UUBOMBA MWIBALA POLICY: THE MENTALITY THAT BROUGHT ZAMBIA TO HER KNEES
One of the most dangerous ideas ever introduced into Zambia’s public life is the mentality of “Uubomba mwibala, alya mwibala” (he who works in the field must eat from the field).
At first glance, it sounds harmless, but when applied to public office, it becomes a license for corruption, abuse of authority and theft of resources that belong to millions of citizens.
Public office is not a field that belongs to politicians, ministers, directors or officials. It belongs to the people. The roads, hospitals, schools, minerals, taxes and public funds of Zambia are not private property to be shared among those fortunate enough to hold office. They are a sacred trust held on behalf of the nation.
The farmer who plants a field has a right to harvest from it because it belongs to him, but government officials did not plant Zambia. They did not create the Treasury. They did not create the mines. They did not create the taxes paid by struggling citizens. They are merely custodians entrusted for a season to manage what belongs to the Republic.
The nations we admire today did not develop by normalising theft. They developed by building cultures of discipline, accountability and service. They understood that public office is not an opportunity to enrich oneself but a responsibility to serve others.
Corruption begins the day a leader starts believing that public resources are his reward. National development begins the day a leader understands that public resources are a trust.
We must therefore reject the culture of entitlement and embrace the culture of stewardship. We must reject recycling such elements back into government.
A minister is not the owner of a ministry. A president is not the owner of a country. A civil servant is not the owner of public funds.
Every appointment should be received with humility, gratitude and the full understanding that one is merely a servant of the people.
The Zambia our children deserve will not be built by those asking, “What can I take from public office?” It will be built by those asking, “What can I leave behind for the nation?”
Patriotism is not measured by the speeches we make. It is measured by how faithfully we protect what belongs to the people when nobody is watching.
There is no honour in eating from the field. The honour lies in leaving the field more fruitful than you found it.
Now that the debt has been restructured and there is economic stability, let’s protect progress together and work towards ensuring that the economy works for all Zambians.
Saviour Chishimba
President
United Progressive People (UPP)