By David N Kapoma
At age forty (40) years, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda became president of Zambia after wrestling power from the British. He and other young people at the time worked so hard in ensuring that Zambia attain independence, but that was only political independence. One would wish that they also fought for economic independence, but life as we know it they did their part and left the rest to those who would come after them.
What was unique about Dr. Kaunda and his team was the determination and the sacrifices they all made. They left their jobs and joined forces in fighting for this country. They did this at very young age most of them. Dr. Vernon Johnson Mwaanga was only 21 years old when he became Zambia’s first diplomat, as deputy high commissioner in London. He was ambassador to Moscow in 1965, before returning to Zambia for two years, handling negotiations with Rhodesia as the president’s permanent secretary. From 1966 to January 1972 Mwaanga was ambassador to the United Nations. He achieved all this in his early and late twenties. A huge responsibility was placed on him which he managed so well considering his age.
No doubt politics at that time were about service to the nation and not to the pocket. Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe in his early forties served as Zambia’s vice president and the man died without owning mansions in the world’s most expensive cities. At age seventeen (17) my own father was appointed publicity secretary for UNIP the position he served from 1963 to 1973.
Political parties at the time were managed like churches, members did not join political parties for financial gain. In fact members of various political parties made donations for the running of political parties. This is the reason why politicians then never moved so easily from one political party to another. They felt a strong sense of belonging to their respective parties because of the investment they put in. Those who were in politics then did it because they wanted to see certain changes take place. They had such serious level of integrity. My father together with few other young people left UNIP in 1973 because they did not agree with the introduction of the one party state.
“Increasing challenges from opposition parties to Kaunda’s dominance over the country during the first Republic eventually forced Kaunda to institutionalise a one party state as a way to prevent ethnic rivalries and promote national unity. It was argued that the elimination of political pluralism will lead to unity and foster socio economic development. In 1968, a referendum was organised and four years after, a Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), headed by Vice President Mainza Chona was established in a move that opened the window for the institutionalization of one party rule. In a highly remote-controlled process by the Kaunda administration, a new constitution which abolished multipartism and declared UNIP the only party recognised by law, was passed in 1973. This development reinforced presidential rule in Zambia as the president became the key player on the political scene.” Because of this development, most young people left UNIP in protest including my father who later went to join the mines on the copperbelt under ZCCM.
Back to our current time; it seems as though something serious is missing in our politics today. Most young men and women have joined politics for only one thing; personal gain! If anything the shortest route to ill-gotten wealth in modern African society is through politics. We have decided to burry our principles at the expense of national development and unity.
Many of my fellow comrades in politics today have no form of income apart from receiving handouts from the parties they support and are ready to die for. This is why most people in political parties can’t speak against the leadership of their parties. With an exception of Hon. Harry Kalaba who resigned from government on moral grounds citing swelling corruption within the PF government, most of our leaders are not able to speak the truth.
Politics today are about loyalty to the leader and not to the people. Most young people in our politics are supper compromised. We have buried our heads in the sand and can no longer see the future the way it must be seen. Those who went before us used to join politics as teenagers and became influential in their mid-twenties. But for us we join when life become harder in other spheres and we fail to make it. Somehow politics is more a game for lazy young men who have failed to create genuine wealth.
Today we have a bunch of young people in politics who change political parties like clothes. They say this today and tomorrow their bite their own tongue and say the other. We have lost the sense of responsibility. It seems as though we have not understood our obligation as a young generation. Even those who are part of government today regrettably seem not to know what to do. With the exception of very few, our young people in both the opposition and the ruling PF are a let-down.
As I conclude, I wish to call up on my fellow young people to take a deep look and reflect on the kind of leadership we are providing. Are we stimulating those who are still in school today hoping to join politics as they join society? Is throwing stones and supporting the wrongs being committed by those we support the only thing we can do? Is this how we want our generation to be reminisced? Are we sure our children will be proud of us as they grow up? Are we in a position to leave a Zambia that the next generation will be proud of.
We definitely must stop this politics of the belly and begin practicing politics of service to the people. We have to be selfless in our dealings and call a spade a spade and nothing ours. We must get out of the comfort zone and be ready to die a little for this nation. Never ever should we allow senior politicians especially those in power to perpetuate poverty in our lives just so they can continues controlling us by giving us small handouts.
Next week we shall deal with why current politicians keep our citizens in perpetual poverty and how we can come out of this.
God Bless Zambia
Very well said. HK is one in a million. We need to raise more people like him.
Landscape change.
Its like sitting on that fact that £1 to a kwacha at one time and blaming inflation.
Things change for heavens sake.
Kaunda didn’t have much competition and at the time MOST if not all Zambians who are black didn’t have an option but to vote for him.
There was NO democracy.
He proved he was NEVER a good president, certainly not as good as Michael Sata
It was a mistake and Presidents should be so, when they mature. A case in mind – that Congo President and look where the country has headed to,
I am 27 and I have made it, not all will EVER be like me. See what I am saying?
Thanks
BB2014,2016
I think only Mushota does not know that Michael Sata was a colonial informer in the period leading to independence. Of course his official job was a constable in the police. That was why soon after independence Sata fled to the U.K. and survived on scrappy jobs like cleaning at London’s Victoria train station.
In my view KK and Sata remain worlds apart. Sata was not alone in selling out and Elias Chipimo Snr was another. KK found it fit to pardon both and used them reasonably well in his one party state experiment. The rest is history …
@nshimbi why is it that you Zambians base your arguments of allegations and hear says? are you sure what you have said is rue? talk about things that you have evidence or can dive evidence.
Indeed there is a lot of moral degradation and we have failed our country. Wake up call!!
The above article makes a lot of sense.
The world over its the young people who are the ones who bring revolutionary change.
Fidel Castro and his group where in there twenties when they ousted Batista,
Martin Luther King junior was in his mid twenties, Malcolm X too. Steve jobs, Bill Gates started their companies in there twenties,
The Arab spring which ousted presidents Hosni mubarak, Gaddafi and the Tunisian president was by young people.
The late Ethiopian prime minister Meles zenawi was a medical student, but decided to leave his studies and fight mengistu haile Mariam.
In 1989 Chinese youths stood up against the communist regime at Tian man Square and many lost their lives, but the Chinese authorities changed its governance style. Our Zambian youth are pre occupied with…
Manchester United, Liverpool etc, Kim khadashian and other American celebrities. And are experts in these fields.
This is a completely lost generation
Good article and well articulated issues but poor writing skills,how do you say my father left UNIP in protest of the introduction of one part state mention the name of your father who is he do we know you, dont write on assumption your next satire as you have promised next week should be professional
YOBO, this David Kapoma guy is son to Ambassador Kapoma. So at least you know the after
I appreciate for all that is above stated but don’t forget that, the most virus thing in all these the colonial masters never give us economic independence be wise….
I appreciate for all that is above stated but don’t forget that, the most virus thing in all these the colonial masters never give us economic independence be wise….
Seems you don’t realise that the power is in your hands. Else, you can wait for ever.
David, your discerning thoughts and ideas are the embryo of Change.
But, if you want Change, become that Change you want to see, so the saying goes.
What exactly do you want to be done, by who, and for whom?
There is something terribly wrong in this country. What is it? What can be done to solve this problem?
It’s called APATHY; the people who can are sitting back while the people who can’t are ruining the country.
The biggest problem in our country Zambia is that we positively pick what those on the streets say and do to be the only way and blindly follow…. if they say we want change even a well educated feller will just cast a ballot for the change he/she does not understand… if the street say Kolopa even lecturers will shout chwechwechwe….. kikikikiki
Who is your father? Mwabakamba maningi with no intro. Anywhoo, I agree with this – “Some how politics is more a game for lazy young men who have failed to create genuine wealth.” I have no respect for people who are getting rich the political way..the stealing way if I can call a spade a spade.
He mentioned his father joining ZCCM after the introduction of one party state. I think I am old enough to remember that ZCCM came into existence around 1980/81 after the merger of NCCM and RCM. There was no ZCCM in early seventies. Research before writing articles to set facts correctly.
The men!
HaPriatization Hainside trading! Ha got rich! HaPanama!
Good and well researched article. But my take is that the dynamics of the eras are very different. Starting with the economic, education levels, social, cultutal acronimns are in parallel. I remember my father coming home once fuming in the mid 80s because someone had advised him to buy a plot. He was wondering what for! Tel me who is not looking for money for land now! Now, sickening as it is, the whole world wants to be extra rich at whoever’s expense.