By Prof Edgar Nyanga]
Year in year out, we see and hear many Zambians calling for government’s help: ‘Boma iyanganepo’, a notion implying that the government should come and help us because we are in need.
I agree with the notion, especially at macro economical level. To me, this phrase simply means that the government should continue to promote fair and up to date policies for all of us to live in a standardised life. Indeed, Boma iyanganepo.
In this article, I cover ‘Boma iyanganepo’ phrase by dropping it down to micro (individual) economic level. The Zambian economy is not performing well and many of us are feeling the pinch (AfDB, 2019: World Bank Group, 2020). The biggest challenge that we are having is food. A family of 5 in Zambia should have a minimum of K7,195.00 per month for food only (JCTR, 2020); no school fees, clothes, and transport among other family needs. Most of us Zambians get way too little as wages/salaries and can’t afford 3 meals per day including average civil servants. Its ‘survival of the fittest’, ‘Boma iyanganepo’.
It’s at this time when we, as individuals, need to think otherwise for us to stop overrating the government by thinking that it can feed us. It will also help us be redeemed from being victims of political propaganda. Seeing that we are hopeless on our own, the politician takes advantage by first telling how someone (political opponent) has failed to fix our problems and then manipulate us by cheating that they will come to our aid/help. In succumbing to such, we are selling our dignity to the highest bidder. Yes, Boma iyanganepo, but we need to stand on our own, at least at micro economic level. We can do certain things without waiting for government (if at all it will come to our aid).
It is common sense that when people are hungry, they think of handouts from government and very vulnerable to those that want to take advantage and manipulate them. Those with power (food) come through to us and buy us through the ‘here and now’ eating. We are unable to resist because of hunger/ poverty. They will point to us beer halls, restaurants, give us small monies, all because we are hungry and want to eat, at least for a day. Without such people giving us handouts, we begin crying that ‘Boma iyanganepo’….
Let us think beyond government by working hard and planning to avoid being used. This issue of pure dependency on government will never wean us from poverty but instead we shall remain perpetual beggars. There is no one who is going to salvage us from the hand of poverty beside ourselves. Some people want us to remain in poverty to their advantage for easy manipulation. The micro economic level is ours, not the government (Boma). We ought to ensure that we work hard and plan for our survival, not depending on the manipulators who want to keep us in the position of poverty so that they enrich themselves. Hill Joseph (2006) harmonically elucidated that, ‘get up and do something for yourself, instead of begging’. It is always difficult to make a decision especially if one is hungry because logic is compromised. It is rare that we can put our voted leaders to task and ask real issues but only chanting slogans and singing praises even when we don’t agree with what they are saying, just because our stomachs are empty.
As opined by Rawat Prem (1986) that ‘Knowledge is beautiful, knowledge is precious, there is nothing like it in the world’, I would like to share a simple way we can be independent. Some costs can be waived by simple step. Think of planting 1 or 3 plants of tomato. At the end of 2 months, the plants will give you at least 1 ripe tomato per plant. This means that every day, u will have 3 ripe tomatoes from 3 plants for the next 4 to 6 months. Sow more plants; say 10 seeds of okra and 10 plants of rape for variety. These will help you have simple vegetables and you will find that the little money you spend on these will now be spent on other family needs. By such, it will help you have food and ask for real issues when standing before the job seeker (politician). Yes, we can stop this dependence syndrome on government only if we begin caring for the basics, which consume a lot of money.
Once we have taken care of the basic needs, we shall have the brains and dignity to ask them pertinent questions for the sake of national growth and development to those who canvass for a vote from us. We need to find our lost dignity and begin doing something for ourselves unlike waiting for the government…. Boma ilanganepo… Let us rise up and challenge ourselves for a better Zambia. With our dignity in us, we shall be able to tell government to give us sound policies such as Land ownership policies, trading policies, healthy systems, and etcetera. We need to fight poverty together as one and avoid Boma iyanganepo syndrome.
Yes, as averred by Terence, ‘while there’s life, there is hope’, we need to claim and keep human dignity because we still have life and make things better for ourselves as individuals without the Zambian cry… ‘Boma iyanaganepo’.