We don’t deserve our own country, laments Haabazoka
By Thomas Ngala
INSTEAD of shooting at children when dealing with smuggling of mealie meal, see a way in which you can empower citizens to export that mealie meal, former Economic Association of Zambia president Lubinda Haabazoka has said.
Dr Haabazoka said the government should clampdown on big firms who run away with millions of dollars in unpaid taxes instead of burning Zambian citizens’ camps who are trying to make a living by mining their “God given” gold.
“It’s a bit shameful for us as a country to wait for foreign diplomats to speak out before we cool down! Ideally as a nation we should focus on things that build and not divide us.
A Zambian can never be an illegal miner in his own country,” he said in a statement yesterday. “Instead of sponsoring factions to destabilise opposition political parties, that money should be spent on uniting citizens so that we tap into the knowledge of each citizen to ensure development in our country. How can the kwacha trade at almost K24 [to a dollar] with the abundance of so many resources?”
He said the country should be developing ways of benefiting from “our God given resources as a source of government revenue instead of chasing after small rental taxes from the already over taxed citizenry”.
“Instead of confiscating property from Zambians in the so-called unexplained wealth, why not give Zambians assets so that they can create wealth? We are the only country at the moment that believes that it’s only foreigners who can make money in a short period of time and not Zambians! I have heard of civil servants who have Honda Fits forfeited to the state and foreigners given a mine for $20 m[illion] only to make $200m in a year,” he said. “We are a very funny country! We demolish houses for citizens in their own country in the so-called unplanned construction but fail to build even a single room for the homeless.”
Dr Haabazoka complained that people spend time and money on lawyers in courtrooms but don’t have money to fund small businesses.
“Even my kid understands that the head of the legislature is wrong. Such a person despite their credentials has failed to run a powerful branch of government! It’s now an embarrassment. Ireen Mambilima would not have behaved in such a manner. Instead of our learned population putting this in order, some are supporting. By supporting such illegalities we are rendering our country into banana republic status. Let’s hit on the breaks countrymen,” he said. “We don’t love ourselves! We don’t deserve each other. We don’t deserve our own country. We are foreign to this land! Because we have opened ourselves to criticism! We need to learn from Zimbabwe! Zimbabweans are building mansions while we are filling our courtrooms and prisons with people that want to build houses. We need to change. We need to refocus. We should not compete amongst ourselves. We should compete against the whole world. Definitely Mainza Chona or Kenneth Kaunda did not dream of this Zambia.”
Dr Haabazoka said he can hardly recognise his country.
“A Zambia of childish politicians who can meet at a location and declare themselves a leadership of a political party? Politicians who despite going to school fail to defend the Constitution that they themselves wrote? A state that is talking about torturing its own citizens? Who did we wrong to arrive at this? Am deeply concerned. When shall we grow up as a nation? Just look at our social media idols? Those days growing up we would idolise the Dean Mung’ombas, the Nkumbulas. The Lawrence Katilungus. We wanted to be like them. We wanted to make this country great. But today I can hardly recognise my own country,” said Dr Haabazoka. Our preoccupation should be how to create generational wealth. IMF, France or whoever is heading our debt restructuring thing is wasting our time. $15 billion is peanuts for Zambia! Let’s pay off that debt using sugilite and other minerals. If we give each other tasks, within two years we can pay off whatever we owe! Let’s have an indaba where we can discuss this. This country did not educate us so that we just cheer from the stands.”- The Mast
Wow …. What a great advice to my hard working Government of UPND….!!
Love you always ba Haabazoka…!!
Right on!!!
This idyot Haabazoka is not qualified to be speaking for us, he is an unelected Conman being proved up PF.
So he shouldn’t be using the term “we” because he’s speaking for his big stomach NOT for a of us.
Haabazoka is actually a crook that was trying to ride on the back of PF to get somewhere in public life. But PF realised he is an opportunist and his tribe meant he didn’t meet the PF criteria for public off.
Lungu allowed him to organise an Economic Conference but the chap is so disorganised that there was nothing to show for the collosal amounts of money spent; not even a report!
After years closeness with Lungu and PF, Haabazoka now has brains and ideas to advise the ND to do what he didn’t with Lungu. This man is just opportunistic! Dont waste time listening to him, he’s not worth it.
Another pfidiot barking what they failed to do in 10yrs in charge of government.
We need to learn from Zimbabwe? Are you serious? The mansions you are seeing in zimbabwe all belong to ruling elite being built with stolen funds. Have you heard of the recently gold scandal in zimbabwe. I feel sorry for EAZ to have such a leader in his quest to prove more PF than others uses the most failed state in sub saharan africa to use as an example of what we should be like.
Doctor Habazoka you have rightly spoken and the government should be heed of all the points you have highlighted. The Zambian government has made life difficult for ordinary citizens and has given special favours to foreigners in conducting businesses.
Coming to the debt we are struggling with we have plenty of precious minerals we can use to off set the debt. The problem our political leaders have is that they have more confidence to listen to the Western countries than to the Local brains we have here in Zambia. Only foolish and stupid people will politicise what Dr. Habazoka has said. The wise should listen and act on the advice given.
I do honestly appreciate the rhetoric from the economist in the person of Dr. Lubinda H. The more things change, the more they remain the same to some extent. I hate to say this that we have head such talks on several occassions for the past decades but no fruitful outcomes to refer to and the only problem is each one is fighting for political power for their own interest not the interest of the masses.
So Habazoka says learn from Zimbabwe and at the same time says and i quote
“We wanted to make this country great. But today I can hardly recognise my own country,” said Dr Haabazoka. Our preoccupation should be how to create generational wealth. IMF, France or whoever is heading our debt restructuring thing is wasting our time. $15 billion is peanuts for Zambia! Let’s pay off that debt using sugilite and other minerals. If we give each other tasks, within two years we can pay off whatever we owe! Let’s have an indaba where we can discuss this. This country did not educate us so that we just cheer from the stands.”
Here is what he is saying,
– he has been wanting to be part of the governanment so that he too can contribute to making this country great.
– his absence in the government system has made him not to recognise his own country perhaps simply because his ideas are not at play and therefore disatisfied with how the economy is performing.
– that the preoccupation of the current government is perceived to be inclined towards other issues not the most important ones.
– he is suggesting to pay off the debt using minerals, the idea that the previous regime failed to do, not to be achived in the shortest time possible. I personaly do understand the process much as Lubinda knows it is not a as simple as he is making it sound. It requires enough time, not in 2 years, for the results to be realised.
– he is asking for a task to be allocated to him and consequently organise an indaba to discuss issues because he has enough knowledge obtained through the education he received and that knowledge can not be wasted by speaking from the terraces. A very good call and worthy noting for possible action from the current government.
So it is a very good call particularly on the economic hardships that the country is facing so that other alternatives can be sourced to improce the economy.
But on the part of political parties fighting for power, i said it and will say it again, “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” All political parties behave the same as their predecessors on the account of fighting using any means to retain political power.