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A university degree shouldn’t be a prerequisite for presidency – Nawakwi

A university degree shouldn’t be a prerequisite for presidency – Nawakwi
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 27 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FDD president Edith Nawakwi has observed that possessing a university degree should not be a prerequisite for one to be Republican president.

In an interview, Nawakwi said including a degree clause in the Republican Constitution for one to be president was tantamount to attempting to make the Presidency an exclusive club for a privileged few.

“King Solomon in the Bible was not educated, but he had wisdom and compassion. He was the wisest man. You can't say every 90 per cent achiever in college qualifies to be president. Education is very important, but it is not the prerequisite to be a leader. Look at what Rupiah Banda is saying on the MMD cadres, does it show that he has humility? You can go to school and come out schooled, but not educated. Rupiah Banda is just schooled, he is not educated,” Nawakwi said on Monday.

“In most cases higher achievers in school are the least achievers in life. Qualification to be president, yes someone needs minimum standards to transact, but it's not a prerequisite.”

Nawakwi said currently only a few citizens could afford university education, saying those who were advocating the degree should also provide more universities in the nation.

“The situation now is that you have to have six points to get to UNZA, so only a privileged few, maybe from Mpelembe who are well-sponsored, will go to the university. But those from Namushakende, are they ever going to have that opportunity? You are excluding the larger section of the population because now you can have eight points, they will not accept you, because there are very few university places,” Nawakwi said. “You want to make the presidency an exclusive club for a privileged few.”

And Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo charged that it was misleading and self-deception to think that only holders of university degrees could succeed as Republican presidents.
Mpombo, who is former defence minister, said holding a degree was not a funfare to success.

“You see even South Africa, President Jacob Zuma has done very little formal education, but he is leading the biggest and strongest economy in Africa, and I think it is misleading and self-deception to think that a person, if one has got a degree, then he will perform, he will be successful,” Mpombo said. “There are what we call educated derelinks, they cannot do anything. Leadership is not about possessing a chain of degrees. So people have got it all wrong that holding a degree is a pathway to leadership.”

Mpombo advised people against enacting laws targeted at individuals if the nation was serious about enacting a Constitution that would stand the test of time.

He said critical ingredients to leadership like wisdom, love, common sense and character were not acquired through books.
“What we are saying is that it is wallowing in ignorance to expect that since one has a degree then they will make a good president,” Mpombo said.

On MMD acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti's statement before the national executive committee (NEC) meeting last weekend that it would not be good for the party to hold a convention to waste money when there is the 2011 general election to fight for, Mpombo said the statement by Mulongoti was tantamount to political madness because this was the same person who recently announced that the party was re-organising to go for a convention.

He said the convention was a constitutional requirement and had nothing to do with President Banda's status as the incumbent President.

Mpombo said President Banda was just an acting president of the party.
Featuring on The People That Matter programme on Joy FM Radio last week on Monday evening, Mulongoti said it would be unwise to do away with the sitting President and look for another candidate when there was the benefit of incumbency.

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 9:01 PM