TWELVE KEY COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT
ZAMBIA’S DEBT
30th
May, 2000
Since the launch of the Jubilee 2000-Zambia campaign
about debt in 1998, there has been growing interest across the country in the issue of
debt. While government and other development
sectors are filled the excitement, anxiety and anticipation about Zambia’s
opportunities for debt relief, the majority of the Zambians at community levels still have
serious questions to ask about this debt. From
these concerns, the “distance” between people at community level and debt as a
national crisis is very apparent. The main
concerns of the people are:
1. Why are you talking about debt to us?
2. What was it used for?
3. Why can it not be paid for now?
4. Are there ways in which we can try to pay back
this debt?
The following questions and comments were compiled from
the discussion during the theatrical performance by Kamoto Community Arts in 5 compounds
around Lusaka, namely Lilanda, Chaisa, Bauleni and one rural area outside Lusaka,
Chinyunyu in May 2000. In this programme,
Kamoto is estimated to have addressed 6.000 people and collected signatures from all the
five residential areas.
·
Why should I participate in
debt cancellation campaign when I was not there when they borrowed the money?
·
When President Chiluba came
into power, he said they had already paid the debt, so why today should we are told that
we owe the rich countries and international institutions money?
·
They have sold all the
companies and retrenched people, where has the money gone?
·
How am I going to sign for
Zambia’s debt cancellation when I don’t know how they used the money?
·
If Zambia does not pay the
debt, what will happen to the country?
·
Let’s go to war, maybe
the ministers and our government leaders can stop stealing the money.
·
If you say that we all owe
the rich countries and international institutions money, what about the baby that has just
been born, does she or he have credit too?
·
The Government knows that we
owe money to international community but they continue funding football. Why not stop funding football?
·
They should be at the score
line so that the people can know and understand the debt problem rather than leaders
finger pointing that it is MMD or UNIP.
·
How did they use the money
they borrowed from rich countries because now we are subjected to paying hospital fees,
school fees, no drugs, and no equipment in the hospital, high prices of essential goods
and services?
·
The Government can pay the
debt that the money that President Chiluba is giving to churches through the presidential
slash fund.
·
The Government know quite
well that we owe international institutions money, so why should they subsidise beer in
the army barracks?
Zambia’s history has shown that most often,
majority of the people are not consulted and do not participate in issues of national
development especially finance. Thus today,
people pose such questions about Zambia’s huge external debt. Therefore, the main challenge is to ensure that
the majority of people- the poor who have been the worst victim of debt in Zambia are
meaningfully involved in finding solutions to the problem and above all, will benefit most
from the solutions arrived at.
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