090520 Diaspora Experiences Of Indaba - S.sakala

Report From Indaba 2- Simon Sakala, Machida, Tokyo, Japan The National indaba was among other things a great opportunity, a great experience and an eye opener. The fact that I had been away from home for more than six years was very evident. A lot had happened between the last time I was there and the time I returned home to attend the Indaba. I saw many new buildings, roads and other infrastructure for the first time. Some places had changed beyond recognition. Many peoples’ lifestyles, fashion, work habits and ways of thinking, especially in Lusaka, seemed quite different from those I saw six years ago. Most noticeable were the crowded roads, the traffic jams and the crowds armed with cell phones. Yet all these did not make home less familiar or less homely than before. I become fonder of home than ever before. The weather was great. Firstly, the indaba was a great opportunity in many ways and I would like to extend my gratitude to the government for having included us from the diaspora to participate the way we did. The five of us that travelled were able to meet personally and we were able to meet a lot of key people both in government and other organizations that were represented at the indaba. These meetings led to relationships that I believe can be exploited to be key to the moving forward of our efforts. We also had opportunity to make a presentation that removed the “mystery” from many minds as to who we really are and what our aspirations are. The change in attitude was quite evident, going by what we heard from a few individuals, some of whom are high-ranking government officials. We also learnt about some of the support we already had and some of the sources of opposition. Secondly, apart from being a great opportunity, the indaba was also a great experience. I would not have expected a better reception, in the Zambian context, than we were given. The reception was evidence of the honour and respect we had been granted, suggesting the level of participation expected from us, notwithstanding the time constraints. We were able to meet with people from different walks of life, both Zambians and other nationals. It was an experience of meeting great and not so great people and listening to both simple and great ideas. It was both a sharing and learning experience. Also, not necessarily part of the indaba though, dealing with officers in government offices reminded one of being home. Life is not hurried. There seem to be more than enough time for everything. Thirdly, the indaba was an eye opener. Listening to and participating in the discussions made one realise the great human capital Zambia is blessed with. The presence and participation of both the first president, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and the second president Dr. Fredrick Chiluba at the indaba spoke of the steps Zambia has made towards democracy. We might not be there yet but there are not many countries on the continent that can speak of the same. The political legacy and the human resources that Zambia has give her a competitive advantage that could be tapped. There is clear gap, though, between where we are as a nation and where we could be, between talking and doing.

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Report From Indaba 2- Simon Sakala, Machida, Tokyo, Japan The gap could be summarized into two topics that came up during the indaba ,viz, need for both political will and change of mind set. Political will is vital for policy implementation. It was pointed out during the entrepreneurship thematic group discussion that when there are clear goals with clear time frame, monitoring could be carried out effectively. This could in turn make it easier to hold political leadership accountable when they fail to do their part in transforming discussion into action within the expected time frame. Otherwise the only thing that can happen after the indaba is planning and holding another indaba. Change of mindset is necessary across the board, it was pointed out. This includes, like it was earlier mentioned (Ing’utu’s report), imagining Zambia without copper, change in attitude towards work, refraining from too much negative press and mere criticism without offering alternatives, et cetera. The presentation on behalf of the diaspora done by Chasaya Sichilima was very well received generally. The major reason in my view was because the potential of Zambia benefiting from its citizens abroad was made clear. It goes without saying that it was an opportune platform to garner popular support for the diaspora in its pursuits, including the issue of dual citizenship. We gained a lot of momentum which we can take advantage of. During discussions with various individuals, some of whom are high-ranking government officials, as pointed earlier, a lot of suggestions were made as to what could be done. For example, one suggestion was that the diaspora form a private sector level of representation in Zambia. It was further suggested that a returnee diaspora staff could be employed whose job would be to liase with relevant government or other offices that could be dealing in areas of diaspora interest. This would require formulation of guidelines as to how the office and its officer or officers would operate. Help to set up such an office was offered. Other issues that came up in line with such representation were those related to whether or not Zambians in diaspora having problems with their host countries authorities could be considered for help. Issues such as issuance of diaspora bonds and dual citizenship were discussed with the relevant officials and the response was positive. Also, it was requested that an office or officer be set up to be a link between diaspora and relevant government departments. The response to the request was positive too. In conclusion, I would like to commend all of you folks out there who are doing so much in your efforts to make our homeland a better place. Our participating in the indaba was a major step in the right direction and I feel the momentum is as high as it can be. We need to mount the sail on the mast to take advantage of the wind before it changes direction. With a plan of action, a priority list with a time frame and a duty roster we can get going.

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