Source: Post
newspaper: Thursday, April, 2013[1]
These were his
words, issued out on 13th November 2005. Munkombwe, who was then Southern
Province MMD chairman, told the late Levy Mwanawasa in Mamba that politics of
patriotism were over because what was at play then were ‘politics of benefits’.
In this edition
and the next few weeks, I would like us to reflect on the words of one of our
leaders’ philosophy of politics of benefits by looking at the story of Kalulu and
the animal kingdom.
An interesting
'Monkeys' and 'Kalulu’s' legendary story, which depicts particular human
leadership style is one I would love us to analyze and derive appropriate
lessons. Once upon a time there was a Kingdom of both Monkeys and Kalulus who
together embarked on a journey in the woods. After moving for some time, the
entire Kingdom fell into a deep ditch, an experience that later proved painful.
After each monkey and Kalulu attempting to jump out for one whole day, they all
realised the impossibility of their mission. As the days went by, theirs became
a lifestyle filled with helplessness, despair, starvation, poverty and
sickness. The prospect of eventual death was slowly becoming a reality.
After two days
Kalulu 'masterminded' a plan which he shared with all his 'ditch-mates.' He
explained to them that the reason why they were failing to get out of the ditch
was because they were all attempting to do so at the same time and not
directing all energies and concentration to one thing. All the monkeys and
fellow Kalulu's wondered what this one particular Kalulu meant. Kalulu
explained that there was 'power in working as one,' and that there was 'success
in putting together little bits of everything to make one big and strong
thing.' Kalulu further enlightened his colleagues about the wisdom that lies
behind 'identifying one leader who everyone invests into and supports for the
betterment of tomorrow.' Kalulu concluded by driving his point home through
emphatically stating that the best for them to do, if they wanted to see
salvation, was 'to direct all their efforts, time, resources towards ensuring
that he(Kalulu) gets out of the hole. Kalulu told them that if they all climb
on each other’s shoulders and He (Kalulu) be the last one to climb andthen jump
out of the hole, then they would all be saved from all their struggles. Kalulu
explained that upon being out of the hole, he would be better placed to access,
organise, mobilise all that is needed to ensure their prosperity, health,
safety, and salvation. One or two monkeys tried to campaign against Kalulu, but
oratory abilities coupled with capacity to 'dribble' his way past his opponents
made him to outdo all his opponents, emerging a winner.
The monkeys
climbed on top of each other and Kalulu jumped one, then the others and jerked
on the head of the last one finally landing to safety outside the hole much to
the delight and excitement of all his 'ditch-mates.' All the achievement
related jubilations, dances, ululations and clapping of the animal kingdom in
the ditch were brought to an abrupt stop at the sound of the mocking laughter
and insults of Kalulu from outside the hole. Wondering who Kalulu was laughing
at and mocking as the all helplessly directed the hunger stricken faces
upwards, they noticed Kalulu jumping about, insulting them to be fools with
empty heads who could not match to his status, cleverness and wisdom. Kalulu
disappeared from their sight, leaving them trapped and suffering.
Every generation
has not only experienced itsfair share of the hurdles, challenges and pains
associated with human existence on earth, but also accompanied with all such
has been the emergence of wicked humans masquerading as responsible and
trustworthy leaders on one side and a ‘rare breed' of few responsible and
trustworthy leaders on the other. While it is easy to find the former
everywhere, the search for the latter can at times prove to be extremely
difficult. We are talking about the
trouble associated with finding selfless, responsible, loving, considerate and trustworthy
leaders whose passion is to ensure betterment of the lives of the people they
lead through fulfillment all their campaign promises. We are talking about leaders who do not
forget the suffering of the people they lead but are doing everything possible
to better their lives.
'Munkombwelism'
politics are characterised by people who have no real heart for the suffering
masses, people who ascend to power through issuance of fake promises; people
whose sole satisfaction is the self-satisfaction at the expense of those who
put them in power. What they fail to realise is that no one can rise to a place
of leadership without other people being involved in one way or the other.
Their darkened brains fail to acknowledge that those in leadership are not in
any way better than those they lead, they in fact owe all they are and all they
have to them.
History shows us
how that there existed leaders who at one time enjoyed extreme popularity and
prominence but whose ending was an unfortunate 'heavy crush.' What 'past fallen
leaders' failed to realise was that the same people who had put them into
leadership possessed the power to remove and replace them with someone else.
I hope our current
leaders, both in the ruling and opposition, can take my admonition as a loving
reminder and lesson because I surely and sincerely wish everyone well. Who
would not wish that we as a country keep going in circles or keep searching for
who to lead. May those of us who lead prove to everyone that we are the rare,
selfless and trustworthy leaders. May that trap of fame, money, comfort, luxury,
properties associated with leadership seats be overcome with the love they have
for the ones who put them in power.
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