The Pursuit of Happiness

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

― Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence

When the Euro-Africa coach services bus eventually got to Ndola, one name kept registering on my mind. Sydney Sichula had lived most of his life in Ndola. This was his home and he was proud of it. On this occasion though, I wouldn't be honored with a tour around the city of Ndola by Sydney himself as he had relocated to Lusaka.

I met Sydney in Livingstone at Hillcrest Senior Technical High School, and for three years we shared the same dormitory. In that period there was not a day that went by without his declaration of his love for Ndola. He went further to constantly claim that there was not a place as beautiful as Ndola in the whole of Zambia. We were all proud of the towns we came from, as I also spoke highly of Chilanga. I spoke highly of Mongu too, my home town. Chilanga is a nice place, but I always felt like I was talking of a neighborhood. Mongu is a great place, but Sydney’s tales of Ndola were at another level.

Regardless of how highly we spoke of our home towns, none was as loud as Sydney had been. I had been to Ndola before that trip, but I always thought I was too young to remember anything about this copper-belt town. So Sydney’s never ending alluring accounts and illustrations of Ndola were the only real images on my mind. I had spent three years listening to Sydney tell me how Ndola was miles ahead of Lusaka in terms of infrastructure, industrialization, and even cleanliness. Subliminally, my mind was expecting a city of the standing of New York. So as I gathered my back pack to disembark from the coach, I was looking out through the window for any signs of any Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty or even the Times Square.

I didn't stay in Ndola for more than 24 hours  The following day I traveled to Kitwe for an even shorter visit to the Copper-belt University just for the purchase of a study application form before returning to Lusaka the same day. Yet, I returned to Ndola three years after that short visit. On this occasion, I’d spend three days and I’d have the luxury to move around the city appreciating all the great things engraved on my mind years before. I had come as a Sales Executive for a company that specialized in IT hardware, security equipment and surveillance hardware. The first item on my agenda was to have a site visit at a location that was to be a center for Gemstone Processing & Lapidary Training.

However my expectations came crushing down before I began any tour of Ndola. The site for the Gemstone Processing & Lapidary Training Center looked like an area that had experienced a civil war. The area revoked memories in me of the TV images of Kosovo as the semblance was very apparent. There was a lot of damaged equipment that suggested a lot of prosperity in years before. I was told this place had been the Ndola Copper refinery and had been sold to Binani group of companies at the heart of privatization of the 90’s.

Being the inquisitive self that I am at times, I decided to ask everyone I found nearby what had really happened there. The answer I got was that after Binani bought the refinery, they later moved most of the equipment to areas where they could process at a lower cost ( I suspect this was abroad or even overseas). This was of course a strictly business decision that any profit oriented organization would consider. I was further told that Binani had earlier lain off some of the workers and this created a lot of despondency around the remaining workers and those that had been laid off. This led to a systematic looting of the remaining equipment and thus led to a deterioration of infrastructure that I was now looking at. Whatever, the true account of the actual events that led to that situation was, the result was terrible.

Eventually when I left the ‘Kosovo identical site’ on a taxi, I asked the driver to take me on a little tour of Ndola and he duly obliged. Not too far from there, he showed me where there had been Dunlop, this also had closed down. At the end of the tour, I almost entertained the thought that I could have got a wrong taxi driver. This one had just chosen to take me on a melancholy tour of Ndola. He systematically just showed me the gloomy side of the town. Had he been one of the many workers that had lost employment as a result of new business owners re-positioning and downsizing most companies at the peak of privatization in Zambia? One thing was certain in him though – he loved Ndola.

A year later when I went to Ndola gain, I decided to travel around using the city minibuses. I went to areas that were still on a path of prosperity and modernization, I went to areas that had seen the ugly side of the World Bank and IMF encouraged Structural Adjustment Programme that led to all state run companies being privatized. There was one thing that the people of Ndola all displayed—they were all proud of their town. Despite all the despair and hardships that had befallen them, they still walked with heads high. They were proud of Ndola. As a matter of fact you will never find anybody that hails from Ndola and is not proud to come from there. Make no mistake about it, privatization badly affected the copper-belt the most because of the mines that downsized or closed there by leaving many a worker, mine contractors and suppliers with no source of income. With most mines closing or downsizing, the ripple effect to all the support businesses was too huge.

However, ‘zima Ndola’ is still the most proud you will ever find. They love their city. Even when they trek to all parts of Zambia and abroad for all kinds of reasons they carry Ndola with them. As Zambia celebrated 49 years of independence from British colonial rule, the spirit of Ndola filled my heart. Proud and free, despite all the hardships we may encounter as a country.

 

There have been voices questioning the relevance of celebrating when we ‘are not economically independent’. They have cited the roles played by the World Bank and IMF in the policy direction of Zambia as an example and the ‘hasty’ privatization of Zambia’s many state corporations especially. Yes this may not be the best relationship and we need to change a few things in our relations with such organisations. But the fact doesn't change. It still remains Zambia is a sovereign free country that chants its own destiny even though there could be external influence once in a while. In any case, Zambia is not forced to take any direction.

On the other hand, the voices that demand economic independence may have a point too. Our political leadership needs to realize that the needs of the people have evolved 49 years onward.  The exclusive need for self-rule in no longer at the epicenter of the average Zambian’s needs, the 21^st century Zambian needs more comfortable and humane conditions for everyday life. This is our pursuit for happiness. I am not talking of a heaven on earth society full of milky and honey only. It is the pursuit for a fairly prosperous nation with successful individuals. Of course success and prosperity is subjective, hence the western notion of living above a dollar a day as a basic requirement can be a starting point. This is by no means calling for a materialistic approach. It is about striking a conceptual cleavage between the capitalistic and socialistic approaches. Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s question in his book, ‘a humanist in Africa’, may be of relevance here; “is there any way that my people can have the blessings of technology without being eaten away by materialism and losing the spiritual dimension from their lives?”

However, prosperity at individual level is what Zambia needs today. It’s now incumbent upon leaders to react and create an atmosphere where the Zambian can prosper. As celebrations to towards Zambia’s Golden jubilee commence, it is vital that as a country we begin to face the realities of today openly. During the years that have elapsed since independence, there have occurred some global developments that have made economic prosperity as important as freedom itself. Economic prosperity can now almost be classified in context as a human right. The economic prosperity of Europe, Japan, the middle East and the upcoming super power status for India and China have led to a dispersion of centers of power.

After all is said and done, freedom and prosperity are two different things. But they must be complimentary in the pursuit for happiness. In the same vein, October 24^th is and should be a celebration of our freedom and liberty. It is not necessarily a celebration of prosperity but a celebration of being Zambian. Freedom is a human right, which man has at times denied his fellow man to have. Freedom must then be celebrated by all; rich, poor, employed, unemployed, indebted and not in debt.

As we go towards 50 years of the existence of Zambia as an independent sovereign nation, I sound a clarion call for more patriotism. Let us embrace the spirit of the people from Ndola. With or without troubles we are proud and free. It is only when we are free that we have the opportunity to prosper economically.

The photographer in me

The weather forecast presented by Jacob Nkomoki on TV the previous evening suggested that the minimum temperature would be 24°C and the maximum would be 32°C. As I waded on the sandy soil past Tungi primary school on the way to Lourdes Catholic church, I kept telling myself that the weather was probably way above the forecasted maximum.

It was warm and I was perspiring a little as I kept hurriedly walking to my destination. I had almost resigned myself to the fact that the actual weather was probably now 38°C. As a matter of fact, I was just glad it wasn’t windy for an August afternoon.

Having reached Lourdes as I queued at the entrance, I could hear the music of Shaggy coming from inside the hall. In no time, there were sounds of cheering voices that almost decimated the music. Almost immediately, I knew the opening act had started. Luckily it was my turn at the front of the queue. I paid for my ticket after which a heavily built gentleman date stamped my wrist with blue ink and I set off for the inside of the hall. As I passed sweat drenched bodies at the back of the hall, I increased on the grip given to the cameras that hang on my right shoulder. I cared less for the two rolls of Kodak film, as it was safe in my baggy jeans pockets.

The more I walked towards the front of the hall, the more the music got louder.

"Mr. Boombastic
What you want is some boombastic romantic
Fantastic lover, Shaggy
Mr. Lover Lover, Mmm, Mr. Lover lover, Sha
Mr. Lover lover, Mmm, Mr. Lover lover


She call me Mr. Boombastic
Say me fantastic touch me on the back
She says I'm Mr. Ro
Mantic, say me fantastic
Touch me on the back, she says I'm Mr. Ro"

Eventually I got my way to the front row and immediately positioned myself with my photographic paraphernalia in place; and it was ‘all systems go’. 

By the time the Variety show came to a close at 6pm, I had exhausted all the rolls of film. It was a job well done. My only problem was that I didn’t collect enough deposit payments for all the shots I snapped. Experience had taught me that, it was easier for people to complete payment when they had shown commitment by paying half before they saw the actual photograph.

I had developed the habit of frequenting Variety Shows which were mostly singing and dancing competions, as a photographer and truthfully these shows were lucrative for me. I had been doing photography for a while and it wasn't entirely an easy ride as i had to move from one place to the other as well as convince people to pose for pictures at a fee. But variety shows, provided many clients in one location and they quickly became my cash cow and I loved them for that.

There I was, a 13 year old in his 8^th grade ‘hustling’ with a camera. My brother in law had bought the camera to grow my hobby for photography, but there I was – gone commercial. Not that it was entirely a bad idea, but commercial photography where you hustle for customers came with its own disadvantages. There were people that would refuse to pay for a picture even when they themselves repeatedly asked you to photograph them. Others just became bad debtors all the time.

Nevertheless, it was not an entirely gloomy venture. It came with its own ups and really great moments. At times it gave me exposure to things I’d never ordinarily be exposed to at 13. For instance, I’d never in a million years be allowed to attend a function of that nature while coming from Mr Me’s (my brother in law as he often referred to himself) home. Variety Shows then didn’t get a lot of good publicity. I’d honestly say V-shows as they were fondly called, got a lot of bad press. Teenagers drunk --Teenagers dancing inappropriately --Teenagers trashing halls -- Teenagers sneaking off to the bathroom to smoke or have sex. But the truth is that the shows were never really about all those unsavory elements. This was just teens showing off dancing skills, rapping skills, singing skills and having fun doing karaoke.

Whatever perceptions of the V-show existed back then, I was just happy to be around my peers and also enjoying capturing the event with my camera. The camera was my passport to gain entry to the event. I also knew that not long after that day, we would be deep into the rain season and the Barotse plain would be flooded. That meant the huge post boat would restart the seasonal boat cruises. Yet again, the camera would be the reason I attend the cruises.

The next year I’d improve my skill in photography, and it would prove to be a worthwhile hobby. In fact, some of my most interesting experiences in life have been ‘behind the lense’. I have never been one to be photogenic so being the photographer has always served me well. I learned to not only be able to capture the subject in the shot but also the role played by the background to make a good picture. Basics of photography like exposure, shutter release and photographer’s shadow in a picture became my everyday vocabulary. Then again, this was all before the digital camera.

Fast forward more than 16 years later, I was attending a wedding ceremony when a photographer walks in my direction and …snap… flash… snap… then he turns his digital camera and zooms a frame of my face on his camera screen. Never mind what my first reaction to the photographer, or must I call him ‘camera man’ was. Most importantly is that I politely told him that I didn’t want to be photographed, I had my own digital camera and that at an appropriate moment, I’d take the shots I wanted. 5 minutes later as I walk out of the hall to answer my ringing mobile phone, I see more than 6 pictures with my face sprawled on the floor. There were several other pictures of other people. “What time was this picture taken?” I asked the gentleman who was now asking me to pay for the picture.

This is now an all too familiar scenario each time you attend a function such as wedding, graduation, product launch etc. Personally I find this irritating. The photographer in me still prefers to be behind a camera lense than in front. It is more irritating if I am going to be photographed without my consent and later asked to pay. I’ll not be lying if I said the photographers are the most annoying aspect of most functions. However, I am even more irritated by the audience photographers.

The audience photographer is the invited guest or gate crasher that owns a smart phone, ‘chinese phone’, digital camera, Ipad and any other forms of tablets and gadget with a camera. At one wedding ceremony, as the master of ceremony was asking the new couple to feed each other with a piece of cake and there after share a kiss, it seemed as if a quarter of the guests had stood up to either take pictures or shoot a video from their various gadgets. While so many people anointed themselves as photographers or cameramen, the rest of us sat helplessly not able to see anything but the back of the many gadget slinging guests. When half of guests are converted to photographers, all the remaining half can do is pray to God to grant them a neck as long as a giraffe or an ostrich so they can be able to keep up with the proceedings. While I may have used a camera with a focusing lense and one that uses photographic film, technology available today has enabled every John and Mary take pictures and shoots amateur videos.

Making beautiful photographs and being a great photographer involves nothing more than a bit of thought. While it often helps to have decent equipment, all you really need is to take a moment before each shot to think clearly about what you are attempting to capture or create. At public and private events a bit of photographic etiquette is also needed.

One more irritating aspect of these functions is the role played by the Master of ceremony (MC). Did I miss something? Who passed the golden directive that all MC’s must be comedians? No way. Some of the jokes they say are so dirty and not fit for some particular functions.

I reached the climax of irritation with MC’s late last year when I bought a Bob Nkosha DORIKA DVD. I watched the DVD the entire week and at the weekend when I attended a wedding I realized that one of the supporting acts in the DORIKA DVD was the chosen MC at the wedding. To my irritation, the man just repeated the same jokes on the DORIKA DVD. Is it the only material they have?

That wasn’t annoying enough. Two weeks later when I was at a different wedding, another of the supporting acts in the DORIKA DVD was the MC. Dejavu. The same jokes on the DVD all over. The most annoying part of that evening was not to be the jokes however but the woman that sat on my table. She laughed her lungs out as the MC churned out one joke after another. Each interval after a break from the wedding proceedings when the MC came with more jokes, it almost seemed like she laughed even louder. Then the MC decided to introduce his wife who was seated in the audience… guess who… the woman at my table. Really! Laughing that loud! Had she never heard those jokes before?

The ‘Sexperts’; Laughing away in the studio!

It is Thursday evening and when I check my pockets for my mobile phone, I can’t find the gadget. I do the search once more and still I can’t find it. Just then, the Armcor security officer who had opened the gate for me realizes I've lost something and he beckons in my direction and asks if I had lost anything and I give a response in the affirmative. The tall lanky man offers to help and asks for my phone number, after which he dials it and immediately the phone rings right underneath my seat on the driver’s side of the auto mobile. I appreciated the man’s help with a terse “thank you” and as I drove out I gestured a thumbs up in further appreciation of the man’s efforts.

No sooner had I driven out than my hand reached for the car stereo power button and when the speakers came alive, a group of three males were laughing away in the Hot fm 87.7 radio studio. The digital watch beside my dash board indicated it was exactly 30 minutes past 9pm. My mind immediately switched to home where my wife was alone at home awaiting my return. It was a little late for a newlywed man, yet to clock a year in marriage, away from home at 21:30hrs. I had a meeting the next morning so I had to stay slightly longer at the office to review all the reports and prepare my presentation at the meeting. The situation was not helped by the fact that the departmental manager had recently left, thus the emphasis on accuracy from the new boss was more pronounced now. My options were limited but to put in few extra hours in order to thoroughly prepare for the meeting.

Just then something on the radio caught my attention. The three blokes on the radio had burst into more laughter. There was another gentleman on air who had called the studio and gabbing about … “That man is not a good friend and that pregnancy is not even his. How can he be mounting the friend’s girl?” The man didn't conclude his contribution before the fellas in the studio burst into more laughter and this time it was even louder. It was then when I realized the people in the studio were laughing at the other man’s use of the word ‘mounting’. The caller to this radio station was actually using the term ‘mount’ in reference to sexual intercourse.

The radio show I’m making reference to comes on Hot fm radio every Thursday between 21:00hrs and midnight. The show is anchored by a Jimmy K with guests ‘Pastor’ Steady Divine and Uncle Roy is duly named Real Talk Live. The show discusses various social issues but mainly handing out advice on relationship and marital problems. Callers are also allowed to give advice and give a wide range of comments on the topic at hand. This is all in the hope that the concerned person is listening… and getting helped.

There are a lot such programmes on various radio stations. There was a time when Qfm radio ran the Qtalk show every Sunday morning and Muvi TV runs spit it out programme. Facebook is also full of such pages where people post all their problems in search of solutions to their social and relationship problems and advice is given by other members of such groups. If you ever, listen to any of these programme and you get the solution that solves your problem then count yourself lucky. It is even more difficulty to get any solution if all what the anchors of the show will be doing is laughing like they are at Live the Apollo or Zambia one comedy. These are real people with real problems and all we can do is make fun of their situations.

If these programmes are meant to help the people who bring forth their situations for discussion, then the hosts of these shows bear a lot of responsibility which they should execute maturely. This means letting the callers know that they need to call and provide solutions and not turn such a show to a comedy night show. The same must be said for the other discussants in the studio. If we want to laugh, Mwine mushi or Dorika will ably provide that.

The other thing such shows usually lack is the presence of an expert. Most of the programmes I've been able to listen to actually have medical related problems and it would help to have the presence of a medical practitioner, psychologist or psycho-socio counselor. The other time, the Thursday evening show on Hot fm was discussing an issue of a woman that was dating a man with epilepsy. She had been told by friends that during sex, the man would develop seizures. The panel discussants just made fun of the situation without giving straight answers. They even went as far as putting the entire situation into ‘graphical perspective’ and how such a woman would react.

I really thought that was a childish response to such an important concern from the lady. The Epilepsy foundation website, 
(http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/aboutepilepsy/), states that;
“Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the U.S. after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined.”

 

Epilepsy affects 65 million people worldwide. Seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells
in the brain signal abnormally, which may briefly alter a person's consciousness, movement or actions.

The one show with a medical expert is the Manzi therapy show hosted by Herbert Mutabi and features urology specialist doctor, Francis Manda. Doctor Manda responds to several questions regarding a variety of medical conditions. He gives scientific explanations, remedies as well as guidance on where to go in order to seek attention for any such medical problems. However Dr Manda is also not without controversy. He has been accused by some callers of being overly explicit. One lady once called the show and accused him of ‘practicing pornography’ on radio. She was so angry she threatened to report him to the Medical Council of Zambia for inappropriate smutty behavior.

Granted, the programme comes early in the morning when children are awake, but you do not expect a medical doctor worth his salt to start calling body parts by names that they are not. Should he also start referring to sexual intercourse as ‘mounting’? It is just a duty for all parents to give guidance in homes regarding what the little ones listen to. The show is not even exclusive to sexual problems but wide ranging medical problems. The sexual issues only deluge on the show because the large part of Zambians would not go to see a doctor for a sexual problem but would rather hide in the anonymity of a text message to the Manzi therapy show. The doctor is doing a great job. The majority of listeners benefit.

They should be helped, not made fun of. 

Dual Citizenship

Tribalism talk in Zambian politics is registering high on the news media and social media Richter scales at the moment. It seems tribalism is a problem that as society, we love shoving under the carpet and pretend it doesn't exist. Racism talk has also been trending highly with accusations and counter accusations regarding who is racist and who isn't.  Our society is not as inclusive as we like to pretend it is.

It is common for many of us to refer to ourselves as more Zambian because we have dark skins and others like Guy Scott as less Zambian. Maybe the constitution not providing for the likes of Guy Scott to contest presidential elections is at fault in building fences among us. It is rarely explained that Guy Scott cannot contest the position of republican president because his parents were non Zambian, as opposed to him being a white Zambia. I must then assume his daughter is eligible for the presidency. I am not a constitutional lawyer so I won’t delve much into that. However, I must state here that there is a very dangerous xenophobic behavior that is present in most Zambians.

Talking of the constitution, I hope the technical committee on the constitution making process will soon be done with their work even though the document will not be scrutinized by the public. One of the terms of reference for the committee was to also review the Mung'omba constitution review report, draft Constitution, which in my view was a progressive draft constitution in the face of globalization and 21^st century challenges. One of the 21^st century challenges that the Mung'omba draft constitution addressed was the issue of Dual Citizenship.

 

The South African Citizenship Act provides for retention of South African citizenship,
 PRIOR to the acquisition of a foreign citizenship. 

I must admit here that I haven’t thoroughly read the Mungomba draft constitution in its entirety even though the post newspaper widely distributed the copies. I may be one of the many Zambians that largely want to wait for some civil society leader to read through and then when they speak we just side for or against. Just one of the many Zambians still deeply inundated in folklore as the most effective means of communication. It is easier for me to listen to someone talk than to read. Needless to say, I will endeavor to talk of dual citizenship, even without the full information of what is contained in the draft constitution.

Multiple citizenship is a status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Multiple citizenship exist because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, citizenship requirements. Technically each nation makes a claim that this person be considered its national. For this reason, it is possible for a person to be a citizen of one or more countries, or even no country.

Currently, a person who holds Zambian citizenship cannot be a citizen of another country. If they obtained another nation’s citizenship, it would be as good as denouncing the Zambian citizenship. However in my humble opinion, we should as a country move from this 20^th century belief that a person cannot hold passports of two nations.

In the 21^st century where the world has become one global village, gaps created by nationalities must be bridged. The most obvious reason that comes to mind is the ease of travel to both countries. A Zambian who holds British passport may not have a lot of problems travelling to EU countries as much as a Zambian who only hold a Zambian passport. One may take advantage of international agreements between countries (visa free travel to certain countries that do not have an agreement with the other country).

In addition, such a person may access dual opportunities like high paying jobs in both countries. On the other side of the coin, a Government benefits from dual citizenship because its citizens who also hold citizenship of other countries help promote a country's image and culture abroad. If you have two passports, you may have more access to the world.

Truth be told, many Zambians in the diaspora (some of whom are economic refugees) love this country as much as anyone else. It is not even far from the truth to say they love Zambia more than some of the Zambians resident in Zambia. I have deliberately used the term ‘economic refugees’ to mean those Zambians who left the country for ‘greener pastures’. Most left the country for a more fulfilling career outside of the country. They definitely managed to get a pay cheque bigger than the one they got back home.

Most have really done well and do help in the development of Zambia by educating relatives back in Zambia. The truth is that most can do better. But the bigger pay cheque abroad after some time becomes just as big as the smaller pay cheque they escaped from back home. Therefore it is important to ‘empower’ them to be able to earn more. This empowerment can only come when they are able to compete for the same opportunities that citizens of those countries are able to compete for. Dual nationality or citizenship is the answer here.

This brings me to the story of Christopher (not actual name), a friend of mine I attended high school with. After high school, Chris went to the University of Zambia where he only studied for one semester and he got a bursary to study in Manchester. In Manchester, Christopher studied for a Barchelors degree in Economics for four years after which he elected to extend his stay in England by enrolling for a masters degree programme with a major in public finance.

It took Chris slightly under 3 years to complete his masters programmes since this time he was paying for his education alone. He worked in three different places as a waiter and weekends worked as an assistant beverages manager at a coffee shop at old Trafford the stadium for Manchester united football club. In the time Christopher was serving coffee and alcoholic beverages, most Briton friends of his he attended university with had gotten employed by some of the upmarket banks in Manchester. After completing his masters programme, Christopher worked a further three years serving alcohol and coffee until he gave up the search for a better paying job in England and came back home.

The story was narrated to me by Christopher himself when I met him late last year at one of the lodges in Lusaka. He was there to negotiate for one of their beautiful halls to be the venue of his wedding and I also happened to be visiting the lodge for the same reason. He is now working as an economist with one of the government departments in Ndola.

 

Zambians in Australia celebrating October 24th Independence day

Maybe Christopher's story isn't the most striking. Most Zambians that follow Chelsea football Club of London England will be aware of two youth players with the sir-name Musonda. The two Musondas are actually children of former Zambia National soccer team player Charles Musonda. The two teen aged boys are great prospects with the talent they exhibit. Alas, we may never see them in Zambian colours. They are likely to represent Belgium where they were born. It is easier for them to get working permits and contracts at teams such as Chelsea if they hold a passport of an EU country.

If you dispute the kind of benefit of having even just one of your nationals playing for a top team like Chelsea, then just look at the Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba. Drogba was born in France from Ivorian parents and lived his entire life in France but having been snubbed by the French coaches; he decided to play for Ivory Coast. It was recently announced that Drogba who holds French and Ivorian passports is building 5 hospitals in Ivory Coast. Footballers do make enough money in Europe to be able to build five hospitals. Another Ivorian, Yaya Toure gets paid a reported £ 300,000 Sterling a week. You can do your own calculations to find how much that is in Kwacha, then if you so wish multiply that by 4 to arrive at his monthly earnings.     

Is the ICC for African leaders only?

I must confess my admiration for Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has soared since his recent visit to Zambia. I have been a longtime admirer of Ngũgĩ since I first read his book The River between. Then, I read Weep Not, Child, which brought so many emotions out of me. I don’t remember a book, other than Mine Boy, making me so emotive almost to a point of shading tears like the way Weep not, child did.

So there I was on 15^th September 2013, my eyes fixated on the Television set in front of me and there was no mistaking how heavily captivated to what was going on in front of me I was. The fact that I missed professor wa Thiong’o’s earlier lecture at Taj Pamodzi Hotel on the theme; 'Language of Justice in Africa", made this particular TV interview all the more important. It was some kind of consolation.

Ngugi was advocating the use, and appreciation of local African languages. Giving local languages enough prominence, such as even write books in our languages, after all he has shown us the way by moving from English to Kikuyu in his more recent works of literature. “Are you being fair to the new African writers?” “You only switched to kikuyu after you had gained prominence in English,” The moderator quizzed him. He was clear in his answer. He has also been schooled by the same colonial powers that subliminally taught us that English was the only language to use. Students that spoke ‘vernacular’ within school premises were punished for it. What crime is there in speaking your own language?

I don’t know how true this is in his native Kenya, but this is the biggest problem in the Zambian middle class society today. We have children that do not speak any of our mother tongues. The case in point is a Facebook post, that has made rounds the past week; Ati some people when you visit their homes and you greet the children in Bemba, they will tell you "He can't understand you unless you greet him in English." But funny enough the same child can't even speak any decent English; all you hear is "Give me that kama book." "Mummy he is starting me", "I will pepeka you", lol.

It is my long held belief that a child must be fluent in any of his/her parents’ language. Yours truly was brought up to learn Silozi first, and then any other language I learned along the way would be for my benefit. I had to learn how to speak and write Silozi fluently then I learned English, Nyanja and also picked up on Bemba, Tonga and a lot of other local languages which even though not fluent, I can communicate effectively. In my late teens, I tried learning Spanish though I never went too far. This is empowerment according to Ngũgĩ, and I agree totally.

This is what my mother had taught me many years ago. The same message was emphasized by my brother in law who I lived with during some of the most important years of my growing up process, as the period is crucial for personality development. It may not be scientifically proven, but it is my held opinion that a person’s personality is highly shaped by their experiences between the ages of 8 and 18. My brother in law then was teaching English language and literature in English at St John’s secondary school and listening to Ngũgĩ now, it almost chronicles upon me that they were cut from the same cloth.  

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o,
currently Distinguished Professor of English and comparative Literature at the University of California

On ICC

Listening to Ngũgĩ, I couldn't stop asking myself why I have only read three books of this great son of Africa. He speaks as intelligently as he writes, which is something very rare in most writers. I’d been expecting someone so nondescript and practically invisible, but Ngũgĩ is a personality whose presence (even just on TV) brings the kind of exuberance and smudges close to the over used phrase, ‘butterflies in my stomach’.

However as the interview went on, he touched one issue that in my opinion he got wrong. When asked of his opinion about the International Criminal Court ICC, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o gave an answer that was almost a repetition of the propaganda that has been coming from some politicians in his native Kenya and the African Union leaders. "The ICC only targets African leaders," he seemed to be suggesting. A few days before, Zambian minister of justice Wynter Kabimba(coincidentally one of the people asked to say a ‘few word’ at Ngũgĩ’s lecture at Pamodzi) was quoted by Hot fm radio saying something in the same line. Mr. Kabimba also went as far as supporting the proposed move by the Kenyan parliament to move a motion of withdrawing membership from the ICC.

I don’t think so!

I can understand the reasons why African politicians have taken to this school of thought, which wants to make everyone believe the ICC is only prosecuting Africans. Politicians always have skeletons in the closet they wish to keep away from everybody. Very few African politicians have a grain of morality and integrity regarding how they govern the people. Ngũgĩ’s Support or endorsement of this school of thought will give it prominence. He is an outsider who stands to gain nothing from it and his stature in society will rubber stamp the belief that the ICC is targeting only Africans.

However, I will not question Ngũgĩ on this one as a TV interview answer is not necessarily a well thought answer. It is devoid of any analytical thought. The argument that the ICC unjustly targets only African states and individuals is mostly based on misperception and has become a rhetorical tool of political elites to undermine the Court. The calls from a recent AU Summit in Ethiopia for the ICC to drop charges against Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, is a quest to advance impunity. Even before the ICC was formed a lot of other cases were heard at The Hague including those of European countries like Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro and others. Have we all of a sudden forgotten about Slobodan Milosevic?

The world today is far better off than it was in 1990 or 2000. Leaders the world over know that they cannot preside over mass killings without being indicted by the ICC. Victims of atrocious crimes now have the possibility of receiving justice by having those who bear the greatest responsibility in criminal planning or incitement brought to account. Even with the presence of the ICC, African leaders still commit atrocities with impunity. It is just recently when a group of overzealous youths in Mongu were fired at by Police and lives lost. The crime they committed was going to assemble for a meeting that was not sanctioned by Police. What happened to tear gas canisters? Did they all run out?

The Mongu shooting may not have attracted international headlines, but we all remember the Marikana mine shooting in South Africa where more than 34 striking mine workers were killed. One of the commanders later confirmed to say everything went according to the plan for the police! 
(http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Marikana-shooting-went-as-planned-video-20131003) What a shame! I wonder when he will be indicted by the ICC.

 

Industrial Dispute Solution!
Police shot dead 34 striking miners and injuring several

What the African leaders and the AU should be advocating for is that ‘powerful’ states like Israel and the United States of America who have refused to sign the Roman Statute, (potentially shielding leaders like George W Bush from prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity) to sign and be party. As it stands, those countries that are part of the ICC signed on their own accord and must thus respect human rights accordingly.

Why should people escape justice simply because they are members of a club called African Union? Why should leaders use the AU to prolong impunity? Yet hapless bus drivers are sent to jail for contravening, and stealing a chicken still lands many behind bars, convicted often before a single judge. African leaders are now discrediting the ICC because one of them (President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto of Kenya) are now facing charges at the court. Why didn’t they object when Charles Tailor, Jean Pierrre Bemba and others were indicted?  

I am sure if Ngũgĩ was asked again, he would not support this myopic school of thought. After all he himself is a victim of state brutality orchestrated by the Daniel Arap Moi regime leading to him leaving his native Kenya to live in Exile first in Britain and then in the USA.