African freedom day a time for reflection for African leaders

Most African countries have celebrated over 50 years of independence and if we take a deep reflection of what has been able to be achieved so far, we discover that political independence was achieved but there has been a challenge of translating the economic achievements of the continent so far. CLRI is aware that from each of the seven continents of the world, Africa has a diverse natural resource and has richest concentration of natural resources.

Despite this great opportunity that lies within African Continent unfortunately most Africa countries have not translated this opportunity to built strong economics and uplift the lives of the poor.  The has been a lot of progress so far in many Africa countries but we are of the view that a lot more should have been done differently and we would have been a different level by now. There is need to develop an environment that would ensure that the natural resources of the continent translate into the economic virtues for the people of Africa and also build strong trade linkages around the World.

The challenge of Africa going forward is to imagine, what kind of an Africa do we envisage to build in the next 50 years from now, the only way Africa can change is not doing things in the usual way, there has to be an unusual way of doing things and sound leaderships is at the centre of the liberating the lost economic and political virtues of the continent. Africa has had some great leaders in some regions but there has been a mismatch in bringing a balanced organised group of support leaders that can interpret the vision of top leader and in the long ran the vision has been lost and earth moving changes have failed to actually take place.

Our view is therefore that Africa needs to actually work on its leadership according to rank and file in sorting out it’s challenges and not just focus on the top leader as this has proved that you can have good leader at the top but if systems are responding everything fails.  A strong and competent workforce is what is needed apart from strong leaders who bring political will to turn around the political and economic doldrums of many African countries.

Mundia Paul Hakoola

Executive Director

THE Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) says Zambia’s foreign policy should attract Foreign Direct Investment and promote economic diplomacy.

Executive director Mundia Hakoola noted that the trips that President Hakainde Hichilema had made from the time he took oath of office were expected because the onus was on the country with a new President to visit the region and key strategic countries around the world to introduce himself and also assure those countries of continued sound diplomatic ties.

Hakoola said the trips were also meant to provide direction on the foreign policy that the country would take.

“It is also an unwritten rule that the new President is the one to visit and not the other way round. So far, the President has done well in repositioning Zambia’s international outlook with issues such as default on international loan repayments, corruption among others, that have been a source of concern by international community,” he said.

“The President is not only the chief diplomat but also the chief marketing officer of the country both internally and aboard. It is therefore imperative that these trips yield the much-needed results of attracting foreign direct investments and economic diplomacy for the country.”

He said there was therefore a burden of reasonability on Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant government departments to ensure that they make follow-up programmes in all countries visited and directly promote FDI and economic diplomacy.

“For instance, the President recently came from Dubai, one of the things we should be interested in is the blueprint of how Dubai developed in a short period of time and also take a leaf from the Asian Tigers and what lessons we can learn,” he said.

“CLRI is therefore of the view that the following needs to be incorporated in the foreign policy to ensure guaranteed benefits; have career and skilled diplomats who can ensure that FDIs and economic diplomacy is achieved; capacity building for development experts in key ministries (study developmental models such as that of Dubai and Asian Tigers and get what is workable for implementation in Zambia); and create an enabling environment for local entrepreneurs to export goods to regional and international markets through incentives that can reduce cost of production.”

Hakoola said there was also need for the utilisation of the economic zones to promote investments in the country through intensive marketing programmes.

“Promote strategic industries that can supply processed products to regional markets. Aggressively market the tourism sector and other key sectors that are attractive. Maintain sound mining policies that are attractive to investors but also benefit the

local people. Take advantage of regional and international markets where Zambia is party to such as SADC, COMESA, AGOWA, etc. to ensure penetration and access these markets,” said Hakoola.

“Invest in programmes that can fund and promote scientific research on efficient policies for the development. CLRI recognises that achieving this requires hard work and not the business-as-usual kind of mindset. It requires strategic thinking outside the ordinary and actually creating a model that is not a copy and paste but model that works for Zambia.”

CLRI executive director Mundia Hakoola said the Institute had taken time to assess the mining sector in Zambia in general and the small and medium scale mining in particular.

Hakoola said the new dawn government should put in place measures to ensure that the small and medium scale miners’ potential was turned into profitable ventures.

“Government should ensure that there is policy review in the mining sector that will create incentives for small and medium scale miners to be competitive in the sector. Government should ensure that it is easy for the licensing for small and medium scale miners,” he said. “Government should ensure that market linkages or a platform for small and medium scale miners are provided who mostly don’t have a proper market and end up selling their products to middle men and mostly these make more profit than the actual miners.”

Hakoola said the government should help formalise mining sites without proper documentation and not close or block the locals from mining.

“Create cooperatives in the six dumpsites that will benefit the youth…. The government should resolve the long standing challenge concerning the black mountain and work towards benefiting the youth,” he said.

Hakoola said Zambia had a lot mineral wealth and with the right policies and an enabling environment for small and medium scale miners, the country could boost the economy.

“CLRI calls on the Minister of Mines to quickly start working towards making policies that create an enabling environment for small and medium scale miners,” said Hakoola.