The New Chipolopolo Kit!

Am I the only one who seems to be having a problem appreciating with the new set of jerseys for our beloved national soccer? Before I proceed to express my specific concerns about the new kit, I would like to refer to an article I wrote some weeks back in which I questioned African teams’ ability to brand themselves. I further questioned why big teams on the African continent still wear European club replica kits which my view is a sign of lack of originality.  

 In that article I also praised the Football Association Zambia (FAZ) for finally settling for a set of kits that truly represented our national colors before and at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Many will agree with me that the set of kit worn by the Chipolopolo at the 2012 Equatorial Guinea/ Gabon Africa Cup of Nations were not only colorful but unique to the extent that one needed not look at the outfit twice to know that it was a Zambian jersey.  This is the jersey that has been heavily counterfeited to an extent that even this author only realized after a long time that the words of the Football Association of Zambia emblem read “Football Assoclation of Zambia” and not otherwise.   

Having said that, am sure all readers and soccer fans will agree with me that it is the green with stripes of red, black and orange plus either black or green shorts  that we have become comfortable with . Additionally, away games would see Zambia don orange tops with green shorts and orange stockings. When the Football Association of Zambia announced that our beloved chipolopolo dressed by Nike would have a new kit, I was so expectant and for several weeks, I envisioned how the kit looked like as I was sure nothing could beat the creativity of our dressers. During the wait, I was so sure that the new kit will maintain the same design with some slight changes to enhance its appeal.  

It was presented to the nation and for a moment I thought it was a hoax!! For a moment, I thought to myself FAZ was undertaking a mission to ‘rebrand’ the team like political party. For a moment it appeared to me like FAZ was on some sort of a mission to rid itself of the past and needed to be seen I a different light all together.  When a friend of mine came with the replica jersey of the new kit and asked for my opinion, I told him that I would rather stick to the old replica kit because it identified with me and my pride as a Zambian. That is the kind of kit that needs no introduction at any major or international airport around Africa. Sadly it appears to have been consigned to the archives.   

The question I have always had since FAZ ‘rebranded’ the team is if the really reflected on the importance of branding for the national team.  In my considered view, the new kit is a ‘miss’, am not trying to grandstand on this matter but am sure several people out there share this point of view. If you go anywhere in the world class team has attempted to position themselves to ensure that they retain a distinctive and durable perception in the minds of the fans. Brazil, France, England, Germany, Cameron, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Tanzania and even countries like Uganda are teams that have for a longtime have branded their kit wit national colors  intertwined with uniqueness and originality.  That set of kit that appears to have been shelved will probably go down in our history as a nation as the most worn replica jersey both locally and internationally because it has a legacy of success, a legacy of Champions. 

That is the kit that has won recognition, loyalty, image, reliability and quality around the world! Brand experts will agree with me that a strong brand projects an image of quality and loyalty. Why has FAZ opted to throw all that power and rich legacy to the wind? If one takes a look at teams that made it to the 2013 African Cup of Nations, they still maintained their kit and if they did alter it, the alterations where minor. This can been seen in teams like Burkina Faso, Mali, Angola, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, and Ghana who wore improved kits of the ‘original kits’ and at one glance, one would easily identify them. This was not the case with Zambia; they wore completely different oversized looking kits that lacked originality, image and recognition!

In the light of this I would like to urge the Football Association of Zambia to swallow their pride and give us a jersey that is truly representative of our national colors and Pride. The kits that were worn at the 2013 South Africa  Afcon should be relegated to the Under 23s,20 and 17 while the  2012 legacy Jerseys to be improved upon without tampering with our national colors. For a Pan-Africanist like me, national colors at too important! With that said, you can now ask me if I have bought the new replica.  

Of Wizardry and Superstitious: Have We Stopped Caring For Our Senior Citizens?

I have noted with dismay at the rate our aged or should I call them senior citizens are being abused and in certain instances killed on suspicion that they are wizards or witches. Most of these aged are dying at the hands of some heartless and merciless young members, who in every sense of the word are supposed to protect them. Where are we headed as a society if the safety of these defenseless cannot be guaranteed? Where are our values of respect for human life? 

Where are our values of respecting people who are older than you? Why young people sunken have so low that they can without compassion or feeling of pity literally abduct an old man and subject them to beatings and even burn them to death? Is this the society we want to create and leave to future generations? It hard to comprehend that such heinous acts are going unabated in our society. For how long are we going to seat back and what poor old defenseless senior citizens die at the hands of ill mannered and blood thirsty misfits our societies?

   

My Tuesday evening was spoiled when I saw a moving and touch scene on MUVI TV news of a group of young men and women torturing and beating a defenseless and tired looking old man in Ndola. It is believed that the man is a wizard who was found roaming the streets naked. This was the basis on which the suspected that the man was a wizard and they pounced on him and were ready to burn him alive had it not be for the quick intervention of the police. 

Thank God! It later turned out that this poor old man has had a history of mental problems. And yet the assailants where by any means ready to shed his innocent blood? Anyone who saw that television clip will agree with me that that frail old man could not even hurt a fly and the only sin he had committed was having a mental illness that had affected his ability to not only reason with himself but with society aw sell. It can be recalled that another old woman in Kitwe’s Chamboli Township was brutally beaten by some people who accused her of being a witch. She later died as a result of the severe beating she suffered at the hands of her assailants.    These are just peculiar or isolated cases but a recurrent trend that appear to be taking route in our society and in my considered view send a strong message that the aged and mentally sick people are not safe anymore.

This trend is highly disturbing and also goes to show the high levels of superstition in our society despite it being a Christian Nation. It is clear that older persons are being discriminated against at various levels in our society that include family, community, and even institutional level. In work environments, there are instances where older employees are usually accused being wizards on account that they do not want to leave employment and give way to the young ones and they consequently are a subject of all sorts of ridicule. On the other hand, at family and community, the old usually are left isolated and will be occasionally be visited. It is worse if they are living in an environment riddled with poverty. They end up on the streets and eventually are become victims of all sorts of scorn and accusations.

     

Zambia is a signatory to various international conventions and accords that seek protect old persons aged and the mentally challenged. The reason why Zambia scribes to such international conventions is because older persons have specific needs and requirements.  One of the fundamental truths we have to face as a country is that life expectancy in Zambia has increased in addition; the population of the country is relatively youthful so at some point in future, Zambia may experience unprecedented demographic aging. The question now is would we be happy to be discriminated against based on our age? Would the future generations be justified to accuse of being wizards and witches just because our old and frail bodies? 

It is high time our society started respecting the aged and on the other hand the law enforcement agencies clamped down on violence against the aged. It is clear that our society needs a lot of education in this area. We need to encourage a paradigm change of attitudes at all levels in the way our aged are viewed. After all, they are a source of wisdom! We also need to remember that the aged were once like us the young and soon we shall be like them so let us create a society devoid of discrimination against the aged and mentally challenged!

Work Culture

Lately, there have been concerns raised in various sections of society even in the media regarding the work culture and the perception of the Zambian Civil Service falling short of the people’s expectation in the delivery of quality service at various levels of public service. It is not long ago that  the Honorable Minister of Labour and Social Security, Honorable Fackson Shamenda complained of poor work culture in Government Institutions. This message was again reiterated by His Excellency the President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata. In conquering with the concerns raised by the His Excellency the President, Government institutions are faced with huge challenges in meeting people’s expectations. To this effect, the perception held about the various government institutions is that they focus on ‘self service’ and caring less for the public for whom they are employed to serve. This negative work culture has resulted in inefficiency and consequently derailing and frustrating the Government development agenda and thus not delivering on its pronouncements. It is true that some civil servants have a pathetic work culture. There are instances where people report for work at 09:00hrs in the morning, spend one hour moving from office to office chatting, then spend another one hour sipping tea or coffee, work for two hours and then go God knows where, I suppose for shopping? At the end of the day you will realize that of the expected eight hours they are expected to put in, they only put for four hours. Surely what can one achieve in those few hours? Some have constant excuses for not reporting for work because they know that dismissing them is not as easy as 123! This has resulted in very poor attitudes towards work and in the end the Zambian agenda doesn’t move! Perhaps allow me to make drop a bombshell that most Zambian workers worse with the Civil Servants are remunerated for just reporting for work and not availing themselves to work. Is it an easy way of reaping where you did not sow?  The ‘Productivity’ and ‘Work Culture’ question should however not just be directed at the civil service but all productive sectors of the country as a whole after all collective effort is what sees Zambia move forward and not just a portion of section of the country.  This matter should be presented at the feet Public sector too who have on many occasions exhibited inefficiency and managed to get away with it. Many people that I have personally interacted around the sub-region with full of praises for Zambians as being hard working.  While I have agree with such assertions on account of seeing for myself how hardworking Zambians in diasporas are,  It appears they work hard when they are working outside Zambia? Where does the steam to patriotically work hard for the benefit of this nation disappear to when in Zambia? How do they manage to keep two to three jobs out there and when in Zambia they give little or nothing to move this country forward? Someone once said that if Zambians worked as hard as they talk, Zambia would have been a heaven on earth but its only talk! Anyway, my focus is not on the Zambians in diaspora but those of us working within the borders.  In my view, Zambian workers generally lack virtues of honesty and time management. They could be hard working, but no matter how hard working one can be if they lack these two very important attributes then the quality of work delivered is compromised. Why should the Zambian public be denied quality service when the majority of the Zambian Labour force is actually youthful? Statistics are there to show that the Zambian Public Service comprises 78% of a workforce aged between 20-44 years and 18% are 45-54 years, while only 4% are above 55 years. With this Youthful workforce why shouldn’t government programmes move at lightning speed? It is a pity that some workers just report for work, work with the system and not even make a single plan of how they will approach their work for the day using their personal effort. On the other hand you will read on a number of times in the press of some road contractors are accused of doing shoddy works on some of the road works. How many of you ever think of the fact that the poor workmanship may have been a result of workers who stole cement and given an impression that they had utilized it for the intended purpose? It is clear that the virtue of honesty lacks on the part of the employees. . Where are the work ethics in this?
One close friend of mine at the height of the heat wave in October 2012 jokingly retorted that it had become too hot and that the Government should do something about it. We laughed about it but when you come to think about it reflectively, this is the culture that has slowly taken over the Zambian Society today that they expect the Government to do everything for us even in situations where we can actually mobilize ourselves as communities to solve some of the community problems. It has become common every day to see and hear people on either television or radio making appeals for the Government intervene in this or that community problem. The words that have become common these days are “Tipema government iyanganepo” (Literally meaning the Government should look a particular matter). This is also clear indicator of how our society appears to taken the path of waiting for the Government to do things for them. There is need to reverse these trends.
 
However, we cannot say all hope is lost because attitudes though hard to break can still be changed. It is also true that there are some civil servants out there who are making huge difference in the health, education, and other sectors. It is important to build on this and ensure that government programmes move.  The Ministry of Labour and Social Security should be a given a leading role to provide us with information on the productivity index and levels both in the private and public sectors. Perhaps they could go round some of these institutions to explain the important of improved productivity. It should not end there but there is need to thoroughly study systems that create bottle necks in the delivery of quality service at the end of the day. The most important one is for every worker to reflect on what contribution they are making to whatever institution they are working for. Honestly, it does not make sense to sound like a broken record singing the same song year in year out on the need to change your personal attitudes towards work. Do you expect the government to be moving around with whips to make you work? That will be reminiscent of the days of slavery.  The Unions can only do enough and so can the Government the rest is incumbent upon you as a worker to motivate yourself to work hard to not only prove your worth but also move this nation forward. At the end of the day, we should get up and work extra hard since Zambia is a land or Work and Joy in Unity.

Why Uganda Will Win CECAFA

Victories often define what is considered a good team. But to be a successful team, there must be several components before a victory can be earned. And even if a team isn't successful in the win category, there are still ways to be considered a success. Ugandan Cranes maybe headed in that direction.

Am not a Ugandan but a keen follower of African Football. I wish to indicate that there is a spirit and character that the Uganda Cranes have shown in the last few year, which in my opinion may make them dominate football headlines in the next two years. I have noticed Four Characteristics that Uganda needs to build on for the giant in them to come out. This is based on the last few games I have watched them against Zambia, Angola, Congo Brazzaville and yesterdays against Kenya.

1. Team First- You won't find great teams that have players who are playing for themselves. It must be a collective team effort to be the best. Team chemistry is extremely important and some of the best winners football has ever seen are extremely unselfish. Everyone must have the same goals and all players must be fighting equally hard for the prize. Uganda has shown that character despite not having big names.

2. Fundamentally Sound- Great football teams make a habit of doing the fundamental things extremely well. The cranes are not playing complicated football. The casual football fan might not appreciate just how important all of these qualities are, but in a close game it is often the difference between winning and losing. Perhaps that explains as to why they managed to beat Harambee
Stars in the fashion they did? 1-0 is all they needed.
3. Relative Solid Defense- You simply can't be a championship caliber team in football without having a good defense. You'll find that the teams with the high-powered offenses might awe the crowds the most, but if they don't have a good defense they'll lose when it counts the most. A good defense will keep you in every single game, even when the offense is not playing up to par.

4. An Efficient midfield- The cranes appear to have the midfield that knows its role in the offense and they make solid decisions with the football.

5. The Coach Bobby Williamson appears to have a Sir Alex Ferguson flare and philosophy approach to his game is an asset to the team. The only area you the cranes need to improve on are the winger and very sharp strikers who can hold on to the ball and put it at the back of the net. With patience, I see the cranes being a top side soon with consistency commitment. I view of this, I now declare that the Cranes will retain the CECAFA title. Tchao!

Originality in the African Game

Could I be the only one who cringes in my seat when I see a “big Team” in African football naming itself after a European Team? Worse still, they even wear the exact replica jersey of that particular team? In Zambia I once saw Lusaka Dynamos wear the exact yellow replica Jersey of Liverpool and they had their sponsor’s name “Carlsberg” on the shirts. Mind you this game was live on the World of Champions, Super Sport 9.  When I saw this, I ignored it and I was like yes, Lusaka Dynamos is not such a big team, after at, it is sponsored by an individual and he may not have the financial muscle to buy the best of jerseys. Just when I thought I had seen the last of such outfits when Lusaka Dynamos was relegated to the second division of the Zambian Super League in 2010, alas! I saw it this weekend in the Glo-Ghana Premier League and it’s a team called “Arsenals”, they wore the exact jersey Arsenal of the English Premier League wear and to my amazement the jersey was labeled “Fly Emirates”. The only difference was “the Arsenals” jersey had Ghanaian names on their backs coupled with a very poor playing field. And guess what? The whole continent was watching this game on Supersport 9! It just didn’t end there; I noticed a team that impressed me so much in the African Champions League from Ghana called Berechum Chelsea a team I understand whose the club's name and home kit are inspired by Chelsea F.C of English Premier League is in the same trap! Why on earth does the team even have to copy the Chelsea FC club logo? Are they not innovative enough to come up with something of their own? The question I have is, does Arsenal or Chelsea football clubs of the EFL support these clubs financially? I would even go further to ask if the “Fly Emirates” which is donned by “The Arsenals of Ghana” is known by the Emirates. Would that be a case of free advertising in a business sense? Do the clubs realize the implication of such outfits? Do African clubs understand the importance of team branding? Where is their identity? Imagine “the Arsenals” of Ghana won the African Champions League and on the other hand Arsenal of England won the Champions league in Europe and the two met at the World Club Championship? The South African case of Ajax (Ajax not Ayax) Cape Town maybe different because I am meant to believe that the team is an extension of the Ajax Amsterdam. It is therefore understood when they wear the exact replica jersey of the Ajax Amsterdam.  The funny this is that they appear to even maintain the team emblem. In my state of cringe, I ask myself what goes on in the minds of such teams. They have unique talents, unique players, unique environment and are a force to reckon with on the African continent, yet they opt to be colonized their minds with foreign ideas of wearing replica jerseys of teams in Europe. Unfortunately it appears some national teams on the African continent are wearing jerseys that don not in any way represent their national colors. Are our minds really freed as Africans such that despite the inspiration we may get from the European clubs we cannot come up with our own identity? What is wrong in teams having their own unique identities? Though the case maybe like this in the teams I have cited there are other teams that have strived hard to brand themselves on the African continent such that you don’t need to look twice at their jersey to know which team they are. The closest an English Premier League has come to associate with Africa is Sunderland’s jersey which has words “Invest in Africa”. I will cite teams like El Merriek of Sudan, Orlando Pirates, Asante Kotoko of Ghana, Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa, Zesco United of Zambia as teams that I have seen have seriously branded their teams and you don’t have to look twice at their Jerseys to know who they are. Even the Africa’s biggest giant TP Mazembe‘s home outfits looks like that of Juventus of Italy.
It is high time teams in African strived to maintain their originality and not copy ideas from European teams. On a lighter note, I have also noticed that some Zambians suddenly pronouncing ‘Bercelona’ as ‘Bathelona’ just because the Spanish pronounce it that way. Hello? I will not call them ‘Bathelona’ because to me they are ‘Barcelona’.

Revamping Employment Services

Honorable Fackson Shamenda, Minister of Labour and Social Security was quoted that Government through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security was working on a number of measures to address unemployment in the country, among them the re-establishment of Public Employment Services. This is a very welcome move that requires commendation.  As correctly observed by the Minister even His Excellency the President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata, unemployment remains high  in Zambia and in particular among the youth. It is a ‘time bomb’! As if that is not enough, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recently announced that youth unemployment is likely to rise globally to 12.9 percent by 2017 as more young people leave the work force and the euro crisis spreads to emerging economies like Zambia. The current global rate of unemployment among youths aged 15 to 24 is 12.7 percent. That means the actual number of youths who count as "unemployed" is expected to fall globally from 74 million in 2012 to 73 million in 2017. Going by these statistics, it is clear that the Patriotic Government has a huge task to ensure that unemployment in our country has been dubbed a ‘time bomb’ is handled with the utmost rigour and complimentary efforts.

 The Minister highlighted some interventions that the government intends to revamp the apprenticeship or internship programs in collaboration with employers’ organizations. This is very cardinal and commendable in the sense that young people graduating from universities, colleges and skills training centers will be afforded a deliberate opportunity to gain experience in the field they obtain a qualification. It is common knowledge that the Zambian youth are faced with a challenge and frustrations of facing employers who want some level of experience to be considered for a job. In the light of this, there may be need for the Patriotic Front Government to review and revise the Apprenticeship Act to ensure that it is responsive to the current needs of the youth in addition to making sure Internship becomes a mandatory function of any organization to ensure that the Youth are availed an opportunity to gain experience in business and industry. In its current form the Act has, limitations and lacunas. There is also need to actually work towards the creation of National Skills Inventory to ensure that the country can take stock of the skills available on the Labour Market.

The national skills inventory will assist Government project and predict the areas were particulars skills are required. Sometimes, the problem we have is not lack of employment but having certain trades and areas of specialty being saturated while leaving other trades lacking.  Therefore, the skills inventory will enable government minimize the challenge of having too many skills in one area while neglecting others. For example, the nation certainly cannot afford to constantly train accountants or while employment opportunities lies in agri-business.
There is need to serious reform and restructure the role played by institutions such National Youth Development Council (NYDC). It entails giving the institutions a clear mandate to help the Government mobilize the youth particularly in rural areas to access coordinated programming of activities related to alleviating youth unemployment.

It further means that unemployment reduction strategies across the country are linked to ensure that youth do not just access loans but are also taught clear business management skills (Agri-business, manufacturing and trading). Zambia is endowed with abundant talent and innovativeness among the youth and if the rural youth could be a special target group, poverty levels can be reduced especially with the current positive political will. The Minister correctly observed that there was need to revamp public employment services. The current scenario around the Country is such that only the unskilled jobs are the ones available in the employment exchange centers.  A graduate from a University cannot seek employment through such centers. There would be need to re-invigorate the run down employment exchange centers and ensure that they work as a one stop-shop for employment services. The challenge of unemployment is not just a problem for the Government but a matter that requires the input of all keys stakeholders to ensure that the problem is managed.

The youth on the other hand should be seen to be serious in tackling the problem by ensuring that they put to good use loans the obtain from the Youth empowerment  Fund and organizations such as the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
Going by the Minister’s pronouncements, it is very clear that the Government understands the depth and magnitude of the problem of youth unemployment. We all have to appreciate that youth unemployment is a global problem and as such will require patience and be prepared to practice some strict frugality. The effects of unemployment are well documented and therefore, the earlier concrete steps are taken to mitigate it the better.

African Soccer Teams Lack Originality

Could I be the only one who cringes in my seat when I see a “big Team” in African football naming itself after a European Team? Worse still, they even wear the exact replica jersey of that particular team? In Zambia I once saw Lusaka Dynamos wear the exact yellow replica Jersey of Liverpool and they had their sponsor’s name “Carlsberg” on the shirts. Mind you this game was live on the World of Champions, Super Sport 9.  When I saw this, I ignored it and I was like yes, Lusaka Dynamos is not such a big team, after at, it is sponsored by an individual and he may not have the financial muscle to buy the best of jerseys. Just when I thought I had seen the last of such outfits when Lusaka Dynamos was relegated to the second division of the Zambian Super League in 2010, alas! I saw it this weekend in the Glo-Ghana Premier League and it’s a team called “Arsenals”, they wore the exact jersey Arsenal of the English Premier League wear and to my amazement the jersey was labeled “Fly Emirates”. The only difference was “the Arsenals” jersey had Ghanaian names on their backs coupled with a very poor playing field. And guess what? The whole continent was watching this game on Supersport 9! It just didn’t end there; I noticed a team that impressed me so much in the African Champions League from Ghana called Berechum Chelsea a team I understand whose the club's name and home kit are inspired by Chelsea F.C of English Premier League is in the same trap! Why on earth does the team even have to copy the Chelsea FC club logo? Are they not innovative enough to come up with something of their own? The question I have is, does Arsenal or Chelsea football clubs of the EFL support these clubs financially? I would even go further to ask if the “Fly Emirates” which is donned by “The Arsenals of Ghana” is known by the Emirates. Would that be a case of free advertising in a business sense? Do the clubs realize the implication of such outfits? Do African clubs understand the importance of team branding? Where is their identity? Imagine “the Arsenals” of Ghana won the African Champions League and on the other hand Arsenal of England won the Champions league in Europe and the two met at the World Club Championship? The South African case of Ajax (Ajax not Ayax) Cape Town maybe different because I am meant to believe that the team is an extension of the Ajax Amsterdam. It is therefore understood when they wear the exact replica jersey of the Ajax Amsterdam.  The funny this is that they appear to even maintain the team emblem. In my state of cringe, I ask myself what goes on in the minds of such teams. They have unique talents, unique players, unique environment and are a force to reckon with on the African continent, yet they opt to be colonized their minds with foreign ideas of wearing replica jerseys of teams in Europe. Unfortunately it appears some national teams on the African continent are wearing jerseys that don not in any way represent their national colors. Are our minds really freed as Africans such that despite the inspiration we may get from the European clubs we cannot come up with our own identity? What is wrong in teams having their own unique identities? Though the case maybe like this in the teams I have cited there are other teams that have strived hard to brand themselves on the African continent such that you don’t need to look twice at their jersey to know which team they are. The closest an English Premier League has come to associate with Africa is Sunderland’s jersey which has words “Invest in Africa”. I will cite teams like El Merriek of Sudan, Orlando Pirates, Asante Kotoko of Ghana, Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa, Zesco United of Zambia as teams that I have seen have seriously branded their teams and you don’t have to look twice at their Jerseys to know who they are. Even the Africa’s biggest giant TP Mazembe‘s home outfits looks like that of Juventus of Italy.
It is high time teams in African strived to maintain their originality and not copy ideas from European teams. On a lighter note, I have also noticed that some Zambians suddenly pronouncing ‘Bercelona’ as ‘Bathelona’ just because the Spanish pronounce it that way. Hello? I will not call them ‘Bathelona’ because to me they are ‘Barcelona’.