Zambia has of late witnessed political appointments of individuals, who are below par, to highly sensitive Government positions. From ministers to District commisioners, we have witnessed the worst political appeasements ever in this country. Relatives, friends and below par party cadres are serving this country in policy making decisions and abroad “representing” zambia in the international community. Can we, therefore, expect zambia as a country to attain any meaningful development with such “leaders” in place? Do we as a nation appreciate the importance of having an educated leadership, chosen on merit and not on political appeasements? What are the effects of putting wrong people in policy and decision making positions?
Well the development of a nation is judged, not only by the level of its material development but by also its ability tp create lasting opportunities for all its citizens, factors that in turn enable the people to realize their full potentials.
It is therefore important that national leaders should try to create better social conditions for the development of human resources. Moreover since the development of material resources depends heavily upon the level of intellectual awareness the people in a nation have attained, it becomes even more evident that the primary duty of any nation is to educate its citizens to full potentials.
In view of this, it becomes evident that a reliable foundation for national development is the intellectual cultivation of first its leaders and then the General citizenry.
National leaders should have an educational understanding that is most likely to meet the demands of national development, one that focuses on a better understsnding of fundamental elements of human nature and the importance of developing a committed sense for the common good of the country.
An educational system of this kind is most likely to facilitate the development of a committed sense of social moral obligation, the kind of social moral awareness that persuades leaders and citizens alike to work for the well being of the country.
Above all, its anticipated that when a nation has adopted this kind of educational system, it cannot fail in developing its human and natural resources and in promoting the brotherhood of man, and in eliminating illetracy, poverty, hunger and desease.
The demands of national development can only be adequately met when leaders have attained a certain educational standard which aims at developing their physical and mental potentials to the fullest and also equipping them with a sense of social morality and social moral obligation.
A country that believes that some ministerial or leadership positions do not require intellectual training other than the use of general common sense cannot and will not develop fully.
In other words, when a nation entertains the idea that some positions do not require sophisticated educational training and, hense, goes ahead to try to develop its natural resources, it will find it extremely difficult to accomplish its goals. This ought to explain why lack of intellectual development in most african countries has become the greatest stumbling block to national development and to meet the millenium development goals.
If it is generally accepted that every social responsibility requires some type of specialized training, then many African leaders (Zambia alike) will distribute social tasks, not on the basis of dictated vested interests but on merit and training.
Giving responsibilities to people based on vested interests, and not on merit and training have made many african leaders failing to put the right people in the right jobs and in turn, ending up creating the malfunction of seciety.
When the wrong people are permitted to handle the right tasks, how can the units of a society ever function properly? Indeed, when the right social units are forced to perform the wrong tasks, how can stability ever develop?
When a nation finds it difficult to place the right people in the right jobs, it should not expect to succeed in preventing the mal-function of its social units. Having failed to prevent the malfunction of the society, it seems to find consolation in self apolodetic theories, more especially since such theories tend to persuade it into believing that the malfunction of its social units is the result of an international or indeed an internal conspiracy from the opposition or civil society.
Indeed how can a nation develop properly, and eradicate poverty, when it does not face its social realities and accepts its inability to place the right people in the right jobs?
How can can it attain proper development when it permits people of dubious abilities to shoulder every complex social responsibilities that demands highly specialized training, when it ignores the principle of merit? It is generally accepted that in order to be a good cook, the individual has to go through proper training in cookery; similary in order to be a good policy maker or an objective decision maker, the individual must, first and foremost, aquire a firm grasp of the the nature of good policies, the nature of man and the subject matter of discplines that deal with or are related to policy issues.
Indeed it is important that every political appointment should be based on merit and not appeasements.
Ignoring these facts will make zambia and its citizens poorer and poorer for many years to come.
Edmond Lifwekelo 