By DR DANIEL MVULA SHIMUNZA
“POPULIST Politics” or “Populism,” is the type of politics that claims to represent the opinions and wishes of ordinary people. We seek popularity, not authentic leaders. We follow the people’s wishes, over and above true visionary leadership that may lead people against their perceived mediocrity.
African politics, and Zambia, must depart from populist politics in the 21st Century, for ideological economic politics. Populism, insecurity, and arrogance, go together in autocracy.
What is popular, is not always right. Popularity, is not always authentic and credible, but may be deceptive. Our elections, focus more on who is the popular candidate, even if they have no credible vision. It is “chimwela chimwela politics.”
We vote wrongly, and regret later from time to time. Ideological politics, are missing, for populist politics of power, not the economy. We have reaped the whirlwind of mediocrity, over time.
The Asian Tigers today, are more far advanced than the African Lions, as counterparts. The west industrialised, by sacrificing their morality, sadly.
We seek passion, and emotions, above principles. Principle-centred leadership, is missing producing a weak accidental visionless Presidency, over time.
In this arrangement, leaders by populist ideology, follow followers. True leaders, never follow followers, but lead charting a new course of; Innovations, capacities, systems, structures, and strategies, new ideas, industrialisation, and nobility of our sovereignty. We must not seek populism, in democracy, without morality.
This is in part very fine, except on the other hand it is problematic, because it lacks certain ingredients of authentic leadership, in our democracy.
In 1973, a wise man, one Mr. Valentine Musakanya, in the United Party for National Independence (UNIP) wrote a letter to the aate First Republican President Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, warning him of populist politics, as a danger to ideological politics. This led to “vigilantes,” with their modern form, as cadres in our populist politics.
Obviously, with a heavy autocratic one Party State strong man’s politics of the Kaunda era, he was fired from UNIP and his position. However, his “Political Prophecy,” about the impending danger then, is true now of Zambian populist politics. What are some of the negative developments of populist politics and politicians?
Betrayed Promises: They promise what they cannot deliver, by populism. How many times, have Zambian politicians changed slogans, promises, and political players, yet the same problems remain?
Shifting furniture in a room, does not define authentic change. Yes, we have changed players, but the nation has remained the same.
Deception, has been at the root of Zambia’s political landscape. OurcCitizenry, have moved from hope, to hopelessness.
The broken promises of the Barotseland Agreement, by the Kaunda Administration, for self- preservation, in 1969 in the Choma Declaration, took Zambia in a wrong direction of a one-party State, by 1972.
For those who are spiritual, a broken covenant, has serious consequences. When Dr David Livingstone, and Stanley, walked the length and breadth of the land of Zambia now, they discovered a Covenant phenomenon among the so-called native chiefs in their journeys.
It was stated that when hostile tribes met them, at one time a chief who had conquered other nations, entered into a covenant with them. In these covenants, gifts were exchanged, trees were planted in honour of the agreements, and blood was sometimes mingled by the parties, to symbolise unity of life and purpose. The Barotse Agreement, was the first covenant of Zambia, sadly abrogated to date.
To violate such covenants, had serious repercussions. At one time, they were stopped from passing through a certain place, but the conquering chief had given Livingstone his rod or staff. Upon seeing that staff, passage was given by the authority of that rod and covenants. The Kaunda administration, betrayed the covenant that led to one Zambia one Nation, as a slogan of two nations becoming one nation.
Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland, both separate British protectorates, formed the nation that sits on two title deeds today, as a sovereign unitary indivisible State of Zambia. It was a betrayed covenant of brotherhood, between two men that signed it. Sadly, President Kaunda died without correcting this fact, which has tied Zambia. It is not a matter of time lapses, but doing the right things, for posterity and blessing of our nation.
When leaders of nations are ignorant, of spiritual things, their people can suffer. That is why, we are failing to build a nation worth benefitting from our wealth, economically. Deception, is what thrives in populist politics. The betrayal of the promises of the Kaunda Administration, and those that follow after of the Barotse Agreement, has caused Zambia never to economically thrive, and build a great nation.
The root of deception, by populism, is in our foundation as the root of covenant betrayal and populist politics of self-preservation that started with the first republic. To move forward, a spiritually savvy Presidency, is needed to address the covenantal realities of the broken foundations of our nation, which affects us today. Only those who are spiritually mature, will understand what I seek to underscore, herein.
A weak Presidency: Populism, produces weak Presidencies. The office of the Presidency of Zambia, must be re-crafted. It is a web of systems, which dictate what the invisible State and non-state actors, from the system do and the outcomes that constitute our national existence by government, which is its visible reality of the state.
Since 1964, the State system has remained the same, while governments have changed. This constant, to the variable of governments, has left our nation weak, for the 21st century needs.
A weak state-crafting: Populism, lacks ideological strength to craft the state well. Matters of State, require innovative state-crafting. The state is the invisible part, while government reveals that hidden quality.
Every country, is measured by its state-intelligence, which makes or breaks, the Presidency. Zambia needs a leadership that will not just form government, but seriously contemplate state crafting.
This has not been done. But the dictates of its ramifications, has had ghastly consequences, of mediocre outcomes of national existence, and government.
Populist Presidents, have no time for state crafting, but focus only on winning an election. By popular demands, they can wear the crown of the Presidency, but not have the state crafting tools that can transform the nation, into greatness.
To be on the throne does not equate competence in state matters. Only the crafted, can re-craft the state for effective governance. Government, without effective state crafting will fail. State intelligence, must craft a better state and government.
Weak democratic institutions: Populism, cannot built state institutions. Our democratic institutions, must regulate people who function in government. When institutions are weakened by populist leadership, nations fail to deliver goods and services, to the intended citizenry.
Strong man’s politics, are killing Africa and Zambia, in particular. Institutions, are the legacy, of great political leaders. Do not die as an individual, for institutions are authentic legacies of great men that outlive them.
Poor leadership: Populist politics, are advocated for, by poor leadership characters. They take advantage of the ignorant electorates. They cannot stand those more competent than them, in that they are insecure, to attract knowledgeable men or women around them.
So cadrerism, becomes popular, around such weak leaders, who “bootlick” them, as they thrive in their praises. They cannot take positive criticism, and authentic advice.
Presidents, have been deceived by cadres as ministers and wrong-advisors. Real leaders, attract great advisors, who challenge them from time to time, to be and do better. That is what calls for excellence, as constant development.
Lack of sovereign vision: Populists, usually lack authentic vision. What is the sovereign vision of Zambia, since 1964? Each government, which is elected into power, comes with a form of slogan, as a vision for a time of their tenure. Continuity, is by a sovereign vision, not various amendments of national development plans.
Zambia needs a transformative leadership, with a sovereign vision that will outlive that administration, for generations to come.
Weak Values: Populist politics, generate very little values and principles. They elevate passion above principles, mediocrity above excellence, and purposelessness. Values of a nation, define the character of the nation.
Article (8) of our Republican Constitution, is one of the most important part of our sovereign existence, in our social contract, as the organic law.
The values therein, must be developed into the practice of the culture of our democracy, under the supremacy of God. This is what a Christian nation is all about, by Christian values. Shall we continue, as a populist political nation?
Written by:
MNT Founding President
Author
