Biti’s catalogue of malicious footprints
Prof Jonathan Moyo, MP - Opinion
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:09:00 +0000
THE saying that when things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something summarises the mood of Zimbabweans who, while hoping the new political dispensation and economic revival will get better, fear that their optimism overlooks the danger that the policy treachery of Finance Minister Tendai Biti could plunge the country back into the abyss unless something is done to expose him and his external regime-change handlers who are busy setting up a parallel government in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office via a web of subversive NGOs.
Minister Biti’s dangerous treachery was demonstrated yet again on Friday when he was quoted by a local weekly scandalously maligning Zimbabwe as “a poor little struggling failed state” with “a debt of over US$5 billion largely caused by mismanagement, corruption and theft”.
While it was bad for Minister Biti to use such inflammatory and false language unbefitting of a minister of finance, it was worse that he spoke from Istanbul in Turkey where the IMF is holding its annual meetings which other finance ministers typically use to defend and promote their countries.
It is no wonder that the one question that is now on the lips of business leaders and prospective investors is about the extent to which Biti is a competent and serious minister of finance. All countries have governments made up of politicians who have differences with their colleagues in government or their parties and competing parties but a government minister, especially one responsible for finance, has an absolute responsibility to discharge collective responsibility and to defend and promote his country’s economic interests, especially when he is outside its borders.
The fact that Minister Biti used Turkish soil at an important IMF annual meeting to denigrate his country as “a poor little struggling failed state” clearly proves beyond any reasonable doubt that he is in government in order to destroy it from within as part of a sinister regime change agenda authored and funded by hostile external interests. In fact, Minister Biti’s scandalous vilification of Zimbabwe as “a poor little struggling failed state” is a self-fulfilling regime-change prophecy whose footprints have become clearer and clearer since the formation of the coalition government on 13 February.
Minister Biti’s catalogue of malicious footprints in his misguided journey towards collapsing the Zimbabwean economy to justify his warped view supported by his regime-change handlers that Zimbabwe is “a poor little struggling failed state” includes the following:
· Minister Biti’s dogmatically irrational stance that he would rather commit suicide than allow the return of the Zimbabwe dollar;
· Minister Biti’s description of paltry allowances of up to US$170.00 paid to civil servants as salaries when the World Bank and other donors are paying discriminatory salaries to the MDC T parallel government ranging between US$700 and US$7,000;
· Minister Biti’s blocking of the utilization of US$510 million from the IMF intend to stimulate productivity and shore up demand not only to manage the effects of the current global recession but also to mitigate the impact of illegal economic sanctions over the years;
· Minister Biti’s shocking proposal for Zimbabwe to humiliate itself and confirm a hopeless status that he wishes upon the country as “a poor little struggling failed state” by declaring itself to be a “Heavily Indebted Poor Country” (HIPC); and
· Minister Biti’s use of foul tactics from the now discredited so-called Washington Consensus to block lines of credit from Afreximbank and PTA Bank totalling some US$800 million intended for the private sector at a time when the country cannot attract international financing due to illegal American and European financial sanctions.
Despite these compelling footprints of regime change which have derailed economic recovery in Zimbabwe and maybe because of their destructive consequences on peace and stability in the country, Minister Biti was this weekend declared by the IMF networks of Anglo-Americans and their allies who specialise in the destabilisation of developing countries to be “the best Finance minister in Africa”.
Apart from insulting Africans this creepy distinction is very much similar to a litany of unworthy human rights and media awards typically given to pliable sellouts who, like Minister Biti, have no shame or qualms about using global fora to decampaign their country by denigrating it as “undemocratic and corruption” or as “ a poor little struggling failed state”.
Otherwise it is astounding how a manifestly unqualified and reckless Minister of Finance who is a laughing stock in his own country can be described as the “best minister of finance in the whole of Africa” when he has been in office for less than eight months, has not yet presented a full budget and has spent his tenure settling personal scores with the Governor of the Central bank.
Even by his own weird standards, it is hard to imagine that Minister Biti, who showed during his presentation of the midterm budget last July that he does not know the difference between “exercise” and “excise” duty, would believe in his heart of hearts that he is “the best minister of finance in Africa” ahead of the likes of South Africa’s Trevor Manuel and his able successor to mention just two telling examples.
It is very clear that, like the scandalous human rights and media awards given to all sorts of sellouts with no professional achievement to speak of, Minister Biti’s dubious award is designed to support his footprints of regime change whose agenda is being pursued by the United States and the European Union through the IMF among a host of multilateral institutions and NGOs.
While Minister Biti’s footprints of regime change are now clear as a matter of public concern, what has remained blurred and unexamined are their origins, funding and source of organisational management and coordination. In other words, it is still not clear as to who is behind Minister Biti’s breathtaking treachery.
But new and dramatic if not treasonous pointers are emerging about the dark and hostile forces behind his footprints of regime change not only given his scandalous award as the “best minister of finance in Africa” but also following recent revelations whose veracity has not been challenged by anyone that the MDC T is running a parallel government through Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office with bureaucratic incumbents who earn between US$700 and US$7,000 top up monthly salaries when other civil servants are earning paltry monthly allowances of not more than US$170.
It has already been established beyond disputation that the so-called World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund has been bankrolling huge salaries and programmes of MDC T activists under the guise of supporting technical experts in Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office.
It has also been established beyond any question that the Prime Minister’s office publishes a partisan Newsletter about programmes and activities of the parallel government which have nothing to do with the legitimate and lawful coalition government.
Furthermore, it has been established without doubt that the Prime Minister’s office has secured several shadow offices of the parallel government in Harare and Bulawayo outside the Cabinet process and that some donor agencies like Usaid have deployed its personnel, such as Jacob Mafume, to those illegal offices to link up with tens of thousands of workers, activities and programmes of some over 2,300 NGOs across the country whose unaccountable donor funding since the signing of the GPA now hovers around US$500 million.
Whereas the key individuals running the parallel government in Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office have been named, the key operatives behind these individuals and their nefarious activities, which include alleging that Minister Biti is the “best minister of finance in Africa”, have not been identified yet their identification would shed more light on the shenanigans that are at play in the pursuit of regime change in Zimbabwe.
Central to understanding who these operatives are and their mission is the fact that even though the MDC T has won electoral votes which must be acknowledged, especially but not only in urban areas, the party which is now in government as one of the three ruling parties is actually a foreign created, foreign funded and foreign managed regime-change project.
Although this has been said before what has been little understood is that the MDC T, initially as an opposition party and now as part of the coalition government, outsources practically everything about itself from ideological principles, policy positions and strategies, election slogans and campaign methods, political organisation and even leadership itself.
Like the MDC T itself, the parallel government operating in Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office is a regime change project of the American run Freedom House directed by the International Republican Institute (IRI) of the American Republican party coordinated by the American Embassy in Pretoria under the supervision of Melinda Faris who is a senior American intelligence operative and is widely known among MDC T activists who have gone through her dirty hands.
The IRI is chaired by Senator John McCain, who lost the presidential election to Barrack Obama. A significant engagement of Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s visit to the United States earlier this year was a pivotal meeting with McCain whose sum and substance was to review and plan IRI programmes in support of the MDC T’s parallel government initiative as the final strategy of seeking regime change in Zimbabwe from within the belly of the government itself.
Regime change programmes in Zimbabwe initiated and coordinated by Melinda Faris from the United States Embassy in Pretoria through a range of NGOs include training of trainers in small groups at a time to undertake covert election campaign using the constitution-making process and such activities as the ongoing MDC T’s so-called consultation of grassroots on whether to remain in the coalition government.
Among other things the trainees, who are drawn from district, provincial and national levels, are being taught how to take positions to influence the State, government, Zanu PF, traditional leaders and local government structures ahead of the elections whenever they are held.
The training is given to small groups of 15 to 20 activists at a time who are paid a daily allowance of R1,000 over six days and involves tactical material on how to takeover power from within the system and modules on political strategy, political engagement, political communication in rural and high density areas, political warfare, psychological warfare, electioneering and tactics on “how to manage a dictatorship” and “how to set the national agenda by feeding false stories into the international media” especially ahead of key regional, continental and global events or meetings.
Over the last two or so months when the parallel government has been particularly active, about eight groups have been trained in Harare, Bulawayo, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Although the trainers are invariably white and include the likes of Janet Cherry, in Bulawayo the training is coordinated by Kudzayi Kakwangiri who is head of Radio Dialogue.
A constant feature in the training programmes, which has become the lifeline of the parallel government in Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office, is the presence of US Embassy officials with American intelligence links. Most of the activities take place in Johannesburg and Pretoria under the nose of Sadc’s powerhouse whose intelligence system is pretty vast although the last two months have seen an increase of activities inside Zimbabwe.
There have been training programmes in Botswana including the infamous trip there by MDC M rebels who were organised and funded by Freedom House to secure their support for the MDC-T candidate for the Speaker of Parliament. In February 2006 Zambian authorities deported Tsvangirai and his American intelligence handlers from Livingstone where they had hoped to setup a political training base to use for managing Matabeleland.
Although the World Bank Multi Donor Trust Fund has been reported as the purse of the parallel government, the real money for the effort is being channelled through an organisation called Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe (IDAZIM) funded by the United States and the European Union and has offices in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
IDAZIM was created with Usaid funds under something called Open Society Initiatives for Southern Africa (OSISA) operating from South Africa through a program managed by Deprose Muchena who used to be with Usaid in Harare.
The head of IDAZIM is Davie Malungisa and the organisation’s democracy and governance programme that is active behind the parallel government is managed by Joy Mabenge who works closely with Arnold Tsunga, a trustee of a pirate radio station called Voice of the People (VOP) and the founding chairman of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition whose work used to be coordinated by Jacob Mafume before he moved into the US Embassy in Harare and now to Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s office where he is coordinating IDAZIM funding and activities in support of the parallel government.
Tsunga, who is currently with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) where his mission is to soil Zimbabwe’s human rights standing, is the point person for the external side of things. Mafume and Tsunga, who are friends and key legs of the parallel government initiative, have survived their roles despite have been embroiled in all sorts of scandals some of which are now boiling close to the surface.
In a nutshell, the nexus of the forces behind the parallel government is made up of IDAZIM, IRI and Freedom House all operating from South Africa. IDAZIM manages staff deployments and the funding including paying the ridiculously huge salaries to the likes of Andrew Chadwick, IRI handles policy issues and Freedom House deals with political organisation, strategy and covert election campaigns.
Including everyone in the Prime Minister’s office, Eddie Cross and Roy Bennett, there are two deputy ministers who are a close part of this nexus and they are Jameson Timba (Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Publicity and Jessie Fungai Majome (Deputy Minister Justice and Legal Affairs).
There is nothing that the MDC-T does or says which is not a product of the right wing and intolerant threesome of IDAZIM, IRI and Freedom House whose brain box is Melinda Faris and whose agenda in Zimbabwe is regime change.
Minister Biti’s outrageous policy pronouncements are a product of this powerful threesome whose structure, purpose and funding have thus far gone unexamined to the detriment not only of national security in Zimbabwe but also the development of democracy itself.
For example, this threesome is using its paid media mouthpieces to create the silly impression that anything and everything critical of the MDC T, such as exposing the party’s parallel government, is hate-speech while all sorts of insults against Zanu PF, including calling the party’s youth “thugs” by definition, is love-speech.
Against this backdrop, Zimbabweans must be optimistic about the changes taking place in our country and support positive initiatives without overlooking the clear and present dangers posed by Minister’s Biti’s policy treachery which the Anglo-Americans are celebrating as the best in Africa while their evil threesome of IDAZIM, IRI and Freedom House are busy setting up and funding a parallel government whose mission is to guarantee regime change at the next general election.
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Prof Jonathan Moyo is the independent legislator for Tsholotsho North and former information and publicity minister.
Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, JONATHAN MOYO, TENDAI BITI, TREASON
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'Biti sitting on US$800m, stalling progress'
Floyd Nkomo
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:40:00 +0000
THE Ministry of Finance is sitting on US$800 million from the International Monetary Fund and Afreximbank meant for the revival of national economy, the Zimbabwe Guardian has learnt.
The Minister of Finance Tendai Biti is holding on to almost a billion dollar facility availed to benefit various sectors of the economy, a move slammed by critics as "treacherous".
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono said holding on to the money is frustrating resource mobilisation efforts by the inclusive Government.
Dr Gono said the Afreximbank facility of US$300 million was extended to the country in December last year but since a new Minister of Finance took charge not a cent of it has been used.
“The IMF funding of US$510 million and the already approved Afreximbank country facility of US$300 million amount to a total therefore, of US$810 million which can be foot to an immediate productive use through constructive engagement of the lenders,” said Dr Gono recently.
Zimbabwe’s industries are performing below capacity owing to shortage of lines of credit.
Under the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP) industry is expected to increase capacity utilisation to 60% by year end.
Industry sources however say capacity utilisation has improved but still hovers around 25%.
Writing in an opinion piece recently independent MP for Tsholotsho, Prof Jonathan Moyo says Biti's actions are "treacherous" and "could plunge the country back into the abyss unless something is done to expose him and his external regime-change handlers."
Moyo says that business leaders in the country now question whether Minister Biti is a competent and serious minister of finance.
Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, GIDEON GONO, IMF, MDC, TENDAI BITI
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Zim ready to re-engage west, Pres Mugabe
Ranganai Chidemo
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:33:00 +0000
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe said on Tuesday that Zimbabwe was ready for "fresh and cooperative relations" with Western nations that have previously imposed illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe.
Officially opening the Second Session of the Seventh Parliament, President Mugabe said: "Our country remains in a positive stance to enter into fresh and cooperative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past."
"Our re-engagement with the EU bloc is gathering momentum," he added.
The EU last month sent a high-level delegation to Zimbabwe to meet with President Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. The president told parliament that ties with the EU were improving, but repeated his call for the bloc to end sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"As our inclusive Government re-engages the western countries, we expect those countries that have imposed illegal sanctions, which have hurt and continue to hurt our economy and the generality of our people, to remove them," he said.
The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. Other measures imposed include trade restrictions with selected Zimbabwean companiesa and travel bans and asset freezes on President Mugabe, his family and around 200 others in the previous administration.
President Mugabe says sanctions have undermined Zimbabwe's economy, which has been decimated for the better part of the last ten years. The opening ceremony at parliament was the first since the formation of the inclusive Government and was attended by PM Tsvangirai and deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara. President Mugabe also told parliament that Zimbabweans should "build bridges" to work together to revive the economy.
“Let us continue to work hard, purposefully and united in all our socio-economic sectors. Together let us build bridges of amity, forgiveness, trust and togetherness.
"Let us be the Zimbabwe united in body, mind and spirit. Only that way can we really succeed,” said President Mugabe.
The inclusive Government has appointed a national reconciliation panel to lead a process to ease political tensions in the ountry. Bills to come under discussion during the new session of parliament include a mining bill that would compel miners to "use or lose" their claims.
The President said several bills which include the Audit Process bill, the Public Finance Management bill, Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill and the National ICT bill, among others, will be tabled before parliament during the session.
“Amendment to the Education Act to address the method of payment of fees and levies as well as the role of parents and School Development Committees, will be tabled for consideration by Parliament during this Session,” noted the President.
He said the three principals to the Global Political Agreement recently agreed that the six negotiators, two each from Zanu PF and the MDC-T and MDC-M, will form the constitution making organs management committee responsible for formulating the policy direction of the process.
President Mugabe said government will continue to monitor agriculture, mechanisation and irrigation development to boost the coming cropping season, in addition to availing the US$210 million facility for inputs.
Turning to the issue of civil servants’ salaries, the President asked them to be patient until the government has enough resources.
“Government is deeply concerned over the current situation where public servants have to eke out a living from meagre remuneration.
"The preferred situation is one where the salaries and allowances of public servants are benchmarked against the poverty datum line. This will be undertaken as soon as the resources become available.
"I, therefore, appeal to public servants to remain patient as the necessary arrangements are being put in place,” added the President.
He appealed to stakeholders to work together in addressing the upsurge in road accidents, adding that government will introduce measures to curb the carnage which has claimed lives across the country.
Labels: MUGABE, SANCTIONS
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Harare-Kariba domestic airline introduced
NNT/TZG
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:58:00 +0000
STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism sector say efforts to reposition Zimbabwe as the most favorable destination in the region and abroad are on course following the introduction of a new domestic airline Federal Air which is plying the Harare-Kariba route and the efforts on the ground to re-introduce plastic money.
The Zimbabwe Council of Tourism President Emmanuel Fundira said international paying systems that include plastic money are also on the cards.
“The new Harare - Kariba plane is a ten seater and is one of the favorable developments in the tourism sector.
"We hope a number of private companies will invest in the transport sector to enable tourists to visit all the favorable destinations,” said Fundira.
Another airline, VicFalls Airways was also recently launched and is expected to start operations before the end of the year.
The carrier will initially ply the Harare-Johannesburg route, among others, before flying to London.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Chief Executive Karikoga Kaseke challenged players in the tourism sector to take advantage of the government’s duty rebate exemption programme to refurbish and re-equip their businesses to regional level standards.
“Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality sector has for a long time been facing a number of challenges among them lack of capital to re-equip and refurbish the sector resulting in standards going down to below acceptable levels,” noted Mr Kaseke.
Government recently introduced policies aimed at helping the sector refurbish and re-equip through the exemption of duty on equipment and vehicles imported into the country by the sector before 2010.
However, the worrying factor has been the sluggish response by the corporate sector to match their regional counterparts in terms of prices and other strategies such as the use of plastic money.
Labels: AIRLINES, HARARE
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ZAPU, MDC in war of words
by Lindie Whiz
07/10/2009 00:00:00
A FURIOUS row erupted on Tuesday after an MDC Minister claimed “ZAPU died with Nkomo”, a reference to the late nationalist leader Joshua Nkomo who died in 1999 – 12 years after signing a “unity accord” with President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU.
Water Resources Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told a political rally in Tsholotsho that “people championing the revival of ZAPU should first visit Joshua Nkomo’s grave and wake him up if they want to realise their dreams.”
But ZAPU furiously hit back, accusing the Minister and his MDC party of being “narrow minded” and seeking to “monopolise” political opposition to Mugabe.
“The anti-ZAPU revival crusade has run out of ideas and is sounding illogical and monotonous. They say Joshua Nkomo died with ZAPU, and then say ZAPU is in Zanu PF. Which is which?,” ZAPU’s communications director Methuseli Moyo said in a statement.
A special ZAPU congress in May this year voted to pull out of the pact with Zanu PF, and named Dumiso Dabengwa as interim leader.
ZAPU’s rebirth has excited local politics, particularly in the Matabeleland region where the party commanded massive support before it gave up its name in the 1987 coalition with Mugabe’s ZANU for form Zanu PF.
Sipepa-Nkomo travelled with MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for a series of weekend rallies in Matabeleland North as the party seeks to consolidate its support in the region.
He told a rally at the Tsholotsho Business Centre: “I was there when ZAPU was formed in 1961 and served as secretary for this region stretching from Beitbridge to Victoria Falls, and I can tell you that those pushing for its revival are dubious characters.
“In 1987, the owner of ZAPU (Joshua Nkomo) got into a unity deal with ZANU meaning that ZAPU plus ZANU equals to Zanu PF. If they come to us now and tell us that they want to revive ZAPU, they should go and wake up Nkomo to make that declaration otherwise why should we concern ourselves with ghost parties?”
Sipepa-Nkomo further accused Dabengwa of being a “Zanu PF agent”, and alleged that ZAPU had “a lot of money which we wonder where they are getting it from, because even us as a party do not have that kind of money.”
The comments drew a sharp response from ZAPU which said the attack was “not a surprise because attacking ZAPU has become an industry for political opportunists who have nothing to offer and are intimidated by its revival.”
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The party added: “ZAPU wants to bring to Sipepa-Nkomo and other narrow-minded politicians’ attention that democracy is about plurality of views and political parties. It is sad that there are people who want to monopolise politics and want to give the impression that only they should be allowed to challenge Zanu PF for power.
“For the record, the people of Zimbabwe in general, and the people of Matabeleland that Sipepa-Nkomo mentioned in particular, have risked their lives and limbs giving support to Sipepa-Nkomo’s party, which has failed to translate electoral advantage into political power.
“That is precisely the reason why we have revived ZAPU, because we believe our party has the political muscle, grassroots support, revolutionary attributes and tried and tested leadership to dislodge Zanu PF from power, which we are confident ZAPU will do come election time.
“On the contrary, Sipepa-Nkomo’s MDC-T neither has capable leadership, revolutionary attributes, nor well-rooted support on the ground. The fact that a vacuum in opposition politics has allowed the MDC-T to get this far should not fool anyone that they are a serious national political party. They are not and ZAPU is.”
The statement, signed by Moyo, charged that the MDC was “a political accident created by non-Zimbabweans and fronted locally by plain folks whose narrow-mindedness wants to take us back to the political bickering and violence we witnessed in the past decade.”
Moyo said a two-party system as currently exists in Zimbabwe “leaves the population with no option, and divided into ‘for us or against us’,” and exposes the people to violence and intimidation.
“Any serious thinking person would welcome the arrival of a true political giant like ZAPU to add a third force and thereby extinguish political tensions caused by the two-party system,” Moyo said.
ZAPU said contrary to Sipepa-Nkomo’s claims, it has “no money, no furniture, no office equipment and no vehicles, and the MDC-T has all this in abundance but has failed dismally to remove Zanu PF from power.”
Moyo added: “The fact that our party has achieved political impact of the magnitude displayed by the fear in our opponents even without resources for now speaks volumes of what ZAPU is capable of doing.
“If there is a party that has money it is the MDC-T which sadly is using it negatively to finance doomed regime change projects such as the so-called parallel government.”
ZAPU has said it will contest at least 11 due parliamentary by-elections countrywide whenever they are called -- the first major test of its political strength.
Labels: MDC, ZAPU
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Increasingly drifting towards repression
Written by Editor
It is increasingly becoming clear that Zambia is headed for a very difficult time politically. And the reason for this is not the over-quoted donor interference in the internal affairs of the country. It is simply that we are being governed by petty-minded people obsessed with power, for good or for bad.
In this case, they are not content with just running the affairs of the state and providing our people with the necessities of life, but would also want to run the very lives and control the thinking of every one of us, of every citizen they govern. And yet, ironically, this was the cornerstone of colonial oppression and repression: to smash any deviant thinking of the natives by whip, gun or shackle.
And one of the ways they are trying to achieve this state of affairs is by blackmailing and suppressing all criticisms and information designed to expose the fallacy of their policies and crimes of their league. As we have stated before, thus before the people realise, their hard-won uhuru spawns one tyrant after the other, prying on the original commitment of the masses. And in this way they try to become demigods whose decisions and actions cannot be questioned. All critics inside and outside the ruling party are crushed. To agree with everything they say is divine, but to disagree, one is in trouble.
Rupiah Banda and his government are becoming more and more associated with the most disagreeable messages and thoughts. They may say much of that linkage is unjustified, is the work of the enemy. They have the right to think that way but since it’s what people think, it must be appreciated as a deeply felt distaste, rather than a momentary irritation. They cannot simply dismiss it as mere false perception created by their enemies.
Rupiah and his government are also being linked to harshness: thought to be uncaring about the feelings of the people; and considered indifferent to the moral arguments over corruption, especially over their decision to acquit Frederick Chiluba and stop all appeal processes against his acquittal.
They are also thought to be arrogant and out of touch. Much of it may be no more than personal mannerisms that grate on the people after almost 18 years of the MMD in power. Some of it is insensitivity to the feelings of the people.
Corruption has disgraced them in the eyes of the public. Their support of Chiluba’s corruption and the way they have gone about it to defend him and protect him from going to jail has left a perception of corruption and unfitness for public service. And such distasteful perceptions can endure and do them damage for a long time.
They should face these issues head-on and deal with them. Their position on Chiluba has profoundly disappointed many of their supporters, and disgusted many others. Their reputation has suffered because they don’t seem to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Concern for others and magnanimity are important things for any serious political leadership of a country.
People now seem to need a rest from them, and they need time to reflect and listen to what is being said about them. They certainly need to do a lot about themselves.
They may look somewhat strong and confident today and boast about this and that or threaten this one or that one, but problems lie ahead. They don’t know where they are headed and that is disastrous. They have failed to define the purpose of their government: is it to fight corruption or to defend corrupt elements like Chiluba?
They seem to be guided only by the wish to destroy and humiliate their political enemies or opponents; and by the determination to be reelected in 2011 come what may. This is not a recipe for governing well. You cannot run a government forever on the principle of repression. Clearly, the MMD today is a coalition of nothing but people wanting to hold on to power so that they can keep their government jobs, privileges and business contracts.
That’s all the MMD is about today. The will to retain power at all costs is the one idea that the leaders of MMD and its government hold in common. But with the mounting pressure and the passage of time, that will prove insubstantial glue. The signs of division may today be no bigger than a small kapenta in a jar, but they will grow. The wheel of fortune turns and that which once appeared fresh, with the passing of time, goes to seed.
There is need for Rupiah and his friends to correctly read the signs of the time. However, we don’t think Rupiah is able to do so because he demonstrated the same inability in 1991 – he failed to read the signs of the time, he failed to appreciate the fact that UNIP’s time was over and the methods they were using to deal with the increasing public dissent could not work. And consequently, Rupiah and his UNIP friends lost power to the MMD in 1991.
Trying to stop or alter the tide of public opinion through repressive measures will not do. We say this because for as long as the majority of the people in this country feel cheated, suppressed or repressed, are not allowed meaningful democratic participation in the affairs of their country, there will always be tension and protests. Rupiah should also realise that he did not emerge from last year’s fraudulent elections with an absolute majority. This means that the majority of Zambian people do not support him, he is a minority president. And things can change very quickly against him.
Rupiah’s approach to dissent is very poor and will lead to a lot of problems. We say this because protests are a testing ground for any democracy. The ideals of free expression and citizen participation are easy to defend when everyone remains polite and in agreement on basic issues. But protesters – and their targets – do not agree on basic issues, and such disagreements may be passionate and angry.
The challenge then is one of balance: to defend the right to freedom of speech and assembly, while maintaining public order and countering attempts at intimidation or violence. To suppress peaceful protests in the name of order is to avoid repression.
There is no magic formula for achieving an acceptable balance. In the end, it depends of the commitment of the majority to maintaining the institutions of democracy and the precepts of individual rights; bearing in mind that to deny any person their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. Democratic societies are capable of enduring the bitterest disagreements among citizens – except for disagreement about the legitimacy of democracy itself.
Rupiah and his friends will not be allowed to do as they please on these issues. They will be challenged all the way. They will be made to realise that the power they have is not personal, does not belong to them and that it is for legitimate causes and not for abuse. They will be taught, one way or the other, that the democratic system we are trying to build in this country will be founded on the deeply held belief that government is best when its potential for abuse is curbed, and when it is held as close to the people as possible.
We know that for people from authoritarian backgrounds like Rupiah, they have an apprehension with democracy’s lack of power to oppress or repress. They think that deprives them of the authority to govern. This view is fundamentally wrong: democracies require that their governments be limited, not that they be weak. Viewed over the long course of history, democracies do indeed appear fragile. Democracies have by no means been immune to the tides of history; they have collapsed from political failure, succumbed to internal division.
But democracies have also demonstrated remarkable resilience over time, and have shown that with the commitment and informed dedication of their citizens, they can overcome severe economic hardship, reconcile social and ethnic division, and, when necessary, prevail in time of conflict and strife.
It is the very aspects of democracy that people like Rupiah fear that give it resilience. The process of debate, dissent and compromise that some point to as weaknesses are, in fact, democracy’s underlying strength.
Certainly, no one has ever accused democracies of being particularly efficient in their deliberations: democratic decision making can be a messy, grueling and time-consuming process. But in the end, a government resting upon the consent of the governed can speak and act with a confidence and authority lacking in a regime whose power is perched uneasily on the narrow ledge of fraudulent elections.
Rupiah and his friends don’t understand this. To them, everything has to go their way - no compromise or consensus building with others - because they are in power and in command of the repressive forces and can therefore use the police to crush any dissent. This is the way Rupiah has been governing. He doesn’t see the need to accommodate the views of anybody.
He can let Chiluba go scot-free regardless of the way others feel as long as it pleases and benefits him. Rupiah doesn’t know that coalition building is the essence of democratic action because it teaches us to negotiate with others, to compromise and to work within the constitutional system.
He also doesn’t realise that by working to establish a coalition, those with differences learn how to argue peaceably, how to pursue their goals in a democratic manner and ultimately how to live in a world of diversity. For Rupiah, there is only one way: to crush all opposition and dissent. But dissent and opposition are very difficult to crush permanently. And coming from UNIP, Rupiah should know this well.
Labels: CHILUBA, GOVERNANCE, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA
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Rupiah is driving Zambia into a failed state – HH
Written by George Chellah
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:33:02 AM
RUPIAH Banda is driving Zambia into a failed state, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said yesterday. In an interview, Hichilema condemned the arrest of two Patriotic Front (PF) parliamentarians for Munali and Mandevu constituencies, Mumbi Phiri and Jean Kapata respectively.
“I would like to commend those gallant political and civil rights soldiers and the rest of the Zambians who honked and whistled on Friday. I am surprised why they didn't arrest some of us because some of us were honking wherever we were,” Hichilema said.
“This shows that you definitely have a dictator in office. The MMD demonstrated in Mansa and nobody was arrested. This is a clear message that Rupiah Banda is driving Zambia into a failed state and we will not allow that.”
He said President Banda's administration was using state institutions like the police against the people.
“A honk, a whistle is a peaceful demonstration. They must know that MMD are in the minority. Today, if PF and UPND say to their cadres that go and protect Kapata and Phiri, that police station will not manage that situation,” Hichilema said.
“We know they want us to break the law but we won't do that. We will take them on democratically. They will not scare us in any way.”
Hichilema said the honking and whistling against former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal would even be more organised and intensified this Friday.
“This Friday the honking will be more organised. All the UPND members and sympathisers, all Zambians we will go out and honk and I want [home affairs minister] Lameck Mangani to know. This Friday the honking will be more organised,” Hichilema said.
“We are sending a message countrywide to honk. I will be a ringleader for honking for UPND members and sympathisers. We must stop this stench of corruption by the MMD. If the police come, I will welcome them with a honk. I want to assure Zambians that the honking must go on.
“Any Zambian who means well we must work together and move forward. So this Friday we are honking and we are not just honking, we are looking for vuvuzelas. You know the South African vuvuzelas, maybe a trumpet can be louder than a honk so that we send a message.”
He said there was a party that was about to be launched whose objective was to divide the opposition.
“This party is called the Alliance for Democracy and Development. They are all part of machinations by the MMD to divide the opposition. They are all surrogates of the MMD,” Hichilema said.
Over the weekend, Mangani maintained that the civil society organisations (CSO) had received too much money from donors.
Mangani, who was responding to a question on the statement from the CSOs that they would intensify the honking and whistling, said the government was not worried.
“We are yet to see that but I can guarantee you we will respond to whatever they are talking about. So we are not worried whether they are many or whatever number. It will help us, the police will be assisted,” Mangani said.
“They [CSOs] have too much money which they could have got from their cooperating partners. So some of this money the police will be charging them, see what happens on Friday.”
Mangani denied that he was issuing directives to the police, saying the law enforcement officers were merely doing their work.
Mangani said anybody disturbing the peace should be arrested because the roads were not just used by politicians but other ordinary people and visitors.
Labels: DEMONSTRATION, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA
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Civil society calls off honking, whistling
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:31:51 AM
INSPECTOR General of Police Francis Kabonde yesterday convinced 18 civil society organisations (CSOs) to call off honking against the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba on charges of theft of US $500,000 public funds.
Kabonde held a more than three-hour meeting with representatives of the 18 CSOs at Zambia Police Service headquarters in Lusaka after which the CSOs agreed to call off honking on Friday, saying they would use other means of protest such as holding rallies, protest marches and petitions, among others.
Some CSOs’ representatives, who attended the meeting called by Kabonde, said they were told that honking was illegal.
“Mr Kabonde was trying to intimidate us at first but he changed and was pleading with us to call off the honking on Friday because it was illegal,” the insider said. “The police said, 'when you look at the law, to hoot to the annoyance of road users or any other person becomes an offence. It’s very clear when you hoot to the annoyance of other people then you are breaking the law'.”
The source said the police argued that noises of celebrations were not an offence while certain noises like those that annoy others were an offence.
The source said the CSOs said they would only sign the communiqué of their agreement to call off honking if the police assured them that they would unconditionally drop cases against two Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament Mumbi Phiri [Munali] and Jean Kapata [Mandevu] and seven others who honked last Friday.
“The IG assured us that the police would have no problems dropping those cases but he demanded that we pursued the people who were arrested not to sue the police for unlawful detention,” the insider said. “The IG acknowledged our right to protest but he said they had a problem with honking because it was illegal. He said as the police, they had a duty to provide law and order. We, therefore, agreed to call off honking but we will use other means such as rallies, marching and petitions. We also told the IG that we had problems with the double standards applied by the police in allowing various groupings in Zambia that want to protest. But he assured us that the police will permit us to protest.
“We told the police that, 'what we are asking you bwana IG is that can you apply the law fairly. If you want to apply the same law on us we agree. Law breaking should not be condoned in this country',” the source said.
The source said the CSOs told Kabonde that they honked during Chiluba’s anti-third term bid and when they were demanding for the lifting of his immunity.
The source said CSOs wondered why the police were now saying it was illegal when the same means were used in the past.
Labels: CHILUBA, CIVIL SOCIETY, CSO, DEMONSTRATION
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W/Province MMD committee still intact, says Namakando
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:30:29 AM
SIMASIKU Namakando has maintained that he is still the provincial chairman of the MMD in Western Province because the party national secretary Katele Kalumba had no constitutional powers to dissolve any committee.
Reacting to Kalumba’s decision to dissolve the entire Western MMD provincial executive committee following its position that the national convention should not be deferred, Namakando said in an interview from Lukulu that the provincial committee was still intact.
Namakando said he was still a member of the MMD and that nobody would chase him and his committee from the party because they had committed no offence.
He said those MMD members that wanted to follow UNIP principles should form their own party, which would be devoid of principles and constitutionalism.
“I will make a comprehensive statement later with the entire executive committee organs in the province, but for now I am still a member of the MMD,” Namakando said. “Article nine talks of the rights of a member and it reads as follows, ‘rights and obligations of a member. A member of the party has a right to (a) demand the fulfillment of what is enshrined in the constitution, resolution, directive and obligation of the party, (b) to participate in fora and meetings of the party organs and to freely discuss in the policies and activities of the party, (c) to put forward proposition and defend his opinion before agreement is reached on any matter under discussion.’”
Namakando said the above articles gave him the powers to demand anything from the National Executive Committee because he was an MMD member.
“I will continue to ask that we go to the MMD convention…because we have two members in the MMD. We have got the true and progressive MMD members and the UNIP group of the MMD who don’t want to hear anything from the constitution. These are the people who are saying we do not have to go to the convention, because to them a convention is taboo. They know they will lose their positions,” an emotive Namakando said. “Those people who are shouting around are the people who joined yesterday from UNIP. The National Chairman (Michael Mabenga) is the one who introduced this debate of the convention. It is the National Chairman, Mr Mabenga, who was forcing members to sign these things because he has an agenda to protect and to get favours from President Banda.”
Namakando said even Kalumba had his own share of problems.
“Even himself he does not believe in the action he was doing yesterday. He did that to buy his freedom from Mr Banda because of his many problems,” he said. “Because even the article he has quoted does not warrant him to dissolve any committee. Where did he get the power from, because one, we have never committed any offence against the party or against anybody but we have the right to demand anything enshrined in the constitution?”
Namakando described the action to dissolve his committee as a UNIP way of solving issues.
Labels: MMD, SIMASIKU NAMAKANDO, WESTERN PROVINCE
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Monze DC warns of floods
Written by Pride Bwalya in Monze
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:28:41 AM
MONZE district commissioner Emmerson Machila has warned of floods in the district this year. Machila said that according to the national contingence for disaster management, Monze district is anticipated to experience floods because of high water levels under the water table caused by the floods experienced last season.
He said that lower areas in the district were likely to experience a rise in the levels of water under the table, which might result in floods again.
Machila called on the District Disaster Management and Mitigation Committee (DDMMC) to ensure that strategies were put in place on how to mitigate the disaster that may result in damage of infrastructure including bridges, classrooms and houses in some parts of the district.
He was speaking during the full council meeting held at the district council planning conference unit in Monze yesterday.
Machila urged the DDMMC to avoid waiting until the disaster but to plan ahead by way of sensitising people in flood-prone areas to migrate to higher lands and mobilise tents in advance as well as put in place other possible measures.
Machila challenged councillors in Monze to be proactive in issues of governance and development.
Machila said that councillors and other civic leaders were the engine of development in their areas of representation.
He called on them to be working closely with the office of the district commissioner in order to participate actively in monitoring and evaluation of developmental projects in the district.
Machila said that people represented by councillors were interested in seeing tangible results in areas of development and other important issues affecting them.
He said there was need for concerted efforts from all key players regardless of political affiliation and religion if the district was to achieve meaningful development.
Labels: FLOODS, MONZE
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Gono says Biti stalling recovery
by
06/10/2009 00:00:00
RESERVE Bank governor Gideon Gono on Monday accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti of delaying the distribution of $800 million in donor funds, hampering the nation's economic recovery.
Gono told bankers that
Biti's actions were "unjustified and unreasonable." The money should go to the
manufacturing and production sectors, he said. Battles for the control over the treasury have hamstrung the unity government formed in February between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Gono is a top Mugabe loyalist whose monetary policy is blamed for fuelling the country's downward spiral, while Biti is a senior official in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party.
Biti denied the charges, insisting that the funds need to be used to get social services such as hospitals and schools running again. He does not expect the money to be spent immediately, but after the next national budget expected in November.
Gono said the country was sitting on a total of US$810 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the African Export-Import (AFREXIM) Bank awaiting Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s authorisation for disbursement.
"IMF and AFREXIM Bank have advanced us a total of US$810 million that can be put to productive sectors and there is no need for it to remain on the table unused," Gono said.
He did not mention Biti by name. Meanwhile, Gono revealed 16 out of Zimbabwe’s 26 banks had managed to meet the new capital requirements threshold.
Under the RBZ capital requirements, commercial banks must have deposited US$6.25 million with the central bank by end of last month while another US$12 million has to be paid by March.
Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, GIDEON GONO, NEOCOLONIALISM, TENDAI BITI
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Mugabe wants friendly western ties
by Cris Chinaka
06/10/2009 00:00:00
ZIMBABWE wants new and friendly relations with Western countries who have been critical of it in the past, President Robert Mugabe said on Tuesday. Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, also reiterated a call for sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted.
"Our country remains in a positive stance to enter into fresh, friendly and cooperative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past," he said at the opening of parliament.
Mugabe has long been a pariah in the West, blamed by critics for plunging his country, once the bread basket of southern Africa, into poverty through mismanagement and corruption.
He has accused his Western foes of ruining the economy through sanctions in retaliation for a policy of seizing white-owned farms for landless blacks. Those countries say the sanctions only target him and close associates.
His government has also been criticised for human rights abuses, including repression of opponents and the media.
After long negotiations, Mugabe formed a unity government with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February to try to end a decade-long political crisis.
"Our re-engagement with the EU block is gathering momentum. However, as our inclusive government re-engages the Western countries, we expect those countries that have imposed illegal sanctions, which have hurt our people and continue to hurt our economy...to remove them," Mugabe said.
The fragile coalition between Mugabe's Zanu PF party and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is threatened by policy differences, the slow pace of reforms and feuding over state jobs.
On Tuesday opposition MDC parliamentarians applauded Mugabe when he called for unity among Zimbabweans in a conciliatory speech which analysts said was mild compared to his previous fiery, anti-West speeches at previous parliament openings.
"Together let us build the bridges of amity, forgiveness, trust and togetherness," Mugabe said.
Foreign aid donors and investors remain reluctant to put money into Zimbabwe until further progress has been made towards democratic reforms.
Government officials say the new session of parliament will consider amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act and a bill governing the operations of the central bank.
Mugabe said on Tuesday that the government would pass a law on the mining sector soon. This would address concerns raised by an earlier draft that would have given locals control of mining operations owned by foreign companies.
"The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, which should be finalised during this session, will seek to strenghten the relationship between government and the mining houses," Mugabe said.
Several mining firms, including the world's two biggest platinum producers, Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum, have retained operations in Zimbabwe but largely put new projects on hold, fearing the mines could be taken over by the state. - Reuters
Labels: MUGABE, NATIONALISATION, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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Mugabe turns up at market trader's funeral
by
06/10/2009 00:00:00
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Monday paid a surprise visit to a funeral wake for a 70-year-old woman killed in protests over the planned closure of an informal market in Harare.
Martha Chitambira, a trader, was taking part in street protests on September 23 called by the Zimbabwe Home Industries and Markets Association when a gang of stone-throwing youths sparked riotous scenes.
The youths are thought to have been trying to steal the traders’ wares at the market stalls in the poor Mbare township, also known as Mupedzanhamo.
Chitambira was struck on the head by a stone and died on admission at Harare Central Hospital.
Mugabe, not known to attend funerals of private citizens, gave short notice to the family ahead of his arrival at the Waterfalls home where mourners were gathered. He was accompanied by his wife, Grace.
He told mourners he had met Chitambira at the Roman Catholic Church and they had “good relations”.
Mugabe described the attack on the protesters as “deplorable”, blaming it on “gangs bent on causing divisions in the country”. But he pleaded with the family not to seek revenge.
Mugabe told the mourners: “People don't just die because it’s the Lord's choice, some die from illness and some die because they have reached the end of their life.
“This loss is so painful because it was planned by gangs at Mupedzanhamo, gangs that organise to kill and maim people.
“We are now burdened by the weight and load of this unfortunate event, but I believe that is the way life has changed now because of the many crazy and dangerous people in our country.
"These violent acts are deplorable because they cause division especially when the victims plan to revenge.”
Police have arrested up to 12 people over the violence, and the Chitambira family has warned the individual behind the attack to come out and “make peace” with them.
The MDC-controlled Harare City Council has voted to shut down the Mupedzanhamo Flea Market as a temporary measure to carry out an audit. But this is being resisted by traders who fear their livelihoods are threatened.
Harare councillors say they believe that politicians, council staff, and former city commissioners have grabbed stalls at the flea market – some operating as many as 10 trading stands.
The council says the market is for the poor and vulnerable residents with no other sources of income, and the audit is necessary to flush out multiple stall owners.
Labels: MARKETEERS, MUGABE
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COMMENT - " ZIMBABWE'S parliament will debate legal reforms badly needed by the battered economy " like repealing ZDERA which destroyed the currency. Not introducing neoliberal 'reform' that they could not push through under normal (non-Shock Doctrine) circumstances.
Mines law dominates new parliament
by Cris Chinaka
06/10/2009 00:00:00
ZIMBABWE'S parliament will debate legal reforms badly needed by the battered economy, including the crucial mining sector, in coming weeks, but analysts say foreign investors will wait to see how the laws are applied.
President Robert Mugabe opens a new session of parliament on Tuesday which officials say will consider amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act and a bill governing the operations of the central bank.
Mugabe told a mining conference last month that the government would pass a law on the sector soon and would address concerns raised by an earlier draft that would have given locals control of mining operations owned by foreign companies.
Several mining firms, including the world's two biggest platinum producers, Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum, have retained operations in Zimbabwe but largely put new projects on hold, fearing the mines could be taken over by the state.
Details of the new legislation have not been published, but analysts say investors will be looking for a firm commitment by the power-sharing government to private property rights and the rule of law.
"The new law will be very important but the most important issue for investors will be to see how the law is applied in practice," said John Robertson, a Harare-based economic consultant.
"We have such a bad history here now that nobody takes the government on its word, and so any good words will have to be accompanied by good deeds," he said.
After the collapse of commercial agriculture, mining emerged as Zimbabwe's largest foreign currency earner, with gold alone bringing in a third of total mineral export receipts.
Analysts say uncertainty over government policy will likely hold back big new mining investment in Zimbabwe for years as many foreign investors are still shaken by Mugabe's seizures of white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks under an empowerment drive.
Foreign companies with operations in Zimbabwe include Angloplat, Implats and Rio Tinto, majority owner in the country's biggest diamond mine.
Mugabe formed a unity government with opposition leader and arch-rival Morgan Tsvangirai in February to try to end a decade-long political crisis which ruined Zimbabwe's once prosperous economy.
But the fragile coalition between Mugabe's Zanu PF party and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is threatened by policy differences, the slow pace of reforms and feuding over some top state jobs.
Besides the mining bill, the new session of parliament -- which runs for a year -- is expected to consider changes to the operations of the central bank.
Central bank governor Gideon Gono, a Mugabe ally, has had a strained relationship with Finance Minister Tendai Biti, a senior MDC figure. Biti will present the 2010 national budget to parliament next month.
The government says it needs up to $10 billion in foreign aid to help repair an economy which saw inflation surge to over 500 billion percent in 2008, according to the IMF.
In January, the government introduced foreign currencies to stem the hyperinflation that had made the Zimbabwe dollar worthless. Inflation fell to 0.4 percent in August from one percent in July. - Reuters
Labels: MINES AND MINERALS ACT, NEOLIBERALISM
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Let’s defend the rights of Chiluba’s supporters
Written by Editor
The protest at the British High Commission in Lusaka by Richard Sakala’s brother, Edwin and his friends, Charles Kafumbo and Langton Sichone, deserved to be protected.And it was good that this protest was not stopped by the police or anyone else for that matter. We certainly do not share their views on the issues they were protesting about; we hold totally opposite views.
But we strongly believe that Edwin and his friends have every right to express themselves on any issue in this world and also have that right to come together and protest, demonstrate whenever they feel they need to do so. And this right we will always defend not only for Edwin and his friends but for all citizens of this country, and indeed for all human beings.
And it is important that we learn to defend issues of principle regardless of how much we detest those behind them. It is said that whoever is incapable of fighting for others will never be capable of fighting for himself. We have a collective duty to defend the rights of every citizen of this country. And by fulfilling that duty, we are not doing a favour to anyone but simply fulfilling a duty. And this is why we have always thought that if a man cannot sacrifice himself for others, he is incapable of sacrificing himself for anything; a person that cannot sacrifice himself or herself for others is incapable of sacrificing himself or herself for his or her own sake; a person that is not willing to fight for the rights of others will never be ready to fight for his or her own rights when they are threatened or violated.
And there is need to make it very clear that by defending the rights of Edwin and his friends, the rights of people whose views and positions we detest, does not mean in any way that we are sympathetic to their views. We are not. What we are sympathetic to is their right to hold the views they hold and to be able to come together and express them without any obstruction or hindrance from anyone. What matters to us is not the correctness of the position taken or the views being expressed but the right to hold those views and express them, whether they are palatable or unpalatable. All these rights would be a farce if they were merely confined to pleasant things, to correct positions or acceptable ideas of the general public or those in power. The freedom we are championing is one that protects unpopular and even incorrect positions. These are human rights, these are constitutional rights which do not have to be earned by taking what may be seen to be correct positions or acceptable views. And this is why we hold that the greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong, that in the exercise thereof, people have an inviolable right to express their unbridled thoughts on all topics and personalities, being liable only for the abuse of that right. Of course, we all know that the right to express oneself does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.
We all know that Richard Sakala, the brother of Edwin, was Frederick Chiluba’s press aide for 10 years and was involved in all sorts of corrupt activities that made him serve a jail sentence. So here is a case of a brother of a corrupt element coming to the service of his brother’s former boss. Anyway this point doesn’t need to be belaboured – they are simply defending their benefactors.
What worries us most is that when it comes to people who are supporting views held by those in power, the police is very accommodating. Edwin and his friends were allowed to go and demonstrate at the British High Commission because they support Rupiah Banda’s position, they are in tandem with the government policy on this score. By contrast, look at how this same police has criminalised the activities of civil society organisations that are protesting the corrupt manner in which Chiluba’s case of corruption has been handled or is being handled! People are being arrested for honking, an act that Zambians perform freely so often or so repeatedly every weekend when there is a wedding, matebeto, soccer matches and all sorts of things. Today simply because this honking is against a position government has taken, then it’s criminal. This is a criminal abuse of the powers of the police. There is a political issue here that has arisen from the corrupt manner in which Chiluba’s acquittal and withdrawal of the appeal against that judgment has been handled. There is no issue of a criminal nature here that needs policing. The police should allow the opposing political forces to slug it out politically and let those with a fair, just and humane cause carry the day. But what we see is an abuse of the police in defence of the criminal manner in which Rupiah and his friends have handled the Chiluba issue. The police, in this case, is being used to defend crime and not to fight crime. Protests in support of Chiluba are being tolerated, are not being hindered by the police in any way. But the same is not being done for those seeking justice against the abuse of our judicial process to let Chiluba go scot-free.
The issue of peace and order is neither here nor there in this matter. We say this because peace is the fruit of that right ordering of things with which the divine founder has invested human society and which must be actualised by people thirsting after an ever more perfect reign of justice. And if peace is to be established, the primary requisite is to eradicate the cause of dissention, the cause of all this honking and whistling.
It is important to maintain and strengthen democratic structures if we are to enjoy a peaceful and developing future. Arbitrariness and repressive measures have never guaranteed anyone peace or order. The pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of all our state institutions, of our police. This is why we have always said that our politics need people with credibility because their presence in the political arena can bring good, authentic values to the political process. The participation of our people in political life should be guided by noble values of respect for human dignity, human rights, common good, social justice, solidarity, integral development, social concern for the poor and non-violence in resolving conflicts.
It is because of a lack of such values in our political leadership that today we see an entire government spending disproportionate time and resources defending a thief, a lazo like Chiluba – all institutions of the state (the presidency, the Ministry of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the police and even our courts of law) are today defending Chiluba. How can this be possible in a country with values and standards, a country with special concern for the poor, for a thief who has stolen from the poor to be so well defended by the institutions of the poor and the resources of the poor?
Those who respect human rights realise that the roots of all human rights are to be found in the dignity that belongs to each human being. And the rights of all individuals and organisations and their practical implementation must be acknowledged, protected and fostered, together with the public duties binding all citizens.
The measures that the police are taking against those who are protesting Chiluba’s acquittal and the withdrawal by the government of an appeal against that acquittal will not bring peace and order in this country. We say this because such measures cannot give any society peace. Peace is the fruit of honesty, truth and solidarity and not the abuse of the repressive capacity of the police, manipulation of the judicial process to let corrupt friends go scot-free. Peace is the tranquility of order and not the abuse or manipulation of state institutions. And to guarantee peace and order, all are called to maturity, tolerance and responsibility.
What the police is doing, it’s double standards, amounts to corruption. And in serious societies, those responsible for all this would have to answer for it in the future.
And to us, the way the police and the government in general are behaving over the decision by civil society to honk and whistle over Chiluba’s questionable acquittal, in some way, shows that the government is conceding powerful mass support against what they have done.
Clearly, what all this shows us is that how the forces of democratic governance and a civil society interact is the challenge we face and have to work through as a continuing and dynamic process as we try to improve the governance of our country. There is an old saying that freedom and order are constantly in tension with one another in society. Order without freedom leads to totalitarianism. Freedom without order leads to anarchy. It is also said that societies recover more quickly and more healthily from too much freedom than they do from totalitarianism.
If all this sounds too abstract, let us then put it in simpler terms. We would hope that our police develops a greater professional integrity and responsibility and refuse to be abused in the political schemes of those in power. We would like to see the police being honest guardians of democracy and freedom in this country and respect, above all else, its own integrity as a social institution.
Labels: CHILUBA, RICHARD SAKALA
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UNIP cadres sing solidarity songs for Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba in Kasama
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:44:27 AM
UNIP cadres on Sunday sang solidarity songs for Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata. This happened when Sata was heading to Milenge Basic School grounds to address a rally. The UNIP cadres who were found gathered at what seemed to be one of the party's campaign centres and clad in UNIP regalia, were found chanting the party's slogans, but suddenly changed the course of their singing when they saw Sata and his entourage.
At seeing them, Sata disembarked from his vehicle and went to greet them. The cadres repaid him through songs of praises and solidarity, while others ululated and danced.
They sang songs like “mulekeni Sata ateke, mwamutenyatenya pafula [let Sata rule, you have troubled him a lot].”
The cadres sang one song after another for the PF leader.
Apart from singing mwamutenyatenya, they also sang, “tulibamo” [we are one].
However, Sata could not stay longer with them as he had to go to Milenge Basic School grounds where he later addressed a rally to drum up support for the PF candidate Mwamba, commonly known as GBM.
And later addressing a rally, Sata said a headmaster at Misamfu Primary School, a Mr Ngulube, sent youths to remove GBM's posters.
“What kind of a presiding officer is he going to be on the polling day?” he asked.
He further revealed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) would send presiding officers from Lusaka to the Kasama Central by-election.
“Why should they bring presiding officers from Lusaka when Lukashya and Malole which are sister constituencies to Kasama Central have presiding officers?” he asked.
Sata took a swipe at some youths who were found playing soccer at the grounds where the PF was scheduled to hold a rally.
“I don't know where we are going as a country if people can be playing soccer when we are singing the national anthem,” he said.
Sata's statement prompted PF cadres to swing into action and ask the youths to stop playing soccer.
After several minutes of argument, those who were playing soccer stopped, but expressed displeasure that they were accused of having been sponsored by the MMD to disturb the PF rally.
After the rally, Sata warned that had it been the MMD who were treated like that, the youths would not have been spared because the MMD were thugs.
Milenge is the only ward, out of the nine, which is represented by an MMD councillor while the rest are held by PF.
Sata also wondered why home affairs minister Lameck Mangani said the government was not worried about the honking and yet state resources were being used to harass people that were expressing their freedom through honking.
Labels: CADRES, PF-UPND, SATA, UNIP
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Chiluba is cheating himself over immunity – Kabimba
Written by Ernest Chanda
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:42:58 AM
LUSAKA lawyer Wynter Kabimba has said Frederick Chiluba is cheating himself because there is no law which provides for an automatic restoration of immunity on a former head of state that had previously been stripped of it.
Commenting on Chiluba's claim last week that his immunity was restored automatically the moment he was acquitted of his theft charges, Kabimba said immunity is only automatically conferred on a person the moment they become head of state.
"First of all I have not found anywhere in the Constitution where the law provides for conferring of immunity on a private citizen like Chiluba. And in any case, immunity is not applied for and conferred to someone by Parliament, no.
Immunity is automatically bestowed upon a person the moment they become head of state. In this circumstance, there is no need to apply for such immunity; the law simply confers that on that particular person. As for restoration of such immunity, the Constitution is silent. So I don't know where Chiluba got that idea from," Kabimba said. "And Parliament is not mandated by law to confer immunity on anyone, save for stripping a person of such immunity for a specific purpose. I'm sure that even our Parliament will not entertain such a joke. They will ask Chiluba to cite a law, which empowers Parliament to confer someone with immunity. They might even tell him that they have no such legal mandate. The only mandate Parliament has is to remove a head of state's immunity to make them open to prosecution. As for restoration, I can't find any such provision in the current Constitution."
Kabimba said there were other issues pertaining to Chiluba's 10-year rule, which could be brought up by the people anytime.
"Let us go to the statements made by former Task Force on Corruption chairman Maxwell Nkole about three days before he was fired. Nkole said Chiluba may have been acquitted on that charge, but that there were other cases pending which could not be brought on him at the same time, lest the public thought that he was being victimised. So, this is not the end of every misdeed about Chiluba's rule. There are other issues which ought to be brought to court against him," he said.
Kabimba said as the situation still stands, Chiluba is a private citizen who is open to prosecution whenever he commits a crime.
"Chiluba may wish to argue his case as a private citizen but Parliament will also ask him under which law they should confer immunity on him. I'm sure even his lawyers know that it's a weak case because if it wasn't, my colleague [John] Sangwa would have filed for that restoration in court. So for now, Chiluba is still a private citizen who can be prosecuted any time he committed a crime, even for crimes he may have committed some time back," said Kabimba.
On Thursday last week, Chiluba claimed that his immunity had been restored the moment he was acquitted of his theft charges by the Lusaka magistrate court.
Chiluba said his application to Parliament for the same immunity was just a moral issue rather than a legal issue.
Labels: CHILUBA, LEGAL IMMUNITY, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Be careful with donors, Mpombo cautions govt
Written by George Chellah
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:41:32 AM
SHADOWBOXING with donors will not take the country anywhere, former defence minister George Mpombo has warned. Commenting on the government's recent attacks on the donor community, Mpombo, who is also Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament urged the government to be extremely careful with their approach on donors.
“My advice is that the government should handle this matter with steady caution. I think shadowboxing with the donor community will not take us anywhere,” Mpombo said.
“We need investors to come in the country and those statements are making dangerous headlines elsewhere. They can act as a roadblock against Foreign Direct Investment. They should understand in what context messages are being made rather than wholesome condemnation. I think they need to be very, very careful.”
Last week, home affairs minister Lameck Mangani accused the diplomats in Zambia of sponsoring civil society organisations (CSOs) to honk and whistle in protest against the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba.
Mangani said the government was aware that the planned honking and whistling by the CSOs had the blessings of diplomats.
"We are not going to allow or promote anarchy in the country. All this is happening with the help of some people in the diplomatic service. We have held official meetings with the diplomats on several occasions, but it is surprising that they are having dark corner and private meetings and sponsoring pressure groups in the country," Mangani said.
And on the calls by the MMD in Western Province to hold the convention, Mpombo praised the MMD provincial executive committee (PEC) for their decision.
“I think it's a positive move, and it's a positive move which has confirmed that the whole thing was stage-managed. There is a cordon of resentment in the whole country regarding the issue, resentment against the intention to hijack the whole party,” Mpombo said. “I am very grateful to our colleagues in Western Province because they have just confirmed what I have always said that this whole thing was just being stage-managed. So those are indications that things weren't very okay.”
He said President Banda should heed the messages being sent over the ruling party's national convention.
“Let's hear what he will say,” said Mpombo.
Labels: DONORS, GEORGE MPOMBO
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‘Govt has obligation to create conducive business environment’
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:40:19 AM
ECONOMIC consultant Professor Oliver Saasa has advised the government to be wary of creating a wrong investment climate in the country.
Commenting on the problems at Maamba Collieries, which have led to operations grounding to a halt, Prof Saasa yesterday said the government had an obligation to create a conducive business environment. He said it was wrong for the government to appear to be part of the problem and not a source of solution.
“Our local investors operate without incentives given for attracting FDI [Foreign Direct Investment]. Hence it is sad when a local investor shows interest in a key mine and those efforts are frustrated,” Prof Saasa said.
He said the cost of the closure of Maamba mine had far reaching consequences than the affected employees.
“We do not want the development of another ghost town again. What happened to Luanshya after the close of the mines was a terrible thing that should not repeat itself,” he said.
Prof Saasa said while commerce minister Felix Mutati emphasized the need to reduce the cost of business and attract investments into the country, the happenings at Maamba mine negated these efforts as a wrong picture was being painted even to foreign investors.
Efforts to reach mines minister Maxwell Mwale and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) chief executive proved futile by press time.
Operations at Maamba Collieries ground to a halt after its main contactor Oriental Quarries terminated its contract.
In an interview last Friday, Scirocco Enterprises Limited managing director Maustafa Saadi confirmed the development.
Scirocco Enterprises is the holding company of Oriental Quarries.
“We as of 1st October terminated all mining activities because of the mine’s failure to honor its financial obligations to us and have given them 30 days notice. We entered into a contact with the mine in December last year and in that period the mine has not been paying us our dues,” he said.
Asked on how much Oriental Quarries had invested into the mine, Saadi pegged the figure at approximately US $7million.
Saadi said a lot of work went into resuming operations at Maamba mine.
“Our trucks and other machinery are stationed there. In addition we have a workforce of 150 people who are based there. Also, we had to lease some equipment from various suppliers. All these are financial obligations that we have to meet but we are having problems doing so because we are owed a lot of money that Maamba is not paying,” Saadi said. “Even as we speak, machinery meant for the mine has arrived in Durban that we will have to pay for. The failure of Maamba to meet its financial obligations has jeopardized our continued operations as a quarry.”
Saadi said Oriental had mined 100,000 tonnes of coal to date but only 5,000 tonnes had been sold.
Saadi said his company had on several occasions contacted ZCCM-IH over the matter but no action had been taken to resolve the situation.
“We have since contacted our lawyers to notify the mine that we have started demobilizing and will completely vacate the mine on the expiry of the notice and begin the process of getting a settlement which will include damages and losses,” Saadi said.
On the contrary, Mwale told Parliament last Friday that coal production had continued uninterrupted leading to the production of 88,955 tonnes at the mine since April.
In a ministerial statement, Mwale said Maamba had on site 40,000 tonnes of washed coal, which was equivalent to K16 billion as well as 8,000 tonnes of raw coal equivalent to K3 billion.
Mwale said US $5.3 million had been spent on reviving the Maamba mine contrary to speculation that the money had disappeared.
Mwale also dispelled assertions that there was no political will on the part of the government to improve operations at the mine.
ZCCM-IH acquired 100 per cent shareholding in Maamba Collieries but the government retained a golden share with rights to appoint a director to sit on the board.
The company earlier this year appointed Nava Bharat of Singapore to operate Maamba Collieries and construct a thermal power station at the mine, beating Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)’s parent company Vedanta Resources.
Maamba Collieries is estimated to have 78 million tonnes of known coal reserves due to last over 70 years while the coal mine has capacity to produce up to one million tonnes of coal a year.
Labels: MAAMBA COLLIERY, OLIVER SAASA
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Equinox Minerals records rise in production
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:38:50 AM
EQUINOX Minerals has recorded copper production of
28,111 tonnes during the
third quarter at its flagship mine Lumwana, according to preliminary output figures.
The performance was an improvement on both the first (22,263 tonnes) and second (24,413 tonnes) quarters of 2009, after the company improved mine truck and shovel productivity and increased its equipment fleet. According to Mining Weekly, Equinox described this as a good development for the mine.
“We continue to ramp up, predominantly focusing on improving material movement as our large Lumwana copper process plant has already demonstrated capacity to operate at and above design throughput levels,” Equinox chief executive Craig Williams said.
The firm said it had stepped up its measures in preparation for the west season, following its experiences last year.
Diversion channels to control surface water ingress into the pit have been constructed, substantial sumps excavated for the collection of in-pit water and pumping capacity has been doubled since 2008.
All main ramps and roads have been also sheeted and surfaced with bitumen emulsion to improve road conditions, particularly during wet periods, Equinox said.
“Management believes that based on the work underway in preparation for the forthcoming wet season, a continuing focus on mining fleet productivity, the commissioning of further trolley-assist infrastructure to help improve truck cycle times and the increasing exposure of new sulphide ore zones, that the fourth quarter of 2009, subject to wet season conditions, should demonstrate additional improvement on quarterly production to date,” stated Equinox.
Full-year output is now forecast at about 110,000 tonnes of copper, which is at the bottom end of the range provided in August.
Labels: EQUINOX, LUMWANA MINING COMPANY
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Beer Festival
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:37:16 AM
THE curtains have closed on the first-ever Beer Festival organised by Zambian Breweries at Lusaka’s Barclays Sports Complex last week. Depending on what you went there for, the country’s maiden Beer Fest could only be analysed in a multi-barreled manner.
A dominating marquee had been imposed on the lush green at Barclays Sports Complex and the wire-fence that usually distinguishes the spectators from the soccer players was removed to pave way for the pitching of about six tents in view of the Beer Fest, which was spread across a period of three days.
The Sports Complex was parked with assorted motor vehicles inside and outside on Friday night when a corporate evening curtain-raised Zambia’s nascent Beer Fest.
Nicky Shabolyo of Zambian Breweries’ public relations wing, explained the corporate evening to the Sunday Post.
“This is mainly a fundraising event and the proceedings from here are going to be given to charity; to the Diplomats’ Wives Association,” Shabolyo says. “The people have bought tables and they are buying the beer.”
A quick peek at the people trooping into the white marquee and those loitering on the adjacent green with all types of alcoholic beverages in their hands, showed that the Caucasians were dominating the tally.
As a band blew trombones and saxophones and strummed guitars on a well-lit stage at the heart of the marquee, Shabolyo told me as follows: “Feel free, just grab a plate and get some food.”
Indeed at almost every point of the marquee’s corners was a buffet table and ‘very friendly’ servers were on hand to dish out the alimentary craves to the imbibers.
Inside the marquee, tables dressed in white cloths were strewn all over and families, friends and business partners ignored the abnormally cool night breeze to indulge in the intricacies of the Beer Fest.
Shabolyo said the Friday event apart from being a fundraising one, was meant to test the ground in terms of the country’s holding of a Beer Fest.
“We could not just go straight into the Beer Festival. We had to analyse the situation because this is the first time we are holding this,” he says.
A further review of the place showed that ample preparations were put in place to cater for the aftermath effects of people gathering in one place just to imbibe and interact.
Several portable toilets were straddling the marquee’s two sides and the traffic went on the upswing as the nights grew older.
Later, the master of ceremony announced some of the winners in an auction for some outing to a few selected tourist resorts like Chiawa, among others.
This was part of the fundraising aspect.
Another part of the Beer Fest that came out prominently was the camaraderie among those that attended the event on all the three days.
The next day, members of the public, who agreed to part away with their K50,000, made way to the Beer Festival to mark the commencement of the main event.
As opposed to the previous night, most of the festival attendees were spread on the green and a beer ticket later, one would be enjoying their beer among friends.
However, the selling of beer tickets and the Beer Fest itself were closed to people that were below the age of 18.
Yet during the Friday night, a couple of drunken young boys who walked to Barclays Sports Complex from an unknown place had a tough time trying to convince the judges as to why they should be allowed inside.
But the security officers put their foot down and the two ‘under-ages’ failed to get inside.
According to Zambian Breweries, the Beer Fest was supposed to avail Zambians an opportunity to sample the company’s products in an organised manner and about 10 types of beers were on display for the take at a reduced price.
Coincidentally, in countries like Germany, where such traditions hold sway, the month of October is the moment of positive reckoning for beer lovers.
While the Zambian Beer Fest came a few days before the month of October, it remains to be seen if it would reach the stature that its European kin has attained within a long-term traditional couch.
As usual, new things come with new feelings and Zambia’s first Beer Fest was no exception. Some people felt that the entry fee was too high, although noting that the much-sought draught beer was cheaper at K7,500 per mug.
Even though beer drinking has become a major component of the Zambian lifestyle, those with the other views calculated how many lagers one could buy from K50,000.
Anyway, these sentiments are part of the post-event analysis on the part of the organisers, as the country braces itself for the next Beer Fest and as lessons are drawn from the European October beer frenzy.
Labels: BEER, ZAMBIAN BREWERIES
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Lusaka Hotel embarks on K1.2 bn restructuring plan
Written by Fridah Zinyama
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:35:30 AM
LUSAKA Hotel managing director David Thompson has revealed that his company will soon embark on a restructuring programme that is expected to cost about K1.2 billion.
At a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Thompson said the challenges of the past year had prompted the company to take stock of its future and he hoped that the rehabilitation and restructuring would make the hotel more competitive and profitable.
“The restructuring programme is meant to address all cost centres with a view of optimising the profit potential,” he said. “This includes the outsourcing of some services and the closure of some of the non- profit making departments.”
Thompson said the cost of the restructuring programme was estimated at K1.2 billion which would also include the terminal benefits that had accrued over the past eight years.
“In addition, a rehabilitation programme will take place that will see strategic ground floor space converted into a retail mall for more shops and boutiques,” he said.
Thompson said all the 75 rooms at the hotel would undergo extensive rehabilitation in terms of room fittings, fixture and amenities.
“Reticulation systems, both water and electrical, will be fully upgraded to ensure efficiency and effective services for the guests,” he said.
Thompson said the rehabilitation plan was currently in process and would be finalised as soon as the architectural plans and bills of quantity had been approved.
“However the initial estimated cost for the project is K3.4 billion,” said Thompson.
Labels: INFRASTRUCTURE, LUSAKA
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Increase power supply to Luapula, chief Chisunka implores govt
Written by Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:33:59 AM
CHIEF Chisunka of Mansa has urged the government to increase power supply to Luapula Province in order to accelerate mining activities in the area.
In an interview, chief Chisunka who is also Luapula Province chiefs' council chairperson, disclosed that Tycoon Mining Investments from China had promised to invest US $208 million into the manganese mining project in Mansa and that the project needed sufficient power supply to succeed. Chief Chisunka said Luapula had numerous waterfalls that the government could use for power supply.
He said he was impressed with Tycoon Mining Investments because they appeared to be genuine investors that were not just interested in reaping profits, but also uplifting local people's living standards.
"They (Tycoon Investments) have been given a large-scale manganese prospecting license ... but before they start mining, they first want to build about 120 houses for their workers," chief Chisunka said.
"Machines are already on site to explore the quantity of minerals on site and they have told us that they will tell us if they find other minerals apart from manganese."
He said it was for this reason that the province and the district in particular needed enough power supply because the prospective investor also wanted to set up a factory for purposes of value addition instead of exporting raw mineral.
Chief Chisunka said about 5,000 jobs were expected to be created once the project comes to fruition.
Labels: CHIEF CHISUNKA, ENERGY, LUAPULA PROVINCE
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Chiengi agric officer calls for more support towards crop marketing
Written by Florence Bupe in Chiengi
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:32:22 AM
CHIENGI acting agricultural coordinator Stanley Chibwe has called for increased support to crop market as a means of promoting economic diversification in the district.
Speaking when Food Reserve Agency (FRA) visited his office on Sunday, Chibwe said the district faced the challenge of depleting fish stock, hence the need to identify and implement alternative growth activities.
“Chiengi has for a long time been depending on fishing for livelihood. However, due to the diminishing fish levels, people have moved up land for alternative farming activities” he said.
Chibwe said the district had registered positive development as crop activities increased.
However, he noted that there was much more that still needed to be done.
He called on agricultural-based agencies to give support to the farmers through increased market access.
“As a district we have high crop productivity. We need increased market access and infrastructure to store our produce”Chibwe said.
“Government should look into these issues to prevent post harvest losses.”
And FRA executive director Anthony Mwanauomo assured that the agency would consider making adjustment in the crop purchasing exercise to enhance market access for farmers in the district.
He said Chiengi district had vast potential to supply substantial quantity of rice and disclosed that K900 million would be spent on rice purchasing in the district next year, but stressed that allocation was subject to adjustment.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, FRA, MARKETING
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