By Sakwiba Sikota
There is a recent statement by Republican President Hakainde Hichilema in New York where HH stated, “They want me to help other countries achieve what I have done for Zambia.”
This forthrightness reminded me of Okonkwo the lead character in Chinua Achebe’s masterpiece ‘THINGS FALL APART’. Okonkwo, a strong natural leader hailing from the Nigerian southern tribe the Igbos, who was innovative and a once in a lifetime person.
Instead of congratulating HH to High Heaven some Zambians seem to be unwilling to acknowledge this great achievement. HH must be feeling like President Donald Trump who wanted everyone to say ‘thank you’ for his coronavirus actions but did not receive that public acknowledgement.
Trump in March 2020 lamented, “We’ve done a fantastic job. The only thing we haven’t done well is to get good press. We’ve done a fantastic job but it hasn’t been appreciated. Even the closing down of the borders, which has never been done, and not only did we close them but we closed it early. The press doesn’t like writing about it.”
Just like with Trump it seems some people do not want to acknowledge the works of HH. I read the comments by readers to the postings, “They want me to help other countries achieve what I have done for Zambia.” and a lot of them were saying things like,
“The question is who are ‘they‘ and who are the ‘others’. Nguni VD, ‘they’ are the whites and ‘others’ are his fellow Africans.Typical of muzungu anikondes.”
“What has he achieved? BOASTING!”
“The President thinks highly of himself.”
“Don’t praise yourself, if you are worth it, no need to prove it.”
Brebner Changala, the human rights activist was more direct and is reported to have said, “I should add that boasting, self praise and exaltation~ YAPAILA, ILIOVA ALABWAFYA!”
Others even bring in religion and quote scriptures like Proverbs 27:2 which says, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”
Chinua Achebe had a strong view about religion. He was peeved by the fact that the white men came and completely disregarded the Igbo sense of justice and they did not understanding anything about the “others”.
An exchange occurs at the end of Chapter 20 during a conversation between Obierika and Okonkwo which goes, “Does the white man understand our custom about land?”
The conversation goes on, “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
Inspite of this, I would encourage HH to not take to heart the comments and criticisms from people who claim such statements as he made are not needed. He should not take Proverbs 27:2 as a restraint. Trump has achieved what he has because he is not afraid to tell people that he is a “stable genius.”
After all Chinua Achebe in “Things Fall Apart”, writes, “The lizard that jumped from a high Iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no-one else did.”
HH should take a ‘Trumpian’ leap of faith and take a leaf from, if no one else will, the Lizard that jumped from a high iroko tree.
“The question is who are ‘they‘ and who are the ‘others’ who want this much needed help? is it the west, east or africans?
A man must not praise himself for what he thinks he has done.
When you focus on getting praise you easily lose sight of what you are supposed to do.
Leaders must always remember that they are ultimately accountable to God alone, and therefore their praise or condemnation will come from him.
Having said all that…. I must say well done Mr. President. So far you have done well. Not perfect but well done. A breath of fresh air from the incompetence and corruption of pf.
What happened to Sakwiba Sikotas Party ULP?
Is it still there or its just another brief case party?
Of course fellow African dictators would want to know how he’s managed to torture his opponents with support from the West… there’s no noise coming from Washington over human rights abuse.
You must have had a recent harvest from your farm……….
Deja Vu – You are bang out of order…behave yourself. You are a shameless agent provocateur!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure what Sikota is saying here. On the one hand, he highlights the demeaning of one’s self praise and then he goes on to say that it should be done.
I think I wasted time reading this.
Bwana Chiza, you disappoint me, this write up is what we call SATIRE!
@spectre, I don’t see the satirical aspect of this write up. If it has to be explained, then it’s terrible satire.
It has to be explained because you may not share the figuratives being used
What has HH really done for Zambia apart from importing decaying morals from the west in lieu of US$1.3 billion….Mr Know everything but he is actually a Chimbwi no plan…Kagame who has done wonders for his country without the West rarely talks about his achievements…the works speaks for itself
Inflation rates is August 2022
Zambia – 9.8%
Mozambique – 12.10%
Malawi – 25.50%
Angola – 19.8%
Nigeria – 20.52%
Ghana – 33.9%
Zimbabwe – 285%
Source: https://tradingeconomics.com
Just a few of the countries that should be asking for his advice.
Facts don’t lie.
Simple reduce the amount of kwacha in circulation and you have low inflammation. This doesn’t lower the cost of doing business or the cost of living.
Deja Vu – so how do you reduce the Kwacha in circulation? Do you gather it like your harvest and burn it on your Mbaula after your wife finishes cooking impwa and nshima for your dinner? Please expand to us?
Please explain to us?
You reduce by raising the liquidity ratio. The higher lending rates will mean the central bank keeps more money unused.
Very misleading headline in that paper. Watchdog posted the clip of the video these chaps were quoting and their rendition is full of malice and aimed to excite the tiny minds in opposition.
There is no doubt whatsoever that millions of Africans who are represented by a handful that I have met, a very representative sample, are impressed with HH. The same were also impressed with Rwanda’s Paulo Kagame until he started imprisoning and killing opponents. HH may be doing well but at the rate he is going about boasting, he is going to create jealosy in others who still hold sway on the security system in Zambia and can easily make life difficult for him. It does not take much to turn a democratic humanist in Africa to a one party state dictator when few people turn and cause trouble. So, HH, keep what you are told in private, private until the day that you will publish your book after you have won £1 million of the Mo Ibrahim prize.
Sakwiba Sikota is a joker ..his humour or excuse for satire isn’t exactly funny. This is the man who is quick to represent thieves in court. I mean what the President said was taken out of context let’s be truthful and post what he said leading up to that sentence.
Two faced satire… Come out in the open Dr Sikota…
4.1 4.2 Spaka and Tarino… reading on the impeding court appearance of Mumbi Phiri, I see Tongas celebrating her incarceration… I pity you people because you support anything as long as it’s done by Upnd.
Deja Vu- I dont remember being that tribe you mentioned (do you know something I dont?) and supporting that Political party….when was boasting taking another human being’s life you were clapping and laughing now you want us to cry for poor Mumbi. Don’t be a jokester!
Zambians by nature are just mediocre and Id!ots who want to dell on small useless things. HH has worked and if he says there are some people who are soliciting help from him what’s the big deal?
Tarino Orange you are not here so you don’t know what is going on… you can not draw 200000 kwacha per go as we used to. It will take you two weeks to draw that amount. Road constitution has been halted therefore the number of people getting weekly money has dwindled…etc
The west/capitalists are saying kudos for a tax holiday, kindly preach to other countries on the importance of the mineral tax holiday.
Hands up for double h. He is now bringing cheaper internet to Airtel, MTN and Airtel from space X.
Clap for h², his thinking is like that of a newly born.
Clap clap. Wow internet will be cheap. Hooray! Zambia will rock!
He doesn’t have Government policies but gullible IMF policy.
Brace yourselves Zambians. The fun begins after the 2nd Musokotwane budget. By the way did all the Constituencies get the guideline prohibitive CDF?
Have fun. We have a white nigga bootlicking figure at red brick.
When are you going to grow up lad? Same Yo Yo language for 10 years
LEARN TO DEFINE YOURSELF. LEARN ALSO TO SAYY OUT WHHAT OTER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU. IF YYOU A POLITICAL FAILURE, CORRUPT, THIEF, BOORN AGAIN, MÔSLEM, CHRISTIAN, LOZI, BEMBA, SAY IT. IF PEOPLE TELL YOU T TO GO TO SCHOOL ,THE CLINIC OR TO GO AND TEACH OTHER THE SKILL YOU HAVE SAY IT OUT. HH JUST TOLD THE PEOPLE WHAT HE WAS HUMBLY REQUESTED TO DO TO HELP OTHERS IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE. TO THOSE HO ARE FULL OF JEALOUS AND HATRED ÄGAINST HH IT IS DIFFEREN ISSUE.
Why should someone be jealous over a position that is never really yours…. come five years you lose your appetite because you don’t know whether you will bounce back.
ECL has suddenly aged and lost weight…why? Because his well being depends on his successor…is that the life one can be envious over?