Maravi

LETTERS - Bloated Government, Moses Katumbi

Bloated govt
By Muyoyeta Simasiku
Friday December 14, 2007 [03:00]

When we debate issues and we get overwhelming consensus, we need to ensure that the government implements those issues. A lot of things get talked over and then die a natural death just like that. The greatest challenge that is threatening our nation's development is how to get the government act on people's interests. I really don't understand why those in government do what they like as though they were small gods. I thought it is the will of the people that must prevail.

The need for a reduction of a bloated government cannot be over-emphasised, and it is long overdue.

Compared to many developed countries, we have a relatively smaller population of only 11 million people; a poor nation whose budget is heavily dependent on borrowing and yet we have more than twice the number of government ministers and their deputies and support workers trying to pay themselves huge perks from the very meagre resources that are supposed to be allocated to the starving poor.

I don't get it - is this the way to combat unemployment - employ as many people into government positions as possible, even at the expense of the majority poor?

I wrote earlier this year in this column about the various unproductive positions that exist in government - every position has an assistant and/or deputy and yet they all seem to be doing the same tasks.

I also wrote about how every position at a director or managerial level has a secretary, doing pretty much nothing but answering phone calls and making coffee for their bosses all day long while their bosses are busy reading newspapers or are driving around the city.

What is more striking is that, despite all these many workers, government departments are still about the most inefficient and unproductive in Zambia.

And why does Mulongoti think we are that dim-witted by giving, probably the dumbest excuse to the problem of a bloated government? Your editorial exposed his argument. Listen Mulongoti, here is a suggestion on which ministries you need to create and keep - you need to abolish all the others:

1. Ministry of Defence
2. Ministry of Social services, Poverty and Child Development
3. Ministry of Law, Order and Homeland Security
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
5. Ministry of Education, Skills and Employment
6. Ministry of Health, Malaria and HIV/AIDS
7. Ministry of Finance, Economy, Development and Indigenous Empowerment
8. Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change
9. Ministry of Culture, Civil Rights and Sports

That's just 9 ministries Mulongoti. All you need is one minister for each ministry and probably allocate deputies to 2 or 3 strategic ministries. This will save us heaps of money to be allocated to the people and you could still maintain your tribal balancing if you like.








Investigating Katumbi
By Fr Kapya Kaoma
Friday December 14, 2007 [03:00] Print Article Email Article
Long before the question of investigating Chiluba's corruption was raised, The Post published an article entitled "Why not arrest Chiluba and Mwanawasa?."

In that article the author questioned the morality of fighting corruption with Mwanawasa as President. It is against the law to possess stolen property, that is why Regina Chiluba is being investigated.

In fact, common sense suggests that we arrest Mwanawasa and the entire MMD leadership because they are beneficiaries of Chiluba's corrupt rule.

Fellow Zambians, should we drop charges against Katumbi just because he is the governor of Katanga? God forbid! Ethically, it is a lesser evil to discontinue the case against a former president than a mere governor.

The Task Force has investigated the army, the office of the president's ZAMTROP account, ZNS, and other security agencies, on which our national security hangs. Ironically, on Katumbi, the MMD wants to safeguard national security. In addition, the Task Torce has cost Zambians too much tax payers' money.

Today, they tell us that investigating Katumbi would be too costly.
Mr President, by discontinuing the case against Katumbi, you have discontinued your fight against corruption.




http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=35120

There's more to Katumbi's case than meets the eye
By Chilumba Ngosa
Friday December 14, 2007 [03:00]

Moses Katumbi today has been turned into a saint whilst Frederick Chiluba is still being branded a hard core criminal. Can our learned collegues at LAZ educate the masses under which laws this ‘rule of laws’ (MMD) operates?

Crime by definition is an act or ommission probihibited and punishable by law. So the obvious question a lay person like myself is asking is: Where does our independent legal system justify its existence? Don't they have the right to reject certain proposals in the interest of the nation?

I feel there is more to Katumbi’s case than meets the eye. The government knows what it is doing. There is some scam that they are shelding which needs to be unearthed.

If it does not happen in Dr LPM's time, it will do so under another president. What is burried under there should really be smelly that it has affected the whole government.

I wonder what the Task Force on corruption will now be chasing. Indeed, why not discontinue Chiluba's case. It has wasted a lot of money and made some people rich?

During Levy's rule, a lot of crooks have been shielded from the arm of the law, while the same arm is being stretched hard on others.
A crime is a crime irrespective of one's social status.

What is the implication of such immoral actions to our future generation? The world has seen big names fall - Paul Wolfwiz of the World Bank, Enron, etc.

Why can't Katumbi clear his name in the courts of law so that we know who has dirt on their hands?
I am disgusted.

Labels: GOVERNANCE, KATUMBI

posted by MrK @ 7:46 AM