Maravi

Cynics have never built a nation

Cynics have never built a nation
Tue 04 Sep. 2012, 09:10 CAT

Clement Mulenga, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kabwe, says the government should be corrected whenever they make a mistake and encouraged when they do the right thing as opposed to consistently taking a negative stance against it. We agree.

There can be no doubt, of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution, regardless, should expect to be free from those who give it 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 a touch of gentleness, good humour and understanding. This sort of questioning can also act, and it should do so, as an affective engine for change of ways and behavior.

But we shouldn't be cynics. If criticism turns cynical, then it loses its value. Our criticism should be aimed at change of behaviour, at improving the ways in which we manage or govern the affairs of our country. It shouldn't be criticism that is simply aimed at humiliating others.

Moreover, no section of the community has all the virtues, neither does any have all the vices. We are quite sure that most people try to do their jobs 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 been criticised by some people of being too soft on Michael Sata and his government and of not treating them the way we treated the governments of Frederick Chiluba and that of Rupiah Banda.

We have a moral duty to treat everyone well, fairly and justly. We must love everybody, but not everyone in the same way; you love the oppressed by liberating them; you love the oppressors by fighting them. Love has to be a classifying device to become universal.

When a politician, when a government is working for the common good and is seemingly committed to the common good, it deserves the support of all citizens of goodwill.

But this is not to say such politicians, such a government will not make mistakes, will not make wrong decisions or do wrong things. However, there is a distinction between the wrong decisions or actions of an honest man who wants to do good but has erred, has fallen short of our desires and those of a dishonest politician, government that is out to rape the community, the nation. Good people who make mistakes, who do wrong things deserve to be corrected and encouraged to do good.

Dishonest people who do wrong things with the outright intention to prosper from harming society deserve to be criticised, denounced and removed from power.

This is the approach we have taken over the years. In the early years of the Chiluba government, when we all believed they were out to do good, we criticised them when they were wrong with a view to encouraging them to do good. In the later years of the Chiluba regime, when it became clear to all that they had embarked on a criminal path and no efforts at correcting them would work, we started to criticise and denounce them with the intention of ousting them from power.

We were very critical of the Levy Mwanawasa regime in its early days because we believed it was a regime that was initiated and promoted by Chiluba to protect the corruption of his league. But later, Levy managed to move away, to steer clear from the Chiluba crimes, corruption and other abuses. And with this, we started to criticise Levy and his government in a different way, in a way that helped them to correct their mistakes and continue to do good.

The Rupiah regime was born twisted and lived with its original sin, without making any effort at baptism. It was a regime that lived the corrupt way it was born and died the same way. Our criticism of it was from the very beginning with a view of not allowing it to entrench itself and its bad ways.

We sincerely believe this regime of Michael is out to do good. And we are not the only ones with this belief. It is a belief that is held by many of our people. This is not to say it is a regime without deficiencies, weaknesses or faults. It has many of that. But because we believe that Michael wants to do good, we will criticise him and his government in a way that may help them to overcome their deficiencies, weaknesses and faults. We don't believe we have reached a point where we can conclude that they are totally up to no good and should be criticised and denounced in a manner that will help them be removed from power.

We have never been bound up with any given social, political or economic order. When a system, when a regime ceases to promote the common good and favours special interests, corrupt practices, we must not only denounce its weaknesses, deficiencies, faults, wrongs but we should also seek to break with the evil system. We must be prepared to work with another system that is more just, fair, humane and more suited to the needs of the day.

Again, there is no room for cynicism in our approach. We believe that societies are never developed by cynics but by men and women of positive and rational attitudes.

And this reminds us of the teachings of the Apostle of our independence: "Friends, we in Zambia realise that we are only human beings and, therefore, capable of making mistakes and as such, I wish to declare here and now that both on international level as well as the home level, if my government should make a mistake either through words or deeds and thereby wrong another, I am quite prepared to apologise to that nation publicly. If, on the other hand, on the home front my government should wrong an individual in Zambia, again, I am quite prepared to apologise to that individual although he will be part and parcel of this nation" (Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Maramba rally, Livingstone, February 7, 1965); "Recognising the fact that to err is human, we acknowledge that our government is obviously going to make mistakes. But once we know we have made one, we shall not hesitate and, indeed, we shall not feel slighted in the least to apologise to any nation that we agree we have wronged" (Dr Kaunda at national rally, Lusaka, October 23, 1965).

One who acknowledges mistakes or wrongs and apologises for them is one who is out to do good and as such deserves support. But of course, this doesn't mean that they also don't deserve criticism. They do. But of a different sort - of the sorts that builds and not that destroys.

And as we have consistently and repeatedly stated, if criticism is valid, it must be made. If there are shortcomings, we should not be afraid to have them pointed out and criticised. Anyone no matter who, may point out the shortcomings. If they are right, they should be corrected. If what is being proposed will benefit the people, it should be acted upon.

It is hard for any political party, government or person to avoid mistakes, but they should make as few as possible. And once a mistake is made, it should be corrected, and the more quickly and thoroughly the better.

We are not going to be part of the cynicism that is going on against Michael and his Patriotic Front government. We have not yet reached a point where we think no matter what support the Zambian people give him, he will not deliver and everything he does should be frustrated so that he is quickly removed from power.

We leave that to elements like Hakainde Hichilema. If one day we wake up and find that Michael and the Patriotic Front have totally betrayed the Zambian people and their interests, we will without hesitation take the side of the people and denounce that government and work for its removal. For now, our criticism will be aimed at helping them to deliver on their promises to the Zambian people and not to help, in their stead, resurrect the shattered political fortunes of some disgruntled, angry, bitter, jealousy elements.

Labels: CLEMENT MULENGA, OPPOSITION, PF

posted by MrK @ 1:59 PM