Economic Happenings in Zambia

By Michelo Maunga The World Trade Organization [1] defines illicit trade as the sale of goods in a manner that violates national or international law. A good can be deemed such on the basis of its characteristics,  the methods used in its distribution, marketing, labelling and/or production. Across the world and in Zambia, the economic costs of this are substantial [2] . The human cost, which will be this article’s premise, is even more  troubling. According to Chainama Hills Hospital, 56% of new patients are related to alcohol and substance abuse (2024), with an average patient age of 19.5. Zambia, possesses a youthful population. 35% of our population is between the ages of 15 and 35 [3] . It is generally desirable for a country to have a large number of young people, who are more adept at driving productive capacities through employment and entrepreneurship. Indeed, it is the youth who manufacturers need as human capital in plants. However, this demographic dividend is...

By Michelo Maunga I like to follow current affairs. This can be through watching news, reading the papers or following certain social media pages. Comes naturally, as in the house I grew up in, we followed news. Anyway, away from my proclivities, what is current now is happenings with America. This is a country that for many of us, was greatly admired. Many of us desired, and some may still long, to make our abode, in America. For those of our people who managed to migrate there, they immediately assumed a sense of superiority, in our minds. Growing up, America influenced, practically every aspect of our lives. What we watched; what we listened to; what we wore, even what we ate, seemingly, could be tied to that land. Yet before our eyes, the eyes that the American long ridiculed, that Dynasty seems to be crumbling. At the heart of America’s downfall, is that of its brainchild, democracy. Why do I say so? America is not such a bad place. Some of the world’s brightest minds, are Ameri...