WHAT SHOULD INFORM ZAMBIA’S FOREIGN POLICY: A LITMUS TEST FOR ZAMBIA’S BODY POLITIC – SUNDAY CHANDA
March 31st, 2023
LUSAKA – Let me submit that our Foreign Policy should be informed by ZAMBIA’S INTERESTS, not IDEOLOGY. So in our dealings with USA, China, Russia, UK, EU, Japan etc, the first question is: ARE ZAMBIA’S INTERESTS BEING SERVED?
That PRAGMATIC FOREIGN POLICY by Lee Quan Yew in Singapore, Deng Xiaoping in China, and the Meiji in Japan enabled their countries to develop economically and technologically. In particular Deng, speaking to his pragmatic approach said and I quote: “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice”
Similarly we need all the big economic powers for Zambia to develop, and avoid being caught up in extremist ideological and cultural issues of no benefit to Zambia.
Speaking of Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Zambia, let us put aside the divisive politics and acknowledge that it is an important occasion for Zambia. For example, America is the biggest funder in Zambia’s health sector worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year through programs such as PEPFAR!
I opine that the Opposition in its entirety needed to be present at the Democracy Summit because democracy is about sustaining conversations even when you do not agree. Speaking of the Democracy Summit, my five (5) cents view is that those of us in the Opposition should take it as part of our responsibility to meet with any visiting big power foreign leader to offer alternatives.
Lastly but definitely not the least, there must come a time when we put political jackets aside and see each other as fellow citizens and partners in development. Watching international news and it’s Zambia everywhere. It is only fair to say this high profile visit has brought us honor as a country – Job well done President Hakainde Hichilema and US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Hon Sunday Chanda
Member of Parliament
Kanchibiya Constituency
31.01.2023
