When is a Picture worth a thousand words?
No words could ever convey the change on Silvia's face.
Vanity Fair sent photographer Antonin Kratochvil to Zambia in March this year, to do a before and after ARV story on HIV persons - in an effort to lobby for more funding, for cheaper drugs. The result could not have been more convincing!
On this World AIDS day, Kashikulu would like to encourage Zambians in Diaspora to continue supporting charity organizations like Red campaign , World Vision and others - it's amazing what $20 on your credit card every month can do!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Piety, Piece, Peace! – will we ever have it all?
There is an intrinsic benefit that comes with constant inquiry and observation- a sound appreciation of those eternal facts of life on earth. How the human specie have gotten along with one another since Adam and Eve’s piety succumbed to a serpent incited lust for a piece of forbidden fruit turning the peace and tranquil of the man’s first habitat, the garden on its head.
You may not share this version of man’s history; however therein rest the facts of life – the goodness of heart that is required to give every man and woman on earth their fair portion in life so we can all live in peace is ever elusive. Every society has within it, those that are marginalized by circumstance or greed, they can not have their piece of land, of food, or rest - their peace is always threatened.
So as Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas, begin peace talks in Annapolis US, in an attempt to resolve the oldest conflict over of land, Kashikulu wonders if this latest effort has any real opportunity for success.
The Israelis by strength and strategy hold a bigger piece of the disputed land; do they have the collective piety or humanity necessary to give their Palestinian neighbors a fair share of the piece?
On the other hand do the Palestinians have the collective piety and humanity necessary to accept their Israeli neighbors’ right to a homeland and a peaceful existence after all they have been through?
I hope for some kind of agreement from the Annapolis talks; Abbas however has a bigger challenge to convince the Palestinians to accept whatever terms they agree. History has shown that Palestinians who were empowered by Israel did not last for long in power. The best example is the Village Leagues, a group that was established in the West Bank after Israel dismissed most of the elected pro-PLO mayors in the early 1980s. The heads and members of the Village Leagues were quickly condemned as traitors by their own people and some of them were assassinated. The group, which was supposed to pave the way for the emergence of a "moderate" alternative to the PLO, was eventually dismantled.
In Africa peace has been elusive, ironically not primarily because of the indigenous people’ failure to get along with one another; but because of the greed and lust of western corporations and interest for a piece of Africa’s wealth. Brutal and bloody diamond or oil driven conflicts have ravaged Liberia, Congo, Nigeria, Angola and Darfur.
In Zambia foreign corporations and investors lacking in piety or corporate responsibility refuse to give Zambians their deserved piece of proceeds from the exploitation of national resources such as copper.
On the other hand, there are many well meaning western organizations working for causes such as debt relief and ending hunger active in Africa, but will there ever be an end to exploitation?
Sadly my friends, after much inquiry and observation Mwankole affirms that despite humanity’s best aspiration we cannot all have piety, life’s fair piece and peace- there will always be some in our world that always have the least of one or all.
You may not share this version of man’s history; however therein rest the facts of life – the goodness of heart that is required to give every man and woman on earth their fair portion in life so we can all live in peace is ever elusive. Every society has within it, those that are marginalized by circumstance or greed, they can not have their piece of land, of food, or rest - their peace is always threatened.
So as Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas, begin peace talks in Annapolis US, in an attempt to resolve the oldest conflict over of land, Kashikulu wonders if this latest effort has any real opportunity for success.
The Israelis by strength and strategy hold a bigger piece of the disputed land; do they have the collective piety or humanity necessary to give their Palestinian neighbors a fair share of the piece?
On the other hand do the Palestinians have the collective piety and humanity necessary to accept their Israeli neighbors’ right to a homeland and a peaceful existence after all they have been through?
I hope for some kind of agreement from the Annapolis talks; Abbas however has a bigger challenge to convince the Palestinians to accept whatever terms they agree. History has shown that Palestinians who were empowered by Israel did not last for long in power. The best example is the Village Leagues, a group that was established in the West Bank after Israel dismissed most of the elected pro-PLO mayors in the early 1980s. The heads and members of the Village Leagues were quickly condemned as traitors by their own people and some of them were assassinated. The group, which was supposed to pave the way for the emergence of a "moderate" alternative to the PLO, was eventually dismantled.
In Africa peace has been elusive, ironically not primarily because of the indigenous people’ failure to get along with one another; but because of the greed and lust of western corporations and interest for a piece of Africa’s wealth. Brutal and bloody diamond or oil driven conflicts have ravaged Liberia, Congo, Nigeria, Angola and Darfur.
In Zambia foreign corporations and investors lacking in piety or corporate responsibility refuse to give Zambians their deserved piece of proceeds from the exploitation of national resources such as copper.
On the other hand, there are many well meaning western organizations working for causes such as debt relief and ending hunger active in Africa, but will there ever be an end to exploitation?
Sadly my friends, after much inquiry and observation Mwankole affirms that despite humanity’s best aspiration we cannot all have piety, life’s fair piece and peace- there will always be some in our world that always have the least of one or all.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Can Prof Chirwa get down and dirty? – Lesson from the past!
In the 2001 elections, Yobert Shamapande a former UN official (now adjunct professor at Columbia University) who returned to Zambia mid 2000, after many years abroad, high on a combination of audacity and hope (result of many years in Diaspora) dared to contest the presidency. After dispensing most of his pension fund while canvassing around Zambia in an effort to woo support, he only managed 9,481 (0.54%) votes of that elections final count. In hindsight, he blamed his dismal performance on a failure to resonate with the common voter and a late entrance to the Zambian political arena.
Prof Chirwa on the other hand may have time and the audacity of hope, as allies but can he resonate with the fisherman on the banks of Lake Mweru in Luapula or the marketeer in Chawama compound in Lusaka?
Can he speak the language of fish and impwa?
Can he pull up an Obama speech ?
I know Prof Chirwa holds impeccable credentials, however I have not heard his manner of speaking nor do I know his personality. I truly hope his bold declaration that “he will not be bruised” will hold true after the 2011 elections.
As Eastern province MMD chairman Mr. Mangani says
“Yes, he may be well educated. But politics are different from academic qualifications. In politics you don’t need to brag. Politics will terminate his education and become a nobody within a short period of time. It is very normal and this is what is happening in the Zambian politics and Africa at large,”
Kashikulu wishes the Profesori good luck and prays he has a very thick skin and very deep pockets indeed!
Prof Chirwa on the other hand may have time and the audacity of hope, as allies but can he resonate with the fisherman on the banks of Lake Mweru in Luapula or the marketeer in Chawama compound in Lusaka?
Can he speak the language of fish and impwa?
Can he pull up an Obama speech ?
I know Prof Chirwa holds impeccable credentials, however I have not heard his manner of speaking nor do I know his personality. I truly hope his bold declaration that “he will not be bruised” will hold true after the 2011 elections.
As Eastern province MMD chairman Mr. Mangani says
“Yes, he may be well educated. But politics are different from academic qualifications. In politics you don’t need to brag. Politics will terminate his education and become a nobody within a short period of time. It is very normal and this is what is happening in the Zambian politics and Africa at large,”
Kashikulu wishes the Profesori good luck and prays he has a very thick skin and very deep pockets indeed!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
The Madness of Politics.
It was former British Prime Minister John Major who said in criticizing the audacity of Tony Blair’s ambitious platform of change in 1997 – “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
How odd that, those political leaders who start with the greatest resonance with the common man, almost always end their reign, under that haunting cloud of failure to live up to popular expectations. Sometimes there is such outrage at the end; it is hard to reconcile that failed political villain exposed by a term in office to the candidate that started off with overwhelming promise and potential.
This is certainly true, in the case of FTJ Chiluba of Zambia, whose rallying chant “the hour” raised such popularity that a former UNIP official who threatened to kill his own son who had succumbed and dared to recite the national mantra at the time, was told by his angry wife , you will have to kill the whole family. Now, those same people that were willing to sacrifice so much in 1990 want FTJ’s blood.
Tony Blair, who started his reign with his shoulders firm and his head in the clouds, may have succeeded in the devolution of power but he lead to and left his country the hell of the Iraq war and had to end his reign early under the awful cloud.
So when will Michael Sata’s political bubble burst?
Uka chenjenjela ma’anja ulyenawo (if you are clever and quick with your hands, you will eat with them) a Chewa proverb - Sata has certainly been quick with his political hand, having been a UNIP royalist and Governor in the Kaunda reign, a regime whose legacy mortally scarred all that fanned its suppressive wings yet Sata survived the blight. He went on to claim his share in FTJ‘s hour. And though, Sata was Chiluba’s dirty job man- sinking opponents and wooing cadres with brown envelopes, he emerged from yet, another corrupt and failed regime, still with enough political clout to form, his own party (PF). In the 2006 presidential and parliamentary, he came close securing his ultimate ambition - plot one.
Yet under scrutiny, Sata notoriously called King Cobra’ credentials reveal, a man with precious little formal education, an abrasive style of leadership and utter lack of the diplomacy necessary, for the role he so desires. Recently, he claimed to have lost his passport in a botched attempt, to conceal his long and deepening relations with Taiwanese business lobbyists.
In African politics, it is impossible to survive this ultimate political sinker, being branded a foreign interest crony. Despite this recent misstep, Sata continues to draw a large political following and an increasing footprint in Parliament.
What is it, about politics that makes the not so qualified thrive?
In the 2001 US elections, most Americans say they voted for George Bush because he appealed to them as “the guy most likely to share a drink with you at the bar” and “most likely to stop and help you change a tire”. Needless to say there is now, in the US substantial regret and disappointment for having set the bar so low.
In South Africa, Jacob Zuma, amazingly still has political clout among the average man despite surviving a sacking from office following strong allegations of corruption and rape. Like Sata, Zuma has little formal education, several wives and children. At rallies, he woos his large following by appealing to their militancy as he sings “mshini wami” which translates “bring me my machine gun”. Yet, he is a front runner to succeed Thabo Mbeki as President of South Africa.
And in Zambia, if HH for UPND and possibly Cosmas Chilala or Maureen (if Hilary wins in the US) for MMD, do not learn the tricks and get down & dirty by 2011 – The madness of King Cobra may yet have its worst qualities revealed.
How odd that, those political leaders who start with the greatest resonance with the common man, almost always end their reign, under that haunting cloud of failure to live up to popular expectations. Sometimes there is such outrage at the end; it is hard to reconcile that failed political villain exposed by a term in office to the candidate that started off with overwhelming promise and potential.
This is certainly true, in the case of FTJ Chiluba of Zambia, whose rallying chant “the hour” raised such popularity that a former UNIP official who threatened to kill his own son who had succumbed and dared to recite the national mantra at the time, was told by his angry wife , you will have to kill the whole family. Now, those same people that were willing to sacrifice so much in 1990 want FTJ’s blood.
Tony Blair, who started his reign with his shoulders firm and his head in the clouds, may have succeeded in the devolution of power but he lead to and left his country the hell of the Iraq war and had to end his reign early under the awful cloud.
So when will Michael Sata’s political bubble burst?
Uka chenjenjela ma’anja ulyenawo (if you are clever and quick with your hands, you will eat with them) a Chewa proverb - Sata has certainly been quick with his political hand, having been a UNIP royalist and Governor in the Kaunda reign, a regime whose legacy mortally scarred all that fanned its suppressive wings yet Sata survived the blight. He went on to claim his share in FTJ‘s hour. And though, Sata was Chiluba’s dirty job man- sinking opponents and wooing cadres with brown envelopes, he emerged from yet, another corrupt and failed regime, still with enough political clout to form, his own party (PF). In the 2006 presidential and parliamentary, he came close securing his ultimate ambition - plot one.
Yet under scrutiny, Sata notoriously called King Cobra’ credentials reveal, a man with precious little formal education, an abrasive style of leadership and utter lack of the diplomacy necessary, for the role he so desires. Recently, he claimed to have lost his passport in a botched attempt, to conceal his long and deepening relations with Taiwanese business lobbyists.
In African politics, it is impossible to survive this ultimate political sinker, being branded a foreign interest crony. Despite this recent misstep, Sata continues to draw a large political following and an increasing footprint in Parliament.
What is it, about politics that makes the not so qualified thrive?
In the 2001 US elections, most Americans say they voted for George Bush because he appealed to them as “the guy most likely to share a drink with you at the bar” and “most likely to stop and help you change a tire”. Needless to say there is now, in the US substantial regret and disappointment for having set the bar so low.
In South Africa, Jacob Zuma, amazingly still has political clout among the average man despite surviving a sacking from office following strong allegations of corruption and rape. Like Sata, Zuma has little formal education, several wives and children. At rallies, he woos his large following by appealing to their militancy as he sings “mshini wami” which translates “bring me my machine gun”. Yet, he is a front runner to succeed Thabo Mbeki as President of South Africa.
And in Zambia, if HH for UPND and possibly Cosmas Chilala or Maureen (if Hilary wins in the US) for MMD, do not learn the tricks and get down & dirty by 2011 – The madness of King Cobra may yet have its worst qualities revealed.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Cry my beloved Zambia!
The Tonga have a proverb buchente buliha kabi (poverty will make you, eat dirty things).
Last week, I spent some time reading the SCIAF report on Zambia (http://www.sciaf.org.uk/news/2007_news/don_t_undermine_development_in_zambia ) and weighing former finance minister Nawakwi and others’ rebuttal at accusations of participating, in the rape of Zambia’s most vulnerable. These reading in of themselves, make me sick with nostalgia, anger and brazen wrath at the likes of Nawakwi, Kalumba, Magande, Chiluba and Mwanawasa.
If vultures and flies can perceive and detect rottenness from miles away, how could these men and woman, to whom the Zambian people despite their abject poverty have availed every possible resource (hefty pays, slush fund, SUVs etc) to avert their abuse and exploitation, fail to see this coming?
Lumwana fires 100 workers
One hundred and two workers at Lumwana Mine's Group Five construction in Solwezi, North Western Province have been fired for complaining about excessive pay deductions. ZNBC.
The workers at Lumwana mine are the most vulnerable in Zambia, because the mine is a 100% foreign owned. It is as though this mine is standing on, no man’s land, right within the Zambian borders. How did such a thing, happen to a people whose right and privilege it is, to own and exploit this copper?
Ironically I have found out that, Equinox did not even buy the 49%, usually held by GRZ, directly from the Zambian government. No my countrymen, Equinox by 2004 only owned 50% of the Lumwana project, they later purchased a further 49% from a Zambian registered American corporation Phelps Dodge mining (Zambia) ltd. (http://www.infomine.com/index/pr/Pa272620.PDF)
And so, Kashikulu asks, did we as Zambians ever own or indeed lay claim to any part of this land in Lumwana on which so much copper resides?
If we as Zambians ever laid claim, how did we come to this low almost insignificant position in the Lumwana mining arrangement?
At this point, I remember the woman and her two year old daughter that sat and begged for alms, daily at the main post office in Lusaka, several years ago. The woman must not have been successful in begging because her two years soon took matters into her own hands and forcibly grabbed anyone that passed by with food or ice cream.
It appears the Zambian people in regard to their appointed guardians (Ministers and President) are at a similar crossroad; do we as Zambians sit by and starve as our weak government continues to beg and invite our abuse or should we as a people take matters in our hands and claim what is rightfully ours?
Even the World Bank, from whom our government has done the most begging and suffered still the most abuse, is now feed up…
WORLD Bank country manager, Kapil Kapoor has called for prudence in borrowing to ensure that Zambia does not fall back into another debt trap.
Speaking at a media breakfast meeting in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Kapoor said borrowing was not bad as long as the borrower had good intentions for using the borrowed resources.
He said Zambia must learn from other countries that had transformed their economies by prudently using the borrowed money.
‘‘It is very important that we know why we are borrowing, and once this is done Zambia will not go into a debt trap again,’’ he said. Times of Zambia.
When are we as Zambians going to get it, haven’t we suffered and cried enough?
Last week, I spent some time reading the SCIAF report on Zambia (http://www.sciaf.org.uk/news/2007_news/don_t_undermine_development_in_zambia ) and weighing former finance minister Nawakwi and others’ rebuttal at accusations of participating, in the rape of Zambia’s most vulnerable. These reading in of themselves, make me sick with nostalgia, anger and brazen wrath at the likes of Nawakwi, Kalumba, Magande, Chiluba and Mwanawasa.
If vultures and flies can perceive and detect rottenness from miles away, how could these men and woman, to whom the Zambian people despite their abject poverty have availed every possible resource (hefty pays, slush fund, SUVs etc) to avert their abuse and exploitation, fail to see this coming?
Lumwana fires 100 workers
One hundred and two workers at Lumwana Mine's Group Five construction in Solwezi, North Western Province have been fired for complaining about excessive pay deductions. ZNBC.
The workers at Lumwana mine are the most vulnerable in Zambia, because the mine is a 100% foreign owned. It is as though this mine is standing on, no man’s land, right within the Zambian borders. How did such a thing, happen to a people whose right and privilege it is, to own and exploit this copper?
Ironically I have found out that, Equinox did not even buy the 49%, usually held by GRZ, directly from the Zambian government. No my countrymen, Equinox by 2004 only owned 50% of the Lumwana project, they later purchased a further 49% from a Zambian registered American corporation Phelps Dodge mining (Zambia) ltd. (http://www.infomine.com/index/pr/Pa272620.PDF)
And so, Kashikulu asks, did we as Zambians ever own or indeed lay claim to any part of this land in Lumwana on which so much copper resides?
If we as Zambians ever laid claim, how did we come to this low almost insignificant position in the Lumwana mining arrangement?
At this point, I remember the woman and her two year old daughter that sat and begged for alms, daily at the main post office in Lusaka, several years ago. The woman must not have been successful in begging because her two years soon took matters into her own hands and forcibly grabbed anyone that passed by with food or ice cream.
It appears the Zambian people in regard to their appointed guardians (Ministers and President) are at a similar crossroad; do we as Zambians sit by and starve as our weak government continues to beg and invite our abuse or should we as a people take matters in our hands and claim what is rightfully ours?
Even the World Bank, from whom our government has done the most begging and suffered still the most abuse, is now feed up…
WORLD Bank country manager, Kapil Kapoor has called for prudence in borrowing to ensure that Zambia does not fall back into another debt trap.
Speaking at a media breakfast meeting in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Kapoor said borrowing was not bad as long as the borrower had good intentions for using the borrowed resources.
He said Zambia must learn from other countries that had transformed their economies by prudently using the borrowed money.
‘‘It is very important that we know why we are borrowing, and once this is done Zambia will not go into a debt trap again,’’ he said. Times of Zambia.
When are we as Zambians going to get it, haven’t we suffered and cried enough?
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The great trek - in search of the £!
The Times of London had on Monday this week, an interesting headline-
House price gloom as the wealthy turn away.
House prices fell for the first time in two years this month, sending a shudder through millions of homeowners already hit by rising mortgage repayments and more expensive borrowing.
The outlook for homeowners is likely to worsen with news that the wealthy are losing confidence in bricks and mortar as an investment.
So as I reflect, on some of my conversations with the Zambian Diaspora in London, at the independence concert. I remember asking the extent of property ownership among Zambians in London, the answer to my inquiry could not have been more emphatic “we came here for the £”. Apparently, here as in the US, the greatest preoccupation for most Zambians abroad, is making money, more and more of it, by means of wages or salaried employment. Few Zambians have invested in real estate, perhaps with good reason the strain of rising mortgage payments, is too great a burden to add to a life, already rigged with stress. The standard of living may be high in the west but the prices is the loss of a better quality of life, the better work/life balance that we are generally, accustomed to in Zambia. So those abroad work hard and sacrifice weekends off, to pay the cost of a higher standard of living – Oyster cards, countless TV channels, multi feature phones, better health care etc. In most cases, after paying for these things, there is hardly any money for a mortgage payment. It is however, easy to send a few hundred pounds, back home every month and have someone trustworthy build one a house there, instead.
And so, like the Boers north-east migration in the 19th century, the great trek of Zambians to the UK and elsewhere in search of the poundie, will go on.
House price gloom as the wealthy turn away.
House prices fell for the first time in two years this month, sending a shudder through millions of homeowners already hit by rising mortgage repayments and more expensive borrowing.
The outlook for homeowners is likely to worsen with news that the wealthy are losing confidence in bricks and mortar as an investment.
So as I reflect, on some of my conversations with the Zambian Diaspora in London, at the independence concert. I remember asking the extent of property ownership among Zambians in London, the answer to my inquiry could not have been more emphatic “we came here for the £”. Apparently, here as in the US, the greatest preoccupation for most Zambians abroad, is making money, more and more of it, by means of wages or salaried employment. Few Zambians have invested in real estate, perhaps with good reason the strain of rising mortgage payments, is too great a burden to add to a life, already rigged with stress. The standard of living may be high in the west but the prices is the loss of a better quality of life, the better work/life balance that we are generally, accustomed to in Zambia. So those abroad work hard and sacrifice weekends off, to pay the cost of a higher standard of living – Oyster cards, countless TV channels, multi feature phones, better health care etc. In most cases, after paying for these things, there is hardly any money for a mortgage payment. It is however, easy to send a few hundred pounds, back home every month and have someone trustworthy build one a house there, instead.
And so, like the Boers north-east migration in the 19th century, the great trek of Zambians to the UK and elsewhere in search of the poundie, will go on.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Mind the gap - A legacy of chaos?
The London underground fondly revered as the tube, is one of the oldest and most extensive in the world. It therefore strikes me as odd that, the brilliant minds of British engineering would rather have the train driver shout "mind the gap" at every stop than correct this small difference in height between the platform and the train. In the US any slight injury, resulting from tripping over the gap despite the warning would trigger multi million dollar lawsuits against the city. How do the disabled, cope with this small inconvenience?
I noticed only the stations on the west side of the city provide, the most access for the disabled. I guess they just work around the system or accept their inability to reach some parts of the city as life’s portion.
The global legacy, from the British colonial empire, also bears this whole mark of intentionally left gaps. From the gaps in political and territorial integrity passed on to independent India that even, today are still the cause of sectarian violence and insurgencies, to the daily chaos of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict rooted still in the gaps the British left in their creation of the geo-political system for that region.
In Zambia, that infamous image of the chaos of countless blue and white painted minibuses, all trying to get out of the poorly planned road system of Lusaka town center at peak time, comes to mind. Outer London, like Lusaka has plenty land to spare, how could the planners have failed to anticipate a population increase or at the very least the prospect of wide vehicles.
I guess this explains why those early sailors from England and Europe that founded America, setup from the very beginning a system that is fundamentally different.
They must have been so irritated with the "mind the gap" philosophy, so much so they changed every thing from electricity, roads, trains, buildings, symbols, TV system, even the meaning of words.
I noticed only the stations on the west side of the city provide, the most access for the disabled. I guess they just work around the system or accept their inability to reach some parts of the city as life’s portion.
The global legacy, from the British colonial empire, also bears this whole mark of intentionally left gaps. From the gaps in political and territorial integrity passed on to independent India that even, today are still the cause of sectarian violence and insurgencies, to the daily chaos of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict rooted still in the gaps the British left in their creation of the geo-political system for that region.
In Zambia, that infamous image of the chaos of countless blue and white painted minibuses, all trying to get out of the poorly planned road system of Lusaka town center at peak time, comes to mind. Outer London, like Lusaka has plenty land to spare, how could the planners have failed to anticipate a population increase or at the very least the prospect of wide vehicles.
I guess this explains why those early sailors from England and Europe that founded America, setup from the very beginning a system that is fundamentally different.
They must have been so irritated with the "mind the gap" philosophy, so much so they changed every thing from electricity, roads, trains, buildings, symbols, TV system, even the meaning of words.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)