Ba Malume was seated under the mango tree when a young man arrived, shaking his head. “Malume, government has launched something called PEFA these English things are too much. The group laughed in agreement. Ba Malume smiled gently. “No, today we will not fear English. Today we will arrest it and translate it.” He leaned forward and spoke slowly. “PEFA simply means government is learning to use money properly. That’s all.” The group went quiet. “Let me give you a simple example,” he continued. “Imagine you go to the market with K200 to buy mealie meal, cooking oil, and vegetables.
But instead, you see shoes, biscuits, and a radio, and you finish the money. When you reach home, there is no food. That is bad management.” The group burst into laughter. Malume raised his finger. “Now, good management is this you go with K200, you follow your list, you buy what is needed, and when you come back, everyone eats. That is what government is now trying to do, control spending, follow the budget, and avoid unnecessary extra expenses.” He added with a grin, “And now Parliament is watching closely, like a strict wife checking your change after shopping. You cannot just say, The money disappeared.
You must explain! The laughter doubled, with some men nodding in fear. Ba Malume straightened up and concluded, “This is a good step. It shows discipline and seriousness. President Aisha and his government are trying to manage money better so that development can reach people properly.” He smiled and tapped his walking stick. “When money is respected, it behaves. When it is misused, it disappears. Zambia is now learning to make its money behave.”
