18 January 2004
editorial
Lusaka — WE agree with Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) director Father Pete Henriotís statement yesterday that it is unacceptable to have 80 per cent of Zambians go without sufficient food, water and social services.
Indeed, if nothing is done to reverse our adverse social and economic conditions in the country, we are headed for a serious social crisis of unprecedented proportions.
The ever rising cost of living is leaving more and more of our people without reasonable access to the necessities of life.
Even what is very basic like food, water, health and education among other critical needs.
As Fr. Henriot notes whether or not we are guided by the Churchís social teaching, ìwe know that something is very wrong today in Zambia and that it does not need to be so.î
We further agree that there is urgent need for economic literacy in understanding issues of the day and that strong advocacy is needed to bring about the political changes required to have a more socially just economy in Zambia.
As a nation, we also need to closely analyse and indeed correct some of the neoliberal policies that have plunged us deeper in desperation as a nation where over 80 per cent of our people are wallowing deep in poverty.
It certainly is a big problem when the policies we pursue relegate the human person who should instead be the priority of all economic activities because the economy exists for people and not vice-versa.
The principles of economic justice were revolutionary in Zambia today but were sadly, not manifested in the elements of programmes enforced by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and in priorities of transnational corporations that invest in Zambia. This needs to be addressed.
It is worrying that what we keep seeing instead is the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) sponsored programmes daily changing names, approaches or focus - well funded experiments and organised confusion, veritable chaos that continue to worsen our people's already vulnerable position.
Sadly, while these policies are being defended as being pro-poor in the long term, they have failed to meet the needs of our impoverished majority of the people.
They seem to favour the transnational corporations and the petite bourgeoise elements that serve them at the expense of the over 80 per cent poor of our people.
It is true that even our leadership in government also has a hand in the current problems that our country faces.
We have failed to define what state we have, what our priorities are and indeed what kind of democracy we have.
Without defining what kind of state we have we will continue to only serve the people, not the majority poor, but the 20 per cent who seem to be gobbling up the little resources that are there for the entire nation.
We have failed to live by the basic tenets of democracy, which a US president aptly described as a government of the people, for the people, by the people.
What can aptly apply to our situation where over 80 per cent of our people are living in very humble settlings is; a government of the humble, for the humble, by the humble. But clearly this is far from reality in our nation.
Consider how much is spent on medical evacuations of bourgeoise elements who have to be flown out of the country due to cholestrol related illnesses yet millions cannot benefit from a fraction of the expense even to purchase basic drugs from their local health centres. sometimes suffer
This should not be viewed as wholesale condemnation of IMF and World bank because all that we are trying to do is take up our noble duty of condemning what needs to be condemned from a standpoint of principles and to straighten out what has been born very twisted. We are ready to co-operate with everyone to draw up a truly meaningful project - in which our people's interests and future, and not that of imperialism and transnational corporations, are primary. We will support our poor and majority people centred policies that mean well for the disadvantaged Zambians.
This is all we are interested in and what really matters to us; we are trying to fight on the level of principles and ideas so that our people can survive, develop and have access to proper health services, education, clean water, shelter and most importantly, adequately balanced diets.
We want to see a reversal of our country's march towards a serious social crisis of unprecedented proportions that is looming.
This is why we want our people, those who govern this country - and those of goodwill who want to help us - to consider more effective ways of addressing the current social crisis.
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