In response to my contributions on the Chitimukulu saga some bloggers commented that the Heritage Party’s “Village Concept” is moribund; we disagree as Heritage has never formed government to suggest that the programme has failed or been abandoned. What is moribund is the naïve attitude of many Zambians, who tend to look down upon themselves and believe that there is nothing good that can come out of them. Like Esau, they are giving away their birth right. A village is a birth right, regardless of where you are. Our parents used to go ‘Ku Joni’ (Johannesburg), ‘minyeminyele’ (Union Miniere) in the Congo/Zaire and WENELA but always came back to their roots. Why and how should anyone despise or reject what belongs to him or her – the village?
We have a caution to make before commenting on the negative on-line views. This Concept, if not properly managed, could be hijacked and manipulated to benefit selfish vultures. Further, because of the high poverty levels and the current polarised political atmosphere, failure to ameliorate the threatening crisis may result in xenophobic reactions from many Zambians looking for quick solutions to their immediate misery and suffering. Let us remember that we have a ticking time-bomb in our backyard!
The ‘Village Concept’ was articulated in 2001 when Heritage made its first attempt to convince Zambians to change their ways in order to enjoy the fruits of independence. Unfortunately politicking, character assassination and plain deceit characterise our politics, although those who practice such evil acts benefit by winning elections. The Concept is NON-PARTISAN and can be adopted by the country and adapted as a national strategy for developing Zambia and empowering all our people.
Our response to some online comments on Lusaka Times may be better understood by highlighting our guiding principles from the 2001 Manifesto and Campaign Materials, updated in 2011, some of which are:
- Overview: The Village Concept is the umbrella and vehicle of the Heritage vision and its strategic aims and methods through which we had planned in 2001 to bring rapid transformation and restoration of Zambia (13 years ago), while avoiding cosmetic changes for election purposes. The Concept ‘is a non-partisan formula adopted as the rallying point in the national effort to make a fresh start to answer the cries of all our people’.
- Our Beliefs: We believe that ‘each one of us has a claim to the Zambian inheritance; and we believe that participating in and enjoying the national cake is NOT the preserve of any single person, tribe, ethnic group, political party or class of people in Zambia, even if they win an election. Every Zambian, each tribe, each province has a claim to this inheritance, NOT just those in power; Not just those in leadership; NOT just those in the ruling party. This is our clarion call for all Zambians to wake up and reclaim their inheritance’. We further believe that there is absolutely no excuse for the high levels of poverty now obtaining in our country, the only reasons being the lost vision and absence of direction and a sense of purpose, the lack of discipline in the control and management of national resources, wastefulness, selfishness, tribalism, hatred, appeasement, greed and corruption. We believe now, as before, that our national economic programmes must deliberately favour Zambians while NOT discouraging foreign investment.
By ‘village’ here we mean primarily any integrated settlement or productive unit in a rural setting. In its embryo stage the village was to be the focal point for ultimate rapid rural industrialisation. Local communities were to spearhead the development, NOT the government. We must destroy the ‘dependence syndrome’ of always looking to State House or government to solve problems that each citizen should be solving on his/her own!
I enjoin readers/bloggers to browse the Heritage Party manifesto, written in 2001 and enhanced in the 2011 elections (visit www.godfreymiyanda.ws). As we always say in Heritage “we can be modern and yet apply tested godly principles of independence, hard work, ingenuity, survival, inclusiveness, productivity and selflessness”!
Godfrey Miyanda,
Brigadier General,
President,
Heritage Party
[19th June 2014]
thats right general. Whats wrong with a village concept. we have become so westernised that we despise our own cultural values and forsake them for western ones forgetting that the western culture was built on african civlizations. Show me the mother of any known european civilization and i will show you its source as being african. Why should we go for gonga civilization (western as copied from africa) when the original is here in africa; zambia, namibia, congo, ethiopia, egypt etc.
General Miyanda great to see you back online,,welcome back!!,,, Zambia at the Moment is in the ICU,, she needs all the honest politicians to step forward and you are one such politician,,,,,
please spread the good news of proper governance,,lets do away with this donchi kubeba lies…. being a naturalist myself, i love your village concept
@Ndobo, it is you we should welcome. We have been with B.Gen all week long…. he is out cleansing our minds from the PF & Kabimba out-break. The village concept has no houses demolition, a chief like Chitimukulu usually gives a year notice until after harvest then you are evicted. Not the Mindolo way .. Ndonchi Ukubeba, we will attack them at midnight!!
@Nostradamus
thanks boi!!,,,, but tell me something, the most sata fights the citimukulu engineer sosala,, the more he gets ill,, have you see the latest image of Sata addressing chinese VEEP on Zambia reports picked from ZNBC,,,,, very sad and worriesome,,,,,, what night`missles` are banshi lubemba and your people in nortthern province sending to State house??
@Ndobo, I can’t comment about the illness, “nalikwebele tabulwapo”.
I didn’t those pictures, naisa kanshi naine mpempuleko uko ku Report twaumfwa.
Genera, What of the many Zambians we have today who were born and brought up in urban settings and have never been to the villages their parents hail(ed) from? How do you make them identify with your village concept?
@Sophia, Its not many Zambians. And it just fine that you also stay where you are in USA, you can be a foreigner for rest of your life, there are also many foreigners in Zambia village.
Am sure B.Gen will agree with me.
@Sophia, if properly managed, the village concept will play out in the same way it has played out in developed Countries. There is no re-inventing of the wheel involved.
@Sophia: we have a formula which will be made available later. But first we must decolonize Our minds and attitudes. I was born in Mufulira and brought up in Kitwe but parents always took us to village during school holidays to bond and acclimatize. This is not a simple exercise but requires input from committed citizens to succeed as a non partisan grand project. I have noted @ Cactus’s understanding now and in others of his contributions. We are to operationalise an information desk and hopefully link up with you some how. NB: I first visited a village in 1953 and the place is literally the same today. No excuse if, as @Cactus says, we manage our affirms prudently and not putting self first. Godfrey Miyanda///
Just an advise ..Since this party was formed it has never had an impact and built trust to be voted into office by Zambians because the party itself is inactive and politically impotent I believe. Why not join other parties in order to work together by building one strong opposition party or join the ruling party if you like.
Light and Darkness can not mix. The problem is that you want populists. Zambia is today in the state it is because you don’t want honest and truthful leaders. Zambia missed an opportunity to have a great leader in General Miyanda. I pray that we can realise that all these populists are out to benefit from politics and not to serve Zambia. We need a leader like Miyanda who can articulate issues. Even the so called economic manager HH can articulate issues the way Miyanda and Elias Chipimo do. I hope General Miyanda can become president one day and then Chipimo takes over from there.
@Limpo: noted but not relevant to today’s debate. I shall combine yours with @ Dodoma Daeresalaam, who has given me a topic for next time about the 22 who were booted out at Mulungushi. I shall tell my side of the story then; patience. Godfrey Miyanda///
Love the Picture! Is that your village. General?
What strategy are you using to reach out to the people of Zambia? You can have the best remedy but as long as you don’t reach out to the voters your vision will never be achieved. Its like having faith yet you are not taking any step to get whatever you are trusting God to do for you! Faith without works is dead! Vision without works is dead. Your manifesto without campaigning is dead! You input determines your output! if your input is zero! Your output will be zero! The wind will not campaign for you! The media will not campaign for you! Arise General and Face the Giant! David had to put what he was confessing in action in order to overcome Goliath. God Bless You General! Am ready to take over as President if you need help
@State Police: picture may be LT Editor’s village being readied for improvement under the Concept – LOL! I hear you though you are preaching to the converted. We have held several meetings with remnant leadership to see the whys and what’s; we shall share at press briefing later. But for now I share that when I visited His Majesty King Mswati some years ago he sent me to meet his mother, the Queen Mother. From outside we saw grass-thatched huts. When we entered the floors were marble and mirrors – oh, she was barefoot and comfortable. For you State Police: the harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few. Will you be one of the few? Thanx for the appropriate tips. Godfrey Miyanda///
General Miyanda is a good leader but self centered. He cant work with somebody else but himself. We missed him when he left the 22. Presidency is God given. Miyanda does not have that gift that is why he left it for Michael Sata. I personally could have voted for him that time and I campaigned but not now.
@Dodoma….. …and your contribution to the subject, i.e. ‘Village Concept’ matter is?
It is just a pity that a person like me who has never been to my parents village can`t relate to this. Kitwe is the only village i know because i grew up there. I liked the part where you said “We must destroy the ‘dependence syndrome’ of always looking to State House or government to solve problems that each citizen should be solving on his/her own!” this is true general.Zambians are way too much into hoping for the government to do everything for them.You find somebody complaining about lack of employment opportunities when he or she can be self employed.I know someone who was searching for a job without success at the end of the day he started selling plastic bags at Soweto market.This time the guy is well off and has become an employer himself.Zambians must change their mentality.
@Saulosi, remember what Obama did when he felt he needed to trace his roots, and his divided inheritance? He took two trips, one to Kenya to his father’s ancestral village, and one to Ireland to his mother’s ancestral village. As you already know, he wrote a book “Dreams From My Father”. So, do an obama trip when the time is right.
I like that.Well said there bro.
Village concept is plagiarised Ujaama and we all know what Nyerere’s Ujaama did to Tanzania’s economy. For starters economies of scale at village level would make the economic system so inefficient and wasteful. How would Zambia compete with SA let alone China not even with Zimbabwe with all its problems. Kaaya! General educate us on things you know/trained in : military! Economics is not about dreaming it is a serious science/art rooted in well researched theories and practices!
The Heritage Party’s village concept is the easiest to understand among all parties and provides a better model for balanced development between rural and urban areas in our Country. Among other things, most western Countries have used this concept over the years to get to where they are today, and as such there is a seamless joint between rural and urban in infrastructure and services. Its therefore safe to say the village concept is ahead of its time for Zambia.
For instance, I live in a village in UK along with the majority of the UK population, and easily commute to work. The design of the buildings, tarred roads, security, health services etc…are as good as in the urban centers, and if anything more spacious. Industrial Areas are not restricted to urban centers, but evenly spread in…
Cont’d…. spread in villages too. Such a model for Zambia would answer urban drift, shanty township, cholera, etc we face. And it makes it easier for a Country to make a case in getting funding from big money lenders like World Bank in many many ways.
@Quest: 1. First read Heritage manifesto of 2001 (www.godfreymiyanda.ws)and then re-post your comments; we may then be on the same page. 2. Although we did not plagiarize in this modern days it is almost impossible to be totally original. Someone discovered electricity and Quest must NOT use it? I hear that Africans were early mathematicians but credit went elsewhere. 3. I am not an academic and do not pretend to be one. But I know that economics is about life and life is about every day concerns. I am concerned about the squalor in which most of our people are in the land of plenty. We have had economists in our midst since independence. A good and proactive economist would examine our Concept and advise why it cannot work or how best to implement it. Waiting for your debate; G Miyanda/
@8.1 Cactus: Dont mislead people/& the General with rosy descriptions villages in the UK. Its not the villages that built the UK economy but CONQUEST through imperialism & colonialism. At one time in history the sun never set on the British empire as they robbed of colonised people of their land, resources and wealth. In turn London became the largest financial capital of the world. Today 1.5 trillion usd/forex is traded everyday in 1 sq mile inner city of London. The swanky villages u are describing have just benefited from this loot and economic model. Even China is “destroying” villages & placing economic growth on migrant labour in sweat shops on its coasts! Its NOT the UK villages that built London as a financial capital rather the UK villages have benefited from…
@ 8.3:Godfrey Miyanda: Village concept cannot work because its an END and not a MEANS. It is something that an already rich nation such as UAE (from oil) can use to model it villages/towns. But this towns will not be cash positive as they will be rooted in consumption because economies of scale at village level simply dont exist and any production therefrom will not compete with world class regional industuries. We cannot colonise as Europe did, niether can we nationalise (state capitalism) like china because of weak laws/human rights cannot stem corruption. Cactus in 8.2 talks of VC as being good for borrowing World Bank funds. Which African country has developed WB loans other than get into debt traps. I dont agree with WB development models/handouts.
My suggestion to you General is that: Develop a model that ensures active participation of indigenous Zambians in contemporary economic (commercial, agriculture/mining/tourism/manufacturing and most importantly FINANCE & BANKING ) activities NOT just as employees BUT as OWNERS or joint owner with foreign people that bring in the capital. Keeping the huge profits from these sectors for use or even “misuse” circulating within our boundaries will be a CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR. It is a formula the Afrikaaner/boer people of South Africa used to compete against British imperialism/plunder (and develop South Africa to theits current level) albeit at the exclusion of the black majority!
I like the village concept.Gen is it similar to the kibbutz concept adopted by Israelis? Would I be right in assuming the concept isn’t per say asking us to head back to our grandfathers villages but rather having local communities developing their own areas.However those people abroad can join hands with people in the villages they originally came from and help develop it.
@ex-moma: 1. To force citizens to do what they do not accept or want is the best way of killing an idea. Besides you do not have to come home if you are in the diaspora but can support your family with financial means and ideas. Remember if you do not have or secure (military now) your village it will not be there tomorrow and there will be no economics to boast about; God is NOT creating new lands. Many of our people don’t even value what belongs to them hence they trek to towns for a better life. We should provide leadership to change all this and stop the wanton displacement of citizens from their areas. I have been to a kibbutz, they are highly productive. We can learn from their. Godfrey Miyanda///NB: But visit your grandees once in a while!
All economies are built by comparative advantages and auxiliary products and services. Its surprising that people like quest are questioning what economics actually espouses as sustainable development. Gen you’re one great model
@Ulemu ndi Wabwino: comments appreciated; sober and focused debate is usually productive. FYI our slogan is Zambia Our Heritage, Heritage Our Future – clearly a non- partisan pronouncement. Godfrey Miyanda///
@Ine Wine: I vote 100% for you. Godfrey Miyanda///
@ 10 Ine Wine: Dont throw tantrums & phrases like comparative advantage without full understanding and context. Zambia and DRC for example have the biggest Copper Resource in Africa & 2nd in the world & should therefore have Comparative advantage in copper products but we import heating geysers & copper cables from SA & China! There are other factors such as culture, ownership, appetite for risk, innovation, challenge of status quo, economies of scale, politics, population/market size, lifestyles that influence economies. Help the General by being frank. If u dont know, then keep quiet. Dont mislead him! The village concept aims to keep Zambians as villagers whilst risk takers like the chinese/indians come & run big zambian mines & banks. Where does this…
I like this debate starting with the Chitimukulu saga to the Heritage’s unique philosophy. This is how mature and healthy debates should be. I salute Gen Miyanda for his attitude (engaging) and all the bloggers for their contributions. Keep it up we can make Zambia our heritage better
@Ulemu ndi Wabwino: comments appreciated; sober and focused debate is usually productive. FYI our slogan is Zambia Our Heritage, Heritage Our Future – clearly a non- partisan pronouncement. Godfrey Miyanda///
Friends. I am done for now; too much pressure. Will rejoin later if necessary. @Saulosi, I have posted twice on your comments but Editor has not yet processed. Even if not posted I have endorsed comments by @Cactus at 1:15. Godfrey Miyanda///
@Quest: I penned off at 16.02 at 12 to relax. I respond as follows:
1. Intro: am glad I provoked you (we call this pepper potting in military parlance); you came out with guns blazing. Excellent debate though I don’t agree with rationale.
2. Quest on Cactus at 8.4 : this General not easily misled by anybody even Quest. You say the Brit Emp and Chinese robbed us/ are robbing us. But they built their villages with the loot while we are still crying. Cactus is right: turn this into positive by using our inheritance to do what they did with the loot.
3.Quest on GM: Never say never; I disagree that a concept is an end in itself as it is an abstract awaiting operationalising. U unfair and presumptuous on Ine Wine @10.3
4. GM, Cactus and Quest can make good planning team. Off now nite…
@8.4Quest, No they are not ‘rosy and swanky villages’ from the colonial era. They are mostly very recent builds. In my line of work I visit these sites dotted around the Counties in Central and South East UK. some of these Industrial Areas are still under construction along with domestic houses. As you might be aware, UK is slowly bottoming up from a recession, and the Govt is flat-out on job creation. Your hunch that I am misleading anyone suggests you have not seen much of the UK Countryside. I am glad the General has responded to that @13. Thanks for your contribution anyway.