Maravi

Threats of treason won’t do

Threats of treason won’t do
Written by Editor

THERE'S nothing treasonous about discussing the condition of the military and other security agencies. And given our recent experience as a nation with corruption in the military and the security agencies, there is need for increased public scrutiny of this sector.

Today, we have in our courts of law the former commander-in-chief of our armed forces and security agencies, the former chief of intelligence, former commanders of the Zambia Army and Zambia Air Force. And the former commander of the Zambia National Service was convicted and jailed for corruption.

This should be a wake-up call to the fact that not everything is as it should be with our armed forces and security agencies.

And this sector should be subjected to the same standard of scrutiny as any public sector.

Moreover, the quest for efficiency in the military and security sector may involve re-allocation of resources to, or away from this sector, or a change in input combination within this sector itself. To do so requires an understanding of the current patterns of resource allocation which can only be achieved through an understanding of the process that generates this sector's expenditure.

Unfortunately, very little is known by our people and their leaders about this sector's expenditure. Yet it is a well-known fact that expenditure on this sector affects economic growth through reductions in the acquisition of productive resources as well as through reduction in the productivity of existing resources for lack of complimentary inputs. Expenditure on this sector may negatively impact economic growth not because the amount spent is too much but because resources are not allocated efficiently.

Our experience of the last eight years or so is that this sector is also open to abuse by the politicians in government, especially the president, and the leadership of our military and security agencies. We know that billions of taxpayers’ money was stolen through the Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service and the intelligence. This information is in the public domain. We all know how Chiluba used the security agencies to steal public funds and manipulate the politics of our country to keep himself in power. We know that there are some military people who have used their agencies to politically campaign for the party and president in power and get promoted.

To talk about all this cannot be said to be undermining the security of the country or inciting those who work in this sector to rise against the government of the day.

But we know that in every society throughout history, those who administer the criminal justice system hold power with the potential for abuse and tyranny. In the name of the state, in the name of national security, individuals have been imprisoned and tortured without proper legal justification. No democratic society can tolerate such abuses. Every state must possess the power to maintain order and punish criminal acts, but the procedures by which it does so must not be arbitrary or subject to the political manipulation of those in power.

We know that a common tactic of tyranny is to charge opponents of the government with treason. For this reason, the crime of treason must be carefully limited in definition so that it cannot be used as a weapon to stifle criticism of those in government. By saying this, we are not advocating that the state should not have the necessary power to enforce the law, maintain peace and punish offenders. On the contrary, what we are trying to say is that the criminal justice system will only be effective to the degree that its administration is judged by the people of Zambia to be fair and protective of individual rights as well as of the public interest.

And the condition of our military and security sector should be the concern of every citizen, of every politician. We say this because a specific manifestation of weakened state capacities is the poor condition of a country's military and security agencies. We should not allow secrecy to destroy the capacity and quality of our military and security agencies. Too much secrecy and stifled debate of our military and security sector can lead to our armed forces and security agencies being ill-trained, ill-equipped and understaffed. And this can lead to the principle forces of order in our country being in disorder at a time when the legitimacy of those in government is in doubt. We should also not allow the proclivity of corrupt leaders to misuse our military and security agencies for coercion. We should also not allow our military and security agencies to be hampered by politicisation, poor management and poor civilian oversight. As we have seen, our military and security agencies are not immune from being compromised by corruption.

Clearly, there is need for the Zambian people and their political leaders to pay a lot of attention to the condition of their military and security agencies. And to discuss these issues can never be treasonous because it will be irresponsible for the Zambian people to allow the situation in the military and security agencies to be overtaken by decay out of fear of being accused of treason. We know what happens when corruption and decay becomes the order in a country's military and security agencies. It is this that leads to anarchy and treasonous acts.

Our military and security agencies need to be managed properly. The men and women in our military and security agencies need to be well trained and well paid. And discussing these issues can never be treasonous.

But it is not difficult to understand that Rupiah Banda and his friends are so insecure. The source of their insecurity does not necessarily lie in what the opposition politicians are saying. It lies in their owns deeds, their own acts and their own utterances. They know what they have done and they know what they have said. And they know very well the security consequences of what they have done and said.

They were told that it is not wise to increase their own salaries and raise their conditions of service while not doing the same for others - like those in the military and security agencies - who also work for the government and the state. Selfish, greedy and people consumed by vanity are never secure. Dishonest people can never be secure. Whenever someone coughs, they think they are being attacked.

Let us discuss and work to ensure that our military and security agencies are well organised and managed and are not crippled by corruption and abuse.

Labels: ARMED FORCES

posted by MrK @ 6:39 AM