The second Zambian Republican President, Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba, introduced a Housing Policy that allowed the government, Ministries, Agencies, Councils, Mining Institutions, and commission houses to be sold to their sitting tenants. I applied to buy the Kajeema flat in Chilenje, where I had stayed for eight years.

When the Office of the Secretary to the Commission refused to grant my colleagues and me permission to buy those Kajeema flats as first-time tenants, claiming they were “Transit homes” for Officers, most of us were shocked. We could not fathom or agree on the new definition of “transit” as eight years was too long for any of us to have been in “transit” in the same small flat we had been living in. Young Turks clashing with Government-style Management and Leadership of Standing Orders and Codes of Conduct.   

Unfortunately for us, we could neither protest nor go on strike without the risk of being arrested under the “mutiny” clause of the law of the land. Most of us were already married. I had two daughters by September 1999. To add salt to the injury, when I was promoted to Senior Investigations Officer, the Housing Committee of the Ministry of Works and Supply had allocated me a government house in Olympia Extension, specifically at number 6 Akataka Road.

Unknown to me, one of the Senior Line Managers was eyeing the same house, despite being already married to a government official. As a Couple working in Government, they had been collectively and jointly allocated a massive house in Olympia Park. They wanted to grab another one from me.  Yalikaba.

There were no Government House loans available that would have allowed me to afford a house mortgage loan during those days. The Zambia National Building Society and the Pan African Building Society would require collateral, which none of us working in the Government or Commission had at that time. I genuinely enjoyed my job and performed well, as evidenced by the consistently excellent performance appraisals, particularly in executing national assignments.

Many things about us are true because we tell ourselves they are true. Many aspects of the way we live, act, think, and view the world can change simply by changing the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.

People deserve a life that is full and rich. We must envision the story of that life and start repeating it ourselves, even when we’re taking a cold shower and cleaning between our toes. The way we respond to life is a function of the way we see ourselves responding to life, and the heavy punches the World throws at us.

The way we move through each day is deeply affected by the way we imagine ourselves doing so. As these thoughts ran through my mind, I started looking for other opportunities to make those stories more positive and empowering.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.  Brian Tracy’s words were ringing a bell in my head. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. – Charles R. Swindol.

Sometimes, things happen to us that we can’t comprehend. We hurt, we cry, and we experience pain that pinches and bites our hearts and makes us cold. But the best thing is that it always gets better and better. It all boils down to appreciating the good times more than the bad times. There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is the attitude. The primary difference lies in whether it is positive or negative. – W. Clement Stone.

You cannot stop life from changing, and you wouldn’t want to. Life, by its very definition, is a process of change. The only constant thing in anyone’s life is change. Though you cannot stop life from changing, you can choose to deal with the changes successfully.

You can learn, adapt, and adjust in ways that improve your life. Every time the world changes, new opportunities arise. And somewhere, in some way, the world is changing in every moment. Instead of wishing things had stayed the same, I began exploring new possibilities that could have been created.

With several setbacks in my social life and a realization that I was not growing any younger, the time had come to open a new chapter in my life and career.

Those days, anyone making a genuine application seeking employment in another Government Ministry, Department, Agency, Parastatals, Financial Institution, or any Commerce and Industry from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Special Investigations Team on Economy and Trade (SITET) or Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was looked upon as a “plant”, some spy trying to study the operations of the new employers and pass on all the information to the Law Enforcement Agencies.

There was a belief and strong rumors that once you join the ACC, DEC, or some Commission or Department with “Investigative powers,” you would never be allowed to resign or leave, and you were bonded for life. This fallacy and unsubstantiated belief made it difficult for most qualified officers who wished to pursue other careers. The ACC or DEC tag could be career-limiting for many who have failed to find an escape from societal perception bondage, which is, unfortunately, unfounded. 

I chose to focus on what could be gained, as I believed it was more valuable than what could have been lost. Security is not found by denying or hiding from the changes. Lasting security comes from being able to thrive and prosper, with your integrity intact, regardless of the changes that may come. Whatever the change of the day or the moment, there is a positive response.

I challenged myself to find that response and to make every change a positive one. The time had come for me to move on. I moved on. As the curtain closed on the 20th century and Zambia braced itself for the dawn of a new millennium, I too stood at the edge of a new chapter. I was a young, passionate professional who had spent most of the 1990s immersed in public service. I had walked the corridors of power, rubbed shoulders with Cabinet Ministers, Provincial leaders, and CEOs. I could pick up the phone and speak to anyone, make an appointment, and interview big fish. An honor earned through years of integrity-driven service with the Anti-Corruption Commission. When ACC was ACC then.

But by 1999, the winds of change had begun to blow. I was no longer a fresh graduate from UNZA; I was now a husband and a father of two. The call for stability and long-term security echoed louder in my ears. And yet, the fire to explore new horizons burned stronger in my heart.

This is the story of how I left the safety of government employment to take a risk in the private sector. It is a story of self-belief, bold decisions, new beginnings, and the journey that led me to become the first-ever “Star of Zambia” and later, “Star of Africa.”

After nine fulfilling years at the Anti-Corruption Commission, I handed in my resignation in December 1999. My departure shocked many, especially my mentor and mother-figure, the late Mrs. Agnes Kayobo Ngandu, who demanded an exit interview. She and my wife, like many of my close relatives, couldn’t understand why I’d leave a “stable, secure government job” and opt for an untested, unstable, and insecure job environment in the private sector for a one-year contract.  It was irrational and unjustifiable.

 Those sentiments have been generally strong, leading some of our Senior citizens and colleagues to serve one Institution for the rest of their careers, ranging from 1 year to 40 years.

Admittedly, the risk I took in changing jobs after serving the Government for 9 years (narrowly missing half-pension entitlement at 10 years’ service) was huge, because the new offer of employment I accepted was only a one-year contract, subject to renewal if the Company was satisfied with my performance.

The most worrying concern for everyone was “What if the new employers do not renew the contract? What’s next?” My response to all those who brought up this question was, “What if the new employers renewed the contract and put me on a permanent and pensionable employment contract?”

In truth, their fears were valid. I was leaving just a year shy of qualifying for a partial pension. Worse still, the job I was moving to was no guarantee; it came with a one-year probationary contract. But while others saw danger, I saw opportunity. Where others focused on “what if it doesn’t work?” I focused on “what if it does?”

A young, energetic individual, I enjoyed my work, but it was time to move on and secure my family’s future. After all, I had two lovely daughters by 1999.  I tendered my letter of resignation from the Anti-Corruption Commission in December 1999.

I was looking at the glass half full, whereas my colleagues and family members may have been looking at it half empty.  “Why fail to perform when you have family responsibilities?” Why not learn quickly, adapt, and focus on new assignments, tasks, job roles, job descriptions, and job execution?   

There is another life outside Government circles and without the powers of arrest. I had convinced myself, perhaps driven by the Aushi tribe’s arrogance and determination, to explore other avenues.  There are only a few ways out. If you overstay in one workplace or environment, you become part of the furniture. Eventually, what was once a comfortable retreat becomes a prison.

Continue to deny and avoid the opportunities to move forward. You will ultimately find the situation so intolerable that you’ll do whatever is necessary to get yourself out of it. Unfortunately, by the time that happens, you will have lost many of your best options.

I firmly believe that as a human being, you must be your greatest asset. Invest your time, effort, and money in training, grooming, and encouraging your greatest asset, yourself. Allow your abilities to blossom somewhere else. Progress is made by those who dare to be wrong and persist in finding how to get it right. Outstanding achievements are crafted into existence by those who, when they begin, are not sure exactly how they’ll do it. Don’t wait until you know how to do everything before you have the confidence to do anything. Find confidence in the authenticity of your desire and the goodness of your purpose.

You don’t have to be an expert already to gain expertise. You have to get busy. If you stumble at first, get back up and apply what you’ve just learned. Even when you stumble, you’re still moving forward. Don’t wait for confidence to somehow come to you. Get out there and create it for yourself. I consoled myself that I was worthy and capable of reaching the goals that truly mattered to me. I got myself going and enjoyed the experience of allowing my capabilities and abilities to blossom.

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility,” Eleanor Roosevelt. I had to move. It did not matter at that point whether it was moving sideways or forward, but certainly, the movement was not going backward.

I began working for Barclays Bank Zambia Plc on January 2, 2000. The Y2K hype had just settled.  I worked for Barclays Bank Zambia Plc, first as Assistant Manager and later as Manager, Fraud Prevention, Investigations, and Security at Barclays Africa Security Investigative Services, supporting Barclays Bank in Zambia and across Southern Africa.

I was responsible for Financial Crimes Deterrence, Detection, Prevention, Investigations, and Prosecutions. I served as the liaison and point of contact with all regulators and Law Enforcement Agencies, including my Former employer’s Anti-Corruption Commission.

I would occasionally take my Former Line Managers and Colleagues for dinners, lunch, and a drink-up at the famous and prestigious Barclays Bank Manager’s Club on Friday evening for relaxing and winding up. My line Manager, Mr. Charles Lengalenga (the late), and Mr. Richard Beardsall were impressed by my performance, which led His Honor Mr. William Mweemba, the Head of Legal and Company Secretary, to change the contractual terms from 1 year to permanent and pensionable. The Director of Human Resources, Mr. Bursch Nketani, was in concurrence. The fears and concerns of family members and former bosses at the Anti-Corruption Commission were put at ease by Christmas 2000.

The following year, in 2001, I was declared the first (1^st) ever prize Gold Eagle Award winner of the Brain Waves and Eagle Award for outstanding performance. I was also awarded the first “Star of Zambia” at the Barclays Bank of Zambia Brain Waves and Eagle Awards dinner dance at the Inter-Continental Hotel.

Apart from winning a weekend for two (wife and I) at newly opened Protea Hotel in Chisamba, Barclays Bank sponsored me to go to London in the United Kingdom and represented Zambia at the exclusive “best of the best – Stars of Africa” dinner hosted by Mr. Chris Lendrum, Chief Executive Corporate Banking PLC, Mr. Dominic Bruynseels, Managing Director of Barclays Africa and Middle East and other top Barclays Executives. Barclays Bank was just in the process of moving the Head Office from Lombard Street to Canary Wharf. Dinner was at the Canary Wharf.

Here I was, in Business Class on British Airways, on my way to visit Great Britain. That was my first time visiting Europe. The Official schedule allowed me to see and tour among many other exciting places in London such as the Buckingham Palace, the London Castle, the London Eye, 10 Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, some shopping vouchers dished out to use at the Harrods Shop owned by the Egyptian born mogul, Alfayad whose son died in the road traffic accident with Princess Diana. Another dinner was organized for us on the evening of the Boat Cruise on the River Thames. 

In London, I was awarded the title “Star of Africa” in the United Kingdom. I had a short-term assignment and attachment to Barclays Bank Group, specifically in Crime Prevention, Fraud Investigations, and Anti-Money Laundering – Central Operations, located at Avon House, Westwood Park, Coventry. I visited Paris, France.

After enjoying some red wine, we were honored and treated to a very sumptuous and delicious meal, which we later discovered, much to our chagrin, had included tortoise, snails, squid, shrimp, crabs, and frog legs, among many other menu items displayed and offered to us in a hefty British English accent. Tachaweme. Kunwamo fye naimbi wine to wash down the snails and frogs. Lol.

The following year, 2002, I was nominated and commended by Sir Peter Middleton, Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC, for the Chairman’s Awards for Community and Diversity for my outstanding community service.

Back home, I threw myself into securing Barclays’ operations.

I also became Chairman of the Bankers Association of Zambia, Fraud Prevention and Security Committee, traveling to every town where Barclays had branches. I was now shaping the industry, not just reacting to it.

In 2002, I was nominated by Sir Peter Middleton, Chairman of Barclays Bank PLC, for the Chairman’s Award for Community and Diversity, in recognition of my contribution to society beyond the workplace.

By 2003, I had secured my first home in Woodlands, on Khola Road, through a bank mortgage, closing the loop between risk and reward.

Looking back, my decision to leave government in 1999 was a leap of faith, a bold step that few were willing to take at the time. But as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die.”

The decision to move, despite the uncertainty, was one I never regretted. I learned that stability is not found in a job title, but in one’s ability to adapt, grow, and add value wherever you are planted. I moved not just into a new organization, but into a new version of myself, bolder, broader, and better.

From being a quiet civil servant with a passion for justice to becoming Barclays Zambia’s “Star of Africa”, the journey taught me that the real reward lies not in comfort, but in the courage to persevere.

Let this story stand as a reminder: When the future calls, answer with faith, not fear. And when you do, you might find yourself boarding a plane to London, sipping red wine at Canary Wharf, eating snails and frogs, and living out a destiny you will treasure even in your years of senility, for memories are for those who make them. Be blessed—happy Festive Season.