THE PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS FROM THE ZAMBIA WE WANT CONVENORS

Authored By Mupishi Jones

A friend of mine called me to tune in to Crown TV and listen to the live press conference by the covernors calling themselves, “The Zambia We Want”.
Immediately I tuned in,I recognised the one chairing the meeting,a Mr Patrick Kalifungwa,former Minister in the Chiluba Administration,I recognised Mr Muhabi Lungu,a former diplomat in the Edgar Lungu administration,I recognised Mr Bob Sichinga,Mr Ernest Mwansa and many others.However,as soon as I recognised and pictured almost all of them in their respective portfolios when they were in government,my high expectations dampened.

Same people in different jackets! Who doesn’t know Bob Sichinga,who doesn’t know Muhabi Lungu,who doesn’t know Patrick Kalifungwa, Ernest Mwansa,Richwell Siamunene for example?

I tuned in just when Bob Sichinga was talking about the country’s debts,he talked about both internal and external debt arising from reckless borrowing and how embarrassing it was when Zambia became the first country in the post pandemic era to default on its debt obligations.

My instant reaction to Mr Sichinga was like, this Man also contracted huge personal debt at DBZ which at that time he had defaulted,has he even settled that debt? Anyway, that’s a topic for another day.

The current government is managing well on external debt discussions, the people’s expectations were to hear clearly something new and different from how this current government is handling it! For instance, the current regime has not only cleared all the inherited retirees dues but also introduced a “3- month-pension-payment after retirement” policy, what’s the Zambia We Want proposal on this one?

Besides that, I was expecting this team to dwell so much on something new which the current government is not doing? I expected them to come up with figures of how many permanent and pensionable jobs in government are they going to create and how those jobs would be sustained.The current HH Administration has created over hundred thousand of jobs in total just within two years in government, what figures are the Zambia We Want putting on the table?

I expected them to mention how different they are proposing to handle the decentralization from how the current government is doing.The current government has not only decentralized the decision making to Ward Development Committees (WDC) especially on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) programs and projects,but it has also devolved some functions under the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Transport and other ministries.As I’m writing this, budgets and funding for these line ministries is sitting with local authorities under sector grant accounts.
How different are the Zambia We Want proposing to handle decentralization?

The current government has not only increased CDF from K1.6m to K30.6m to each constituency but also delegated the decision making to WDCs to prioritise their community felt needs! How different is their approach to this?

I expected them to mention whether they will reduce this CDF amount or they’ll increase it and by how much?
Citizens out them were anxious to know this information because currently CDF is touching thousands of lives out there.There are thousands of silent youths being sponsored to pursue skills training in almost all TEVETA registered training institutions through this CDF, they’re keen to know how the Zambia We Want is proposing to make some changes to it.

There are thousands of women and youths loan and grant beneficiaries of this K30.6m CDF annually, they’re equally interested to know,
we have local suppliers and contractors in their respective districts, they would want to know.

Apart from the CDF, citizens and the world at large were expecting to hear how different this Zambia We Want could have handled the complications that were surrounding the mining sector.How different are they proposing to handle Mopani and KCM for example? Zambia We Want must have come up with a clear roadmap different from what the current HH Administration is doing on their proposals on the mining sector.

What is their position on the free education policy being pursued by the current government,are they proposing to abolish it the way their colleagues in UKWA are suggesting or they’ll not temper with it? If they’ll not temper with it,then why should people vote for them because the current regime is doing it any way?

What is their take on the university students meal allowances? The previous PF regime of ECL which has metamorphosised into UKWA abolished university students meal allowances.The current government re-introduced it, what is the position of this Zambia We Want? Thousands of students out here are interested to know!

The current New Dawn Administration led by President Hakainde Hichilema has even risked rejection from its members on the issue of abolishing caderism in public places, what is the position of this Zambia We Want? At least we know that UKWA is proposing to bring caderism back again, what is the position of this Zambia We Want?

There are a lot of efforts being made in sectors such as alternative sources of energy,in the agriculture,there are efforts and resources being applied towards supplimenting with winter maize, therefore it was going to make a lot of sense if these same old politicians masquerading under the Zambia We Want could have come out clearly on how different they were going to handle issues from what the current government is doing.

These people behind the Zambia We Want are known people,we knew most of them when they were in government.Therefore, unless they come forward with completely new and different alternative solutions,they risk facing similar questions over and over as to why they couldn’t implement what they are proposing today when they were in power.

The current social media youths have completely changed their interactions and approach with politicians.They are now asking aspiring politicians to say what they have done before, unlike waiting for the politician to bore them with long and elaborate speeches on what they will do when you give them power,

I submit

Mupishi Jones
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