The Socialist Forum Ghana (SFG), on Wednesday, organised a public lecture to solidarise with the people of Zambia.
The lecture was delivered by Mr Cosmos Musumali, General Secretary of the Socialist Forum of Zambia (SFZ) on the topic ‘Socialism and the reality in Zambia.’
Mr Musumali brought up the many issues that troubled Zambia and its people over the past years.
He stated for instance that the Zambia was currently in a capitalist rule and suffering with high levels of poverty.
Mr Musumali added that there were massive gaps within the classes of people in Zambia with many of its government officials having anti-socialism values.
“And with most of the political parties in the country having a capitalist mind-set, the future of Zambia is very much in doubt,” he added.
Mr Musumali noted that the SFZ had compiled various inconsistencies and issues facing the country as well as recommendations to revamp the economy and presented it to government officials but were yet to see any action.
He stated that foreign organisations had made reference to the declining state of the country but government officials were yet to respond to those issues.
Mr Musumali disclosed that citizens with degrees and masters were unable to secure jobs and due to government policies, companies hire and dismiss workers without following the labour laws of the country.
“Businessmen and consultants are titles being used to describe the unemployed to spur them to become entrepreneurs as they are unable to secure jobs,” he added.
Mr Musumali describing the worsening state of Zambia noted that capitalism was a major factor to the declining state of his country and prayed for international aid to pressure Zambia’s government to care and provide for its citizens.
He expressed his dismay at how more than 70 per cent of the population was engaged in agriculture yet the sector contributed only four per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that, the Zambian government being the largest buyer of agricultural produce, would buy from the farmers at low prices and sell to foreign countries at a higher cost.
Mr Musumali called on African country leaders to plead with the leaders in Zambia to consider the future of Zambia and its people before taking decisions.
The lecture was part of the SFGs ‘Wednesday Palava’ programme and was attended by members of SFG and a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP) Jonis Ghedi Alasow and Andeli Zeto of the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa.
BY FREDERICK GADESE-MENSAH
