Maravi

Letters - Governance

COMMENT - I read the article. And although she touches on some issues that are true and relevant (like the arbitrary demographic nature of the (post-) colonial state), she consistently fails to include the ownership of the economy in her analysis. The result is a confused and confusing recounting of the effects of this corruption. There is as better book on corrpution listed at the bottom of this page, called Syndromes Of Corruption by Michael Johnston, available from Amazon. It has a much more disciplined analysis of the types of corruption in economies at different stages of their development (proving the point that just transitioning to democracy in itself does not banish corruption). As wealth will always follow power around, the question is - who owns the wealth - which in a post-colonial economy are the land and the mines.

Politics, power and the pocket
Written by Politics, power and the pocket
Sunday, June 21, 2009 5:17:14 PM

I recently read an article entitled ‘Political leaders in Africa: presidents, patrons or profiteers?’ It was written by Jo-Ansie van Wyk, a lecturer in International Politics at the University of South Africa (Unisa), Pretoria. This excellent article is hosted on the web site of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)
www.accord.org.za/downloads/op/op_2007_1.pdf. Our own Lee Habasonda is the executive director of the Southern African Chapter of ACCORD.

For those interested in African politics and leadership, this article is a must-read. Reflecting on the current political leadership being exhibited by our present government, one does not need to eternally scratch his head, looking for an answer to Jo-Ansie van Wyk’s question in the title of his article. The last six months of Zambia’s political landscape have burgeoned into a colossus of unbridled corruption and irresponsible public expenditure.

One feels like wanting to jump out of his skin to read of the numerous incidences of abuse of public funds in our nation. For a country that is on life support economically, to lose such colossal amounts into individual’s pockets is nothing short of economic banditry of the highest order.

But how has corruption become so deeply entrenched into the fabric of our society? Are we not able to rid ourselves of its putrefying stain? It appears that most people’s only motive to enter the public service is to feed their penchant for luxurious lifestyles. And in the absence of a responsible government made up of men and women with principles crafted on the anvil of selfless service in the interest of the people, the corrupt will roost and reproduce themselves in such an enabling environment.

I think that is what is taking place in Zambia. We have men and women with a serious poverty of moral and ethical restraint who have fused themselves with politicians destitute of political will to fight corruption. And the offspring of this marriage are the twins of systemic and chronic plunder and political and judicial indifference and miscarriage. What we have in Zambia is a political power debacle that can be traced to this illegitimate union between depraved charlatans and political profiteers, resulting into a gargantuan regiment of corrupt elements working in tandem for their profit and not serving the country at all.

This has brought about an internal economic haemorrhage that is gradually taking our country’s life away. And maybe that’s why our government has bought the hundred hearses from China, not only to escort the poor Zambians to their graves in “dignity,” but symbolically to announce the death of our beloved country which they seem eager to escort to Chingwele Cemetery.

What must we do to get ourselves out of this mess? We need a mass revolutionary change of mindset. The kind of change that will serve as a catalyst to bring about decency on the political and economic front. I believe that Zambia is not a lost cause. We have the available human resources that can resurrect this country from the endemic scourge of corrupt governance. Let us allow intellectual rationality, reason and honesty to provoke every informed Zambian towards the ascendancy to the mountaintop of hope, progress, and our long anticipated new chapter in our history.

As we approach 2011, the year of elections, let us face this issue with austere truth. Which political party must we bring to power? Is it capable to deliver on the promises and inspire hope? Is built on a strong foundation of transparency and zero tolerance on corruption? Is it humane, reasonable and accommodating to divergent views? Let us do away with leaders suffering from chronic ideological emptiness. Myopic, uncultured, visionless and directionless politicians must not be given any place in our political dispensation. All they care for is power and their pockets. Let them slither into the archive of failure. God save Zambia!

Isaac Makashini

Labels: CORRUPTION, GOVERNANCE

posted by MrK @ 4:17 PM