SWAMPY TALES

Life is all about basics. I listened to one supposedly learned person in an intense argument in one of the many minibus-political debates I have heard. The educated fiercely attacked the governance of the FTJ Chiluba government. He stated that the many challenges Zambia was going through at the time were because of the president’s primary education. He further condemned the establishment of Basic schools, which, according to him, did not add any meaningful value to the country. Finally, he encouraged people to vote for university graduates in future elections. In response, the opponents gave an example of the early Kaunda days. They stated that Dr. Kaunda did very well in his first ten years of rule despite having just attained a ‘basic’ education. They indicated that Dr Chiluba had, in fact, numerous cabinet ministers who were highly educated. This debate got more intense as those supporting graduates and non-graduates joined. Each contributor had their reasons for keeping their

How should I summarize 2022 in a single word? Challenging. I silently had to cope with failures and console myself with some successes while I received some undeserved blessings. Among my significant failures was the inactivity in the association I hold dearly, The Lunga Development Association. Just imagine you are the chief executive officer of a supposedly community-led developmental organization that turns into a political battlefield by members who call themselves brothers. You question your leadership skills to hold the team together. Members poke every developmental proposal with criticisms of all hues as they pull in different directions. We had to put up with those within us who, naturally, viewed us with suspicion and whose goal was to see us get nowhere in our plans. We had many who pretended to support the dream while they believed not in our aspirations. This resulted in the group remaining but a chat platform where we posted motivational and religious quotes that me