Maravi

Miyanda defends Gen Masheke’s comments on retiring of 6 generals

Miyanda defends Gen Masheke’s comments on retiring of 6 generals
By George Chellah
Mon 26 Apr. 2010, 04:40 CAT

HERITAGE Party (HP) leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has advised President Rupiah Banda’s government to revisit its new policy of governing by threats and intimidation because this method seldom achieves the intended purpose.

And Brig Gen Miyanda said attempts to find fault in General Malimba Masheke’s comment on a matter of public interest will turn out to be a wild-goose chase
Commenting on chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha’s utterances last Sunday that the government was investigating General Masheke to see if he had broken his oath of secrecy by commenting on President Banda’s retirement of all defence chiefs at the same time, Brig Gen Miyanda dismissed the threats.

“General Malimba Masheke’s comment on President Banda’s recent removal of Defence Force generals cannot by any stretch of imagination qualify to be an offence or breach under our laws. Instead it exposes how jittery government has become. To threaten any former Army or Air Commander with prosecution for an obscure and non-existent crime is the last thing the government should be wasting public funds on,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.

“To threaten General Masheke after his long service is beneath the Zambian government which does not even properly utilise or look after its former service or military personnel.

All military personnel sacrifice one thing when they sign up their lives, which is the ultimate sacrifice. This attempt to find fault in General Masheke’s comment on a matter of public interest will turn out to be a wild-goose chase.”

Brig Gen Miyanda said it was not every statement that amounted to a breach of security or oath.

“In order to succeed in a prosecution of this nature, the government must take into account the facts and the circumstances of the case which may be material and necessary to constitute an offence under our laws; I see none here. Such facts will be found in the statement first made by the President and then commented on by General Masheke,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.

“It is laughable to hear the government declare that the President’s decision to remove defence personnel cannot be debated. There is no such blanket law in Zambia; it all depends on the specific case. How can an opinion become an offence? In fact, the government itself has been condoning serious breaches by disclosing secret tunnels!

“Before initiating any inquiry, it is always necessary to have a modicum of evidence to avoid more Chansa Kabwela-type comedies; General Masheke did not disclose any secrets. He commented on a matter that was put in the public domain by the President himself. The question is, which part of the President’s speech was secret?

And will the President be investigated for being the source of the publication of the alleged secret? I see no such secret in the President’s speech; his action was purely an administrative action that did not even require a Presidential Press briefing, unless truly there was some undercurrent behind the action.

Ordinarily, a retirement is known in advance and even published by the military themselves in their circulars!”
Brig Gen Miyanda said it was completely unnecessary for ministers to keep themselves busy with matters that must in the first instance be handled by professionals under their command, in this case the Police and subsequently the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP’s) office.

“When president Sata alleged that there was a plot to assassinate him, the correct response was for the operatives in the Police to take a formal statement from him and begin to investigate the allegation with no fanfare.

The press battles with Honourables Chishimba Kambwili, Mumbi Phiri and Jean Kapata have acquired a political label through minister’s running commentaries, leading to the perception that there may be political persecution even when this may not be so.

Leave the Police to handle these things and ministers to comment sparingly should there be need to do so,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “It is not only insults that are anathema to Zambian politics, but also these daily unproductive threats and intimidation by the government of anyone who comments on matters of national interest.

Day in, day out we hear threats against the Church, the media, students and all and sundry. Threats and intimidation have become the normal way to govern as though punishment is the only option. Government must revisit its new policy of governing by threats and intimidation because this method seldom achieves the intended purpose. The charade must stop. Those who are afraid of shadows usually end up hanging themselves.”

Labels: ARMED FORCES, GODFREY MIYANDA, MALIMBA MASHEKE, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:46 PM