Visits to Zambia by Eminent people
Lawrence Temfwe July 23rd, 2007
The visits by First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush and by former American President Bill Clinton to Zambia were described as a sign of our nation?s quality leadership. Mr. Mundia Sikatana, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently said, ?Zambia?s continued peaceful environment had resulted in visits by eminent world leaders?. We agree that Zambia?s delightful touch of family life, caring communities, humility and friendliness is playing a major role in exciting foreign visitors visit Zambia.
However, to attribute the visits by Mrs. Bush and Mr. Clinton to Zambia only to our quality leadership and peaceful environment is to miss the most important reason. Mrs. Bush visited Zambia because of her country?s concern for our people dying from malaria. She came to participate in the distribution of mosquito nets to the thousands of our people most affected by malaria. Mr. Clinton came because his foundation had received $1.25 million grant to battle AIDS in the Caribbean and the sub-Saharan Africa. Our two visitors came because of the prevalence and the devastation of malaria and AIDS in Zambia. Let no Zambian leader take pride in their leadership quality when malaria and AIDS attracts eminent people to visit Zambia.
1 Kings Chapter 10 illustrates why leaders should take pride when kings and foreign dignitaries pay them visits. When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and visited him, this is what she said at a banquet thrown in her honor:
?The report I have heard in my own country about your achievement and your Wisdom is true?How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord?s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness? (I Kings 10:6-9
).
We too threw a great banquet for Mrs. Bush. What did Mrs. Bush say about our leadership in the fight against malaria? Did Mrs. Bush say that urban poor households were sending their children to school, and could afford to keep them there? Did she say they obtain treatment when they are sick? That they are connected to water, sanitation and drainage networks? No ? instead she said that she was aware of the effects of malaria, which had continued to claim lives. What did Mr. Clinton say about our fight against AIDS? Rather than commending our leaders for courage, determination, compassion and love for their people or saying Zambia has effective strategies to combat malnutrition, to work with youth, to address stigma and discrimination, he said ?The big problem is that most people in Africa and the world who have the virus don?t know it yet?
In future, let us listen carefully to what our distinguished international visitors are saying to us. Indeed they have a lot to learn from us about our positive values that ensure order and happy community environment. But we too can learn a lot from them in how to significantly decrease HIV/AIDS and poverty and benefit our millions of urban and rural poor. May our next distinguished visitor say to our leaders, ?Your wisdom and prosperity are far greater than what I was told. How happy your citizens must be!?
Lawrence Temfwe
