When electoral fraud is met by congratulations
By Stephen Gowans
November 3, 2009
It has become standard practice in many parts of the world for opposition candidates to decry as fraudulent election results that favor the incumbent. Charges of vote fraud are routinely levelled against governing parties that win elections contested by opposition parties backed by Western governments.
For example, after (and even before) Zimbabwe’s last set of elections, the governing Zanu-PF party was accused of vote fraud, but the evidence for the opposition’s claim was gathered by organizations funded by the United States, a major backer of the opposition movement.
Washington makes no secret of its desire to drive the incumbent president, Robert Mugabe, from power, by hook or crook, not because he’s corrupt, despotic or a human rights abuser, as Washington alleges, but because he has done what all foreign leaders back to Lenin have done who have fallen astray of Washington – failed to honor contracts and safeguard private property.
(That’s not to say Mugabe and Lenin are alike in any way other than having committed what in Washington’s view is the supreme crime.)
A cooked exit poll is not beyond the motivations and capabilities of US and British-backed anti-Mugabe forces, but that’s largely beside the point. Mugabe’s Zanu-PF did poorly in the election, and Mugabe, himself, failed to win a first round victory in the presidential election. If Zanu-PF rigged the vote, it blundered badly.
Similarly, the outcome of the last Iranian presidential election, which saw the return to power of the incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was denounced by the opposition as a fraud. The charge was taken up by Western politicians, journalists and a substantial fraction of the Western left, despite the opposition’s failure to produce a single jot of credible evidence that the election was stolen.
Worse, the sole methodologically sound public opinion poll taken prior to the election – funded by the international arm of the Republican Party, the IRI – predicted that Ahmadinejad would win by a wide margin – wider, it turns out, than the margin he actually did win by. This was a case of widespread distaste for Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Islamic Revolution leading to the collective dulling of critical faculties. To be sure, if one hated Ahmadinejad and fundamentalist Islam (or fundamentalist religion, period), witnessing Iranians embrace secular Western enlightenment values was bracing indeed. The only problem was there was no evidence it actually happened.
We might expect, then, that charges of vote fraud will be routinely levelled against governing parties that win elections contested by opposition parties backed by Western governments, and that the Western media will accept the charges uncritically. This happens regularly.
But what of cases in which the weight of evidence points to an incumbent, backed by the US government, winning an election by fraud? How might we expect Western politicians, Western media, and even the UN, to react? One would predict that they would try to cover it up, and failing that, minimize its significance. Conspicuously absent would be the indignant denunciations that attend the electoral losses of parties backed by Western governments.
In Afghanistan’s August presidential elections, the incumbent, Hamid Karzai, who had initially been installed in his position by the US government, failed to win a first round victory. This we know now, largely owing to the efforts of the UN’s former number two man in Afghanistan, Peter Galbraith, who blew the whistle on extensive fraud perpetrated by the Karzai-appointed Independent Electoral Commission. [1] Also involved in the fraud, according to a recent New York Times report, was the president’s brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai. [2]
Galbraith charged that the Karzai appointed electoral commission abandoned “its published anti-fraud policies, allowing it to include enough fraudulent votes in the final tally to put Karzai over the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff.” Galbraith estimated that “as many as 30 percent of Karzai's votes were fraudulent.” But when he “called the chief electoral officer to urge him to stick with the original guidelines, Karzai issued a formal protest accusing” Galbraith of foreign interference. Galbraith’s boss, Kai Eide “sided with Karzai”, effectively concealing the electoral fraud. [3] Eide told Galbraith that “the UN mandate was only to support the Afghan institutions in their decisions, not to tell them to hold an honest election.” [4]
At the centre of the fraud were ghost polling centres (1,500 inaccessible locations that were physically impossible to confirm the existence of), a corrupt election commission, [5] and the president’s brother. Ahmed Wali Karzai, “a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal trade” receives “regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency." He “orchestrated the manufacture of hundreds of thousands of phony ballots” [6] and “is also believed to have been responsible for setting up dozens of so-called ghost polling stations — existing only on paper — that were used to manufacture tens of thousands of phony ballots.” [7]
In other words, the UN was involved in an attempt to cover up vote fraud, while the CIA, through the president’s brother, was at least indirectly involved in perpetrating it.
Some US news analysts, dismissing the affair as of little consequence, insist the runner-up, Abdullah Abdullah, stood no chance against Karzai in a fair vote anyway. But an honest account of the initial vote “would have had Karzai at 41% and Abdullah at 34%,” [8] putting Abdullah well within striking distance of victory in a run-off election. Abdullah, however, refused to participate, arguing that there was no reason to believe the run-off would be any less corrupt than the initial vote. He has a point. While Karzai’s electoral commission was asked to eliminate “the ghost polling centres and to replace staff who committed fraud,” Karzai increased the number of centres and rehired the authors of the initial fraud. [9]
The sole concern of officials in Washington – who, when their favored candidates abroad fail to win elections, present themselves as champions of fair elections and lead the charge to have the allegedly fraudulent election overturned — has not been that the Afghan election was stolen, or that Abdullah withdrew because the prospects for a fair run-off were slim. On the contrary, with Karzai winning another term as president only because Abdullah withdrew over legitimate fears the run-off election would be unfair, the official US response has been to “congratulate President Karzai on his victory in this historic election and look forward to working with him.” [10]
Instead, Washington’s sole concern has been the exposure of electoral fraud, and its effect in undermining the legitimacy of their man in Kabul (who never had much legitimacy in the first place.)
Contrast the US reaction with the sharp Western criticism of Robert Mugabe after Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off round of Zimbabwe’s last presidential election, claiming the conditions were not conducive to a fair vote. The difference is as wide as night and day.
Where are the stern lectures, the US-government and ruling class foundation-assisted nonviolent pro-democracy activists, the blanket mass media coverage of Afghanistan’s stolen election, the denunciations of Karzai as a dictator – all which attend the defeat of US-backed opposition movements in elections where the charges of fraud have become routine and the evidence for fraud bare to non-existent?
The reaction to electoral fraud, then, depends on the answer to a single question: Does Washington back the beneficiary of the alleged fraud or not? Or more fundamentally, does the beneficiary promote the sanctity of contracts, private property, free trade, free enterprise and free markets?
If the answer is no, the reaction will be one of indignation and outrage, even where the evidence of fraud is thin to absent.
If the answer is yes, the reaction will be muted, even where the evidence of fraud is voluminous and incontrovertible.
Between Zimbabwe and Iran on the one hand, and Afghanistan on the other, official outrage, and therefore the outrage of the media, and therefore the outrage of the people, including a substantial part of the left, has been inversely proportional to the weight of evidence that fraud has actually occurred.
Washington cares not one whit about democracy — only about the interests of the corporations, investors and banks that dominate its policy-making. If “democracy” comports to those interests, well and good. If not, there are no phoney allegations of electoral fraud Washington is not prepared to take a hand in propagating, and no genuine electoral fraud it is unwilling to live with.
1. Peter W. Galbraith, “What I saw at the Afghan election,” The Washington Post, October 4, 2009.
2. Dexter Filkins, Mark Mazzetti and James Risen, “Brother of Afghan leader is said to be on C.I.A payroll,” The New York Times, October 28, 2009.
3. Galbraith, October 4.
4. Peter Galbraith, “Karzai was hellbent on victory. Afghans will pay the price,” The Guardian (UK), November 2, 2009.
5. Ibid.
6. Filkins, Mazzetti and Risen, October 28.
7. Ibid.
8. Galbraith, November 2.
9. Ibid.
10. Statement of U.S. Embassy in Kabul, reported in Michael Muskal, “U.S. congratulates Afghan President Karzai on another term in office,” Los Angeles Times, November 2, 2009.
Labels: AFGHANISTAN, NEOCOLONIALISM, STEPHEN GOWANS, ZIMBABWE
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Lies will not put fuel in the pumps
By Editor
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE persistent shortage of fuel which the country has continued to experience needs to be addressed in an honest and serious manner.
We say this because this problem which started a few weeks ago has continued despite the numerous government assurances that trucks are rolling into the country with the commodity.
Much as the so-called trucks are being cleared at the country’s borders, it is undisputable that the shortage of the commodity is being experienced in all parts of our country. In Lusaka, the supply is intermittent and this is exacerbating the shortage because demand is outstripping supply. People are rushing to service stations whenever they hear that fuel is in stock.
Places such as Kasama, Chipata, Livingstone and Mazabuka, among others, do not have adequate stocks of the commodity. What is worse is that this shortage of fuel which started with petrol is now extending to diesel when we were assured by the Ministry of Energy and Water Development that there were enough stocks of diesel at Indeni Petroleum Refinery. This situation should not be allowed to continue.
One would have thought that we learnt from the worst shortage that the country experienced in September 2005. We thought that enough lessons had been learnt as far as the management of the flow and supply of fuel, but it appears we are mistaken. Rupiah Banda and his friends cannot say that this fuel shortage was unforeseen. Indeni Petroleum Refinery indicated that they needed to replace the catalyst for the plant to continue operating but the government did not intervene and allowed them to continue operating until the plant had a technical fault.
What followed was the closure of the plant for routine maintenance and we were assured that there were enough stocks. Numerous statements have been made by energy minister Kenneth Konga and his permanent secretary Peter Mumba and there have been many assurances that Dalbit Petroleum of Kenya and Independent Petroleum Group (IPG) of Kuwait will bring in the commodity.
And the two companies are doing that. We were told that oil marketing companies (OMCs) will also import fuel following the waiver of the 25 per cent import duty. To start with, the statutory instrument for the waiver was only signed last Friday - October 30, 2009 - weeks into the shortage. Some of the OMCs are even hesitant to bring in petroleum products because of the other taxes, which will still make importation expensive for them.
For instance, we are aware that the OMCs could manage to bring in diesel because even with the seven per cent excise duty, which they have to pay, they can still manage to sell it at the current price. But we are aware that the OMCs have concerns on importation of petrol because even with the waiver, the excise duty and road levy still remains at 36 per cent and this might make it impossible for them to sell the commodity at the current price. In the midst of this fuel crisis, the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) announced an increase in fuel prices and reversed their decision barely hours after the announcement.
This is total confusion, which cannot be allowed to continue in a critical sector such as energy. The assurances and the statements that are being made by government officials, paid activists and other mercenaries on the fuel situation are just confusing the people because the situation on the ground is totally different. Actually Rupiah and his friends would do well to acknowledge that they have created a mess in this critical sector and work towards cleaning it up. The first step in solving any problem is to acknowledge its existence.
When a problem is openly admitted, it is easy to go about it in an open manner. Of course, admitting a problem opens those responsible to attacks from their political opponents. But when mistakes are admitted, political opponents can only use them in a very limited manner because the problems will be solved.
Honesty and truthfulness are very important in situations like these. People do not want to listen to empty heads that are given expensive airtime and newspaper space to try and hoodwink them with clear lies on the fuel situation.
We are in the rainy season and people are preparing their fields, if not already planting. They need fuel to till the land, in the case of commercial farmers; others need to move farming inputs from one point to another. There are several farming activities that risk being grounded to a halt because of the current fuel shortage if it is not addressed urgently. If Rupiah and his friends cannot provide fuel to the farmers, how else do they expect to have a food secure 2010? How do they expect to prevent the hunger problem and subsequently lower poverty levels? How do Rupiah and his friends expect the country’s sectors such as mines and tourism to operate effectively if people spend their time looking for fuel? We also know that this shortage of fuel if not properly handled can lead to an increase in prices of goods and services, including food, and ultimately affect the country’s inflation rates.
There is need for honesty and seriousness on the part of those in government when it comes to issues like these. You cannot run a country on the basis of firefighting when you have the option of taking a preventive approach. You cannot deliver to the people if you put your interests and those of your pocket and those of your sons and friends first. You cannot deliver if you are just preoccupied with serving yourself, looking for money-making ventures and opportunities for kickbacks instead of serving the people.
This situation could have been avoided with more honesty, integrity and proper planning. Essentially, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) are supposed to have petroleum stocks to last up to 15 days but right now we are not aware as to how much stock these companies have because there has never been a serious audit by the government. We are also aware of the Strategic Reserve Fund (SRF) whose purpose is to help administer fuel reserves but one cannot help but wonder what is happening or has happenned to this fund. Even as Indeni resumes operations any time from now, we are not sure if all the necessary work has been done to prevent another breakdown.
The country needs a long-term solution to the fuel shortage. Contracting Dalbit and IPG is not a solution to the current mess. We have had enough shortages of fuel in this country and by now we should have a formula of what works or does not work for us. Giving contracts to friends to supply fuel does not work.
It appears Rupiah and his friends are content with running this important sector without a strategic plan because this helps them manipulate things to their own personal benefit any time. The constant breakdowns at Indeni need to be looked at in a different way if the plan we have been using is not working. If the government wants to increase uptake at Indeni, they should ensure a complete overhaul of the obsolete equipment for it to operate efficiently.
We do realise the fact that the plant needs regular service and maintenance but it is not prudent to fix a problem in one area today when you know that there are chances of having another problem in a different area. We also need to look at all the other strategies that have been put in place in the energy sector as far as the supply of petroleum products is concerned. We are not saying the country cannot have problems. Problems will always be there no matter how perfect we want things to turn out.
What the country needs is a well thought-out energy plan so that minor hiccups in the supply chain do not send panic among the people. We do not need to remind Rupiah and his friends on the importance of a steady energy supply system to economic growth.
Labels: INDENI, OMCs, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA
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Indeni to resume operations by weekend, says Shikapwasha
By George Chellah
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
CHIEF government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha has announced that Indeni Oil Refinery will resume operations this weekend.
During a press briefing at his office, Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said the government was confident that fuel customers would have access to the fuel amounts they require.
“I, therefore, appeal to all fuel consumers to take note of this update so that there is no panic fuel purchases.
Any shortages that will be experienced as from today will mainly be due to the time it takes for fuel to be transported to all parts of the country,” Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said.
“I also wish to inform the nation that Indeni will resume operation this weekend. This will further increase the supply of fuel to the public.”
He said the government was making all necessary efforts to stabilize fuel supply.
“As of this morning, 2nd November 2009, the following was the fuel stock position; (1) Petrol, there were 1,040,000 litres at Tazama in Ndola.
In addition, 19 trucks were awaiting offloading with a total of 665,000 litres, making the total stock position to be 1, 705,000 litres,”
Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said. “Out of this amount 800,000 litres will be given to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to distribute countrywide.
The amount to be given out will be more than the 700,000 litres of petrol consumed in the country daily.”
He said for diesel there were 896,000 litres at Tazama in Ndola.
“Out of this 600,000 litres will be supplied by the OMCs on the Copperbelt.
The balance of 296,000 litres will be distributed to fuel outlets in Central, Luapula, Northwestern and Northern provinces.
For Lusaka, two tankers carrying 70,000 litres were given to Total for distribution this mourning. In addition, a total of 17 diesel tankers arrived at Chirundu boarder in the mourning, carrying 595,000 litres,” Lt. Gen Shikapwasha said.
“This diesel will be distributed in Lusaka by the end of today, giving a total of 665,000 litres of diesel supplied to Lusaka by the government.
Other tankers expected at Chirundu will supply diesel to Eastern, Southern and Western provinces.
The inflow of diesel trucks from both Dar-es-Salaam and Beira has significantly improved, implying that adequate fuel will now be available on the market.
“In addition to the above quantities supplied by government, a number of OMCs including Total, Egen, Kobil, Petroda, Oyrx, Spectra and Pegasus have started receiving their diesel imports. These import have started supplementing the GRZ imports.”
Labels: FUEL, INDENI, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA
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Sata Reflects on Rupiah’s one year in office
By George Chellah and Patson Chilemba
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 15:58 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said President Rupiah Banda’s one year of the presidency has been one of crisis upon crisis and frequent trips abroad.
Reflecting on President Banda's one year in office, Sata said Zambians have been subjected to numerous hardships in the past year President Banda has been at the helm.
“The one year of his presidency has been marked with fuel shortages, the indirect closure of universities…like now they have deregistered some university students and these students are the ones who were saying they don't want the Minister of Education Dora Siliya, and many other crises’,” Sata said.
“So his presidency has just been full of crisis upon crisis and frequent presidential trips. Zambians must know that as he enters his second year, it will even be worse because the man doesn't even care. He only cares so much about the presidential jet so that he keeps traveling all over.”
Sata said President Banda enjoyed trips more than anything else.
“That's why whenever there is a crisis, him is comfortable. He enjoys seeing Zambians suffering. He wants to prove to the Zambians that he doesn't care,” Sata said. “No wonder he is always on the plane, even when there is a crisis at home. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he will be going somewhere soon.”
Sata said President Banda had also managed to compromise the opposition during his one year in office.
“He has compromised people like United Liberal Party (ULP) president Mr Sakwiba Sikota. He puts him on his presidential jet and checks him into a hotel in New York. How can such an opposition leader speak out?” Sata asked.
He said even the price of mealie-meal was currently high.
“This price is unreachable for an average Zambian citizen so that's what Rupiah's presidency been all about. Just one more thing about this presidency…we also hear that Moses Katumbi was recently in the country and that during his visit here, he was being driven by one of Rupiah's sons who even took him to State House.
I am sure he came to celebrate the acquittal together with Chiluba. Now, the question to ask is, if Katumbi came here on official business, why wasn't he being driven by foreign affairs or the DRC embassy? Anyway, that's Rupiah's presidency for you.”
And Sata said President Banda was scared of firing energy minister Kenneth Konga because he might reveal the true story behind the fuel crisis.
“When he Konga spills the beans, it will go round his President Banda's neck. Banda is lying to say Konga has misled him, it's not true. Banda knows the whole truth, because the offence which Konga committed is a far much serious economic sabotage than what Jonas Shakafuswa and Lameck Chibombamilimo committed,” said Sata.
Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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FFTUZ ticks off Rupiah’s one year in office
By Margaret Habbuno
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 15:58 CAT
President Rupiah Banda’s twelve months in office is nothing to talk home about because no economic development has taken place, FREDRATION of Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde-Simukoko has said.
In an interview on Monday to mark President Banda’s one year in office, Simukoko said President Banda had done nothing to address the economic challenges that the country was facing.
“It is difficult to pin point what the President has done in his one year rule because he has failed to deliver for the people of Zambia,” she said. “If you look at the campaign massage that he put across, he had promised to follow the Mwanawasa legacy of which he has failed.”
She said the country doesn’t even know the kind of governance programme he had which made it impossible for the public to figure out what he had done for the country. Simukoko said it was sad that President Banda could not stop the privatisation of Zamtel.
“There is really nothing to say about his rule.The other one that he is likely to cripple is the media fraternity which he intends to give statutory regulation an idea several stakeholders are against,” said Simukoko.
Labels: FFTUZ, JOYCE NONDE, RUPIAH BANDA
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Parliament rejects Chiluba’s application to get back immunity
By George Chellah
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
THE National Assembly has differed with former president Frederick Chiluba's lawyers Simeza Sangwa and Associates over their demands to have Chiluba's immunity restored following his acquittal.
Well-placed sources yesterday disclosed that the National Assembly has communicated to Chiluba's lawyers over their demands for the restoration of their client's immunity.
“When you look at the correspondence from the National Assembly, it seems there is no dispute that Dr Chiluba's immunity cannot be restored. It's just the process that is in dispute but that doesn't mean the principle can't be done,” the source revealed.
The source said lawyers from the Attorney General's chambers and the National Assembly were of the view that the procedure, which Simeza Sangwa and Associates was using to push for the restoration of Chiluba's immunity was not correct.
“In essence, they are saying that they don't agree that's the procedure to take if the immunity has to be restored,” the source said. “Basically, they are differing on how the immunity would be restored because there is no provision for that. But others are also arguing that in fact, Dr Chiluba has immunity… his immunity was only lifted, it was not lost. So if anybody wants to pursue Dr Chiluba they have to persuade the National Assembly, again, with separate charges because immunity is never lost it's only lifted. Therefore, if they have to pursue him they will need to lift it on those specific charges again. So those are the divergent views that have come up concerning this matter.”
But when contacted yesterday, Attorney General Mumba Malila said he was not aware of the correspondence between Parliament and Simeza Sangwa and Associates.
When reminded that lawyers from his chambers with those from National Assembly had been dealing with the matter, Malila responded: “Yes, they consult our office on many issues but I haven't seen the letter from Simeza Sangwa, not even the one from Parliament.”
And National Assembly chief research and Press liaison officer, Chikomeni Banda asked for a press query which he could reply to.
About two months ago, Simeza Sangwa and Associates wrote to Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa demanding that he convenes a special session of the National Assembly to consider restoration of Chiluba's legal immunity.
In a letter dated August 18, 2009 to the Speaker, which was also copied to Chiluba and President Rupiah Banda, Simeza Sangwa and Associates called for the restoration of Chiluba's immunity.
The law firm stated that since Chiluba had been acquitted of corruption charges, there was thus no longer any criminal charges pending against him in any court of law in Zambia.
“Our reading of the National Assembly resolution together with Article 43 of the Constitution would appear to suggest that the removal of our client's immunity was not infinite as its scope was limited to prosecution for offences alleged by late president Mwanawasa in his address to the National Assembly,” the letter read in part.
“Indeed, a perusal of the debate by Honourable members seems to show that their understanding of the motion for removal of Dr Chiluba's legal immunity was to facilitate, or give Dr Chiluba an opportunity to clear his name amidst specific allegations made by his predecessor to the House. We in the premises would respectfully demand that you immediately, convene a special session of the National Assembly to consider restoration of our client's legal immunity since the purpose for which the immunity was lifted has been fulfilled.
“The removal of our clients' legal immunity was not intended to last forever. If convening the house at short notice will pause logistical difficulties, we would instead request that you table the matter before the standing orders committee, which in turn will report to the National Assembly its decision for ratification. We hope you will accord this matter the urgency it deserves considering that we are dealing with accrued constitutional rights of a former head of state. We await your urgent response.”
Labels: CHILUBA, LEGAL IMMUNITY, PARLIAMENT
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Kabimba demands Kasonso’s resignation
By Patson Chilemba
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba has said Teddy Kasonso’s continued stay in office shows that government’s claims of running a non-partisan civil service is utter nonsense.
Commenting on tourism permanent secretary Kasonso who recently declared that he was affiliated to the MMD and applied to be adopted parliamentary candidate for the ruling party in Solwezi Central, Kabimba said Kasonso should not argue that he could not resign because he was not adopted.
He said the fact that Kasonso applied to be considered as candidate made it very clear that he was a partisan public officer.
“So the pronouncements from MMD that they are running a non-partisan civil service is a lot of nonsense. The truth of the matter is that most senior civil servants, if not all of them have been appointed to those jobs on account that they are supporters of the MMD, and they are affiliated to the MMD,” he said.
Kabimba said this was the reason why the administration of elections was difficult in the nation because people tasked to administer elections were MMD affiliates.
He said President Rupiah Banda as an appointing authority should dismiss Kasonso or the permanent secretary should resign on his own accord.
“There is no way he is going to convince us that he has not been adopted, so he’s not going to be influenced by party affiliations in his day to day activities,” said Kabimba. “Morally, I am appealing to him as an individual to resign. He has put himself in a position where he has to inevitably resign to save his conscience.”
The Republican Constitution states in Article 61. (1): “Subject to the other provisions of this Constitution and any other law, the power to constitute offices for the Republic and the power to abolish any such offices shall vest in the President. Offices for Republic (2) Subject to the other provisions of this Constitution and any other law, the power to appoint persons to hold or act in offices constituted for the Republic of Zambia, to confirm appointments, to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices and to remove any such person from office shall vest in the President.”
Article 65 sub-article 7 states that “(7) A person holding or acting in any post, office of appointment-in the Zambia Defence Force as defined in the Defence Act, the Combined Cadet Force, the Zambia National Service, or any other force or service established for the preservation of security in Zambia; (b) in the Zambia Police Force, the Zambia Police Reserve, the Zambia Security Intelligence Service, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Zambia Prison Service or in any other force or service established for the preservation of security in Zambia; (c) in the Public Service including an office to which Article 61 applies; (d) in the Teaching Service; (e) in any statutory body or any company or institution in which the Government has any interest; or (f) prescribed in that behalf or under an Act of Parliament; shall not be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly.”
Labels: TEDDY KASONSO, WYNTER KABIMBA
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ZCC warns supermarkets against selling harmful products
By Fridah Zinyama
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
THE Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) has warned all supermarkets in the country to desist from selling products that are harmful to health.
ZCC consumer and public relations director Brian Lingela stated that consumer protection in Zambia required concerted effort from all relevant authorities in the country. Lingela urged retailers to remove all expired products and products without expiry dates from their shelves as a matter of urgency before the law caught up with them.
“This is why we collaborated with Kitwe City Council (KCC), Ndola City Council (NDC) and Kabwe Municipal Council (KMC) which are mandated under the food and drugs Act 303 of the Laws of Zambia to enforce the prohibition of sale of foods or substances that are harmful to health,” he stated.
“For products that are about to expire, their prices must be reduced at least two weeks before the expiry date so that both businesses and consumers do not lose out. When such products are reduced, supermarkets are advised to place them in front to ensure visibility to consumers.”
Lingela further stated that the warning also applied to local business people selling in markets and tuntembas as they were not immune to the law.
“As Zambia strives to meet the Millennium Development Goal of attaining a healthy status for all citizens by 2015, we cannot afford to have Zambian consumers consume foods that are likely to cause injury to their health and contribute to an unhealthy nation,” he stated.
Lingela further advised all consumers in Zambia to exercise caution before they purchased any product especially food from any supermarket or shop.
“The public should ensure that they check when the product is expiring and even its quality before they make any purchases,” he stated.”As ZCC, we will continue collaborating with local authorities through out the country in ensuring that consumers are protected from unscrupulous business people whose only interest is to make profits.”
ZCC in collaboration with the three local authorities - KCC, NCC, and KMC - inspected Quicksave Supermarket, Panty Pride, Shoprite outlets, Bippo’s and Upper supermarkets.
“In these supermarkets, we found some food products that had expired, those without expiry dates and food products not labelled in Zambia’s official language - English,” Lingela stated.
“In other cases, we found that there was inadequate labelling thereby making it difficult for an ordinary consumer to know exactly what the product is.”
Labels: BRIAN LINGELA, CONSUMERS, FOOD, ZCC
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UNZA professor gets copper mine job
By Nchima Nchito Jr
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
UNIVERSITY of Zambia (UNZA) Vice-Chancellor Prof Stephen Simukanga has been appointed as an independent director of African Copper. African Copper owns the Mowana Mine in Botswana, the country’s only pure copper mine and is a major player in the mining sector.
Simukanga is a professor of metallurgy and mineral processing and started his career at Luanshya mine under the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines in 1982.
According to the Mining Weekly, his appointment was a strategic move for the mining company.
“His obvious academic and metallurgical experience will complement the composition of the board and we look forward to his valued contribution to the team as the company grows as a base metals producer," said company chairperson David Rodier.
Prof Simukanga is a UK chartered engineer and a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Engineering Institution of Zambia.
He chairs the boards of the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Examinations Council of Zambia and is a member of three other boards of directors, including Zambia Copper Investments.
Labels: STEPHEN SIMUKANGA, UNZA
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Date set for appeal against ruling on Dora’s abuse of authority case
By Maluba Jere
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 15:58 CAT
THE Supreme Court has set January 14, 2010 as the date for hearing former communications and transport minister William Harrington’s appeal against Lusaka High Court judge Phillip Musonda’s decision to clear Dora Siliya of abuse of authority of office charges.
This is in a case where Harrington has appealed to the Supreme Court against the high court’s decision to clear former communications minister Dora Siliya of allegations of abuse of authority of office.
In a memorandum of appeal filled in the Supreme court, Harrington stated that the learned High Court judge erred in law and fact when he used judicial review proceedings as an appeal process by delving into the merits of the tribunal’s findings by purporting to interpret Article 54 (3) of the constitution and holding that the Attorney General’s advice is mandatory and therefore non compliance is inconsequential.
According to a notice of rescheduling appeal number 111/2009 by the master of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice has directed that the case would be heard by a panel of five judges.
The notice indicated that one of the judges was currently out of the country.
“The appeal will therefore not be heard during the Kabwe Supreme Court sessions,” stated the notice. “It has been rescheduled to 14th January 2010 at 09:00 hours at Lusaka. We regret any inconvenience that the postponement may cause.”
The matter comes up in January next year.
Labels: COURTS, DORA SILIYA, WILLIAM HARRINGTON
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Liser urges firmer ties between US, COMESA
By Kabanda Chulu
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
UNITED States assistant trade representative for Africa Florizelle Liser yesterday said there is need to strengthen her country’s relationship with the COMESA region through various trade and investment agreements.
And Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya has said the supply side constraint is a major challenge for building the region’s productive capacity.
During the US/COMESA Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) consultative meeting in Lusaka, Liser said the partnership with COMESA was one of the most active and wide-ranging trade and investment partnerships with in Africa.
“We see today’s meeting as an opportunity to build on past work as well as to reinvigorate our partnership through cooperation in new areas,” she said.
She commended COMESA for making progress in many areas including the free trade `area, the customs union, the common investment area and on agriculture and food security issues.
“Notably, intra-COMESA trade also continues to increase, thanks in part to COMESA’s work to reduce trade barriers among its members. This is an excellent example of the power of south-south trade cooperation and it also enhances COMESA’s global competitiveness,” Liser said. “Agricultural trade issues have always been an important aspect of our TIFA discussions and we believe that biotechnology in particular is an area ripe for greater cooperative work and we will like to learn from COMESA’s efforts to harmonise the bio safety policies of its member countries and explore ways in which we can work together in this area.”
And US Ambassador to Zambia Donald Booth said the US/COMESA partnership was focused on four key and inter-related goals.
“These are to facilitate increased international and regional trade, improve food security and end hunger, increase regional stability and integration and mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Ambassador Booth. “We should remind ourselves of the importance of the broader partnership between the US/COMESA especially that COMESA’s 19-member countries make up the largest common economic market in Africa, representing almost 400 million people and a combined GDP of US $ 400 billion.”
And Ngwenya said the region considers human resources development, investment in plant and machinery, research and development as key elements of its productive capacity.
“Supply side constraints is a major challenge for building the region’s productive capacity and another major constraint is the poor state of infrastructure such as railways, roads, waterways air and sea port facilities, energy generation and distribution facilities,” said Ngwenya.
Labels: COMESA, FLORIZELLE LISER, TIFA
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Malawi: Another school drop-out engineering genius
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 2, 2009
As William Kamkwamba was last week winding down his extraordinary, high profile US book tour to promote the publication of his newly released autobiography, co-authored with Bryan Mealer, a story bearing striking semblances to Kamkwamba’s genius was heating up in Malawi. Only this time, the story was uncovered because of an arrest and a jail sentence that ended up reflecting rather poorly on Malawi’s otherwise well-regarded judicial system and communications regulatory authority body.
On October 14th the Malawi Police Service arrested 21 year-old Gabriel Kondesi for owning and operating a radio station in Soza Village in the southern district of Mulanje, without a
licence from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA). On Friday October 16th Mulanje Second Grade Magistrate Aristotle Lameck Mkwapatira ordered Kondesi to pay a MK50,000 fine ($357), or serve a 10-month imprisonment sentence, according to an October 20th story by journalist Lucas Bottoman in the print edition of The Daily Times. Unable to pay the fine, Kondesi was sent to jail, and a media frenzy erupted.
The story stunned Malawians both online and offline, who expressed their shock and anger on blogs, listservs, chat forums and other social media forums such as facebook. By Monday October 19th Kondesi was released after his family and well-wishers in his village raised the money and paid the fine.
His family sold their television set, a DVD Player, bags of cement, and also borrowed money from other members of the community, according to Nyasa Times, The Nation and The Sunday Times. Details about the story have since been emerging, and a facebook group has been created, by Daud Suleman, to express support for Kondesi, and raise awareness about “what African youths can achieve through applicable necessary technologies.” The group had 380 members as of Friday (Oct. 30).
Thus far it has emerged that Kondesi dropped out of school in the 7th grade, and has since been operating his Pachikweza Radio Station, made out of crude gadgets that included “an old cassette player, a Nokia 1110, capacitors, two aerials and transistors,” according to Clifton Kawanga in The Sunday Times.
Kawanga writes that Kondesi was employing up to ten other young people, whom he paid whenever he had the money. Listeners in the community were paying MK20 (approx. $0.007) to have letters read, and MK50 (approx. $0.003) for letters advertising business. Kawanga adds that MACRA charge $150 for community radio licences.
Malawian papers differ on which frequency Pachikweza was broadcasting, with one paper saying it was on 98.5FM, and another paper saying it was on 105.1FM. The radio station could be heard well beyond his village, crossing the national border into Mozambican territory.
It has also transpired that Kondesi did visit the offices of MACRA in 2007, but no one there helped him.
“I travelled to Blantyre two years ago and the people at Macra said they would communicate with me through the Mulanje District Commissioner but I have got nothing up to now,” The Nation quoted him as saying.
Immediately the story broke out, blogger Clement Nthambazale Nyirenda wrote on his blog:
“This guy is a genius! Why condemn him to prison when he did not know that what he was doing was wrong? A suspended sentence would have been better.
“I, therefore, would like to call for his immediate release from prison. These are the kind of guys whom we should sponsor to ensure that their spirit of innovation is well nurtured for the good of the country and the world at large.”
Also reacting to the story and calling Kondesi a genius was Joe Mlenga, writing on his blog:
“I’m glad to learn that well-wishers and his family have managed to pay the 50-thousand Kwacha fine imposed by a court for the unlicensed radio. I appeal to the broadcasting community and business fraternity to help this young man achieve his dream of operating a radio station. Who knows what innovation Gabriel will come up with next given proper resources.”
Other Malawians have expressed their support in various ways, including Gospel Kazako, Managing Director of Zodiak Broadcasting Station, who contributed money to reimburse the family for the loss they incurred in trying to find the money to pay Kondesi’s fine.
Kazako was quoted by Nyasatimes as saying: “As broadcasters, we need to support fellow broadcasters whenever they are in trouble. I don’t actually understand when courts should grant suspended sentences but, as a radio man, I am here to appreciate that this boy is a genius.”
And according to the facebook group “in support of Pachikweza Radio Station“, more support from other Malawians has been pouring in already, with several people drawing inspiration from the success story of William Kamkwamba, who also had to drop out of school before his genius could unleash itself.
Eddie Mombera has written on the group’s page that Kaphuka Private Secondary School, one of Malawi’s elite private secondary schools, has offered Kondesi “a scholarship for all his secondary education,” promising to support him through to the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic, Malawi’s premier engineering school. An article by Lucas Bottoman in The Daily Times of Friday October 30th quotes both Kondesi’s father, Jonas Kondesi, and the Managing Director of Kaphuka Private Schools, Mr. Jackson Kaphuka, as confirming the scholarship.
Mombera later added on the facebook page: “There is a small grouping of people running SMEs accross the country which i belong to. We had a summit in Btown this week and we were so moved by the boys arrest such that we contributed over a Mk100,000 [approx. $714] for his release but when we heard that he was… out, we decided to run a fund for him so that he can go back to school.”
On Wednesday October 28 Caroline Kandiero reported in The Daily Times that MACRA had since given Kondesi a free licence, and had also promised to fund the radio station for up to MK10 million (approx. $71,500) in equipment and infrastructure.
The article quotes MACRA’s Acting Director General Mike Kuntiya as saying, “We do not expect to spend more than K10 million, but we also need to visit the place and conduct surveys to see what will be needed.”
And on the facebook page started to support Kondesi, McDevis Kamende, who once taught secondary school mathematics and geography, and now works as a micro-finance banker, has offered to help Kondesi with school lessons to enable him study toward Malawi’s secondary school exit examinations: “I will donate 40 hours of part time education -Maths & Geography –to Gabriel so that he sits for MSCE in three years time.”
Labels: EDUCATION, GABRIEL KONDESI, WILLIAM KAMWAMBA, YOUTHS
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Quota System: Goodall Gondwe emulates his late father
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 2, 2009
Goodall Gondwe’s u-turn in the debate on quota system that has seen him bash his own godfathers of Livingstonia Synod, is not an extraordinary happening for those that have followed the Gondwe family.
At a press conference held at his Mzuzu residence on Saturday, Gondwe, said: “I have consulted and read widely about how the system is going to be implemented and I am convinced nothing can work better for tertiary education in Malawi.”
This is a departure from his earlier statement where he said he needed to be briefed about how the system would work.
Gondwe went further to admonish the Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP, which is against the implementation of the quota system, and condemned everyone agitating against the system.
A senior Ngoni chief confided in Nyasa Times reporter that Goodall Gondwe is only emulating his late father, who earned a famous name of being a traitor during the fight against colonialism, explaining further that the father of Goodall – Kayiwonanga Gondwe - was an avid supporter of colonialism and fought fervently against those that agitated for self-rule and independence.
“Whilst some people left this country because of the one-party regime, Goodall Gondwe left because of his family’s support for colonialism that placed him in collision course with Kamuzu. It is no wonder that today, Goodall Gondwe is supporting quota system, which he knows very well that is against his own people…he’s a traitor and he should not be given chance to see another parliament in 2014,” concluded the chief.
An academic at Mzuzu University said that both Gondwe and the President are myopic in pushing for a “bad system”.
“For example, Mzimba district has the following secondary schools: Mzuzu Government, Katoto, Viphya, Ekwendeni, Euthini, Mzimba, Lunjika, Robert Laws, St. John Bosco, Mary Mount; about 30 community day secondary schools; and about 15 properly run private secondary schools. How do you select 10 students or 20 students to go to the university?” queried the academic, asking for anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The academic further expressed surprise that Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP, with more than 50 academic institutions within just Lilongwe, would support such a system, explaining that in a normal year, Lilongwe Girls, Likuni Boys, Likuni Girls, St. John’s, William Murray, Bwaila, Mitundu, Dzenza and such others would take up the 20 places.
On the other hand, Mwanza district has one public secondary school; Phalombe has one secondary school; Chiradzulu has one; Mulanje has one secondary school; Nsanje has one or two; and the comparison can go on and on.
“The use of the quota system just based on districts disregarding the number of secondary schools and number of students qualifying for university entrance examinations is completely flawed so much so that educated people like Goodall Gondwe should not support such systems,” the academic concluded.
A Dwangwa-based political activist, Chance Nyirenda, has condemned Goodall Gondwe on his stance, calling him an “opportunist” whose interest is just ministerial position and the luxuries that go with being minister at the expense of the people that he so represents.
“People had a lot of expectations from Goodall Gondwe to be the person who should walk into Chihanas, Chisizas, the Kapotes, Chiumes, Orton Chirwas, Manoahs, among others; as a true son prepared to carry the weight of responsibility; but look he’s a fickle leader who’s even prepared to condemn his own Church leaders for political survival; we don’t do that and those that have done it have always paid a heavy price,” said Nyirenda.
The quota system was implemented during the one-party regime, with disastrous results that witnessed banishment of teachers from regions of posting to places of extraction. The system was later applied across the public service.
Labels: EDUCATION, GOODALL GONDWE, MZUZU
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COMMENT - Zero-tillage can work, however it has to be built up over time, as it is essentially an organic growing method, that uses cover crops and sowing in late standing crops a few weeks before harvest. But it can be done, and it is very low cost. Check out
The One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka, as well as
The Natural Way Of Farming: The theory and practice of green philosophy, by the same author.
Lack of funds hampers land preps
Agriculture Reporter
Land preparations for the 2009/10 summer cropping season have started on a slow note in different parts of the country with scores of farmers failing to mobilise money to finance the operations.
A number of farmers are not adequately prepared for this season as they do not have hard currency required to buy fuel for land preparation.
The shift from the use of local to foreign currency affected many farmers mainly those who had poor harvests last season, while some who managed to produce and sell grain are yet to get their money from the Grain Marketing Board.
This has resulted in most farmers, mainly small-scale ones, turning to zero tillage as those with tractors are charging exorbitant rates beyond their reach.
The situation is worse in some communal areas where farmers had sold livestock last year to buy food and inputs and no longer have animals for draught power.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wilson Nyabonda last week said availability of tractors was still a big challenge to many farmers in different parts of the country, adding that there was huge demand for the machinery.
"There is need to rehabilitate the existing ones. However, the District Development Fund should charge affordable rates to make farming viable," said Mr Nyabonda.
Manicaland acting provincial Agritex officer Mr Joseph Mukajami said the unavailability of long-term loans had affected most farmers using the conventional method of land preparations.
"The inaccessibility of loans is affecting land preparations as some farmers do not have funds to buy diesel and hire tractors. The DDF is charging US$45 and 30 litres of fuel to plough a hectare," he said.
Land preparations for farmers using conservation farming however, were underway in Manicaland province.
Conservation agriculture is when farmers do not use ox or tractor drawn ploughs to prepare land, but just make some basins where to plant the seeds using hoes or a ripper to make lines were seeds are planted.
However, it turned out that many non-governmental organisations were only giving inputs to villagers who were using some hoes to make basins to plant the seeds.
"Majority of growers using conservation farming have already done their land preparations. More than 19 000 farmers (10 000 in Mutare and 9 000 in Mutasa) in this province are set to benefit from a German Technical Co-operation project which is promoting the use of minimum tillage through conservation agriculture," Mr Mukajami said.
"Farmers using conservation agriculture are almost through with their land preparations. The land preparations include establishment of planting basins (holes). A total of 9 500 hectares in Manicaland have been committed to conservation agriculture," said Mr Mukajami.
Mr Mukajami said distribution of inputs under conservation agriculture project was underway.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Mr Paul Zakariya, on Thursday said a number of farmers were working hard to ensure that they finish land preparations before the rains.
"Conservation agriculture is now what we are encouraging farmers to do and we have been doing so since winter. A number of farmers using conservation agriculture started their land preparations in winter.
"The system is however labour intensive and requires the use of chemicals to destroy weeds. So we have not gone past the worst," said Mr Zakariya.
Most of the farmers in the communal areas are adopting conservation agriculture to get inputs especially from NGOs promoting the way of farming.
Mr Nyabonda advised the farmers to seek advice from Agritex officers to be able to know the correct crop to plant, variety and time of planting.
Labels: AGRICULTURE
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Zambia fuel shortages may cut maize output — official
LUSAKA. Zambian maize production in 2009/10 is likely to drop from the 1,9 million tonnes produced in the previous crop season if acute shortages of fuel persist, Zambia National Union of Farmers president Javis Zimba said yesterday.
Zimba told Reuters in an interview the union was very worried about the shortages, caused by the shutdown of Zambia’s sole refinery two weeks ago. Energy Minister Kenneth Konga told Reuters yesterday the 24 000-barrels-per-day Indeni refinery would resume production on Friday.
Zimba said farming inputs such as seeds had not reached some parts of southern Zambia because transporters had no diesel and the delay could cause late planting and poor yields.
"Unless the government sorts out this problem of fuel as quickly as possible, maize production will drop.
"The rain is just about to start and we are very worried that some farmers have not received the inputs," Zimba said.
Konga said the government had removed a 25 percent import duty on fuel and asked local oil marketing companies and the Independent Petroleum Group of Kuwait to import a total of 50 million litres of diesel and 30 million litres of petrol.
Konga said that the government had also hired Kenya’s Dalbit Petroleum to import another 25 million litres of diesel and 15 million litres of diesel while Indeni was shut.
Zambia has managed to turn its maize production around over the past three farming seasons, becoming a net exporter of maize on the back of good rains and a government policy to provide subsidised fertilizer and seed to small-scale farmers. — Reuters.
Labels: FUEL, INDENI, KENNETH KONGA, MAIZE
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MDC-T leaders’ behaviour shameful
EVERY nation has founding values and ethos that all in leadership are expected to uphold and defend and these values constitute the bedrock of the nationhood the leadership pledges allegiance to when taking the oath of office.
Zimbabwe is no exception. Ours is a country that was born out of protracted liberation struggles culminating in the Second Chimurenga War (1966- 1979) that ushered in majority rule.
The expectation, therefore, is that all in leadership and anyone aspiring for high office will strive to uphold the values for which our forebears, living and fallen heroes committed themselves to for 90 years till the attainment of majority rule, independence and democracy on April 18, 1980.
Though MDC-T has some Rhodesian forces personnel in its ranks, and is led by a man who deserted a liberation war camp within hours, the party’s leadership must remember that they are free to form such a party today because of the democracy accruing from the liberation struggle.
The sacrifices of the men and women who risked life and limb to win us freedom made it possible for the MDC-T leadership to participate in issues of governance.
It is that democracy that enables even those who fought against majority rule to stand for elective office today let alone having the black component of the MDC-T rub shoulders with the Roy Bennetts and Eddie Crosses of this world who constituted a privileged class in Rhodesia.
To this end, the attitude of the MDC-T leadership towards the liberation struggle as manifested in their behaviour whenever the heroes of that struggle pass on deserves strong censure.
For instance, on two separate occasions this year alone, MDC-T leaders showed utter scorn for the struggle and its heroes.
When Vice President Joseph Msika passed on in August and as his body lay in state in Harare, MDC-T legislators gathered in Dangamvura for Giles Mutsekwa’s victory celebration.
The gathering would have passed of as an oversight were it not for the statements made there to the effect that the MDC-T should identify and honour its own heroes.
Utterances that implied that the holding of the victory celebration at the time of the demise of a venerated national hero was not coincidental, and may not have been about Mutsekwa’s victory in last year’s harmonised elections.
On Saturday, it was party leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s turn as Cde Misheck Chando was being interred at the National Heroes Acre. Tsvangirai was teeing off at Ruwa Country Club as other leaders gathered for the burial at the national shrine, oblivious to the fact that were it not for the sacrifices of the likes of Cde Chando, he would only have been allowed on the Ruwa green as a caddy.
To this end, we urge the MDC-T leadership to embrace national values, respect the legacy of the struggle so that they can be trusted to uphold its gains.
Even Article VIII of the GPA, Respect for National Institutions and Events, which the MDC-T leaders claim to uphold, counsels the same.
Labels: DEMOCRACY, LIBERATION, MDC
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MDC-T is dishonest: Mugabe
Nancy Pasipanodya
Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:51:00 +0000
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe called Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai 'dishonest,' state media reported on Saturday
"We must no longer trust those who pretend to be in the inclusive Government and have jumped in and out of it," President Mugabe was quoted as saying in the Herald newspaper.
"They can never be true and genuine partners and they have proved to be dishonest. "We, however, want to assure you that we will not allow the situation to continue like that."
Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader, joined the inclusive Government with President Mugabe in February after a close presidential election which Tsvangirai withdrew from citing increasing violence.
But two weeks ago Tsvangirai "disengages" from the inclusive Government in protest over the arrest of Roy Bennett, his nominee for deputy agriculture minister and party treasurer and financier.
A team from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) arrived in Harare on Wednesday in hopes of breaking the deadlock.
On Friday, the delegation announced that there was need for a full Sadc Ordinary Summit to address problems related to the power-sharing agreement.
President Mugabe said the decision by Tsvangirai's party to halt co-operation with Zanu PF was hypocritical.
"Zanu PF is not government, but in government. It is part of government like the other two parties.
"Cabinet is not a party affair. That kind of hypocrisy should be seen as it is.
"What kind of sincerity is that? We go into government, form policies, hold investment conferences, (but) we have a part of the government striking against themselves."
He said the government would continue to work despite the move by PM Tsvangirai's party because it was formed to achieve set objectives.
“We are meeting in the ninth month after the formation of the inclusive Government, and we being the important party in the Government which has yielded the President, it is our duty to examine it, how it has affected the Government and the party.
“There are two sides — the debit side and the credit side.
“What good things have emerged from our being in the inclusive Government?
“Yes, we have peace, there is an appreciation of objectives of unity and national healing.
“We understand that the nation should be able to benefit from activities in the country.
“What are the benefits that we think have come to our nation, to our people in agriculture, commerce, the manufacturing sector, the economy and the interaction of people?”
President Mugabe said Government aimed for economic turnaround but the pace had been slow, mainly due to the illegal sanctions.
“In Europe, although they have not pronounced it, sanctions (which are) like Zidera are in practice.
“The Americans are open about it, but Europe is sly and clandestine.
“Our companies can no longer do business there, the markets no longer exist.
“Raw materials and spare parts from Europe are no longer coming.
“If a company is built on the strength of equipment from Germany and Germany refuses with its parts, that will be the end of it.
“This is how sanctions have wreaked havoc on our economy.”
President Mugabe said the formation of the inclusive Government had brought hope that sanctions would be removed. He, however, said there was evidence that MDC-T leaders had asked for the embargo to subsist.
“In the Global Political Agreement that we signed as Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC-M, it is stated that parties should work in getting Europe and America to lift the sanctions.
“They are our partners in Government, but they are refusing. The words from (Finance Minister) Biti are political and nonsensical.”
He said MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai asked European Union officials who visited Zimbabwe to maintain sanctions.
“The three representatives of the EU who came to Zimbabwe were told not to lift the sanctions now.
“It is not possible to achieve the objectives set out in the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme, it is not possible in the absence of a free environment for business.
President Mugabe said expectations were that the three parties would be honest with each other.
“The party led by (Professor) Mutambara has tried to be with us during the day, but are with the other side during the night.
“They have one leg in and another leg out.
“We thought we are together in the inclusive Government, but they run to their European friends and run a parallel Government and this is objectionable,” he said.
He, however, said there were many enquiries by people interested in investing in mining, manufacturing, construction and communications.
“The situation is ripe and we need to make sure that the people are employed, agriculture is producing and the country is back on its feet,” he said. President
President Mugabe said efforts to develop through synergies with the East would continue.
Labels: MDC, MUGABE, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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Mozambique to host Sadc summit on Zim
Floyd Nkomo
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:41:00 +0000
MOZAMBIQUE will host a regional summit on Zimbabwe on Thursday in hopes of breaking a deadlock that threatens Harare's inclusive Government, that country's foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
The three-member security organ (the Troika) of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), which brokered Zimbabwe's inclusive deal, will hold the summit in the Mozambican capital Maputo, Mozambique's Yunassy Muchanga told AFP.
"They have agreed to hold a meeting here on Thursday. But we don't know any more details yet," she said.
Mozambique currently heads Sadc's security organ, which sent a delegation to Harare last week.
Swaziland and Zambia are also members of the Troika, and Muchanga said other countries were unlikely to take part in the talks.
Tsvangirai "disengaged" co-operation with President Mugabe's Zanu PF party more than two weeks ago, threatening the inclusive Government formed in February this year.
Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo who currently heads Sadc, was in Harare on Monday for talks with both leaders.
Tsvangirai's spokesman James Maridadi told AFP that PM Tsvangirai would attend the Maputo talks.
"Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will be attending the conference in Maputo on Thursday to discuss the powersharing agreement," he told AFP.
Labels: MOZAMBIQUE, SADC
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Rupiah’s clan has taken over the economy – Kavindele
By George Chellah
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
FORMER Republican vice-president Enoch Kavindele has said President Rupiah Banda and his sons' greed is about to bring Zambia's economy to its knees. In an interview on Saturday, Kavindele blamed President Banda for the current fuel shortage the country was facing.
“It's unacceptable that Rupiah and his sons' greed is about to bring the economy of Zambia to its knees,” Kavindele said.
“Banda must immediately give the same concessions he has given to his sons to the oil marketing companies OMCs so that we have fuel,” he said.
He said President Banda was overloading his sons with businesses that were too big for them to handle.
“If Dalbit can get a government contract to bring fuel into Zambia, let him extend also to the oil marketing companies that have got capacity to bring fuel. Otherwise this economy will be on its knees,” Kavindele said.
“His sons can't handle Zamtel privatisation, optic fiber, then fuel, arms procurement and many more other state procurements all at once. You add maize to the long list.”
He said everything was now being done within President Banda's clan.
“We accept that his sons may have been in business for a long time but those are perhaps small businesses that they have been handling not these big issues. Everything is now within the clan,” he said.
Kavindele warned that if President Banda were not careful, his would be a failed administration.
“He must give the same opportunity he is giving to his children to many other young people who are struggling to make ends meet. The nature of business is such that if Rupiah does not manage his children well with their business activities, those that they are dealing with will start blackmailing him and holding him hostage,” Kavindele said.
“What I mean is that some of these businesses his sons are involved in are so big that if for example, there is pressure on him President Banda and he decides to cancel them, they will now start blackmailing him.”
He maintained that President Banda and his sons' greed and selfishness was unacceptable.
“The economy will suffer because they want to do everything as a clan, his children, relatives and friends,” said Kavindele.
“For instance, this is a period for planting, now there is no diesel to enable farmers prepare their fields and this could cause food shortages next year.”
Labels: ENOCH KAVINDELE, RUPIAH BANDA
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Chiluba won’t go scot-free forever
By Editor
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
Fighting corruption is not an easy undertaking. It requires a lot of commitment because it is risky. Those who truly fight corruption have no personal benefit in it. Fighting corruption means engaging the powerful - politically, financially and otherwise.
But no society can prosper and be efficient, effective and orderly without fighting corruption. And this is probably why Nelson Mandela observed that "corruption in government - that is plague that must be erased from every regime in every place in the world".
The inefficiency, ineffectiveness and disorderliness that today characterises Rupiah Banda's government is partly due to corruption. Take for instance the issue of fuel.
Yes there are other factors that have contributed to this chaotic supply of fuel in the country but a large measure of it can be attributed to corruption in the procurement system. If friends of the President and his sons are given contracts to supply fuel when they don't have the capacity to do so we should expect problems.
Rupiah is running a government whose activities are designed to deliver the maximum benefits to his family and friends. And this affects almost all areas of government activities in this country. Even the confusion that seems to surround the operations of the judiciary are partly due to Rupiah's corrupt way of handling public affairs. Relatives and friends of Rupiah are causing problems in the judiciary in a bid to try and secure his desires and his hold on power.
The acquittal of Frederick Chiluba has raised many issues that today are working to undermine the standing of the judiciary. And there are very few people today in this country that are in doubt about how Chiluba's acquittal was secured. And very few people in this country and the world at large are in doubt as to why Rupiah's government has withdrawn the appeal against Chiluba's acquittal.
This is very well explained by the utterances of Rupiah, his ministers and of his spineless Director of Public Prosecution. There is no doubt that the whole issue surrounding Chiluba's acquittal and the state's refusal to appeal that acquittal is a product of corruption. All those involved in this scheme cannot escape legitimate accusations of corruption.
It is therefore a waste of one's thoughts to think that after the abolition of the Task Force and the handing over of its investigations and prosecutions will result in Chiluba being further charged and prosecuted for corruption.
The way Rupiah has defended Chiluba it will be folly for anyone to think this same man can sanction the state to take Chiluba back to court. If there was any possibility of Rupiah doing so, he would not have secured and defended Chiluba's acquittal in the manner he has done. Rupiah has staked his political survival on Chiluba's acquittal. This being the case, he will not allow a situation that reverses this and takes Chiluba back to square one.
It is for this same reason that Rupiah's government has serious problems getting the London High Court judgment registered in this country and enforced against Chiluba. How can the same Rupiah who has gone round the country proclaiming that Chiluba is an innocent man be expected to come back and grab stolen property from this same 'innocent thief'?
Things in life don't work that way. Yes there are contradictions but not contradictions of contradictions. The London judgment will never be enforced in this country against Chiluba as long as Rupiah is President. This is why they are so desperate and are going round the country paying chiefs to defend their criminal acts and decisions. This is why they have to retain power, at all costs, in 2011.
The Anti Corruption Commission, as it stands today, is not in a position to take on Chiluba and by so doing take on Rupiah. The Anti Corruption Commission does not have the leadership and the organisational capacity to do so. If anyone in this country is cheating oneself that corruption involving Chiluba or indeed Rupiah himself and his family and friends can be investigated and prosecuted by the Anti Corruption Commission, they are living in a wrong country at a wrong time. The Anti Corruption Commission is there to deal with small people, the likes of Kapoko, and not the likes of Chiluba or Rupiah and his associates.
The Anti Corruption Commission will just be used by Rupiah to harass political opponents. This is one of the investigative agencies that were tasked by Rupiah to probe and prosecute us for stealing US$ 30 million from state institutions through Zambian Airways.
To date they have not come up with any evidence showing that a dime, a cent or a ngwee was stolen by us from any institution through Zambian Airways. But together with their friends in the police and the Drug Enforcement Commission, they have failed to tell Rupiah and the Zambian people that their boss lied, there was no money whatsoever stolen by us. All that they do is to issue press statements or hold press briefings claiming their investigations have reached an advanced stage.
They do this so repeatedly whenever Rupiah is under political pressure from us or others over his unending corruption schemes. Is this surely an institution that can be relied on by the Zambian people to fight plunderers of the Chiluba type? Not all.
But they shouldn't forget that wise Bemba saying: umulandu tau bola. They are in power today and they can shield or defend each other; they can clear each other of all sorts of crimes. But they won't be in power forever, they won't be on top forever because life is like a big wheel: the one who is at the top, tomorrow is at the bottom.
These matters will be rightly prosecuted; Chiluba will not go scot-free. If anything, those who are today protecting him and securing his freedom will tomorrow be prosecuted with him. They should learn from what is happening in other parts of the world. They shouldn't think, as Sauzande used to say: "Those are those, me I am another."
Today former French president Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial in an alleged corruption scandal dating back from his tenure as Paris mayor in 1977 to 1995.
A magistrate has ordered Chirac to stand trial on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. The investigating magistrate has been probing whether people in Chirac's circle were given sham jobs as advisors and paid by the Paris City Hall, even though they weren't working for it. Suspicions of corruption and nepotism, mostly dating from his time as mayor, dogged Chirac's presidency.
But while judges closed in on those in Chirac's circle - his former Prime Minister Alain Juppe was convicted of party financing irregularities in 2004 - Chirac long used his presidential immunity to keep investigators at arm's length. After Chirac left the presidency and no longer had immunity, a judge filed preliminary embezzlement charges against him in 2007.
And living in a country where the rule of law prevails, Chirac, although maintaining his innocence, has made it very clear that he is not above the law. Here Rupiah thinks a president is above the law and cannot be sent to prison because there isn't even a suitable prison for a former president. We have enough prisons. The law does not prescribe a special prison for a former president.
We should not fall into the trap, the foolish practice of overlooking bad behaviour on the part of a president or other prominent people. We will pay dearly for doing so in future.
We should at all times ensure that justice is the same for everyone instead of letting off the hook scoundrels who have abused the high offices they had occupied and the public trust they had betrayed.
Rupiah's government is a corrupt one; it is a government that defends corruption and corrupt people. It is also a government that does not only stop at not prosecuting the corrupt but it also persecutes the innocent in addition to denying them justice.
In Rupiah's eyes Chiluba is innocent despite the London High Court judgment that was secured by a government he was part of that is demanding him to pay back to the Zambian people more than US$ 45 million.
But this same Rupiah sees us as thieves who have stolen from state institutions when he himself has no evidence whatsoever about such wrongdoing on our part. This is the man the Zambian people are being made to believe will fight corruption on their behalf! Rupiah can't fight corruption because he is part of it. How can he fight against himself?
Those who want to fight corruption in this country should not rely on Rupiah and the institutions under his control. There is need to seek new avenues, new ways of continuing the fight against corruption because those which were there have been closed.
Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA
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Rupiah ni mafyete, says Sata
By Patson Chilemba in Kasama
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has described President Rupiah Banda as a mafyete first class liar who duped the Zambian people by campaigning to continue building on Levy Mwanawasa's legacy.
Addressing a thanksgiving rally for the PF's victory in the Kasama Central by-election at Kasama's President’s Park on Saturday, Sata said it was now over a year since President Banda fraudulently became President but had nothing to show for it in terms of development except running himself into a myriad of scandals.
He said although President Banda lied that he was campaigning to continue on late president Mwanawasa's legacy, he actually came to dismantle what was left of that legacy.
Sata said President Banda lied with a straight face to the people.
“If Rupiah Banda has forsaken Levy Mwanawasa, and what he started, is he going to care for you? Uyu Rupiah Banda ni mafyete This Rupiah Banda is a first class liar. You will be surprised, a year has finished, what achievement can you point at that Rupiah Banda has done?” Sata asked. “He came here campaigning on continuing Levy's legacy.
He came to dismantle what Levy Mwanawasa left. He abolishes the Task Force, and lets go of Frederick Chiluba. There is hunger in the country, and because Rupiah Banda wants his pockets full, he gets all the maize from you and takes it to Kenya...
“Rupiah Banda is good because he doesn't hide his deficiencies, aisafye namawala. You from Luwingu, you will never see any phone because Rupiah Banda wants to sell Zamtel. Why is he stiff-necked on selling Zamtel?” Sata asked.
Sata said President Banda, Vice-President George Kunda and their colleagues had disbanded the Task Force on Corruption for fear that they would be investigated over their corrupt dealings.
“When we come into office and we want to make a Task Force for Rupiah Banda, we shall make it,” Sata said. “He thought by letting go of Frederick Chiluba, people will forget about Dora Siliya and Zamtel, but you are still speaking.”
Sata likened President Banda's governance to what he called manyengo or ukubuta child's play.
He said no amount of flying away from the country for failing to address national problems would help President Banda because the people would still be on him.
Sata said things were terribly bad under President Banda's leadership and people would start eating themselves if they allowed him to continue in office.
"I moved around all the filling stations and there was no fuel. He is doing all this to punish you, so that minibuses don't move and so that you businessmen and women should not move," he said.
On the PF's victory in Kasama Central, Sata said at least the people showed that MMD losing candidate Burton Mugala was more popular than President Banda.
He said whereas Mugala managed to get over 4,000 votes, President Banda only managed a paltry 2,000 during the 2008 general elections.
“God says you cry for yourselves, and you have cried for yourselves, and those members of parliament will cry for you," Sata said while pointing to the PF members of parliament who attended the rally.
Sata said President Banda went to Kasama and called people “vimasilu” mad, but the same mad people defeated him and his corrupt friends who were allegedly buying voters' cards from the electorate.
“You defeated him, kwalapona namalenda kukanwa he even started drooling," he said.
Sata said it seemed President Banda had failed to learn a lesson from using corrupt means in election campaigns because in last year's presidential polls, he allegedly paid 12 PF rebels K50 million each to campaign for him during last year's presidential elections.
On the MMD violence in Solwezi, Sata said even if the MMD had started violence, he was confident that the PF and UPND pact would emerge victorious from the election.
During the same rally, one of the MMD founder members Jennipher Yulu resigned from the MMD to join the PF.
Yulu thanked the electorate in Kasama for voting in anger.
Newly-elected Kasama Central member of parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba called for reconciliation in order for people to work together.
Mwamba said people may have been filled with emotions during the campaigns but now was the time to work together.
Earlier in an interview on Saturday, Sata charged that President Banda was very deceptive.
Commenting on the abolishment of the Task Force on Corruption by President Banda's government, Sata said the Task Force had been disbanded in order to stop the prosecution of former president Frederick Chiluba.
He said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its current form could not prosecute plunder cases especially those involving Chiluba because it was heavily compromised by President Banda.
Sata said it was in fact a joke to ask people to believe that ACC could fight corruption involving President Banda's friends.
He described President Banda as a coward who kept on making mistakes by failing to stand up for the people.
“It sounds a good idea merging the Task Force to ACC because ACC is established by law to fight corruption. But ACC, it has been compromised by Rupiah Banda, so we shall wait and see. He did not propose to Cabinet when he was in Levy Mwanawasa's Cabinet to join the Task Force to ACC. Now Rupiah Banda has come with his true colours. That is his legacy,” Sata said.
“The reason why he has done so is because it Task Force successfully prosecuted Frederick Chiluba and it successfully filed an appeal against Frederick Chiluba. So he knows by transferring Task Force to ACC, everything has died. That is how deceptive he is. What I was fighting for was for the Task Force to be legalised.”
Sata said the ACC could do the job if it was occupied by men and women who could not dance to the whims of President Banda.
“But it is the human beings occupying the judicial offices who are creating confusion,” he said.
Sata charged that President Banda abolished the Task Force on Corruption because private prosecutor Mutembo Nchito was a threat to his plans to allow Chiluba to go scott-free.
“He has a naked attitude towards his opponents. He is very vindictive,” Sata said. “I warned the people of Zambia in 2008 that he President Banda is up to no good. He believes in shortcuts and his aim is to compromise government institutions and get rid of those viable institutions.”
Sata said President Banda had failed to justify the sale of a viable company, Zamtel, as well as his planned increase in the number of judges at the Supreme Court and High Court.
Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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Traditional ceremonies are a unifying factor – Rupiah
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
TRADITIONAL ceremonies are a unifying factor in Zambia, President Rupiah Banda has said. And senior chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II has urged the government to increase the number of fertiliser given to small scale farmers and upgrade Chalimbana Teacher in-service training College into a university.
Speaking at the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony of the Soli people in Chongwe on Saturday, President Banda said traditional ceremonies bring people from all walks of life together.
“We should be proud of this heritage because culture is the means by which a people express itself through language, traditional wisdom, religion, art, music, tools, greetings, symbols, festivals, ethics, values and collective identity. Without culture, a community loses self-awareness and guidance, and grows weak and vulnerable,” President Banda said. “Our rich cultural heritage should also be used to promote national unity.
The challenge for the Soli people and indeed for all Zambians is to preserve cultural events like this one as they serve as important fora through which the community can learn and assimilate useful customs, values and attitudes.”
He said the government was committed to supporting traditional ceremonies because there could be no meaningful development without culture.
“The challenge for us is to harness the potential of these cultural activities to create jobs for our people especially in rural areas,” he said.
On agriculture, President Banda said the government would continue to subsidise the production of maize by paying up to 60 per cent of the cost under the farmer input support programme (FISP) for the province for the 2009/2010 farming season.
“I am, therefore, happy to note that Chongwe District has received 24,500 by 50 kilogramme of D Compound and 16,000 by 50 kilogramme of Urea. Within the next few days, seed should arrive in Chongwe in readiness for the planting season,” he said.
“The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, has also established mobile depots so that our farmers do not travel long distances to sell their products.”
He said soon the government would send motor bikes to all the district agricultural camp site officers to enable them to provide small-scale farmers with information on good farming practices.
On health, President Banda said the government with the aid of the Korean government had allocated three ambulances and assorted medical equipment to Chongwe district to improve health service delivery.
On education and in reaction to chieftainess Nkomeshya, President Banda said the government would rehabilitate Chalimbana College.
“I agree with you, your royal highness, we have allocated a lot of money for this school, perhaps we should consider in our next budget to allocate money to repair this important institution of benefit to the whole of Zambia,” he said.
On roads, President Banda said the government had rehabilitated several roads in the district.
“As a custodian of our cultural heritage, I implore you to bring to the attention of your subjects issues pertaining to contemporary agricultural methods, girl child education, early marriages, HIV and AIDS, risky traditional practices such as sexual cleansing, spouse inheritance and spouse battering,” President Banda said.
President Banda commended paramount chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people for traveling all the way to Chongwe despite his poor health, and other traditional rulers from various parts of Zambia.
Chakwela Makumbi, literary meaning gathering clouds to bring rains, is a ceremony where chieftainess Nkomeshya asks ancestral spirits to provide rains to her people.
And chieftainess Nkomeshya commended the government for the development projects in agriculture, health, education and others in the district.
She said Chalimbana Teachers Training College was being underutilized due to the removal of a number of courses.
“My appeal is that Chalimbana should be transformed into a university like our colleges,” chieftainess Nkomeshya said.
Earlier, chieftainess Nkomeshya thanked President Banda for agreeing to officiate at the Chakwela Makumbi traditional ceremony.
She also said late president Levy Mwanawasa was supportive to the ceremony when he was alive.
Giving a vote of thanks, Chongwe member of parliament Sylvia Masebo said President Banda’s speech “was not only inspiring, it was also encouraging” because he touched on most issues that were very dear to the people of Lusaka particularly on agriculture.
Labels: CEREMONIES, RUPIAH BANDA
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Minister implores chiefs to help govt preserve culture
By Justin Katilungu in Mumbwa
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
CENTRAL Province minister Ackimson Banda has appealed to chiefs to work with the government in ensuring that Zambia’s cultural heritage is properly nurtured and preserved.
During the Ikubi Lya Malumbe traditional ceremony of the Kaonde-Ila people of chief Chibuluma in Mumbwa district on Saturday, Banda said that culture enabled people to become aware of their values, customs and beliefs. He said the government would continue to support traditional ceremonies in Zambia, as they were cardinal in nurturing history for the future generation.
"Culture is a treasure, a source of strength and unity. It is culture that enables us to become aware of our values, customs and beliefs," he said.
Banda challenged traditional leaders to continue playing their advisory role to the government on national issues.
"It is the vision of our government to see to it that traditional rulers continue to play their customary role of counselling state leaders and their subjects on matters of importance to the chiefdom and the nation at large," he said.
Banda cautioned chiefs to discourage their people from engaging in dangerous life styles that would fuel the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Banda said chiefs should ban cultural practices such as cleansing and inheritance of widows in their chiefdoms to control the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Banda said while the government was doing its best to give relief to victims and sufferers of HIV and AIDS, every Zambian had a responsibility to fight the disease.
Speaking earlier, headman Frank Mwanashendu appealed to the government to erect a high school to enhance education.
"There are problems affecting the education sector in this chiefdoms, we do not have funds to build our approved high school and I am therefore appealing to the government to assist us erect the school," said headman Mwanashendu.
He said that basic schools in the chiefdom lacked teachers and the government should send more to the area to ease the shortage.
Labels: ACKIMSON BANDA, CHIEFS
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Chief Chisunka complains over fertiliser distribution in Luapula
By Simon Mutuna in Mansa
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
CHIEF Chisunka has complained about the way the fertiliser distribution is being handled in Luapula Province.
Chief Chisunka of the Aushi people of Mansa complained that the 5,400 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the whole province was like a drop in the ocean.
Chief Chisunka asked agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo to explain why the whole province had been given only 5400 tonnes of fertiliser?
"What does he think of the Luapula people?" he asked.
Chief Chisunka said people of Luapula wanted a reasonable tonnage of fertilizer.
Chief Chisunka said Mansa alone which has about 8370 farmers, had been given 1,674, and Nchelenge was talking of 162 metric tonnes, which was not enough.
"What does the minister think of our farmers and how are they going to share?” he asked.
He said chiefs in the province were not happy with the way the government was handling the input distribution exercise.
Chief Chisunka has also challenged Dr Chituwo to explain the method used in distribution of fertiliser.
He said Chipata alone had received 6,448 metric tonnes and the whole Eastern Province had received 20,800 metric tonnes of fertiliser.
“Is the minister telling us that Chipata town has more farmers than Luapula Province?” asked Chisunka.
Labels: CHIEF CHISUNKA, FSP, LUAPULA PROVINCE
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Barclays links high interest rates to low personal savings
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
BARCLAYS Bank Zambia PLC retail director Simangolwa Shakalima has observed that the lack of boom in personal savings has had a big impact on the interest rates that banks charge on loans.
In an interview during the Barclays Bank Copperbelt customer loyalty breakfast meeting at Arabian Nights in Kitwe on Friday, Shakalima however said the culture of personal savings had been improving overtime although not consistently.
"As an economy, we have seen an improvement in people changing their culture of savings. Predominantly, we've not had a boom in savings especially at personal level but the situation has been improving overtime though it has not been very consistent," he said.
Shakalima noted that with improved personal savings, the country would see a huge impact on interest rates since savings had a bearing on how much banks charged in terms of interest on loans.
He said Barclays Bank was always alive to the financial environment in the country and tailored its interest rates in response to what the fundamentals dictated.
Shakalima said the Bank was constantly reviewing its interest rates depending on the economic environment.
"Suffice to say, there are lots of factors that determine interest rates; factors like costs and availability of funds," he said.
"Notwithstanding, we have demonstrated that when the economy dictates that interest rates come down, we behave accordingly."
And Shakalima said although there had been volatility in interest rate charges, the country had reached a stage where the volatility was stabilising.
He observed that during the years 2007 and 2008, the interest rates significantly dropped because of the economic performance at the time.
"To a large extent, certain indicators like inflation will tell you where the cost of borrowing money is going," said Shakalima.
He also observed that although the government had put in measures to reduce the general cost of doing business in the country, there was a lag in terms of reaping benefits as most of those initiatives could only bring benefits in the medium to long term.
Meanwhile, Barclays board member Martin Broome said Barclays was geared to play a leading role in economic re-awakening of the Copperbelt envisaged to take place in view of improved copper prices.
He said despite the challenging times, the Copperbelt was key to the overall economy of Zambia, further predicting that the province was poised to witness major investment initiatives.
Broome added that the projected economic rejuvenation presented an opportunity for Barclays to continue supporting its retail customers and the business community in general.
Labels: BARCLAYS BANK, LENDING RATES
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Zain boss challenges workers to focus more on development
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Mon 02 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
ZAIN Africa chief executive officer Chris Gabriel has observed that productivity of most companies was being hampered by workers who spend most time on non-priority work-related activities.
Delivering a lecture to the Lusaka Round Table No. 15 on Friday evening, Gabriel said there was need for employees to make themselves relevant and contribute to the overall objective of the company.
Gabriel said there was need for workers to be honest and proactive to themselves as way of contributing to the overall productivity levels of any company.
He stressed that attitude towards work was key in determining the contribution of each employee to the collective efforts of all workers in the company.
“Spend more time on things you can control and influence development on…be focused on things you are supposed to do,” Gabriel said.
“You have to keep on raising the bar high by being truthful and honest to yourself…it’s not about staff because you are an individual but it’s about looking at specific objections and really making sure you add value.”
And Gabriel said the ultimate contribution of each employee was dependent upon individual attitude towards work.
He said it was important that each employee remained disciplined and focused towards the objective of the company as a collection of the overall staff objective.
“Nothing is impossible and fear is the only limitation while attitude determines success,” said Gabriel. “Discipline and focus, that is what it is all about.
Gabriel has five degrees and has worked in among other continents, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, United States, Europe and the Scandinavian region.
Labels: WORK ETHIC, ZAIN
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Let's talk: Mugabe urges Tsvangirai
by Cris Chinaka
01/11/2009 00:00:00
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe said on Saturday he was working to resolve a political dispute threatening his power-sharing government with rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said a fortnight ago it was "disengaging" from cabinet until Mugabe agreed to fully implement the fragile coalition's power-sharing deal, including swearing in several MDC officials.
Speaking at the burial of Misheck Chando, a senior member of his Zanu PF party on Saturday, Mugabe again condemned the MDC's partial boycott of the government as "baffling and illogical," but said the issue had to be addressed as a domestic issue.
"We are glad that we are talking about it. We are treating it as a domestic political problem, and our attitude is that ultimately it is up to us as Zimbabweans to sort out our problems," he said in a mixture of English and Shona.
Mugabe gave no further details or made reference to the mediation efforts of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community which had a ministerial team in Harare on Friday.
Tsvangirai and his officials did not attend the funeral at Harare Heroes' Acre, a national shrine where Mugabe's Zanu PF movement has been burying mostly veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war since it won power at independence in 1980. Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, leader of a rival MDC faction which is also represented in the power sharing government, was at the funeral.
Mugabe accused Western powers of "endlessly and shamelessly" interfering in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs and said the national economy had suffered under sanctions imposed in a drive to oust his party.
"They are trying to direct the way our politics should go. They are not ashamed. They want us to go down on our knees."
Mugabe -- who was speaking a day after regional officials announced that Southern African states would soon hold a summit on the Zimbabwe crisis -- said even in cases where Zimbabweans seek outside help, they have the ultimate responsibility to resolve domestic disputes.
The veteran 85-year-old president sounded slightly conciliatory to the MDC on Saturday, saying he only wonders about his rivals' political strategy of "one leg in and one leg out of the power-sharing government."
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“When you have, as a party, and even as individuals, taken a stand that you shall work together with your political neighbours and your neighbours reciprocate it, then the requirement is that we indeed continue, step by step, and work together,” Mugabe said. “Whatever the difficulties become our difficulties together. Whatever the positive steps become our achievements together.
“For one party on an odd day to decide we shall not be fully in, we shall have one leg in and one leg out, then you begin to wonder: Have I entered into agreement with persons who do not understand?
“MDC-T is saying we are out, but we are still in. I don’t know what that means … this logic where you agree and disagree, where you disagree and agree. It’s quite new.”
Besides refusing to swear in some of its members into government, the MDC accuses Zanu PF -- which it calls an "arrogant and unreliable partner" of persecuting its officials and delaying media and constitutional reforms that will be key to holding free and fair elections in about two years.
Mugabe says he has met obligations under the power-sharing deal and maintains the MDC needs to campaign for the lifting of Western sanctions against his Zanu PF, including travel restrictions and a freeze on general financial aid to Zimbabwe.
- Reuters
Labels: NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT
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RB is not to blame over the fuel crisis-NICA president
Sunday, November 1, 2009, 17:21
National Initiative citizens Awareness (NICA) president Kelvin Sampa says his organisation is not pleased with the blame game that has emanated over the fuel crisis in the country.
Mr. Sampa said it was unfortunate that Republican President Banda’s administration was being blamed by sections of society and individuals over the fuel crisis in the country.
He said it was a known fact that there are people trying to undermine Mr Banda’s leadership and his government by blaming him for causing the fuel crisis.
He urged government to fully carry out an audit of the Energy Regulations Board (ERB) saying its operations was worrying the Zambians.
He added that the ERB Board wrongly advised Energy and water development minister Kenneth Konga over the fuel crisis in the country which led to the President to be misinformed on the matter.
He said this at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr Sampa noted that it was disappointing to note that ERB could not apologise to the Zambian people over the crisis saying it was unfortunate that it took President Rupiah Banda to apologise to the nation on the crisis.
Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development leader Edith Nawakwi has pointed an accusing finger at Mr Banda who she says is an inept leader who has failed to manage the fuel crisis.
He said his organization wondered why the ERB existed as its purpose has failed to work to regulate energy in the country.
Mr Samapa said the leasing out of the Zambezi Oil Transport (Z.O.T) to Samfuels, a company allegedly owned by a named business man, by the ERB is strange as the matter was in courts of law.
Sections of society are expressed concern n the continued fuel shortage that has gripped the nations. Some concerned Zambians are calling for the resignation of Energy and Water Development minister Kenneth Konga over the crisis.
On the other hand, Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development leader Edith Nawakwi , has pointed an accusing finger at Mr Banda who she says is an inept leader who has failed to manage the fuel crisis.
ZANIS
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, KELVIN SAMPA, NICA, RUPIAH BANDA
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Task Force disbanded to protect Chiluba-TIZ
Sunday, November 1, 2009, 17:15
Transparency International Zambia TIZ has accused government for disbanding the Task force on corruption as a way of completely killing off the outstanding investigations against Dr Fredrick Chiluba and allegations which are still under investigations.
TIZ Zambia President Ruban Lifikelo
[Rueben Lifuka? - MrK] said the disbanding of the task force on corruption was done in an hastily manner which will have a negative consequence for some cases which are still before the courts of laws or under investigations.
Mr Lifekelo however said this raises questions whether the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) will be given room to independently investigate.
He said this at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr Lifekelo pointed that the institution has been given additional responsibility while government has not indicated the support it will provide to improve its capacity .
He added that it could have been appropriate if government had strengthened the capacity of the ACC before making the transition.
Mr Lifekelo noted the fact that the tenure of task force on corruption was limited and plans should have been put in place to ensure a smooth transition into the ACC.
He added that the Taskforce has scored a number of successes and recovered several asserts hence the need for government to have evaluated the work of the Taskforce before disbanding in that way.
Mr Lifekelo attributed the disbanding of the task force on corruption by government as not being thoroughly thought through the decision adding that the move has taken undoubtedly added to their efforts of killing the fight against corruption and the late president Mwanawasa’s legacy of fighting corruption.
ZANIS
Labels: CHILUBA, RUEBEN LIFUKA, TASK FORCE, TIZ
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Listen to what people are saying on Zamtel, Shamenda urges Rupiah
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sun 01 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
FORMER Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Fackson Shamenda has advised President Rupiah Banda's administration to reflect on why some foreign government-controlled telecommunications companies are interested in buying Zamtel.
Commenting on the planned sale of 75 per cent shares in Zamtel, Shamenda urged President Banda and the MMD government to listen to what people were saying. He described Zamtel as a rare “diamond” that the Zambian government could not afford to lose.
“Why are other governments in the world not privatising their telecommunications companies? And if you can see the companies that have been short-listed, they are government owned. Why are other governments interested in Zamtel? So why should we sell our public institution to another government?
It doesn't make sense to me,” Shamenda said. “When you are looking at communications, telecommunications in particular… this is a communications age because everything centres on telecommunication. Any government which owns a communications company is a lucky government and should keep it.”
He wondered why the Zambian government was quick to privatise Zamtel when other countries were improving their communication companies.
“I believe that it is a very unwise decision to give 75 per cent shares to a foreign country, and it is not too late. As much as everyone is talking about privatisation and the stage we have reached, maybe what we can do is not give away more than 50 per cent,” he said.
“I would have expected government to say 49 per cent contract management so that there is no interference but this 'diamond' Zamtel should be owned by Zambians. Because if a private company owns 75 per cent, if they so wish, they can close the company like they did with the mines. A mine, you can close but can you close a telecommunication company, even for 10 minutes? You can't!”
Shamenda said politics had landed Zambian public institutions into problems.
“Our government is only scared to interfere in companies that are run by foreigners and only have political interference in public institutions because they want to choose who is going to run the company based on their terms.
A, is not from this political party, B, comes from the wrong tribe, C, is this, this and that, until you get to the sixth person who you think is going to support government and this is why we have these problems,” he said.
“But if you have an appetite of politicising these institutions, the way out is to say that we privatise because you have the appetite of controlling everything. But that should not be the case because, even in our situation like Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco), a lot of private banks collapsed, meanwhile Zanaco survived. Why? Because of good management despite the fact that it is not a hidden story that there was a lot of political interference at that time.”
Shamenda warned that telecommunication had some security aspects involved.
“… There would be a situation where government would have serious financial problems, you cannot plead with a private company to say that leave State House connected, leave some ministries and hospitals connected. Government is supposed to be supporting these institutions, but you will find that government is the one that even owes these public institutions a lot of money. Privatising Zamtel and Zesco would cause serious problems in the country.
Private companies can switch off and take their equipment to another country like they did with the mines and when that happens, what are we going to do? So I think, to me I believe government should reconsider the approach just like what a good number of people have said,” he said.
“I think we are treading in dangerous waters, which can cause a lot of problems, not necessarily to us but to our children's children. And that is not being very responsible, why must we give this country to other persons?”
Shamenda said what is happening in Zamtel was exactly what happened with Zambia Airways.
“We had a quarrel with the government when they were liquidating Zambia Airways, how many years down the line, up to now the assets of Zambia Airways are still there. They have not finished liquidating Zambia Airways because it had a lot of assets.
All they could have done was to reorganise it, put management in place and stop political interference and it was going to succeed. Zamtel is solid; it is not as people say it is. Look at the exchanges that are there, the optic fiber they are putting in place, the buildings, the human resource, some of the people who are in Zamtel, a lot of people have spent money to train these telecommunications engineers,” he said.
Shamenda also demanded the release of the RP Capital evaluation report on Zamtel.
“I have not looked at the evaluation report from RP capital. The report could have been a starting point for all stakeholders to look. And people would have pointed out; this was not taken into consideration because it is a public institution. Why should a few individuals decide for the many Zambians?
Why the secrecy? We want to know the outcome of the evaluation, because even up to now very few people are privileged with that information,” said Shamenda.
“I hope it doesn't become another Gabon disaster, this is straightforward information, this is why people become suspicious. There has not been any transparency in the sale of Zamtel. There is more to it than just say 'we are selling'. Maybe government is right to sell Zamtel but without the evaluation report, we are not going to know the truth.
You see we are all arguing from a point of being uninformed, even for government they might be misled, but if this thing was public, it would be to the benefit of government itself and government would come out and say whatever happened, they would not apologise but will say we did this thing together with the public … People have spoken enough, like Shakespeare says, 'the world is a stage, you play your part and you leave the stage'... I appeal to the government to listen because a lot of people have said what I have said, I am just reinforcing, it is up to government to listen.
“A lot of parastatals were privatised but why was Zamtel and Zesco left out? This is what our government is supposed to be asking itself because it is a well-known fact that there is a lot of security in these two companies. If there is war for example, you will have no control over these companies. These investors will uproot their equipment and go to another country and then you can imagine a country without communication and energy.
It is more like why the government is keeping the government-owned newspapers. They would want to use them for their propaganda to advocate to the people. I urge the government to listen to what people are saying over the sale of Zamtel. Zamtel is a rare diamond we cannot afford not to have.”
Labels: FACKSON SHAMENDA, PRIVATISATION, RUPIAH BANDA, ZAMTEL
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