Maravi

LETTERS - Public Funding, Tribalism, APRM

Funding political parties
By Victor Kunda Mwaba, Birmingham, AL - USA
Tuesday June 19, 2007 [04:00]

I could not find the right words to express my disappointment over what Sakwiba Sikota was quoted as saying regarding the consensus of opposition parties being funded by the government. Political parties being funded by the government take away the needed resources to desperate priority areas. It is clear now that the opposition prefer getting a pay check over health and education spending.

What happened to their prioritising education and health? Now they are putting themselves ahead of their people who need just about every dollar the government can spare? Zambian organisations, political parties and education institutions (UNZA) included need to start learning fundraising in stead of demanding a share from the government all the time.

The opposition want a pay check before they even serve the nation. How much more would they demand if they actually did work for Zambia? One wonders if the opposition consensus about the constitution review process is not self-centered as well, hiding behind ‘the will of the people'.


http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=28034

Politics and tribalism
By Mwiya Nawa, Lusaka
Tuesday June 19, 2007 [04:00]

The saddest thing about our politics is that at the rate we are going, it is increasingly becoming difficult to separate tribe from politics. This is a cancer that is spreading across Africa and needs to be stopped. Next door in Zimbabwe, Ndebeles have always claimed to be marginalised and they have said it is their turn to rule as the presidency and other state institutions have been dominated by Shonas.

Ndebeles have even gone to the extent of accusing Mugabe of having forcibly supplanted Joshua Nkomo, their Ndebele hero. This is despite the fact that Nkomo served as vice president from 1980-81.

In South Africa, Zulus also demand that it is their turn as the presidency and other influential positions have been dominated by the Xhosa ethnic group. (Mandela and Mbeki are Xhosas).

Some Zulus even contend that the corruption charges against Jacob Zuma are a political conspiracy to deny the Zulus the presidency.
In Nigeria, northerners had demanded that it was their turn as the presidency had been a preserve of southerners. Obasanjo yielded to such calls and settled for Katsina State governor, Umaru Yar'Adua, a northerner, as his successor.

This pattern of ascending to leadership is dangerous. As many others have commented, leadership is not about ethnicity but ability. Neither does having a president from a particular region guarantee development in that area.





http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=28035

APRM for Zambia
By YZ, Lusaka
Tuesday June 19, 2007 [04:00]

Father Pete Henriot’s article “Yes, the APRM for Zambia” of Tuesday, June 12, 2007 made interesting reading. I more than agree with the father that most people if asked about the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism) would fumble something very contrary.

This includes some members of the media, the government leaders and opposition leaders. Yet this is a very important instrument voluntarily acceded to by member states of the African Union (AU) as an African self-monitoring mechanism which could offer Zambia some lasting solutions for its political stability, economic growth and sustainable development.

And as Father Pete Henriot put it, “it is a potentially powerful instrument for promoting good governance in Zambia and other African countries”. By virtue of President Mwanawasa acceding to this process (in January last year ) it calls for everyone to be interested to know what this process is all about, what is entails for a common man and its benefits to Zambia.

I also think the government is treating the APRM process like some secret process, yet the principles of the APRM process are that it’s to be transparent, credible and free of political manipulation.

This is the very reason why government should make this information available to its citizens on how they are going to participate in the review process and their expected contributions. We expect this process to have a cross section of participation including all key stakeholders such as women, youths, and persons with disabilities, civil society, private sector, rural communities and professional associations including the media.

I am sure the civil society and other sections of society are more than willing to participate in this process, thus the need for the government, specifically officers responsible in the Ministry of Justice to make available information concerning the APRM process and how citizens will participate in the self-assessment. I urge women activists, youths, etc to rise up and be counted!

posted by MrK @ 5:06 AM