UNZA has poor organisation culture - Chinsembu
By Bivan Saluseki
Sat 21 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
UNVERSITY of Namibia Professor Kazhila Chinsembu says the University of Zambia has poor organisational culture and psychology. This week, UNZA Chancellor Dr Jacob Mwanza was pleased with the efforts that the university was making to enhance quality education in order to improve the academic ranking of the institution in the world.
According to the Webmetrics ranking of the world universities, UNZA is ranked number 66 in Africa and 3,970 in the world.
But Prof Chinsembu said: "The major problem at UNZA is UNZA itself. The university has poor organisational culture and psychology. These attributes have been entrenched by poor corporate leadership and management styles."
Within this prism, Prof Chinsembu said UNZA would continue to lag behind in terms of global and African rankings.
"To change the current scenario, UNZA needs more of transformative leadership and management, rather than a mere strategic plan on paper," he said.
Prof Chinsembu said as a matter of priority, UNZA must recruit top class academics that could attract research funding - academics that are widely known in the global arena of scholarship and are visible on Google Scholar, and professors that could produce PhD graduates.
To do this, Prof Chinsembu said the recruitment process must change.
"… because there are feelings and signs that the current recruitment process is now open to abuse, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, and favouritism," said Prof Chinsembu who is also an honorary professor of health sciences at the University of Lusaka.
Labels: JACOB MWANZA, KAZHILA CHINSEMBU, UNZA
Read more...
KK counsels universities
By Allan Mulenga
Sat 17 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT
DR KENNETH Kaunda has advised local universities to be responsive to the changing environment. And Dr Kaunda has urged management at the University of Zambia to improve its capacity to deal with current and future challenges.
Delivering a public lecture to UNZA students at the graduation square during the first-ever open day in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Kaunda said there was need for universities locally to combine theory with vocational and holistic application.
"Just as we tried in the times of the 1960s, Zambia's universities should now be responsive to the environment of the 21st Century. To be effective, our universities must combine training and learning in theory with vocational and holistic application. We must strengthen teaching,research, and mentoring," he said.
Dr Kaunda, who is also the first chancellor of UNZA, said the university and other educational institutions needed to be forward looking by embarking on programmes that would respond to various local and global issues.
"In this, our one world, we must both learn and give. All of us need to work together to find ways forward for UNZA and other universities," he said.
And Dr Kaunda urged management at UNZA to improve its capacity to deal with current and future challenges.
"In August 1969, at the opening of the University of Zambia library, I said: 'Let this legend of self sacrifice on the part of poor people never be forgotten by generations to come. Let it remain as inspiration to all so that every good that shall come out of this building shall be to the greater glory of the people'," he recounted.
"Now, as we start the 21st Century, the message still stands. Zambia's people are UNZA's major investors. They are stakeholders. Education is a transforming experience not only for the student but reaches out to the whole society. UNZA must continue to be a major world centre of learning."
Dr Kaunda said UNZA's challenges and current learning gaps needed to be urgently addressed.
"There is high migration of staff to neighbouring economies and abroad for better packages. There is great pressure on remaining staff to provide services. In view of the large number of eligible talented potential students, UNZA and other universities are only absorbing a limited number.Families of talented students have struggled to find funds to take into private universities and places in other countries," he said.
Dr Kaunda said poor funding at the institution had made it difficult to effectively carry out programmes.
"Economic and social change have greatly affected all areas of human endeavour. Many university programmes have slowed down or delayed because of limits in various resources," he said. Dr Kaunda bemoaned rampant work stoppages and violent students' protest at the institution.
"Aggressive protests have risen due to inadequate mechanisms for dealing with mainly resource limitations facing students and staff. Sadly, some protesting students have gone to nearby roads to destroy property and the peace of members of the public, who in fact provide tax funds to the university. We also find that there are still many staff work stoppages done to get concession and improved work conditions," he said.
Dr Kaunda called for greater partnerships between the university and the private sector.
"The flame that we carried some 50 years ago is one we now hold together with you. You must nourish the torch of knowledge. Now is your time. It is your time to prepare the university for the needs of the present. You must act now in order to prepare the future. Prepare for another 50 years.The future of the University lies with you. Right now. You, my friends, are the future," said Dr Kaunda.
And education permanent secretary Dr Patrick Nkanza said over the past four decades, UNZA had expanded significantly in scope.
Dr Nkanza said the open day was aimed at showcasing the new developments for the public to appreciate the critical role the institution had played to national development.
And UNZA council chairperson Shelly Thole revealed that the institution had embarked on acquiring land from chiefdoms as way of expanding its existing programmes. Thole commended the corporate world for making the open day a reality through various sponsorships.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, PATRICK NKANZA, UNZA
Read more...
Unza students stage boycott
Unza students stage boycott
By Allan Mulenga and Tilyenji Mwanza
Fri 21 Sep. 2012, 10:30 CAT
UNZA students yesterday staged a class boycott demanding the institution's immediate closure following the continued revision of the academic calendar by management.
But University of Zambia (Unza) registrar Dr Kavwanga Yambayamba has urged students to abide by the decision made by management over the closure of the institution.
Management had decided to bring forward the closing date for the institution from the earlier announced October 31 to September 28, a move which had spurred anxiety among the student populace.
In the morning, the slogan-chanting students closed the main library and gathered at the graduation foyer demanding that management addresses them over the matter.
Several students were seen loitering at the institution, while others were busy with school work.
Sources disclosed that on Wednesday afternoon, the senate, which is the supreme academic council of the institution, held an urgent meeting where they agreed to close the institution next Friday.
Sources further said management was under intense pressure by the government to allow contractors to commence rehabilitation works in readiness for Zone Six Youth Games scheduled for December.
But Dr Yambayamba urged students to stick to September 28 as the official closing date for the institution.
"Let me correct one thing; there is nothing like closure. Yes there was a special meeting by senate of which they decided to revise the sessional dates. We are not closing. There is no closure. When you say closure, it is like something drastic has happened and then there is a closure," he said.
"The dates have been revised; this first semester is in two parts. We were supposed to close on the 31st of October, but they are now going to close on September 28."
Dr Yambayamba said the rehabilitation exercise would benefit students at the institution, adding that no student could overrule the decision made by management over the revision of the senate dates.
"We want to allow for the rehabilitation for the institution. As you may be aware that the Unza Great East Road Campus has been chosen as the village for Zone Six Youth Games. That is the reason why the sessional dates have been revised, it is not a closure," explained Dr Yambayamba.
"Students are coming back in January because when the games are over in December, we expect residential school to begin. We always have residential school when students are away by the end of the year. Regular students will be coming back on the 20th January 2013 when residential school ends. We expect everyone to be in campus until the stated period of time. No student can overrule the decision by the senate."
Labels: UNZA
Read more...
UNZA lecturers end srike
By Allan Mulenga
Wed 02 May 2012, 09:10 CAT
UNZA lecturers and researchers have with immediate effect suspended their go-slow to allow management and the government to engage into a collective bargaining process. In an interview yesterday, University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) president Dr Euston Chiputa said union members had a meeting where they agreed to go back to work.
"We have actually suspended the go-slow to give the government and management enough time to negotiate meaningful salary increase which we will be agreed upon on Wednesday. Then Thursday, management should be able to consolidate and present it to the government," Dr Chiputa said.
He said the union was expectant that the government would approve the proposed salary adjustments that would be presented to them.
"We are expectant that by 14th May 2012, the government should be able to get back and say this is what has been approved from what will be proposed because it's the government which said ‘put down your proposals, consolidate them and submit them to the government'.
We are expectant that since it is the government which proposed the road map and what should be factored in, they will be able to provide the funding. We don't see why the government should not come round and meet the proposed increases because they will be in line with what the government has guided us," said Dr Chiputa.
Last Monday, UNZA lecturers and researchers resolved to go on a go-slow pressing the government to remove the four per cent salary negotiation ceiling for grant-aided institutions.
Labels: EUSTON CHIPUTA, STRIKE, UNZA
Read more...
Kunda's praising of Post surprises Unza lecturer
By Allan Mulenga
Sat 26 Nov. 2011, 11:59 CAT
GEORGE Kunda's showering of praises on The Post is a surprising turnaround, says Dr Isaac Phiri. Commenting on former vice-president Kunda's statement in Parliament that The Post had taken a good stance of criticising the Patriotic Front government over wrong decisions it has been making, Dr Phiri, who is University of Zambia (UNZA) senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication said Kunda was unfairly opposed to the reporting that was done by The Post.
"I think what Mr George Kunda is saying according to today's (yesterday's) reports is a surprising turnaround because when those people were in power they were very aggressive, sometimes almost unfairly opposed to the reporting that was done by The Post," he said.
Dr Phiri urged politicians to be balanced when dealing with the media to avoid embarrassing themselves.
"I think public leaders must learn to be balanced at all times in dealing with the media so that they don't have to find themselves in a situation where you have to turn around, you have to jump fences literally once your position has been taken over by others," he said.
Dr Phiri said it was difficult for media professionals to believe what Kunda was saying about The Post, saying the former vice-president overtly opposed to what the newspaper stood for.
"It is difficult for me as a media consumer and a media scholar to believe what is being said now about The Post when they were so overtly opposed to what the newspaper was doing," he said.
Dr Phiri urged Kunda to apologise to the newspaper for misunderstanding its operation.
"He Kunda has to be apologetic. People are apologising now, maybe this is the time to say ‘we misunderstood what The Post stood for, we misunderstood the message of The Post, now that we are in the opposition, we appreciate because we actually have the space ourselves to be covered well'," he said.
Dr Phiri said politicians needed to be consistent in their dealings with the media regardless of their positions in society.
"The lesson to be learnt is that politicians must learn to be consistent in their messages all the times, so that they don't have to do an about-turn when they go out of power or in power. They should continue with the same message. It is good in democracy to be consistent about a certain message continuously," said Dr Phiri.
Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, ISAAC PHIRI, THE POST, UNZA
Read more...
UNZA students give Kabimba, Luo a ‘Don't kubeba' welcome
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 04 Sep. 2011, 14:30 CAT
UNZA students on Thursday evening gave PF Munali parliamentary candidate Professor Nkandu Luo and secretary general Wynter Kabimba a ‘don't kubeba' welcome when the duo went to address them. And Kabimba said PF leader Michael Sata is not a materialist but lives a simple life.
When the duo entered the lecture theatre at the invitation of the University of Zambia Political Science Association and the University of Zambia Students Union, the students stood and gave rounds of applause to the two leaders.
As soon as they stopped clapping, they made a ‘shh' sound indicating the popular PF slogan of "Don't kubeba" don't tell them for about five minutes while on the other hand flashing the PF symbol of a clenched fist with others shouting, ema party aya these are the parties.
And during the singing of the national anthem, a majority of the students lifted their clenched fists in solidarity with the PF leadership.
Others who accompanied Kabimba and Prof Luo were central committee member Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, chairman for mobilisation Charles Banda, and two officials from the research team namely Alfred Sikanyika and Kenny Chilepwe.
Later students jubilated when Kabimba told them that of the two degrees PF leader Michael Sata has, one is in political science.
Kabimba's response arose from a question by one of the students who wanted to know Sata's educational background.
And Prof Luo said there was need to invest in a lot of research at UNZA.
Responding to questions from students on how she would improve the situation at the institution, Prof Luo said there should be people specifically employed to carry out research.
"We need to restructure the university, we need to change the way it is run. Once elected I will work hand in hand with the University Council to devise ways of making money for this institution. For example, this university does not employ people whose sole purpose is research.
The researchers by nature of their job they write proposals and bring in money into departments. And because the researchers and lecturers start getting paid from the money coming from research activities, then the money is liberated to start developing infrastructure both in the departments and for the students," Prof Luo explained as students shouted "data, data".
Prof Luo said the MMD government should be ashamed of itself for paying drug addicts to beat up other citizens.
She said Lusaka Province MMD chairman William Banda had been abusing drug addicts for violence.
"This is the only government which abuses children hooked on drugs instead of rehabilitating them. William Banda has been using these youths to come and beat us. And this is a government which claims to promote peace.
That is why I agree with my secretary general's statement that we must defend ourselves," said Prof Luo.
Prof Luo said the PF government would not tolerate the reckless borrowing that MMD had engaged into.
And Kabimba said he was a proud disciple of Sata.
"I've worked with both Mr Rupiah Banda and Mr Sata. And I can tell you that Michael Sata is not materialistic.
His life is not built on accumulating wealth for himself. Michael Sata leads a very simple life. Michael Sata, for those that have worked with him, he demands discipline," Kabimba said.
Asked what the PF would do to control the number of political parties in the country, Kabimba said his government would let parties die on their own.
He said the people could see even now which parties were growing and which ones were dying.
"PF is responding to the natural law of growth, it is growing. I don't want to mention any political parties, but if you look at the rest, they have been sliding down towards the grave.
We have no intention to outlaw any political party. But we shall allow the people of Zambia to decide which political party should die and which one should continue," said Kabimba.
"That decision I leave it to you the people. For us we are enjoying our growth; we have a regional image now, we have an international image and I can tell you that PF is unstoppable."
Asked to clarify his call for PF cadres to defend themselves, Kabimba said he stood by his statement because police were defending MMD criminals.
Kabimba explained that in no way did he call for violence but he simply asked his fellow party members to defend themselves from MMD violence which police were failing to control.
Labels: MICHAEL SATA, UNZA, WYNTER KABIMBA
Read more...
Govt’s neglect of UNZA has now got out of hand, says Nawakwi
By Bright Mukwasa
Fri 29 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says she will climb mount Kilimanjaro if that’s what it must take for her to get the MMD out of power this year.
In an interview after touring the University of Zambia (UNZA) Great East Road main campus on Wednesday, Nawakwi, who is Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president and a graduate of UNZA, said the government's neglect of the highest learning institution had now got out of hand.
“If you want to ignore your plight here then you are going to continue to live in this squalor. You need to make a decisive decision that MMD has to go out. I am telling you, I am very, very annoyed. In fact if I have to climb Kilimanjaro to make sure that they (MMD) get out of government this year, I will do,” Nawakwi said.
“Look the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) is collecting money from your parents. That money they are building facilities such as Levy Park and if you go to Levy Park 80 per cent of the tenants are South African companies, can't they use that money to build hostels here?”
Nawakwi, said the poor state of UNZA was not on account of lack of resources but misplaced priorities.
“The Minister of Education Dora Siliya who is also a girl child should have taken time to see what is happening here but she is on ZNBC television proclaiming that they have unprecedented development, if in fact the 300 high schools or so can be turned around as hostels at this university would we complain about our government? But they are so blinded about wooing the votes,” she said, adding:
“The reason they can't build hostels is that they think that you girls you don't vote. That's the only reason they can't put extra investment here. It is as it was in 1967 when the Israelis built this facility. Where you are staying is supposed to be the caretakers residence not hostels.”
She said she shuddered to think what would happen in case a disease broke out in a single room accommodating over 30 students.
“How can you have over 100 children sharing one bathroom and one toilet. Where on earth? And you have a government with a lot of money, you are even boasting that you are a middle-income country? This is complete nonsense. I can't build you a hostel, I can only support you if you support those people who are saying we can do it better,” said Nawakwi.
“If you believe that MMD is working you are going to continue to live like this forever.”
Nawakwi said UNZA was enrolling a lot of students without consideration for conditions.
“The President is very excited about being declared a low middle-income country- even in a least developed country you cannot live like this. This is worse than being in prison. Because look you girls, there are things we girls go through, where do you keep your sanitary towels, what if one of you got sick at night what would happen?” said Nawakwi.
UNZA students have complained about the dilapidated state of the institution including limited accommodation space except for the recent initiative by late president Levy Mwanawasa who mobilised the corporate sector to construct a new hostel to help remedy the situation.
About 26 female students were found living in a single room with makeshift beds.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, UNZA
Read more...
Staff leaving UNZA for higher-paid jobs ‘affecting teaching’
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 17 Mar. 2011, 03:59 CAT
THE continued hiring of teaching staff by industries in the country is compromising the quality of teaching, says UNZA registrar Dr Alvert Ng’andu.
Speaking in an interview, Dr Ng’andu said industries were not only taking graduates but members of staff too, and that this was a big challenge to the nation’s highest learning institution.
He said there was need to find a formula that would be a “win-win” for both the institution and the individuals who decided to leave the institution.
“This is the paradox that we find ourselves in and it is an issue which we encounter from time to time...it is serious to the extent that normally the industries are also looking for the best people and the university would have the best people. So because the industry can pay better, they attract the people to leave and the university is left without staff to teach those critical areas that those people were teaching,” Dr Ng’andu said.
He said there was need to find a way that would be mutually beneficial to both the institution and individuals.
“The university could use these people and then the industry can also use them in some kind of shared responsibility but the way things are now is that the industry offers the job and the person leaves and that’s it,” he said.
He said the university was then forced to struggle to find a replacement and in some cases ended up with people less qualified than the member of staff who left resulting to a compromised quality of teaching.
Dr Ng’andu said it would be better if the ‘poached’ individuals were available to the university while they were employed elsewhere so as to give the learning institution time to find people who could take over.
Dr Ng’andu said the situation was serious in schools such as the school of engineering, mines and natural sciences.
Labels: SALARIES, UNZA
Read more...
COMMENT - The next government MUST start taxing the mines and get back to universal, no fee education. It has worked for Zimbabwe - which now has a 92% literacy rate, the highest on the African continent. Much maligned, they lead the way towards true liberation, which is economic independence.
UNZA deregisters 1,132 students over failure to pay fees
By Agness Changala
Sun 10 Oct. 2010, 04:01 CAT
THE University of Zambia has deregistered 1,132 students over their failure to pay tuition fees, students union president Timothy Lumba has disclosed.
Confirming the development to The Post, Lumba charged that the withdrawal of 1, 132 students from the 2010-2011 academic year reflects the government’s failure to honour its commitment and due responsibility to provide higher education.
Lumba said what was being demonstrated by the government was a clear lack or failure of intent of political will to acknowledge that the challenges of higher education had an overall bearing on the nation and its future.
He said if President Rupiah Banda or education minister Dora Siliya remained quiet on statistics approved and acknowledged by the University Council, it would affirm their stance that government had no will to address the problems at UNZA.
Lumba said it was clear for all to see that there was total neglect by President Banda’s administration on higher education as demonstrated by the same levels of funding over the last two years to UNZA and CBU.
Lumba said it was sad to note that even a body as distinguished as the University Council had remained adamant over the alarming statistics.
“There is a clear mismatch in terms of our vision as a nation to achieve high levels of human resource at higher education as envisaged in the vision 2030 and the route we have taken to ensuring that this is achieved. With an enrolment rate of two per cent and policies within higher institutions of learning that disadvantage the majority eligible vulnerable poor Zambians, the vision 2030 remains a mere fallacy and a political insult to the Zambians,” he said.
Lumba said Zambia needed an enrolment rate of up to 15 per cent at university entry to achieve the middle income nation status by 2030.
“To the contrary with only one university since independence and two that have just been transformed to that status it remains a mere machination of wishful thinking that we could become a middle income nation by 2030,” he said.
He challenged Siliya to brace herself with the problems of UNZA seeing that her focus had been on primary education aimed at meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on universal access to primary education.
Lumba reminded Siliya that as pupils progressed through the educational pyramid, they would have to access higher education at some point.
He said Siliya’s ministry must re-align its work plan to strike a balance with the needs of the day.
Lumba said it was not a secret that the failure by 1,132 students to register due to tuition fees as required by the 75 per cent payment policy has yet again denied innocent Zambians a life-time opportunity to education.
Labels: EDUCATION, NEOLIBERALISM, SCHOOL FEES, TIMOTHY LUMBA, UNZA
Read more...
EAZ urges translation of reduced inflation rate into benefits
By Fridah Zinyama
Tue 06 July 2010, 18:00 CAT
THE Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ) has said the drop in rate of inflation should translate into a meaningful improvement in the lives of poor citizens.
And University of Zambia (UNZA) economics lecturer Webby Wake said the reduction in the rate of inflation from 9.1 per cent in May to 7.8 per cent in June is going to strengthen the purchasing power of the general citizenry.
The reduction in the rate of inflation in June is mainly attributed to the decrease in some food prices such as mealie-meal, maize grain, fresh vegetables and dried Kapenta.
The annual rate of inflation recorded in June is the lowest rate that the country has recorded in a long time.
In an interview, EAZ national secretary Isaac Ngoma said although the reduction in inflation was a positive development, it should translate into the growth of the economy, job creation and a reduction in poverty levels in the country.
“It is also important that ways are found in sustaining this low inflation rate,” he said, adding that inflation targeting was worrisome as it does not affect the people on the ground.
Ngoma said the low inflation rate was good for the country as it would attract investment in key sectors of the economy.
“Inflation is a major macro-economic indicator which is used to attract investment,” he said. “But the worrisome thing that might take away from this positive development is the high pump price for fuel which the country is currently experiencing.”
Ngoma said it was worrisome that production was being affected by the high fuel prices which the country was currently experiencing.
“Something should be done about the high fuel prices such that if inflation drops it should also be due to a drop in the cost of production and not just a decrease in food prices,” he said.
Ngoma observed that the drop in inflation in June was mainly attributed to the decrease in food prices as this is the harvesting period and not to any other factor in the process of production.
“We have produced a bumper crop and people are still consuming what they have harvested but if the country offloads the surplus crop, we might experience higher prices once the harvesting period is over,” he said.
Ngoma said it was very important for the country to diversify its agricultural production to other sub-sectors like livestock and dairy production which can be used to grow the economy.
“It is also important that our currency also appreciates so that it has compounding purchasing power in order to allow the ordinary people to buy basic needs,” said Ngoma.
And Wake said the drop in the rate of inflation for month of June was good for the business community, as a high inflation rate was very disruptive to planning.
“Due to an increase in the purchasing power, there is going to be an increase in demand for imported goods which might affect the country’s balance of payment if the country is not exporting more goods than it is importing,” he pointed out.
Wake said this might also affect the local currency, as demand for the dollar might increase as people wish to import more products.
“But this might not be the case if all goods were produced locally,” he said.
Wake added that the drop in inflation in the month of June was an indication that the country’s economy was on a path to true recovery.
The effects of inflation on an economy are manifold and can be simultaneously positive and negative.
Negative effects of inflation include a decrease in the real value of money and other monetary items over time; uncertainty about future inflation may discourage investment and saving, or may lead to reductions in investment of productive capital and increase savings in non-producing assets like selling stocks and buying gold.
This can reduce overall economic productivity rates, as the capital required to retool companies becomes more elusive or expensive.
And high inflation may lead to shortages of goods if consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future.
Positive effects include a mitigation of economic debt relief by reducing the real level of debt.
Labels: EAZ, UNZA
Read more...
K600bn UNZA, CBU debt is choking govt, says Siliya
By Justin Katilungu in Kabwe
Sat 24 Apr. 2010, 03:40 CAT
THE K600 billion debt that the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University owe is choking the government, education minister Dora Siliya has observed.
Addressing students and management of Mulungushi University on Wednesday, Siliya said the
government needed to find money to liquidate the debt owed by the two public universities.
“We need to seek money to offset this K600 billion debt or else my ministry will continue to be choked,” Siliya said.
She said the government was pushing for public private partnerships to enable the private sector invest in the education sector because it had become costly for the government to run the two public universities.
Siliya noted that the government treasured public private sector partnerships, as they were a cornerstone to fostering national development.
“We have created an enabling environment where the private sector is flourishing and our economy is growing. When the private sector continues to grow steadily, it means that there will be more financial support to government projects too,” Siliya said.
And Central Province permanent secretary Denny Lumbama told Siliya when she called on provincial minister Ackimson Banda that the government was doing extremely well in the education sector in Kabwe and other towns in the province.
Lumbama said the development of infrastructure in the education sector in Kabwe was going on very well.
“We have several high schools being erected in the province through the Ministry of Education but as provincial administration, we are also supplementing to this noble cause. We are happy with the expansion of Mulungushi University and Nkrumah College University,” said Lumbama.
Labels: CBU, DEBT, DENNY LUMBAMA, DORA SILIYA, PPPs, UNZA
Read more...
Tribal politics is a major source of conflict – UNZA lecturer
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 10 Mar. 2010, 03:30 CAT
UNIVERSITY of Zambia (UNZA) philosophy of good governance lecturer Austin Mboozi has said attacking tribal groupings that are suspicious of regional marginalisation by the government only aggravates the situation. And a Rwandese national resident in Zambia has said tribal politics have torn his home country to what it is known for by the rest of the world today.
During a public discussion organised by the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of The Post themed Tribal politics, is it a source of conflict or not at Lusaka’s Courtyard Hotel last week, Mboozi cited the Lamba people of the Copperbelt as an example in his presentation.
“Everywhere in the world there is no country which does not have an ethnic problem; not a single country,” Mboozi said. “Take for example the Gabriel Namulambe case, if I was in the government and he says ‘the Lambas have been marginalised’ I would say come here can you show evidence? You will see he might not be able.”
He said attacking tribal groupings that felt economically marginalised could lead to anger against the government.
“By attacking them, the more they go on gossiping. Give them data,” Mboozi said. “It is better than to simply attack them on and on. It brings anger.”
Mboozi said tribal politics were a major source of conflict.
“Pride, people vote on tribal lines because of pride. This is their pride so maybe we may have to accommodate that,” he said. “There are some tribes that are still talking that they have been marginalised by the state. They want a slot on ZNBC.”
Mboozi said the government policy on tribe could be reviewed.
“There are people that will say I do not want that language, not even to hear it. I have been bullied myself,” he said.
Mboozi said it was not the politicians, but the citizens, that were causing the furtherance of tribal politics.
“Politicians play to the gallery. They are following your mindset,” Mboozi said.
He said politicians knew the tribal sentiments that the electorate expressed in their private lives.
Mboozi said there was need to promote multiculturalism because it was impossible to completely kill tribes.
“Unity comes when you let people be the way they are,” said Mboozi.
And Rwandan community in Zambia head of delegation Ukulikiyeyezu Jean Marie Louis said Rwanda was a country torn by tribal politics.
Louis said tribal politics led to a lot of conflicts and displacements.
“To date the Rwandese people are still fleeing the country and the majority of them are Hutu,” he said. “From these parts, you are able to tell if the trust between the Hutus and Tutsis is established.”
Louis said the Gachacha traditional courts had worked against the Hutus.
“The Gachacha are judging Hutus. Now there is something I want to let you know.
If you want to confirm your tribe on a passport, one of the documents you have to submit is the clearance from the Gachacha,” said Louis.
“Since Gachacha is for the Hutus, every Hutu must be screened.”
Labels: AUSTIN MBOOZI, TRIBALISM, UNZA
Read more...
Formation of new political party doesn’t make sense, UNZA lecturer
By Namatama Mundia
Sat 06 Mar. 2010, 03:10 CAT
IT does not make any political sense to form another political party at this point in time, University of Zambia political and administrative studies lecturer Phineas Bbaala has said.
Commenting on the newly-founded National Restoration Party (NAREP) yesterday, Bbaala said forming a political party at this time did not make sense but that the new party should have studied the ideologies of already-existing parties to see where they fit in.
“The problem is we don’t have serious ideological divide between and among political players because if we had a clear ideological divide, it could have been clear for a person who wants to start a new political party,” he said.
Bbaala said the founders of NAREP should have studied the positives of existing ideologies before forming a new party.
“If those parties don’t represent your ideologies, that’s the only time you can form a political party,” he said.
Bbaala however, said Zambians should not expect any surprises from NAREP.
He added that if NAREP’s aim was to form government next year, then they have not done a right thing.
“And they NAREP will not go anywhere if they have been sponsored by another political party because the sponsor will not want a new party to become popular than them,” Bbaala said.
He added that NAREP was not going anywhere when the pendulum was between the PF-UPND pact and the MMD.
“I don’t think there is another political party or group that can perform better than the MMD and the PF-UPND pact, those colleagues should have studied the manifestos of MMD, PF or UPND and they could have found where they fit in,” he said.
Bbaala advised the NAREP founders to dissolve the party and join any of the existing parties.
Bbaala said he does not see NAREP winning any election and that they are just wasting their resources, time and energy.
“I don’t think they have resources, time and energy to go for campaigns and trail their political manifestos. The mood in the country is on MMD, PF and UPND and no other party can get that support,” said Bbaala.
Labels: PARTIES, PHINEAS BBAALA, POLITICS, UNZA
Read more...
There’s no sanity in current politics, says UNZA lecturer
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Tue 02 Mar. 2010, 03:40 CAT
UNIVERSITY of Zambia’s political and administrative studies lecturer Phineas Bbaala has observed that politicians, especially those in government are paying more attention to issues of political survival at the expense of solving problems facing the country.
And Bbaala has charged that there is no sanity in the current Zambian political scenario. He noted that the current political situation was unstable and of concern. Bbaala said a first-time visitor to Zambia would think that elections would be held next month when there was a year to go before they could be held.
He reminded those in the government that they still had a mandate to fight poverty and that the kind of political situation currently obtaining should only be created towards elections.
“I want to appeal to the government through the President (Rupiah Banda) to help de-politicise the country a bit so that his ministers, deputy ministers and all government officials concentrate on issues of development,” he said.
“Engaging into political campaigns is premature and denies the country an opportunity to concentrate on development.”
Bbaala said the current political environment had no sanity because the political regime was not working as an infrastructure that would enable the country to achieve its social and economic objectives.
He observed that a political environment that had sanity was used for resolving human problems and that that was not happening in Zambia’s case.
“At the moment, I don’t think that is happening. These days if you’re not partisan, it seems you cannot get anything from this government. No roads or hospitals will be done in your area and if you are qualified, you cannot get a job unless you are partisan,” said Bbaala.
“The government political regime is not working to embrace citizens of diverse social and political standing but rather it is working in segregation. Public goods are being accessed according to one’s political affiliation. Where there is sanity, social goods should be provided regardless of the actual or perceived political affiliation.”
Labels: PHINEAS BBAALA, UNZA
Read more...
UNZA students mob Sata, force him to address them
By Thomas Nsama
Fri 19 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
Sata challenged the MMD government to improve infrastructure at the University of Zambia (UNZA) if they wanted him to obtain a degree from there
SCORES of UNZA students on Wednesday mobbed PF leader Michael Sata after he appeared on a UNZA Radio programme, demanding that he addresses them. And Sata challenged the MMD government to improve infrastructure at the University of Zambia (UNZA) if they wanted him to obtain a degree from there.
As Sata was leaving soon after he finished speaking on UNZA Radio, he found scores of students waiting for him outside the building. The students demanded that Sata goes to the “Monk Square” where their friends had gathered, waiting to be addressed by him.
Sata accepted the students' request and jumped onto a light truck and proceeded to the ‘Monk Square’. When students saw Sata, they shouted the PF slogan, "Pa bwato, pabwato!" - Others shouted, "boma, boma". Sata inspected some rooms at the institution before addressing the students.
Sata told students there was so much talk by the MMD government that he should obtain his degree from the University of Zambia for him to stand as president.
"I am ready to come and obtain a degree at this university, but I would like to urge the MMD government to improve the infrastructure, " Sata said. "How does the MMD government expect our children and leaders to obtain their degrees in a dilapidated university?"
Sata expressed displeasure with the way the government has neglected the university.
"Thank you for allowing me to see some of your rooms and I have seen for myself how you are living at this institution," Sata said. "This university has been neglected by the MMD government and yet its ministers, government officials and the former president graduated from the same university."
Sata said 2011 was the opportunity for Zambians to govern themselves through the PF-UPND Pact.
"All of you register as voters in order to vote yourselves because when you vote for the PF-UPND Pact, you will be voting to govern yourselves, " said Sata.
After addressing the students, Sata quickly jumped into Munali PF member of parliament Mumbi Phiri's Spacio car and left the campus as several students followed behind.
Sata was accompanied by Phiri, Chimwemwe member of parliament Willie Nsanda, and Kanyama member of parliament Col Gerry Chanda.
Labels: SATA, UNZA
Read more...
There’s a crisis looming at UNZA
By Editor
Sat 09 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
There are serious problems at the University of Zambia which need urgent solutions. And it is good that the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union realise the need to solve these problems through negotiations and not strike action. According to the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union, lecturers are owed over K400 billion.
Truly, this is a lot of money and those who are owed this money can’t do anything until it is paid. And they must be facing serious problems to meet school requirements and other necessities of life for their families. We are also told that people who retired in 2004 haven’t yet been paid their benefits. It is difficult to understand how they are surviving. Money has to be found to pay these people their dues.
We do appreciate the financial difficulties the government has in meeting its obligations to our people. But it is also difficult to understand why the same government that has problems paying retirees finds it easier to pay politicians their dues without much delay. Politicians easily get their gratuities before even their terms of office expire. Our members of parliament are usually paid mid-term gratuity when the people they are elected to serve go without their retirement benefits for six years or more.
When it comes to the operations of politicians, money is always found, their requirements are always met. Other suppliers of goods and services to the government seem to be given preference over those who sell their labour as employees. Suppliers of all sorts of services get their money from government much faster than retirees. It’s understandable when the government doesn’t have money because it can only give what it has and nothing more. But austerity needs to be equally shared among all. It shouldn’t be only workers sacrificing, all – from the president downwards – should be sacrificing.
But it seems this government only understands one language – that of conflict, strike actions and protests. Conflict is costly and should as far as possible be avoided. There is an injustice here. And we know that where there is injustice, there is usually resistance and rebellion.
But who gains anything from such conflicts? The government doesn’t gain anything because usually many hours of work are lost. Sometimes even property gets destroyed. Strike actions are also not the best options for workers seeking redress to their problems. But strike actions are sometimes the only sensible option for workers.
Nothing they attain seems to be granted to them graciously. Anything they attain, it would appear, has to be granted to them only after a grueling fight, after strikes. They know they have to fight. The worker has to keep up a constant fight in order to obtain some small benefit from this social and economic order. He has to fight so that his most elemental rights would be respected. The worker knows that what he doesn’t do for himself, nobody else will do for him. The worker knows that what he doesn’t win by his own work, nobody will win it for him.
The worker works for others but nobody ever works for him. He gives everything with generosity, he gives his sweat and energy. And many times he denies himself hours of rest. He gives to everybody, but to him, nobody ever gives anything. What he doesn’t do for himself, nobody ever does it for him. But he doesn’t govern, others govern in his stead and govern against him. They have invented a democracy for the worker – a strange, a very strange democracy, in which the worker does not count for anything.
They have invented a very strange democracy for the worker – a democracy in which the worker does not even exist politically within society.
They speak about treating workers well and all sorts of things. In that situation, a worker’s child could die of hunger because he hasn’t been paid his benefits before the unconcerned glance of the government. His child could be left without learning without the government being concerned. But they continue to speak of rights for the worker that never exist for him.
His child could not be sure even of the right to school. His child could not be guaranteed even the right to a doctor. And thus despite the worker’s tremendous force, despite his sacrifices, despite his work for others in our national life, he neither governs nor counts for anything. He is not taken into account even when it comes to the payment of benefits.
Today, the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union is telling the authorities that its members are committed to ensuring that no strike occurs at the institution this year. They want harmony to prevail at the university. And they are hoping that the authorities will also do their part to ensure that these matters are resolved amicably, without resorting to strike action. But all they are being told is that there is no money.
The allocation for the University of Zambia this year is the same as it was last year. And we know very well that last year, the university was nowhere near meeting its obligations with that allocation. That being the case, how is that same allocation, without even taking into account price changes, going to be able to meet this year’s requirements?
One interesting thing with our government is that it doesn’t matter where the Minister of Finance or of education comes from, the treatment of the university is the same. Today we have a Minister of Finance who is a former University of Zambia lecturer, and economist who should be better placed to understand the problems of that institution. But there is no change in attitude as demonstrated by what has been allocated to the University of Zambia in this year’s budget.
But how do they intend to deal with this problem? We ask this question because this is not a problem that is going to go away by itself. Financial solutions have to be found. But there is nothing being done to assure anyone that the financial woes of the university will be addressed. And if this situation continues, we don’t see how there will be harmony at the university throughout this year. Soon, the patience of these humble workers will dry up; they will be overcome or weakened by financial problems.
And when this stage is reached, conflicts will start, strike actions will be the order of the day. But do we need to wait until that stage is reached; until we start having strike actions for the authorities to start addressing these problems? It is better to start addressing these problems now so that we don’t get into the election year with it and allow it to become a campaign issue. If this issue is not addressed soon, it is inevitably going to become an election campaign issue.
And the ones who will be at the loss, at the receiving end, will be those in government, those in the ruling party. The opposition will soon start feasting on this issue politically and use it against the government and the ruling party. Who can blame them for doing so? Who in the opposition in the world will not make this a campaign issue?
There is need for the government to start saving money by cutting down on unnecessary expenditure and by avoiding paying unjustified huge sums of money for services they can get at a fraction of that cost. In short, there is need for thriftiness. Thrift should be the guiding principle in our government expenditure. It should be made clear to all those who work for government that corruption and waste are very great crimes. The principle of diligence and frugality should be observed in everything. If this is done, the government will be able to pay all these workers who have not received their retirement benefits. Those in government should always bear in mind in all that they do that there are still so many retired workers whose lives have been ruined because they have not been paid their retirement dues.
The payment of retired workers should be given high priority in government expenditure. Not paying a retired person is tantamount to killing him after using them for most of their productive life. This is not the way to treat fellow human beings, to treat fellow citizens. A more fair, just and humane approach is needed.
Let us not forget that one of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognise a problem before it becomes an emergency, a crisis, a conflict. There is a crisis looming at the University of Zambia. Let us deal with it now before it gets out of control. Prevention is better than cure!
Labels: CADRES, UNZA, UNZASU
Read more...
Situation at UNZA is potentially explosive - workers unions
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sat 26 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE three University of Zambia (UNZA) workers unions have stated that the current situation at the institution is potentially explosive.
In a statement signed by UNZA lecturers and researchers’ union (UNZALARU) general secretary Dr Fenson Mwape, University of Zambia and Allied Workers Union (UNZAAWU) general secretary Chrispin Munyukwa and University of Zambia Professional and Senior Staff Association (UNZAPROSSA) deputy general secretary Joseph Daka, the unions stated that time for accountability had come.
“We demand that the university council and management meet us on or before December, 28, 2009 to tell us what they may or may not have done so that our next course of action is based on informed positions.
We hope they will treat this demand with the seriousness it deserves. Every responsible person at the university should know that the current situation at the institution is potentially explosive,” they stated.
They stated that in the middle of this year, the university experienced a strike by all members of staff, which arose mainly out of the failure by the university management to liquidate outstanding contractual obligations and to facilitate meaningful collective bargaining.
They stated that this was a reflection of the collapse of the management system at the university and demanded the voluntary resignation of both the council and management.
“In numerous meetings we held with the university council in the quest to resolve the impasse, council assured us that they were consulting the relevant authorities with a view to finding a lasting solution to the challenges UNZA faced. The council, through the chairperson pleaded with us to give them up to the end of the first semester of the 2009 academic year and they produce results,” they stated.
The unions stated that in view of the assurances from council and in the best interest of students who had remained on campus for some time without any attention from staff they called off the strike.
They stated that since the strike was called off, they had constantly reminded the authorities of the need for them to meet their commitments.
“Unfortunately, both management and council have remained mute on whatever efforts they were making to address the issues before the commencement of the second semester on December, 27, 2009.
We have constantly appealed to council and management to ensure that all the contentious matters are resolved before students return to campus because we do not want to be erroneously accused of using students as ponies in our battles,” they stated.
“To crown it all, even the minister of education has continued to arrogantly ignore our numerous requests for a meeting with her so that we could, together, address the matters disturbing peace at the universities.”
They stated that at the moment two of the organisations at the university were still negotiating for improved conditions of service for 2009.
The unions stated that the management with the full backing of the council had done everything possible to delay and frustrate the collective bargaining process.
Labels: UNZA
Read more...
Expert urges govt to address question of Indeni’s relevance
By Fridah Zinyama and Florence Bupe
Tue 10 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
GOVERNMENT should deal with the underlying question of Indeni Oil Refinery’s relevance before finding an equity partner for the parastatal, an energy expert has advised.
And an economic advisor has urged the government to quickly address the fuel crisis to prevent possible price hikes of the commodity, which threatens to plunge the country into turmoil.
Meanwhile, University of Zambia (UNZA) development studies lecturer Fred Mutesa said it is critically important that the government takes measures that will ensure stability of fuel supplies in the country.
The government last week announced that it had acquired the 50 per cent shares in Indeni previously held by Total at a cost of $5.5 million. It later announced that it sought to sell the 50 per cent shares to an equity partner who would meet its requirements.
The decision by the government to own 100 per cent shares in Indeni Refinery raised concerns among stakeholders who questioned the government’s ability to competently and efficiently run the entity without any disruptions to fuel supplies on the local market.
Cabinet is said to soon meet to consider the best way to sell the 50 per cent shares and considerations are being made to either find an equity partner or float shares to ordinary Zambians on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE).
In an interview, Energy and Financial Solutions managing consultant Andrew Kamanga said it was important for the government to consider Indeni’s relevance to the Zambian economy.
“If government still considers Indeni Refinery relevant to the economy, then it can go ahead and find an equity partner who will pump the much needed finances into the entity,” he said.
Kamanga said if the answer to the problems facing Indeni was unfavourable, the government should then think of setting up a new refinery with the help of the private sector.
“Once government establishes the way to go with Indeni, then it will make sense for them to start considering the best way to permanently deal with the supply of fuel in the country,” said Kamanga. “This idea will be more saleable to the public who might consider investing into another refinery or Indeni Refinery.”
And Association of Bureaux de Change of Zambia president Paul Kalumba said there was a need for the government to seriously and hastily address the fuel challenges facing the country to prevent the economy from weakening further.
He said Zambia’s financial performance over the last one year had not been satisfactory, and any further pressure on key components of the economy would have a negative bearing on general growth.
Kalumba said the exchange rate was key in determining the economic performance of the country, and warned that hikes in essential commodities would negatively impact on the standing of the kwacha.
“As long as we can avoid increments in fuel prices, we are likely to see a stable to bullish Zambian kwacha. We may experience some negative fluctuations this time of the year but that has been the trend,” he explained.
Kalumba expressed concern that despite benefiting from some facilities in the last year, this did not trickle down to ensuring a stronger kwacha.
“The exchange rates have remained high this year. We opened around K4,800 and we are currently around K4,700. However, considering that we had even gone below K3,500 the year before, we have not done very well in this sphere,” Kalumba said. “We expected that with the kicking in of Lumwana Copper Mine and the increase in copper prices, we would have seen a more substantial strengthening of the kwacha.”
Kalumba also said the increase in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) special drawing rights should have positively impacted on the performance of the local unit, although this was not the case.
“Within the course of this year, we have been beneficiaries of the IMF special drawing rights. All this should have translated into high US dollar availability, thus a stronger kwacha, but this has not happened,” he said.
Kalumba also said the outcome of some corruption cases had negatively impacted on the investment climate as the situation eroded investor confidence.
“The happenings at the former Task Force on Corruption and the outcome of the FTJ (second Republican president Frederick Chiluba) cases have led to some donors and locals questioning our commitment to fighting corruption. This is always bad for business,” Kalumba said. “Investors will put their money where they believe that there is protection of their investment and corruption is kept in check.”
He also cited the scam at the Ministry of Health as one that had a significant impact on donor confidence.
Kalumba also criticised the removal of windfall tax on the mines, saying this would continue to affect levels of government revenue.
“We also removed the windfall tax on the mines. Those are earnings lost. We certainly would have benefited more as a country if we had the windfall tax,” he said.
On the performance of the banking sector, Kalumba said although there had been an increase in the number of commercial banks, this had not been matched with positive competition.
“We have seen an increase in the number of banks in the country. However, it only becomes positive if the increase in banks increases competition, leading to reduction in rates. We have noted that while banks in the last two years have begun lending to individuals, most of this lending is consumer based and salary backed,” Kalumba said. “What we need is a shift to more investment lending which helps to grow the economy.”
Kalumba also cautioned the government against undertaking deals that it could not sustain, saying this would negatively affect the performance and growth of the economy.
“We worry that government at times participates in business transactions which are hard to understand. We do not understand why, for example, government has bought 100 per cent shares in Indeni. It is hard to run businesses like Indeni, such transactions may affect our economy,” said Kalumba.
Meanwhile, Dr Mutesa, who is also president of Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED), said Zambia needed an uninterrupted supply of fuel products and adequate electricity to drive the economy forward.
“Our objectives of diversifying the economy, poverty reduction and attaining the millennium development goals (MDGs) will not be realised if we mishandle the energy sector,” he said.
Dr Mutesa said the government should revisit its energy policy, identify the problems of implementation and invite stakeholders to provide expert advice on the way forward.
“We wish to emphasise that a lasting solution to the crisis in the energy sector can only come from a roundtable review of policy performance involving stakeholders such as government, the oil marketing companies, workers representatives, and consumers,” said Dr Mutesa.
Meanwhile, management and financial consultant John Kasanga urged the government to clearly state what its long-term objectives were for Indeni and what it hoped to achieve with its 100 per cent shares in the oil refinery.
“There are certain issues which are pending at Indeni Refinery which need to be quickly addressed,” he said. “The issues of Indeni only refining a particular grade of crude oil should be looked at...Indeni Oil Refinery only processes semi-processed crude oil, other kinds of crude oils cannot be processed.”
He further added that measures needed to be put in place to ensure the delivery of crude oil or fuel at an economic cost to the country.
“We need to reduce the landed costs of fuel into the country,” he urged. “A decision should be made that will permanently deal with the issue to supplying the country with fuel at an economic rate.”
Kasanga added that the government should allow a situation where other stakeholders could put up another plant that would refine crude oil in the country.
“If this is not done, then government should allow oil marketing companies to bring in already processed fuel products into the country,” he said. “But whoever would be given this task should ensure that there was no back handling.”
Kasanga added that the issue of the government using certain companies to import fuel into the country had worsened the fuel situation.
“For the most, these briefcase companies do not have adequate finances to import fuel into the country, which has greatly contributed to the current crisis,” he said.
Kasanga added that if fuel imports continued at this rate, the country would experience increased production costs that would make Zambian products uncompetitive in the region.
Labels: FRED MUTESA, INDENI, UNZA
Read more...
UNZA professor gets copper mine job
By Nchima Nchito Jr
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
UNIVERSITY of Zambia (UNZA) Vice-Chancellor Prof Stephen Simukanga has been appointed as an independent director of African Copper. African Copper owns the Mowana Mine in Botswana, the country’s only pure copper mine and is a major player in the mining sector.
Simukanga is a professor of metallurgy and mineral processing and started his career at Luanshya mine under the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines in 1982.
According to the Mining Weekly, his appointment was a strategic move for the mining company.
“His obvious academic and metallurgical experience will complement the composition of the board and we look forward to his valued contribution to the team as the company grows as a base metals producer," said company chairperson David Rodier.
Prof Simukanga is a UK chartered engineer and a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Engineering Institution of Zambia.
He chairs the boards of the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Examinations Council of Zambia and is a member of three other boards of directors, including Zambia Copper Investments.
Labels: STEPHEN SIMUKANGA, UNZA
Read more...
Prof Seshamani: an academician of note
Written by Bivan Saluseki
Friday, September 11, 2009 4:47:54 PM
I am a Zambian in spirit, says University of Zambia Professor of Economics Venkatesh Seshamani. In an interview, Professor Seshamani says Zambia today is his family's first home.
"India is only our second home, it's the land of our birth. India is the land of my birth, but Zambia has become the land of my action or karma. That is how God has ordained it should be for me and my wife and therefore, our loyalty will always to be Zambia in terms of work, in terms of whatever I try to contribute to the betterment of the country - training manpower and so on, that is really my mission," he says.
At the University of Zambia, Professor Seshamani has definitely assured himself of a place on the academic merit list.
With a CV reading like a wish-list, Professor Seshamani's work and humility is his best introduction.
Question: I would like to welcome you to this interview Professor. Just give us a brief background of yourself.
Answer: I was born and brought up in Bombay which is today called Mumbai but when I was born...obviously before India got her independence in 1947...it was called Bombay and I spent my childhood and did my school and my education until I secured my masters degree in economics over there. I also worked there for some time from 1968 to 1977 and towards the end of 1977, I got an offer of a job in the University of Dar eßs Salaam, Tanzania. So I went there. I worked in the university for four years and then I came to Zambia in 1982 and somehow although it was planned not to be so at that time, I just remained here until today. I have been working at the University of Zambia as a professor of economics.
Q: Could you tell us more about your family? If you have a wife and children?
A: Yes, I got married in 1976 to my wife Lalitha who too worked in Bombay when we were there but subsequently when we went to the University of Dar es Salaam, she worked as a researcher in the area of nutrition in the Economics Research Bureau. And then when we came here, she started working in school and today she is the deputy headmistress of the Italian School of Lusaka. We have two children. The first-born is Sharmishtaa and she will soon be finishing her doctorate in Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA in the field of medical imaging. And we also have a son Shreyas who will be finishing his masters degree in robotic engineering from the University of Pennsylvania next year. So we have only two children. We are a small family. But the children have been in the US for many years now and here we are just the two of us.
Q: In terms of brothers and sisters, do you have any?
A: Unfortunately, I don't have brothers and sisters because my father died. I was the first-born and my father died when I was about a year old because of TB. As you know in those years, there was no known cure for TB and therefore, he passed away and my mother never got married again. So she became a widow at the age of 19. Since then, she has remained single and when my father died, she moved to her parents’ house and so I was brought up in the house of my maternal grandparents. My maternal grandfather was a very well known educationist of his time. In fact, he was one of the first persons in India to get a university degree way back in 1915 and he worked in various institutions in Bombay with a lot of British colleagues then and he also worked in the University of Bombay in the registrar's office and then retired.
Q: What kind of a family do you come from? Did you come from a rich family?
A: No, I hailed from a fairly low-income family but it was not so low that we went out of food and clothing. I was always given good food, good clothing. I went to a good school, it was a missionary school called St Michaels High School. I finished my school there. I then had the opportunity to study in one of the premier colleges in Bombay, Elphinstone College, which was affiliated to the University of Bombay. My grandfather was very particular that I should go to that college even though it was some distance from where we were living because some former freedom fighters had also been educated there. He felt that I should also be educated there. Subsequently, I went to do my postgraduate studies at the University of Bombay and then I taught for some years. Then I applied for a Fullbright Fellowship to do further postgraduate studies in the United States and at that time, because I had specialised in mathematical economics and statistics, there was this new subject called operations research which dealt mainly with programming techniques and so on and a lot of people told me if I could also do operations research, then my training in the quantitative area would be complete. Unfortunately, there was no programme of operations research in the University of Bombay and I don't think there were other universities in India offering that. So when I found this advertisement for the Fullbright Fellowship, I said let me apply and see if I can get it. There was some minimum of requirements for one to apply for that fellowship that time. You had to have a first class scholastic record right up to a masters degree. You must have secured the first division in your school. The first degree must be a first class. The masters degree also must be a first class, something like a distinction in this part of the world. And then you had to be at least 22 years of age, you should have taught or been in employment for at least two years. Those were the requirements. And when I applied, I found that the whole process of selection took a whole year. I had to take a number of exams, tests and interviews. I came to know the reason for this only subsequently when the Director of the United States Educational `Foundation for India told me about it- that there were only six scholarships available for the whole of India, in all subjects excluding medicine and there were 40,000 applicants. And so I was one of those six lucky ones who were selected finally and I was very happy that I made it. There had been such a tremendous process of elimination to select the candidates.
Q: What happened when you moved to Dar es Salaam?
A: When I went to Dar es Salaam, I was very happy because everybody said ooh that Africa...you know is in the third world, you are leaving Bombay...but I found that the academic environment was very vibrant. You were expected to give a seminar once every term or so. If one did not present a paper, colleagues would say, 'what happened, we are waiting for the paper.' And there would be a lot of heated debates and discussions. So I finished one contract there. And they renewed my contract but by the time I was finishing my second contract, Tanzania went to war with Uganda to oust Idi Amin. It was what I would say a Phyrric victory in a sense that although Tanzania won the war, it lost a great amount of resources and the situation, especially the living conditions became extremely difficult. My daughter was born there. You could not find even get things like, baby food, milk and so on. Life became very difficult. So I decided that since my contract was coming to an end, I would go back. But at that time, there were two or three people from here. One was Dr Chilebwe Ng'andwe who was Head of the Economics Department then and subsequently became director for SIDO. He came there as a visiting lecturer. He came to know that I was a very good lecturer there. So he said since your contract is coming to an end, why don't you come to us for some two years. Another person was Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane. He came to do his masters degree there around 1979, because there was no masters in economics programme then at the University of Zambia. So I was his lecturer there and he knew me better and my competence and he too urged me to come to UNZA. And then also there was the late Dr Patrick Ncube who had taught with me for sometime at the University of Dar es Salaam and subsequently came to the University of Zambia and he also told me, 'come to Zambia.' And because all these people insisted, I asked my wife and she said 'ok let's go'. And that's how I came here.
Q: How would you describe your experience of lecturing at UNZA?
A: Ooh, it's been very, very gratifying. I think that you know, I always say to myself; if money is your main objective in life, you should not be in the academic profession anywhere in the world. Even in the United States, professors are paid very highly but they are paid much less than those who work in industries for example. If you are in the academic profession then you have to look for other sources of motivation. For me it's the opportunity to contribute to the development of the human resources of the country. I think in a larger sense I would call it psychic income, In terms of monetary income, as you know, for a very long time our salaries have been very low and if I had gone into some other profession, I would have had a much higher salary. But I felt that the value of my contribution here in Zambia through UNZA would be much greater. And over the years, I found that several of my family of students that had come under my tutelage had become people in high places. And whenever I meet them, they would greet me and say we work here because of you and so on. It used to give me a tremendous sense of satisfaction. And today, I can say I have no regrets whatsoever for the past 27 years, I lived my 27 years at the University of Zambia despite the low income and so on because I look around, I find that there are ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries...
Q: Like? You can mention some.
A: I don't know if I should mention them, some people might like it, some people might not. But Edith Nawakwi [FDD president] was my student, Newton N'guni was my student, right now the deputy minister of agriculture is my student. There are permanent secretaries in so many places. But if you walk through the corridors of the ministry of finance, I think 90 per cent of them would have been my students.
Q: What about the standards and quality of students being churned out of UNZA, has there been any deterioration as a result poor infrastructure for instance, inadequate funding, brain drain?
A: You see UNZA has had a bad name only because it has not been able to run its programmes efficiently, on schedule because of lack of funds. Within those constraints, one thing they we have always made sure at the level of academic staff, is that the quality of our level of education does not suffer. So that when our students graduate from here and they go to do further studies let's say in top universities in US, UK or Europe they will prove equal to the demands of the programmes there. We try to maintain those high standards. But in terms of duration, it's because of strikes you find a four-year programme becomes six years and so on. That is what is eroding the credibility of UNZA, not the decline or deterioration of academic standards. Of course sometimes, there is a problem because somewhere in the high school the standards are not being maintained. So there are some of these students, who don't come with the level of knowledge as is expected from high school graduates.
Q: Coming to Zambian's economy. There is some prediction of five per cent growth. Although just the other day we were told by Felix Mutati that it just be about four per cent.
A: You see, Zambia is still a vulnerable economy because we are still dependant upon factors beyond our control. And so we may make these projections based on some assumptions but if these assumptions are not borne out and something catastrophic happens on the global field then everything can crumble you know. We have an opportunity to achieve five per cent growth and that will be remarkable because India for example which has been growing at nine per cent until last year is hoping that it will grow only at five per cent or five per cent plus this year because of the global crisis. And many countries are operating even at lower rates of growth. So if we achieve five per cent growth, it would be good. Of course, the requirements of growth are very high, because poverty levels are very, very high. Unless you have seven to eight per cent growth, you wont be able to make a significant dent in the rate of poverty. So that is the problem. And then there could be specific stumbling blocks, say high fuel because of the global crisis. For example last year the copper prices were around US$8,000, it crashed down to US$ 2,000 and regained to US$ 4,000 and now it around US$6,000. With such fluctuations, you will see that your economic calculations cannot always be accurate.
Q: On the global economic front, are things getting any better? Are the worst days over for the economic crisis? I know that Japan has come out of the recession. The US is making headways too. The economic crisis is seemingly over, do you think the world economic order is changing?
A: It is changing because the recent report of the IMF is saying the downturn is over and Japan, France and Germany are slightly over the pickup. And the US will also pick up except that things cannot happen pretty fast. So things will pick up but only slowly. We expect that for example jobs will be restored, new jobs will be created in a very significant way but it will still take time.
Q: Some analysts believe China is on the route to taking over from US as the global economic power? And what is your comment on the benefits and ills of increased Chinese investment in Zambia like the rest of Africa and how best can it be used to make the so-called 'win-win' situation?
A: Sure. China has the potential. There are two things about China. One is that it's a huge country with the world's largest population. So it has got unlimited manpower resource. China has the capability to produce anything on this earth. Even in the United States most things you buy are made in China. Even the American flags are made in China. So you know that way China is a model of an economic power. And secondly you see in China right now they have an advantage of not being very democratic. I was recently in China. I attended an international conference on health economics a month ago. You should go to Terminal 3 at the airport which was specifically constructed for the Olympic games. There is nothing equivalent to that in the world including the United States.
Q: Yes, I saw that too. I was there a few weeks before the Olympics.
A: Yes. Now I was told that that was an area which had slums for people. They were just told ' you have to move. We are giving you somewhere else to stay. We are going to construct the Olympic Stadium and so on.' And people had no choice. But you cannot do a similar thing in India. Let's say the government wants to construct something and wants to clear some slums, there will be 10 opposition parties trying to take advantage, march on the streets, they will gather people to incite them to do this. So you know it's not easy to implement these things. In China once the party and the government decides you have no choice.
Q: So a little bit of dictatorship and an ounce of democracy works?
A: Yes, you know a little bit of dictatorship works for a country like that and United States of America cannot do the things that China has done. That is why there is this debate about what is good for a developing country. Is it a benevolent dictatorship or is it democracy. That debate is still going on. In India we have democracy, so you can never take quick decisions.
Q: You need a dictator to whip a country out of slumber.
A: Yes. But the problem is what if he turns out to be Idi Amin or emperor Bokassa. That is where the problem is.
Q: What about the benefits and ills of Chinese investments? I asked about the win-win situation?
A: No, it's a win-win situation because, you know China wants access to the basic resources in Africa. Africa is very rich in natural resources such as minerals, which China wants. And Africa also wants Chinese investment. We can achieve higher rates of growth and development if we can get Chinese investment. But to make it truly a win-win situation, but we need to take action and enforce adequate regulatory measures to make sure that the negative consequences do not override the positive benefits. You have a couple of incidents which happened in the mines, such as the shooting incident, and no prompt action was taken. I wrote a paper which I presented at an international conference in Doha last November trying to show the difference in approach between Chinese and Indian investors. The thing is Indian investors are purely private. The Chinese investors are purely government and government-to-government relationships are very good. The relationship between the government of Zambia and the government of China, between the government of Zambia and the government of India are very good. So if a private investor comes to you and starts business, and he makes a mistake, government can immediately take action but in a similar situation if it is a government investment, then government hesitates because they don't want to spoil the good relations with other countries. It's a government-to-government relationship. And that is what is happening. So if government can somehow move and also take action or strong regulatory measures, I think it can be a win-win situation.
Q: Copper mining has continued to be the main driver of the Zambian economy despite repeated calls for diversification into other sectors, and these calls are as old as 40 years? Why do you think this process has been so slow compared with other countries like Chile which are thriving away from copper?
A: I think it is simply lack of commitment. You see, I believe that two things are required for any country's development. Right knowledge and commitment. You must be committed to the development of your country especially at community and grassroots level. Secondly you should have the knowledge to know what is the right thing to do, right policies and so on. Now if you look at the regimes Zambia has gone through, the Second Republic and the First Republic under Dr Kaunda, I think the commitment was there. Under Kaunda, I would say the right knowledge was not there, it was not sufficient knowledge. Commitment was there. I think Dr Kaunda was genuinely committed to alleviating the living conditions of the poor and making Zambia a decent country to stay in. Commitment was there but apparently the problem was with ideologies - humanism, socialism and so on and so forth, then circumstances changed- certain strategies could not be carried on and you could not sustain the benefits. When you come to the Third Republic and the Chiluba regime, I think the knowledge improved. The government realised it had to rid itself of the responsibility of producing toothpaste and sugar. There is need to allow the market forces and the private sector to largely direct the economy. But I think the role of the government is not reduced because of that. The favourite phrase of yesterday was that 'government has no business in business'. It has no business in business only in the limited sense of 'business' but it must have a prominent role in terms of regulating the economy. In fact government's role increases especially because you are confronted with major developmental challenges where a large majority of citizens are poor. And there was need for responsibility of addressing the issue of poverty. I think that commitment began to wane, that's how we lost. I think it's only the time that President Levy Mwanawasa came in that we saw that both commitment and knowledge improve. That is why even today, a lot of people respect the late President because he showed genuine commitment.
Q: So are we still seeing the commitment from President Rupiah Banda's government too?
A: I think it's a bit early to comment on the present regime. We can only hope that the high commitment and knowledge which existed during Dr Mwanawasa's time will continue.
Q: To what extent does culture influence economic progress of any country? I say so because it is believed that Tiger economies, apart from having good economic programmes, do have very hardworking culture which has catalysed their success?
A: Sure, if you are talking of culture and work culture specifically, I think it is very, very important. You see the difference between United States and Japan. Both have got good work culture but very different. There is a difference in that suppose you go to see the secretary in a company in the United States, you go there five minutes before eight, she is not there. You go there at 8 O'clock she is there. You go there at 5 O'clock in the evening, she is there. You go five minutes past five she is not there. So between eight and five, she will do her job very sincerely and that's it. In Japan, it will be 07:30 in the morning she is there up to 6 O'clock in the evening, or 8 O'clock in the evening. No over-time and nothing more. They say that this is our company. So even though the regulations state that you should work from eight to five, they are prepared to work from seven to eight. But the American would work from eight to five. You know how it is here.[Zambia] (laughs). You know I went to a function I won't mention the name. Honourable Dipak Patel was the minister of commerce. I went there about five minutes to nine. Then I found honourable Patel there, the only one waiting as a guest of honour and he asked :Professor, am I in the right place? And I said yes. But the organisers were not there. Can you imagine? Even the organisers had not come. He said I will only wait up to 09:30 and after that I will have to leave because I have to pick someone at the airport. So if they don't come by that time, I am leaving. So this is the situation and this happens repeatedly. We are not of course an exception. But we need to realise that most valuable resource..
Q; In terms of fighting poverty, are we on the right track?
A: We have begun to be on the right track. You see as far as fighting poverty is concerned, you know many of people have said the problem with Zambia is not the shortage of resources but the lack of right priorities in the use of resources. And at one time, we had not been able to do anything for poverty because we had not allocated enough resources for poverty reduction activities. It's only recently that we are trying to show some seriousness. Poverty you fight it by improving access to basic education, health services, improving access to improved sanitation and access to water. These are the areas and the question is how much are you devoting. Now the point is that a country like Zambia goes to these international conferences. They bring up all these issues and it agrees to make health a priority, education a priority and says we must devote at least this minimum percentage of your budget to education and you sign but when you come back you don't do it. You agreed in Abuja that you must apportion 15 per cent of your budget to health but you are still not doing that. So we are moving in the right direction but I as somebody who is very much interested in making poverty history in Zambia, I can tell you honestly that today...I am an Indian national
Happy to be in Zambia on my passport but I am a Zambian in spirit. I have a lot of empathy for those living on the fringes of existence. And I am of the point of view that more and more resources should be devoted to poverty reduction activities. We are improving, moving in the right direction but the pace is slow but it is from that point of view that more and more resources should be devoted to poverty reduction activities. We are improving, only slowly. We are moving in the right direction but the pace is slow. I think it can be activated.
Q: I am literally cruising through my questions because of time. Coming to religion, you are Hindu or Christian?
A: You see, nominally I am a Hindu but I always give the answer which Mahatma Ghandi gave when he was asked what his religion was. He said ‘I am a Hindu, I am a Moslem, I am a Christian, I am a Jew. I am all of these or I am none of these.' I think that these are but the same different things. If you take the Sermon on the Mount, Hinduism also says the same thing, Islam also says the same thing. Nobody would contradict the Sermon on the Mount. I had a very unique opportunity in my childhood. I was born in a nominally Hindu family. I went to a school, which was a Christian school but the school was located in an area which had a predominantly Moslem population. So in my class, there were only a handful of Hindus and there were some Christians and there were Moslems. So I used to interact with all of them and I think I have imbibed a lot and I have got so much interest in the Bible and I have a fair amount of knowledge of the Bible.
Q: Last time you did a paper on the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation.
A: Yes, I said I have no problems with that declaration because I think it's a declaration to say our actions should be in line with Christ's teachings and if the declaration is simply to remind people...this is the purpose of your life, to attain self-realisation or God realisation ultimately and for that they need to follow the path prescribed by Jesus. If it is just to remind people of that, then I have no problems. I myself remind myself of two statements from the Bible. First, ‘seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything shall be added unto you’. And the second is 'what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his soul?' You know. You may become famous, you may become powerful, you may be very rich in the whole world but if it is compromising your soul, your integrity, your honesty and your sense of values, at the end of the day you leave this world, was it worth it? You are not going to carry even a dry blade of grass with you when you die. What you will carry with you are your good deeds. The good actions on this earth. When you remind yourself like that, then in the course of the day, even if I am faced with a lot of temptations, I would say: if the whole world is not worth losing my soul, is a few million kwacha worth it? It's not worth it. I can't sell my soul. So in that sense, I will say that I am very eclectic in my outlook. And I think it's for this reason that for example if you take the JCTR, it's a Jesuit organisation and they have kept me on their board of trustees for six or seven years. They think of me as Christian in my thinking. So I would say that I do not really like to talk about this. I sometimes respond very cynically when someone asks me about my religion, that I am a Shakespearean. Then they say, no, we are asking you about your religion. I say I am telling you my religion and I am Shakespearean. You see, Shakespeare made one of his characters say: And this above all, to thine own self be true and it shall follow as the night the day, thou cannot be fault to any man. Ultimately if you are true to your own conscience, your own inner voice, whatever you want to believe is inside you. If I am true to that I cannot be false to you. If I am trying to harm you, I am going against my own inner voice because it will say ‘look, what you are doing is not right.’
Q: Any final comments, I know you are very busy?
A: Well, my entire family and I are extremely happy that we came to Zambia. In fact, my children consider Zambia as their home. They don't consider the United States or India because they don't know those countries. My daughter when asked; ‘where is your home’ she says Zambia. For me and my wife also, I would say Zambia today is our first home. India is only our second home, it's the land of our birth. India is the land of my birth, but Zambia has become the land of my action or karma. That is how God has ordained, it should be for me and my wife and therefore our loyalty will always be to Zambia in terms of work, in terms of whatever I try to contribute to the betterment of the country - training manpower and so on, that is really my mission.
Q: Professor, thank you very much for your time.
A: Thank you.
Labels: PROFILE, UNZA, VENKATESH SESHAMANI
Read more...
