An investigation into the conflicts emanating from the up-scaling of minimum educational requirement for political leaders on the management of Lusaka City Council
Date
2016
Authors
Funga, Elisabeth Bwalya
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
This study was aimed at carrying out a systematic and formal inquiry of the conflict emanating from the introduction of the grade twelve-certificate qualification or its equivalent for all political leaders on the management of Lusaka City Council . The amended Zambian constitution requires that all leaders should have a grade twelve certificate or its equivalent for one to vie for a political office i.e. Councillor, Mayor or Member of Parliament. Political leaders are responsible for governing the masses at different levels. It became of interest to assess the type of conflict that emanates from the minimum qualification of a grade 12 certificates, or it's equivalent whether this qualification has as an effect on decision-making. Members of the public and politics received this with mixed feelings. Some would be candidates have even produced fake documents. It is for this reason that the research topic became of interest
Since 1964 Zambian constitution required that one had to be a Zambian and twenty one years and above to vie for any political position. When the Patriotic front came into leadership in 2011 they promised to implement the constitution review that leaders at civic level should have a minimum of grade 12 certificates or equivalent. However in 2016, the constitutional review amended this clause and up-scaled the minimum academic qualification required for political leader from no education requirement to a minimum of a grade twelve (12) certificate qualification or its equivalent.
Since the amendment of the constitution, the conflict emanating from the minimum educational requirements for political leaders on the management of Lusaka city council is not known. Due to lack of information
This research tried to investigate the existing conflict that emanated from up-scaling of minimum educational requirements for political leaders on the management of Lusaka City Council .Due to the changing urban trends and problems that some academicians and developmental advocates called for the minimum requirement of civic leaders to be up-scaled to a grade 12 certificate or its equivalent qualification. Their argument was that political leaders that have an educational qualification below a grade twelve (12) certificate qualification couldn't efficiently handle the complexities in the city and other'areas. It is on this basis that the minimum education qualifications for political leaders was up-scaled from merely being a Zambian citizen to having grade twelve (12) certificate qualification of its equivalent. The up-scaling of minimum educational requirements seemed to have been received with mixed views by the candidates aspiring as political leaders, the local authority members of staff and the general population. Since the amendment of the constitution and inclusion of the non -contentious clause (minimum education requirement for political leaders). We were not certain the conflict emanating from it among civic leaders. It is on this basis that the researcher was interested in finding out . This study investigated the constitutional amendment of the minimum education qualifications for political leaders. The following research objectives were set to undertake the research.
Description
Master of Science Conflict Leadership and Peace
Keywords
Political leadership -- Zambia , Zambia -- Politics and government