Africa should end conflicts, increase self-reliance: Mugabe
Gift Chinene
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:08:00 +0000
President Mugabe attends the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Sun 7 June, 2009. Reuters photo
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Sunday urged African countries to end conflicts and increase self-reliance to boost development on the resource-rich continent.
Opening a two-day summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), President Mugabe said member states must put money into the group's Comesa Fund to help cut dependence on foreign assistance.
"The Comesa fund is critical as it is the only way out of our current dependence on support from external partners who in most cases attach strings to any support they give to our development programmes," President Mugabe said.
"Let us contribute our own resources to the fund which can enable us to finance infrastructural development without any strings attached," he said.
Seven heads of state and government are at the summit including President Mugabe, who took over the helm of Africa's largest trading bloc in Africa, said the continent must raise its industrial capacity by exploiting its mineral resources, rich soils and human skills.
President Mugabe also said Africa had to confront conflicts to realise its potential.
"Strife has made us lose valuable manpower through death and displacement of people. It has also adversely affected our economies in regard to productivity and prosperity."
"You certainly agree with me that conflict is a serious cancer in our region and indeed many parts of Africa," President Mugabe told the summit," he said, adding it was adversely affecting Africa's economic development.
"Let us make Africa a continent of opportunity for all its people by eliminating conflict," he added.
The summit, in the resort town of Victoria Falls, will launch a customs union for its 19 member states stretching from Swaziland in the south to Egypt in the north, under which the member states will impose the same tariffs on goods from outside the region.
President Mugabe also urged business leaders to explore investment opportunities in the region.
He said while Africa had made some significant economic progress, it was lagging behind other continents in developing its transport network, energy and power generation, water resources, education and health facilities.
Housing and general industrial capacity also needed attention, he said.
"We have serious challenges ahead of us," President Mugabe said. "There is need for our organisation to work to speed up the implementation of our programme towards greater development and integration," he said.
Under the Comesa deal, its 19 members will impose the same tariffs on goods from outside the region.
Raw materials and capital goods will travel across borders without tariffs, while intermediate products will be taxed at 10 percent and finished goods at 25 percent.
Most Comesa countries have lifted visa restrictions on travel within the bloc, with members ranging from tourist hotspot Egypt to conflict-torn nations, like DR Congo.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who is also attending the summit said, "The world is in recession and we need to find ways to survive."
The summit is being attended by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, Djibouti President Ismail Guelleh, King Mswati III of Swaziland and Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Zambian President Rupiah Banda, Seychelles leader James Michelle and deposed Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana, who appealed for the regional bloc to help him "get back his country".
Malawi and Burundi are represented by their vice-presidents.
Non-Comesa members South Africa and Malawi are attending as observers.
Other member states have sent high-powered delegations led mainly by their foreign ministers.
Zimbabwe, which is hosting the summit, and Comesa preferred to extend an invitation to Madagascar's former leader, Ravalomanana, expressing their disapproval of the army-backed leader, Andry Rajoelina, who seized power in March this year.
"I want to thank Zimbabwe and Comesa for inviting me. This means we are a a big family," said Ravalomanana.
"What we now need is help and support from Comesa.
"Everyone knows it was a coup and I am sure Comesa will make a commitment so that I will get back my country."
Ravalomanana was forced to surrender power in March by army-backed Rajoelina, a 35-year-old politician who had spearheaded months of street protests demanding the elected president’s resignation.
Labels: COMESA, MUGABE, PANAFRICANISM
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One Unified African People: An interview with Obi Egbuna
Gregory Elich: One Unified African People-An interview with Obi Egbuna
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:17:00 +0000
BELOW, we reproduce a 2006 interview between writer Gregory Elich and Obi Egbuna - a founding member of the Pan-African Liberation Organization. Egbuna has devoted his life to the struggle to unify the African continent and the African Diaspora. His activities have led him to split his time between the U.S. and Zimbabwe. According to Elich, in this interview, he was interested in finding out more about the Pan-African Liberation Organization and its role in the pan-African movement.
Full interview transcript
Q: You are a founding member of the Pan-African Liberation Organization (PALO). Tell us something about PALO: its history, its philosophy, and its goals for the future.
Egbuna: The organization was founded on April 1, 1991, 31 years after the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which is why we strategically picked that particular date. The original name was the Pan African Student Youth United Front. The year before, we had created a student umbrella organization called the United Pan African Front with students from the University of Maryland/College Park, George Washington University, Howard University, Catholic University, American University, and the University of the District of Columbia.
We felt at that point that the student/youth movement in the African community needed to put immense pressure on our traditional organizations like the National Council of Negro Women, Nation of Islam, NAACP, All African People's Revolutionary Party, etc. to form an African United Front.
We felt it was mainly because of the tendency to embrace capitalist models of leadership that was the root cause for the delay in the establishment of a functional and productive United Front representing the broadest spectrum of our organized formations. Our main philosophical influences are Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and Ahmed Seku Ture.
Our main objective is One Unified African People at home and abroad and One Unified Socialist African Continent. Our goals for the future are to identify the issues with the most potential to unite us worldwide, and right now our work around the issues of Zimbabwe and Cuba in particular represent our practical expression of what we believe in theory.
Q: We live in a unipolar world in which the West did much to promote the breakup of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia into a number of smaller, weaker, and therefore more easily controlled nations. A united socialist Africa would have immense significance not only for the people of Africa but the world as well. But rallying support for the cause in the face of Western hostility presents special problems. You allude in your last answer to the first practical steps toward achieving that goal. Please tell us more about your work in support of pan-African liberation. I understand, for instance, that some time ago you moved to Zimbabwe in order to more effectively put your ideals into action.
Egbuna: This is an important question to address. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the overthrow of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and the Convention Peoples Party in Ghana (February 24th 1966), the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising (June 16th 1976), and the 40th anniversary of SNCC's resurrection of Frederick Douglass' slogan "Black Power."
As African people we approach Zimbabwe in the context of honoring our historical responsibility to defend liberated and sovereign territory on our beloved mother continent. For progressive and revolutionary forces in African communities worldwide, Zimbabwe means what Cuba and Venezuela mean to Latin American anti-imperialist resistance, or what Palestine means to Arab and Muslim forces opposed to imperialist domination.
We've worked with our comrades in Zimbabwe for four years at a very intense level through the diplomatic corps in the U.S. (the embassy in Washington and the UN Mission in New York City). In 2003 we had the honor and privilege of chatting with President Mugabe at the UN while he was participating in the UN general assembly.
He thanked us for the work we had done up to that point and urged us to intensify everything we were doing. The previous Zimbabwean ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Simbi Mubako, recommended that we go to Zimbabwe and spend extended time on the ground.
At that point, however we felt we hadn't done enough on behalf of the government, party and people. In PALO we believe in working first and traveling later. This way our beloved comrades will be familiar with the track record of labor done on their behalf. We also decided that as Africans the concept of splash delegations has gotten us nowhere.
What I mean by splash delegations is when national spokespeople in our community travel abroad mainly to countries on U.S. imperialism's radar screen (in Africa, Asia, and Latin America). Then after receiving red carpet treatment and promising the heads of state everything under the sun, they return to the U.S. only to hold a press conference highlighting their visit and two or three months later we forget why they went in the first place.
This approach undermines crucial relationships that Africans in the U.S. must build and maintain with our comrades in every corner of the world.
We felt that we needed to work in Zimbabwe like Kwame Ture and Shirley Graham DuBois did in Guinea, Frantz Fanon did in Algeria, Julian Mayfield and W.E.B. DuBois did in Ghana, and lastly how Che Guevara did in Cuba and how Eugene Godfried and Assata Shakur are presently doing in Cuba. I was in Zimbabwe from April to September working with Zanu PF on the party side and also on the Government side, mainly through the Ministry of Information and Publicity.
But I'm also working with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, and the National HIV Aids Council. I went to Zimbabwe also for the purpose of bridging the gap between the Cuban solidarity work being done by Africans in the U.S. and those in Southern Africa, which is the hub of Cuban solidarity on the Continent.
I'm a member of the Zimbabwe-Cuba Friendship Association and working to rebuild the Zimbabwe Palestinian Friendship organization. I'll be returning to Zimbabwe in November and remaining there until February to continue the work on the ground that will result in an increase of genuine uncompromising support for President Mugabe and Zanu PF.
Q: I've heard from a number of people who have informed me that Zimbabwe's land reform has won wide popular support throughout Africa. Do you think that land reform has the potential to act as a catalyst for positive change throughout the continent of Africa? Could this also be a rallying point for building a movement for the political and economic unification of Africa?
Egbuna: With the death of Yasser Arafat, President Mugabe has emerged as the international spokesperson for land reclamation worldwide. It begins with Africa. If you remember, the youth league of the ANC was the first entity on the other side of the Limpopo River to endorse the land reclamation program in Zimbabwe.
This was crucial because even after international support for the Palestinian question and reparations for slavery at the United Nations Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Other Related Intolerances, held in Durban, South Africa, this still didn't translate into an intensification of the struggle for land reclamation in South Africa, where 83% of the land remains in the hands of whites.
The President of Cote D'Ivoire sent an envoy to Zimbabwe three years back, seeking consultation and advice from President Mugabe about how they could reclaim their land. We also see how the courageous vision of Zimbabwe helped spark this issue next door in Namibia, where 44% of the land was still in the hands of whites there. We can also look at the Harare agricultural festival, which was opened by Botswana's President Festus Mogae, who reaffirmed his support for the land program in Zimbabwe and denounced the illegal sanctions.
Zambia's President, who was also in attendance, stressed the same points. President Mugabe received recognition in April from Malawi's President Mutharika, who named a road in his honor despite a threat by the European Union to pull out of a project to rebuild roads in the country unless Mugabe wasn't uninvited. This, however, didn't budge President Mutharika one bit. We then have to look outside of Africa. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said at the UN Food and Poverty Organization meeting last year in Rome that Zimbabwe was the model for his agrarian reform program.
It was comical to see Chirac in France praise Comrade Evo Morales in Bolivia for the program he decided to embark on against the ruling elite in Bolivia, knowing that the reason the European Union is trying to force an illegal imperialist-driven regime change in Zimbabwe is because of the uncompromising stand of President Mugabe and Zanu PF on the issue of land.
I just had a great dialogue with WaBun-Inini (aka Vernon Bellecourt), a principal spokesperson for the American Indian Movement/International Indian Treaty Council. He's in the process of drafting a statement of support for President Mugabe and anu PF. I feel great about this because WaBun-Inini defends Libya with more courage and passion than most Africans in the U.S. He went to jail for defying Ronald Reagan's travel ban on Libya in 1987. Many forget or overlook that the U.S. is a settler colony. So their arrogance towards a people who have endured slavery and colonialism and who are reclaiming what is rightfully theirs is expected and resisted, like in the case of Zimbabwe.
I also have to mention that I was pleased that International A.N.S.W.E.R. arranged for me to read the Zimbabwe-Cuba Friendship Association's (ZIMCUFA) statement on the Cuban Five at the rally they sponsored in support of the five patriots, in front of the FBI building and the Department of Justice. I had been out of the states for six months and they needed a new updated photograph of me on U.S. soil anyway.
I'm sure the US embassy in Zimbabwe has plenty of me in Harare. I think this was a special act on A.N.S.W.E.R.'s part, because many entities external to the African community don't appear to respect the role Zimbabwe plays in the anti-imperialist movement. Many of them are quicker to talk about forces in Latin America and the Caribbean only because of their geographical proximity to Latin America and more recently the Middle East, which is really North Africa.
It appears that resistance in sub-Saharan Africa is the dark side of the moon for them, so maybe by showing Zimbabwe's relationship to Cuba through the issue of the five or by having them see that Southern Africa is the driving force for Cuban solidarity on the continent of Africa, they can come to recognize the importance of this issue. This is evident when we highlight the 36,000 troops from Cuba who, for 14 years, fought in Angola, winning a decisive victory at Cuito Cuanavale; or the fact that Mugabe and Mandela are recipients of the Jose Marti Order, Cuba's highest honor (Mugabe in 1985 and Mandela in 1991).
Since Hugo Chavez has emerged as the darling of these circles, they also have to see who his favorite African president is. Mugabe received a replica of Simon Bolivar's sword in 2003 and we are grateful to Comrade Chavez for that. This trip in Zimbabwe we will also highlight the history of the Zimbabwe Palestinian Friendship organization to show that link to those who are part of the anti-Zionist efforts within U.S. borders.
Q: How may interested individuals go about contacting and joining the Pan-African Liberation Organization? What type of work can sympathetic people residing in the U.S. do in support of PALO's goals?
Egbuna: People interested in joining our ranks can reach out to us by emailing panafricanlib@yahoo.com. We're in the process of developing a web page to be a catalyst in helping our recruitment efforts. Individuals from the African community can join us if they support our objectives and don't belong to an organization already.
Organizations that are interested in collaborating on some of the projects we're working on, in particular the work around Zimbabwe or the Cuban Health Care Pilot Project, are more than welcome to link up with us.
The more organized resistance we have in the never-ending struggle for our liberation, human dignity, and humanity as a whole, the better.
Labels: GREG ELICH, NEOCOLONIALISM, OBI EGBUNA, PANAFRICANISM
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Zim economy set to grow by 2.8 pc
Floyd Nkomo/Reuters reporter
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:29:00 +0000
THE economy of Zimbabwe is forecast to grow by 2.8 percent in 2009 helped by the new inclusive Government's recovery programme, a Zimbabwean Economic Planning Ministry official said on Saturday.
"Our forecast this year is that the economy is going to grow by 2.8 percent," Samuel Undenge, deputy minister for economic planning, told reporters on the sidelines of a Cairo conference, adding this followed the new inclusive Government's move to set up a recovery programme, STERP, to stabilise the economy.
Zimbabwe planned to hold a conference for international investors around July 8 and 9, Undenge told reporters in the Egyptian capital.
Economic analysts say the economy is showing signs of stabilising after a decade of decline, but remains strained by foreign currency shortages.
A new inclusive Government, formed by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in February, says it needs $8.3 billion for the economy to fully recover, end high levels of unemployment and revive the industrial sector.
Major foreign donors, while acknowledging some progress by the new administration, remain unwilling to release any funding, insisting on political reforms, reversal of nationalisation laws and an end to farm invasions.
President Mugabe and his Zanu PF party have said the nationalisation laws are irreversible.
Zimbabwe recorded a monthly inflation rate of -1.1 percent in April as prices fell at a slower rate than in March, months after the country allowed use of multiple currencies.
Reuters/TZG
Labels: ECONOMY
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Rule of law is not a political weapon
Reason Wafawarova - Rule of law is not a political weapon
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:07:00 +0000
APART from trying so hard to make Zimbabwe a nation of mendicants where citizens are all supposed to fold hands in misery so articulately designed for the sympathy and empathy of Western donors, some in the inclusive Government have focused on the doctrine of the rule of law – particularly where we are told the so called Global Political Agreement has been violated.
The mendicants that made the nation believe that it is possible to have billions of US dollars worth of aid fall on the nation like manna from heaven have had to find an excuse why such a wonderful promise is taking so long to fulfil.
The major reason so far espoused is that Zanu PF has not subjected itself well enough to the provisions of the GPA, especially on matters to do with the appointment of the Attorney General and the Central Bank Governor.
This writer had reason to forgive one man this week after he asserted that the GPA clearly and specifically barred the appointment of Dr Gono and Mr Tomana in black and white “but Mugabe appointed them regardless”. This is the sense you get when people cite the GPA as having been violated by the appointment of these two men.
The Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti believes he has a job to do and by every indication he is one energetic man who many would want to have in any public office. It is not clear if the Minister has any better plan or strategy for his energy and vision other than to impress the gallery by being seen to be doing something and also hoping to “hunt and gather” from overseas coffers.
It appears Governor Gono may have been targeted for a political punch bag to give the gallery something to cheer about while we keep hoping that someone with more than enough money may be impressed enough to reward our Finance Minister with aid on our behalf.
It is Mr Tomana and not Dr Gono that this writer wishes to discuss this week.
The Attorney General has been accused of selective application of the law, trumping up charges against perceived political opponents and promoting “farm invasions”.
Any Attorney General anywhere in the world must be guided by the principle that people should be ruled by the law and obey it; that individual persons and governments shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law, and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals.
Other than blanket accusations against Zimbabwe’s AG, mostly by people doing no more than sympathising with who has been brought before the law, not at all concerned about why that person has been brought before the law; there is no evidence that the AG has condoned or protected arbitrary actions from individuals or groupings.
This argument is based on the fact that other than some politicians and some sections of the media accusing the AG of partiality, there are no known complaints from aggravated parties that have been levelled against the AG in a court of law.
Many times we are told AIPPA and POSA are bad laws and the AG’s office is blamed vigorously each time a person is brought before the courts on charges related to these laws.
A Judge in the Supreme Court of British Columbia once said, “We do not get to pick and choose the laws we will observe and obey. Each of us must accept the rule of all laws, even if we have to hold our noses in complying with some of them.”
The Daily News blatantly ignored to register as a media outlet under AIPPA in 2003 and the paper has enjoyed sympathy from some quarters as a champion of lawfulness and a victim of lawlessness. The argument is that the media house was exercising its freedom of expression by defying the law and the ban was a violation of that freedom.
The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe ruled that the Daily News could not on one hand purposefully decide to defy a law upheld by the Supreme Court and on the other seek the same court’s protection. The Judge made the point that the media house was approaching the court with “dirty hands”.
The point here is we cannot judge the credibility of the AG on the basis that he presides over laws that we do not like, or laws we consider to be bad laws.
The Land Acquisition Act is a very popular piece of law among the majority of indigenous Zimbabweans, but is extremely loathed by others who feel the law robbed them of opportunity to accumulate wealth through a skewed land tenure that used to prevail in the country.
The AG is neither a good man because this law is a good law to some or a bad man because this law is a bad law to others.
The other argument that is coming up as arsenal against Mr Tomana is that he presides over a system that selectively applies the law among citizens. Indeed selective application of the law is an indefensible malpractice that has to be condemned unreservedly.
The dimension that is nonsensical is the advocacy that accused people must be freed on the basis that the law could have been applied selectively against them. If there is selective application of the law, the role of civic society, politicians, and human rights activists is not to free the perceived victims of selective application of the law but help the law catch up with the perceived privileged escapees.
When President Joseph Ejercito Estrada of the Philippines was on trial in 2001 on corruption charges his defence argued that the law had been applied selectively and detailed evidence of others who allegedly did similar acts as Estrada was provided.
The prosecution rebutted this by reasoning that the law’s selective application did not constitute a valid legal defence and therefore was irrelevant to the judicial determination of guilt or innocence. The argument here was it is no defence for a jaywalker to claim that nobody else gets arrested for the misdemeanour. The jaywalker may have been unfairly treated but he remains guilt.
The judge concurred with the prosecution on this and this is what any Attorney General would be forced to do when prosecuting those who violate the law. The AG cannot possibly stop prosecutions on the basis that some in the civil society and some political activists are alleging selective application of the law.
A valid legal defence must prove that the law may not only have been selectively applied, but also wrongly applied. This is what can stop a prosecution and not what we are told is the “letter and spirit of the GPA”.
It is inconceivable to imagine that the letter and spirit of the GPA is to have an AG who will set criminals free because he abides by a political opinion that other similar criminals may not have been arrested.
Countries are not run like that.
It is the role of any government in power, and so it is for Zimbabwe’s inclusive Government, to observe that though the law itself may be fair on its face and impartial in appearance, yet, if it is applied and administered by public authority with an evil eye and an unequal hand, so as practically to make unjust and illegal discrimination between persons in similar circumstances, material to their rights, such denial of rights may constitute the prohibition of the Constitution.
This determination is made by the law courts when aggrieved parties approach the same courts.
If for example a local council ordinarily gives retail licences to residents who wish to operate tuck shops but chooses to deny one a licence because they do not like the person, such discrimination violates the Constitutional rights of the affected person, and Judges, being moral humans may act on discretion to order the granting of a retail licence to the person discriminated against.
The so called Global Political Agreement may sound grandiose and turgid because the qualifier reads “global” but surely that agreement is not the Supreme Law of the Republic of Zimbabwe. It is simply a governance tool setting goals, objectives and parameters of an inclusive Government.
It is therefore puerile for some people to keep waving this GPA document in the faces of magistrates, judges, the police and the Attorney General each time someone with friends in political circles is brought before the law.
The GPA cannot be used as a tool for political expediency and certainly not as a tool to ring-fence political opponents with a view to incapacitate them.
That can only create another big conflict as we saw in the last decade and one would think the agreement seeks to ensure that the conflicts of yesteryear do not recur.
Minister Biti sounds like a vindictive man on a mission to settle pre-meditated scores with some players in the inclusive Government, not least with President Mugabe himself. He calls it “a job to be done” and assigned to him “by the people”.
The idea of a lawyer with no known association with the world of economics standing (if not masquerading) as a finance minister may sound strange enough to many progressive people, but it is most puzzling when the same Finance Minister publicly declares that his “job to be done” is to “ring-fence” his political opponents. That kind of a joke cannot be funny for a country in such trouble as Zimbabwe is.
Politicisation of the Finance portfolio, as well as that of the judicial system and that of aid cannot in any meaningful way help the cause and intent of the inclusive government.
There is need for politicians to draw the line between effective governance and politicking, between policy and rhetoric and between ostentatious grand-standing and achieving.
The problem of external meddling in the affairs of Zimbabwe cannot go away for as long as we have some among us whose idea of politics is irascible radicalism.
This way the country is faced with dramatised next-to-nothing events being converted to world news so some people can look like monsters before the eyes of foreigners.
This is the polarity we all thought we had overcome when the inclusive Government came into place.
As Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reiterated over and over again, the inclusive Government is a project that cannot be failed. It is the bridging hope of Zimbabweans as we cross from the horrors of the last ten years into a future of rebuilding and reconstruction.
Zimbabwe we are one and together we will overcome. It is homeland or death.
_____________
*Reason Wafawarova is a political writer and can be contacted on wafawarova@yahoo.co.uk reason@rwafawarova.com or visit www.rwafawarova.com
Labels: GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, NEOCOLONIALISM
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Demystifying outstanding issues, GPA
Dr Joseph Kurebwa - Demystifying outstanding issues, GPA
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:09:00 +0000
PROBABLY no other term has dominated the nomenclature of Zimbabwean politics in recent months than "outstanding issues". Such issues nearly aborted the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the formation of the inclusive Government, which is now deeply divided along partisan lines.
Although the issues have tended to vary in number and substance over the months, they all are part of an ingenious and well-calculated strategy to tip the balance of power towards the two MDC formations.
In the language of Western donor nations, the more Zanu-PF irreversibly concedes power to the MDC, the more the former demonstrates its willingness to share power and, therefore, the more the donor nations will be willing to loosen their purse strings to extend aid to Zimbabwe. Inversely, the slower the transfer of power the greater the evidence there is of Zanu-PF intransigence, therefore the more reason to extend sanctions.
For MDC, the outstanding issues serve both as a decoy to bargain Zanu-PF out of power and an excuse for the failure to meet unrealistic promises made by party leaders to their supporters. The party has done much in the name of practical politics which now clearly proves hard to undo.
Key appointments
The resolution of the protracted dispute over the sharing of permanent secretary posts was anticlimactic, MDC having realised that the incumbents were suitably qualified, experienced and placed.
Furthermore, MDC conceded that civil service posts should not be politicised, as if they had all along been unaware of the fact.
But more dramatic was the furore over the allocation of Cabinet posts. MDC eventually acquiesced to take by and large social portfolios in the vain belief that donors would fund MDC-controlled ministries and departments directly and leave Zanu-PF in a lurch.
Presumably this would render the Government lopsided, and a pointer to voters on who to support in any future election.
Ambassadorial appointments also should not be made on a partisan basis, since office-bearers project the image abroad of the inclusive Government rather than that of political parties.
Technically, it is erroneous to seek the reversal or variation of the appointments and re-appointments of provincial governors which took effect on August 25 2008 prior to the coming into existence of the GPA. Doing so would amount to simply trying to turn back the hands of time, which is an exercise in futility.
A further aberration has been the demand that service chiefs should salute the Prime Minister, an honour which is not enforceable at law. The demarcation between state and government, the President heading the former and the Prime Minister the latter, is functional and should not be blurred for political expediency.
Within Government circles current debate on the outstanding issues has crystallised around the offices of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr Gideon Gono, and the Attorney-General, Mr Johannes Tomana, in the process sucking in service chiefs, traditional leaders, war veterans and business, among others.
MDC claims that President Robert Mugabe made the two appointments irregularly because he did not consult with the other two principals, namely Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, presumably as stipulated in the GPA, are misconstrued and without merit.
Article XX Paragraph 20.1.3(p) of the GPA states that the President "in consultation with the Prime Minister, makes key appointments the President is required to make under and in terms of the Constitution or any Act of Parliament".
Dr Gono was re-appointed on November 26 2008 and Mr Tomana was appointed the following month (December 17). At the material time of these appointments the GPA had long been signed, but the Prime Minister-designate, Mr Tsvangirai, and his party were still undecided whether to join the inclusive Government or not.
However, inasmuch as President Mugabe would have wanted to consult with the Prime Minister on these two appointments at the time of making them or any other key appointments at that, there was practically no one in the country answering to that title.
An important politically stubborn fact to recognise here is that the signing of the GPA did not in any way halt the various processes of Government pending the coming on board by the MDC.
It is impractical politics for the MDC to argue that President Mugabe should have delayed the appointments until such a time the MDC considered it opportune to join the Government, even if this had taken forever and a day. Alternatively, MDC contends, the appointments could have been effected but rescinded later to accommodate MDC whims.
Security of tenure for all public servants is critical if the Government is to function as a single, coherent whole and in the interest of national stability.
Appointments to public offices are made in the national interest and not to suit the idiosyncratic dispositions of certain individuals. The dictates of law, necessity and individual suitability for office apply, rather than whether X likes Y or not.
Dr Gono’s re-appointment occurred at the height of financial turmoil in Zimbabwe, which either entailed his continuity at the helm of RBZ or immediate replacement by another individual. Similarly, the insistence that the Government should have continued without a chief legal advisor, who is a vital cog if the legal machinery of the country is to function efficiently, calls into question the intentions and wisdom of the people making such claims.
A cardinal principle on government is that key posts should not be left vacant unduly in order to avoid systemic dysfunction.
Failure to fill expeditiously key positions in the country’s monetary and legal systems would have amounted to dereliction of duty on the part of President Mugabe, which is an impeachable offence since he would have wilfully violated the country’s Constitution.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has thrown tantrums about Dr Gono’s style of monetary governance, especially printing money and conducting quasi-fiscal activities.
Mr Biti is well aware that the GPA draws a line through the past, that is, it has no retrospective effect on the period preceding the formation of the inclusive Government.
This last point is particularly important if parties to the GPA are to exercise good sense, commit themselves fully to the important task of administering the country, and avoid burning their limited energy on unnecessary political grandstanding.
Debating the merits and demerits of State intervention in the economy spearheaded by Dr Gono therefore falls outside the purview of the inclusive Government and is of mere academic interest.
Although the GPA was signed on September 15 2008, it only came into operation on February 11 2009 with the swearing in of the Prime Minister and his two deputies.
During the interim period there was the huge possibility of the agreement falling through. So shallow is the GPA that it does not define whether its life begins at conception or birth, has no "divorce clause" and other salient features.
So the issues of procedure and timing in respect of the appointments of Dr Gono and Mr Tomana fall away.
What remains is the political significance for the coalition parties of either rescission or confirmation of the appointments, which is a matter of political opinion and not legality.
Mr Biti’s first lesson in realpolitik is undoubtedly that making a public undertaking to remove Dr Gono from the RBZ to court donor aid was an unwise thing to do.
But for him to turn around and castigate the same donor countries for maintaining sanctions citing as a reason Dr Gono’s continuation at the central bank sounds weird.
Value system
The GPA outlines a value system that defines the broad aspirations and beliefs of the people of Zimbabwe, thus providing a cohesive force binding them together as members of the same political community.
This value system should allay inhibitive fears among individuals and groups about winners and losers in political endgames.
All Government office-bearers are there to serve the country impartially, irrespective of their political backgrounds and affiliations. Similarly, the citizenry expects public officers to treat them equally, fairly and justly, their political persuasions notwithstanding.
Reference of non-issues such as the appointments of Dr Gono and Mr Tomana to Sadc and the AU, as guarantors of the GPA, by MDC is customary beggar-thy-neighbour approach.
The professional conduct of the two civil servants, and that of all public officers, should be governed by the relevant statutes, and they should suffer no prejudice from ministers seeking to score cheap political points.
After a decade-long career in the opposition some politicians might find adjusting to their new roles as government decision-makers rather tedious and dull, hence hurl the customary abuse at erstwhile opponents who are now their colleagues.
If senior politicians tread forwards with their heads turned over their shoulders, then ordinary citizens should find change management doubly cumbersome.
Labels: GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, NEOCOLONIALISM
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Dutch govt says more aid depends on reforms
Nyarai Chidemo
Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:19:00 +0000
ZIMBABWE must adopt economic, political and social reforms before getting any additional aid from the Netherlands, the Dutch government told Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai during his state to that country on Sunday.
Tsvangirai was in the Hague, Netherlands on the first leg of a state trip to seek financial aid for the southern African country and call for sanctions imposed on the country by the EU and the US.
This is the former opposition MDC leader's oversweas visit since the formation of the inclusive Government. President Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed an inclusive Government in February after years of talks facilitated by the Southern African Development Community..
Tsvangirai, who will visit Britain, France, Sweden and Brussels, seat of the 27-nation European Union, met Dutch Development Cooperation Minister Bert Koenders and will meet Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday.
"It is the agreement of the parties in Zimbabwe itself regarding human rights, security, regarding economic policy, regarding land survey that forms the basis for our future support," Koenders told reporters after meeting Tsvangirai in The Hague.
Tsvangirai said he hopes to get the green light for a new round of talks with the European Union at the end of his trip to discuss reforms and future aid.
"I did not come here with a begging bowl. Re-engagement is a process," he told reporters after meeting Koenders.
"We have been isolated for the last 10 years and re-engagement means ... our cooperation partners need to understand what we are doing ... and we also have to understand the concerns of our partners."
"We have big problems but they are not insoluble," Tsvangirai told Koenders.
The Dutch have promised 14.7 million euros in aid to Zimbabwe, mainly for humanitarian efforts.
This report was compiled using information from Reuters and AFP
Labels: DONORS, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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CORRUPTION? WHOSE CORRUPTION? - By Unknown Author
WHO PERPETRATED THE CORRUPTION IN THE NEW SCAMS AND REVELATIONS
Rupiah Banda’s government is only six months in power, yet it is blamed for the corruption revealed in the 2007 Auditor General’s Reports, the USD53m purchase of mobile hospitals, the purchase of USD2.9m 100 Hearses and others. But is he to blame? What is this campaign aimed to achieve?
CORRUPTION? WHOSE CORRUPTION?
While many are genuinely shocked at the extent and blatant acts of corruption at the Ministry of Health, it is however, not surprising to the critics who opposed the major policy shift that President Levy Mwanawasa undertook at the Ministry.
The rot at the Ministry of Health is rooted in one single decision made by the government of Mwanawasa.
On 25th July 2004, President Mwanawasa announced that he would abolish the Central Board of Health (CBoH) arguing that it employed the bulk of health professionals leaving hospitals and clinics unmanned. He also accused CBoH of carrying similar functions as that of the Ministry of Health.
This position was supported by his Minister of Health, Dr. Brain Chituwo and his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Simon Miti.
Chituwo informed the nation that to carry out the dissolution, government needed K400 billion to cover the cost of the structural changes and also required statutory amendments to the National Health Services act of 1992.
He said that since cooperating partners had pledged to meet some costs of this transformation, he hoped that they supported the dissolution idea.
When Dr. Simon Miti pushed hard for the abolition of Central Board of Health (CBoH), many didn’t see the sense or fathom the logic behind it.
This is because CBoH was a successful and efficient health delivery system that had ensured that healthcare country wide was delivered while the Ministry of Health remained preoccupied with policy issues and only played supervisory and regulatory roles.
The formation of CBoH was central in the reforms and changes that came with Democracy in 1991. The changes were designed to improve health service delivery. Like other services weaned off government such as collection of taxes (Zambia revenue Authority (ZRA) transformed from Customs Department) and delivery of road, traffic and infrastructure services (Road Development Agency (RDA) and Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA)), it was critical that Ministry of Health was left with policy and supervisory issues while providing health care was done through an streamlined agency.
CBOH was an autonomous body delivering health to Zambians in a more efficient and professional manner.
To achieve government goal of delivering equitable access to cost-effective and quality health care to the family, government in 1992 embarked on ambitious health sector reforms that saw the creation of CBoH through an act of Parliament, the National Health Services Act of 1992.
The Act created an autonomous health service body that left the Ministry of Health to rightly deal with policies and care for hospital and clinics infrastructure. The management and delivery of health care was left to CBoH.
There was a trouble in this arrangement for the corrupt few. Donors and government disbursed funds directly to CBoH. Accountability was high and authority over the expenditure of this money was diverse.
The Ministry of Health is key to the development of the country and receives 15% of the National Budget as funding and 42% of project monies from multilateral and cooperating partners to Zambia goes to it.
They needed to centralise all funds received from donors and government and place it under one single authority. For until the ministry was a monolithic structure laden with layers of bureaucratic structure, their plan could not work. Crime thrives in chaos not in transparent and accountable systems. CBoH was a clear danger to them!
They pushed for the immediate abolition of CBoH claiming that the board tied too many skilled and, senior and technical health workers to administrative roles.
They succeeded.
In 2005, Parliament passed amendments to the National Health Services Act which saw the immediate abolition of CBoH. The Board’s roles quickly reverted to the Ministry of Health and consequently to Chituwo and Miti.
So began the crime. It was dastard in nature and bold in its impunity.
MODUS OPERANDI
Most of the money from western donors is designed to cater for costs of awareness and education of health workers. In Zambian parlance, it’s called Workshops!
Regular funds from cooperating partners were targeted. Also funds that came from the President’s Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and funds from the Global Funds against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria. And funds from the National Budget.
A nursing school was quickly set up and friendly lodges were recruited or built to cater for the workshops.
And a friendly banker in Suresh Gupta was available.
The Ministry of Health receives a third of Zambia’s national Budget. It receives corresponding and similar funding from western donors.
Yet all this money is kept at a small bank with only one branch in Zambia. - First Alliance Bank.
The bank is run by Astro Holdings Chief, Suresh Gupta, like Rajahn Mahtani, is no stranger to financial controversies and dealings, and has a way of using money to skirt out of troublesome issues.
What started as small and minor role of banking transactions by Ministry of Health at First Alliance Bank under Dr. Kashiba Bulaya has over the years grown under Dr. Simon Miti, to house Ministry of Health main kwacha and forex accounts.
This is an extremely expensive way to deliver Health care in Zambia as the bank only has one single branch based at Bata House (Now Alliance House after Astro Holdings bought the building from Zambia Bata Shoe Company at a cost of USD1.6m) in Cairo Road.
It means that bank transaction attract costly fees and charges as the small bank has to use bigger banks such as ZANACO, Barclays, Standard Chartered and Finance Bank to channel funding for the ministry to its outlying hospitals and clinics and salary payments to health workers country-wide.
Dr. Bulaya after many years away from the ministry and currently in prison still receives a monthly stipend from First Alliance Bank! One wonders what benefits Dr. Simon Miti receives after ‘enhancing’ the financial relation of Ministry of Health with the Bank.
Investigators are also looking at Gupta’s other banking transactions. The bank is said to keep record and transaction of its valued and personal customers in the strictest of confidentiality.
A separate ledger is kept and managed by Gupta himself away from the prying eyes of the bank staff and regulators.
It is this ledger that has attracted attention from investigators.
Dr. Simon Miti and others are said to appear on this ledger.
So is Mrs. (Dr.) Maureen Mwanawasa who is said to have USD10million (K47bln) in her account!
WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE THEFT AT MoH
The extent of the theft of public monies for the period currently under review 2008 and partly 2009 is over K27billion. But the theft is said to be as high as K64billion since 2006.
In these recent revelations, most of the monies have been paid to a newly established nursing school housed at a private house in Chudleigh, Lusaka.
The school, ESU Nursing School has received over K7billion (USD1.2m) just in 2008, on the pretext that it is training government nurses, mid-wives and clinical officers and the continuous training of health workers through workshops.
This is more money given to a single and private institution than government and legitimate nursing training institutions ever receive from the Ministry. These government nursing schools are lying in a state of disrepair and are run under deplorable conditions. Yet ESU Nursing School was paid over K7billion in one year!
One of the Directors to ESU Nursing School is Joshua Ushibantu Simpaya, a Ministry of Health employee! However it is known that such persons as Simpaya and Henry Kapoko are mere fronts holding such assets in trust for the big fishes in loftier positions.
The now infamous civil servant Henry Kapoko received over K10 billion for his lodge Best Home Lodge based in Roma, and for his other companies Hesaka Enterprise, Kahekam ltd.
Other notable recipient was Royal College of Business and Management (Royal Secretarial and Management College) received K4.3billion in 2008.
HOW KAPOKO ‘MESSED’ UP EVERYONE
Thanks to a jilted lover, the lid has been blown that exposes the worst corruption cases in Zambia.
Rudo Tukuza Chitengu, a planner at the Ministry of Health and has a child with Henry Kapoko vowed to bring Kapoko down after a ‘marital’ dispute in February 2009.
When Kapoko broke her arm in an ensuing fight, she reported him to the Police for assault and occasioning serious bodily harm.
She lamented at the Police that she had been in a longstanding relationship with Kapoko would not allow him to leave her for his other numerous girlfriends. She cried that she was only expected to fight with Kapoko’s wife and not fight about his girlfriends!
She promised to bring his arrogant ‘ass’ down and bring his financial empire and that of his ‘bosses’ to the drain.
She took matters in her own hands and made frequent visits to Kulima House (where the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is housed).
This resulted in a sensational case where Kapoko has been exposed. ACC picked Kapoko and restricted and seized his newly acquired assets. Among the assets seized is an executive lodge, Best Home Lodge built in Roma.
Other vehicles impounded were two 4X4s, a BMW X5, and a GM Hammer. The ACC also seized two Mercedes Benz cars, two Lexus cars, a 30 tonne Nissan Truck, two pick-ups, a Mazda and Ford Ranger.
To seek ‘protection’ Kapoko quickly offered his new but ill-gotten wealth to political parties and attempted to ingratiate himself to its leaders. Patriotic Front (PF) leader, Michael Sata was among the beneficiary. He was given undisclosed amount of money and he held several meeting at the lodge.
Also, Rupiah Banda’s consultants during elections, from Bell Portinger a UK, PR and publicist specialist also stayed at Best Home lodge.
Although acting as a whistle blower, Rudo Tukuza Chitengu has not been spared! She used her own ill gotten wealth received from Kapoko, to illustrate how Kapoko, Miti and others stole public monies.
The ACC has however acted prudently seeing through Rudo’s anger and intention. The ACC has consequently seized or restricted Rudo’s flat no 27 ZNBS Complex in Musonda Ngosa Road in Villa Elizabetha.
Her account at Intermarket Banking Corporation with a K200million deposit has been frozen. Her mother’s (Ann Ngoma) assets have also been frozen. Rudo’s assets in shares at ZANACO and ZAIN have also been restricted.
Further her government bonds valued at K350million has been restricted including cash amounts seized while conducting a search at her house.
Rudo is also among the 32 workers suspended and being investigated at the Ministry of Health.
OLD CORRUPTION, HOW OLD?
It is clear that recent revelations of suspected corruption cases were actually committed during the reign of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.
Ministers defending Rupiah Banda are always at pains stating that the corruption being exposed occurred before he took office. They continue to remind Zambians that Banda is only six months in power.
Yet they can’t call a spade a spade -that this corruption that occurred under Mwanawasa’s reign and by him or his officials.
There is a lot of trouble with that line. And Fred Mmembe and The Post are sensitive to how corruption cases are exposed. So are the western donors! There is an attempt to depict Mwanawasa’s corruption as civil servants' corruption enjoying no political support or involvement.
The empire portrays the cases in a manner that does not touch ‘Mr Integrity’ for they had washed him so white that they are guarding the ‘legacy’ with jealous.
But the legacy was painted so falsely white, that every new revelation is making a stain, a conspicuous blot! One wonders how long the lie will hold that Mr. Integrity was not so clean after all and he was soiled by his corrupt acts and that of his wife.
And that the charade and mirage created while ‘fighting’ corruption faces collapse, as their own theft and corruption is catching up. The so called Fight against Corruption will stand as exposed as the acts of corruption they hid.
The day of reckoning is making dreadful calling and coming. How will the donors explain the millions of dollars spent in the so called Fight against Corruption? What happened to ‘Zero Tolerance against Corruption Policy’? How could the game rangers turn on the Game the nation trusted them to keep and become the worst poachers?
It is no wonder that the cases of corruption are reported in a strange and skewed manner.
It is either reported as Frederick Chiluba’s corruption the man that left office 9 years ago or Rupiah Banda’s corruption, the man who only ascended to this office six months ago!
The Mwanawasa period is skipped with such skill that it is difficult to recognise that the worst corruption in Zambia in fact, occurred under Mwanawasa, under his watch, mostly by his family, his friends and his officials!
Many are joking that what occurred under Mwanawasa’s reign was in fact not corruption. It was just THEFT! Grand THEFT!
Take for example press reports emanating from the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament that is discussing the Auditor General’s report.
The misappropriation and irregularities are cast in bold exposure that you might not notice that the report under discussion and on the table is a 2007 Auditor General’s Report! And no mention is made to who was in power in 2007!
And the opposition have not helped matters. United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema issued a statement stating that ‘I miss Levy (Mwanawasa), Corruption under Rupiah’s government has worsened!’
Reuben Lifuka, Head of Transparency International also issued a statement claiming that the political will to fight corruption is NOT as strong as it used to be under Levy Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa could have shouted loudest against corruption. It is another matter if he really fought COORUPTION! Although he fought his political adversaries with a whip of corruption, this does not mean that he was fighting corruption.
It is clear that they do not recognise that Banda is in a dilemma. If he chooses to fight corruption, the immediate victims and culprits will be Maureen Mwanawasa, her family empire and the so called ‘legacy’. For he might find himself in the same position as Mwanawasa, where he will be accused of ‘fighting’ those that brought him and favoured him with the privileges of power.
Transparency International, western donors and The Post have perpetuated a myth that fighting corruption is jailing Chiluba and his officials!
Unfortunately, fighting corruption is a much higher principle and would require and mean that WHOEVER has dipped their hands in the public purse and kitty should be brought to book without exception.
If this was followed, it will without doubt, bring in sharp focus the strong allegations of corruption against Levy and Maureen Mwanawasa, Mutembo Nchito, Mark Chona, Fred Mmembe and others who have helped themselves to public monies. They should be exposed and be brought to book.
But how could the ‘angels’ of the Fight against Corruption be involved in stealing public funds and with such impunity? The very fight against corruption was their shield as focus and attention was deliberately cast elsewhere!
It is for this reason that Mmembe has busied Rupiah Banda with corruption allegations so that the nation can skip scrutiny of Mwanawasa’s serious allegations of corruption and observe only Chiluba’s allegations and jump to Rupiah Banda’s rule.
History repeats itself. Earlier The Post helped the nation skip allegations of corruption against Kenneth Kaunda’s rule.
A Taskforce was even instituted with official and express limits to probe only Chiluba’s rule! They foolishly portrayed Corruption in Zambia as starting and ending with only Frederick Chiluba. Not Kaunda and not Mwanawasa!
And similar attempts are being made to make the nation jump to Rupiah Banda’s corruption and avoid Mwanawasa’s? And The Post is a veteran institution at providing the nation with such ‘skilful guidance’.
The allegations of corruption against Banda’s government have also helped Mmembe as the Zambian Airways issue is now shelved on the list of priorities. Mmembe and his friends in the donor community have piled pressure on Banda that the focus has now shifted away from them to the ‘new’ scandals!
But it is now clear that attempt by Rupiah Banda’s enemies to depict him as corrupt and selfish has back fired. It has now emerged that the corruption being exposed as Banda’s in fact occurred or was sown under Mwanawasa.
USD53M FOR MOBILE HOSPITALS
Then Department For International Development (DFID), head Joy Hutcheon ‘leaked’ documents to The Post about the mobile hospital purchases many were quick to call the deal as corrupt and placed President Rupiah Banda at the centre of the deal.
Yet the deal is old.
In order to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in health, government planned two years ago and under Dr. Simon Miti/ Dr. Brian Chituwo that government should construct 15 more hospitals in 19 districts. The Ministry of Health 5 year national strategic plan covering the period 2006-2011 also envisioned these expansions in infrastructure and health service delivery.
Further that mobile hospital should be procured to compliment the investments required in the health sector and attempts to attain the MDGs by 2015.
The mobile hospitals were to be procured from China with a USD53m loan from that country’s Export and Import Bank (EX-IM Bank). The equipment would be procured from China’s industrial giant China National Aero Technology Import and Export (CATIC).
DFID and other donors seem too object to this deal because the procurement is being done outside Crown Agents (managers of Medical Stores), outside their plans and their preferred suppliers.
The donors even threatened to with-hold aid to the health sector if government went ahead with this Chinese deal.
Many should remember that in 2003, DFID offered Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe a loan of USD42 million to buy Anti Retrovirals (ARVs)! Only when international charity organisation raised alarm that Africa was being laden with ‘stupid’ and unsustainable debts such as the DFID ARVs debt that they offered to convert it to a grant! How could they give a loan of USD42 million for a purpose that would last few months and was not sustainable but allow these country a long-term loan?
The threats against Banda’s administration have nothing to do with either the mobile hospital deal. Some donors have even now used the recent scam at the Ministry of Health to freeze aid to the health sector. Sweden and Denmark have announced that this year’s funding to the sector will be withheld until investigations are completed in the fraud at Ministry of Health.
The threats lie in politics and a grander plan.
THE 100 HEARSES –COST USD29M
The deal was mooted under Silvia Masebo and has seen the procurement of 100 Hearses by the Ministry of local Government.
The vehicles are meant to be used by districts to help people bury the departed with dignity.
Although the cause is noble, it is said that the true costs of the 100 Vehicles is USD900, 000.00 and not the inflated USD2.9miilion as each vehicle is said to cost USD9000 and not the USD29, 000.00.
Masebo budgeted for K8billion (USD2.9m) but owing to exchange rate fluctuations, the cost is now K14billion.
CONCLUSION
The Post and its seasonal allies have ratcheted up the political pressure against Rupiah Banda’s government. They are succeeding in portraying Banda’s administration as corrupt and inept.
Their list of acts of ‘corruption’ is growing. There are counting: The award of a contract worth USD2.0million to R. P. Capitals of Cayman Islands to value ZAMTEL assets. The cancelled deal to supply, install and commission of air traffic management surveillance radar systems at Lusaka and Livingstone Airports.
They now include the USD53million for mobile hospitals and USD2.9million for Hearses. They are also citing the amendments and transformation of the law relating to the Zambia National Tender Board now changed to Zambia Public Procurement Authority. The amendments although mooted by the Mwanawasa administration are now a source of accusation that Banda wishes to facilitate corruption through this change of the law which gives more latitude to controlling officers.
And the ‘cream’ of it is the theft of billions of Kwacha by ‘civil servants’ at Ministry of Health.
Some cooperating partners are freezing aid and PF leader Michael Sata is attempting to create an election fever. He has embarked on a country-wide tour drawing crowds in his campaigns.
Clearly one could admire the skills, though evil of The Post in managing to bring ‘crises’ to Banda’s doorstep.
The aim is to make Banda succumb to public pressure and befriend The Post and drop all investigations against Mmembe, Mutembo Nchito, Maureen Mwanawasa and others.
This will restore them to a position where they dictate the pace and direction of their brand of the Fight against Corruption. They also wish to ‘restore’ national hatred and interest, and strong feelings of antipathy against Frederick Chiluba as days hurtle towards July 20th 2009!
They also hope to slow down tremendously, the perception of corruption fast emerging against the administration of Levy Mwanawasa. The blemishes and dark spots against ‘Mr. Integrity’ are sprouting everywhere on his white washed image. The marks appear indelible and might hurt the grandiose memorial plans currently underway!
The war is becoming desperate and it is clear that this empire is determined to collapse a legitimate and elected government.
Will Rupiah Banda succumb? Will he drop the strong stance he has taken against the empire? Or will he go for the Jugular?
Minister of Local Government Benny Tetamashimba at a recent press conference promised the nation that the country will be shocked with the new corruption revelations coming!
He called it the Mother of all Corruption in Zambia. He also urged Zambians to note the gender of his terminology! The Mother of All Corruption! Teta, Zambia is watching, Zambia is waiting!
END
Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, MAUREEN MWANAWASA, MWANAWASA, RUPIAH BANDA, THE POST
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Mugabe takes COMESA helm
by
07/06/2009 00:00:00
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe on Sunday took over the helm of Africa's main trading bloc as his country seeks to emerge from an economic meltdown.
"History is replete with examples that show that this (regional integration) is the only way to make a real progress as no country can develop in isolation," Mugabe told a summit of leaders from the 19-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The 85-year-old leader said more trade and investment allowed for greater circulation of knowledge and skills.
"Regional economic integration is our strategy of achieving this objective. "
Once a dynamic country, Zimbabwe's economy has contracted by more than 45 percent over the past decade as a result of political and economic instability. The former British colony has been hit by food shortages and the world's highest inflation rate. A senior official said Thursday that COMESA was preparing a financial rescue package for Zimbabwe.
COMESA members meeting in the resort town of Victoria Falls are set to launch a customs union on Sunday to facilitate the free movement of goods in the region.
Among the heads of state in attendance are Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir, who faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes, and ousted Madagascan leader Marc Ravalomanana.
Under the deal, the 19 countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) will impose the same tariffs on goods from outside the region.
Raw materials and capital goods will travel across borders without tariffs, while intermediate products will be taxed at 10 percent and finished goods at 25 percent.
Most countries have also lifted visa restrictions on travel within the bloc, with members ranging from tourist hotspot Egypt to some of the world's poorest and most conflict-torn nations, like the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The COMESA region is home to 400 million people, with a combined gross domestic product of 360 billion dollars. Mugabe took over the COMESA chairmanship from Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.
COMESA consists of Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - AFP
Labels: COMESA, MUGABE
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Zuma rekindles ZAPU alliance
by Lindie Whiz
07/06/2009
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma has moved to recognise the re-emergence of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) by inviting the party’s leadership to his home-coming celebrations at his rural Nkandla on Saturday.
ZAPU donated two beasts to Zuma at the massive party attended by some 20,000 people. Zuma, elected as South Africa’s new leader in April, said ZAPU was a strong ally of the South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The South Africa leader also thanked ZAPU for helping the ANC during the liberation struggle, the South Africa Press Association (Sapa) reported.
ZAPU joined President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party in 1987 in a unity pact to end five years of government-sanctioned killings in the south western parts of the country where Joshua Nkomo’s supporters were targeted.
The uneasy partnership with Zanu PF ended last month after ZAPU’s congress in Bulawayo voted to pull out.
ZAPU’s interim chairman Dumiso Dabengwa was at Zuma’s inauguration on May 9. The two men also met in Bulawayo in December when Zuma attended his daughter’s wedding.
The ZAPU-ANC alliance was founded in the mid to late 1960s. The ANC’s military wing Umkhonto Wesizwe assisted ZAPU with military strategy (read ANC-ZAPU armed actions in Rhodesia).
Both ZAPU and the ANC were supported by the Soviet Union during the two countries’ struggle for independence from white minority rule.
Labels: ANC, JACOB ZUMA, ZAPU
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State to market Zambian honey abroad
By NKWETO MFULA
GOVERNMENT says it will market Zambian honey on the European market since the market has proved to be one of the fastest growing ones. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Felix Mutati said in an interview in Kitwe at the just-ended 52nd Copperbelt Mining, Agriculture and Commercial Show that honey producers were adding more value to their products.
He said the packaging of the product had improved as compared to some years back. Mr Mutati was optimistic that honey would continue penetrating the European market in bigger volumes as it met the required standards.
Mr Mutati said Government would encourage stakeholders through capacity building for continued growth.
He cited Mwinilunga Honey Producers that were being grouped together for them to meet the growing demand for honey and increase output.
He said beekeepers were also making local honey wine, which was being sold on the local market.
“Government officials will be travelling to Italy for a meeting in June and we intend to carry with us samples of honey to show to that market because Europe is one of the major consumers of the product,” he said.
He said the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) was assisting small-scale entrepreneurs to get to know various markets for their merchandise.
Mr Mutati said ZDA was also linking stakeholders with other organisations to help improve packaging and to find a market for their products.
“This is the reason why ZDA has accommodated the SMEs in their shelter during this year’s show,” he said.
Mr Mutati said his ministry would work with other line ministries and institutions in promoting SMEs, especially honey producers.
He said 75 percent of employment in Zambia was created by the small and medium-scale businesses.
The minister said the sector was contributing towards employment creation and required support from all stakeholders.
He further urged SMEs to come up with strategic plans that would enhance the growth of the industry.
Labels: FELIX MUTATI, HONEY, SMEs
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Malawi ranked top two on Peace Index
By Nyasa Times
Published: June 3, 2009
President Bingu wa Mutharika inspecting a guard of honour mounted by Malawi Defence Force in a country ranked as most peaceful
Malawi state of ‘peacefulness’ has ranked the second in the African continent, according to a report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a research centre that looks at the relationship between economics and peace.
The Global Peace Index (GPI) report released Tuesday shows that out of the 144 countries surveyed, Malawi ranked 47th overall globally and came second after Botswana in the league of Africa countries.
North African countries Tunisia and Libya who had better ranking than Malawi were sampled together with Middle-east countries.
Apart from Botswana and Malawi on top two places, other peaceful countries in Africa are Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique.
The region’s economic power house, South Africa is ranked 123 out of 144 countries falling fifteen places compared with GPI 2008, the Institute said in a statement.
New Zealand ranked as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Norway while Iraq maintained the world’s least peaceful country remaining in 144th position.
In the Index, supported by Nobel Laureates Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Professor Joseph Stiglitz and former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, and businessman Richard Branson, peace is defined as “the absence of violence.”
The think-thank measured nations according to 24 criteria such as the potential for terror attacks, the level of violent crime, or the number of conflicts it is fighting..
The Institute for Economics and Peace list was created after the start of the global recession, finding the financial meltdown was dragging the world toward political instability and conflict.
Many of the indicators which it used to measure peacefulness — such as a nation’s homicide rate or its level of military expenditure — had deteriorated as the world economy tanked.
The institute laid out its key findings ahead of the publication of its annual “Global Peace Index,” a report prepared in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Malawi ranking is expected to hold its top place in the peace league in the 2009 survey after holding peaceful elections this year.
Labels: GLOBAL PEACE INDEX, MALAWI, PEACE
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Lucius Banda UK show confirmed
By Nyasa Times
Published: June 6, 2009
Malawi’s music super star Lucius Banda will perform in the United Kingdom on July 4, orgnaisers have told Nyasa Times.
Syny Theu of BJ Promotions said the Malawian music icon will perform in Nottingham at Notting Harden Sports Complex, Wigman road NG8 4PB. The show will start from 7pm and finishes at 5am.
“The show will be part of the 45th Independence celebrations for Malawi. This will give an opportunity for Malawians in the UK to celebrate their independence with the music show of top most singer,” said Theu.
She also disclosed that Lucius will perform at the show which will be combined with a beauty pageant for Malawians in diaspora.
“There will also be a Miss Malawi UK competition during the night of the show,” said the organiser.
She said about 15 girls with ages from 16 to 30 years will be taking part in the pageantry.
“The prize for Miss Malawi UK is £1,000. There will also be the prize for the best outfit which will be £200. The first and second princes will get £500 as their prize money,” she said.
Soldier, as Malawi music icon is fondly called, is expected to jet in the UK on June 30 according to the organisers. Charges to the show will be £27.50.
The organisers disclosed that Peter Makossa who has been manager of the Malawian celebrity will be the Director of Ceremonies at the show.
Makossa also said ‘Soldier’ who has more than 10 albums to his name will also perform songs from his yet to be released album “15 -15”.
The singer also performed in the UK last October.
Labels: LUCIUS BANDA, MUSIC
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Bingu on central region ‘thank you’ rallies
By Nyasa Times Reporter
Published: June 1, 2009
After a similar gesture in Southern Region last week, President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika today takes his thank you whistle-stop tour in some parts of the Central region starting with Lilongwe City Rural.
The president is going around expressing his gratitude to the electorate for re-electing him with an emphatic victory during the May 19 peaceful presidential and parliamentary polls.
Dr Mutharika scored the highest votes ever registered in the country since the dawn of multiparty democracy in 1994 with 2,946,103 votes against 1,370,044 for his close contender John Tembo of the Malawi Congress Party, translating into 50.7 percent against 24.
According to State House, President Mutharika’s thank you whistle stop tour will take him to six trading centers in Lilongwe rural, Dowa, Kasungu and Mchinji districts.
His first stop will be at Lumbadzi Trading Centre in Lilongwe rural, Mponela and Madisi in Dowa and then Chinkhoma in Kasungu. From there, the president will stop at Kamwendo in Mchinji before winding up at Namitete Trading Centre also in Lilongwe Rural.
Quite contrary to most people’s expectations that, immediately after the polls, the 75-year-old president will go into self-oblivion to have a good rest, possibly abroad, after a tiresome non-stop campaign. But he still appears to have saved some energy.
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, ELECTIONS
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Malawians react to Obama’s speech
By Nyasa Times
Published: June 4, 2009
Malawians who watched the US President Barrack Obama’s speech in the north African country of Egypt have welcomed it as “landmark.”
Obama who received a standing ovation and round of applauses from the audience at Cairo University called for “a new beginning” between the US and the world’s one billion Muslims to end what he said is a cycle of “suspicion and discord.”
In his speech, quoting from the Quran, the Talmud and the Bible, Obama also touched on democracy, violence and women rights.
Views solicited from Malawians through social networking site Facebook and micro blogging site Twitter, Obama’s speech was welcomed as “impressive”.
Evason Sambala a doctorate-trainee at University of Nottingham in UK praised Obama for the long-heralded speech.
“This was a great speech. Most important that Obama showed to the people of the Islamic world about something they cherish while candidly citing the Quran and speaking some words of Arabic was quite fascinating which I think added significance to reverence.”
“I think Obama reads minds. The United States has always had a history of asking the Arab world to take action but failing to keep its own part. This is true throughout the Israeli - Palestinian negotiations for peace. His speech in Cairo is a representation to change this attitude but can he live to his expectation. I think this is the same question people in the Arab world are asking themselves after listening to Obama’s speech,” he said.
“Generally, the speech gives great hope especially to big applause lines in his speech were he mentions democracy, human rights and women’s rights and on the quotation of the Qur’an about truth-speaking and to the effect that if someone kills a single person it is as though s/he killed the whole world. On the negative side obviously noted by long periods of silence in the audience tell us something. More noticeably there was fear and uncertainty.”
Hassan Chilumpha said he watched the speech with keen interest and pointed out that he was greatly impressed.
“Its true what the student said after Obama speech that now America is becoming clean with new vision to Islam because before when everything goes wrong it was the Muslim taking the blame. The speech demonstrates a tangible change on the part of America,” said Chilumpha a Malawian Moslem youth doing studies in London.
Mellisa Kanthu-Moyo said Obama’s speech was significant. He said on Israel and Palestine, Obama sent a message of hope for peace.
“I only hope Israel and Palestine can live together. I have never imagined there would be peace in Israel and Palestine, the conflicts sources are deep-rooted. Obama is too small. If there will be peace then that is the second coming of Jesus is nigh,” said Moyo.
In the speech, Obama pointed out: “The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God’s vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.”
University of Malawi lecture who is studying in the US, Jessie Kabwila Kapasula wrote on her Facebook profile: “I’m not sure I agree with Obama that violence does not pay, it seems to have paid imperial USA and UK handsomely. I’m not certain Africa would have the flag independence it has without shooting some racist hoodlums.
“And, what do you mean Mr. Obama when you say African Americans ‘had’ to fight for freedom in the US? They still do. Otherwise, pleasure listening to your speech and you did deliver a few pleasant surprises.”
Chikondi Kadzombe, Malawi football player plying his trade at Molesye football club based in West Molesey, Surrey, England said the US president spoke frankly.
“It was a moving speech. It had style and full of substance covering everyone around the globe,” said Kadzombe.
Gloria Hiwa Zulu a Malawian in British Army said she admired the way the speech was tailored.
“It was well delivered. Obama has bridged the gap between Muslim and Americans which is important aspect for maintaining peace,” she said.
The first sitting head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List stressed education for women, governments loyal to their people rather than parties or causes, and essential freedoms, including religion.
“Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election,” Obama said.
“But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed, confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice, government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people, the freedom to live as you choose,” US president said.
“These are not just American ideas. They are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere.”
Obama said suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away pointing out that America welcome all elected, peaceful governments, provided they govern with respect for all their people.
“This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they’re out of power. Once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others,” he said without making any reference.
“So no matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who would hold power. You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion,” he said.
“You must respect the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise. You must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party,” Obama said.
He said elections alone do not make true democracy.
Labels: BARACK OBAMA, MALAWI, SPEECHES
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Tighten up financial regulatory framework, ZACCI urges govt
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Sunday, June 07, 2009 4:08:19 PM
ZAMBIA Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) has challenged the government through the Bank of Zambia to tighten up financial market regulation framework to avoid speculative investment behaviour.
And ZACCI chief executive officer Justin Chisulo has said there is need to set up mechanisms to monitor the inflows of all remittances by Zambian nationals living abroad.
Making submissions to the parliamentary committee on economic and labour affairs on the impact of the global economic crisis on Zambia’s economy and stability of the financial markets, Chisulo said there was a direct link between the global economic downturn and the fall in the kwacha.
Chisulo explained that the economic downturn meant that demand for copper had reduced, resulting in reduced US dollar earnings.
“There were other factors that contributed to the fall but the predominant one is the fall in the price of copper. Unfortunately, those short-term investors also felt unsafe to continue investing in monetary instruments and thus pulled out their investments and the end result is a shortage of the hard currency and yet more and more demand on the US dollar is increasing, therefore exerting pressure on the treasury leading to instability of the exchange rate,” Chisulo said.
“So there is no doubt that the depreciation of the kwacha is partly attributable to the withdrawal of speculative investments and the current regulatory environment allowed this to take place hence the urgent need to tighten it up especially on this matter.”
He urged the government to act and not just talk about economic diversification.
“Dependence on one commodity [copper] for export earnings is a huge risk that the country shoulders on and it is time we diversify and not just talk about it and Zambia should borrow money from the IMF or the World Bank to assist in the stabilisation of the kwacha since a facility does exist and all we need to do is apply for it,” said Chisulo.
“And we should set up a committee to be making rational recommendations on a month-by-month basis on what is to be done to mitigate the effects of the downturn on the economy of the country and it should also set mechanisms to monitor the inflows of all remittances from our nationals working outside of Zambia.”
Labels: BOZ, JUSTIN CHISULO, REGULATION, ZACCI
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Govt has no intention to open national airline, says Mubika
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday, June 07, 2009 4:06:47 PM
COMMUNICATIONS deputy minister Mubika Mubika on Wednesday evening said the government had no intentions of setting up a wholly government-owned national carrier.
And Zambezi Airlines has said it plans to list on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) by 2011 after launching its regional flights yesterday.
During the launch of Zambezi Airlines Boeing 737 - 500 flights between Ndola and Lusaka into Johannesburg, Mubika said the government would allow private sector led growth in the aviation sector.
“As government, we are not ready to open a national airline that is 100 per cent government owned,” Mubika said. “We are encouraging the private sector to open up. Those who are still dreaming, please come on board, the licences are there through the Department of Civil Aviation. We will give you all the support.”
Mubika urged Zambezi Airlines to learn from the mistakes made by those who had been in the industry before.
“Don’t fall in the trap, work on their weaknesses so that you can actually forge forward. We are happy today that we have a flag carrier for our country in the region,” said Mubika.
Mubika said the government would direct Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to review downwards the tax system in the country to ensure the price of Jet A1 fuel was reduced for the survival of the aviation industry.
And Zambezi Airlines board chairman Dr Morris Jungulo said the first aircraft, Boeing 737-500 had already been delivered while the second one was due for delivery in the next seven days.
“We will be commencing regional flights and operating at full schedule by June 20th after the arrival of the second aircraft,” Dr Jungulo said. “We are looking to grow through frequency and expand that network, grow the fleet in line with market demand, increase and expand partnerships with other carriers. The strategy we have in place is to list this airline within 36 months and invite the public to own shares.”
Dr Jungulo cited volatility in fuel prices and poor airport infrastructure as some of the challenges facing the local aviation sector.
“2010 world cup in South Africa will also test the aviation and there are opportunities for us since we are only two hours away from South Africa,” said Dr Jungulo.
Labels: AIRLINES, MUBIKA MUBIKA, ZAMBEZI AIRLINES
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PF pressure group opposed
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 11:49
A PRESSURE group within the Patriotic Front ( PF) has opposed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their party and the United Party for National Development (UPND).
The pressure group known as Committee of Patriotic Front (PF) founders says the MoU leaves much to be desired allegedly because PF president Michael Sata’s approach to politics is different from that of UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema. Committee representative, Samson Zulu said this at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
“The pact which has been entered into between Mr Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema leaves much to be desired. For example, Mr Hichilema believes in intra party democracy while Mr Sata does not.
Mr Hichilema has allowed his MPs to attend the NCC while Mr Sata is expelling his for doing the same,” Mr Zulu said.
Mr Zulu said his members are not happy with Mr Sata’s failure to call for a party convention.
“We want to express our concern on the failure by the President of our party to call for a general conference,” he said.
Mr Zulu said PF has never held a convention since the party was formed.
“According to the PF constitution which we have not adopted, the general conference is supposed to meet once every five years. The party has not held a single general conference since it was registered almost nine years ago,” he said.
Mr Zulu accused Mr Sata of treating his party as his own property.
“Clearly, members of the press, this makes Mr Sata the absolute and unquestionable ruler of the PF. He does not need anybody to run the party. As PF stands now, it’s a personal property of Mr Sata to do with it as he pleases,” he said.
“According to the PF constitution which we have not adopted, the general conference is supposed to meet once every five years. The party has not held a single general conference since it was registered almost nine years ago,” he said.
Mr Zulu said pressure group members decided to hold the press conference to denounce what they called violence by senior PF leaders against other members within the party.
“We the Committee of Founders, a pressure group within the PF, are prompted to call this urgent press conference to condemn in the strongest terms the violence that senior members of the PF are perpetuating against other members of the party,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: PF, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, POLITICS
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PF cadres severely beat up two founder members
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 11:55
A GROUP of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres yesterday severely beat up two founder members of the party who had called a Press briefing to demand for a convention and changes to the party’s constitution.
The two, Samson Zulu, who called himself an interim chairperson of a pressure group within PF, and Mubanga Chileshe, the chairperson for mobilisation, abruptly stopped their Press briefing when PF cadres pounced on them.
As soon as the two decided to stop answering questions from journalists who had gone late for the briefing, a group of about seven PF cadres stormed the conference hall at Court Yard Hotel and immediately started beating up the duo.
The cadres said Mr Zulu was arrogant and started beating him while dragging him downstairs from the conference hall in full view of journalists who had gone to cover the event.
As Mr Zulu and Mr Mubanga resisted being taken away from the hotel, the beating continued to the surprise of staff and management of the hotel who did not do or say anything about the turn of events.
However, noticing that the PF cadres were more interested in Mr Zulu, Mr Mubanga managed to flee and hid behind the hotel as his colleague was dragged outside the hotel’s premises.
Mr Zulu was dragged across Thabo Mbeki Road to a taxi rank opposite the National Assembly Motel where he was further beaten and bundled into a waiting van which sped off.
The fracas caused commotion with motorists wondering what was happening as Mr Zulu, who was severely bleeding from the mouth, pleaded with onlookers to assist him.
The van that carried Mr Zulu sped away and one police officer who was in the vicinity went to the hotel where he located Mr Mubanga and helped him escape in a private motor vehicle.
Court Yard Hotel management said they did not know what happened except that PF leader Michael Sata had telephoned the hotel to find out if there was any PF Press briefing.
A manager at the hotel, Hari Lavu said after Mr Sata was told that there was a Press briefing, he said he did not know about such an event.
Before the briefing ended, workers saw the two people being beaten and taken away.
Mr Lavu said as far as the hotel was concerned, the people who held the Press briefing had paid for the venue.
However, when reached for a comment, PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda declined to comment on the issue, saying he had received no information about the beating and manhandling of the two PF leaders and their call for a convention.
“What time did it happen? I am not able to comment because I have got no information about the clash,” Mr Lubinda said.
[Times of Zambia]
Labels: CADRES, MUBANGA CHILESHE, PF, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, SAMSON ZULU
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Teta challenges Katele over presidency
Sunday, June 7, 2009, 10:49
Benny Tetamashimba MMD chairperson for Information and Publicity, Benny Tetamashimba, has challenged party national secretary Katele Kalumba to come out in the open and declare his alleged “well known” candidature for 2011 presidential election.
Mr Tetamashimba was reacting to media reports quoting Dr Kalumba as saying that the MMD needs a “winnable candidate” in the light of the United National Party for Democracy (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) pact.
In a statement made available yesterday, Mr Tetamashimba said Dr Kalumba was supposed to have known that President Banda was the MMD’s winnable candidate for the 2011 elections.
“I wish to agree with Dr Katele Kalumba that MMD needs a winnable candidate, but differ with him on the choice of a winnable candidate because unlike his insinuation that President Rupiah Banda is not a winnable candidate in the light of the UPND/PF pact. President Rupiah Banda is the only winnable candidate,” Mr Tetamashimba said.
He accused Dr Kalumba of having ambitions to challenge President Banda at the MMD convention.
“If President Rupiah Banda is not a winnable candidate, then let Dr Katele Kalumba tell the party members who a winnable candidate is.
For people like me, I know that Dr Katele Kalumba or any other MMD member are far from being winnable candidates,” he said.
Mr Tetamashimba said any MMD candidate can only win when NEC members from each province deliver their provinces to the MMD candidate.
He said the MMD needs strong candidates at parliamentary level and campaigners in 2011 for President Banda to win.
“Those against the candidature of Rupiah Banda are spoilers and want the MMD to be in the opposition after 2011 elections, and we shall not allow that,” he said.
He said the PF/UPND pact is nothing tangible but an exercise in futility, as the two leaders and their members do not support the pact except as a political exercise to try and sow a seed of discontent in MMD.
“Let him know I have no problems with the purchase of the items which I will deliver to every province for the poor people to be taken to the grave yard decently. At no time did I state that Honourable Sylvia Masebo was corrupt,” he said.
“I know of MPs in the two opposition parties who are not willing to be led by any of the two leaders.
The pact is supported by people who lost elections in 2006 who feel that they may have a chance this time around,” he said.
He said the MMD will win 2011 general elections as people trust President Banda and the MMD because of its performance and fight against corruption.
Mr Tetamashimba also condemned PF leaders who beat up their colleagues at a press briefing on Friday.
He appealed to the police to arrest those who beat up the two PF leaders and the leaders who authorised them.
“We challenge Mr Hichilema Hakainde to tell the nation whether his party accepts what he saw on television,” he said.
Commenting on Mr Charles Milupi’s statement over hearses bought by Government, Mr Tetamashimba said he had no problem with the purchase of the vehicles.
“Let him know I have no problems with the purchase of the items which I will deliver to every province for the poor people to be taken to the grave yard decently. At no time did I state that Honourable Sylvia Masebo was corrupt,” he said.
Mr Tetamashimba said Mr Milupi is free to learn more on the issue by going to the Ant-Corruption Commission or waiting for the Auditor General’s audit.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, KATELE KALUMBA, MMD
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