What is it like being black in India? BBC News

EX-MINERS NEED FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

‘It’s party time in Kitwe!’ screamed a headline on Sunday, 13th December, 2015. Of course this headline was in reference to the sudden hysteria and massive spending by retrenched miners on the Copperbelt after being paid part of their retrenchment packages in ex-gracia payments and Christmas bonuses. It was reported that some ex-miners descended on chain stores for excessive shopping while others emptied all alcoholic beverages in bars and night clubs from dusk till dawn. Upon reading the story in detail and confirming it with some sources, I quivered in disbelief that these ex-miners can use their life savings on self-indulgence, extravagance and excessive imbibing. I generally do not have a problem with incurring expenditure that benefits the families but I certainly have a problem with engaging in excessive spending for pleasure at the expense of their future.  Apparently, word has it that most of these ex-miners have acquired new friends and acquaintances that they are splashing cash and drinks on. 

Obviously, one wonders whether these newly acquired friends will stand by them when they are bust and penniless. Do the ex-miners fathom the extent to which they are sabotaging their own future with such wanton engagements? Are they financially sound to meet their children’s school fees and other expenses associated with January and beyond? Inasmuch as this story makes sad reading, it also gives a clue how deep rooted financial indiscipline has become in our country. In my considered view, this is just a case in point. Most urban areas have young Zambians who have religiously embraced the ‘shipwe shipwe syndrome’! (Unwarranted spending of money on play) This is a new phenomenon among the young generation that as the nation cannot afford to ignore. 

Having a financially undisciplined citizen is a sure way to personal and collective self-destruction that creates a bedrock for a corrupt society in whatever form. This indiscipline and quest for vanity at the expense of self and national development should worry all well-meaning patriotic Zambians. Young Zambians these days have become known for working extremely hard to make money during the week for nothing else but self-indulgence and imbibing with nothing to show for it. Should the nation’s productive sector degenerate to such levels? When are we going to use these energies to move the nation forward? 

This quest for vanity and love for alcohol is a growing problem in Zambia that if not checked, we are likely to have a nation of drunkards. The consequences of alcohol abuse are well documented and there for anybody to consult. It has become a common feature to find young energetic Zambians intoxicated as early as seven o’clock in the morning. It is a pity that the love for alcohol and sheer vanity appears to have virtually taken over the sensibility of the young and middle aged generations and most of them would do anything to earn money they would fritter on alcohol and vanity as seen from the ex-miners. This comportment has the potential to create other social evils such as break down in family life coupled with delinquency. 

The efforts of Government through the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu to ensure that those ex-miners are paid part of that retrenchment package tax-free in addition to being given land should be commended as it indicates the extent to which Government wants them empowered to live decent lives after retrenchments. Unfortunately, some of these ex-miners are not reciprocating and complimenting the President’s efforts in view of their reported reckless spending sprees. 

It has now become inevitable that the ex-miners are mobilized and educated on the need for them to retain high levels of financial discipline in this delicate time if they are to survive beyond retrenchments. Programmes such as Future Search should swing into action to succour them with tips to manage their lives after retrenchment. If this is not done, they will weep to Government over problems they would have brought upon themselves due to careless financial management.

For the ex-miners, this is not a time to indulge in excessive spending or imbibing but to exhibit restraint and engage trusted individuals who will help you further your life beyond retrenchment.   

BURUNDI CRISIS NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION

Sometime in May, 2015, I called for the intervention of the African Union press Burundian President Pierre Nkurunzinza to respect the constitution and abandon his third term bid because it would spell serious ramifications on the socio-political and economic instability in that country and around the Great Lakes region. Well, Africa just like the rest of the world watched President Pierre Nkurunziza disregard calls for him to respect the constitution and went ahead to obtain a counterfeit mandate through a Presidential election held on 21 July 2015. This election was obviously boycotted by the opposition as it was deemed fraught and unfair. The veritable truth is that President Pierre Nkurunziza was ineligible to run for a third term. Preceding the election was even a failed attempt by a Military mutiny that attempted to depose him from power.  Since President Pierre Nkurunzinza secured a third term, there appears to be smokescreen that life in Burundi is back to normal and yet the country is on the brink of civil war with international reports and observers suggesting that situation has gravely degenerated to the extent that there are proposals to request the African Union to take decisive action to forestall further violence. 

The innocent citizens haven been displaced with a reported 1,200 Burundians seeking refuge in neighboring Tanzania. There have also been reports of security forces in Burundi being accused of killings targeted the opposition leaders and ordinary citizens. As if that is not enough, there has been upsurge of full scale conflict on political divide and ethnic lines reminiscent of the events that followed the death of President Cyprien Ntaryamira who was President of Burundi until 6 April 1994. This is so because, it appears a targeted and well-orchestrated conflict targeting at specific sections of society.   While the world in 1994,  witnessed a catastrophic episode as thousands of people were killed in the civil war along ethnic lines between the Hutu majority and minority Tutsis. That kind of situation should never be allowed to occur under what circumstances including the current one. In doing so, serious questions should be asked and adequately responded to by the African Union and the United Nations. There have been propositions to send five thousand peacekeepers to Burundi despite resistance from the Bujumbura. How long should Africa wait before the troops are deployed? What about the individual at the epicentre of this crisis? What measures will the African Union take to ensure that post-crisis?   What role will the AU play to guarantee civil liberties to the general populace? 

The Great Lake region has generally been prone to conflict and therefore there is need to do everything possible to expeditiously forestall the current crisis before it sucks in other neighbouring countries.  In view of this, it is cardinal that all member state of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region which Zambia is a member of actively participate in resolving this conflict.  

As most Zambians maybe aware, Zambia and Burundi share borders through the great Lake Tanganyika which consequently there have been trade relations taking place between the two countries. Just in 2013, Zambia is reported to have exported a total of 40,000 metric tonnes of maize to Burundi as clear indication of the trade potential.  For more trade relations to proliferate and fortified, Zambia should play an active role to ensure that Burundi remains politically stable. 

In an event that the Burundi Constitutional Court rules that President Pierre Nkurunziza is eligible to run for a third term, the African Union and the International Community should impose sanctions Burundi to ensure that the will of the great majority is respected. The situation in Burundi is serious and African and the World at large cannot afford to be inconspicuous about it.  It is very simple; President Pierre Nkurunziza must respect the constitution and the will of the people.

KENNETH KAUNDA INTERVIEW IN 1963 AT CHILENJE HOUSE NO. 394

THOUGHTS FROM TELALINI

STATE OF MOST FOOTBALL PITCHES WORRYING

It is not a secret that of late, Zambian club football has been getting international attention. In fact, Zambia’s club football has always received international attention but lately, a new dimension to it has arisen as more foreign players want to play in the Zambian Super League. This is a clear indication of the increased competitiveness of the league.  This feat appears sweeping but the fact is that never at any point has the Zambian league attracted quality players from countries such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.  With all these foreign quality players trekking into the Zambian Super League, I can only assume that the league is not only competitive but also well remunerating. However, remuneration and the leagues attractiveness is not the crux of this article. While the league is attracting quality players, the state of the football pitches leave much to be desired. Most of the pitches I have watched club football from do not only have bumpy surfaces but in most cases have over grown grass. Indeed, they are not bumpy or overgrown greens, they are patchy with brown grass. These are football grounds that host big clubs like Zanaco, Nkana, Zesco and Power Dynamos, Green Buffalos.

The question in my ruminations that begs an answer is that why are most clubs investing in branding their team buses and signing international quality players without doing anything about their rickety pitches? Where is FAZ in all this? Are these pitches inspected before the seasons commence? Why should a team of Zanaco, or Nkana’s pedigree play in a football pitch that resembles a grazing land?   Look at the state of the Woodlands, Nchanga, Konkola, Sunset, Shinde, Godfrey Ucar Chitalu, Edwin Imboela, Nkana, and Arthur Davies playing turfs. They are in a very poor state for one to enjoy watching the flare that comes with Zambian club football. The only stadium with a semblance of a good pitch is Nkoloma Stadium, home of Red Arrows FC. It lately looks rundown though. In fact, watching Zambian football on these poor turfs is boring no matter how good teams playing are. Which player can fully express their skill in such pitches? Mind you, the Zambian Super League games are televised across the African continent on Supersport Channels. Watching the Zambian Super League on Supersport sometimes is very embarrassing because skilled players and very excellent team formations are made to look like school boys playing in some isolated neighbourhood. I have every reason to believe that some of these career threatening injuries suffered by many players are exacerbated by the very perilous playing surfaces. 

If the Zambian super League games are transmitted across Africa, how then can we attract quality players and also showcase our beautiful game with such poor pitches? I am agitated and very worried that if this situation goes unabated, the league may lose its attractiveness. If you compared the quality of the pitches across the Zambezi in Zimbabwe, one would wonder if those pitches are in country faced with economic malaise and yet are able to maintain them. The situation is same with the Kenyan Premier League whose packaging of their league has become attractive by not only improving the branding around the stadia but most importantly improving the state of their playing turfs.  

The owners of these pitches should take keen interest and focus on building capacity in their groundsmen to ensure that football as a product is well packaged starting with a good playing turf. Perhaps, these teams should consider tapping Golf clubs such as Lusaka Golf and Chainama Golf Clubs to learn how they manage to maintain their golf courses.  Yes, Zambia has quality and exciting players but the state of the playing surfaces leaves much to be desired. It high time these big clubs who appear ready to part away with millions of Kwachas to brand their teams, sign foreign players and pay them well refocus their strategy by improving the quality of playing surfaces. There is no substitute to good football, it can only come when teams improve their turfs and the rest will follow.  

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza Must Respect the Constitution and The Will Of The People!

This week, Burundi has hit headlines on account of their President Pierre Nkurunziza launched a bid to run for a third term in office for the next presidential election to be held on 26th June 2015. The bid has seen three people, including two police officers, being killed due to the political unrest in that country. With the launch of the third term bid, it is clear that he do everything in his powers to retain power. I assume even at the price of having unfortunate deaths such as the three people including two police officers. Already, reports are suggesting that at least seven people had been killed and 66 others wounded in a week of clashes between police and protesters in the capital. This, without a doubt recipe for lawlessness and impending divisions in a country that has had a very rickety political past. 

Being a keen follower and commentator on International,  African and local affairs,  I must admit that President Nkurunziza is one President I least expected to attempt to chew the constitution and push  for a third term bid especially taking into account the difficult circumstances under which he became President of Burundi.

It’s a pity that his grovelers are justifying the third term bid on account of discounting first five year term her served. This is the man who was seen as a rising star in the contemporary African Renaissance to the extent that in September 2010, the India–based Unity International Foundation honored him with the "Rising Star of Africa Award” because he was viewed as a role model in peace consolidation and development for the whole of Africa.

It is not a secret that Burundi has had a difficult political past right from the first President Colonel Jean-Baptiste Bagaza who was ousted in a coup by President Major Pierre Buyoya, all the way to President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya and Cyprien Ntaryamira who was President of Burundi from 5 February 1994 until the plane he was aboard together with Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down on 6 April 1994. The events that followed after the death of the two leaders were catastrophic as the world witnessed thousands of people being killed in the civil war along ethnic lines between the Hutu majority and minority Tutsis.

The world and African bodies such the African Union (AU), Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region which Zambia is a member should impress upon the Burundi Government to respect the wishes of the majority and the constitutional provisions that limit the Presidential tenure to only two. 

Zambia and Burundi share boarders through the great Lake Tanganyika which consequently there have been trade relations taking place between the two countries. Just in 2013, Zambia is reported to have exported a total of 40,000 metric tonnes of maize to Burundi as clear indication of the trade potential.  For more trade relations to proliferate and fortified, Zambia should play an active role to ensure that Burundi remains politically stable. 

In an event that the Burundi Constitutional Court rules that President Pierre Nkurunziza is eligible to run for a third term, the African Union and the International Community should impose sanctions Burundi to ensure that the will of the great majority is respected. The situation in Burundi is serious and African and the World at large cannot afford to be inconspicuous about it.  It is very simple; President Pierre Nkurunziza must respect the constitution and the will of the people.