Lubinda Responds To Stella Sata’s ‘Provocative And Demeaning Statement’

Dear Editor

Thank you for the good work you are doing in keeping the nation informed.

Stella Sata And Her Provocative And Demeaning Statement – My Personal View.

The statement by Stella Sata on the action of some former University of Zambia graduates who recently protested over unemployment has sparked a lot of angry reactions from a cross section of society. While, others have viewed her statement as progressive and in line with government’s stand on trying to foster entrepreneurship, many, especially university graduates consider it as demeaning and a lack of respect for the educated lot.

Stella Sata is a child of a former business man, councillor, governor, minister and more importantly republican president who many view as having lived a luxurious life because of her father’s success and does not understand the economic hardships many unemployed Zambians face. Many parents send their children to college and university, not only to go and acquire a certificate that should later gather dust, but with the hope that the education they receive will one day help them get a decent job. It is so depressing for parents who have sacrificed massively to have their children get a degree or diploma see them languishing in a bottom less pity of unemployment. For most of these graduates, a decent job is their only hope of having a taste of the good life Stella Sata has freely enjoyed over the years.

Over the past few days, I have been wrestling with the following questions. “What did Stella Sata have in mind for her to issue such a provocative statement against graduates who were rightfully protesting against unemployment?”. “Why of all things does she suggest they should start selling tomatoes as a means of earning an income instead of crying foul over unemployment?” “Does she understand the intellectual capital that is invested in a university graduate through many years of learning?” Should that intellectual capital be wasted by selling tomatoes on the streets?” “Or was she trying to imply university graduates must be entrepreneurial and not wait on government to provide them with jobs?”

It is difficult, if not impossible to understand what was going on in Stella’ s shallow mind to make such a demeaning and provocative statement. However, from my perspective, the young lady is a spoiled individual who lacks an understanding of what being entrepreneurial is. The best she should have done was to keep quiet than to expose her ignorance in the manner she did. To suggest that graduates must start selling tomatoes on the streets is an insult to the world of academia.

University graduates must indeed be entrepreneurial, and not wait on government to provide them with jobs. But what level of entrepreneurship should a university graduate engage in? Entrepreneurship is the emergence and growth of new business. It is a process that causes changes in the economic system through innovations of individuals who respond to opportunities in the market. In the process entrepreneurs create value for themselves and society. It is about identifying opportunities, being creative and innovative by coming up with something novel, gathering resources, taking a risk, managing a business and being rewarded in the end.

Our university graduates must indeed be encouraged to identify gaps in the market, and through creativity and innovation come up with products or services which fill that gap. Surely, there is nothing creative or innovative with selling tomatoes on the street. Selling of tomatoes on the streets can be classified as a form of “basic survivalist entrepreneurship” which involves people with low literacy levels, who are unaware of their own potential and are satisfied with low-income generating activities solely for survival. On the other hand, university graduates must be encouraged to become high impact entrepreneurs who are innovation driven. Society needs to benefit from their intellectual capital.

To achieve this, a lot needs to be done. Government must put in place a supportive, and cooperative environment that encourages university graduates to be entrepreneurial. Measures must be put in place that encourage business start-ups. Infrastructure development, ease access to capital, business development services such as business advice, counseling mentoring, incubation, reduction of red- tape, entrepreneurial training must be put in place. Finance and training are most probably the most important of these services in a developing economy like Zambia. Universities and other educational institutions should do research in order to improve the board of knowledge in entrepreneurship through formal programmes.

Large firms and non-governmental organizations also have an important role to play. Through their social responsibility programmes and funds, they could help tertiary and other institutions to encourage research and development. They can also assist in funding innovative ventures.

Instead of castigating castigating the innocent unemployed graduates, Stella Sata must first advise government to put in place an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship. If government and the all stakeholders do their part, entrepreneurship in Zambia will become the engine of economic and job growth.

Stella Sata must not comment on issues she has little knowledge of.

By Lubinda Mubita

Master of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Student

University of Pretoria

Hatfield.

South Africa.

Posted by Kunda on March 29, 2015. Filed under LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

51 Responses to Lubinda Responds To Stella Sata’s ‘Provocative And Demeaning Statement’

New Educated Zambia©

March 29, 2015 at 10:01 pm

And when I said exactly what this man said, some foolish PF cadres were busy crying and screaming on top of their voices in anger and throwing away their toys from their prams in a tantrum. I will endorse this article as it has touched on the very same things I spoke about. The government needs to provide support and incentives for entrepreneurship to flourish. There is need for the government to take a proactive approach whihc in turn will lead to students moving in that direction too. The PF is so dull to realise this that they see selling tomatoes as an achievement. To them such informal forms of employment are what they count in their campaigns as successful employment. Vote UPND. out with the PF idiots
- VAMPIRO
  
  March 30, 2015 at 3:25 am
  
  Stella used the metaphor of selling tomatoes to imply self motivation not the actual selling of tomatoes ba chimbwi. Those idiots HH paraded are not the only graduates unza has ever produced. Ask them why they are not employed when their colleagues where employed a long time ago. One wanker by the name of Vincent spent 7yrs doing a 4yrs course nd you think that doesn’t show on cv. Ask gbm or HH how they managed in life
  - VAMPIRO
    
    March 30, 2015 at 7:11 am
    
    If they were not motivated by a politician I would ‘ve taken kind words on them because it was going to be a genuine protest. Because HH paid them money to go and protest leaves much to be desired about these so called graduates.
    - VAMPIRO
      
      March 30, 2015 at 7:23 am
      
      People need to wake up and ask themselves what they can do for mother Zambia not the other way round.
      - cliff
        
        March 30, 2015 at 9:09 am
        
        IDOIT!!!!! STUPID!!!!!!!
    - KASONGO
      
      March 31, 2015 at 3:04 am
      
      I thought you were speaking sense until you digressed into talking about the President in waiting. You think he would sink so low? come on man people are suffering in the face of the employment freeze for the rest of Zambians that do not belong to any of the PF leadership. We are aware that a lot of their relatives have been employed in companies like Zesco,Zamtel etc. Others have been awarded contracts, the reason why they fought to have EL despite his declaration of no interest for personal reasons. They had to sacrifice the man’s health in the light of the heavy workload that goes with the presidency. Sorry my man you ought to be realistic and put yourself in the shoes of the poor voter who votes in the hope of things changing for the better only to find himself jumping from the ‘frying pan into the fire.’…..
- pillar
  
  March 30, 2015 at 7:21 am
  
  A better Zambia is one with more entrepreneurs than you job seekers. Zambia needs more job creators than job seekers. The guy in Garden compound who makes door and window frames is far much better than you who want to be in an office as an officer.
  
  Just lazing around, always complaining about poor conditions of services. change your mind-set baba
- zakeyo
  
  March 30, 2015 at 8:35 am
  
  Dear Mr Lubinda, please focus on work. You should not bother about many aspects of the mistakes of sATA of which that girl is an example. Leave enemy behind. Now focus on sorting out the poor harvest due to bad wether. UpND will blame you even for bad weather. All the best to you and Edgar please just work hard!
- Zimaningi
  
  March 30, 2015 at 2:46 pm
  
  I thought it was Given Lubunda responding, I agree with the writer that tomato is just an example. Stella was very right to us it
CD4

March 29, 2015 at 10:08 pm

I thot it was given lubinda but in the same vein Its a well written response to the shallow minded idiotic bastard stella sata..honestly shud parents be sending their children to universities only to come and parade in chisokone market selling tomatoes??..and imagine u were not even on bursary???
- New Educated Zambia©
  
  March 29, 2015 at 10:14 pm
  
  That is what PF calls employment my brother. The illiterate party thinks with its behind and not the brain. If i were the PF I would ensure to censure this young lady because everything she says will be attributed to that pathetic front party. Anyway let her be because she is doing a good job in making us win easily in 2016. She is just an attention seeking kid who has now got the attention she needed. Now let us watch her go away just like she came. kiki.
20.01.15

March 29, 2015 at 11:19 pm

THIS IS MY PRESIDENT THE
1.FORMER ACTING PRESIDENT,
2.FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENCE
3.FORMER MINISTER OF JUSTICE
4.FORMER PF SECRETARU GENERAL
AND CURRENTLY
5.THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE
6.HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
7.AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU

AND FOR HH
1.FORMER NOTHING
2.FORMER NOTHING
3.FORMER NOTHING
4.FORMER NOTHING
AND CURRENTLY
5.MINISTER OF FREEMANSONS
6.HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF TONGAS
7.AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF COWS/COW DUNG

HH-ZERO EXPERIENCE AWE TE FINTU
- BLACK BELT
  
  March 30, 2015 at 9:14 am
  
  walasa boyi. haleisa!haleisa! halikwisa, hapitilila hastate house.
- KASONGO
  
  March 31, 2015 at 3:11 am
  
  You surely could do better than this. No one in Zambia wants to talk tribes here. It is disgusting!!!!!!
20.01.15

March 29, 2015 at 11:21 pm

.THIS IS MY PRESIDENT THE
1.FORMER ACTING PRESIDENT,
2.FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENCE
3.FORMER MINISTER OF JUSTICE
4.FORMER PF SECRETARY GENERAL
AND CURRENTLY
5.THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE
6.HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
7.AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU

AND FOR HH
1.FORMER NOTHING
2.FORMER NOTHING
3.FORMER NOTHING
4.FORMER NOTHING
AND CURRENTLY
5.MINISTER OF FREEMANSONS
6.HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF TONGAS
7.AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF COWS/COW DUNG

HH-ZERO EXPERIENCE AWE TE FINTU
Mula

March 29, 2015 at 11:34 pm

Ba Lubinda, You Think You Went To School But I See You Are Just Like Those Graduates Wasting Time On Protests. The Sell Of Tomatos Has Money And You Cant Clasify It As Low Income, Unless You Are The End Seller, Bana Market. Even Though, You Cant March Them With Those Brainless Graduates. Imagin Having A Farm Of Tomatos, Employ People And Sell Those Tomatos To Supermarkets And Marketeers. I See You Are Also An Idiot.
20.01.15

March 30, 2015 at 12:00 am

u are very right mula
Phiri

March 30, 2015 at 12:10 am

Firstly ba PF since you took over govt have you revised the Zambian curriculum? That curriculum inherited from our colonial master,never prepares any graduate for entrepreneurship but creates graduates who wait to be employed. You PF (and even MMD or UNIP before you) cant then have daughters who think graduates should enter business from the base: I.e. selling tomatoes in the street. Stella should look at the bigger picture of jobless graduates. Why are they unemployed? Because her father and other politicians do not address the nation’s needs,appropriate education being one of them
- kakolwe
  
  March 30, 2015 at 9:52 am
  
  Ba Phiri, I’ll classify you as a person who is not interested in the goings on of Zambia but would want to speak as if he is knowledgeable. Suffice to say, Go Back And Check again! carriculum change was the cirst thing PF did in introducing a two-tier education system as from grade 8. are there no tea?hers at Tumfweko to school this reddent chewing man
  - Phiri
    
    March 30, 2015 at 3:50 pm
    
    A kolwe Ok Nanvera although you are full of misunderstandings yourself. You may not have understood my question in its entirety. Is the new curriculum you are talking about addressing the entrepreneurship issue being discussed here or are you referring to the mere change of mother tongue education? That still prepares graduates for employment mukwai. Elyo a kolwe mu funiko endanso thru yamene iyi curriculum that PF has prepared because simuziba ma spelling Ai. Ni rodent not reddent. Curriculum not carriculum Dzikomo
Joe Mwansa

March 30, 2015 at 12:22 am

I rarely comment on the social media but I this time iam compelled to. Lubinda, the point Stella was making was that in the meantime, is there something one can do while waiting for a “proper” Job? Yes there is! Selling tomatoes was a narrative. They are so many thinks one can do in the meantime. And even her father, he worked hard to sell things before he became what you are demeaning. You should ask us and see how we have survived. With economics degree, iam a proud employer because I was “trained” to be self employed. We set up a car wash, we sold water and drinks and from there an internet café and ended up conducting training in occupational safety and today we are a respected training institute. We have been turned down by banks for a loan but we have never given up. So, her comments were not far fetched as you are putting it.
kakolwe

March 30, 2015 at 3:27 am

I believe this Libinda is one dull entrepreneural student. what basis dies he use to form strata in entrepreneureship? There are examples we have given & will give more. remember DANA Industries? a muliti national started by a Zambian graduate by selling saladi yakupimisha. Once while in Tokyo, I was privilaged to see how Drs scramble odd voluntary jods away from Japan just to start up somewhere. if you term those lunacy incarnate bafoons of graduates as poor then allow me to sponsor the erection og a bill-showing those paraded swines at the entrance of UNZA.
- Zedian
  
  March 30, 2015 at 7:44 pm
  
  You speak nonsense all the time.
webman

March 30, 2015 at 6:08 am

master of philosophy in small business blah blah blah. it figures! only a nonsensical field like this can spew out such trash.
mr philosopher, just one question for you. do you know GBM’s story? and where is he now? did he have the so called “basic survivorlist entrepreneurship” ( big term for empty heads) because of his low formal educational levels? one thing i know for certain is that he is at least 10 lifetimes ahead of you,,,, a philosopher with nothing but wind. please try not to insult people on the basis of their levels of FORMAL ( as in book) education. in fact if i had a say i would recommend that HH invites this girl to join his party.
i have had the opportunity, in my travels on 4 continents, of getting the acquaintance of brilliant engineers and doctors who left their countries in egypt, india, and poland and even tanzania, for a better life in these western countries. guess what type of jobs they ended up with. yeah, thats right: taxi drivers, ambulance driver’s ( not even allowed to do paramedics as for the doctors), plantation/ farm workers etc. their’s are stories of human endurance and perseverance, survivorlistic to you. as i post this, i still am in contact with at least three of these guys who have broken through these initial barriers and are practicing in their fields at very high levels,,,, meaning they are department heads and teaching in the same institutions which could not accredit their qualifications in the first place!
- Fulu fulu
  
  March 30, 2015 at 8:10 am
  
  Exactly, webman! So many people start from the very bottom, and then they pave their way forward. In no way is that an insult to the world of academia. This Lubinda guy is so delusional.
pillar

March 30, 2015 at 7:26 am

Lubinda, with all your degree from South Africa, and that’s what you can write? You must be such a dullard not to perceive where this young girl was coming from…. its simple- if you cant get a job from normal channels , then look within and find something to do… the bible says in all labour there is profit, so even in
Fulu fulu

March 30, 2015 at 7:42 am

What a ridiculous response from Lubinda. He even has the audacity to personally attack Stella by insinuating that she has a shallow mind and is a spoiled child. He states that graduates selling tomatoes would be an insult to the world of academia. Well Mr Lubinda, not all graduates will instantly get jobs upon graduation. I know graduates in the U.S who couldn’t find jobs in their profession and had to flip burgers for a while at Burger King. How dare you ridicule survivalist entrepreneurship when that’s how most small businesses world-wide begin?
- Fulu fulu
  
  March 30, 2015 at 7:51 am
  
  Your delusional idea of innovative entrepreneurship doesn’t even take into account the fact that Zambia is still a third-world country. The easiest area of innovation might be in computer networks and the internet, which require programming knowledge, internet access and a computer. Other areas of science would require modern machinery which would be difficult to get in a technologically challenged Zambia. You cannot simply put all your effort on one aspect of entrepreneurship in a developing country. Even in the west, some people start up lawn mowing service companies, plumbing services, heating and air conditioning services, restaurants, consulting firms, software companies, and others create Facebook, Twitter and Google.
Vizungu

March 30, 2015 at 9:08 am

Goodness! Clearly Stella is more forward thinking than this Lubinda guy. Suggesting that Stella can not comment on those hapless university graduates’ ‘unemployment protest’ because she comes from a privileged family is simply absurd. Stating that she has a shallow mind is delusional!

Your mere question that (quote) “Or was she trying to imply university graduates must be entrepreneurial and not wait on government to provide them with jobs?” IS the very gist of Stella’s ‘tomato-selling’ suggestion.

Your analysis is flawed and ‘demeaning to the educated lot’!
MK the original

March 30, 2015 at 9:29 am

Depending in the context in which one understands it. I feel the story is a two way fold depending on how you want to look at it. Maybe positive maybe negative, but the bottom line is take it easy. Lubinda’s analysis of the matter should be respected bcoz he spoke his opinion and his analysis has also a two way fold. I stand to look at his artical objectively.
beee

March 30, 2015 at 9:37 am

i think stella was ok…. with a positive approach we can use this debate i think we can get us somewhere. lets stop being negative the fact that she had the courage to touch the subject shows that she has brains not ba educated mubita who is hiding behind the papers. if the western countries are struggling on the same issues who are we not to.
Trixy

March 30, 2015 at 9:42 am

I agree with Lubinda. Infact in one of my postings I also stated that I was of the view that Stella should have started with advising the Government to create an enabling environment vis a vis financing, etc for students and youth in general to be self-sustainable. This is just a fact.
- kakolwe
  
  March 30, 2015 at 11:56 am
  
  @Trixy, hey bro!! Tell me, who would this embarrass more if I took that picture of paraded idiots & made a bill board out of it & post at the entrance of UNZA? I tell you, those farting camels are cursing themselves for having agreed to being paraded like lab-rats.
Kwati like so

March 30, 2015 at 9:45 am

Ba idiot no one is long ooh sorry wrong, stealer satafye has a point & this Socrate mubinde is also stretching a concern. Lets combine the two if we want to see development in our country. Lets b innovative & government shud stand to support such ideas.
Sir

March 30, 2015 at 10:45 am

She lacked wisdom by saying what she said. Even a fool can pretend to wise by keeping quite. She mocked The people of Zambia by saying what she said
Political Assassin

March 30, 2015 at 10:59 am

“The statement by Stella Sata on the action of
some former University of Zambia graduates who
recently protested over unemployment has
sparked a lot of angry reactions from a cross
section of society.”I agree with Mr lubinda’s point on Government creating a favorable atmosphere for entrepreneurial ideas. In the same vein,I also agree with stella’s point on Graduates being entrepreneurs though its a pity that some Africans are still primitive in the twenty first century. Why do you want to give a duff ear to this important issue that has been raised??We all know that unemployment levels are high in our country,let’s not be so objective for nothing.
Kokoliko Musonda j

March 30, 2015 at 11:44 am

Mr lubinda I thought learned people would think beyond the box the girl besides being in that position dose not mean she can not speak out u can see that she has suvivor instinct just like her late father those fools where paid if rearly have good result they would have got employed long time a go ZAMBIA as not reached a time where most graduates with good results can not get jobs with good. Results even sarrounding countries what’s human resource with expertizim Stella was just trying to advice those idiots that with little funds u can earn a living so please leave the poor girl alone I like her courage viva Stella daughter like father foolish lubinda
Kokoliko Musonda j

March 30, 2015 at 11:59 am

Mr lubinda whats do demining about selling tomato ask Edith nawakwi what’s in tomato business u think all those marketers are low citizens go to Nigeria and see how degree holders go through one can have 3degrees but he is AKANDA driver u call that demining no no no mr lubinda they use suvivor instincts the so called graduates will turn hardcore criminals if they can not even manage talk time so Kadangi stop inciting this failures
- New Educated Zambia©
  
  March 30, 2015 at 12:02 pm
  
  Demeaning! . Kagone walema iwe. Monday blues . Nayine nalema. Hh abwela ku uk. Tuchita prepare. Wawona feel free to use local language if u can’t articulate English.
kakolwe

March 30, 2015 at 12:02 pm

PaTumfweko is not a place to start throwing your incomplete titles. You may end up shaming the institution that is trying to shape you. They have failed you or you have failed them in the same whay that out graduates failed UNZA. Birds of a feather!!!!
- New Educated Zambia©
  
  March 30, 2015 at 12:06 pm
  
  Upanga chongo. Some of us have headache from weekend.
  - vampiro
    
    March 30, 2015 at 12:25 pm
    
    Mareen is now pregnant of hh. Any comments
    - New Educated Zambia©
      
      March 30, 2015 at 1:29 pm
      
      kiki is mareen pregnant “of” hh? that is news to us mune. Kiki ba pf
    - Munyelo wa Vampiro
      
      March 30, 2015 at 2:23 pm
      
      Munyelo wako chikala!
tutu

March 30, 2015 at 12:54 pm

I thot it oz our gallant patriot given lubinda,kanshi litolefye of a lubinda…w@ kalya akalihule ka Stella oz tokin abt wen she said tomatoes oz jst a metaphor chikala chawiso iwe waufwa…life ngayakosa ka jobu takalesangwa kutamanga
HARD BODY MUBAUBAU

March 30, 2015 at 2:33 pm

They say even when a fool is quite, he may just be mistaken for a wise person. YOu idiot Lubinda, stop disgracing yourself, I thought with the level of education you have attained you would be able to speak sense. You cant even categorically emphasize on the scale sure. Im so dis PF”’d
General tweed(the retired politician)

March 30, 2015 at 2:43 pm

Pipo let’s be objective in our criticism
mukati

March 30, 2015 at 3:08 pm

Ok seeing fire coming to ur house and u say it is seeing the house and it will by pass u
malabishi
oliver mudenda

March 30, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Those living in mansions should know that heaven is for the poor
jk

March 30, 2015 at 4:58 pm

The point Stella is trying to bring toward is not “selling tomatoes” but rather being inovative, creative and or being enterprenuer rather thaan having a mind of being employed. Instead get employ. So learned cannot dwell on selling tomato which the young gave as an illustration. If u are analyzing something look beyond 1+1. So show yr dullness by commenting without understanding.
KASONGO

March 31, 2015 at 3:16 am

The problem of hiring hyenas to look after your goats is that they will eat them indiscriminately.