Maravi

‘From rugs to riches’ through politics

‘From rugs to riches’ through politics
By Editor
Mon 19 Oct. 2009, 18:22 CAT

There is need for us to pay a lot of attention to the type of political leadership we are trying to construct in this country. If we allow vultures, hyenas and jackals to dominate the political leadership of our country, our nation will not advance in any way. We must choose our leaders wisely and only people who are known for their honesty, ability, dedication and concern for the welfare of all should ascend to leadership positions.

What our people are seeking is genuine democracy in which leaders are servants of the electorate and not its masters. We will only move forward when we have intelligent, honest and humble leaders who see politics as a vocation to serve the people. No one deserves to be a leader unless they love their country more than themselves.

We should all realise that politics is an area of great importance for promoting justice, peace, development and community among all. We regard politics as a vocation, a way of building up society for the common good. Our participation in the political life of our country should be guided by noble values and sentiments and not by vanity and greed.

If our country is to move forward, an honest and hardworking political leadership has to be constructed. We need a leadership that will make responsible use of any money available to government; a leadership that recognises the fact that economic growth depends, in the first place, on social progress. We will also need a leadership that hates corruption, that abhors stealing of public resources.

We say this because stealing public funds in order to enrich oneself will only lead to loss for the whole nation. Economic justice requires that each individual has adequate resources to survive, to develop and thrive, and to give back in service to the community. Politics therefore needs people with high credibility because the government the political leaders run is the instrument by which people co-operate together in order to achieve the common good.

An authority is definitely needed to guide the energies of all towards the common good. There is need for a conversion of heart and for the transformation of the social structures in order to build our country. Government is expected to manage the resources of the country for the benefit of all and not only for the political leadership and its associates. We are told in Mark 10:14: “Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” Political leadership is about service to the community, to the nation. It should not be about self aggrandisement.

And that’s why it is said that the two most decisive factors affecting the future consolidation and expansion of democracy will be economic development and political leadership. This is so because economic development makes democracy possible; political leadership makes it real.

The observations made by Anglican Diocese of Eastern Zambia bishop William Mchombo deserve serious attention from all of us. Bishop Mchombo observes that “politics instead of being a tool to serve others has been reduced to a level where it is seen as a quick step from rugs to riches. Some people even go to the extent of peddling lies and using vulgar language or purely tribal remarks in order to win votes for political office”.

It is true that most of our people are seeking political leadership positions as a stepping stone to government resources, to enriching themselves. There are many people who were really struggling financially and otherwise but as soon as they got into government or political leadership, there was an immediate reversal of fortunes. And this runs from top to bottom.

Just look at Rupiah Banda’s personal circumstances before and after becoming president and that of his sons and other associates. Their world has suddenly picked up. How? It cannot be explained in any way other than that they are using political office to enrich themselves. Rupiah is not the only one in that position. A good look at his ministers will reveal a similar pattern. And it is this factor that is even messing up our politics, our elections. Elections in this country are no longer generally seen as a competition to serve. They are increasingly becoming a competition for financial survival.

Those who are in political leadership positions should be modest and prudent, guard against arrogance and rashness, and serve the Zambian people heart and soul. They should serve the people whole-heartedly and never for a moment divorce themselves from the masses. And they should proceed in all cases from the interests of the people and not from one’s self-interest or from the interest of a small group. The organs of the state must rely on the masses and their personnel must serve the people.

For all his mistakes and weaknesses, there is a lot the political leadership of this country can learn and emulate from Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s leadership. KK’s spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, is something our political leadership should try to emulate. KK’s selflessness was shown in his boundless sense of responsibility in his work. Every political leader in this country must learn from him. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit, everyone can be very useful to the people. A person’s ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he or she is already noble-minded, a person of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a person who is of value to the people.

And all our political leaders, whatever their rank, are servants of the people, and whatever they do should be to serve the people. How then can they be reluctant to discard any of their bad traits?

Their duty should be to hold themselves responsible to the people. Every word, every act and every policy must conform to the people’s interest, and if mistakes occur, they must be corrected – that is what being responsible to the people means.

There is a big struggle to get our people out of poverty, ignorance, backwardness and disease. This is not a small struggle; it is a very big and complex one. And wherever there is struggle there has to be sacrifice. And our political leaders should have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and every sacrifice made on this score is worth it.

A serious and honest political leader should have largeness of mind and should be staunch and active, looking upon the interests of the people as his very own life and subordinating his or her personal interests to those of the people. Such a political leader should be more concerned about the masses than about any individual, and more concerned about others than about himself or herself. Only thus can he or she be considered a true political leader.

Every political leader in our country must be brought to understand that the supreme test of the words and deeds of a leader is whether they conform with the highest interests and enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the people.

At no time and in no circumstances should a political leader place his or her personal interests first; he or she should subordinate them to the interests of the nation and of the masses. Hence, selfishness, corruption, greed, vanity, and so on and so forth, are most contemptible, while selflessness, modesty, humility, working with all one’s energy, whole-hearted devotion to public duty will command respect.

Political leaders must be ready at all times to stand up for the truth, because truth is in the interests of the people; political leaders must be ready at all times to correct their mistakes, because mistakes are against the interests of the people. Our political leaders should set an example in being practical as well as far-sighted. For only by being practical can they fulfill the appointed tasks, and only far-sightedness can prevent them from losing their bearings in the march forward. Progressive political leaders should be the most far-sighted, the most self-sacrificing, the most resolute, and the least prejudiced in sizing up to situations, and should rely on the majority of the masses and win their support.

It is pleasing that increasingly, our religious leaders are taking a keen interest in the manner our country is being governed and in the type of political leadership we are constructing. This is as it should be. We need religious leaders to continue to be the conscience of society, the moral custodians and fearless champions of the interests of the masses of our people, especially those who are weak and downtrodden.

Labels: BISHOP MCHOMBO, FUEL, GOVERNANCE

posted by MrK @ 6:14 PM