THE 2021 POLLS UNDER THE NEW NORMAL: RETIREMENT BENEFITS, JOB CREATION NEED FOR AN AGREED ROADMAP AND ECONOMIC REVIVAL IN A PANDEMIC

I ET is becoming abundantly ARLY this clear year, that a letter the Covid-19 went viral, will purportedly be with us written for an by appreciable the Teaching Service Commission amount of time to come. It of Zambia in which teachers is also plain that the trail of were told that their retirement destruction should be in line and with desolation the probeing visions wrought of the Law by at the the virus time of is unprecedented. their employment!

In According this regard, to all the teachers World Health employed Organisation before 2015 (WHO) when and the Law local on health retirement experts, age Africa was ammended from 50 years for

is yet to see the worst of the early retirement and 55 years for new normal variant retirement of the to Covid-19; 55 years meaning for early retirement, more deaths 60 years and defor bilitating normal retirement illness will and occur! 65 years for Under late retirement, this new would normal have reality, to leave the teaching people of service! Zambia must It is hold commonly the August argued 12, 2021 that the law does not work in ret

general elections in accord rospect! This meant that those

with the 2016 Republican supporting the removal of the

Constitution. affected teachers from the teaching The challenging service had question a point. is Yet, how others should contended the campaign that the rallies, changed the law hallmark had been thrust of elecon tioneering the affected teachers! in democracies, The Attorney General assured that there

be conducted under the new was nothing to worry about.

normal? There is need for an agreed roadmap on how to proceed with campaigns in view of the pandemic that is FOLLOWING the 2008 global

wreaking havoc. financial crisis, Enterprise Risk Management Some political (ERM) parties emerged have since as a critical voiced issue their in concerns the most on varied how sectors to hold of campaign industry ralorlies ganisations. amidst the Today, ban with on large the gatherings, world crippled and by the the real novel fear of coronavirus the debilitating (COVID-19), effects the of practice is now considered as

Covid-19. Health experts have the must have tool for the enwarned hancement of the of corporate dangers of govermass gatherings nance that and should how strengthen risky to people’s sound decision-making lives the whole affair pro

is. cesses.

Firstly, Some it politicians may be important have arto gued draw that a distinction there is need between to hold the traditional risk management

a national “indaba” of politiand enterprise risk managecal ment. stakeholders As obvious to as debate it may the appracticalities pear, it is the word and “Enterprise” chart an agreed that makes roadmap the difference. of electionTraeering ditional leading risk management up to August is a 12, bottom-up 2021. process that focuses primarily This should on losses, be appreciated costs and the negative side of risk; heavy

and supported by all democon compliance and specificaracy-loving tion and mainly citizens. reactive. The While key question enterprise is risk what management, are the road marks on the to other put hand, on the has roadmap? a much broader There scope are several as it considers permutations all the risk on factors how to faced evade by the corona organisation, virus and as political it helps parthe Board and management make

ties canvass for votes in the informed decisions according to August its acknowledged 12 general risk elections. appetite. Some While ERM people like have the traditional suggested that risk management the elections does should considbe postponed er compliance until it the is a pandemic top-down is process over. However, that prevents since and no mitone is igates certain losses when and the looks virus for will opportunities in adversity for the

end, postponing the elections organization thereby creating

may not be the panacea. A few value and ensuring that the orvoices ganisation’s have objectives even stated are that met postponing with minimal disruptions. elections would merely ERM is hand a bigger the picture Patriotic risk Front management a third term that adopts in office! a holistic Another approach possible to managing scenario risk, placing it within a portfolio of things that need to be managed is for political parties to hold small calibrated campaign rallies of say 100 people or less at a time. The trouble with this thinking is that it is impossible to regulate who attends the rallies; making the regulation of the One number of the of challenges attendees that an impossibility. the change of retirement age from Moreover, 55 to 60 years campaign entailed rallies was go holding with music back retirement and dances for like five years for workers who should

dununa reverse, kumbele and

otherwise have retired and been shouting paid off and replaced hugging and by new all manner workers. of proximity of bodies. This These matter often has send brought particia pants window in of mass opportunity frenzies, for making Zamcrowd bia to resolve control a nightmarish. long standing dilemma of how to pay off retired

There is also the avenue

public servants, create jobs for of so many door-to-door of our youths campaigns and in which turn revive many the political economy. parties utilise A key in factor their quest that for motivated votes. There the state are to also increase drive-by the or retireroad show ment style age was political to open campaigns a moratorium window during which

which do not involve station

to mobilise resources to pay

ary public addresses, singing

off the huge backlog of retirees and inherited dancing. from the previous administration Campaign in trucks 2011. mounted Unfortuwith nately loud this has speakers not materialised. and singers Instead and a dancers mountain are of driven unpaid retirement benefits has accu

through townships, villages,

mulated. Remember, a dou

compounds, highways and

ble-edged sword was created by other popular places acclaim to drum among up worksupport ers, labour for respective unions and political others parties when the and Zambian candidates. Parliament, riding But on these the popularity are not among exclusive workers campaign and labour strategies, unions, they had accepted a clause in the 2016

often accompany campaign

Constitution, of retaining rerallies tirees on which the payroll are the until defining their moments benefits had of been political paid. electioneering. This retention on the payroll of Patience unpaid retirees could created also be a utirelised source as drain another problem. mechanism The state

of dealing with the pandemic. This would require political parties to patiently wait for the virus to run itself out, and commence the political campaigns thereafter.

This means there should be no campaign rallies until the warm weather comes, which would be sometime in May or June, but that would mean leaving things too late! No one political party would risk leaving their plight to chance. This is too risky and therefore too difficult to implement.

Another method would be to ensure free access to public and private media for all registered or business political units players. usually This deal would with their require own risks, opening ERM needs up the everyone media to to be all involved competitors from frontline staff to Board level, to

to use television, radio and

make it truly effective. Risk mannewspapers agement is ostensibly to broadcast undertaktheir campaign en with the objective messages of without preventundue ing loss hindrance. while ERM has other, more This far-reaching may also reasons, call for like reopening lowering the of closed organisation’s television risk and increasing sustainability as

radio stations to increase

this has the effect of gaining savthe ings number and increasing of broadcasters value for the for firm the in the politicians long run to access. Of Although course, the ERM, unhindered generally access speaking would may not still be free-willing, be an ongobut ing the process normal in most fees private and taxes institutions and more recently in

would have to be paid.

the public sector, it has moved

If this strategy is well reg

out of a reactive or panic-driven ulated mode to and become freely and more fairly predicallowed tive and to work, proactive. it can Siloed take a aplot of proaches steam are from being the abandoned campaign frustrations in favor of more experienced collaborative, on campaign holistic and trails integrated where framethere

works.

are no campaign rallies.

The risk management function With now assumes the arrival a more of warm strateweather gic role in as organisations. the wet and It is cold inseasons creasingly give being recognized way to hot as a guidance provider on the path ahead, mitigating critical risks

By FRANCIS ZIBA

conditions by end of May into June and if the escalating Covid-19 numbers begin to ebb, it should be possible for all political parties to revert to campaign rallies – a win-win situation for all. and For other these employers suggestions have to to make pay two sense, salaries it is for incumbent one job for upon as long all as stakeholders retirees’ benefits to push remain unpaid; that is one salary for and attend the “indaba” to formulate the ground rules. No one political party should shun the meeting. All political players must play by the ground rules that may be adopted for the purpose of holding free, fair and credible August, 12 2021 elections in Zambia.