Maravi

Letters - Enough is enough

Enough is enough
Written by Benson F. Chipungu, Lusaka
Sunday, August 30, 2009 4:59:37 PM

It is now very clear that we, the ordinary Zambians, can no longer rely on the government and its leadership to protect our country's wealth from corrupt elements that fraternise with the powers that be. The withdrawal by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Task Force's appeal against Frederick Chiluba's acquittal on all charges of embezzling $500,000 of public funds is a manifestation of our vulnerability.

Chalwe Mchenga has shown the Zambian people that he is a spineless puppet dangling from the strings of President Rupiah Banda's manipulative hands.

There is every possibility that the Rupiah Banda regime will remain steadfast in its quest to thwart any manoeuvres aimed at forcing the Task Force to appeal against Chiluba's acquittal. The nation must be ready for that eventuality. That is why it is important for all well-meaning Zambians to support the move by Lusaka lawyer Winter Kabimba and other interested citizens to commence judicial review proceedings against the DPP on the latter's decision to withdraw the appeal.

It is also important to note that this is not a fight for one person alone and that the monies which were allegedly embezzled belong to all Zambians. As such, everyone who craves for a corrupt-free Zambia must rise to the occasion and also become an ‘interested citizen’ so that we move this anti-corruption crusade to another level.

Yes, we are a peace-loving nation and, since Rupiah Banda has chosen to be on the opposite end of the war against corruption, we have no option but to face him and peacefully battle it out on our own. If the events that have been unfolding in the aftermath of Chiluba's acquittal are anything to go by, it will not come as a surprise if the government drops Mutembo Nchito as the Task Force's lawyer and completely cuts off funding that is meant for the institutions' investigation and prosecution of corruption cases.

I, therefore, propose that a Fund be opened specifically to deal with the appeal case and others which are on the verge of being swept under the carpet of Rupiah Banda’s corruption-friendly government. I also propose that a legal team be immediately constituted to tackle these issues. In the meantime, the rest of the citizenry must peacefully voice out their disappointment through various channels. I am sure that, where possible, all well-meaning Zambians would make a contribution to this noble cause.

Fellow compatriots, the fact that we are a peace-loving nation does not mean we should watch helplessly as our leaders help themselves to our national treasury; watch helplessly as the same thieves laugh in our faces, telling us that they will get back ‘what belongs to Caesar’ as if it ever belonged to them in the first place! And all the while, the people in charge of protecting our interests seem all too happy about the whole affair.

This is not a fight that can be left to a few individuals who and institutions which in the past have often sacrificed their own resources for the greater good of the all Zambians. It is every Zambian's crusade. Let us be bold enough to say enough is enough. Let us join hands and show the world that we are not as docile as we are assumed to be. We need to leave a legacy that we can be proud of. Otherwise, the future generation will be ashamed of us.


http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/12929/64/

The world is watching this drama
Written by Concerned citizen
Sunday, August 30, 2009 5:05:27 PM

I was shocked to read the story carried by The Post of August 26, 2009 in which President Rupiah Banda’s government fired Task Force on Corruption chairman Max Nkole following his appeal against the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba and the lengthy interview he gave to MUVI TV on Monday night.

Indeed a leopard can never change his spots. True of Rupiah, the figurative leopard has never and will never change his spots as far as draconian legislation is concerned.

The firing of Nkole indicates the ultimate in the injustice of our justice. It means our judicial system has been tied by the neck and thrown into a bottomless pit. Nkole never committed any crime; he was just exercising his right as a Zambian citizen, the right of appeal, as provided by the Constitution. He was not the chairman of bootlickers but of the Task Force and he had a great task at hand.

Rupiah hated the move because it would threaten the security of his ‘damn good’ friend and ultimately, that of himself. When the alligator is being roasted, the lizard must get worried because the two belong to one family. They are both reptiles.

Nkole made an appeal on Chiluba’s fraudulent acquittal. He said during the MUVI TV interview, “..we want to go and argue, to present our arguments before a higher court as to why we think there should have been a conviction.”

Which law did Nkole break? If anything, it would be good for Chiluba to be proved innocent in a higher court. Further, Nkole said when Chiluba’s “immunity was being lifted, it never stated that it’s only limited to criminal matters but all sorts of abuses committed during his administration, whether they are civil or otherwise.” Isn’t this a ground for an appeal? What crime has Nkole committed?

Given a chance, I would write a book about Nkole's dismissal. All in all, Rupiah fired Nkole in a desperate attempt to protect Chiluba at the expense of justice. Rupiah has proved himself a dictator. In his kingdom, the innocent, the Nkoles, are fired without trial. It is the guilty, the Chilubas, who carry the day. Yes, Rupiah has turned Zambia into a hair-raising stadium of the elimination of the innocent and the survival of the fittest and the fittest are the foxes, the most cunning.

The whole world is watching this drama with keen interest. One day, and I pray that it will not be long from now, somebody is going to get his comeuppance. Clandestine dealings done under the cover of presidential immunity will be laid bare and proclaimed on roof tops. Evil has no eternity. Sooner or later, the law of retribution will take its course.

I wish Nkole and the likes of him the life of the biblical Methuselah in the interest of transparency, accountability, justice and fair play and I hope the Napoleons who pretend to be following Levy Mwanawasa’s legacy will meet their waterloo.


http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/12930/64/

Extinguishing Zambia’s hopes
Written by Osman Mapiki, Ndola
Sunday, August 30, 2009 5:07:03 PM

It is said that ‘no matter how blunt a machete is, it should never be held by a mad man.’ Likewise, no matter how poor or docile a nation is, power should never be in the hands of criminals or corrupt individuals.

Both situations are equally dangerous. Unfortunately for Zambia, that is what is happening. Right in our faces, a dictator is emerging who has no regard whatsoever for the law and the nation is looking on in absolute shock and utter disbelief at the turn of events.

But before the situation gets out of hand, let us ask ourselves these questions, perhaps we can find a solution;

What is Rupiah up to by all these lawless acts? Why is Rupiah siding with criminals at the expense of his own nation and people who elected him? Is Rupiah truly a Zambian? If so, where was he when Chiluba was plundering the nation? What was he doing at the time? Do we really know who Rupiah is? There seems to be Rupiah’s ego which we don’t know about.

Nevertheless, it is vividly clear that there is something very wrong about Rupiah.

Either he has a secret agenda which he can only share with his ‘damn good friends’ like Chiluba and Dora with the view of extinguishing Zambia’s hopes. But one thing is clear; either way, his leadership is a danger to the nation - like a blunt machete.


http://www.postzambia.com/content/view/12901/64/

Chiluba’s acquittal
Written by Concerned citizen
Sunday, August 30, 2009 5:07:54 PM

It is disgusting to note that Rupiah Banda is busy defending Frederick Chiluba and his web of schemes that were purely put in place to defraud Zambia of its valuable assets at the expense of the suffering masses. The schemes Chiluba and his friends put in place continue to disadvantage the suffering majority of the population.

Strange things happen when you least expect them and to Mr Bwezani, it’s time you started preparing to hand over the leadership of the country to others who are willing and have the desire to fight corruption and reduce the suffering of the masses.

Avoid putting the Constitution of the state at risk. Do that which is honourable and retire. Avoid the greater evil.

Labels: CHALWE MCHENGA, CHILUBA, NEOLIBERALISM

posted by MrK @ 4:01 PM