is both sickening and emberracing.
this is the country we have created.
To the poeple in the so called GOVERNMENT, sorry to say this but you are just a bunch of thieves who have taken the country for a ride.
You dont work for the popele but rather yourselves by selling to country to so called investers
Zambians, remenber that investers need the countries resources more than we need them……hence they should start paying taxes starting tommorow. not the point 0.6% when the mining indutry is cashing in close to 5 billion dollars/year.
Number #2 learn to stick to the topic please,sata was not a policy maker in UNIP,it was the likes of RB who were trained ecoomists in those days.So pliz talk of something better and sensible.
the said reasons are only excuses because the country sits on so much wealth and with proper managent and a vision on what we want the country to be, Zambia could be one of the most beaultifull countries.
Were did all the brave Zambians go.
Who will Fight for my Country.
Zambia……….What went wrong.
Zambia
Zambia
Zambia
Zambia
Mr. Henry Kyambalesa the facts you have presented lack merits and I hope you realize that. I know how old you are but if you are of my age below 40 you should study ….find out the sacrifice of Zambia and how that eventually negated our growth. We had the opportune to have better economy in 1990 but thieves looted the country—–hence the economical doldrums you are seen.
It all Started with President Kenneth Kaunda. Those born in 1985 and before know exactly what I mean.
With people like kc’s reasoning and mentality (@ #2), you think Zambia can go anywhere.I very much doubt it
Mr. Kyambalesa Your article is generally ok but when you include ‘to increase the size of the National Assembly from 158 to 280 members, procurement of the over-priced hearses and the controversial mobile hospitals, and the excessive and costly foreign trips by the Republican president’ – I think you tend to get lost a bit. This is relatively new and has not contributed to the decline. Remember this decline started around 1974 and continued till around 2000 but has been on the upswing, albeit slowly, since then. The numbers are there in black and white.
Cont’d from 10. You also forgot to add one important dimension – Zambia’s funding of the liberation struggle in Southern Africa which was a huge drain on resources but, apart from the satisfaction that the people are now free, there has been no particular benefit from those that were assisted to be free.
Is this a current report being discussed here?
ON: “According to the 2010 edition of the Human Development Index, the quality of life in three countries—that is, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—has slid backward and The rampant commodity shortages which the coun try experie nced du ring the late 1970s and the 1980s were largely a direct result of the soci alist policies of the government of the day
This is clearly a comparison of the socio – economic well being of Zambian before and after independence. This report is INCORRECT. How many Zambians had a car, a cell phone or landline, a well paying job or tarred roads before or just after independence ? Very, very few, if any! Now things have improved.
This report is vague and lacks substance and must have been prepared by an amateur analyst who just woke up from some beer overdose!
There’s two kinds of light-the glow that illuminates and the glare that obscures.This article obscures in that these same factors were in Tz,Ug,Ethiopia,Laos,Chile,Kenya,they had much larger pop growth,strife and lower foreign aid/person than zed.They’ve done better.
Try other excuses.Realize that the flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful of all and zambia just missed it.Zambians,the only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.Zambia hasn’t failed,it has just found a hundred ways that don’t work.
Its pipo like RAT RACE and RED CARD-Smoothcriminal who keep on wanting to put crooks in plot one based on tribal lines. Your Sata will never make it, the Zambian pipo are not fools. They Know his track record.
Iwe #16 dnt be childish,hw is telling somebody to stick to the topic tribal?i can support whoever i want with my own reasons just like you support some politician with your own reasons(whether they are stupid or not),.I have always had respect for great britain but when i read what people like you post on this blog,my respect for britain is slowly dwindling.
17 RAT RACE, i am sticking to the topic at hand by pointing out who was at the center of GRZ during all the time squandard–Sata.
You can talk all you want about the lost years, they will never come back, but a main instigator Mr sata threatens to come in and shower us with the aformentioned catlouge of faliures he is experienced in. God help Zambia.
#16 I doubt if i posted anything here declaring my support for SATA ,now you see hw unwise you look?
i just said you cant blame sata for kaunda’s failures since it was the economists of those days bena RB who were policy makers,besides i dont remember sata being a minister in kaunda’s time(if my memory saves correct)apart from being a governor of lusaka.
#16
The biggest problem with some people is that they think anyone who doesnt support Rb is PF.I didnt even mention Sata in my post but im being labled tribalist,bloody hell,Zambians are not fools for sure,but your blogging makes you quiet foolish as an individual
Low Human Development
128. Kenya
129. Bangladesh
130. Ghana
131. Cameroon
132. Myanmar
133. Yemen
134. Benin
135. Madagascar
136. Mauritania
137. Papua New Guinea
138. Nepal
139. Togo
140. Comoros
141. Lesotho
142. Nigeria
143. Uganda
144. Senegal
145. Haiti
146. Angola
147. Djibouti
148. Tanzania (United Republic of)
149. Côte d’Ivoire
150. Zambia
151. Gambia
152. Rwanda
153. Malawi
154. Sudan
155. Afghanistan
156. Guinea
157. Ethiopia
158. Sierra Leone
159. Central African Republic
160. Mali
161. Burkina Faso
162. Liberia
163. Chad
164. Guinea-Bissau
165. Mozambique
166. Burundi
167. Niger
168. Congo (Democratic Republic of the)
169. Zimbabwe
# 20
Dont be a trun coat, i have been on LT since its creation and i remember you well. I remeber your blind support for Fr Bwalyas intended blood shed, even your bloog name ties you to these bandits lead by Sata. Dont be a con like the rest of PF.
#19
sata was always at the top levels of power and had an opportunity to denounce those misguided polices or resign like PLM during FJTs theiving rampage. Instead he was issuing pangas to koponyas to protect the 3rd term.
#22
Oh well,since you been around since LT’s inception,can you go to the archives and show me a blog i posted supporting PF.I can support anyone i want,its my preserve
i support Father Bwalya,and if you can come up valid claims that he’s a bandit i will give you a thumbs up and respect you for that,otherwise i still maintain my stance.i seriously think you are foolish
# 23 RedCard-Smoothcriminal
its like someone called “Viva 3rd term” saying they did not support FJT. That is how hollow you sound.
Kyambalesa, will not miss the chance to sneak in his warped opinions of events which are outside the period of study for the HDI.
The HDI is one of the most reliable UN reports that is produced to assess where a country stands. It is based on access to basic necessities of life and education for most of the inhabitants. The UK, for example, has dropped to number 26 because most of those eligible to access university education can no longer do so. It has become more costly. It also looks at life expectancy – which is obviously intertwined with issues of quality health and good nutrition. It appears that those in comfort are in the forefront of criticising a report that is supposed to make them more responsive to those that are suffering.
Its reports like these that Reporters need to be asking Rupiah when they meet him at the airport and what he is doing about it. Stop wasting time asking him about Magande. As for the rest of us, I beg everyone to vote for Magande 2010 so we can be delivered from appearing in such reports.
This article is good but seems to be shushu edited.Unip left the government 20 years ago and by that time even G7s had jobs in Mwaiseni ,the council ,ZCBC ,Renco,Umbro,Fiat Kapenda mabula Forestry and UBZ just to mention a few.The National Service was too productive. Does the authur suggest that for the past 20 years the problems unip caused were the only ones leading to Zambians current HDI? Why not mentioning privatizations,corruption and employment of caders in foreign missions?Why not mentioning the constraction which used to be done by the council in various cities and the like?Come to Chingola now which used to be one of the cleanest Southern part of Africa and Ask your parents
#22 hw many people in govt right nw were not in mmd apart from RB? why are you insinuating that sata should have resigned on morals when shikapwasha,kunda, vj,katele,miyanda etc never resined?you said FTJ’s regime was thieving rampage, then why is ka chiluba by the help of RB free until now?if u say sata shud have resigned because chiluba was a thief,then RB and his govt are worse by doctoring the acquital of the same thief (chiluba).You see hw baseless your arguments are?
This article seems to be talking about the loss of preveledges for the elit. The whites in Zambia and zimbabwes case. Their standard of living definetly dropped when the wealth was spread to all citizens.
Education in zambia was free for all, infact some of you critisising GRZ were benificiaries of this free education, costing Zambia millions yet you have contributed nothing to help the poor back home from your armchair in were ever you are.
no. 29 spot on. kc’s arguments re baseless
KC,
I share some of your points on Mr. MC Sata. I know this article is not about him but I have always wondered what sort of experience the man is acclaimed to have had. To me all I see is either he was rebelious (when you talk of him having built Fly Over Bridge) because Kaunda may not have been involved. Or people have short memories (Merzaf, Third Term). But who were the ministers when UTH or UNZA was built? We have never heard of them claimimg to have been performers during their times. In fact talking of benefits from Fly Over Bridge you will see that they are minimal to those accrued from either UTH or UNZA. So?
Hey Excruciatingminutiae, Thanks for stopping by. I suepcst you can just show up. I don’t have a card – they probably want to sell as much as possible the first two days before the “public” sale. Perhaps you can call them first to make sure. If you go, let us know.Happy Shopping,Eden
this is the result of voting for crooks… in 2011 we will once again get a chance to get it right and I really hope that we as a people will send the crooks (BANDA) and their boot lickers to H-E-L-L
The people of Zambia deserves better and we all know that there is only one man that will always do the right thing and hence the reason why Banda is so against him getting power. Who Zambia needs is a person that is not from the farm trying to get rich, who Zambia needs is a leader that is smart, honest, respectable among world leaders with a proven track record of good governance, great ideas to move Zambia forward. Who Zambia needs is the leader of the National Movement for Progress… Zambia needs MAGANDE.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1990 AS AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT PART OF THE MMD MANIFESTO. IT IS OUTDATED.
Henry Kyambalesa you can’t be serious.
I HAVE TRIED BEFORE TO ADVISE KYAMBALESA AND OTHER AUTHORS OR JOURNALISTS TO RESEARCH THEIR ARTICLES PROPERLY AND INCLUDE ALL CITATIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT AUTHORITIES THEMSELVES IN THE VARIOUS TOPICS THEY TACKLE. THAT WAY THEY CAN ADD CREDENCE TO WHAT COULD EVEN BE THEIR PERSONAL OPINIONS. THE REASONS FOR ZAMBIA’S POOR PERFOMANCE IS ANYBODY’S GUESS AND THIS AUTHOR IS NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO ATRIBUTE IT TO THE REASONS GIVEN IN THE ARTICLE AND OTHER PLACES INCLUDING AT SOCIAL GATHERINGS. WE ARE ALL TOO AWARE OF THE ABOVE AND WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN SHOW THE ECONOMIC TRENDS SYSTEMATICALLY. OF COURSE HE HAS CONVINIENTLY LEFT OUT THE LIBERATION WARS AND THE ECONOMIC GENOCIDE COMMITTED BY FTJ AND HIS CRONIES. LPM DIDNT HELP THINGS TOO. CAN SOMEONE DO A MORE PROFESSIONAL JOB OF THIS TOPIC?
i did my homework in bed last night
:)
can i help you with your homework?
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