Nepotism Gone Wild
Jubilee Centre December 11th, 2007
Belonging to a nation, a tribal group and speaking the ethnic language is a good gift from God. The Bible says God, “Made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26
). The differences between language and cultures are part of God’s plan.
However, the problems arises when a specific nation or tribe or culture begin to think it is more superior to others. Or when a group of people focus on themselves and make themselves the center of life. Rather than being occupied with how they can progressively work as team and manage resources for the common good, they act independently and think only of themselves, siblings, relatives, village and ethnic group. The dark side to this kind of character is that if someone succeeds, relatives will often insist on sharing in the fruits of that accomplishment.
Another dark side of nepotism and tribalism is that it is a root of corruption. When people are appointed to important positions in key institutions because of nepotism rather than character, experience and qualification they tend to promote their own individual and ethnic interests as opposed to national interest. Nepotism and ethnic grouping contributes to poor performance of workers, manipulates and undermines the rights, dignity and freedom of the rest of society.
Nepotism has gone wild in our nation such that the Livingstone town clerk has to take measures of writing a letter to his heads of departments to stop this practice. The Post in its comment on this issue states that, “This is not only true for Livingstone City Council, the result is the same in all institutions and even at national level” (December 
.
When citizens’ loyalty does not extend beyond their tribal grouping, it makes state legitimacy fragile. One way we can be successful in fighting nepotism is by declaring one official language. Teaching our children at home in one common official language of who we are, where we came from and where we are headed can be the starting place (Duet. 6:7). And when they begin grade one our teachers must do the same, helping the children appreciate our diverse ethnic cultures. This can go a long way in unifying our great nation. In Genesis 11, we learn that the people had one language and a common speech. The people’s strength was based upon a common language and political unity. God confused them and gave them different languages and scattered them because their attitude was wrong. They were building a monument to their own greatness - to be like God.
Nepotism and tribalism just like the tower of Babel is a bad example of how to build a nation. Both of them are based on unity that desires to make a name for ourselves. We do need a common language and political unity that is based on ideas of national building and that facilitates for the easy spreading of the gospel. Are you leading with absolute impartiality, placing the interests of God above your own and the interest group?
Lawrence Temfwe
This is a magnificent article and I wish all Zambians could be able to read this with serious thought. It is sad to see were our country is going in trems of nepotism. I must say, before I read this article I had a nepotic mind set but this has changed my point of view and made me see things in a new light…