By Dr. Charles Ngoma
When a doctor is called in to see a patient, he first takes a history from the patient or whoever can speak for them. The history will include facts like what the patient is complaining of, when and how symptoms started, date of birth, relevant details in the family history and then take notes on social factors as well. The doctor will then proceed to examine the patient by inspection from head to toe. Thereafter, he will examine by touch and hearing with his ears as well with the aid of instruments that can augment sounds and electric currents the body emits. By now, the doctor will be well on the way to understanding which system or systems are not working as they should and he will produce what is know as a ‘differential diagnosis.’ This is a list of possible causes of the patients problem and in the meantime he will act on one or two of these as a ‘working diagnosis.’
Normally he takes the one that is most likely to endanger the patients life or cause extreme morbidity were it not dealt with sooner. He may then order further tests depending on the complexity of the problem and this will go on until he comes to nail the final diagnosis. Some diseases have what are called pathognomonic features, which means that nothing else looks like it. Sometimes, all tests fail to ‘show up anything’ and it could be that newer tests are needed, or it is a new disease that would enter the medical vocabulary. By and large, a great majority of problems are solved by this time honoured practice which goes all the way back to antiquity.
In this two part article, I will first try to demonstrate from our history, that we are not where we were.
Politicians and all who are interested in solving the problems their country faces, may do well to take a leaf from the doctor’s approach to the human condition. It is important to take a good history of the country. It has been said that ‘those who do not know their history, are bound to repeat the same mistakes’ but indeed ‘there is nothing new under the natural sun.’ Life goes round, not in circles but in spirals, like the coils of a spring. We are at the same point but on a different plane, if haply higher. From 24th October 1964, much has changed in Zambia. There are many who recall with nostalgia, those ‘good old days’ and circulate black and white pictures of 1950s to 60s Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola city centres etc, over the internet.
Look at the neat streets, the cars, the functioning swimming baths; and one wishes that things were just as they were then! But, no one points out that in 1964, there was no University, fewer primary and secondary schools and hospitals. Schools and hospitals were segregated to ‘whites’ and blacks. After independence the whites were joined by the uppity blacks who could afford to pay, or the ‘senior staff’ in the mine townships. Only Church run institutions provided decent education facilities for the poor. Many Government primary schools were grass-thatch roofed buildings with holes in the walls for windows and pit latrines even beyond 1969! The main thoroughfares from Lusaka to Chipata and Mongu and from Kapiri Mposhi to Kasama were gravel roads. It was ‘hell run’ in the rainy season to drive from Lusaka to Kasama! Crossing the more southern parts of the Muchinga escarpment near Luangwa river en-route to Chipata from the capital was an exercise in sphincter control!
In the first five years after independence, the fledgling Zambian government followed the 1st National Development plan. Perhaps everything would have gone according to plan, if it wasn’t for the Ian Smith unilateral declaration of independence in Southern Rhodesia in 1965. A University was opened in 1966 and by 1973, Zambia had its first medical graduates. There were 11 of which only 3 were native Zambians! There was a massive programme of school and hospital building throughout the country and free education and health care! One turned up at boarding school to be educated, fed and supplied with toileteries free of charge. Textbooks, pens, pencils, note books were all provided by the state! Houses were maintained free of charge by the Public Works Department and there were Township Management Boards that took care of all our myseries. We were producing around 700,000 tonnes of copper a year at lower cost. We were on a roll!
The $3 billion reserve we had at independence, with a population of 4 million, would have to finish someday with this necessary public spending. We tarred the major roads, built an International airport, a world class conference centre in one of Lusaka’s leafy surbubs and we produced more children too!
We could have gone on to greater things but the southern African situation brought difficulties for us. Our national independence and security were under threat. In 1966, we did not even have an Air Force to write home about. The Harold Wilson government had to supply a couple of planes to defend Zambian airspace. In 1968, the Portuguese in Mozambique bombed the Luangwa bridge, cutting Eastern Province off from Lusaka. More and more acts of sabortage were perpetrated against our infrastructure, and sadly, with the corroboration of a few of our own people. The southern border with Rhodesia was closed and our most economical land route to the international markets was shut. Rhodesia’s Mr Smith confiscated more than half of our Railways rolling stock and aeroplains. Being a land locked country, with mining the mainstay of the economy, we were in ‘maningi trouble,’ as veteran soccer commentator Dennis Liwewe would say. Coupled with these external issues were the internal, tribalism and wrangles for power in the ruling party UNIP and the inter-party violence that erupted prior to the 1969 elections, when hundreds of Zambians lost their lives. Mufumbwe was a picnic in comparison to the violence we experienced then! I remember spending a whole afternoon in the hill in my childhood town for fear of being lynched by the marauding cadres from both Kaunda’s UNIP and Nkhumbula’s ANC. Following after the Nyerere’s Arusha Declaration, Dr Kaunda also announced the Mulungushi reforms, in which he became the defacto Chairman and Chief Executive of all the means of production through ZIMCO. It was not long after this that a One Party State would be declared and all political dissent would be crushed. I leave the judgement on the merits or demerits of this decision by the Kaunda administration to posterity. I am only telling the history.
Many of us would like to forget the years between 1974 to 1984. Things got from bad to worse. Hyperinflation set in. The promised $400 million ‘Operation Food programme’ announced with much fanfare in a marathon speech lasting 3 hours, had come to naught. We became beggars in the world and the IMF and World Bank experts were in and out with ‘various remedies.’ Like the woman with an issue of blood in the Bible, we had haemorrhaged ourselves to severe economic anaemia and spent all the money with very little to show for it. A few people gathered some courage here and there to try and topple the government, but failed. They were tortured, brought before our courts and incarcerated while Dr Kaunda tightened his grip on power. It is so hard to understand how the kind-hearted 40 year old ‘non-violent’ Kaunda became the 60 year old who struck terror in his people! Zambians sung ‘Tiyende pamodzi’ not in tandem but in tow! Here is a lesson from history. All dictators in history started as young men under the age of 40. Someone pointed out recently that the best leaders the world has ever known are those who came to power in the afternoon of their lives. It is an interesting observation because personalities like Dr Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, FD Roosevelt, Sir Winston Churchill were all more than 60 years old when they became leaders. The worst dictators seem to ‘grow on the job.’ Libya’s strongman was 27, Castro 39, Mobutu 35, Museveni 42… the list goes on. Even our Chiluba who started at 48 wanted to carry on forever! It is kind like when you send a young person to prison for a long time, that being the only life they know, they can’t get prison out of them when free. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and notable among them are the ‘Ngwazi’ of Malawi, Dr Kamuzu Hastings Banda, but that is a special case.
Our friends in North Africa are waking up to reality today, but Zambians carried out a similar revolution just over 20 years ago. The so called ‘docile’ Zambians took to the streets and begun to riot. The Unions threatened mass strikes and for once Dr Kaunda’s grip on power looked loosened. You got to hand it to him; He saw the writing on the wall and avoided unnecessary destruction when he quickly conceded to change. I am mindful of one life lost during that uprising. At about the same time, Communism in Europe was collapsing. Dr Kaunda’s friend Nicolae Ceau?escu was overthrown by the people and executed in 1989.
Zambia had reached the nadir and now the only way forward was up. In 1991, a new era dawned. We can proudly tell the Arabs, ‘we’ve been there and done it.’ Zambians are not docile, but the most sensible and wise of people. If they want to move, they move. They can be stubborn if they want to; Gay rights issue for example. They are forceful but peaceful. The Frederick Chiluba’s MMD came into power amidst multi-party democratic politics and the whole world looked with favour upon this country that lies in the bossom of the mighty Zambezi, the river of God. Thank God Almighty, we are not where we were.
We should have gone the route of Botswana. Democracy from initiation. We can move forward from our present position I am optimistic of that. Friday smile my friend repent praise the Lord and do something constructive like reading a book.
Good reflection and history on the Zambian scene that brought us where we are! Thankfully, we survived the onslaught of Southern Africa liberation struggle and hosting of various movements in the sub-region and providing free education to their sons too, Zambia’s contribution to Africa and to the world! We may never get paid monetarily but perhaps we may – in kind! KK the man!
The past is of no importance. The present is of no importance. It is with the future that we have to deal. For the past is what man should not have been. The present is what man ought not to be. The future is what makes the difference
Very long but educational article. This caught my attention “After independence the whites were joined by the uppity blacks who could afford to pay, or the ‘senior staff’ in the mine townships.”
The beginning of inferiority complexes and nepotistic castecism. I didn’t know that we had black of black violence of that magnitude after independence thanks for the education you have shared .
I don’t seem to understand this article. Zambia today is worse off than it was at Independence, in terms of per capita income, employment levels and other economic indicators. Even countries, e.g. Botswana, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singaore, South Korea, Taiwan and the Emirates, were “poorer” that Zambia in 1964. In that regard, Zambia has regressed and is “not where it is supposed to be.”
Please reflect on no. 1’s comments. Zambia can still progress.
As i await your second “diagnosis”, may i just add that there is a danger of diagnosing the root cause of a problem wrongly. Take the upheavals in north africa, for instance. Much emphasis is being placed on “lack of democracy” as the main problem. I however, think that is only a by product of what the people want. The root cause of the problem is economic rather than political as such. The danger lies in “healing” the democracy symptoms only without addressing the economic factors that gave rise to the uprising in the first place. Its like attending to the headache of a malaria patient without fixing the malaria parasites that gave rise to the headache. Therefore, introducing democracy, a good thing, without addressing the economic factors may only serve to postpone the problem.
wise words from a wise man.you cant get to the future without a past.Beautiful article
so what is the author trying to tell us,hope is is not saying MMD has done alot to deserve another chance.
Dr. Ngoma,
just come back to Zambia instead of shouting on the roof tops in the UK. You are where you are because you an economic refugee.
The history content of the article is good, but its not clear what point the author is trying to make.
looking forward to your next article.
Yes indeed ZAMBIA can progress if we go for WILLIAM BANDA in 2016
sorry i meant RUPIAH BANDA THIRD TERM ..2016…UNPRECEDENTED DEVELOPMENT INDEED!! 2016
Is the Author Pro Rupiah?
I agree with the Political Economst and I further say this article sounds pro Rupiah. A few stats of now and then. In 1973-1974, the kwacha was equivalent to around $1.28 and In 1968, the kwacha replaced the pound at a rate of 2 kwacha = 1 pound (10 shillings = 1 kwacha). Today,68-70% of Zambians are living under the poverty line. At $395, per capita annual income is half what it was at independence-making us one of the poorest conuntries in the world. Life expectancy is 40years at birth. What a country.
Looking forward to the next article. It is indeed true that we need to learn from history. Hopefully, we will not go the same way again.
I agree with the Political Economist and I further say this article sounds pro Rupiah. A few stats. In 1973-1974, the kwacha was equivalent to around $1.28 and In 1968, the kwacha replaced the pound at a rate of 2 kwacha = 1 pound (10 shillings = 1 kwacha). 68-70% of Zambians are living under the poverty line. At $395, per capita annual income is half what it was at independence-making us one of the poorest countries in the world. Life expectancy is 40years at birth. What a country.
Great Great Great Piece
good foundation for the next article
# 3 SMOOTH CRIMINAL,
May be you were young by the time all these events were taking place my boy or girl, but your view that the past has no bearing in the way forward for mother Zambia is tantamount to a baby’s tantrums. In Lunda we say chwuka mbidi inyima hiyamuchwukang’a ku meanig: you may insult the future but never ever insult the back where you are coming from. because all wisdom is there to guide you in future.
I sometimes laugh when people say things were better before independence. Yes, maybe the hospitals were better, western foodstuffs could be found in shops etc, but what are all those things worth without education. Education is empowerment, it broadens ones horizons. It beats me when I hear some people who have now relocated abroad say such things, the good foods and facilities could have been there but how many of our parents and grandparents had access to all the “great things”. Kaunda educated his people and through education they became less ignorant and developed themselves to a point where some parents were even able to move countries in search of greener pastures or send their children to schools abroad. Ladies and Gents KAUNDA needs to be respected. 1991 – smooth transition.
Your metaphor of using the diagnosis of a patient while true, just like any profession has its flaws and application limitations. With such meticulous approach, how do you explain misdiagnosis and many medical malpractices?
It looks like you have failed to render any help to this patient even after taking all the necessary history.
This just goes to show that sometimes the mistakes are genuine, external and you have no control over them and others are of course solely caused by human greed.
Yes we love learning history but we seldom learn from it.
We’re always quick to blame gov’t/leaders.Truth is what zed is today is a true reflection of its leaders & people.Walk to a zambian bank and generally you’ll get substandard service.Give a rd project to a zed co & you get delays/poor workmanship.Walk into mkts & in these eyesores nobody keeps high standards of organisation or cleanliness.Send money home for a project & chances are your money is misused.Take big bussiness & we’ve let foreigners control us by ruining our zed air,zamtel,mines or even firms at Manda hill.All those shortcomings in our leadership also obtains in us and our leaders are just a reflection of us.Sad to say if zed is not where it should be then we all share in that failure.
#17 Kennedy
And the Bemba have a saying that goes something like this ‘Ubulimi wa kale taulisha umwana’
History is only there for reference,it wont put food on your table,while your friends are busy making progress,all you have to show for is a piece of History
Good thoughts though academic,what Zambiia needs are men and women of valour,couragous and determined,citizens who can stand up without fear or favor and be counted.Thats why i have a lot of respect for Sata and HH as individuals,sometimes we do forget,it is not a joke to run a political party inj Zambia,believe me i have been involved in one and have seen it.
People just want to shout slogans without putting their money were their mouths are,some parties since formation have never even fielded councilors i cant blame them.Just imagine how difficult it is to organise your own birthday party,now imagine people like Sata and HH against all odds surrounded mostly by parasites and hangers on to be able to participate in each and every election,they must be MEN,for their resileince i salute
#21 SMOOTH CRIMINAL,
I get your point loud and clear, never meant to belittle your intelligence though. but the point that i meant to put across is that lest not we forget where we coming from but rather let’s use the past experiences as a learning curve in our quest to attaining development.
Rather disappointing article. The good doctor has failed to highlight is the fact that even in medicine there is a standard to gauge against – a normal, such as the graph for growth rate. Zambia is a stunted nation, hence the tendency to use low standards for comparison. Although there was a huge emphasis on education, most of that education was not aimed at problem solving and enlightenment. The result is that we have fallen far behind countries of similar age, such as Malaysia and Singapore. Even now, we have to bring in Chinese to repair our sewerage systems. We export unprocessed minerals when Zambians have no jobs and yet we call that investment. Hospitals are run by very few inadequately trained doctors, clinical officers and nurses. To rectify these issues we need forthrightness Doc
I’m proceeding with caution as this site looks pro MMD. However, thank for hoghlighting key points in our history. Also thank you for inspiring us that there is yet room to move and improve on our selves tho’ you didn’t talk much on the corruption that is holding us to moving to the next level.
Dr. Charles Ngoma you an IDIO T.
Honestly how do you say we had a revolution in Zambia 20 years ago, when the MMD has failed Zambians and right now the constitution is of dictatorial and favors the MMD?
Zambians still need a revolution like the one that happened in Egypt and Tunisia without violence? Look at the way President Banda is treating Derick Chitala, the POST Newsaper in relation top their Zambian airways and Mahatani in relation to his FBZ?
Chitala is being punished like no man’s business, the man crying!!
President Rupiah Banda has taken Zambia as his personal farm in Chipata, and Zambians as his children, giving sweets to whom he likes and punishing Zambians like KIDS!!!!!
And Dr. Ngoma, you call this democracy? It is Dictatorship with Rupiah Banda…
Zambians are suffering right now and Rupiah Banda is laughing of their suffering!!!!
Dr. Charles Ngoma, don’t support President Banda just because he is from your Eastern Province, to support his TRIBALISM. Stop the nonsense please, Zambians are tired of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zambians are suffering right now.
If President Banda was a christian as he has professed before (he is a satanist because of his vengeance attitude together with Chiluba), because the Spirit of the Lord is of a forgiving attitude.
How do you practice tribalism and VENGEANCE like President Banda does, openly and he goes in churches to take advantage of the vulnerable poor Christians using the bible as a WOOLF.
One day people wont tolerate this nonsense honestly!!!!!!!
Here’s part 1 of my diagnosis of Dr.Charles Ngoma. a). Serious amnesia (b). Vision: 20/20 but only hindsight and no foresight present. (c). two left feet robbing the patient of any nimbleness but has amazing propensity for foot-in-mouth disease.(d). Low electrical pulse from brain.Could be result of (i). Morbidity leading to gloomy outlook on life where patient has tendency to trust, glamorize and espouse only the past and is suspicious of change or progress.(ii).Lack of cranial growth thus hindering brain from progressional development with age which again leads to patient resisting any change or growth in his environment. Diagnosis to be continued in Pt.2.
Thank you Dr Ngoma for reminding us of our History. However, we should be wary of heaping too much praise on political leadership. Politicians have a duty to make citizens a happier lot. This is by building schools, roads, hospitals; infra-structure in general. That is why they are in office. Naturally, the nation has to grow. If you look at that picture of Kitwe in 19 fimofimo it shows you a healthy infra-structure. That picture shows that someone is in charge. Look at the decaying Kitwe NOW and you will see that the current political leadership is NOT DOING ITS JOB.
#18 What is education if you are suffering from unemployment, poverty and disease? Ask the Tunisians. The guy who set himself alight and died and set off the revolution had a degree but no job.
Shaka OZ
Are you being fair to call the author an ***** based on your two comments above? Its one thing to call someone an ***** and come up with what you have wriiten as justification to lable the author as an *****.Totally uncalled for.
I dont know Charles Ngoma but he has a point and he has put it across intelligently, debate and point out its flaws,who knows maybe this ***** has archieved more than you could ever imagine or dream
In other words Education alone wont make you happy. Food on the table makes all happy. Dr Ngoma; Imagine we had 3 billion Dollars in reserves in 1964! Fast forward to 47 years later and we only have 2 billion dollars in that reserve. Any economist will tell you we have flopped. That 3 billion should have given birth to about 300 billion by now. I agree with Dictators coming in at a young age. They grow into the belief that they are God sent. May be we should let Sata lead eh?
I think the headline should read Zambia: Not where we were but where we should be. Dr Ngoma I agree when you say “Zambians are not docile, but the most sensible and wise of people.” That I think is why Zambia remains a haven of peace in the midst of turmoil around it. In the 1991 revolution a number of us were ready to go into the bush had we been denied what we wanted but isn’t it a confirmation of Zambians’ collective wisdom that we had a leader who accepted defeat and handed power to the people? The lesson to all dictators is DONT OVERSTAY.
Small correction Dr Ngoma: Zambia’s population at independence was 3.5 million not 4 million
The problem is that we chose a wrong president in 1964. Unfortunately Nkumbula was a player/drunkard .With his degree in economics(London School of Economics), Zambia must have made a very good start.
Not the Humanism nonsense of one KK.
KK destroyed this country in the end. Building Universities ,Schools, Clinics, Mortuaries, Toilets, and commissioning them at every opportunity without a clear plan is like doing nothing at all.
You risk ending up with white elephant infrastructure.
Anyway what next ZAMBIA…..The truth is that at the rate we are going, IT WILL TAKE A MIRACLE!!
We have a great opportunity before us today to make the country the best that it can be. We need to start producing finished copper products to boost employment and add value to our copper. This is the one thing that the government should be working on. We can’t export raw copper and think that we are developing. At the moment, it is safe to say the country is getting robbed of our badly needed resources. By exporting our copper in its current form (copper cathodes), we are just creating jobs elsewhere while our own people are struggling to get by, it is a total shame and it is not right. The UNIP government had great nationalistic ideas and we should re-visit some of the good ideas but that does not mean we should bring back the old guys! Zambia has the capacity to do much better.
That is a good analysis of the Zambian situation. How this country was destroyed by UNIP and KK. In Zimbabwe under Mugambe its the same situation.
#20 Enka Rasha is spot on. It takes a real man to look inside himself and admit his serious flaws. Unless we make radical changes as Zambians our nation is headed nowhere. This transformation has to begin with each one of us on a personal level. WE ARE NOT A SERIOUS NATION and this reflects in everything we say and do. Our country is a true reflection of who we are. I repeat, UNLESS WE MAKE RADICAL CHANGES there is no hope for ZAMBIA. I rest my case.
You can talk about the past, the present and the future in any chronogical order.The status quo will be the same. First from independence, Zambia wished to create a better environment for everyone and not only for blacks. This was a big mistake. Economic empowerment was not emphasised by Kaunda and this created a state without middle income and only the rich got richer, name them, whites, Indians etc leaving blacks to carry CVs. In other words, there was no polical will to encourage high scale entreprenuership. The wealth went to the foreigners as is the case now. I continue on next page
Enka Rasha could be spot but that does stop u from investing in your country just because u are scared that that some relatives will chew ur money.
The British system of job dependence and high qualifications is a system which has contributed to the current economic state of affairs. Indians saw this and decided business is the only way to go and in this way they were economically and financially empowering themselves through high scale entrepreneurship. The only black graduates who ventured in entrepreneurship were lawyers, the rest chose to work for big institutions even if their professionals would allow them to set up their own businesses. Even women in Zambia then chose only to marry working class group not business men. This was a serious social and economic belief that only salaried citizens are respected.
But the situation could have changed if the government had for instance created a Development Bank or a government sponsored credit scheme which would allow aspiring young men and women to borrow funds for starting business. In the process, other banks could be encouraged to participate in business lending, a situation that would have created a middle income group surviving on business. This never happened and the effects can be felt now through property ownership. Most properties are owned by Indians, companies etc, because they are the only ones that can afford. The question is who owns the economy of Zambia, between blacks and Indians? Certainly, blacks are only controlling the economic system but the flow of cash is under the hands of Indians.
Secondly, Zambia faces problems which it should not be facing for the simple reason that government has allowed mass un controlled settlement of foreigners into the country who even now poses national identity documents and have settled illegally. More especially from DRC posing as Bembas, Malawi posing as Easterners/Nyanjas and Angola posing as luchazis from N/western province. All these factors in addition to wars have added to government being overstretched. In this case, it is even difficult to know who is a legitimate Zambian who should be given a business loan.
The only way forward for Zambia to develop is decentralization. Through decentralization, provinces identify high impact investment sectors and promote local entrepreneurship through guaranteed loans among the citizens. The banks in Zambia for along time could not even participate in bond financing to ordinary individuals only politicians and banks became consumer banks and not lending banks. If this continues, Zambians will continue to suffer economically, since there will be no middle income group. Banks role is to provide facilities to capable individuals and in the process, the middle income is created through the access to funding, which eventually enables bridging of the gap between the poor and rich. Sorry for the long contribution.
Puma,Iam with you but I have serious concerns with the allegations of the alleged Bembas(Congolese),Luchazis(Angolans) and Malawian masquerading as Zambians. How will the govt stop this alleged infiltration of foreigners? Take for instance,the surname Nkhoma is very much Zambian as well as found in Malawi,are you suggesting the millions of Easterners,Northerners as well as Northwesterners should be subjected to an audit to authenticate their nationality? Iam anti-foreigner but some surnames in Zambia cut across borders and questioning genuine Zambians in order to detect those posing as natives will be tantamount to harassment and indeed difficulty if not possible to undertake.Maybe tightening the borders which I think they are doing but territorial borders are difficulty to man.
The author is narrating history and someone calls him an I D I O T! He is not in anyway describing the present situation. Your mother tells you about what happened at your birth and your early childhood and you turn round and call her names? One can see from some contributions here why Zambia is poor. There are too many cretins!
zambia’s problem are squarely the making of KK and UNIP. in fact what RB is doing now in terms of the economy should have been done then. KK created a country of consumption and not production. he gives good coupons on unemployed and give the same coupon to the head of ZCCM. what rubbish. free education all even to those who could have afforded. indiscriminate excessive spending on wars that had nothing to do with us.
we could have afforded to diversify the economy then with easy but KK did nothing. though zambia was rich its was fundamentally vulnerable and stunted from the begining because of UNIP policies. while some may be proud of the free education they got they forget that they were consuming the resources of the future. it laughable that some say those were good days.
#39 your posting is profound @ 39, 40, 41. i add that a national citizenship audit is, needed and the formation of an electronic register. this will bring confidence to business as i would be is a position to trace my debtors and credit facilities can start working.then the private sector can start lending to people on a long term. these are important decisions that should be made.
No 29. I think a person who is in poverty, unemployed BUT educated would have a bit of hope and therefore something to live for than one who has no education at all, unemployed and in poverty. Tunisia issue was started by Graduates who could not get jobs. They were fighting for their rights, which through education they became aware of. In America slaves were forbidden from taking up any form of education because their white “owners” knew that to educate someone is to empower them (not just financially but in many ways).
The colonial claim to have left so much money in Zambia, why then did they not use some of that money to educate more local Zambians. For your info they were less than 400 graduates at the time. At least KAUNDA changed that.
I enjoyed this article. I look forward to the next.
Ok#47 But I think when political leaders get into power they tackle priorities. Education is very important but what is more important is to feed the people whom you will educate.They must be healthy when they go to school so hospitals must be there. Remember Lenin said for a revolution to take place the stomachs must be full. The point I was making is that the man killed himself because even with his education he saw no future for himself.
No. 49
The chinese say ” first, teach a person to fish and they’ll eat forever”. The priority is to teach them how to catch fish first. Most people who you see “eating well” today made huge sacrifices in life. Some of them will even tell you of the many days they went hungry so that they could save to pay their exam fees. Sometimes you have to suffer in order to succeed. We went through a very rough patch, but the investment that was made in human resources will make Zambia rise again. Slowly this is beginning to happen. Watch this space. Don’t know about you, but I was last in Zambia 2 weeks ago and I stayed there for 4months, just to assess things, before I go back.
In my books priority – education = food. Build infrastructure (e.g roads)= industry (jobs). Not jobs then roads
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” Is atually a Swahili proverb not Chinese.
NO 51.
WALASA