“It is very frustrating to be in Zambia and remain a Zambian at a time such as this when corruption seems to be here to stay.” Heritage Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda made this statement as he urged President Rupiah Banda and his cabinet to reject Vice-President George Kunda’s recommendation to pay about K5 billion to ministers and other Lusaka-based parliamentarians attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC). His argument is that the issue is a scandal in the making. General Miyanda is agitated and frustrated that Zambian leaders, especially the trade unions, are not saying anything 
on the K5 billion that has been earmarked to pay government ministers and Members of Parliament. Why should we pay them double as they are already drawing a salary for the same work? Is this what the Christian singer meant when he sang about the Lord who blesses ‘double, double’?
The frustration being experienced by General Miyanda is understandable when you consider the levels at which we tolerate abuse of resources as a people. The Auditor General report has stated that most of K20 billion that was released for the medical and funeral expenses of president Mwanawasa was irregularly spent and unaccounted for by the people responsible. But who cares? We tolerate court cases on corruption that takes 10 years to dispose off. Don’t we know it is corrupt to have a court case that takes ten years? How many of us know that as cabinet is sitting to debate whether to pay the K5 billion or not, we have thousands of vulnerable and poor children who will not go to school this year because they cannot afford the minimum of K500, 000 being demanded by government schools for a child to be enrolled?
This frustration ought to change our attitude and fuel our hearts to do something in order to put things right. For us Christians our immediate response should be prayer. We must seek the face of God and hear his heartbeat for the situation and ask Him how we can join him. Second, we must join him knowing that it is God sending us and that whatever we do is about his glory. Third, we must go knowing that God has revealed the problem to us because he has no other option but us. This frustration must not only be understood and acknowledged by us who call on the name of the Lord. Christians must diligently engage the secular world in a way that calls everyone into the fight against injustice.
Throughout the Bible, we see God raising men and women to royal positions where they could put things into right order. Esther, Nehemiah, Moses, and Nathan are powerful examples of men and women who stood in the gap at a great cost to their own lives to correct injustices in their time. Today in Zambia we have several men and women of God in royal positions. Could it be that God is calling them to correct injustices where children are denied education because they can’t afford K500, 000? Could it be that God is calling them to speak out and stop this payment of K5 billion double blessing? This is a great test to Christian men and women who serve in royal positions. Will they like Esther echo these words: “I will go to the king… if I perish, I perish”? Meanwhile, I am fasting that this K5 billion will be directed to pay for the education of vulnerable and poor children. How are you praying?
Lawrence Temfwe
