ABOMINATION! President Jacob Zuma Ultimately Dishonoured

There has been something that has been bugging me this past week. It all began when I was flipping channels hoping to find something worth watching on the tele. In this attempt I stumbled onto CNN, on the screen appeared some very angry chaps. They were raising fists in the air, slicing their throats with their fingers, screaming into the camera and promising to kill the white man who so happened to have done something to President Jacob Zuma. So there I was at my curious best trying to find out what was the genesis of this entire drama. Then like always I eventually went to my trusted friend Google. And what I found, ABOMINATION!

The fuss was being created out of a painting called The Spear.  It is a painting of South African President Jacob Zuma which has a striking resemblance to Victor Ivanov’s Lenin lived, Lenin is alive, Lenin will live. The difference is that the head is Zuma’s and it also despicably shows his private parts. This gesture is what has led to the painter, Brett Murray to instant notoriety among the black community in South Africa. This painting has added another dent into South Africa’s polarised society even if the country desperately tries to sell itself to the rest of the world as a Rainbow Nation. Many have accused this painting which was eventually defaced and vandalised as a racist act. The ANC has even taken the matter to court for defamation of character against Jacob Zuma.

The painter Brett Murray has defended his painting as freedom of expression. He was stretching his imagination to show the many flaws in the government that was supposed to make a difference. According to his interpretation the painting had nothing to do with race rather he was trying to show corruption, greed and patriarchy in society. However, Zuma’s private part’s show this I still wonder. The instant I saw this disturbing picture the first thought to come to my mind was that the painter will definitely plead freedom of expression. To some degree Murray may have a case for freedom of expression but the question then is was it culturally right and does Zuma bear part of the blame?

President Jacob Zuma has not been known to command high esteem in the manner that his predecessors have done, namely Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela. The latter has almost reached god-like status revered all around the world. Zuma’s bedroom dirty laundry has definitely been exposed for everyone to see. He is polygamous, infamous for a statement he made during a rape trial that after having unprotected sex he took a shower to prevent the risk of contracting HIV, he impregnated his friend’s daughter and he only recently married another wife. Clearly this is not the kind of headlines you would expect a president to be famous for. People want to read headlines of how the president has tackled poverty, dealt with corruption, and created more jobs not who the president is taking to bed. Hence, if I choose to play devil’s advocate maybe I can understand an inch of Murray’s frame of mind at the time of conceiving the painting.

Nonetheless, I still believe that he stretched the elastic of freedom of expression too far and it snapped. I am sure that there are many ways in which he could have used his creativity to get his message across without being disrespectful. In our African culture it is clearly the utmost insult and dishonour to portray our elders in such a manner. It is almost unthinkable. Regardless of what your elder’s action it is still culturally incorrect to disrespect them. The painting cleared stripped Zuma of his dignity and laid it paid for the world to see. I can therefore understand the anger that the black community in South Africa has.

Zambia is definitely miles away from being as bold as Brett Murray was in their freedom of expression. I am certain Mr. Murray would have been locked up in Chimbokaila, where he would be screaming his freedom of expression from. In Zambia, I reckon that we are not as courageous or we are simply self-censoring that is why we will not see such a painting anytime soon. However, I have recently seen that this freedom of expression is slowly being abused on social media and other internet related sites. This usually comes in play when people are given an opportunity to comment after an article or status. It is difficult to have a constructive discussion because the comments are laced with insults, political insinuations, or tribalist rants. In as much as I am in full support of freedom of expression people should be mindful about the way they choose to exercise this right. When issues of tribe, colour or political affiliation begin to be the mainstay of our daily conversations it is only likely to breed hate.

My overall verdict on Brett Murray’s painting is that even though I do appreciate the fact that he has the right to freedom of expression, it does have its limitations. Murray is not living in a vacuum and should have been mindful of the society in which he was displaying that painting. It is a traditional African society which culturally demands respect for elders. Showing President Jacob Zuma’s private parts in a painting was an absolute abomination which I hope that the uproar it has raised will cause other artists to critically rethink some of their creations.

Should Freedom of Expression be monitored?

Lessons from the Dangerous Football Obsession

This has been a great year for me as a football fan. First Chipolopolo wins the African Cup of Nations for the very first time in Gabon. Then this past weekend Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League for the very first time too. Chelsea had won everything there was to win the Premier League, Carling cup and the FA Cup. The only trophy missing in their cabinet before Saturday’s final was the UEFA Champions League cup which was been considered as the holy grail. It is a trophy that had eluded the club for close to a decade since it was bought by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. On Saturday against Bayern Munich coincidentally in Munich they were to rectify that error in the history books. While Chelsea and Bayern were locked in battle on the pitch, fans around the world were religiously glued to their TV screens. It is this football obsession that has me bothered somewhat.

I am certain that any bar with a TV screen was filled to the last space available, Chelsea fans and none fans were all watching the game in anticipation. Then there were those who were waiting to see if the rumoured prophesy by TB Joshua would come to fruition. I will not dwell on this because it is a topic for another blog. Chelsea fans, I included were clad in our replica jersey our symbol of devotion to the club we have come to love. As the match progressed, I was there screaming at the television on the errors I spotted, shouting at the referee for not calling a foul, which players were underperforming and which player should be substituted. When Bayern Munich scored the first goal my heart sunk and a sudden cloud of sadness covered me. The hope of grabbing the elusive title was slowly vanishing. Then within a space of five minutes it was quickly erased by Drogba’s equaliser which sent me into jubilation and brought back the sense of belief once again. I continued to cling on to every pass, held my breath when the penalty was struck and clapped by hands when it was saved. The penalty shootout brought back a wave of emotions that were reminiscent of Zambia’s penalty shootout against Ivory Coast in February. My pulse raced as blood and adrenaline rushed through my veins, heart furiously pounding against my chest restraining itself from exploding and stomach tied in a nervous knot. It all culminated into a fantastic release of sheer joy and excitement as I was hitting up my friends on their mobile that we had finally won. After all the drama it left me wondering what would happen if this passion was channeled elsewhere too.

It is indisputable that football is the number one sport in Zambia. I only started watching football in my teens simply because I tended to be left out of conversations. Unlike me there are people who have been football fans from the time Leeds once ruled the Premier League and Zambia famously defeated Italy at the Olympics in 1988. I wonder the strides that this country would make with the same commitment shown by football fans, if only it would be transferred to the different spheres of our lives.

No More Zambian Time Nonsense

People would always be on time. I can guarantee you that almost every football fan was on time when the game began. I am certain that they were conscious of time prior to the match. We called and texted to make sure of the kickoff time. We texted again just for clarity and constantly looking at the watch. We wanted to see the first strike of the ball. I long for the day when this time consciousness would be translated into everyday life instead of explaining our tardiness with the default phrase of Zambian Time. When someone says that you should meet at 3 pm it will be 3 pm and not an hour later.

You Will Know Your Trade

I would not classify myself as a diehard fan but out there in this country there are diehard fans. Even when they are not professional football players in their own right they have studied the beautiful game from years of watching it. They know the players from way back to the 90s, the classic goals they scored and all that nitty gritty. You do not dare start a football argument with them because you will only expose your ignorance. In the same manner that the game is studied we need it to be replicated in the fields of engineering, business, education, art and many other fields.  The advancements and experts that we would have in all these fields would be miles ahead from where it is currently.

Thou Shall Be Loyal

You definitely have to admire the loyalty of football fans. It is a literal through thick and thin, through victories and losses, through trophies and tears. A Liverpool fan will not change allegiances just because they have lost; there is absolute commitment that is unshaken. It is something that some of our politicians can definitely take a leaf out of. There is too much hopping from one political party to the next scavenging for opportunities and all of a sudden realising that the policies you once believed in were lies. Maybe when that day comes we will find true men and women of integrity who stand firm to their beliefs and defend to the death their conviction to believe it. Zambia needs such men and women who will not be afraid to take a stance for what is right. Loyal to the core.

Dare To Dream

                If there is one thing that football tends to teach us time and time again, is to dare to dream. So often the football gods will throw up a David and Goliath story. A team with all its gladiators and trophies against one with no history to write about. This was the storyline of Zambia’s AFCON and Chelsea’s wins. Few would have predicted they would be standing at the pinnacle lifting the trophy. However, they dared to dream and the dream obliged. Sometimes I feel that some Zambians are afraid to dream because when they wake up they are faced with their reality. At times it is important to throw caution to the wind no matter how ridiculous, outrageous or impossible we should still not stop to dream and work towards achieving them. It will only take an ounce of courage to dare to dream and maybe like for many others the dream will oblige to turn into reality.

                Football will continue to have a loyal following worldwide. It is the beautiful game of drama, wins, losses, reminders of dreams do come true and almost universal topic for conversation. My only wish is that the same passion and vigour that Zambians support football could somehow squeeze its way into different arenas of our lives. Even if it is just an ounce it will be worth the difference. For now I will bask in the joy of Chelsea’s maiden win.

Oh Crap! Big Brother Is Back

I must immediately admit that I am a sucker for reality TV. I am glued to most of the shows on the tele- Survivor, The Amazing Race, Deal or No Deal? Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The Weakest Link, Hell’s Kitchen, American Idol, The Apprentice, Fear Factor and the list goes on. However, the one show that I have absolutely failed to wrap my mind around even nearly a decade later is Big Brother. What on earth is fascinating about Big Brother?

Big Brother is simply a show where a group of young men and women are kept in a large house and have no contact with the rest of the world for three months. However, their every move is closely watched by cameras all around the house. The Big Brother phenomenon began in the Netherlands in 1999, when the first show was televised. Since its inception, the show has been replicated all around the world from Brazil to Australia, the United Kingdom to India. Africa as well would not be left out of the fan fare with the first show on the continent in South Africa. There has also been Big Brother, Nigeria. However, by far the most popular on the continent has been Big Brother Africa. In the Africa version contestants from different countries across Africa are in the same confined space for 91 days.

              In Zambia, Big Brother still has a rather nostalgic feeling with our very own Cherise Makubale taking home the grand prize as Big Brother Africa winner and with it, a hefty pay cheque of $100, 000 in 2003. This win catapulted her to meteoric stardom. This was because at the time Zambia had not won anything of continental and international significance. Therefore, her win was at the time the closest we would have gotten to know what winning the Africa Cup of Nations felt like. Immediately, Cherise was being showered with gifts, plots, diplomatic passport, lunch with the President, free hotel accommodation and the list continued.
              Since Cherise’s win Zambia has been almost dismal in subsequent editions of the show. Maxwell, Takondwa, Kimberly, Mumba, Paloma, have all fallen short. It was only the other weekend that the 7th edition of Big Brother Africa was launched. Why? What is so interesting about watching men and women talk a whole lot of nothing?
               I could understand why people were so interested in Big Brother in the early days because of the infamous ‘Shower Hour’. Since it was scrapped off, I am still trying to understand what it is that has people glued to Big Brother. I have tried my best to sit down in an attempt to understand what so many of its devoted fans see. However, that understanding has still eluded me. I have given it up all together. Perhaps I will never know or my brain simply refuses to comprehend it.

            The only time that I watch the show is when they enter the house and when someone is being evicted, that as well is if there is nothing else appealing on the other channels. From my point of view what is interesting about seeing people who pretend to act natural in front of the camera. They have shallow conversations that do not make sense at all. They make foolish and pointless squabbles that are poor attempts at grabbing attention. The characters are uninteresting and one is left to wonder what the selection criterion was used. A cheap excuse at entertainment, in fact I can hardly call it that. It is even more puzzling when I hear disturbing comments that some diehard fans even watch Big Brother when the chaps are sleeping. Seriously, what entertainment is there in watching someone sleep?

 In all of Big Brother’s attempts to shake up the format from Revolution, to Allstars, Amplified to the current Stargame it has still remained a boring act of theatre. The inclusion of Rapunzel Mampi has not made any difference this year. The only time that I could remotely be engrossed in Big Brother is if interesting characters such as Julius Malema, Mario Balotelli, Rihanna, Mike Tyson, Angelina Jolie were invited into the house. Alternatively, even better throw in some hard-core ex-convicts into the mix to see how they would relate with the pretenders. Now that is one Big Brother, I would be glued to.

Until then Big Brother will continue to be one meaningless show on the airwaves for me. I will have to stick to more interesting shows such as Survivor and The Apprentice. All I can hope is that the 90 days pass by quickly so that we can all return to talk about more entertaining stuff.

Who would you like to see in the Big Brother house as a contestant?

Applauses, Disappointments and So-Sos' of the Draft Constitution

The draft constitution is finally here even though it is some 120+ days later than earlier promised.  Nonetheless, it is here and it is ready to be devoured. The government has made efforts to make the constitution readily available. It is easily downloadable online and it was printed in its entirety in the three daily newspapers- The Post, Times of Zambia and Daily Mail. However, despite government’s attempt to make the draft constitution accessible to the masses, the number of people who will actually sit down and read it will be very small. Sadly, the rest will depend on the hear-say, the columnists, opposition parties and anyone who is willing to share what they have read as the basis for their debates.

Typically I would not have bothered with the constitution because I would have considered it as a boring exercise when I would have been reading one of the novels that are waiting for me. However, as a blogger I thought I owe it to my readers to give them my opinion on the draft constitution and more information for their debates. Therefore, I picked out some interesting highlights that I was able to note. The views are strictly my interpretation of what I read.

Applauses

·         Dual Citizenship- This is one of the inclusions in the constitution that I was looking forward to and I am so glad that is has been included. It is not that I am planning to export myself, proudly Zambian. However, it finally allows those individuals who have Zambian heritage but have lived abroad for a long time to still feel that they are part of this country. Zambia will only stand to benefit from this gesture.

·         50%+1- The previous elections have been won by simple majority. This simply means that the person with the highest percentage becomes president. The problem that this has caused is that the votes have been rather divided into bits and pieces. The 50%+ 1 will allow for a runoff between the top two and the president will be the one who gets more than 50% of the votes. This I think will allow political parties to have more concrete policies and avoid this character assassination that arises during elections, because they may need each other to attain the 50%+ 1.

·         Election Date- It is about time the date of the election is enshrined in our constitution. General elections will be held on the last Thursday of September after the last general election. This prevents hoping and guessing games when the incumbent president will declare the date of the election. This will enable political parties to plan their campaigns around the date.

·         Swearing In of the President- This is a very welcome clause. There has been a tendency of swiftly swearing in the President once the election results have been announced. This therefore makes petitions void and useless. However, the inclusion that  the President-elect shall be sworn into office on the Tuesday following, the fourteenth day after the date of the declaration of the elections results, if no  petition has been filed under Article 101 (2)… will ensure that all grievance are addressed.

·         Paternity Leave- I know this may sound like a trivial issue to some, but as women are pushing for gender equality paternity leave needs to be considered. The woman did not father the child on her own therefore she should not be the only one to take care of the child alone. The father must be involved in caring of the child once the baby is born, hence the reason for adequate paternity leave.

Disappointments

·         Capital Punishment- Zambia has not executed anyone for the past 15 years. This form of punishment is being considered as barbaric around the world and some nations have already scrapped it off. Personally I feel that Zambia should also scrap the capital punishment and instead give life sentences without parole or pardon. It is a greater punishment to be imprisoned for life in our prisons than executed.

·         Gender Based Violence- It is no longer news or surprising that someone has been battered to a pulp or has been killed at the hands of a lover. The trend has been that women withdraw cases with the police if they are reported at all. I would have wanted the constitution to take more affirmative action towards gender based violence. For example investigation to be taken once a report is made.

·         Death during Riots- This was my interpretation the moment I read this clause. The clause says, “A person shall not be regarded as having intentionally deprived another person of that person’s life if the other person dies as a result of the application of force to such extent as is reasonably justifiable- (c ) For the purpose of suppressing a riot….” This simply means that if someone is trigger happy they can get loose during a riot and have a defence. Beware UNZA and CBU students.

·         President’s Power- The president is still bestowed with so much power. The president has his/her hands in the legislature, executive and judiciary. This begs the question whether these organs can really act independently without the influence of the president. Even though there are proposals that the national assembly needs to approve some of the appointments and decisions the fact that the ruling party mostly has more seats in the house means that agendas can be easily pushed along.

So-Sos’

·         Christian Nation- I have no problem with maintaining Zambia as a Christian nation. However, my belief is that if we declare ourselves to be a Christian nation we should not be selective in which Christian tenets we will choose to follow and which we will give a blind eye to. The most ironic one of all in this constitution is the maintaining of capital punishment in the constitution. Who are we to take someone’s life?

·         Vice- President As Running Mate- I am on the fence on the Vice-President being a running mate to the President. On one account it is good because it will provide some stability in the event that the President dies or when the Vice-President has to take up the president’s duty. The dilemma is for the President to select a vice president who will appeal to the masses as much as he/she does.

·         Resignation of MPs- The resignation of MPs so that they stand on another political party has cost the country dearly. Money is being spent on by-elections. A clause has been included in this regard but it is not clear. The clause states “Where the seat of a Member of Parliament, who is not an independent member is vacated in terms of clause (2), the Electoral Commission shall submit to the Speaker the name of the next preferred candidate of the party that holds the seat in the National Assembly, from the ballot paper used in the previous election.” Based on my understanding, is if a seat is vacated for whatever reason the party that holds the seat will then choose someone to take up that seat. The part that is unclear is where the ballot paper used in the previous election comes in. I would have hoped to see a clause that states that if a person who is duly elected chooses to resign as MP they cannot stand again until the next general elections.

·         Grade 12 certificate- The minimum qualification a President or MP is supposed to have is a grade 12 certificate. A grade 12 certificate? Seriously. I know that there are few good leaders who only have a grade 12 certificate and they are doing a tremendous job. However, I do not think a grade 12 certificate will give someone a perspective of national affairs. There is a risk that the person might be narrow-minded. I would have suggested a tertiary qualification. This is because a tertiary qualification provides someone a different point of view and also encourages logical thought.

A clause in the constitution says, “A citizen shall endeavour to acquire basic understanding of this Constitution and promote its ideals and objectives.” I believe that I have done my duty by reading the draft constitution and every Zambian should do the same. There is a whole lot of information in the draft constitution and I have only highlighted a minute fraction of it. The constitution is not for your neighbour, politicians or lawyers, it is for every citizen. The sad part is that many people will continue to debate the constitution aggressively and with vigour and yet they have not even read a single clause. I would therefore, urge you that if you have not read the constitution take time to do so, it is worth it.

Our Weakness For Get Rich Quick Schemes

We all want to rich someone day, have a big house, nice car and never have to worry about money. Like there are many ways to climb a mountain so are there many ways to making money. Some people will inherit the wealth, some will get a job and hope to get rich (it rarely happens), some will start a business, some will steal and then there are those who play the lottery.

Recently there has been an emergence of get rich quick schemes that has slowly begun to envelope this country. It was not long ago that the Bank of Zambia requested a group calling itself LWESA to discontinue its operations in what was viewed to be a pyramid scheme. It is called a pyramid scheme because of the structure of the same business. 1 person sells certificates to 3 individuals and those 3 individuals each sell to 3 other individuals and its goes on like that. This is in hopes of getting a commission when you have sold enough certificates. There was a promise of invest a small amount of money and reap amazing high returns.

Then walking along Cairo Road in Lusaka is beginning to be a hassle. You are swerving and swaying while constantly avoiding the men who always want to give you a piece of paper. I have occasionally gotten these papers somehow hoping to find something different. However, I still find the same things, if I have sexual problems I should get in touch with Dr. Uche, if I want to win a court case get in touch with Dr. Uche or if I want to be rich I should get in touch with Dr. Uche. These so-called doctors have mushroomed around Lusaka all claiming that they have the power to make me rich. Yeah right why would you want to share that knowledge? Unfortunately, there are a number of people who have tried many other options such as looking for a job but to no avail, their businesses have collapsed, they feel their prayers aren’t answered hence the last resort would be to visit Dr. Uche.

We cannot forget the email that is randomly sent to your box. A heartfelt preamble is written about how a woman’s father died and left millions of dollars in a Benin bank and needs your help to withdraw the cash. Then she says that when the money is in your account you can share the cash. She requests that you send her your personal account details where the money will be deposited. Apart from this email scam, the next one is that of text messages. A strange international number says that your number has been picked to win some great prize money and you should call the number. Honestly, if they are giving you $5 million they should be rich enough to inform you by calling instead of sending you a text.

Despite most of these scams being so obvious well to me, some people have fallen victims and have ended up losing their money. Some people do not want to work for their wealth, they want it be handed to them on a silver platter. They do not want to take to the grind, break sweat or actually do something but they expect to have money the next day. When we see successful people some are under the impression that they stumbled upon their riches or that they were an overnight success. Simply look at the Chipolopolo Boys victory at the AFCON that was years of preparation, we forget that they spent countless hours in the gym, kicking the ball on the pitch, experiencing some painful losses before they eventually lifted the cup in 2012. For one reason or another some are still strong bent that they can get rich quickly. Hence, they become easy prey to be swindled. We usually choose to switch off our intuition that tells us that this is a scam and allow ourselves to be taken for the ride.

Detecting a get rich quick scheme in this day and age should not be complicated. There is always someone else who has been swindled before it eventually got to you, therefore it is important that you do your research. Even if the offer comes from a trusted person such as a friend or a relative always double check the information. Avoid making an impulse decision out of excitement at the prospect of becoming the next millionaire. It would not hurt if you simply asked for more time to critically think about it. Get on the internet and find out if there is more information about the same business deal, ask friends and think logically. By then you should be able to know whether it is a genuine money making venture or one of those get rich quick schemes. There is a general rule that floats around, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Scammers are very innovative individuals who keep evolving their scams in an attempt to meet their victim’s needs. If getting rich is what you want, they will devise schemes to meet that need. It will always appear genuine and appeal to your desire to get rich quickly. It is always easy to block out all common sense even if it slaps you in the face. This is why it is recommended that you consult about such matters especially if it has to do with parting away with your money. It is important to not give your account details and debit card numbers to just anyone who asks for them. Finally, if you want to get rich you need to understand that it is a process whether it is by kicking a ball you need to be on the pitch, singing you need to be in the studio or by business then start investing. It is time that we stop relying on get rich quick schemes to bring us fortune.

I'LL TELL YOU WHEN YOU DIE

            The last week the nation has been in mourning. There were three days of national mourning for former vice president George Kunda, MHSRIP. Following his death people began to speak in high praise of him. He was eulogised on radio and on television, in the papers and on Facebook. It was almost unanimous that everyone had nothing but good words to say about him. This was a different change of heart from a couple of months ago when it was almost difficult to find someone who had anything good to say about him. This turn of events seriously highlighted a deep seated issue in our society. Why do we wait for someone to go six feet under before we begin to praise and honour them?

            Sadly this is becoming a habit in our society which is not going to disappear for some time to come. I came to notice this with the demise of the third republican president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. Before his untimely death there were many words in bad taste that were spoken about him. People made fun of his stuttering speech, infamously called him cabbage and others said he had no direction. When word got to Zambia that he had passed on, boom! Instantly everyone was saying that he was the best president Zambia had had, he had a vision for the country, they admired his fight against corruption or he was an incredible lawyer. Even though while he was alive almost every day the papers, radio and ordinary Zambian citizens criticised the things he did no matter how well intentioned they were. I am sure Levy Mwanawasa, Frederick Chiluba or George Kunda would have done anything to hear even half the praises they got upon their death while they were still alive.

            It could not be hard to question whether the words of praise uttered are genuine or it is a taboo to speak ill of a dead person. Maybe upon death we are to forget all wrong doings and reflect on the good the person did. We live in a society where we focus so much on a person’s flaws and shortcomings. Regardless of how genuine the effort one makes we seem to find a way to find fault in it. It is little wonder that bad news always travels faster because we choose to find pleasure in seeing someone’s downfall. Perhaps it makes us feel better about our lives and forget our problems even if it may be for a while. Therefore, people live their whole lives fighting negative criticism, being judged all the time and their past being flashed into their faces whenever they try to forget it. They go to the graves bitter, angry, with feeling of being unappreciated and failures. Then when they are dead you pretend like you never said the words or acted the way you did towards them. Honestly it is time we stop being hypocrites, I am not excluding myself from this equation. It is even better we just shut up. 
            Surely as long as you are a human being and not an alien from Mars, we all have our flaws and we do make mistakes. Even though you may think that your transgression is lesser than the next person it does not cover the fact that at some point in our lives we all need a second chance. Are saying words such as “Thank You”, “You are appreciated”, “You are an inspiration” or any form of graditude very bitter words to say? Or are they words that are simply not on our vocabulary and we have sworn not to say them as long as the person is alive. Clearly we do not seem to have a problem to say them when the person is dead. They so graciously roll off our tongues in beautifully constructed sentences that even the legendary Shakespeare would be proud of. Perhaps it is a pride issue that we cannot lower ourselves as to appreciate the good someone does no matter how small or grand. It could be that maybe if we say good stuff about them we will wash away our guilty conscience of all the terrible things we said.

            So while I will wait to be lavished with all the good nothings when I resign my place on this earth. I am tempted to imagine what my friends and family will say of me. Maybe they will say I was kind and generous, or I was welcoming and funny. A Facebook group remembering me will go up where those people who knew me will post comments of how they will miss me. Then people who do not comment on this blog will add their words at how they enjoy reading this blog and will miss it. Not that I am campaigning for you to comment now, though it would not be a bad idea.

            My point is that we will not have the people we have around us forever. We do not know when they will be taken away from us. We should not spend our time on earth finding fault in others and deliberately ignoring whatever good they do. It should not take someone to die before you tell them how you really feel or that they were appreciated while they were alive. It is almost pointless to speak when the person has taken their final breath. I should not have to wait till I die to be told.

Open Letter to a Frustrated Job Seeker

Dear Job Seeker,

I trust that this letter will find you in good health. I have thought over and over about how to write this. What do you say to someone who has been looking for a job for a long time? What words do you write that would change their scenario? The truth of the matter is I do not know. However, what I do know is I can share my experience with you and maybe you may find some encouragement out of it.

I will not lie and say that I know how you are feeling and that I have been in your shoes before because the reality is I have not. I have one important thing to say nonetheless. Looking for a job in Zambia like in any part of the world is not very easy. It is a cumbersome and stressful activity. In Zambia this situation is further compounded by very few job opportunities and yet thousands are graduating every year. Frustrated job seeker in order to enhance your chances of getting employed you need to look at yourself differently.

It is important that you begin to view yourself as a BRAND. In the similar way that Coca Cola, MTN or Nestle are brands, you too need to consider yourself as a brand. Gone are the days when having a diploma or a degree was the Holy Grail to a job. Times have changed and so should your approach to looking for employment. The sad reality is when a job offer is posted in the papers thousands of similar CVs are received and it is often a herculean task to come up with a short list because almost all CVs are the same. I know this because once I had an internship with a recruitment firm. It always takes something different on the CV to grab the attention of the recruiter.

So what if you have your diploma or your degree? Nowadays anyone can get that therefore you need to find something within you that is unique, an ability that will set you apart from the rest. This is what I mean about branding. You need to view yourself as an asset to any company that you apply to. Others will use their years of experience as assets. This is what will set them apart from the rest. However, for those who do not have this experience it is not to despair, I too did not have it at one time. Nonetheless, I showed my prospective employers that I would be an asset to them based on how I branded myself.

I often give this example, assuming you were a recruiter and you received a CV from someone who spoke six languages, English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Tonga, and Russian. Even though the individual might not have the right experience or even the right qualification for the job it is still likely that you like to meet this individual. You would want to find out more about them and how they learnt all the six languages. It is not every day that you come across such a CV. My point being you may not have the years of experience but everyone has a unique talent in them that not everyone is blessed with. There is something about you that when someone mentions your name they associate you with it. For some people, they are good organisers, others are good artists, for some they have amazing technical skills, some it is excellent marketing abilities. These are the attributes that you should highlight on your CV but very few do.

Before the experience I acquired I used to sell two brands to my prospective employer. I am an individual with an entrepreneurial mind and I am also creative through writing. I began businesses which were not registered, some failed and others succeeded. However, before I obtained my experience I used to include my informal businesses. Whether you succeed in business or not the fact cannot be disputed that each business is a learning experience. I would tell the interviewer that I am creative I came up with the business idea, I know about customer service that is how I kept my customers, I know about marketing it is how I sold my service, I know about administration because I kept good records and the list went on.

You need to find something that is not only different but what will also make you an asset to any company. If it means getting a professional qualification, learning another language or developing your talent please do so. Many people fail to utilise their talents because most often in a misplaced attempt at humbleness they hide their talents. I am a writer and I am developing my talent every day. This blog is mere testimony. It has opened opportunities for me that I never initially imagined. At my place of work I am the one who writes the reports for social gatherings such as office football, office functions and other such events. I have carved myself a niche. Speak to any of my friends and the one thing they will probably describe me by is either the one who writes or the business minded one. What do people know you by?

Indeed we can sit, find excuses and throw a pity party. We can blame it on the government, corruption, generational curse, bad luck or even lack of experience. It will still not change the fact that you are unemployed. Instead you can decide to reflect and think what brand you are selling out there. Package yourself as an asset rather than a liability or as if you are owed a job. Your CV needs to reflect the brand called YOU. Ask yourself the question, would you hire you and why?

All the best.

Yours faithfully

Frustrated Brotha.