By Isaac Zulu
Academic qualifications should not be a prerequisite or yardstick for political leadership, says Peter Phiri.
Commenting on the European Union Election Observer Mission report that recommended that the Zambian goverment should consider doing away with the grade 12 qualification requirement for one to vy for political leadership, Phiri said the grade 12 qualification requirement has restricted a lot of “brains that have the ability to contribute positively to Zambia’s political discourse, but are restricted because of they have not attained grade 12 in life.”
He noted that there are a lot of people in communities with knowledge and wisdom on leadership “and should not be barred from participating in the governance of the country.”
“For me, the European Union Election Observer Mission has done a thorough research for their team to come up with such recommendations. They are speaking for the ordinary Zambian citizens, even from rural areas like Kwa Mtenguleni where I come from. That grade 12 qualification requirement is restrictive. It has restricted brains that have the ability to contribute positively to Zambia’s political discourse but are restricted,” explained Phiri, who is MMD immediate past deputy spokesperson. “Academic qualifications should not a prerequisite or yardstick for political leadership. We should not discriminate against certain citizens in society on the basis of education. And if you look at our Parliament today, people are now forced to acquire forged grade 12 certificates just because they want to be parliamentarians.”
Phiri explained that the implementation of the grade 12 qualification requirement for one seeking political office should have been gradual.
“And my proposal is that we should have set a standard such that those seeking political office and are aged 18 to 40 years should be subjected to the grade 12 qualification requirement while those that are 40 or 45 years old and above should be allowed to contest for political positions, provided they know how to write and read. So that they go side by side. Otherwise, we have a lot of knowledge going to waste in this country because of the grade 12 qualification requirement restriction. In fact, this grade 12 requirement has not raised the education standard of most of our councillors in the council chambers. Their calibre and level of debate leave much to be desired,” said Phiri. “Even the UPND leadership knew that for them to form goverment, they needed the old guards. And that is why you are seeing appointments like that of Mumba Malila as Chief Justice because he has vast experience and knowledge in the legal profession, which he acquired from people like Chibesakunda and Florence Mumba. That’s why you are seeing appointments like that of Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane.”
Phiri further explained that he is not against the idea of people getting educated, saying education is important for any country to develop.
“Personally, my children are degree holders and even the other one that is in college at diploma level should acquire a degree. This is because I value education. I know what education can do in person’s life… we need education in order to develop the country. And that is why I give credit to the UPND government for coming up with the free education policy so that every Zambian should acquire basic education,” said Phiri.
