Jericho

The first time I went to the Ministry of Justice in Zambia, I found the place rather dour. Of course it was teeming with lawyers in their dark suits, one or two in their court garb, but many were just scurrying around the corridors going about their business like unfeeling well programmed robots. A familiar face would pop up, utter a mechanical greeting and disappear as quickly as they had appeared. This was the hub of public justice and the wheels were moving very fast with almost mechanistic efficiency, at least from the looks of it.

Outside everyone went about their business. Vehicles sped by along Independence Avenue, many oblivious to anything going on in the corridors of the Ministry of Justice, after all they would read about it or watch it on the news if it was significant.

Today its a different sight, at least from the outside. A motley assembly of over a hundred retirees, scraggly dressed and many with family in tow prowl around the Ministry of Justice Offices. They walk around the fence, a humdrum of chants emerging as one draws closer. One would be forgiven if they thought, like I did, that this was a political demonstration, but no it is not. This is a prayer session, the mumbled chants are prayers. When the signal is given, frenetic shouts of "fire! fire! fire!" ring out from the now frenzied crowd, hands outstretched towards the Ministry of Justice offices.

Retirees wait for Jericho to come crashing down. Picture Credit Zambian Observer

The whole operation is called "Jericho". The Ministry of Justice has come to represent the Biblical walls of Jericho and the now desperate prayers are so that those walls can come tumbling down. Jericho represenrs unpaid terminal benefits of over ten million Kwacha which have been outstanding for long time. The retirees were awarded a consent judgment in the Supreme court, requiring the Government of the Republic of Zambia to pay up. However Jericho has stubbornly refused to budge. In fact Jericho has been resolute.

Its occupiers have now even become thick-skinned towards this daily display of Christian piety and manic fervor with the prayer routine and the chanting. It is as if the noises from outside are not directed at Ministry of Justice. The inside of the Ministry remains business as usual, mechanical, unfeeling and putting on the usual semblance of efficiency. Outside, the frenzy of calling upon divine intervention in the now desperate hope that GRZ will pay up, rages on.

The falling of Jericho represents the satisfaction of finally paying off the long list of debt that these miserable people have accumulated. Jericho is seen in unpaid school fees, the eviction notices that have to be fended off, all manner of family obligations that are pending and in essence justice. The ability to feed off one's sweat.

No one should be made to go through such just to get their hard earned money. My heart goes out to these former government workers, their families and their dependents. Such levels of desperation do not simply appear overnight. They are a culmination of years of neglect, tonnes of broken promises and more importantly a symptom of our hard economic times. There are those who have since died, waiting for Jericho to finally crack...Jericho stands resolute, the chants of "fire" bouncing off its thick walls like flies off the stubborn hide of a Rhino. They will retire for the night, nurse their hoarse voices, scrounge around for some food and propelled by faith make another song and prayer assault on Jericho the following day.

Here is to hoping Jericho finally comes crashing down.