From a political stand point, anybody who became a member of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) was either a committed or involuntary member of the United National Independence Party (UNIP)

MANY years ago, when Vasco da gamma was travelling in search of discovery, his team relied so much on basic equipment such as a campus to identify directions - ie North, South, East and West. I believe in our era, the campus is still very useful. It forms the basis of all navigational equipment.

Navigation is about knowing your direction. In short, you must know where you are going. Navigation tools, satisfy when a direction is as a result of what is really wanted. It does not work well when and if short-changed or replaced with a look-alike object.

An example is this: If your campus points to a direction westwards, you are very much likely to end up in Western province and beyond right up to the border of Angola and the Atlantic Ocean. In the same way, if the campus points northwards, you will pass through Northern province and further right up to Egypt and beyond. Southern direction will take you through Southern province right through Zimbabwe and then South Africa. A direction through Eastern province will take you into Malawi and Mozambique then on to the Indian Ocean.

Why campus/direction? Once you understand your location or point, you will have no option but to understand how you have come to that point. A traveller from Lusaka going to Chipata can never forget that they came from Lusaka, which happens to be the Capital city of Zambia.

From a political stand point, anybody who became a member of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) was either a committed or involuntary member of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). Before, one was either affiliated or unaffiliated.

The point is, each one and all of us, knows in great detail, where we came from and what we did before what we are doing today. For some, we even know why we are at the location we are today. That is the importance of knowing your direction and origin. It sorts out many challenges, and avoids boxing in the dark.

Therefore, at an individual level, anybody should know where they come from. In my case, I hail from Sinazongwe district and “travelled” to most Zambia; only to stay in Lusaka, before and after an international tour of duty. I doubt anybody has forgotten how they have been moving around or which schools they went to.

Here is the basic point. We all know what we want. We know where we want to go to. So, where as we may not immediately know what it takes to get what we want, or how to get where we want to go, a search for further and better details will do the trick.

In order to be a Reverend in the United Church of Zambia, there is an elaborate process available to the public. The same goes for whoever wants to be a Catholic priest. It is the case for most Men and Women of God. They go to Bible school!

How can you want to be a Legal Practioner but refuse (a) to go to Law school and (b) refuse to go to the Zambia Institute for Advanced Legal Education (Ziale)?

By way of emphasis, it is the love of shortcuts and dosh that produces, quacks, imposters and other masquerades. There are masquerades even among freedom fighters and indeed in business and political circles as well. How then can the political playing field be free of such “invasion”? This is what must be discussed as fairly and as objectively as possible. Let’s take it to another level:

What consequently became popularly known as the gold rush or colonialism had everything to do with getting a free and wide market, which included very cheap and many times, free labour. This is where we have come from.

The internet and the computers we use today did not just fall from haven. Broadly speaking, Technology had to respond to the many global dynamics, which included the non-availability of free labour. Sadly an invention of good and expansive liberties (The Internet) has been, like many others, used for harm – but that is another topic!

Like it or not, countries who possessed colonies, benefited from the economics of cheap/ free labour and cheap raw materials for decades. The dream of one John Cecil Rhodes, to build a rail line, from Cape to Cairo, was not from without. It was imperialism at its best clothed in philanthropy. Now you have the prestigious Rhodes scholarship program whose origins and basis is little known. (Another topic)

I want to make a case that unless we know where we have come from, we will not be able to reasonably, chat a way forward.

Some of the institutions that we have, such as Parliament and others, are in need of serious reform for relevance. At least as at now, I am certain that very few prospective members of parliament campaign on a ticket of making laws. Mostly, campaign and argue that they will bring development, even when some do not know about the existence of the yellow book, before they are elected MPs. The existence and implications of the budgeting process on National Development; is generally little appreciated by the citizenry!

It is for this and many reasons why we must deal with basics – the A, B, C of nationhood.

You see, I love the commonwealth because it gives us an opportunity to engage at that level for national benefit. NOTE: National benefit and not individual benefit.

I have made mention of the commonwealth because it is involved in Zambia currently. To the credit of the commonwealth, it has made clear that its role in Zambia is to facilitate, nothing more and nothing less. I hope it stays that way!

As I have said before, never mind what happened in Kenya in relation to dialogue, it is Zambia at stake and the position explained by Justice Minister Hon. Lubinda that Zambia has functional institutions, must not be underplayed. In essence, we have come from somewhere and we cannot ignore that reality.

By way of example, the multiparty dispensation that we are talking about, was ushered in by Zambian institutions, with the expected and normal support of the international community.

Clearly, we have come from somewhere and there is plenty evidence of the progression that Zambia has been making from 1991. Somethings good and somethings bad. Many lessons have been learnt. I am very certain that if Zambians were to go back to 1991, specifically to privatization and the collapse of industry, we would do things differently, with the future in mind.

I vehemently disagree that capital must move from the state into private hands as it effectively did in the first ten years of the MMD in power. However you may wish to look at things; it is this era of reckless privatization that has returned to haunt Zambia. But, and but, underlined, we have a choice to either agree to be “harassed” or contain the “harassment”.

When government sold houses to siting tenants, the roller coaster begun. Those in institutions demanded that since those who were accommodated “benefited” it was only fair for those not accommodated to gain from the sale of assets. Farms and land were ruthlessly demarcated and sold; setting the stage for the current frightening levels of unjust enrichment/speculation.

I see us agreeing with President Edgar C. Lungu that we must aggressively aim for a Smart Zambia, during which time NOBODY will be left behind. I personally agree that nobody in the true sense, but those who elect to, (You can take a horse to the river but cannot force it to drink water!) must be left behind.

So, then we ask the following critical questions: (1) why should anybody be left behind? (2) Do our people understand that like anything else, electioneering is for a season? (3) Do our people understand the role of government in National development? (4) What is our understanding of participation in the context of governance? (5) Do we fully understand and appreciate why we have a President? (6) And what is our understanding of the role of the Presidency, operationally and functionally? (7) What about delegated authority: Can you as a delegate either usurp power or drive your own agenda at variance with the mandate and specific expectations?

As we chat the course for firming our approach to basics or fundamentals, we must address the question of standards and loyalty. In this equation, it is a correct expectation to see citizens play a role that compliments what government is doing.

It is thus important that we have a political framework for dealing with political rebels. We must deal with political rebels because these have the potential to contaminate relationships and become agents or messengers of doom. We do not need negativity!

Zambia, like other countries, never dropped from haven. It is a product of compromise and a negotiated settlement. That is the beginning point. What we need thereafter are building blocks that enhance our value system which include; peace, love, unity, hard work and gender equality/ equity (look at our coat of arms).

Let me end by praying for the soul of the late Dominic Chimanyika and Chanda Chimba III. Great patriots!

MTSRIEP.

See you next week! Comments: ngandem12@ gmail.com, Mobile/SMS 0977776191 and 0955776191