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
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Bishop Mulenga urges positive attitude towards govt
By Mwala Kalaluka in Kabwe
Tue 04 Sep. 2012, 09:26 CAT
KABWE Diocese Bishop Clement Mulenga says the euphoria that followed the PF's electoral victory last year has not completely died down although there is a negative feeling among the people in his area over the way things are moving.
And Bishop Mulenga 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.
Meanwhile, Bishop Mulenga says Zambia's Christian nation declaration should be struck out from the draft constitution because not only is it discriminatory but that it is also empty.
During an interview in Kabwe on Wednesday, Bishop Mulenga said the new government's acid test was transforming the beautiful promises it made during the electoral campaigns into reality.
"But the situation is not very good, no. It's not inspiring. So for some of us... it's too early for the new government. It's true but I think there should be the move to give new hope to the people; to say we are going to do ABC and D," Bishop Mulenga said.
Bishop Mulenga said following the demise of industries such as Mulungushi Textiles, the collapse of the mines and other industries, many people in Kabwe Diocese do not have something to give them bread and butter.
"I don't think there is anything tangible that has been put in place to try and absorb most of those who were employed in these industries," Bishop Mulenga said. "How do you survive? You just have to become a business person whether you are selling tomatoes or whatever that can provide you with a livelihood; somehow you have to survive. So that is the creativity of the people in order to keep their heads above the water, to avoid sinking and drowning."
Bishop Mulenga said the government should take decisive actions to bring back hope to the people.
"If something can be done really to try and bring hope to our people but this must be a decisive action from the government. For instance, reviving that Mulungushi thing; it might not be in the direction of production of clothes or something like that. Maybe something else but let us use the facilities," he said.
Bishop Mulenga said it was difficult for locals to even know what was going on within the Mulungushi Textiles premises and he wondered how hope could be instilled in the people when they were unable to access the facility.
"I don't know what is going on there anyway. We see the buildings from outside. And sometimes we see some trucks packed there, whatever they carry, we don't know but it's not hope inspiring," Bishop Mulenga said.
Asked what the feeling of the people was over how things were moving under the new government, Bishop Mulenga said the feeling was quite negative.
"I would say the feeling is quite negative at the moment, although that euphoria that was there, as I said, is not yet diminished. It has not disappeared. It is still there but the signs are not very positive,"
Bishop Mulenga said. "We say one thing; beautiful words are uttered and many promises are made but then to execute this, that is the acid test. Because what we produce are merely the bones - we have to put flesh to them and that is going to be the challenge with our new government. We hope and pray that their promises will be realised because if they can come to fruition, Zambia will be a better country."
Bishop Mulenga said Zambians were people full of hope but they need to sustain that hope and make sure it becomes a reality.
"When we see with our eyes, then we can say we are going somewhere but hope is there. I pray that the good Lord will go on blessing our country and all of us and will help us to become more focused, especially when we are talking about development," Bishop Mulenga said. "Let us see these things in reality, where they can even trickle down to the poor man or woman in the street."
Bishop Mulenga said there was nothing much to talk about in Kabwe apart from potholes, dust, unemployment, and a poor drainage system, which was now being worked on.
"The road network is very poor because of negligence from the past. I think there wasn't much attention that was paid to Kabwe. No, it wasn't there. Now there is a bit of hope. I know that some money has been allocated to tar, I think, 34 kilometres in Central Kabwe and also Kapiri Mposhi," Bishop Mulenga said. "It's a good thing, I would say, but if the same efforts can be sustained on an annual basis, not just doing it once and from there you go to sleep. There are still many roads that need to be done. So, 34 kilometres is not enough. It's just the beginning, I would say."
And Bishop Mulenga said relations between some opposition parties and the government were a bit tense but that the country could do better than it was doing.
"Things are not coming together very well. So I think we can do better to become friendly to one another," Bishop Mulenga said. "Whenever there is a loss, people are not happy. It is true they may not be happy but I think it's also good to go back to them and say let us work together as a country because whether we like it or not, we belong together as a nation, anyway. Today this one is in power, tomorrow another leader will come and it has to continue that way."
He said this could be coupled with a lot of forgiveness.
"Maybe there are frustrations since we are not clicking together but we need to forgive one another. Reconciliation with one another is
extremely important. It's a good thing to implement forgiveness and reconciliation. We become more and more human, more Christian
actually, when we realise that tensions among us shouldn't last," Bishop Mulenga said. "The truth is that the more one forgives, the
freer they become. We have to look for solutions together as a nation. We have to work as a team. It is true that, like anybody else,
sometimes, the people in government make mistakes but we should be honest enough to admit that there are also some good things which they are doing, e.g., creation of more universities and districts."
Bishop Mulenga urged opposition politicians to come out of themselves and work for the betterment of the country.
"So whatever is good, we praise and it's good and we also encourage them government to make sure they go on working like that but if there is a mistake then let's tell them that you would have done better in this or that area. In that way, we encourage them to correct the situation. Not whether your friend does something good or bad you are constantly on the negative. Everything to you appears to be wrong," he said. "Let us work as a united country. We call ourselves Christians. So what does that mean?"
Meanwhile, Bishop Mulenga wondered what type of Christian nation Zambia would be when issues of corruption, cheating and killing of women persisted.
"I mean it sounds nice to say we are a Christian nation, although the reality is different in many cases but I always wonder, now suppose I was a Buddhist, a Muslim, or a Hindu living in Zambia and I am a Zambian by the way, would I really consider Zambia as my country?" Bishop Mulenga asked. "I think, it is segregation to a large extent. As a democracy, there is no need to maintain the article that declares Zambia a Christian nation. There is no need. Zambia belongs to all of us. It belongs to everybody; and so on my part, I speak not for any other person but just for my own sake, it's not a progressive article because what it encourages is discrimination based on one's religion."
Bishop Mulenga said the Christian nation declaration was not a good move.
"People will come up with so many reasons to maintain it in our future constitution, but it's empty and does not serve much of a purpose. Action speaks louder than words, so if we are true Christians, then let it come out in our actions, and not just in our pronouncements.
The best thing we can do is to remove it, delete it completely. Okay, leave Zambia as a democracy, finished; that is already enough for all of us. In this way, all of can interact with one another on the same level, since we are all Zambians," said Bishop Mulenga. "That is okay on my part, that's what I think. Honestly speaking, there is nothing Christian about corruption, killing of women, gender-based violence, cheating, defilement of children, etc. We don't have anything tangible to show for that declaration; it's simply an empty shell!"
Labels: CLEMENT MULENGA, OPPOSITION
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Catholic Church eager to fight corruption - Bishop Mulenga
By Mwala Kalaluka
Mon 20 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
KABWE Catholic Diocese Bishop Clement Mulenga says he will not distance himself from issues of human development and hopes to meet President Michael Sata to discuss the social and economic challenges facing Central Province.
And Bishop Mulenga says the latest Pastoral Letter by the Zambia Episcopal Conference is an indication that the Catholic Church leadership is eager to fight corruption using its social justice platform.
Bishop Mulenga also said tackling corruption head-on is part of the fight for a just society.
In an interview from Kabwe on Friday, Bishop Mulenga said he had been going round the newly-established Kabwe Diocese to acquaint himself with the socio-economic issues in the area.
"What I have been doing is to go round the Diocese and see what we have, what we don't have," Bishop Mulenga said. "To do anything, you need to know what you already have and what the people are lacking. So that is what I have been doing and then from there what we need is now to establish some sort of an office block, which we are lacking at the moment."
Bishop Mulenga said there were also other sticking points that require attention in the area, among which was the urgent need to have a boys school in the Diocese.
"There are still many other issues that will come out for sure, also talking about maybe, this Mulungushi Textiles and things of that sort, for which I will try and meet the President to talk to him and see what is there," he said.
"That is one of the hot issues at the moment but there are many other issues. For instance when you talk of the road network, it's really pathetic, the drainage system of Kabwe is a disaster. It's a big disaster in any case. And of course you talk about the issue of jobs, that is what the people lack."
Bishop Mulenga said although the above issues do not fall directly under the Church, they were in line with human development.
"Although I still need time to meet some of them, discuss some developmental issues, to see what they have in mind, to see where they think our province is going and things of that sort," he said.
And Bishop Mulenga said the reason ZEC published its January Pastoral Letter was because the Church body believes that fighting corruption was part of fighting for a just society.
Labels: CATHOLIC CHURCH, CENTRAL PROVINCE, CLEMENT MULENGA, CORRUPTION, MICHAEL SATA
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Govt intends to abolish visa fees – Mulongoti
Written by Edwin Mbulo in Kazungula
Monday, June 15, 2009 3:07:27 PM
WORKS and supply minister Mike Mulongoti has disclosed that the government intends to abolish visa fees. And Kazungula Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officer-in-charge Clement Mulenga says the authority has begun sensitising tourists and people not to go through third parties to avoid being cheated by thieves at the border.
Speaking when he toured Kazungula border area on Saturday, Mulongoti said that the immigration officers needed to be alert.
"At political level there are plans to abolish visas, if that is done the immigration is going to be irrelevant, you need to help raise the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation," he said.
He further instructed the Engineering Services Cooperation (ESCO) officers to clean the border area and put up security lights and a welcome signage.
"If you have a clean environment even people conduct themselves well. By November, plans for the Kazungula Bridge would be completed and when the bridge is completed you shall even have more traffic to deal with. As for the police, you need to expand the police post. Let's plan for the bridge as there would be more influx of people after the bridge is completed," he said.
Mulongoti who was accompanied by acting Kazungula council secretary Namukolo Kalufyana and district commissioner Fred Siasuntwe was also shown two uncompleted government houses, which have been occupied by unknown people after the death of the contractor.
And welcoming Mulongoti earlier, Mulenga said that ZRA was understaffed and appealed for more staff.
"We are sensitising people not to go through third parties to reduce thefts. The biggest challenge we are facing as ZRA is the fencing as people who go though the area pretend that they are ZRA or immigration officers when they are not due to lack of a security fence," he said.
Mulenga added that once a perimeter fence was put in place, there would be controlled movement at the border.
"We will remove all the people loitering and pretending to be ZRA and immigration officials when they are not but with the absence of a fence it is difficult. However the other issue is that of the capacity of the pontoon. All the trucks you see here are cleared but due to limitations on the capacity of the pontoon which can only ferry one truck at a time, trade in the region has increased and we attend to well over 40 trucks on a daily basis but the pontoon capacity makes the area look congested as we receive about 120 trucks on a daily basis," said Mulenga.
And Mulongoti on Saturday heard that only 30 per cent of the first phase of the Zimba-Livingstone 30-kilometre road had been done.
Mulongoti who toured the Zimba-Livingstone road said that so far the indications were that China Geo Construction (CGC) was doing a good job on the road.
"Our commitment to the people of Zambia is that we mean what we say and we don't expect the road works to go beyond November. As a government we don't look at UPND as our mandate is for the whole nation. We will not be destructed in the province. The people of the Southern Province should consider what we have done, if they think otherwise it is up to them even. If they don't vote for us we shall meet their requirements, we are not fearing any political pact," he said.
And speaking earlier at Livingstone General Hospital where he had gone to visit acting Siavonga district commissioner Aaron Siamuzulu who collapsed on Friday, Mulongoti said that all was normal at the hospital despite the nurses strike.
The acting district commissioner died yesterday morning at around 05:00 hours.
"All essential services are continuing. All is normal as I have been briefed by the acting director (Dr Robert Fubisha) as there has been no BID (Brought In Dead) case and that the hospital yesterday (Friday) received a surgeon from Lusaka. I would however appeal to the health staff to come back for work like yesterday. They are employed to look after people's lives. We want them. It is not a win-win situation. It's a win for all. We want the public to be attended to," he said.
And Roads Development Agency (RDA) chairman Walusiku Lisulo has instructed the Zimba-Livingstone road engineer to speed up the road works before the onset of the rains so as not to inconvenience the travelling public any further.
Labels: CLEMENT MULENGA, INFRASTRUCTURE, MIKE MULONGOTI, MINISTRY OF WORKS AND SUPPLY, ZRA
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