Work is not just work, it is life
By Editor
Sat 30 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
The call by Southern Province permanent secretary Bert Mushala on civil servants to change their work culture should be extended to all of us, to all citizens of this country.
Our current national work culture will not enable us to get the great majority of our people out of poverty and move our country into prosperity. With this work culture, we will not be able to be a middle-income country by 2030. For us to achieve that, a lot has to change in terms of our work culture.
We want a good life, more money in our pockets; we want all the nice things but we don't want to have the sweat that accompanies those nice things.
Nothing good comes out of a life of ease, a life without toil and effort, without labour and sweat.
Our desire to have a good life, a better life, a comfortable life should be accompanied by a desire to toil. In this life, we get nothing save by effort. Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been stored up effort in the past. One can be free from the necessity of work only by the fact that he or his fathers before him have worked to good purpose. If the freedom thus purchased is used aright, and one still does actual work though of a different kind, he shows he deserves his good fortune. But if he treats this period of freedom from the need of actual labour as a period not of preparation but of mere enjoyment, he shows that he is simply a cumberer on the earth's surface; and he surely unfits himself to hold his own with his fellows if the need to do so should again arise. A mere life of ease is not in the end a satisfactory life, and above all, it is a life which ultimately unfits those who follow it for serious work in the world.
As it is with the individual, so it is with the nation. An economy is created by millions of people playing various roles at various times. Most people operating within an economy can be compared to the bricks in a building. Each plays a role, but an insignificant one, and each can be replaced without changing the look of the building. In the same way, most of our individual economic activities can be changed without affecting the overall economy; but if enough of us change our economic behaviour, the economy as a whole will change.
There are some whose economic decisions have a much greater impact - bankers financiers, politicians, chief executives, economists and so on and so forth. They are like the lintels, the reinforcing of the beams of the building. Even a small change in their behaviour can have a major effect on the whole edifice. Thus, some people have a much greater influence on the economy, and the consequences of their economic choices are more profoundly felt.
There are others who are pushed to the margins of the economy, who have little or no role to play. They may have been useful at some point, but they have been denied a permanent place in the economy. These people are like the rubble, the broken bricks and the excess sand and stone which, once the building is functional, are taken away and dumped.
Then there is the type of economy, be it capitalist, socialist or perhaps some combination of these. Each brick and each structural piece of a building comes together according to a plan or a blueprint. It is this plan which determines what kind of building it is, how well it fulfils its purpose, and how it impacts on those who use it. Similarly, we conduct our economic lives in the context of an overall plan or set of policies. Just as the plan of a building provides the basic structure into which the bricks or other components must fit, so the policies according to which our economy is operated provide the economic structure in terms of which we live our economic lives.
Of course, it is much easier to think of a building as a building rather than trying to imagine all the different bricks and other parts individually. However, the fact that the economy is so complex can lead to certain problems in the area of our moral responsibility for our economic choices.
We can easily start to believe that we are insignificant as individuals; that the economy is so complicated and so huge that our individual actions and decisions are of no consequence. As a result, we lose a sense of responsibility for those actions and decisions, thinking that whatever we choose to do is only a 'drop in the ocean' and therefore not really important. Thinking in this way can soon result in our choosing the convenient or selfish option, regardless of its 'ripple-effect' on others and the economy as a whole.
We can come to believe that things are simply 'the way they are', and that the negative aspects of the economy, such as poverty and unemployment, are inevitable. We accept that these 'economic realities' are somehow pre-ordained, rather than the result of human agency. This lessens the responsibility we should all feel, especially when our economic choices may be adding to those negative consequences.
The idea of bringing about a change in the economic system, or an adjustment in the way it is run, or simply of dealing with its negative consequences, begins to seem impossible. We resign ourselves to the fact that such a large and complicated structure cannot be modified or altered to become more just. And if change is impossible, then we can absolve ourselves of any responsibility for things remaining as they are.
Finally, we transfer our responsibility to certain abstract concepts, and we pretend that it is these concepts, rather than ourselves, that are accountable for the way the economy works. For example, we hear that 'the market is worried' about interest rates when it is actually people who have money to invest, or who need to borrow money, who are worried. We talk of 'market forces' being responsible for the success or failure of a business, when in fact it is we who decide whether or not to buy what that business had to offer. Behind these various concepts lie human actions and decisions, real economic choices made by all of us. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using these concepts as a sort of 'shorthand', a way of talking about economics. The problem arises when we use, intentionally or not, to diminish or exclude our responsibility. We impute human qualities, as it were, to these concepts and make them answerable for the consequences of our actions and decisions.
In the face of so large and complicated structure as the economy, it is all too easy for us to neglect our moral responsibilities. Each of us, even the most influential, is but a small part of the whole. Economic trends are largely unpredictable and bringing about significant and worthwhile change is extremely difficult. Any number of well-intentioned interventions can be seen, with hindsight, to have done more harm than good. Given all these, and the simple fact that by far the majority of us are not confident of our grasp of economic issues and discourse, it is perhaps understandable if we prefer simply to get on with our lives, avoiding the difficult choices and the complex arguments. For all people of goodwill, this is not an acceptable option. We cannot abandon our moral responsibilities, even when it is difficult to fulfil them.
But in order to derive benefit from an economy, people must be able to participate in it; and for most people, the primary means of economic participation is through work. Indeed throughout human history, it has been a basic norm that all are expected to work, and thereby to contribute to the economy. Those who refuse to do so, for no good reason, have generally been excluded from the benefits of the economy.
However, if society expects all its members to work and to contribute, then it should make it possible for them to do so. In this regard, a profound responsibility rests on both the political authorities and those who hold powerful positions in the economy. Everything possible needs to be done to maximise job opportunities, and where the choice is between greater profits and greater employment, the latter must be chosen. This is so because most people rely on work in order to earn a living. There are very few people who do not have to work for a living.
One of the main tasks of an economy, therefore, is to ensure that there are enough jobs, or opportunities to work, to meet people's needs to earn a living. Where there is high unemployment, we have an indication of an unjust economy.
When it comes to the importance of work, we must not consider work just as work; it is life itself.
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, WORK ETHIC
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Mushala calls for unity among civil servants
By Ben Mbangu in Choma
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SOUTHERN Province permanent secretary Bert Mushala has called for unity among civil servants in the area for development to take place.
Addressing provincial heads of department yesterday at Leons Lodge in Choma, Mushala said it was important to love one another and give advice where it was due rather than working against each other.
Mushala further urged civil servants in the province to operate like a herd of buffalo so as to achieve development for the people of Southern Province.
He also warned that those who would embrace vices that had the potential to retard development, such as corruption, would have themselves to blame, warning that he would not take kindly to such.
"If we remain united, no one will divide us as people in the province," he said.
And speaking at the same meeting, outgoing Southern Province permanent secretary Bernard Namachila urged civil servants to be loyal to the government of the day.
Namachila, who likened his disappointed to Big Brother Africa, said he received the development with calm and thanked President Sata for according him an opportunity to serve in his government.
"These appointments and disappointments remind of BBA because the moment you are told that you have been evicted, all you can do is to go and nothing else... even if you still wanted to go on, so that's how these positions like the one I was holding are," said Namachila.
Namachila also boasted of being the longest-serving permanent secretary in Southern Province since the ruling PF took office in 2011.
He advised the civil servants not to compromise themselves in the manner they discharge their duties but instead should strive to remain focused towards work.
"The only problem I encountered in this province is elements of corruption and I think that's the only thing some people might have hated me for because I'm a straightforward person," said Namachila.
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, CIVIL SERVANTS
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Mushala awaits official complaints from Kansanshi laid off miners
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 30 Mar. 2012, 12:57 CAT
BERT Mushala says he has only received one complaint of a miner who has been laid off for taking part in the strike action early this month at Kansanshi Mining Plc in Solwezi.
Commenting on complaints of witch-hunt by some miners following the strike action that paralysed operations and resulted in a $25 million loss, Mushala said he was still waiting for other miners that were laid off to approach him.
"I have heard of that complaint laying off and I have only seen one letter which indicated that the gentleman had been laid off for participating in the strike action. However, I did request to get the full detailed information of how many have been laid off because of the outcome of the strike action. So we are waiting for those that are affected to approach our office. As soon as we know those that are affected, we will engage Kansanshi Mining Plc and so far they also understand and I trust and believe that they will understand so that we can reach an amicable solution," Mushala, who is permanent secretary of the province, said.
Mushala further advised the affected miners to also make their complaints known to the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Labour through the labour officer.
"When they raise these complaints with our labour officer, the labour officer will immediately come and inform us. We are all government. We will see how we can resolve the issue amicably, looking at the pros and cons of the scenario and what caused it, before we even interact with both the union and the management of the mine," he said.
Kansanshi miners recently revealed that their management had allegedly prepared close to 100 letters on charges related to the strike action for employees in the processing, engineering, information technology as well as production sections.
According to the letters sent to affected miners by human resource manager Linda Mambwe, Kansanshi laid off some employees pending disciplinary hearing on charges related to the strike action blamed on delayed negotiations for the 2012 Collective Agreement which has since been referred to the Industrial Relations Court.
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, KANSANSHI MINING PLC, LABOUR, MINING
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COMMENT - The $18.1 million are crumbs. It is almost not worth talking about where it could be invested. The government should received 50% of profits from the mines AT LEAST - that would be $1.2 billion a year, every year. Which in itself would be more than they received from all PAYE put together. However, they have a corrupt agreement with the mines in which the mines don't have to pay taxes (at a price, of course), and through ZCCM-IH they have a corrupt agreement that they barely have to pay dividends, which are usually 50% of profits. These are crumbs.
Mushala backs Kavindele’s call to re-invest $18m in N/Western
By David Chongo in Solwezi
Sun 16 May 2010, 04:40 CAT
BERT Mushala yesterday said it is unacceptable for the government to take US $18 million from North Western Province and invest in Copperbelt and Central provinces.
And former North Western Province MMD chairman James Katoka has said concerned stakeholders in the province including chiefs will press for more support from the central government failure to which the ruling party will receive no votes in next year’s elections.
Mushala, who is former member of parliament for Mufumbwe, backed former Republican vice-president Enoch Kavindele’s call to re-invest the US $18 million Kansanshi mine paid as dividends to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) in North Western Province instead of other areas.
ZCCM-IH plans to invest the money in the agriculture sector in Central and Copperbelt provinces. Mushala said it was saddening that resources from North Western Province had continued to be taken elsewhere despite the complaints of underdevelopment in the area.
He said people in the province could ably develop the region if there was dedicated attention from the government.
Mushala said there was no justification in redirecting North Western Province’s wealth into other provinces without first developing it.
“We are backing Kavindele. Our complaint on the diversion of the US $18.1 million to Central and Copperbelt is that, why has it been taken there when the money is coming from this province? What about North Western Province?
That diversification planned agricultural projects by ZCCM-IH in the two provinces should start from North Western Province. That income is coming from here. That’s unacceptable,” Mushala said. “FQM mines in the Copperbelt.
We know that but they also mine here. So when there is money realised from the wealth of the mines, why does it have to go somewhere else? Take diversification to Central and Copperbelt! Why? That money is ours. It’s generated from here. It can be put in various agricultural infrastructure here.
We have 75 per cent arable land in North Western Province. We have rivers that provide us with enough water. There is abundant rainfall, we think agriculture can do a lot in terms of developing of the country.
“We can also develop our animal husbandry and potential of fish farming. Why should they spend money in Copperbelt and not here? We want our share.”
He said it was a shame that the province, which now provided the country with massive foreign exchange, was ranked seventh poorest.
“We are number seven in terms of poverty, we only beat Western Province. We are called new Copperbelt but we can’t see the ‘newness’. We have copper, uranium, oil and gas and other valuable minerals. We don’t understand why in the country we should lag behind at number seven when we have all these things. We would like to see infrastructure development which will promote the country,” he said.
Mushala complained that despite being the source of both Kafue and Zambezi rivers and other water bodies, the province, except for Solwezi, still depended on power generated by diesel.
“Most of the towns run on diesel generators, machines, which is not normal way of generating power. Why can’t we be connected to the national grid? Kafue and Zambezi rivers start from here so in terms of hydropower station we want to see power stations put up.
We are closer to the Congo we want to throw some power into the connector and supply other countries like Tanzania. Kafue and Zambezi are daughters of the Congo River,” he said.
Mushala observed that despite the government’s perennial excuse of lack of money, the leadership had continued throwing about resources realised from mineral wealth resulting in the province lacking essential services like schools and health facilities.
“They claim that they don’t have money but they are busy throwing money around. People walk long distances to go to schools. Health facilities are in short supply. The road Chingola-Solwezi is bad; there are so many trucks that use that road. It’s badly damaged.
We need a railway line for the province,” he said. “We expect to see benefits in mines. We don’t benefit anything from these mines and yet they are in our area. Very soon we shall be seeing only pits that this is what we had.
“What they are forgetting is that we are the ones who have built MMD here. There was no MMD in North Western Province. We engineered it.”
And Katoka said North Westerners were bitter about being shunned and could give the MMD hell in 2011 if the province continues being taken for a ride.
“If they don’t deliver, they won’t get the vote. We don’t want to be used for elections. We are going to mobilise the chiefs so that we speak up and develop this province. We are going to give them hell! We are not going to let them cheat us. We want our cake from the revenue.
Contrary to what they are saying that they regard North Western Province as part of Zambia, no. They are still regarding it as a Cinderella province,” Katoka said. “If we are still part of Zambia why was money diverted from the airport and taken to Mfuwe?
Then there was some other money that was meant for the M8 Mutanda – Chavuma, it was also taken away to Eastern Province. Is Eastern province the only province in Zambia? What we are saying is that money has to be returned to North Western Province if they are to get a vote from here. We are not saying other provinces should not benefit from the wealth that we have here. What we are saying is that provinces should have equal opportunities.”
Katoka said if adequate attention was not paid to the province, the people could make it difficult for the mines to operate.
“We are the kingmakers. We have made them rich but we ourselves are poor. We are the people who will remain with ditches here. What we are saying is, in all areas of income we are going to make it difficult for them leaders to enjoy. We are going to make it difficult for them to enjoy money from Kansanshi. We will reorganise ourselves and make it difficult for them to mine. We are not a Cinderella province anymore. We are a province that can do things for itself now,” Katoka said. “If they want, ‘kuti basendako’ half ‘bashako’ half if they want they can take half and leave half. If money is going to Eastern, Central and other provinces, why is that same money not coming to North Western? North Western needs its share. This system of diverting resources we are bitter about it.”
Katoka praised the late president Levy Mwanawasa for promising and delivering to the people of the North Western Province but questioned President Rupiah Banda’s agenda regarding Mwanawasa’s legacy.
“Mwanawasa promised and delivered but whoever has replaced him on the promise of continuity has not delivered. Where is the continuity? We have been cheated for a long time. But we will fight tooth and nail. Mwanawasa promised and delivered, but they are diverting whatever Mwanawasa promised to their provinces. For them to get what they want from North Western Province they must deliver.
People are tired of endless and empty promises,” he said. “During Mwanawasa’s time whatever dividends came from the mines in North Western benefited us, but now why are we not getting it? We are also mathematicians, we can calculate it.
“We are going to team up with the chiefs. Our chiefs and our subjects we are going to team up to make sure they deliver. When it comes to our chiefs, if they are given money let them get it. We are going to tell them to chew the money. No one will give MMD a vote. If North Western, Western, Central and Ndola rural do not give MMD a vote, they are gone.
They are not winning MMD MPs in North Western Province. Not one of them will win. It will be tough. We will grab all the seats from them. MMD in North Western Province is gone. These pointing at Mushala and Malwa are the architects of MMD and they are saying MMD is finished! 2011 is just a matter of minutes away. We are ready. We have been cheated! Enough is enough.”
Katoka said all provinces in the country needed to be represented in the government.
“Recently, we had this by-election in Mufumbwe. We had Muzungu being returned from his job as Zambia’s ambassador in Libya knowing that a relative was going to replace him. They knew even before asking him to contest the by-election that they had their relative waiting to replace him,” said Katoka.
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, CORRUPTION, DIVIDENDS, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD
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Madyenkuku, Mushala quit MMD and join PF
By George Chellah
Wed 23 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
MMD founder member and former Sinazongwe member of parliament Syacheye Madyenkuku together with former North Western Province MMD chairman Bert Mushala have joined the opposition Patriotic Front (PF). The duo's applications for membership were among those that were approved by the PF central committee meeting last Saturday.
Madyenkuku, who served in the MMD national executive committee as an elected member from 1995 to 2001 before the late Levy Mwanawasa brought him back in 2007 to 2008, said Zambia was desperate for an alternative. He said this was due to the shortcomings and inability to listen to the wishes of the people by the MMD government and also given its extent of elasticity.
“In other words, its inflexibility…there is no other cause available to any serious-thinking Zambian other than that of working together with a group of other Zambians, which has already started a programme offering this alternative to the Zambian people,” he said.
Madyenkuku, who is also former sports minister, said he had a lot of other considerations.
“But ultimately, I thought that I am faced with a situation of either just being unavailable to the people of Zambia or my making myself available to them,” he said. “And with the climate in the MMD now where alternative views have no room, I found it extremely humbling to be given an opportunity to work with the Patriotic Front and therefore I am using the Patriotic Front as a vehicle to serve the people of Zambia.”
Madyenkunku urged Zambians to unite.
“Unite to ensure that in 2011, the people of Zambia will not accuse us, who are said to be their leaders, of not having offered a viable alternative. And by conglomerating like this, I think that the people of Zambia will have themselves to blame if they don't seize the opportunity to do so,” Madyenkuku said. “Really that is my immediate reaction and it will be a pleasure for me to work with a party that is grounded already, that is relevant to the people of Zambia, a party that so far the Zambian people are endorsing by every opportunity. So really it is for me an opportunity to serve the Zambian people.”
Madyenkunku said in a multiparty system, one could not operate as an island.
And Mushala, who is also former North Western Province minister and Mufumbwe member of parliament, confirmed that he was now a PF member.
“What encouraged me to make the decision is that I think you have followed my political career. When I left the MMD, I decided to get to the pact and work with PF,” Mushala said.
He dismissed home affairs minister Lameck Mangani's claim that he was part of Luena Independent member of parliament Charles Milupi's new party - Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD).
“It is unfortunate that our Minister of Home Affairs entrusted with the security of the country can indulge himself in peddling lies that, I, Bert Mushala is linked to the formation of a new party when he could have found out from his colleagues in MMD, government or indeed contacted me to confirm my party affiliation, which is not a secret anyway,” Mushala said.
He said he was with the PF/UPND pact and exclusively as a PF member.
“He Mangani should do better to learn and understand which person he is talking about. I am a politician of his own and respected. I need an apology from him,” Mushala said. “As for the Times of Zambia, it is clear why Zambians don't read the newspaper because it sometimes publishes lies, baseless and unconfirmed stories. They know where to find me. Why didn't they contact me…? I am a PF member.”
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, MMD, PF-UPND, SYACHEYE MADYENKUKU
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