2011; What a year!!!!!!!!!

THE Christmas spirit is still oozing and the mood, the morale and the beer hangovers linger on till now in 2012. The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring). The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Theologians say the beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of replanting and of blossoming. However January 1, has neither astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary. The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison. Christians have now also joined the celebrations of New Year. For sure some Christians were left out on Christmas celebrations due to religious affiliation. Some Christians still insist that the New Year is a condemned festival that accomplishes paganism. Initially as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrent with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. The New Year’s Day is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations. What makes New Year festival interesting? Is it because it is time people make resolutions? Popular modern resolutions could include losing weight, quitting smoking, finding a better job, marrying and becoming a better father and husband or mother and wife.

The Government on the other hand through their budget resolves to build more schools, hospitals, end acrimony and economically empower the citizens enabling them to live meaningful lives. Individual resolutions affect families and individuals making them but the resolutions made by a government has a bearing on the citizens and its potential to remain in power. So those are some of the resolutions for this year but how was last year the year 2011. The year 2011 was mainly characterised with the campaigns and a hit song Don’t Kubeba by Dandy Krazy and the ousting out of power of the MMD to usher in the PF Government. While other countries have election impasse, Zambia in September held successful elections and had a peaceful transition of power, a rare feat on the African continent. In his maiden speech to Parliament, President Michael Sata outlined an ambitious programme of action to begin his administration’s vigorous fight against poverty. Mr Sata said as the country was embarking on the path to transform our nation, hard work was required and difficult choices would have to be made. “But, as a nation, we have collectively chosen this path. With this unity of purpose, we are confident that the challenges before us may be intractable but certainly not insurmountable,” he said. Mr Sata said Zambia was in a hurry to develop economically, socially and politically. The President said the development could be achieved if, among other things, the nation does allow quarrels or political differences to detract the country from the task of providing solutions for the many challenges that the country still faced. He called for tolerance and reconciliation by and among all Zambians as it would enable the country to forge ahead with building a united Zambia. Therefore it is important as we end the year and begin another to exert ourselves in burying differences, promoting and sustaining the peace and stability in the country.

The PF Government had originally approved a K27, 698.3 billion national budget and further approved K8.2 as supplementary budget in its effort to improve the livelihood of Zambians. Another landmark was the classification of Zambia as lower middle income country. Like James Muyanwa of the Times of Zambia wrote in one of his business reviews that 2011 would go down in the annals of Zambia’s economy as the year when the country attained the lower middle income country status. Since 2006, Zambia’s long-term vision had been to become a prosperous middle-income nation by the year 2030. When that vision was first proclaimed, it appeared like wishful thinking, but five years down the line, the saying; ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ was proven true. Mr Muyanwa articulated that numerous indicators from the first half of 2011 showed a strong rise in the growth of the real economy and continued consolidation of the macro-economic stability for the year. He said the real Gross Domestic Products (GDP) growth rides on the strong back of the bumper harvest for the staple food, maize, of about three million tonnes, increase in the production of Copper and Cobalt with Copper earnings estimated to be around US$8.4 billion from $5.8 billion in 2010. Various moves by both the Government and the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) have led to the reduction in the commercial bank’s base lending rates. The initial average projection rate of 15 per cent could be attained given the fact that at least one bank has lowered its rate to 13.75 per cent. This was the year first Secretary to USA State Hillary Clinton visited Zambia to officiate at the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) conference in Lusaka. Her visit was followed by former US president George Bush who came to officially open the cancer centre. These visits mean a lot to Zambia and its potential for growth both in the health and economic sectors. Reliving the status of Zambia being a Christian nation, the country was blessed to have hosted the multi-talented Michael W Smith of the United States of America(USA), South African Gospel accolade Rebecca Malope and another USA gospel artist Kirk Franklin. Sadly though this was the year Zambia lost the second Republican president Dr Frederick Chiluba and the Barotse riot left some people dead. The former Labour Minister in the previous regime Austin Liato was arrested, detained and taken to Court for receiving stolen property after K2.1 billion was unearthed from his farm, Konkola Copper Mines was fined K10 billion by the Lusaka High Court for polluting the Kafue River and the company has since sued in the Supreme Court while Finance Bank was sold and repossessed and several ministers in the MMD government were under probe as the country awaits results from the investigations. As we enter the New Year, it is apparent to heed the presidential message of exhibiting tolerance and reconciliation in a way to forge ahead with building a united Zambia. Remember though that tolerance is the greatest gift of the mind, it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle. Therefore it is important as we end the year and begin another to exert ourselves in burying differences, promoting and sustaining the peace and stability in the country.