Source: Times of Zambia
Zambia has come a long way in trying to achieve social, economic and political development. Several initiatives have been put in place by many stakeholders, all aimed at addressing the development challenges that this country has faced.

As a result, the country has since then recorded significant achievements in the education, health, agriculture, mining, as well as the many other areas of human endeavor.

However, many challenges still remain and it is the people of Zambia who live with these everyday realities who are better placed to identify the way forward. With some of these issues in mind, Women for Change (WfC) together with a number of Civil Society Organisations (CSO's) embarked on a campaign aimed at getting views and aspirations from the Zambians on the ground on the kind of Zambia that they would want. That campaign was called the Zambia We Want Campaign. The unprecedented step taken by Zambia We want Campaign team under the leadership of WfC to collect views from the Zambian people on the issues that are of highest interest and concern to them led to the subsequent compilation of the 'Zambia We Want Charter. Charters, just like manifestos and people' declarations have since time immemorial played an important role in many of the world's liberation and justice movements, most notably, the South African Freedom charter which served as both an articulation of the post-apartheid vision of the South African people and a rallying point for political and community mobilization. In the same spirit, the Zambia We Want charter which was also successfully launched at Lusaka's Intercontinental Hotel on the 17th of September, 2011 lifts the voices and visions of the Zambian people in anticipation of a new day of accountability, transparency, prosperity and a new social contract with the Zambian people.

The charter is intended to be a living document rooted in the inspiration and struggles of Zambia's founding fathers and mothers and is responsive to contemporary issues and opportunities.

Among the contentious issues on the charters checklist; Zambians singled out Governance; Human Rights; Health; Labour; Gender, Women and Youth Empowerment; Economic Development; Education; Infrastructure Development; Food Security; Water Sanitation; A free and Independent Media and Freedom of Expression as the main issues that requires urgent government intervention. Under Governance, Zambians demand for: an end to corruption, people should have the right to change under-performing leaders, called for more women's participation in governance and politics, enact a people driven constitution, free and fair elections, promote mutual accountability, as well as demand that MP's visit and consult their constituencies regularly.

Under Health, they want: free health services, improved maternal health care, more fully equipped hospitals and clinics, clean and safe drinking water, free access to medical facilities, an HIV/AIDS free Zambia, more ARV's especially in rural areas, more nurses and doctors, a clean environment, equal opportunities in accessing quality medical attention, more working tools to community health workers, reduction of pollution from the mines, and promote male circumcision in Zambia to reduce HIV/AIDS. And under Human Rights, Zambians are demanding that there be; equal opportunities for all, equal distribution of resources, no one should be above the law, equal rights for all, leaders to promote peace, equal opportunities for women and men to own land, an independent judicial system, freedom of expression, respect for human rights, and demand that leaders respect the rule of law.

Whereas under Labour, they want a situation where there are; more jobs, improved conditions of service in all sectors, timely payment of retirement packages, effective labour laws, investors to respect their workers' rights, implement equal pay for equal work policy, no casualisation of labour, no sexual harassment at workplaces and during recruitment exercises, strengthened trade unions with greater bargaining power to benefit workers, and reduced strikes in the country.

On Gender, women and Youth Empowerment, Zambians want; social security for the unemployed and people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans, youth empowerment, a 50percent representation of women in all sectors of society, government to support self-reliance, decent dressing among females, an end to gender based violence, gender equality in all sectors, employment creation for youths, and an end to early marriages.

For Economic Development, the people resolved to settle for; development that would benefit the poor, government to come up with pro-poor policies, equal distribution of developmental projects across the country, affordable basic needs and services, government should ensure that citizens benefit from the country's natural resources, more jobs, reduction in transport fares, a conducive business environment for locals, and a reduction of the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax.

In Education, they demand that more schools be built and rehabilitated, free secondary and tertiary education, raise the education standards, school fees reduction at tertiary level, more teachers in schools, university and college places to be awarded to deserving people, the poor to get scholarships, early posting of trained teachers to pave way for others, more youth skills training centres be built, improve infrastructure and quality of education in community schools, more colleges and universities, and also demand that government expands its welfare support programme to children in schools.

Under Infrastructure, Zambians demand that government builds and improvers the road network in rural areas, all citizens have access to decent shelter, an establishment of recreation facilities for youths, good and cheap communication facilities, more manufacturing industries than shopping malls, as well as electricity in rural, areas. And under Food Security, they demand a reduction of farming inputs, fair and early distribution of subsidized fertilizers, improved agriculture policies, improve agriculture marketing system of farm produce, build dip tanks in rural areas, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to pay farmers on time, and that a lot of storage sheds be built across the country as well.

Under Media and Freedom of Expression, Zambians have also demanded for independent public broadcasting stations and have the freedom of access to information bill passed in parliament. Other things that were noted as some of the key things that need attention were that Zambia remains a Christian nation and that the sale of beer should also be regulated.

WfC Executive Director, Emily Sikazwe who was present at the launch says, "The issues highlighted in the charter represent the voices of the many Zambians who have expressed their aspirations for their beloved country.

The charter provides a unique opportunity for all Zambians to unite and work together in resolving these outstanding challenges."

And in buttressing Ms Sikazwe's point, WfC Board Chairperson, Dr Judith Lungu says that charter is aimed at consolidating the achievements that the CSO's have made in the area of human rights and gender sensitization.

"Lack of mutual accountability between the electorates and the elected leaders continue to be the order of the day. This is characterised by the spate of corruption, bribes and inducements, abuse of authority, use of inflammatory language, falsehoods, intimidation and discrimination among others," she says.

And Marian Munyinda, a Women's Movement activist who was also at the launch adds that the charter grants an opportunity to Zambians to make their demands known to those that wish to take on politics to represent people as President, MP's and Councilors. "It will also be a tool for measuring progress in our communities... since 1991; Zambia has embraced a democratic system of government, that is, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

This entails that the people's aspirations are to be determined by the people themselves. This calls for principles of equal participation and freedom of expression to be enhanced at all levels of the society," she says.

The charter which simply affirms mutual accountability for both the duty bearer and the right bearers will ensure that government and leaders assiduously set out their duties in accordance with the priorities of the citizens on the ground.

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