Probe of Post, Zambian Airways dealings with will be futile – Miyanda

Probe of Post, Zambian Airways dealings with will be futile – Miyanda
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday, April 05, 2009 7:41:43 PM

OUR probe of The Post's dealings with Zambian Airways will be futile in the prevailing politically-charged and vindictive atmosphere, opposition Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has observed.

Responding to The Post newspaper's invitation to his party to be part of a team of political parties, civil society organisations and professional bodies to do a forensic audit of the newspaper's role in Zambian Airways, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that Heritage Party decided not to participate in the probe because the issue had been unduly politicised by the government's threats.

In his letter to Post managing editor Amos Malupenga dated March 29, 2009, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the Heritage Party's concern arose from the official pronouncements against The Post newspaper and Zambian Airways and the accompanying threats to sort out the directors.

He stated that to take the Zambian Airways issue as an excuse to settle political scores was retrogressive and negate all that the Zambian people stood for when they begun the independence movement.

“On behalf of the Heritage Party, we acknowledge the belated receipt of your letter inviting us to probe The Post. We certainly have taken an interest in this saga as it is a matter of public interest that once again raises issues that have dogged this nation since independence,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.

“These occurrences indicate that no amount of propaganda and/or indabas will wish away the problems that face us unless we truthfully, and in a not so selfish and deceptive manner, confront issues as nationals who are patriotic and who put the interest of our people above all else in their quest and desire to ascend to public office.”

He said in spite of this, it was Heritage Party's judgement not to participate in the probe as requested due to the polarised political atmosphere.

“Lest we be misunderstood, our reason not to participate in the suggested probe is not because we are against your idea but rather because we feel that this issue has been unduly politicised by the government's reaction,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.

“We do not think that there is anything wrong in your request for various groups to probe your organisation; in fact all citizens should appreciate this as a mark of openness and transparency, since you are not asking anyone to find in your favour but to make their independent conclusions. We applaud this and are amazed at the vitriolic responses by some in our society.”

He observed that, after all, the Zambian Constitution proudly declared that Zambians believe in transparency and democracy.

“What are these ideals for if we do not observe them?” Brig Gen Miyanda asked. “We take this chance to observe that as a people we are taking too long to learn from past mistakes.”

He observed that the Zambian Airways issue and communications minister Dora Siliya saga were not new occurrences in Zambia.

Brig Gen Miyanda observed that the national archives must surely be replete with so many such incidents, which would suggest that the appropriate response by the government would be to ask why such things were repeating themselves even more ferociously and then earnestly seek to provide answers in the interest of the public.

He stated that there were other means of handling the Zambian Airways issue instead of threatening to sort out the directors of the airline.

“We feel that there are other avenues under our current laws that should be resorted to and which would result in a just and fair resolution. But once a party in power takes a partisan and self-serving position in resolving national issues, or puts elections as a major factor in its decision making, no outcome would benefit the public at large because it is a well known thing that selfishness and plain lust for political power leads to manipulation and deceit in governing and eventually to corruption,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.

He stated that it was for that reason that all concerned must resist the temptation to silence dissent in the nation.

“Of course as a party we do not support the choice of language that many players in our nation across the board use to make their point but this must never ever be the excuse to silence people,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “We believe that there are provisions under our laws even to cover the propensity to use offensive language hence litigation rather than the hammer should always be one of the first options.”

Brig Gen Miyanda observed that many in Zambia had wondered why Zambians had always maintained that the current laws including the Constitution were sufficient to address most of their problems.

“This Zambian Airways and The Post saga vindicates us,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.

He stated that a few years ago, the government quite bluntly told Zambians that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) could not be convened because there was no legal provision authorising the expenditure.

“…We needed an Act of Parliament to authorise the spending of money, so said the Mighty Government,” Brig Gen Miyanda recalled. “This important government policy statement was made by the late president [Levy Mwanawasa] at a solemn gathering of the Catholic bishops in Solwezi to drive home why government was not for the idea of a constituent assembly. Of course we, as a party, never believed this story, for story it was, because there have been several indabas that had been held over the years without an Act of Parliament.”

Brig Gen Miyanda observed that the national indaba which started yesterday and ending today had been called for without an Act of Parliament or even a mention of it by Vice-President George Kunda, who is also Minister of Justice, when he addressed the National Assembly the other week before the House adjourned sine die.

“When it suits them they bend the law,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda. “For the foregoing reasons we feel that our probe of The Post would be futile in the prevailing politically-charged and vindictive atmosphere.”