UNITY FOR TRANSFORMATION
economy, and military, must be able to defend our nation without outside dependence. Artificial sovereigns are countries that depend on other authentic sovereigns to exist. This creates the concept of advanced, and Third World developing countries.
Secondly, the Church is supposed to be the greatest champion of unity in Zambia. But the Church in our recent past has been infiltrated by politicians who use her with money, to divide the nation.
The clergy and laity, both must prioritise unity of purpose in diversity. There is no politician that must divide the Church as an apostolic and prophetic voice of God in our nation.
All who defend the wrongs of government are accomplices to the suffering of the people in Zambia, whether from the left or right.
The Church is the moral conscience of society, and must not be compromised. Compromise, is essentially making concessions on one’s convictions in life, for what is convenient, as a leader.
Leadership requires those compelled to love by conviction, not convenience, by the principle of vision. Without a national vision, we produce “experimental and accidental” Presidencies.
Thirdly, citizenship is about the right to express one’s existence, privileges, ownership of the means of production, economic benefits, and governance in a democratic state such as ours. Where political caderism overrides citizenship, a nation like Zambia now is fast-sliding into the abyss of autocratic tendencies, of the ruling class against the majority, sadly.
Political cadres at busstops and markets, around the country harass and persecute anyone, who does not belong to the ruling party. This is a sign, that we are sacrificing unity for caderism. Transformed leaders must promote citizenship above caderism, to unify us.
Fourthly, truth not deception, must be the basis of public leadership. When the role of spokespersons for political parties, is to propagate cheap deception in defence of ills of the ruling or opposition parties, is a saleout on our national unity.
Zambia is fast becoming a post-truth society. We are no longer able to say the truth especially in politics. Lying and deception is now the grand-norm.
General Citizens cannot trust government, especially where corruption is tolerated and concealed in 48 houses, without the known owner for example!
Everyone seems to accept the idea that political deception can be the
Citizenship is about the right’s to express one’s existence, privileges, ownership of the means of production, economic benefits , and governance in a democratic state such as ours.
Any political leaders moving around with violent cadres, with pangas, and insulting other stakeholders is outdated and do not deserve to be in State House.
normal practice of politics, as long as they get and win votes. We must return to a place where a man’s word is his bond, not double standards.
Fifthly, we cannot continue to have any politician dividing us on tribal or regional lines. The language of such ideologically, and intellectually weak politicians, must be avoided, condemned, and censured by all.
Politicians from this class of mediocrity claim, “this is my bedroom, region, and stronghold” politics. They satisfy their ego and followers, with being “local champions” in a globalised society, pandering to a narrow mind of people or leaders, without vision.
Sixth, unity can only realise the development we want and the Zambia we want, by sharing – all-inclusive government, economic benefits, and ultimate development.
Our mediocrity has been adopting and copy and paste cloning - ideas of China in Zambia, without contextualisation. Unity is crafted in purposeful ideological pursuits of nationhood.
Therefore, to transform our nation, we need unity for ultimate transformation. This transformation must start with our mindset, and later on percolate entire social and economic dimensions of Zambian society.
We cannot gamble unity on the table of irrelevants, pettiness, self-preservation and unaccountable and irresponsible government.
Seven, non-violence must be the galvanising criteria for transformative leadership that unifies us. Any political leaders moving around with violent cadres, with pangas, and insulting other stakeholders is outdated and do not deserve to be in State House. The failure to dignify the moral and ethical standards of the office of the President, by violence disqualifies such characters.
Conclusively, Good governance, accountability, and transparency, will always remain as fundamental pillars of any democracy. Government exists to make citizens happy. Is this happening in Zambia? Let every citizen protect our unity, peace and security, for first World national transformation, and development, through transformative leadership.