Ichikwanka Bachimwena Kumampalanya

ICHIKWANKA, BACHIMWENA KUMAMPALANYA

Many of my followers have been asking as to why the silence; where is weekly reflections with Dr. Mwelwa? What is he up to? Where is he? Mine has been a deliberate choice to learn silently, and silence does not mean lack of activity.

One unknown writer,in one of his articles,defined creativity as “creating unprecedented and unexampled things into being...it means to bring the new into being” He further expressed that “creativity is not found within the known”.How can one be creative, however, in a world full of noise destructions? It is obviously clear that we are living in a noisy world. Unwanted sounds and noises pursue us everywhere we go. In the streets, restaurants, supermarkets and even in the places where silence is considered as a necessity-like schools and hospitals-humans are perpetually subjected to a volcano of sounds. Yet creativity needs silence and a quiet environment. A quiet environment allows the creative person to develop his talent and to think deeper. Inspiration always comes in a silent environment. After a long space of silence I have a few things I have to share, coming out of the inspiration of the moments of silence. In this particular article, my focus is on a topic “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya”

Most Zambian idioms cannot be translated in one sentence.  Doing so would be undermining the richness and bulkiness of the meaning contained therein. Normally, our olden elders summarized what would be ‘mouthfuls’ into a few words or short phrases known as idioms.  It was intended and envisaged that the wise would get the full meaning while others remain in limbo.

The phrase “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya” carries within itself caution, rebuke, and teaching more especially when it comes to decision making. There are times when people make decisions based on promises given by those around them. The sad fact is that people will go to lengths telling lies upon lies so that their victims fall into their trap. They lie nicely, softly, consistently and convincingly, to such a point that their victims are left with no choice but to believe. Like a young man who does not love a girl but just want to use then dump her, they treat people like objects of abuse. So the question is, just how one can know that heavy raindrops of lies are flooding all over them? To get clear answers to this question, let us consider some characteristics of liars.

Almost all liars give baseless and unjustified promises. For example, regarding the Zambian state of affairs in relation to the covert 19 and how it negatively impacted the economy, they shamelessly lie to people that had they been in power the pandemic would be handled differently so as to evade all negative economic impacts. One does not have to be educated to notice that this is a clear blue lie. Seeing how the Covet 19 pandemic has ravaged the entire globe, not sparing even the cleanest and economically mighty nations of the globe, such a shameless and annoying lies leave all truthful people perplexed. It is like someone who sees the entire globe going through economic shakings with Zambia inclusive, then using the opportunity to lie to unsuspecting people that with them in power all would be ‘roses’ and ‘heaven’ economically speaking. But such is the world we live in, where people take opportunity of any form of national or global challenges incongruously emit lies from their mouths. Almost all liars will present themselves in a ‘cartoon-style’ format as ‘Super-man” or ‘spider-man’, capable of single-handedly solving the difficulties of an entire nation, if not the whole globe. These breeds of people feel whoever has lived before them and those that will come after are below their ‘super-intelligence’ and ‘super-capabilities.’ They never talk about anybody who did it better, anybody who is doing it better or anybody who after them will possibly do it better.  The summary of such a scenario is that they are liars. A person or people who see nothing wrong with lying are extremely dangerous. All these people thriving in lies are not only a danger to or current society. They are also a danger to future generations. When dealing with them remember that “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya.”

The other sign of liars is that they are full of ingratitude. To them no-one deserves their appreciation or thanks. The biggest victims to their ungrateful and ferocious nature are their immediate leaders. Obviously this is expected of them, for they feel no one but them qualifies to lead. It is like someone who suddenly wakes up only to accuse the current government of having done completely nothing to improve people’s lively-hoods. Surely, how can one thing or say such churlish things when they are in the fore-front of enjoying things brought about by the able leadership of the current government, things such as nice roads, nice infrastructure, current peace, and so on. Whoever cannot see any good in other leaders does not deserve to lead, for the fact that he or she sees nothing good in all other leaders qualifies them as candidates of the statement, “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya.” When such people are allowed to be at the helm of power, they will definitely see no good in any human except themselves.

The other thing which signifies liars is that they talk too much but have less action. If there is any action to consider, it is how they have enriched themselves at the expense of all those around them. One who is worth their talk will be seen from how people in their immediate environment have benefited or are benefiting from their lives. Like the old saying goes, some people’s ‘BARK’s’ are louder than their ‘BITE.’ It is indeed easy to talk, for talk is cheap. Remember that when we were growing, our mouths were full of self-praise, as we boasted of having capacity to do almost anything. This childish mentality led us to think we could anything ranging from being ‘flying-ninjas’, to ‘Omnipotent-Rambo’s’. Everyone playing soccer was to us making mistakes and we obviously felt we could do better.  

There were times, however, when such overzealousness and whims were put to test when they were made to test a bit of the playing field. Off course the result was so pathetic that the next time they asked for more chances the phrase “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya” was operationalized. Who among some of the current self-proclaimed solution givers have never been given opportunities to prove themselves in our communities and leadership portfolios? Our country gives such leadership opportunities at different levels, ranging from ward counselors, council leadership and Member of Parliament. In Zambia, everyone, regardless of tribe, has participated in political and economic life. The question is that have the people who have been given such leadership opportunities made any meaningful or notable contributions to change the standard of living among the people they lead? Are they kicking the ball better than all other leaders in other areas or Provinces? If the answer is no, then the notion that current leaders do not qualify to lead are unfounded. 

If they are truly the Super-solution-givers to all human sufferings, then what is their explanation for the difficulties that remain lingering in the areas where the bulk of them are leaders? We know of a named large political party which has in the past enjoyed more or less absolute political influence in a named Province. Can they point at one basic example of a single ward that has been developed using their so called connections and management skills, a ward that they can use as a prototype of how they would develop Zambia if given the mandate to run the affairs of the whole country? We are fully aware of constitutional provisions that mandate the central government to deliver development. The constitution has not stopped anyone to identify projects and lobby funding for the same, but this can only be done by leaders who have a heart for the people. We have examples of their leadership capacity being demonstrated in some their councils, where council receive huge sums in local revenue yet they are in debt.

The challenge of improving service delivery for the poor in cities led by an opposition party is not unique to Zambia. In South Africa, the tension between the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) recently came to the fore in the country’s Western Cape Province.

The ANC feared losing the Western Cape to the DA in the April 2009 elections because the latter possessed a strong reputation with improving service delivery in the provinces capital, Cape Town, which the DA has controlled since 2006. The day before the elections, the ANC provincial minister transferred authority for 1000 hectares of land in the Western Cape from the province to the National Housing Agency (Ensor 2009). The suspected intention of this maneuver was to deprive the DA, which did eventually win control of the province, of its ability to fulfill its campaign promises to deliver key services.

Specifically, the DA originally had planned on using the land for the construction of at least 100,000 houses, flood relief, and other service delivery projects (Ibid). As Ensor (2009) observes, “The bottom line, ideologies aside, is that this ANC-DA fight is ultimately about securing votes, for which successful service delivery is the key.” Since then, the ANC-led government also has made overtures to reverse progress on devolution and potentially even eliminate the country’s nine provinces (Bownes 2009). The point is that the DA has proved that the councils run by opposition can do better and they can confidently promise to run the country better than the ruling party because they have demonstrated their capacity to deliver differently. Bally will fix it! Let him demonstrate in a small way, at council level that he has the connections and the management skills to do better.

One other indicator which can be used to identify liars is that theytell people that they possess ‘super-capabilities’ to hold the nation together when in actual sense their past and current life-styles is that of divisiveness. In a country like ours, where we live as one and united regardless of tribal orientation, there is need to keep encouraging each other to remain one in speech and in action. In Zambia, for instance, tribal intermarriages are the order of the day. Considering that marriage is the most intimate of human relations, and seeing how Zambians crossed tribal boundaries to enjoy such intimate relationships, there is no room for tribal segmentations. Zambians have since independence co-existed, enjoying and appreciating each other’s presence. Hopefully this shall continue to be the case.  Oneness means accepting a leader regardless tribe. As to whether the current President has enjoyed such acceptance from all tribe’s remains a thing to consider. One thing which worries me, however, is that lopsided provincial voting patterns experienced by or one and united nation in the recent past.

My advice then remains simple; to completely eradicate this seed of ingratitude, bitterness and jealousy, everyone in Zambia regardless of tribe or political affiliation must re-look at the sweat, labor and sacrifice our current President has gone through from his being elected to date. Despite undergoing rejection from his own from the first day of his Presidency to date he still keeps the nation sailing in peaceful waters. That is what we call ‘words coupled with action’. The man leaves the talkers to talk while he works in silence. Yes talk is cheap. Those who keep talking while failing to add any difference in the areas where they hold leadership qualify to be considered under the rich Zambian saying, ‘ichikwanka bachmwena kumampalanya.’ Apart from being talkative, show us what the people elected under your banner have done in improving people’s lives.

Why should a Province, for instance, demonstrated questionable voting patterns whereby a particular Party or candidate is given absolute support while those from other Provinces or Parties get almost nothing? Such a practice calls for application the idiom ichikwanka bachmwena kumampalanya. Yes some would be quick to say there is nothing wrong with such voting pattern. But what if all Provinces practice such voting patterns, with their tribal representatives getting almost 100% of votes while those of others getting almost nothing? Such politics are not needed in our country, for we indeed One Zambia, One Nation. Our President has always preached ‘One Zambia, One Nation.’ My advice is simple; this cycle can be broken by people in the provinces were such dangerous politics is practiced to start seeing the good side of the current government under the leadership of Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Please my brothers and sisters, decisively uproot this seed by showing love, appreciation. I equally advise all other tribes of Zambia to lovingly embrace the people practicing divisive politics by patiently and consistently explaining to then the good things done by our current government.

The Bemba's saying ‘Ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya' implies one cannot jump from an extremely  tall tree based on the assumption or promises that the man underneath-one who has in the past consistently failed to give people who fall from short trees a safe-landing-will give you a safe landing.  Similarly, the Bible says those who are faithful in little will be entrusted with much. Our loved ones from opposition Parties must demonstrate love and brotherhood to current government leaders by giving deserved commendation and praises and not perpetual hate-speeches and unconstructive criticisms. Fellow Zambians, it is good to do unto others as you would love it done for you.  Imagine you are leader of a home, and your partner sings to you a daily song of your uselessness and failures?  Not for a day, a month or a year but for several years? Your partner talks nothing positive about you. On top of it all, he or she keeps telling you that ‘we are one?” Surely countrymen and women, whatever goes up must come down. Let us see all these nice things done by our current government and do the necessary. The down-side of taking as normal or leaving as unchecked the rejection which the current President has endured at the hands of  some self-proclaimed ‘super-solution-givers’ to current economic challenges is that a seed of division will be left planted like a landmine, one capable of exploding in our faces when we least expect. When someone over-promises solutions to difficulties faced by fellow humans while failing to historically prove of having offered meaningful and notable solutions to people, then remember one thing, “ichikwanka, bachimwena kumampalanya.”

Just in case some people are not aware, there is no one ‘super-human’ to single-handedly face and solve a current global challenges. Some challenges currently being experienced in our country are an over-spill from the rest of the globe. It is tough world-over.  Actually Zambia is even better-off, credit to PF Government under the capable leadership of His Excellence Edgar Chagwa Lungu. For those who think otherwise, why do you think almost the whole world is trying to squeeze itself into the comfort Zone called Zambia? You think all these Chinese, Indians, Zimbabweans, Kenyans, Congolese and so on can leave all their nations to squeeze themselves into a place you call ‘hell’ and ‘badly managed?’  Does someone out there think all these people are coming in here for nothing? If the whole world is experiencing economic shake-ups and its inhabitants are singling out Zambia comparatively safe then there is need to give ourselves some well-deserved medals. Forget about bitter people whose eye-glasses are compromised with bitterness and hatred.  They will never see or say anything good about the wonderful leadership offered the current government. For you, do what is right. This is your country, your children’s and children’s children dwelling. Encourage the current government to keep on doing the right things they do in keeping this our great Nation afloat.

WITH LOVE TO MOTHER ZAMBIA FROM DR. LAWRENCE MWELWA

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