POPE John Paul II once said a society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members, and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying.
We thus share the indignation felt by Vice-President Inonge Wina who is concerned about the low opinion that the UPND leadership, particularly Monze Central Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu has on marketeers and the poor people on the streets.
This followed debate on Public Service Management Division (PSMD) budget in Parliament on Tuesday, when Mr Mwiimbu stated that some people who were appointed as district commissioners were former marketeers with birth certificates as their only qualification.
Mr Mwiimbu snobbishly said the Government should not appoint former marketeers with no proper qualifications to serve in Government.
However, Ms Wina expressed disappointment at the way UPND was looking down on the poor people of Zambia, arguing that traders and marketers also possessed wisdom which could be used when they were appointed in Government.
For the misguided and brainwashed ilk, we say leadership qualities are usually inherent with education merely sharpening them.
We would like to remind the Mwiimbus of this world to know that great leaders are not made but born.
There are so many people with academic qualifications who cannot even manage wards since they lack skills for leadership.
There is something built into leaders about the kind of personality traits which enable them to be effective since natural qualities are fundamental to leadership.
Although one can learn the techniques of leadership, in terms of personality it is impossible to acquire these highly elusive traits.
Some of the people the UPND leader is derogatorily dismissing as ‘marketeers and poor people on the streets’ are born leaders who can contribute more positively to the nation than academicians.
There are so many myths about leadership including one erroneous view that you need to be charismatic or educated when reality shows us that being ordinary could be to your advantage.
For leaders themselves, the misconception that they are in their position because of their natural genetic code could be disastrous.
Arrogant and over-confident leaders may think they are special or small gods, which is also contrary to what great leadership is all about.
Being a district commissioner, member of Parliament or to some extent even president doesn’t require you to have a chain of degrees to your name.
Are we saying before the British colonialists brought western education there were no intelligent people among us?
Will the granting of a certificate and a few letters after one’s name make them a leader?
The answer is a loud no, unless someone only values western education that only lauds European concepts, including leadership.
Globally people have started weaning themselves of western norms and looking inwardly through adoption of home-grown ones.
It is thus sad to jettison what a pro-poor political party like the Patriotic Front (PF) is doing by appointing ordinary people to high positions, all in the name of western education.
Once more let the likes of Mr Mwiimbu be told that the books, classes, education and training cannot turn one into a leader.
Leadership is a universal concept that does not only subscribe to western type of leadership since there are certain inborn characteristics that predispose people to be and become leaders.
There is a significant difference between ‘learning a skill’ and mastering one, in the same way that others are born with amazing musical gifts or athletic talents.
They will excel naturally in these areas while others would struggle to get to the same point.
Thus we feel the statement by the Monze Central member of Parliament is not only snobbish but gross disregard for the people he leads since some are ‘marketers and people on the streets.’
The late Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley once sang ‘emancipate yourselves from mental slavery’ to sum up this disease called colonial mentality.