The moment that has been anxiously awaited is here. The country has been on edge, pregnant with debate, promises, divisions and tension. After all is said and done, all that matters is what each citizen does in the booth. It all comes down to you and I as individuals, spurred on by our peculiar circumstances, biases or in some cases herd conditioning.

As a proud son of this land, there are a few things that matter to me and are active on my mind. These are clustered in two parts, firstly for us as citizens and secondly for our leaders. I share these thoughts below.

For every Zambian

We are one

Before, during and after the polls, we are Zambians first and foremost. Whichever way the election results go, we will still be Zambians and this is the only country we will ever have. An election is a contest of ideas and ideologies (if and where they exist). It therefore follows that we must not let the elections divide us, we need each other.

The ‘enlightened’ must help the less enlightened to appreciate this truth and curb any loss of life or blood arising from political persuasions. The less ‘enlightened’ must also remind the ‘enlightened’ how we all co-exist in the community across political lines. If we can live next to each other without shedding blood, we must not allow politicians, politics or poll results to change this.

We will have a Zambian President

I have heard some discontenting statements bordering on tribe every so often. It breaks my heart. Much as it may be cliched for some, the truth is that we are One Zambia, One Nation and this has been our hallmark for decades. It has been and must continue to be a source of pride for all of us. We have a huge asset in our diversity.

So after the 12th of August, it does not matter who takes it. The fact is that it will be a Zambian at the helm and that should be our focus, not ethnicity. Let us challenge our leaders on the basis of their capabilities and work they will do or fail to do.

Let us demand accountability

Progress is the one thing we must not compromise on. We cannot be at the same level or go through the same cycles all the time. We cannot continue on a path where leaders engage us only when there is an election coming up. Governance and leadership calls for constant engagement. Polls are but a validation of delivery on promises and commitments made.

Therefore, let us not set aside those manifestos and promises we have heard on the campaign trail. After election results are known, the President sworn in and a government is in place, we must get back to issues that matter for the sake of Mother Zambia’s progress.

The promises made and documented in party manifestos should define our engagement and national conversation. We must not allow these to be merely academic and confined to the archives of political rhetoric. This for me, is where leadership is truly tested.

Power is in our hands

Any leader only yields power that the people allow him or her to have. It is therefore a moral hazard and an impairment of one’s conscience when a leader places themselves above the people. Leaders must listen to and serve the people at all costs.

As we vote, each of us must remember that real power lies with you and I. It is power we choose to apply by voting or nullify through apathy. When in that booth, with pen in hand, it must be known that the nation’s future is in our hands at that moment and beyond.

Politicians are not the panacea

We have seen it in the past, not only in Zambia but across continents too. Politicians will typically serve their personal interests, which is even worse where governance and accountability structures are weak or non-existent.

As highlighted above, the real power to change things lies with you and I. Zambia can only change and progress when we play our part, do our work diligently in whatever area it is, abhor corruption in our personal lives, reject mediocrity, penalize incompetence at all levels including political leadership and exert pressure on our leaders so they know they are servants and we are watching them.

For our leaders

Unite the nation

It does not matter who emerges victorious after the 12th August polls. The task at hand is huge and should not be underplayed.

The nation is divided. Tensions are high. Emotions are boiling. Consequences of this situation can easily turn catastrophic if not effectively dealt with.

The role of the next leader is as simple as that. To be a leader. Everyone’s leader. Not a political party leader. Or a Provincial leader. But a national leader.

Show every Zambian the way to being One Zambia, One Nation again. Lead by example and stop tribal and political division in its tracks, without hesitation.

Imagine seeing HH and ECL on the same platform, holding hands and restating that Zambia is bigger than all of us. Oh what a great day that would be.

If there’s a legacy to pursue, this is it.

Make different and bold economic decisions

We have heard it so many times, all successive administrations have said it before. Diversification. Growing the economy beyond the dependence on copper.

But we never really get there. It is time to revive the economic sectors that will empower Zambians from household to national level.

We need a robust agriculture sector with a guaranteed market for farmers’ produce. We need to get back on the map with tourism. We need to aspire to be a sub-Saharan logistical hub, leveraging our location and relatively stable environment. We need to lead in science and research. We need to equip our people with skills for the new economy driven by technology. We need our people to be trained in relevant crafts that will generate an income for their households. We need Zambians to be competent economic agents at all levels.

If need be, let us import these skills and systematically transfer them to our own people so we make this ambition a reality.

All these issues and aspirations are well known. To top it all, overall tight economic management is a huge priority including our topical debt situation.

Now is the time to act decisively on all these issues. For posterity and prosperity.

Be comfortable with less power

This is perhaps the hardest advice to offer to a politician. Most, if not all, thrive on being powerful, unchallenged and worshiped. It may be understood given our African context where elders and chiefs are not questioned. But history has a story to tell about the ills of too much power. We have seen ‘leaders’ get drunk with power and slide into autocratic tendencies. Inevitably, the nation suffers and development becomes a far fetched dream.

Our next leader to be sworn in and his team thereafter must be prepared to be checked, questioned and taken to task when they stray. That can only happen if they allow all governance institutions to operate as desired with no impediment, interference and intimidation.

Again, the real power lies with the people and we are watching closely, now more than we ever have in the past. And the people’s cry is that leaders are held accountable, leaders respect the dreams of the people and leaders allow democracy to thrive for the betterment of our nation.

Crush corruption’s head

Corruption or the perception of it has become a tatoo on Mother Zambia’s image. It is time to be firm on this evil that rears its ugly head in so many ways. It is a cancer that ravages society resulting in a weak economy, ineffective governance structures and the rise of chaos in so many ways. In the end, we the people continue to suffer.

Yet again, it does not matter who wins on 12th August. Their duty is clear before them and the simple message is “deal with corruption and chaos”. There is no other way around the issue and it can no longer be handled with kid gloves if we are to make progress as a nation. If we do not curb the scourge, all our institutions, dreams and aspirations will collapse beyond redemption and we will have no legacy to gift our children with. They will judge us harshly.

We will likewise inevitably also endure the consequences of our actions (or inaction) in our lifetime through perpetual poverty, poor service delivery, unemployment, misapplied resources, high disease burden and ill-gained wealth by the privileged few.

We can no longer let this debilitating cancer go unchecked.

Serve, Serve and Serve

The world has changed and our leaders must evolve too. Our demand as a people now is for leaders who are in office to render service to the nation. This is not the time to continuously politic for the next five (5) years, with the nation in perpetual campaign mode.

Now the time is ripe for leadership that transcends partisan biases and self-preservation. It is the time to build a legacy and not be obsessed with who finishes off the work. There is nothing wrong with initiating something progressive and it is delivered by a successor. What matters is that the nation is left in a better place after one leaves office.

This is yet another tough ask for politicians but one we can ill afford not to insist on.

There is no other demand and calling on leadership than service. The nation demands it. Humanity demands it. That soft voice when one is alone demands it too. Every leader must therefore also demand it of themselves.

My prayer

My heart, like many others, yearns for peace. That these polls will pass smoothly with no loss of life in the name of politicians. That we will remember after the 12th of August the blessing of being Zambian. That we will have it in mind that we are brothers and sisters, children of the soil. That we are rich and united in diversity. That it is ok to have different views and make divergent choices without becoming sworn enemies.

We have been, we are and we will be One Zambia, One Nation after the elections.