Bishop Imakando is right about what the people want

Bishop Imakando is right about what the people want
By The Post
Tue 11 Oct. 2011, 13:40 CAT

We agree with Bishop Joe Imakando when he says that one of the major reasons why Zambians voted for change is that they wanted an impartial judicial system.

One of the greatest yearnings of an oppressed people is justice. People crave for an end to injustice when they have suffered under a regime or regimes that have paid no attention to their plight. It is very important for us to realise that our people have felt oppressed and marginalised for a very long time. Many of our people have believed that their succeeding governments have not really cared for them.

In a way, this is what explains the jubilation that characterised the declaration of Michael Sata as President. It is difficult to remember any other time when our people broke out in such spontaneous demonstration of joy and happiness. The announcement was made sometime after midnight and yet people broke out into celebration as soon as they heard what had happened.

Some young people were so scantily dressed that one would be forgiven for thinking that they were so overcome by joy that they forgot to dress. That jubilation said something that we must all carefully listen to. The people are communicating their wishes, their hopes and their aspirations. It is in that sense that we agree with Bishop Imakando. The state of the judiciary today is a threat to our security as a nation. A country with a weak judiciary risks degenerating into chaos and anarchy. The reason is simple to understand. Once people lose confidence in the judiciary, they attempt to take the law into their own hands. When this happens, then a nation is well on the way to anarchy.

This is why we all need to carefully reflect on the state of our judiciary today and find the best ways possible to transform this key institution of our country into one that serves our people and not just the ruling league. An independent and impartial judiciary is a very important prerequisite for development. It is synonymous with the rule of law. In other words, it is not possible to have the rule of law in the absence of an effective judiciary. In the type of democracy that we have adopted, the rule of law is an important prerequisite to development.

We say this because it is difficult for a nation to develop in the absence of the rule of law. The absence of the rule of law creates a state of anarchy which translates into a level of uncertainty that renders planning for investment and or development impossible. When we call for the transformation of the judiciary, we do not do it maliciously. We do it because we believe we cannot develop as a country without an effective judiciary. Our people cannot benefit from the resources that this country is endowed with in an environment where there is legal uncertainty due to weaknesses in the rule of law brought about in no small measure by weaknesses in the judicial system. This is what our people desired. Our people fought for a good judiciary, a good system.

One of the explanations for Michael's phenomenal success in the last election was the fact that he was able to capture the imaginations of our people and give them hope that the many injustices that they had suffered can be redressed. Michael mustered the art of identifying with the downtrodden. His political skills were clearly better than any other candidate that participated in the last election, hence his success.

Bishop Imakando also makes interesting observations about the way the whole election was run which are worth reflecting on. He observes that Michael won with very little monetary resources. The MMD government unleashed the entire state machinery to try and stop Michael. The public media was unleashed on him. Obscene amounts of election materials were distributed all in a bid to stop him but they failed. Why? The reason is simple. What Sata was promising is what our people wanted; it is what our people needed. With the successes scored come great expectations. Our people are expecting speedy delivery. So far, so good and yet more needs to be done.

This is why the government needs to embark on reforms that are going to impact the largest number of our people. The reforms that are prioritised did not necessarily require spending a whole lot of money. Some of those reforms are a question of mere policy, reorientation. They are quick wins. Although we say that, we are mindful that the judiciary requires special attention. No expense should be spared to ensure that confidence in the judiciary is restored. As we pointed out earlier, it is dangerous to continue as a country with a weak judicial system. Our people were able to resist the corruption of the MMD because they are determined to change their country forever. And one of those institutions that they want to change is the judiciary.

We have every reason to be proud of ourselves as a nation. We have managed to change government without resorting to the kind of violence that some of our neighbours and countries of our region have experienced. To maintain this trajectory of peace, we need to ensure that the institutions that maintain peace and stability for us such as the judiciary operate in the most professional and transparent manner.

The judiciary is such an important institution in a functioning democracy that there should be no corruption in it, not even a hint. This is how important that institution is. Unfortunately, we cannot say that about our judiciary. It seems that there are hints of corruption swept under every carpet that one cares to check. Corruption is a dangerous cancer. Once it invades society, it is difficult to eradicate. This is why its containment is referred to as ‘the fight against corruption'.

It is good that clergymen such as Bishop Imakando have seen it fit to make their members understand the implications of the vote that they cast. We say this because one of the major reasons why we have not been able to fight corruption as effectively as we could as a nation is because too many of our people do not see anything wrong with corruption. To reverse this sad state of affairs, there is need to educate our people about the evils of corruption and bad governance in general. In that context, people like Bishop Imakando become critical in helping the citizens of this country understand the evils of corruption.

When people understand the evils of corruption, it will not be difficult to make them understand why the judiciary needs to be transformed. It is only when such transformation occurs that the whole society benefits. We also need to be mindful that some of the changes that we want to see will have to start from the youngest people in our society. In that regard, we need to seriously look at our curriculum to include the education of our children on the evils of corruption. A curriculum that addresses the issue of corruption helps to build the nation.

For that reason, Bishop Imakando should be commended for taking the time to analyse the implications of Michael's win to his church members. Our people voted for change. That change includes the transformation of our judiciary.