Maravi

We are all carrying a red card

We are all carrying a red card
By The Post
Thu 18 Mar. 2010, 04:10 CAT

POLITICAL leadership is very vital to the future of our nation. And because of this, it is very important that our people critically evaluate the suitability of all those who offer themselves for political office.

And as we have stated before, putting aside all the theories and concepts, good leadership will be achieved, not by the formality of structures, but by the integrity of the participant and by the willingness of the individuals to work together and be inspired by a larger vision.

It is true that we should learn from mistakes, but who hasn’t made mistakes – over and over again? An old refrain says that humans are the only animal who stubs their toe on the same stone twice. This is especially so if that stone is the choice of the political leadership of the country.

A good political leadership must be created in our country. To move forward, we need a political leadership with greater political development and greater capacity for sacrifice. To realise this requires leaders who see farther and who are selective; self-sacrificing leaders with prestige who direct the impetuous development of progressive conditions.

Thus, progress will come. The sooner self-sacrificing, capable leaders arise who can select the self-sacrificing, capable intermediate level leaders, the sooner that progress will come.

We believe that some day the people of Zambia will, one way or another, free themselves of the present opprobrious regime.

If anyone were to ask us if there is anyone in Zambia who can be considered to have possibilities as a national leader, we couldn’t respond affirmatively.

We believe that if a completely pure politician doesn’t have certain leadership qualities, they cannot lead a nation to progress. And, conversely, if someone has leadership qualities but nothing else, they cannot lead a nation to progress, either.

It is absolutely necessary to have political seriousness and a guiding outlook and a spirit of self-sacrifice which accompanies one’s actions. So far, very few, if any, of our leaders have demonstrated any of this.

But of course, no nation has all the virtues, neither does any have all the vices. We are quite sure that some of our political leaders try to carry out their functions or duties as best as they can, even if the result is not always entirely successful.

It is said that he who has never failed to reach perfection has a right to be the harshest critic. We have every right to be demanding and critical of our leaders. And as we have repeatedly observed, there can be no doubt, of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life.

No institutions or political leaders should be expected to be free from the scrutiny of those who give them their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.

But we are all part of the same fabric of our national society and that scrutiny, by one part of another, can be just as effective if it is made with understanding. This sort of scrutinising those who offer themselves for political leadership can also act, and it should do so, as an effective engine for change.

The daily deeds of our political leaders must help to produce an actual Zambian reality that will reinforce our people’s belief in justice, fairness and humaneness, strengthen their confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.

If this happens, then we can say that we have triumphed in the effort to plant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. What we are saying is rooted in the straightforward view of society. In the understanding that the individual does best in a strong and decent community of people with principles and standards and common aims and values. Leaders lead, but in the end people govern.

There’s no choice between being principled and unelectable; and electable and unprincipled. Our political leaders should win elections and any other political contests because of what they believe in.

The task of moving our people out of poverty and on to a path of progress is not one for the faint-hearted, or the world of weary or cynical. It is not a task for those afraid of hard choices, for those with complacent views, or those seeking a comfortable life or to make more money from political leadership.

We need a political leadership that is ready to reach out and touch the people in sorts of ways, to show them that politics is not a dirty game played in dark corners but a real and meaningful part of their lives.

Let us have the confidence once again that we can debate new ideas, new thinking, without forever fearing the taunt of arrest, detention and prosecution for treason. Let us say what we mean and mean what we say. Not just what we are against. But what we are for. We should stop saying what we don’t mean and start saying what we do mean, what we stand by, what we stand for.

It is time our political leaders had a clear understanding of their objectives and politics.

Let us construct a political leadership in our country that will make us a nation of tolerance, innovation and creativity. Let us build a nation with pride in itself; a thriving nation, rich in economic prosperity, secure in social justice, confident in political change.

Let us put in place a political leadership that will help us create a more just, fair and humane nation in which our children can bring up their children with a future to look forward to.

Let us not allow the results of our collective effort as a nation and all the work that has gone on in our country benefit just a few.

The march to next year’s elections seems to have started. Let us not allow the desire to serve oneself to bloom once again under the fair mask to serve the common good. It is not really important now which party or individual will prevail in next year’s elections.

The important thing is that the winners or the winner will be the best of all those contesting, in the moral, civic, political sense and otherwise, regardless of their political affiliations. The future of our country will depend on the personalities we elect.

We certainly want a president who will speak less and work more; a president who will not only look out of the windows of his aeroplane or helicopter or bullet-proof Mercedes Benz car but who, first and foremost, will always be president among his fellow citizens and listen to them well.

Let us dream of a political leadership that will make our country more independent, free and more democratic; of a republic economically prosperous and yet socially just, in short of a more humane, fair and just republic which serves the individual and which therefore holds the hope that the individual will serve it in turn; of a nation of well-rounded people and political leaders, because without such it is impossible to solve any of our problems, human, economic, social or political.

And therefore, those who aspire to hold public office in our country should consider themselves the trustees of all these dreams and hopes of ours and they must be prepared to work unceasingly to lift this nation to a higher destiny, to a new plateau of compassion.

It is not possible to build a strong democracy without a political leadership that is closely linked to the people, that arises from the people and has the support of the people, and that devotes itself entirely to working and struggling for the people and the people’s interests.

It is not possible to have meaningful democracy with a political leadership that is corrupt and intolerant, a leadership that takes away national dignity and honour.

And we therefore agree with Dr Euston Chiputa when he says that the level of democracy in a nation is gauged by the level of tolerance of leaders of divergent views. If Dr Chiputa is right, which we believe he is, then Rupiah Banda’s regime needs to change its attitude on the issue of tolerance.

They need to stop the harassment of those criticising them and their attempts to silence criticism. If this doesn’t happen, the people of Zambia have no choice but to show Rupiah and his friends a red card and vote them out in next year’s elections. Time is running out for Rupiah and his friends to make the necessary changes required.

They are now playing under a yellow card. We have our great doubts about whether or not Rupiah will be able to overcome the defects of his milieu before next year’s elections. If he doesn’t, Rupiah and his friends will be swept aside by history. We understand their apprehension, their fear of the red card because it will bring their game to an end.

And the only way to avoid that red card is to avoid committing any foul play. By harassing their political opponents through the abuse of the police and the entire judicial process, they are engaging in foul play that may attract a second yellow card, a red card – to borrow from the language of our popular sport of soccer.

Every Zambian citizen, every voter in this country is a political referee equipped with two cards, a whistle, a watch and ready to act accordingly or appropriately when the time comes. Whether they like it or not, the time for the red card may come and a whistle will be blown. We are all carrying a red card and a whistle and just waiting for the time to flash it and blow it.

Labels: DUNCAN NYIRONGO, FRANK BWALYA, RED CARD CAMPAIGN, UNZASU

posted by MrK @ 3:16 PM