Dr. Daniel K. Maswahu
(The author is a research scholar at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, USA)
Good scholarship is a great thing. Half-baked scholarship is dangerous, sometimes fatal. The one unmistakable identifying feature of true scholarship is that it knows no ceiling. The learning process continues especially after graduating out of the factories of formal education. And true scholars know that you cannot put down Wikipedia as a reference. I have your attention? Good, then try this for size:
Locus standi is:
- A part of your body you never talk about in the presence of children
- A Latin word your drunkard lawyer uncle uses at least once every 3 minutes after clocking 4 Mosis
- Another name for Ground – Zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack
- A legal term of Latin origin denoting legal standing before a court
- A village in Armenia
Given that the University of Zambia (UNZA) was about 6 weeks ago ranked 69th in the African universities league table, that the Great East Road Campus of UNZA and Evelyn Hone College are persistently rocked by demonstrating students and NRDC is closed indefinitely, there are some of you, dear readers, who may be wondering what I have been smoking.
I take some comfort in that my above stated vision is not as wild as the Wright brothers’ dream to fly was at the beginning of the 19th century. Their idea did and continues to literally fly – no, soar in the face of grinning skeptics. But flying is getting old hat and we have been to the moon. Three weeks ago a very smart robot left earth heading for the planet Mars. This robot is very likely the final prep of a manned Mars mission. The astronauts for that mission were about two month ago released from an 18 month period of isolation equivalent to the duration of time that mission will take. For those who have been smoking something stronger than I have, the first point is that the initial idea, the dream stepped on the shoulders of another dream and viewed the promised land. The second point awaits you in the next paragraph.
When the first manned moon landing was televised worldwide on the 20th of July 1969, it did not matter whether it was the Russians or the Rwandans who got there first. It did not matter what nationality you where. Tribe was even more irrelevant on that momentous day. The point that mattered is that WE, COLLECTIVELY as an intelligent species had managed to travel to and from another astronomic body.
A single day does not pass by that tribalism (real or imagined) is evoked by a Zambian on several of our most frequented web sites. The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate that genuine education, true scholarship, is a better remedy for the divisions (real and imagined) that are with increasing frequency being given voice to on the Zambian landscape. Some of those who point the finger of tribalism are perhaps sore losers in the September election (they also have a rabid fixation on something about 90 days – the PF are human and will only fulfill some of their 90 day promises – just get on with your own life if you have one). Please be reminded that democracy is by implication the oppression of the minority – so deal with the loss of your cherished expectations constructively (even if this process already involves the police). It is a little too early to pass judgment of a new leadership and we thankfully have a listening government who will tell you why a particular target has delayed. One day we will long for pragmatic leadership such as we have today, leadership that is thirsty and hungry to set matters right in the shortest possible time. The measure of true leadership must be performance, not how few Tongas where appointed into government positions.
In keeping with good scholarship, I would like the record to show that I have no hidden agendas, conflicting interests and am not looking for a job. I may change my mind about the job if your offer betters my current circumstances. The only plea I wish to submit is this – we have tried the apparently normal and it didn’t work; seems to me the season is ripe to try the allegedly abnormal.
To rub salt into the wound, we the people of Zambia collectively dared to renew our subscription to our dream for a better life when we elected a new party into leadership. The founders of our nation can tell you of the good not so old colonial days when it was impossible for a native Northern Rhodesian to enter a shop and all black people could only buy goods from a small window at the back of the shop. The times when our parents and grand-parents were mere labourers in the country that was their own. The last managers of the company called Zambia treated it like a loss making company in rapid liquidation. And we the share holders were treated like imbeciles who could be bribed with what in the first place belonged to us. I can understand the frustration and apparent lack of diplomacy of the new managers to set things straight after prolonged and very unnecessary suffering.
The United Nations Charter on Human Rights is unequivocally clear on the rights of children to education. The current government has shifted priorities for the better. Literacy rates during the MMD tenure of office increased only marginally, female literacy lagging behind (http://www.indexmundi.com/zambia/literacy-rates-of-15-24-years-old.html). There is a higher budget allocation for the education sector compared to previous priorities, but sustained advocacy targeting female education must be heard, seen and demonstrated. There is a relationship between the community levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and female literacy rates; please do not look in Wikipedia for this one – just listen to “Single ladies” by Beyonce.
The leadership of the flagship of Zambian education (the University of Zambia) has traditionally been left to political abuse with previous presidential office bearers being so bold as to allocate themselves land on “sacred” university grounds. There is urgent need to break away from this tradition and allow the institution intellectual and economic independence. The two aspects are easily achievable by selecting a Chancellor on merit (and a proven track record) who can turn around the battered institution with once only seed money (and generate subsequent or future funding from research grants) and a stiff time frame. The UNZA Medical School should be financially detached as soon as possible from Great East Road administration and be given the resources it produces to improve itself, and attract and retain world class medical educators.
The urgency of turning around the University of Zambia lies in that it is the most likely candidate institution to provide standards, checks and balances to all the other institutions that are ear marked to be upgraded to university or other higher level. My argument being, how do you expect to run other universities when you are failing to run the one that has been in existence longest? It will require a pathologic obsession with high standards to break away from the current epidemic of intellectual stagnation. This is not a task for party cadres, however glorified because it will invariably generate conflict with old habits.
An expanding population of children and young adults left out in the intellectual gap are already knocking on our doors demanding a world class education that will allow them to proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with the best students anywhere in the world. Numerous ill-equipped and badly regulated schools, colleges and universities have sprung roots over rocky ground and these need to be closely monitored. Private nursing schools that admit unqualified students to make a quick buck never-mind-the-patients-they-will-be-looking-after have sprouted all over Lusaka. The pattern holds true for all other educational areas catering for essential skilled and semi-skilled categories. High standards must be set and the only prevailing standard right now is unfortunately how much the student can pay to gain entry.
In conclusion, the education of our children reflects directly on who we are, what we aspire to as individual family units, as a community and as a nation. We cannot ignore the fractures within the fabric of our society and the deepening polarization of the country that resulted from the Mongu shootings and too many other matters of justice delayed; justice demands that those responsible come clean – silence is not an option. Our claim to be a Christian nation is held in question by those whose lives were lost due to excessive use of force and live ammunition. Education starting with an honest acknowledgement of our state of ignorance and the pain and suffering that this ignorance inflicts on others is the best remedy for the real, apparent and superficial divisions amongst us (such as tribal background). Education is a priority that we ignore at our own peril.
The opposition must continue to demand high standards of the party in power and provide constructive criticism. The fight against corruption may have been initially started as a reaction by corrupt politicians to save their own skins, but the standard has been raised higher by a man who will not tolerate corruption within the ranks of the first family itself, is happy to pay his own hotel bill and can jump on a mini-bus like the rest of us out of consideration that government costs can easily be minimized to pull the poor amongst us a little higher (hallmarks of someone who had an NDE); we owe this man our respect and support regardless of how we voted – if he makes a mistake (as we all do), point it out respectfully. Let us give him the time to perform the task given to him and judge him based on the performance of the team he has surrounded himself with. To achieve the vision of “One Zambia, one nation” will require the union of mind and spirit. We may have stumbled along the way, but our feet are stronger and sturdier, our intellects wiser from the lessons learnt.
By way of diversion, Lusaka is too small a city (population 1.3M) to have the work force stuck in traffic for hours on end. Replacement of traffic lights at key junctions with round-abouts (allowing traffic to regulate itself as opposed to load insensitive traffic lights) and a flat out commitment to complete a ring road (6 months max) are not farfetched. Oh, and while we are at it, can someone tell me why we are even paying carbon tax when the air quality in Lusaka is actually getting worse? The Road Traffic people may improve Lusaka air quality by simply making it mandatory to have all cars fitted with approved catalytic converters and have regular inspection and certification to see that emissions from each car are within the required limits. Measurement of air quality is fairly standard protocol and any self-respecting meteorological unit can easily purchase the equipment on the likes of e-bay.
I know we are not before a court of law, but this is my locus standi. What’s yours? I sincerely hope it is not one of a sore loser or a tribalist and that you have enough to do in your own life to not get fixated on someone else’s 90 day commitment which will clearly not be fulfilled to the letter.
Well said.
Make Zambia the greenest place in Africa.
There is lots of water in the rivers so spread it around.
The first educated PF cadre av encountered (outside Sata’s circle of minions).
But still you remain a cadre! Your good points have been overshadowed by your somewhat bias expression of support for PF!
You have failed to properly acknowledge that no all those crying foul are part of the minority that did not vote for Sata…and the reason for the voting was based on boldness and a hunger to change for the better (which you classify as abnormal).
For me it is wrong to totally forget all the 90 Day promises (which ofcourse are abnormal), some of them could have materialised and some of them could take longer but should have started!
What we have today are threats, manipulations, lies, u-turns, blunders, gossip, disregard of the law and fresh fake promises of 1 year plans
too much data…..you will confuse yourself one of these days…i dont like reading with too much concentration…especially mu nyunshi……straight to the point writing is better…not ukushoka ku kalomo elo waya ku congo dr…boring……
The Dr has put together alot of English words but said nothing. Zambia need leaders with vision. Leaders who can make Zambia into a Malasyia, HongKong. That is a centre of business, culture and education. What qualities does that leader need to have:
1. Educated
2. Well traveled
3. Management skills
4. Honesty
5. Between the age of 50 and 60. (Anyone older than that is simply junk)
Unfortunately the current leader is well short of the above hence can not take Zambia anywhere.
well traveled meaning what?
BRILLIANT ARTICLE PRO. WE REALLY NEED TO GET A LIFE IF AT ALL WE HAVE ONE. CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT HAS NOT AFFECTED ANYONE, AT-LEAST AS NOW, BUT JUST POLITICIANS IN OPPOSITION PARTIES. SHOULD THIS ALSO AFFECT ME? NEVER! NOT EVEN WHEN MY PREFERRED CANDIDATE COULD NOT SCOOP THE SEAT, OTHERWISE WE WILL FIND OURSELVES DIMINISHING OUR PARTLY DEVELOPED COUNTRY. I HOPE EVERYONE COULD READ THIS ARTICLE. WHY NOT PUBLISH IT ON THE ZAMBIAN WATCHDOG SITE TOO?
Wow,as a fellow zedian in the same state(Hunstville) i sort of find the whole thing long on goals but short on ways to get there.Missing is how to attract world class scholars with the attendant high pay,how to make it global when even in Africa its only 69th or even a single zedian company amongst africa’s elite,or how to attain pathological obsession with high standards when we’ve even failed the basics of a litter free Lusaka.My question is have we excelled in the basics that we’re already failing onso bad before we take on bigger ambitions as suggested?The nation that made it to the moon had its basics together.
But ba ndokota sure even if its obstruction levels, is this how you were taught write, quite mumble jumbled for a doctor without any convincing argument. Next time you write something i advise you stick to your question and don’t mix up things you apparently don’t understand. By the way, in what field are you a ndokota in???
Make Lusaka clean! Keep Lusaka clean! Keep Lusaka clean!
This is a good article but Zambians are too self centered by nature to even know what is good for them. The problem with Zed is your own blood relatives will steal from you. Shops have to do stocktaking everyday just to stop employees from stealing all the Capital. I say if we want to develop lets start by Educating all the Zambians on the IMPORTANCE OF HONESTY FIRST. then maybe we can go forward. Otherwise we are just wasting time ( as much as i hate to say this) we might just as well return the country to whites with integrity. They managed to recover from world war 1 & 2 within a very short time to become prosperous again. In Zambia you cant even trust a Church leader.
How long have you been out of Zambiamy brother?. We all get these thoughts about our beloved country when we are out and missing our kith and kin. The truth however is that your dream will not be actualized until there is seriousness in our leaders at a levels (current and past). Yes no reason why Lusaka should not be green throughout the year. The city has ideal water that can be used to water the lawns with little expense. Look at the Lagoon in Chawama, which has been sitting ideal for years and only used by criminals to dump their victims. Surely this requires only a small investment to pump it so it can feed our lawns and gardens in the city. Pretty Cities around the world do not come by accident, leaders plan and invest to actualize their dreams into reality- not wishful thinking.
Sorry guys doen bad editing to the above
Iwe chi Dr., your vission of your dumba$$, I guess! You’re full of hidden agenda a$$ a hole.
Dream-on; all the good places and facilities we see around the world were “dreamed of”; “planned” and “implemented”. I see very few implementers in Zambia at family level, at community level; then at regional level until you reach national level. The problem: The climatic conditions are so ideal that you cal literally live without doing anything. Why change a life when you can gather from the bush? My late Dad would say “Deeds not words”.
You want green environment, plant, tender and water; you want good roads: excavate, build and use; you want good toilets: make a sewer treatment plant, connect the pipes and it will be done; you want water: go to the river or stream to fetch it; or build a purification plant, reticulation system and pump to your house; so everything has to be done ba kabwa, failure to which you can continue shitting in the bush; traffic jams, shanty compounds and the list is endless. after all you have been independent for 47years; hungry free people you are. And well fed slaves we are. Its annoying to be honest.
As someone has alluded to above article is mumble jumbled. Title is misleading i thought i would read about improving education in Zed and not some justifications for Sata’s actions/inactions.
Dr. Daniel K. Maswahu
– please keep your idiocy to yourself. If you want a job just talk directly to Sata, don’t involve us using the dullest article ever writeen by a ‘research scholar’. If the University of Alabama reads this you will be fired immediately for embarrassing them. If Sata reads this your job prospects at State House will vanish – because even Sata will be able to see the b.ull.sh.it quality of your though process. Sometimes it is better to shut up and just listen to intelligent people discuss, rather than open your mouth and release the longest gibberish article I have encountered in my life. You are a total waste of time and an embarrassment to Zambia. Please promise never to break wind publicly again EVER! – it smells badly..
No 16
Thanks…..
I have never read a good article in a long time.A big thumbs up Daniel K. Maswahu.A high quality education system and a zero tolerance to coruption is the way to go indeed.
It is funny that some think that ‘monkey eating’ has not affected their mindsets. Here we have someone exhibiting collateral behavior of monkey cleverness, under a fake smokescreen name of Dr. Maswahu.This is precise behavior of one Prof Yambayamba, now posing as Dr. Maswahu and he thinks he has fooled all.
Green Lusaka, for more dagga I guess. Please Prof Yambayamba, we have our own dagga, keep yours, it is certainly too strong for us. Hahahahahahahaha
BTW Prof,
Your prescription tincture is surely more deadly than the disease it means to cure. Hahahahaha
But this guy smokes something strong in addition to the books that are confusing him.
good article dr., the problem with most bloggers is that, anything to do with sata (positively) and tongas (negatively) is taboo. we know them do not relent, soldier on. we are behind you.
This guy rambles on touching all sort of abstract things and doesn’t get to the point quick enough for higher IQ people.Let this be the last article you post on this paper you are just blowing a smoke screen for your mixed up mind.
Give people a great education and no jobs to challenge their talents and you have a recipe for a revolution,Politician will keep their citizens ignorant so they can rule in peace,You think they have the interest of citizens ahead of their own?
This article may be too long and winding for a newspaper BUT the point of it should not be missed: educational standards in Zambia have fallen and need to be improved for Zambia to be part of the global economy. Social services in Zambia have collapsed and need to be revived. Local government reform is long overdue and should lead to: creation of green spaces and parks; provision of clean water to every household; environmentally sustainable garbabge and sewer disposal; modern urban planning; well lined streets, etc. If Zambia cannot manage 1 Unza, how can it manage education, health, etc.
I respect Dr Muswahu enormously but if this is the cream of what he has to offer, then I fear for the quality of the Intellengensia this country produces. Seems to me that the Dr was trying to find justification-in a rumble jumbled kind of way- for his support to this low calibre government. Pathetic Front.
i know those streets. they are in lusaka
First kudos to you Maswahu for an article so well composed. And for those who don’t know him, he’s genuine alright, he’s not Yambayamba. My only concern is that the target readership might not necessarily have the interest for theoretic discussions, rather they are more interested in bullet point style; problems and how to solve them.
#19 you seem to be such an A—hole, This Dr. does exist, he was my junior at Med School & his thoughts/words here, are just as I have known him. This is the problem when a country is filled with exactly what he is describing, people who can’t see beyond the tips of their nostrils, YOU BECOME PARANOID!! Leave the Prof. out of this. TRY A BIT MORE OF EDUCATION!!!
Can all those criticizing Dr. Maswahu post their well written, peer reviewed papers? Most of you, ba fimbwete, mwaishiba fye ukutukane nsele. it is like if you don’t insult somebody in 24 hrs ninshi mwalaumfwa kwati muleinyelawila. Let’s see what you can write, bane!
Dr. Maswahu, people don’t comment on things that don’t matter to them. The fact these negative spirits are passing negative remarks can also mean you have done what they have failed to do. The reminder is painful.
You would see some nitwits talking about IQ and stuff. What has IQ got to do with anything? Ba mbuli!
Uyu mbuli achilalanda pali IQ, go back to 7th grade and take a long look at paper 2. that is your sample IQ test, I have met retards who solve the puzzles blind folded. What was your score, assuming you even completed 7th grade? Ubututu muleke!