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.