By Maiko Zulu
COST OF BAD LEADERSHIP – WE SUFFER WHILE THEY ENJOY FREE COFFEE AT OUR EXPENSE
When MMD took over power from UNIP with the help of foreign interests, Zambians were sold a lie and were told to tighten their belts. Many died from the tightness of the belt due to the Structural Adjustment Programme while a class of kleptomaniacs was created among leaders. President FTJ Chiluba, the darling of the IMF and the West ended up being charged for massive plunder of the country’s resources but he never died poor like the many Zambians who lost their dignity due to economic hardships. Despite stripping the councils and selling house for a song to some, the country simply never recovered from its downfall.
Then came Levy Mwanawasa who tried to turn the tables against corruption. Again, Zambians had to bear the brunt of HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) and again belts had to be tightened. We sacrificed and managed to steady the ship and the Kwacha gained some significant value against other world currencies. Unfortunately Levy passed on before completing his term.
RB came in and despite his charismatic and fatherly traits, he soon proved that he was not the leader Zambia needed despite having a certain cader of support. He lost to Michael Sata’s PF in 2011 after people bought into the ‘More Money in Your Pockets, Lower Taxes and Jobs’ rhetoric. Sata, like Levy died before completing his term but laid a foundation that crumbled the country even further. He chose a successor (seemingly).
Edgar Lungu took over and all hell broke loose. Zambia became a Mafia state and soon the country was looted, raped and plundered left, right and centre until we became an economic junk nation.
Now we are back on our knees begging seeking credibility from IMF. Whether this is the best solution or not, the fact remains that leaders who plunged the country into this mess will never suffer the consequences of high fuel and electricity costs. It is the poor citizens that always bear the cost. Lungu has free fuel, security and even a free house. We the people are always the guinea pigs and that is why the removal of subsidies on fuel is a bitter pill to swallow in any laguage.
Reality check: we are caught between a rock and a hard place and whichever way we choose, it’s going to be extremely tough before it can get any better (assuming it will) and the solutions lie in the fundamentals of good leadership. Zambia’s worst poverty has been leadership just like many countries on the continent and so bold and unpopular decisions will have to be made and running a cost reflective economy is one of them. When you have gangrene, you have to make the tough decision to live with the cancer or amputate your leg. That’s where we stand.
As you face the new fuel prices, listen to Economic Slavery by Mwiza Zulu
http://www.djshowstar.com/mwiza-zulu-economic-slavery-maiko-zulu-cover/