'ANC government protects white privilege'
APHIWE DEKLERK - Sep 03 2011 18:01
The ANC-led government is a "bodyguard of whiteness".
Those is one the views of radical thinker and writer Andile Mngxitama, the publisher and editor of the journal New Frank Talk. He was part of a four-member panel discussing the topic Not in Black and White at the Mail & Guardian's Literary Festival, currently under way at the Johannesburg Market Theatre.
Author and journalist Fiona Forde, writer and civil servant Sandile Memela and author, poet and intellectual Antjie Krog made up the rest of the panel.
In supporting his argument, Mngxitama said the ANC has the political power to push for land reform but "they will not exercise it because they are protecting old white privileges, bottom line. I cannot think of any other rational explanation."
He went further and said South Africa is a white country under black management and that the ruling party can no longer make any promises to its supporters before elections.
Only the party's youth leader, Julius Malema, who is currently facing disciplinary action that could see him expelled for five years from the party if found guilty, can save the party from losing support through his radical expropriation of land without compensation and nationalisation of mines policy.
Mngxitama argued against the theme of the day stating that in fact things are still "black and white".
Asked by Forde if he would like to see a non-racial South Africa, he declined to answer. "How do we seriously talk about a non-racial society when the whole project of 1994 has normalised the places of black people and the places of white people in society?" asked Mngxitama.
Pressed further, he said he desired a free society where whiteness is totally irrelevant, and suggested land redistribution as a way to achieve that.
"Don't you think that it would be nice if we don't have these white men running around with so many slaves on their land? Shouldn't this be the first question?"
But Krog pointed that the Constitution allowed for a radical land reform plan. "Why is it taking so long? … The whole farming industry has not worked out what kind of farms people want." She called for a radical land redistribution plan by the ANC government.
Mngxitama agreed with Krog and said the ruling party had not tested the limits of the Constitution in addressing land redistribution, despite having the political power to do.
However, Memela, who throughout the discussion had encouraged a non-racial approach to South Africa, argued that individuals needed to take responsibility and do whatever they can to lift others up, because there was not going to be a plan to redress South Africa's inequalities.
"The inequalities are so deeply rooted that it is not going to be eliminated in Andile's lifetime or mine. We can only try to raise little children, make them not to be ashamed of themselves because they are black or white; it's what it is."
The Mail & Guardian Johannesburg Literary Festival hopes to be bigger and better this September. To mark the city's 125th birthday the festival will focus on Jo'burg as both an African city and a world city. Visit our special report here.
Labels: LAND REFORM, SOUTH AFRICA
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Invisible campaigning
By Dr Guy Scott
Wed 17 Aug. 2011, 08:30 CAT
Last week's article about various presidential hopefuls each fantasising a "demographic" segment of the population that was going to vote for them, attracted one very trenchant commentary from an anonymous source. I will give his or her remarks verbatim, after a quick reminder that a "demographic" is a statistically defined section of the population: for example Under-25s, mothers of more than one child, widows, unemployed males, Members of a certain tribal or religious grouping etc. Here we go:
"Dear Mr. Scott,
"The most competent user of the demographic idea, because it is the richest party by far and can afford all the analysis and consultancy, is the MMD. The MMD, with some help from vote-splitting spoilers in the opposition, has now beaten PF three times in Presidential elections and it will do so again if you do not buck up your Oxford (or is it Cambridge?) ideas.
"Roughly speaking the electoral register in Zambia is divided into two halves: two-and-a-half million voters under the age of 30, and the same number over the age of 30. We can slice it finer than that but there is no point in getting sophisticated before we have the basics right.
"Any election strategist will tell you that under-30s are unreliable. Give them a couple of T-shirts or a few sachets of tujilili and they are anybody's. They can also be swayed by rhetoric, music, and visions of an unrealistically perfect future. This may be less true of educated youngsters who cannot find a job (a growing pro- PF demographic) but nonetheless it is broadly true. A good election planner, therefore, places his or her faith in the more mature fifty per cent of the voters and tries to secure a "nest-egg" of reliable votes from there.
"You would think it was a simple matter for any party to get its message to voters of all ages and accumulate supporters, but that is not the case. Look at a photograph of any large political rally and you will see that the under-30s tend to dominate by far. The oldies are also not avid consumers of radio or newspapers, largely because they have little interest in the ding-dong discourse of politicians. They are also typically more vulnerable than youngsters, having acquired a spouse, several children of their own, and the gift of other dependants from the extended family. A very mild "shock" is enough to cast them into the deep end - and partly to evade unwelcome shocks they do not want to be publicly identified with any political party. Some of the older voters feel so insecure that they shudder at ludicrous stories about Sata throwing old people into the Zambezi (starting with himself presumably).
"To cut the long answer short, the way to reach the older demographic is for organisers to go door-to-door and politically incognito, compiling lists of sympathisers as they go, which information helps to organise and target the next round (with weapons such as women's clubs and Citizens Empowerment). The MMD has at least one very sophisticated, computerised system for this "invisible campaigning", which is unknown even to its own party officials.
"Of course you cannot win them all; but if it can assemble a nest-egg of loyal and stable supporters in the region of one million votes, say, then MMD are home and dry. Given the likely turnout of 70 per cent there will be 3.5 million votes cast; the MMD can easily pick up half-a-million in the hurly burly of the younger voters. And with the nest-egg in place that is probably enough to ensure victory with around 40 per cent of the total vote.
"Even if PF has a nest-egg of a million voters amongst the youngsters, this is rather unstable and susceptible to influences earlier described. Further, to match MMD it will still need to hunt votes on an order greater than half-a-million amongst the older voters.
"And that can only be done house-to-house and hut-to-hut in the infantry fashion - by footing.
"So there you are Mr. Scott. Think about it and give my regards to president Sata. Oh, by the way, PF's Don't Kubeba campaign is a step in the right direction. If you can persuade people to lie or keep quiet about their political persuasions as a way of ensuring that they are able to vote freely, unfettered by feelings of obligation, Zambia is making progress towards democracy.
Yours in the struggle,
Mr. X"
Labels: GUY SCOTT, PF
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COMMENT - The ZRA is collecting $3.4 billion in taxes? (K17 trillion : K5000/USD) Time to start an investment fund.
ZRA to exceed annual tax collection target
By Ndinawe Simpelwe
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:40 CAT
ZAMBIA Revenue Authority commissioner general Wisdom Nhekairo says tax collections this year will exceed the annual target of K16 trillion. In an interview, Nhekairo said ZRA would exceed this year's target by K1 trillion because of the tax arrears that the mines have paid, adding that tax collection was on course.
"We will exceed that target by about K1 trillion and the excess of the K1 trillion we are going to make will actually be because of the mining tax arrears that we collected this year.
But otherwise the K16 trillion is on course, maybe in the last half of this year, we might even get a little bit more and go above the K16 trillion," Nhekairo said.
He said the mining tax arrears were all paid by June 30th this year.
"Everybody has paid the arrears as of 30th June, that's the K1 trillion I am talking about. That's the arrears of all of them put together and that's what we collected as mining tax arrears," he said.
Nhekairo also said taxes were contributing about 17 per cent to the country's gross domestic product.
He said ZRA's aim was to ensure that tax contributes about 20 per cent to GDP by 2013 after expanding the tax base.
"The tax base will not always be 100 per cent; there will always be businesses and individuals who are outside and not within the tax base that we can't currently capture. There is more we can do and our strategies are there to ensure that we increase the number of businesses and economic activities in the tax net," Nhekairo said.
"Obviously we could collect more if certain sectors do not have issues of failing to pay their taxes. But this is the normal thing that is going on, right now from our best estimates this is the tax that is collectable.
The possibility of collecting more is always there. No one collects the correct amount at any time because there will be failures of companies, there will be failures of people failing to pay."
Labels: TAXATION, WISDOM NHEKAIRA, ZRA
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Central bank recommends agriculture-driven growth
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:40 CAT
AGRICULTURE-RELATED growth is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth based on other sectors of the economy, says Bank of Zambia deputy governor for Operations Dr Austin Mwape.
Officiating at the African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA) Southern African sub-regional (SACRAT) workshop on Wednesday, Dr Mwape said it had been further documented that agriculture was a proven driver of poverty reduction.
"When agriculture stimulates growth in Africa, the growth is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth based on other sectors of the economy. In this regard, agriculture provides the largest source of employment in many countries and will remain the lead sector of comparative advantage," Dr Mwape said.
He said the recent global financial and food crises have led to renewed focus on agriculture and agri-business as priority sectors for spurring economic growth in Africa.
"For this to be effective, there is need to develop value chains that integrate producers and markets to make the agriculture sector more responsive to consumer demand," he said.
"The value chain approach should be aimed at building on conditions in the consumer market and emphasise the linkages and segments that connect the final product demanded by consumers all the way to the agricultural commodities produced at farm level."
Dr Mwape said the key segments in the value chain were the consumer market, trade logistics, packaging, postharvest risk management and agricultural production.
And Swaziland deputy bank governor Phil Mnisi said his entourage decided to attend the workshop with a view to joining AFRACA, adding that agriculture stimulates growth at grassroots levels.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, BANK OF ZAMBIA
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Bingu describes Gwanda ‘thug’, ‘greedy’ – WikiLeaks
By Charles Kufa, Nyasa Times
September 1, 2011
Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika told donors that he was keen in putting in cage veteran politician Gwanda Chakuamba and described him as a “thug”, according to leaked documents published on WikiLeaks.
The WikiLeaks cable obtained by Nyasa Times shows that Mutharika told the donor community after his election in 2004 as Head of State that he intended to enhance security in the country by increasing the government’s support to the police and the military and “went off-script to skewer opposition candidate Gwanda Chakuamba, who has filed a court petition to have the results of the election declared null and void.”
Mutharika pointed out that Chakuamba also contested the national elections in 1994 and 1999 and incited his supporters to cause disturbances.
The WikiLeaks cable quote Mutharika as telling donors about Chakuamba: “The man is a thug, pure and simple.”
Chakumba: Thug and greedy, according to Mutharika
Mutharika, according to the cable, added (three times) that if disturbances continued, he would lock Chakuamba up, insisting that his protests were not political “the man is greedy and crazy”, he vowed he “will not tolerate disturbance of the peace in this country.”
Chakuamba, a former powerful minister in the government of Malawi’s founding President Kamuzu Banda, was an influential leader of the opposition since 1994 when Malawi held its first democratic elections in 30 years and briefly served as agriculture minister during Mutharika’s first term.
He was also charged for calling Mutharika “ a brute.” And was convicted for inciting acts of violence against the Lhomwe tribe in the country. Chakuamba uttered words ordering the beating up of all Lhomwes in Malawi in November 2008, but was not given custodial sentence owing to his advanced age.
The whistle blowing website said Mutharika convened heads of mission from donor countries and agencies in Lilongwe for a two-hour meeting on May 27, 2004 during which he outlined his plans to move Malawi from “poverty to prosperity.”
It says while the bulk of the meeting was spent paraphrasing the inauguration speech he delivered three days earlier, he deviated from the script long enough to divulge plans to dramatically reduce the size of the cabinet; that he favours state subsidies in the agriculture sector; that he intends to establish a new university; that he will jail Chakuamba if he continues to cause problems; and that he wants the support of international donors to deal with Malawi’s crushing domestic debt burden.
He has also told donors not to believe stories that the Catholics and Presbyterians had opposed his candidacy. Insisting that only a few individuals were the instigators of anti-UDF sentiment in the churches, he claimed that religious leaders were now making known their support of him.
“ While almost everything Mutharika said in two hours was measured, soothing, well-reasoned, and designed to enlist the good will of donors, his discourse was punctuated by some jarring comments,” reads the cable.
Since November last year, WikiLeaks has controversially released a string of classified documents.
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, GWANDA CHAKUAMBA, WIKILEAKS
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Mining and Sept 20
By The Post
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
Our country is endowed with immense mineral wealth. But while other countries with lesser mineral endowments have lifted their people's living standards to very high levels by profitably exploiting their natural resources, our people are wallowing in abject poverty next to the mining pits.
The question is: why are we failing to exploit the mineral blessings God has given our nation to lift the living standards of our people to higher heights? The exploitation of our mineral wealth should be characterised by desire and capacity to serve the common good of our society.
The sense of responsibility in economic initiative should demonstrate the individual and social virtues necessary for the development. The exploitation of our mineral wealth should benefit all, it must be a community of solidarity.
And the government is the instrument by which people cooperate together in order to achieve the common good.
An authority is needed to guide the energies of all towards the common good. And this month's elections should give us that authority, a political leadership that is honest, that has ability, concern and dedication and concern for the welfare of all. We must be responsible in the exploitation of the mineral wealth God has made available to us.
Economic justice requires that the earnings from mining are fairly shared to ensure that each individual has adequate resources to survive, to develop and thrive. We say this because economic growth depends in the very first place on social progress. And the political power that will arise from these elections must have as its aim the achievement of the common good.
Mining should therefore be firmly placed on the agenda of important campaign issues for these elections. Candidates should, in some way, be evaluated on their ability and capacity to make the exploitation of our country's mineral resources beneficial to our people. Those who are offering themselves for re-election ought to be evaluated against the record of what they have or have not achieved.
Did they offer and implement sound mining policies? Did their policies benefit all our people and not only themselves and the mining companies? Those who have not yet held office should be carefully evaluated in terms of what policies they are coming up with, their ability and capacity to implement them and their reputation for honesty and selfless dedication to the common good.
We know very well that incompetence, dishonesty, lack of transparency and corruption has led to a situation where elements of state capture, collusion, misinformation, lopsided contract conditionalities, under-valuation of assets and incomplete reporting arrangements have tended to characterise mining contracts and concessions.
And transparency around the awarding of mining contracts and agreements has been an area of concern for some time. We say this because there is very little involvement of the local people and community organisations in negotiations for investment in mining by foreign companies.
Major stakeholders such as the trade unions, professional bodies and networks, civil society organisations, the relevant international cooperating partners and many others feel left out during the critical moments when their expertise would have been required.
And once these investors are allowed entry into our country's economy, everything is let loose; our people who are the owners of the natural resources are at the mercy of these investors whose main preoccupation becomes the maximisation of profits without due consideration for the people in areas where they operate.
We know very well that the global projections for base metal prices are quite positive in the short and medium term. According to analysts, there is a good chance of the prices remaining relatively high over the years to come. As we have stated before, a window of opportunity therefore still exists for Zambia to gain from its vast mineral deposits.
But what are our politicians in government doing about this? Does their behaviour demonstrate any concern for the welfare of the poor majority?
The answer is a categorical no. We say so because Rupiah Banda's government was so desperate to undo everything that Levy Mwanawasa had put in place immediately they came into power.
When many countries in the region are moving towards having reasonable taxes for the mines owing to the increasing prices on the international market, this government was busy trying to please the investors in all sorts of ways in the name of attracting foreign direct investments. But we know this was not for nothing to themselves.
We saw how this government hurriedly scrapped off the windfall tax on copper which could benefit this economy a great deal. This is why we agree with Sylvia Masebo's observations that Rupiah and his friends quickly turned around to change some laws as soon as Levy died without giving proper reasons to the people.
To date, no reasonable explanation has been put across to justify the removal of the windfall tax introduced by Levy's government in 2008. All we have been told is that maintaining the windfall tax would have scared away investors in mining. But we know that this is a blatant lie. We say so because these mines are making super profits at current prices of copper.
A proper policy in mining, coupled with a government that has the interests of the people at heart, is needed if we have to harbour the possibility of reducing poverty and raising our people's living standards to higher heights.
In April this year, an Oxford policy management consultant, Dr Dan Haglund, noted that Zambia has failed to implement an effective mining tax policy due to the direct influence by the presidency and other senior government officials.
We agreed with Dr Haglund's observations made in his research findings. And this went to confirm a widely shared consensus among most commentators and experts on the Zambian mining tax regime.
It cannot be denied that due to this unhealthy relationship, the government is captive and denies itself the much needed administrative, political and fiscal space to effectively regulate and tax the mining companies. We cannot afford to be so reckless, wasteful with an exhaustible national resource. Very soon, all these minerals will be gone.
What will the Zambian people be left with? Nothing but pits that are being created in the mining areas, damaged roads and a polluted environment! The citizens of this country definitely deserve a better deal from the investments being made in mining.
And the mining companies themselves have often pointed to the need for any new tax regime to consider the complexity and differences in the mining methods; especially between deep shafts and open cast mining; wetter and dry mines; old mines and green-fields and the overall impact on production cost and profitability. They have also raised concerns on whether the tax regime should be revenue based or profit based. These are indeed critical issues not to be overlooked.
This is why a new mining policy and taxation model is urgently required.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX, WYLBUR SIMUUSA
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COMMENT - In the US and Canada, it is illegal to bribe foreign officials. In the US, there is
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. I think this would be enough to start an investigation into how the 'Development Agreements' came about, who was bribed and by whom, and how much taxes were lost because of this corrupt activity. And as everyone knows, there is no protection of a legal contract that was drawn up by breaking the law.
Mines are funding MMD's campaign, says Simuusa
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:01 CAT
MINING firms are bankrolling Rupiah Banda and the MMD's re-election campaign, says a mining engineer.
In an interview yesterday, Wylbur Simuusa, who is PF Nchanga parliamentary candidate in the September 20 elections, said President Banda removed the windfall tax so that he and the MMD financially benefit from the foreign mining companies for their campaign.
"I have been very disappointed with the inconsistence of the government because when Levy Mwanawasa was still alive the windfall tax was done at great expense.
There was a very solid team that was put up to go through all the numbers before presentation in Parliament," Simuusa said.
"It was very disappointing that when Banda came to power he said ‘the windfall tax was a mistake and we are over-taxing foreign investors' which is very shameful. I have challenged Banda to bring counter research to challenge the first decision."
He said a named international organisation had released a report that revealed that President Banda's government was "too close" to mining companies' owners to effectively challenge them.
"So, that ‘too close' speaks volumes. It means behind the scenes money is exchanging hands. There was talk that the mine owners, especially the Chinese and Indians are going to heavily fund the MMD campaigns and now what we are saying is that the MMD has campaign flag on every tree and pole," Simuusa said.
"Over 50 bicycles have been given. Each candidate has been given money. Where is MMD getting that money? Meanwhile, they made a statement that MMD is a poor party but all of the sudden where are they getting money to hang a MMD chitenge on every tree? So we know that someone is funding them and it's the mining companies. That is why President Banda is failing to execute the windfall tax and other laws."
Simuusa also warned Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to desist from taking vital identity of all miners.
"I have received a lot of reports that the mine owners are demanding that all the workers should submit NRCS and other details about their families. This is a sensitive period. Let KCM stop with immediate effect this intimidation of the workers," said Simuusa. "Let the miners not submit that information."
[About the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act:
Provisions and scope
The anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA prohibit:
Issuers, domestic concerns, and any person from making use of interstate commerce corruptly, in furtherance of an offer or payment of anything of value to a foreign official, foreign political party, or candidate for political office, for the purpose of influencing any act of that foreign official in violation of the duty of that official, or to secure any improper advantage in order to obtain or retain business.
Persons subject to the FCPA
Issuers
Includes any U.S. or foreign corporation that has a class of securities registered, or that is required to file reports under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 - MrK]
Labels: LEVY MWANAWASA, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX, WYLBUR SIMUUSA
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Rupiah is going, says Mangani
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
The signs in Luapula and elsewhere are definite that President Rupiah Banda is going, says Lameck Mangani. And Mangani has advised President Banda not to cling to the presidency after the September 20 elections because that will be against Zambians' wishes and can cause anarchy.
Mangani, a former home affairs minister in the Rupiah Banda Cabinet but currently Chipata Central PF parliamentary candidate, said the late former president Frederick Chiluba and PF ‘rebel members of parliament' cheated President Banda that he was popular in Luapula Province when in fact people disliked him.
In an interview from Chipata, Mangani said President Banda must emulate first Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda who stepped down after his electoral defeat in 1991.
Mangani said President Banda must avoid rigging electoral results because that could create "problems" for him and the country.
"The signs in Luapula and elsewhere are definite signs that he is going," Mangani said. "The only thing that he can do is to avoid rigging the elections because, if he does, it will have serious repercussions on him.
He is treated as a freedom fighter and as a freedom fighter he cannot sink so low as to rig an election because it will dent his image and also create a problem because Zambians know who they want to vote for.
So once somebody who they don't know has won, it will create discontent in the country. The best thing to do is to accept the results of the elections and allow transparency to prevail. Any attempts to rig will create problems."
Asked if he feared that President Banda's hold on power after the elections would cause anarchy, Mangani responded: "If he is going to force himself against the wishes of the people, then it can create problems."
He said President Banda must respect the people's wishes after the elections and leave power.
"He should emulate Dr Kaunda. When Dr Kaunda saw that it is impossible to change things, he stepped down. He never went to the extent of trying to rig. No! He simply said: ‘the people have spoken, let me step down'," Mangani said.
"Dr Kaunda is still a living example. Let him follow what Dr Kaunda did, then he will have all the respect that he deserves as a former head of state.
But if he is going to force himself, then he will be trapped in a situation where people will think he is a dictator and they will treat him very harshly."
Mangani said a lot of people had been deceiving President Banda.
"President Banda has fallen into the same trap Dr Kaunda fell in in 1991, where people kept on cheating him that ‘all is well' when things were not okay.
We have been told by the rebel MPs members of parliament and the former president that Luapula is very good for him and MMD," Mangani said. "But on the contrary, I think the President has seen the actual situation on the ground that things are not the way he has been cheated.
The situation within the next few weeks will be ugly, not only in Luapula but in most parts of the country because Zambians are determined to change government. He will see the true picture within the next few weeks before we cast our vote."
Mangani said many MMD members and officials had just been pretending.
"Naturally, people don't want to tell the President the truth but the President on his own should have the ability to investigate the truth of what is obtaining," Mangani said.
"Chiluba and rebel MPs gave President Banda a picture which is not true on the ground as being evidenced by what is happening right now. It's very unfortunate. Again, he did not need Chiluba and the rebel MPs to tell him; he is the President and should have known that ‘these people are cheating me'."
Mangani said President Banda had "all the machinery" to know the truth but he decided to be receptive to deception, thereby creating problems for himself.
"That is the danger of having praise singers because they don't want you to look at the other side of the story.
They just say, ‘you are the only one, you are the most popular and all Zambians like you', which is not possible," said Mangani. "Now the truth will prevail.
The next two weeks will be very tough for him and the MMD. No matter how much money they will give voters, people have learnt the PF ‘Don't kubeba' slogan. People will get their MMD money but they will not vote for them."
During his campaign trail in Luapula Province this week, President Banda received a cold reception and even failed to address a rally in Mansa.
Labels: LAMECK MANGANI, RUPIAH BANDA
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Rupiah asks Zambians to trust him
By Misheck Wangwe in Mwinilunga
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda says Zambians must learn to trust him because he is a good leader who has served the country with diligence over the past three years.Addressing a campaign rally at the Freedom Square in Mwinilunga, President Banda said he would never betray Zambians once given the full mandate of five years to rule the nation, but would work hard to uplift the living standards of the people particularly those in rural areas.
He said opposition leaders like PF Michael Sata could not be trusted with anything because he knew nothing about the challenges of governing the nation.
President Banda said under his reign, the MMD government had been sensitive to the needs of the people.
He said North Western Province had seen unprecedented levels of development within the period he had been Republican President looking at the construction of roads, the rural electrification programme and a strengthened agriculture sector that had led to consecutive bumper harvests.
President Banda said although it had taken close to 20 years for the MMD government to work on the widely talked about Mutanda-Chavuma road, his government was determined to complete it to ease the movements of people and goods.
"I' am a lucky and blessed Republican President because Zambians of all ages are supporting me. Prominent people and veteran politicians from this region like Dr Peter Matoka are behind me. Young people like Joe Kalusa are also supporting me and victory for me in this year's election is certain," President Banda said.
President Banda said the campaign trail of the MMD was going on well because it was issues based and the party had no time to talk ill or insult the opposition.
He said people challenging the MMD in this year's elections must stand publicly and condemn violence in the strongest possible terms like he had demonstrated to the nation.
President Banda said all well-meaning Zambians must decline to associate themselves with politicians that were agitating violence.
And Enoch Kavindele said the people of North Western Province should not waste time listening to the opposition because the MMD under President Banda was delivering the much-needed development.
Kavindele said Zambians should be wary of some of the opposition leaders that were contesting the elections because they were capable of bringing turmoil in the country.
Labels: RUPIAH BANDA
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PF aware of MMD, UPND collusion - Sakeni
By George Chellah
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
PF is aware of the collusion between MMD and UPND and is determined to defeat them simultaneously, says Kennedy Sakeni. In an interview yesterday, Sakeni, who is a retired senior intelligence officer, said his party was fully aware of the plot against PF by the MMD and UPND.
"What the UPND and the MMD don't realise is that we are miles ahead of them. We know that the MMD and UPND are colluding against PF ahead of the September 20 general elections," said Sakeni, who is also former home affairs deputy minister.
"We know that this is a highly-guarded operation, From front page
which unfortunately couldn't be hidden from our eyes because as PF, we are everywhere hence we captured it."
Sakeni said the MMD is assisting the UPND to campaign in certain areas.
"For instance, we know for a fact that the UPND has joined hands with the MMD to abuse state resources because GRZ vehicles are being used to transport UPND campaign materials," Sakeni said.
"Where in Africa have you seen an opposition political party using government transport to carry its campaign materials? I challenge both the MMD and UPND to deny if this is not happening."
Sakeni, who is PF Luapula Province chairperson and Mansa- Central parliamentary candidate, said the main aim of this operation is to reduce the PF vote margins in specific areas.
"The MMD and UPND have decided to work together or team up in areas like Luapula, Northern and many other provinces where the MMD is weaker. This alliance has also extended to media coverage and publicity. If you have noticed the UPND has of late been receiving very favourable coverage from our extremely biased and anti-opposition public media," Sakeni said.
"UPND is currently the most covered opposition political party on state television and in state newspapers. Only yesterday Wednesday, you saw what the Zambia Daily Mail wrote about Hakainde's secret campaign trail of Northern Province, which to my knowledge was a flop. All this is part of the grand scheme against PF and Michael Sata in particular."
Sakeni said the MMD's alliance with the UPND was destined for doom.
"The UPND's desire to sleep with the enemy will not in any way improve or advance their political fortunes. Instead, it will only obliterate them from the Zambian political scene. The best UPND can do now is to dissolve and merge with MMD so that we can crush them simultaneously," Sakeni said.
"They are just wasting their time because in Luapula and Northern Province and many other areas; the UPND presence is almost zero and they both MMD and UPND know it. This also goes to show the UPND's poor political judegment and treachery, which we luckily spotted early enough.
"Let them continue cheating each other because as PF we are determined to defeat them both, come September 20, 2011. The MMD and UPND will not manage to sink us; we will simply walk over them because we have already done our homework."
Labels: KENNEDY SAKENI, MMD, NEOLIBERALISM, PF, UPND
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Banda violated the law over the mosque - Kapiji
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
RUPIAH Banda violated the law by allowing the construction of a mosque in a residential area in Lusaka, says former lands minister Judith Kapijimpanga. And some residents of Rhodes Park, where the controversial mosque is being built contrary to the town and country planning Act, said President Banda had betrayed and inflicted injustice on them.
Commenting on President Banda's unilateral decision to give land to the Muslim community to build a mosque illegally in a Lusaka's Rhodes Park residential area, Kapijimpanga said the head of state had disregarded the laws and procedures in land allocation.
"Though I appreciate that land is held by the President on behalf of Zambians, in this case, the residents were not listened to. The residents are a bigger number and their voice should have been heard," Kapijimpanga said. "In this case, the President abrogated the town and country planning Act, which stipulates the zoning of areas."
Kapijimpanga said zoning must have been considered before the construction of the mosque in line with the town and country planning Act, which is administered by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
"That particular mosque which the President is talking about is built in a residential area. The Muslim community must have purchased that house from a former civil servant and decided to build a mosque," she said.
"I remember there was a house there. But before a church religious centre is put up, the town and country planning Act must be taken into consideration.
The Act stipulates that areas should be zoned. For instance, if an area is for residential, it must be for residential houses. If it's for churches, it must be for churches, if it's for markets it must be for markets etc.
"In this instance, because that area was already zoned as a residential area, the local government minister had to consult stakeholders and when that stakeholders' meeting was held, a lot of residents around that area refused that there will be a lot of noise because Muslims pray loudly. That was why president Mwanawasa refused to sanction that project."
And a representative of the over 50 residents opposed to the construction of the Mosque said the people were angry with President Banda's decision.
"Now, we know what was happening. The President's stance on this issue is a betrayal. We are disappointed. People are still angry about this.
It's unfair and we feel defenceless," said the representative, on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation from the government.
"The issue was not about religion but the good of our community and the construction of that mosque is not adding any value. There is only one Muslim who lives around that area."
The representative explained that the residents had asked the court to determine the legality of the construction of the mosque but lawyers raised preliminary issues that it was premature for them to take the case for review to the court but that they should first of all take it to the lands tribunal.
"Therefore, judge Evans Hamaundu could not give us the leeway to take this case to be decided by the court.
Now that there are these revelations, we now know what was going on," the representative said. "But those who went to seek favours from President Banda should not feel comfortable that this matter has reached this stage. Injustice has been done and at an appropriate time, as residents, we want to pursue this matter to the final conclusion. It is unfair."
Addressing a meeting in Chipata last week, President Banda said he sacked Sylvia Masebo as local government minister, among other reasons, because she was rude and had created a problem between herself and the Muslim community by opposing the construction of the mosque.
But Masebo has maintained that she and president Levy Mwanawasa opposed the construction of the mosque because the project was against the law.
Labels: JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA
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Judge Matibini refuses to remove Sata's injunction
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
THE Lusaka High Court has dismissed an application by Lusaka freelance journalist Chanda Chimba seeking the resumption of his Stand Up for Zambia television programme while the Supreme Court was determining his appeal on the matter.
Ruling in a case where Chimba appealed against the High Court's earlier decision to grant the injunction, High Court judge Patrick Matibini dismissed Chimba's application on ground that his defence of justification, fair comment and privilege were not likely to succeed at trial.
Judge Matibini said the defendants' conduct fell short of the standard of responsible journalism.
In this case, judge Matibini had on August 2 this year granted Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata an interim injunction restraining Chimba from defaming him through the Stand Up for Zambia television programme.
But Chimba appealed to the Supreme Court against the ruling and subsequently applied for resumption of his programme while waiting for his appeal to be determined by the Supreme Court.
Sata had in November last year sued Chimba and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation as first and second respondents respectively.
In the same suit, Sata included Muvi TV Limited and Mobi TV International Limited as the third and fourth respondents respectively.
Ruling on the matter yesterday, Judge Matibini said staying the injunction and resuming the broadcasting of Stand Up for Zambia would not be in public interest.
"Put quite plainly, I held in effect that the defendants did not behave fairly, reasonably and responsibly. In view of the foregoing, it cannot therefore be in the public interest to stay the injunction, and resume the broadcasting of Stand up for Zambia, pending the trial of the action," said Judge Matibini.
"Thus I have no hesitation in holding that in the circumstances, and on authority, the application for a stay of the interim injunction, must, therefore, be refused. Costs follow the event, and leave to appeal is granted."
Labels: COURTS, MICHAEL SATA, PATRICK MATIBINI
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ADD wants pro-MMD BRE indunas flushed out
By Mwala Kalaluka in Limulunga
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 14:00 CAT
ADD says the Barotse Royal Establishment should flush out indunas who are MMD cadres so that the people's fight for the Barotseland Agreement is not hindered.
During a public rally addressed by Alliance for Development and Democracy ADD president Charles Milupi in Limulunga Royal Village on Tuesday, the party's provincial chairman Mumbisho Mulele said he agreed with assertions that the BRE in Mongu was a branch of the MMD.
Mulele said during the campaign rally which started with the singing of the Barotse 'national anthem' and not the Zambian one, that it was shameful to see BRE indunas and members of the royal family cavorting with those that had gravely offended the people of Barotseland.
"If all of us loved ourselves like God loves us, there would be no single person in Luena or Limulunga or indeed Western Province in its entirety who would welcome President Rupiah Banda," Mulele said.
"If we respected ourselves we would not do that, but because we are people that love insulting ourselves and putting filthy on our bodies, some of us even walk proudly thinking that we are in Banda's armpit."
Mulele said it was painful to recount January's Barotseland Agreement-related events in Mongu and Limulunga.
"Banda comes here to kill and for the first time gunshots were heard here in Limulunga. Our children cried and fell and there was blood all over after the bullets from Banda's barrel were fired," he said.
"Today, an entire induna who was taken through the rituals at the palace and knows that the Litunga signed the Barotseland Agreement can leave the flag of Barotseland and carry around Banda's flag. Remove them, we want to move forward."
He said it was shocking that after the gunshots that caused children to run away while others died and were buried, an induna from the BRE's Saa-Sikalo court could stand as an MMD councillor.
"I agree with those who are saying that the Saa-Sikalo is now a branch of the MMD. My colleagues, let us tell these people that they can't put on two different jackets at the same time," he said. "The blanket that an induna is covered in when being installed and the MMD chitenge can't be worn at the same time. When you are an induna, you can't be a constituency chairman for MMD and you can't be a councillor under MMD."
Mulele said being an induna implied that the lines had been drawn and that an induna only worked for the interest of Barotseland.
"We are being told by the same councillor, who is in Saa-Sikalo, that 'wait my children the Barotseland Agreement issue is still being discussed, we will inform you.' When will he inform you when he is a councillor working for the MMD?" he asked. "Let us demand that those indunas who are known to be MMD should be kicked out from there so that people that are going to fight for Barotseland can take over."
He appealed to the BRE's induna Inete, who presides over the traditional court, to give the people an opportunity to work by removing MMD cadres from the court so that they go and work for their party.
"If we remove those indunas working with the MMD, which is fighting Barotseland, it would be better even if there was a vacancy in that court," he said.
ADD leader Milupi said time for jokes was over.
Milupi said it was surprising that people like Luena MMD parliamentary candidate Mwangala Maopu could support a person like President Banda who sent police officers to shoot and kill people over the Barotseland Agreement early in the year.
He asked where Maopu and some then parliamentarians from the province like Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa were when the people were burying Kalyangu Kangombe, who was shot and killed at Mongu BP Filling Station and Mulope, the shepherd from Nalikwanda who was killed in Malengwa.
Milupi said the many Lozis that were detained in Mumbwa over the Mongu riots did not have legal representation and several people from the province contributed towards their legal fees and feeding requirements.
He said when former Zambia Defence Forces commander General Malimba Masheke led other Lozis in writing to President Banda over the plight of the Barotse detainees, the person who attacked him was Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane.
"Today, Musokotwane wants to be voted as member of parliament in Liuwa!" he said.
Milupi said the people of Western Province should learn to be angry over certain things and react when they are slapped on the cheek.
ADD Luena parliamentary candidate, Gertrude Imenda said successive governments had ignored the people of Western Province; hence the high poverty levels.
Imenda asked the electorate to help her fit in Milupi's leadership shoes.
Labels: ADD, BAROTSE ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT, CHARLES MILUPI, MMD
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Magande accuses NMP deserters of being bribed
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:59 CAT
NG'ANDU Magande says of the 50 people that expressed interest to contest parliamentary elections on his party, about 30 fell victim to bribery and corruption from big parties and backed out at the last minute.
In an interview, Magande, who is National Movement for Progress party president, expressed concern at what he termed the unfortunate trend of money exchanging hands that had characterised the campaigns.
"I want to tell you, we got 20 members of parliament but even among those 20 members of parliament when they tell you these horrid stories of some of these chaps going to their houses at night with K100 million, don't file your nomination tomorrow we have K100 million in the car.
Some came, two days before the nominations, to just say sorry I am not standing, why, no reason. Perhaps those fell to all these corrupt practices of people buying everybody around. We shall definitely end up with a very complicated Parliament. It's really too corrupt a system and hope the Zambians are going to wake up," Magande said.
He said many fell into the trap.
Magande said there was just too much corruption and bribery going around and that was why inflation was going up and that the kwacha was depreciating.
"People are just pouring money and they don't know what to do with it, really it is a very unfortunate situation where our country finds itself in that, we are being led in a direction where morals are so low and they are every day being eroded by the leadership. Even the campaigns the way we are seeing all these chitenges being given around, you wonder whether there is even any budgeting anywhere.
Somehow people have found this spring of money which just comes out and they don't know what to do with it, but definitely this is not the kind of campaign one would want to see in the 21 century," Magande said.
And Magande has expressed concern at President Rupiah Banda and Vice-President George Kunda's continued abuse of public resources.
"You cannot have the President and his vice going round and rotating going to the same places using very costly means of getting there. It has never been done before and I don't know if the Zambians are happy about that, that our resources now instead of completing schools or the roads, some of them are being left half way, window level and so on and somebody is gallivanting the whole country.
Even putting pictures of the President around, I mean who does not know him? If I was president, even for two three days, I would be able to visit so many compounds in Lusaka, people would not need to have a picture stuck on the wall, what impression are you getting?" Magande wondered.
And commenting on the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC)'s concerns that political parties had not adopted enough women candidates, Magande said his party invited the womenfolk to apply for adoption but that they never did.
Labels: BRIBERY, MMD, NG'ANDU MAGANDE
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Failure to print ballots shows backwardness - Chiputa
By Agness Changala
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:10 CAT
SENTIMENTS by President Rupiah Banda and the Electoral Commission of Zambia that the country has no capacity to print its own ballot papers are a shame, says University of Zambia lecturer Dr Euston Chiputa.
In an interview, Dr Chiputa, who is also president of the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU), said the failure by the country to print ballot papers for next month's elections was an indication of how backward Zambia was technologically.
He said it was equally shameful to offload billons of kwacha in another country to print ballot papers when Zambians could do that.
"It's an indication that we have not achieved anything in terms of technology that we can't even print our own ballot papers," Dr Chiputa said.
"We are so backward and not able to print ballot papers for ourselves, let them step down and allow other people to take over."
He said President Banda's government's position on the printing of ballot papers was a sign that they were not ready to lead the country.
Dr Chiputa said it was important for the ECZ and President Banda to listen to concerns Zambians were raising on Universal Print Group (UPG), the company that was contracted to print ballot papers.
He said an unquestionable electoral process enabled all to accept the verdict.
Dr Chiputa said ignoring the concerns being raised by Zambians on UPG was a recipe for anarchy in the nation.
He urged President Banda to listen to Zambians and do the right thing, saying failure to do so, could plunge the country into chaos.
Dr Chiputa said President Banda should not behave like Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, who did not want to listen to his people.
He said leaders should learn to listen and do what people demand.
"Politicians should not think that when they are in power, they are too superior to listen to anyone; let them sit down and come up with a common stand on various contentious issues," Dr Chiputa said.
He said there must be a level playing field so that the presidential candidate who wins this month's elections will not do so fraudulently.
And Dr Chiputa said the government did not care about UNZA.
He said if the government cared about the institution, they would have given it the attention it deserves.
Dr Chiputa said the government had failed to honour its obligation of paying retirees their money.
He said UNZA in this year's budget was allocated K52 billion for suppliers, retirees and serving employees.
Dr Chiputa said out of the K52 billion allocated, only about K14 billion had been released.
He said the institution was not only experiencing inadequate funding but also late release of funds.
Dr Chiputa said the government had failed to pay retirees despite spending too much money on unplanned road projects, bicycles and chitenge materials for campaigns.
He said the union had pleaded with the government to make available the funds but nothing had happened to date.
Dr Chiputa said it was sad that UNZA was not looked at as a critical institution.
Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, UNZALARU, VOTERIGGING
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Barotse activists mourn Duffy
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mongu
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 13:59 CAT
THE Barotse Free-dom Movement Linyungandambo says Bishop Eme-ritus Paul Duffy's death has deprived Barotse activists of a wise ally in their struggle against the government. And Mongu Diocese Bishop, Evans Chinyemba, has asked parishioners in the area to be prepared to contribute towards the funeral expenses of Bishop Duffy.
In an interview yesterday, Barotse Freedom Movement Linyungandambo BFML national secretary Mulasikwanda Chazele said Bishop Duffy, who died of leukaemia in the US last Tuesday, spoke for the people of Barotseland when the government was blocking them from doing so.
"We are very sorry about the death of Bishop Duffy as an organisation," Chazele said.
"We used to rely on his wisdom and his affection for the poverty-stricken. He was really speaking for the poor. It should be a lesson to other clergymen that they should take a leaf from Bishop Duffy's dedication."
Chazele said Bishop Duffy looked at people as children of God irrespective of their colour or tribe.
"The government should realise that he was committed to the upholding of the people's rights. We have lost an ally of wisdom," said Chazele.
"We were being blocked from expressing the truth by the government and we don't know who to rely on now."
And in a letter addressed to all the parishes in Mongu Diocese, Bishop Chinyemba said each parish was expected to at least contribute about K500, 000 towards Bishop Duffy's funeral.
Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral priest in-charge, Fr Wilfred Hodari, who read the letter during English Sunday Mass last Sunday, said parishioners in the Diocese were expected to meet all the funeral costs as no money was being expected from anywhere.
He said individual financial contributions should be handed over to the Diocesan treasurer Fr Michael Ngosa while material contributions should be taken to the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, being the house of mourning.
Fr Hodari said people had started making individual contributions towards Bishop Duffy's funeral costs.
Earlier, Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral Parish Council chairperson David Chengamali said the available information was that Bishop Duffy's body would arrive in Lusaka today around 12:50 hours aboard a South African Airways flight.
Chengamali, who said a special financial collection will be taking place for the whole week to raise funds to support the period of mourning that is expected to draw hundreds of people to Mongu Diocese, said burial is likely to take place on Monday in Mongu.
But sources within the funeral committee said ZEC was yet to announce the official funeral programme.
The sources said there had been suggestions forwarded to ZEC by the Diocesan Committee overseeing the funeral arrangements and ZEC was yet to respond to those proposals.
Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT, BISHOP DUFFY, PAUL DUFFY
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Tobacco season ends
Saturday, 13 August 2011 22:24 Agriculture
Agriculture Editor
TOBACCO farmers have been urged to complete their grading as well as baling before the closure of the auction floors on Thursday this week.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri said the final day for the 2011 flue-cured tobacco sales is Thursday, August 18. Dr Matibiri said the last deliveries should be made on Wednesday for the Thursday sales to take place.
He said all growers should, therefore, complete their grading and baling operations well before the final sales day.
“TIMB advises that the final day of 2011 flue-cured tobacco auction sales is Thursday, 18th August, 2011, with final deliveries being accepted on Wednesday, 17th August, 2011,” said Dr Matibiri.
He said while this Thursday would be the final sales day, a clean-up sale would be held on September 20.
Dr Matibiri said depending on the volume of deliveries, the clean-up sales could continue until all the delivered tobacco was sold.
He, however, pointed out that the selling of contracted tobacco would continue until further notice.
With the country’s tobacco selling season coming to an end, a total of 129,5 million kg of the flue-cured crop valued at US$355, 5 million has gone under the hammer at the country’s three auction floors since the beginning of the selling season in February.
According to TIMB, this year’s deliveries were 11,79 percent more than the 115,8 million kg (valued at US$338,2 million) sold in the same period last year.
This year’s average selling price was US$2,75 per kg while last year’s average price was US$2,92 a kg.
Preparations for the 2011/12 season have started with seedlings for the irrigated crop already on the ground.
Planting of the irrigated crop starts in October while dryland planting begins in November.
There are more than 65 000 growers registered for the 2011/12 season compared to 52 000 last season.-The Sunday Mail
Labels: ANDREW MATIBIRI, TOBACCO
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SA boycotts Libya conference
Friday, 02 September 2011 02:00
Addis Ababa - South Africa disagrees with NATO's military intervention in Libya and would take no part in yesterday's conference in Paris dedicated to rebuilding the war-torn country, President Jacob Zuma said.
"We are not happy with the way UN resolution 1973 was implemented to allow air strikes on Libya," the South African leader told a news conference during a state visit to Norway.
"If any measure of military would be used, it was to help to protect people, as we understood things, who could have been killed," he said, explaining why South Africa, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, had voted in favour of the no-fly zone over Libya but opposed NATO air strikes.
"But instead of protecting, it became the bombing, cover for the other group to advance," he said.
The South African president has repeatedly criticised NATO for using the UN resolution to help the rebels against Muammar Gaddafi, and cautioned last week that the NATO-led use of force had undermined Africa's peace efforts.
Making his comments yesterday just hours before the opening of the Paris conference organised by France and Britain, who were the driving forces behind the air strikes, Zuma also reiterated that the Libyan reconstruction should be headed by the African Union and the UN.
Within the African Union framework, South Africa, which so far has refused to recognise the National Transitional Council (NTC), had attempted in vain to mediate peace between Gaddafi's ousted government and the rebels.
Last Saturday, the South African leader had called on all groups claiming authority over Libya to come together to bring peace and stability in the country.
"They must all come together and negotiate a peaceful process that will lead to the formation of an inclusive transitional government and democracy in Libya," Zuma said on his return from the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He chaired the meeting.
He also announced that the AU would not recognise the rebels as Libya's legitimate government arguing that the AU believed that its road map was still relevant for Libya.
"We need inclusivity, a situation where all groups involved in the conflict sit around the table and solve the problem together," he said.
Zuma said if an inclusive transitional government was formed, it would then occupy Libya's seat in the AU.
Article 30 of the Constitutive Act of the AU states that governments that come into power through unconstitutional means, would not be allowed to participate in the AU.
"We cannot act outside of that", Zuma said.
He added that the AU would continue to work with their Libyan counterparts and support efforts towards stabilising the situation in Libya.
It also encouraged a process leading to the formation of an all-inclusive transitional government.
The AU pledged to continue to work with the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of the Islamic co-operation, the European Union and Nato to support Libyans, Zuma said.
Brazil, Russia, India and China, the developing world's emerging economies attended the Paris meeting where Russia recognised the National Transitional Council as Libya's legitimate governing authority.
- SAPA-The Herald.
Labels: JACOB ZUMA, LIBYA, NATO, NEOCOLONIALISM
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Farmers shun potato growing
Friday, 02 September 2011 02:00
Agriculture Reporter
MOST farmers in the country are shunning potato farming owing to lack of knowledge on the crop. Potato production has been a preserve of former commercial farmers. Seed Potato Co-operation general manager Mr Cain Manzira said his organisation had realised many farmers wanted to produce potatoes but lacked the technical expertise.
The co-operation formed a taskforce to develop farmer-to-farmer training whereby farmers in an area learn from a successful potato producer for free. Mr Manzira said his organisation was training Agritex officers on the basics of potato production.
"We cannot rely on imports when we have land which is ideal for potato production. We have potato seed banks and a quarantine station in Nyanga and we produce good varieties of the crop," he said.
Another challenge, he said, was banks' lack of confidence to in the crop.
"We have a problem of funding as there are few banks willing to sponsor potato production. The interest rates are high and the loans repayment period is 90 to 180 days when potatoes take six months before they go on the market," he said.
Nyanga potato farmer Mrs Vashetti Makoni said many communal farmers in her area were willing to grow potatoes but lacked skills and seed.
"The farmers have the zeal to produce potatoes but lack support in terms of inputs and knowledge. The communal farmers are willing to work for potato seed and fertilisers so that they can produce the crop," she said.
Renowned Goromonzi potato producer, Professor Kingston Kajese who usually produces 20 tonnes per hectare said he relied on local seed.
"Our local certified seed is free from diseases but some farmers rely on imported seed which may be susceptible to nematodes," he said. Prof Kajese said potato was a viable crop, which required adequate knowledge.
"Potato production is like golf. One should have the correct equipment. Potato production requires great care and commitment from the time it is seed to the period when it is planted," he said.
Labels: AGRICULTURE
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Zim’s health care one of best in Sadc
Wednesday, 24 August 2011 02:00
Herald Reporters
Zimbabwe has emerged as one of the best countries in the Sadc region providing acceptable health care facilities to its people, Minister of Health and Child Welfare Henry Madzorera has said.
Speaking at the launch of the National Aids Council website in Harare recently, Minister Madzorera said few countries in Africa have Aids Councils and Sadc made reference to Zimbabwe as the leader.
"The National Aids Council is very important to us as a nation in the fight against HIV/Aids. Very few countries have a national Aids fund and this adds value to our NAC."
Minister Madzorera applauded NAC for coming up with a user friendly website, adding the organisation had taken the initiative in information dissemination.
"Information dissemination is very important in the fight against HIV and Aids as people need to reflect where we were in the beginning and where we are at the moment.
"We need to know our success and challenges as a nation. There is power in information as those who take heed of it survive hence the need to ensure that the website is widely marketed for people to be aware of it," he said.
The Minister said NAC should not only rely on the website as their main point of information dissemination, but prioritise traditional means such as dramas and the print.
"There is need to enhance other outlets of information dissemination such as dramas and print as these are easily accessible and are familiar to others who cannot access the Internet.
"For credibility and accountability, consider also putting up the accounts category in your website as people need to know how you manage resources availed to the organisation," he said.
The website, which has a home page that is updated periodically, containes a public debate forum, blog news among others was designed by a volunteer from America, Mr Tzviatko Chiderov of a British Voluntary Services Overseas organisation.
The webscite address is www.nac.org.zw
Labels: HEALTHCARE, HENRY MADZORERA
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Biti regrets duty review
Friday, 02 September 2011 02:00
Golden Sibanda Business Reporter
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti has expressed regret over his decision to restore import duty on selected basic commodities following the spate of price increases that ensued and is now putting massive pressure on inflation.
Following restoration of duty, annual inflation peaked at 3,3 percent in July yet it had been well contained below 3 percent in the first quarter of the year. Minister Biti said Government had no role in business except creating the right macro-economic environment, but was sometimes forced to react.
He made reference to the financial impropriety that occurred at Renaissance Financial Holdings as cases that compelled Government to intervene.
Minister Biti was speaking during a Securities Commission of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Stock Exchange breakfast meeting on capital markets in Harare on Wednesday.
The finance minister also lamented the abuse of power by shareholders as witnessed in Hwange Colliery Company and Rainbow Tourism Group in deciding directors saying this was not in the best interest of everyone.
"Government has no role in business except to create an enabling macro-economic environment that enables you to create capital. Without the right macro-economic environment business can't function," he said.
In efforts to maintain the correct macro-economic conditions he said Government initially resorted to cash budgeting to keep suppressing inflation.
This has, however, been affected by the civil servants salary increases, which have spawned the spectre of a looming US$700 million budget deficit.
He said hyperinflation was a reflection of a breakdown of confidence in an economy or collapse of a social contract as far as keeping prices low is concerned.
The minister said it was critical to maintain trust, but once the trust was broken people start raising prices of goods and services in anticipation others would. But he had no kind words for businesses he said had let down Government's trust through the recent unjustified and unilateral price increases.
"You have let us down. I think I should not have removed duty, but you lobbied us to say minister we have sufficient capacity to handle production. And what do you do? There has been a sharp spike of inflation," he said.
Industry had lobbied Government for restoration of duty to give them market space in order to raise production and help the industry to recover.
Minister Biti, however, remains positive that despite the latest wave of price hikes the year end inflation target of 4,5 percent was still within range.
The minister said it was puzzling to understand how a business would simply wake up and decide to raise prices without underlying fundamentals.
This follows the price hike on such basics as mealie- meal, cooking oil, rice, salt and flour after the minister restored duty on these products in July.
He also said Government had been forced to intervene in many businesses and economic circumstances to ensure that harmony prevailed.
Labels: INFLATION, NEOLIBERALISM, TENDAI BITI
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The "Liberation" of Libya: NATO Special Forces and Al Qaeda Join Hands
"Former Terrorists" Join the "Pro-democracy" Bandwagon
by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, August 28, 2011
Extensive war crimes have been committed. NATO has blood on its hands. The heads of government and heads of state of NATO member countries are responsible for extensive war crimes.
The "pro-democracy" rebels are led by Al Qaeda paramilitary brigades under the supervision of NATO Special Forces. The "Liberation" of Tripoli was carried out by "former" members of the Libya Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).
The jihadists and NATO work hand in glove. These "former" Al Qaeda affiliated brigades constitute the backbone of the "pro-democracy" rebellion.
NATO special forces with "boots and the ground" pass unnoticed. Their identity is not known or revealed. They blend into the Libyan rebellion landscape of machine guns and pickup trucks. They are not highlighted in the photo ops.
Special forces composed of US Navy SEALS, British Special SAS Forces and French legionnaires, disguised in civilian rebel garb, are reported to be behind major operations directed against key government buildings including Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in central Tripoli.
Reports confirm that British SAS were on the ground in Eastern Libya prior to the onset of the air campaign. Special Forces are in close coordination with NATO air operations. "Highly-trained units, known as ‘Smash’ teams for their prowess and destructive ability, have carried out secret reconnaissance missions to provide up-to-date information on the Libyan armed forces." (SAS 'Smash' squads on the ground in Libya to mark targets for coalition jets, Daily Mirror, March 21, 2011)
NATO special forces and the CIA sponsored Islamic brigades under the command of "former" jihadists constitute the backbone of combat capabilities on the ground, supported by the air campaign, which now includes Apache helicopter raids.
The remainder of the rebel forces include untrained trigger happy gunmen (including teenagers) (see photo below), which serve the function of creating an atmosphere of panic and intimidation.
What we are dealing with is a carefully planned military intelligence operation to invade and occupy a sovereign country.
Killing the Truth. The Role of the Western Media
The Western media constitutes a major instrument of war. NATO war crimes are obfuscated. Popular resistance to the NATO led invasion is not mentioned.
A narrative of "liberation" and "opposition pro-democracy rebel forces" is instilled in the inner consciousness of millions of people. Its called the "NATO Consensus".
"The NATO Consensus" which upholds the "humanitarian mandate" of the Atlantic alliance cannot be challenged. The bombings of civilian areas as well as the role of a terrorist militia are either trivialised or not mentioned.
Killing the truth is an integral part of the military agenda.
Realities are turned upside down.
The lie becomes the truth.
Its an inquisitorial doctrine. The NATO consensus dwarfs the Spanish Inquisition by a long shot.
The criminal invasion and occupation of Libya is not mentioned. The lives of independent journalists in Tripoli who report on what is actually happening are threatened. The catch words are "Liberation" and "Revolution" with NATO's mandate limited to R2P ("Responsibility to Protect").
Liberation or Invasion? By camouflaging the nature of the military operation, not to mention NATO atrocities, the Western media has contributed to providing the Transitional Council with a semblance of legitimacy and international recognition. The latter would not have been forthcoming without the support of the Western media.
NATO special forces and intelligence operatives on the ground are in permanent liaison with military planners involved in coordinating NATO strike sorties and bombing raids on the Libyan capital.
Labels: AL-QAEDA, LIBYA, NEOCOLONIALISM
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Nyasa-Leaks: Opposition bankrolls NGOs for ‘regime change’ demo
By Nyasa Times Reporter
September 1, 2011
A leaked email from one of the civil society leaders in Malawi organising national wide demonstrations has revealed that the
opposition party leaders are hugely funding the planned September 21 demonstrations meant to ignite ‘regime change’. The email obtained by Nyasa Times is from Mosses Mkandawire to Pat Kaira titled minutes “20th meeting”.
It shows that State Vice President and President of newly launched People’s Party, Joyce Banda, opposition leader in Parliament John Tembo, UDF deputy leader in parliament Atupele Muluzi and former Director of Public Prosecution Fahad Assani are some of the biggest local donors for the civil society.
Among other things contained in the email, the CSO leaders cast doubt on the United Nations mediated dialogue currently going on.
Tembo: Eyes the presidency
The leaders “observed that things will not change as the President will not make any effort to address the concerns of the Malawians. Therefore the members agreed to proceed with demo plans and all agreed with the 21st September as the set date.”
To that effect the CSO members divided their activities into two, one for dialogue and another to plan for the demonstrations slated for the 21st September.
According to the email, the 16 member 21st September team comprises; Gift Trapence, Peter Chinoko, Emma Kaliya, Benedicto Kondowe, Robert Mkwezalamba, Chrispine Sibande, Rodgers Newa, Robert Phiri, Moses Mkandawire, Rafiq Hajat, Vitumbiko Kaira, Billy Mayaya, Raphael Kasambala, Martha Kwataine, Undule Mwakasungule and Voice Mhone.
On the financial stand of the CSO leaders, the emails reveal that Mwakasungula “reported that as of 18th August [they had] MK8, 640,000.00 for Demos and legal issues and pledges.
Tembo pledged M1 million, Vice President Banda K2 millions, Atupele Muluzi K2 million, Assani K2 million, MP Khumbo Kachali K500, 000, PPM president Mark Katsonga K500, 000 and Petra president Kamuzu Chibambo K200, 000.
“Members agreed to keep this information under custody since Malawians can be divided if this can be known to them because they belong to different parties,” reveals the email.
The emailed report also indicates that the CSO leaders have international donors who were to be known at the follow up meeting.
President Bingu wa Mutharika is on record accusing “foreign elements” the sponsoring the protest plans.
“In the name of human rights, the activities of these groups are being underwritten by foreign elements to cause mayhem and insecurity,” he said, adding: “I will hunt you down and bring you to justice.”
On the demos slated for the 21st September, 2011, the emailed report indicates that they will take place for two days within which the President “must” answer all concerned issues.
“If this will not happen the appointed people [will] present resignation letter to state house, and all media houses. Therefore the president shall be given 5 days to resign,” states the report.
Civil society organisations in Malawi had earlier called for nationwide vigils on August 17 to protest Mutharika’s rule, but cancelled them after Mutharika made an appeal to “save lives and destruction of property.”
Critics accuse Mutharika of becoming increasingly autocratic, presiding over an economic downward spiral and alienating the country’s foreign donors.
Last month 19 people were killed in the impoverished southern African country when police opened fire on anti-government protesters.
However, Nyasa Times understands that division has rocked the opposition bloc as who will lead the nation after the President’s removal.
The battle has ensued mainly among State Vice President Banda and opposition chief Tembo.
An inside source who sought for strict anonymity revealed that none of them wants to give up on who will be President. The source says at their last meeting, Tembo was offered the state vice presidency but he turned down the offer claiming he cannot be vice to Banda.
“He indicated that he will not go for anything less than the presidency which JB is not ready to give away as well,” said the source.
Mutharika came to office in 2004 and was re-elected with a large majority in 2009.
But he has since been criticised for expelling rivals from the ruling party, expanding presidential power and signing laws that have restricted protests and media freedom.
The United States has put on hold a $350-million grant for Malawi’s energy sector out of and Britain also suspended aid.
Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, NEOCOLONIALISM, NGOs, WIKILEAKS
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COMMENT - Last time Nigeria observed the elections in Zimbabwe, it was heavily criticized because it's observers found no evidence of election rigging. Like South Africa, they were forced to change their opinion by 'the international community'.
PM seeks Nigerian leader's help
01/09/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai urged Nigeria and the African Union on a visit to Abuja on Wednesday to help ensure his country does not become "another Ivory Coast". Tsvangirai told Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan that all efforts were being made, under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community, to conduct free and fair elections in Zimbabwe next year.
He said his country “wants Nigeria and the African Union to take an active role in the process,” adding that this would create the peaceful environment needed for successful elections in Zimbabwe.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, he said: “As you know, SADC and AU are both guarantors of the Global Political Agreement in Zimbabwe. I am just updating him so that they can play a more active role in ensuring that we can go to the elections next year, hopefully in a free and fair manner, so that we put a closure to the dispute in Zimbabwe.
“I was requesting President Jonathan to play much more active role, Nigeria and the brother AU must be involved actively in support of SADC initiative, but also to ensure that we don’t have a repeat of another Cote d’Ivoire.”
The Ivory Coast was plunged into conflict after former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat in a November vote. He has been detained in the north of the country since April 11 in the wake of bloody post-election battles.
President Jonathan said: “All African countries have a responsibility to ensure that Zimbabwe does not go back to the crisis of the past with the consequent loss of lives.”
Jonathan said Africans must show that they can conduct peaceful, transparent, and credible elections that create the stable socio-political and economic environment required, to encourage investments for economic development, adding: “The will of the people must be respected.”
From Nigeria Tsvangirai flew to Abidjan for a 24-hour visit which he said was aimed at boosting ties between the two countries.
Tsvangirai was set to meet his counterpart Guillaume Soro and Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday.
The working trip is aimed at "warming relations" between the two countries, the Ivory Coast government said in a statement.
Zimbabwe has been cited as the destination of exiled supporters of Gbagbo.
MDC-T leader Tsvangirai shares power with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party and the MDC led by Welshman Ncube. The coalition partners disagree on a date for elections, with Zanu PF more impatient to go to the people.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), AU, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NIGERIA
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Chamisa defends Chinotimba laptop gift
01/09/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
INFORMATION Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa has defended his decision to give war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba a laptop under the country’s much-vaunted e–government computers programme. Chamisa has already parcelled out laptops to President Robert Mugabe, all cabinet ministers and their permanent secretaries.
It was revealed on Thursday that Chinotimba, the militant leader of the war veterans who achieved notoriety during the land invasions in 2000, had also benefited.
Chamisa said: “As you may know, as a government, we launched the ZimConnect document which is our e-government flagship. It’s a roadmap to make sure we increase literacy on ICT, turning our country from a techno-phobic to techno-savvy society which looks at a laptop as a daily requirement for workstyles and lifestyles.
“After we had given laptops to ministers, permanent secretaries and principal directors, Cde Chinotimba came to our offices with a group of other war veterans. They said as farmers they wanted laptops to use in their farming activities, and that fits very well with our programme. We want farmers to use internet to enhance productivity.
“We said look, to the extent that there is appetite from Cde Chinotimba, we will satisfy that appetite. So it happened that Cde Chinotimba’s hands were happy recipients of the goodness of this ministry.
“We are a government for everyone, we represent across the spectrum from the high end of society to the low end. Cde Chinotimba represents our being as a country, these are our war veterans we have to make sure that we empower them.”
Chinotimba, asked what he wanted to use the laptop for, shot back with typical humour: “What do you use laptops for? It is a government exercise for people and I want to write down all the farms we took under the land reform programme, and also to have names of the remaining farms so that we take them and give people like you.”
Chamisa said the programme would soon be expanded to cover MPs, police commanders, judges, prosecutors, councillors and chiefs.
He added: “We want to cascade this programme down to the whole population. We are also committed to the PC-per-classroom policy which we are shortly launching at Chogugudza High School in Mashonaland East.
“Wherever there is electricity, there is going to be internet connectivity.”
Chamisa says increased computer literacy and access to information communication technology will “send inconvenience and pain in people’s lives to an early grave”.
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He added: “ICT is the only bridge that is going to help the underprivileged in our society to join the rest of the world. People up and down the country lose a lot of money and time doing things they could easily take care of at the click of a mouse.
“Why should someone from Tsholotsho, for instance, travel to Harare for a birth certificate and passport? My ministry’s mission is to change this and ensure that these services are available online.
“When we give out computers it’s not charity, we are not father Christmas. We are doing this for an objective.”
Chamisa said they had set up training centres in Harare and Bulawayo for government workers to improve their ICT skills.
“Empires of the future are empires of the mind. The highest result of education, the ultimate effect, is tolerance. Tolerance is good for society and good for development while ignorance has the worst side effects,” the minister added.
Zimbabwe has great potential for rapid internet and social media expansion. In June 2011, internetworldstats.com reported that nearly 1,5 million Zimbabweans (11.8% of the population) are internet users.
According to the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF), 24 % of urban adults have access to the internet and 83% of them use it at least once a week.
Zimbabwe’s largest cell phone service provider, Econet, launched Zimbabwe’s first 3G wireless broadband mobile phone service in 2010, allowing the 86% of Zimbabweans with mobile phones to access the internet and social media that way. Currently over 30% of Econet’s subscribers (1,8 million people) are now using this service.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, LAND REFORM, NELSON CHAMISA, WAR VETERANS
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Zanu PF expels deputy minister
01/09/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
LABOUR and Social Services Deputy Minister Tracy Mutinhiri has been expelled from Zanu PF. Mutinhiri, ex-wife of Rtd Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri and mother of Big Brother star Vimbai, was found guilty of “behaviour inconsistent with the party's principles”.
The charges stemmed from claims that she had aligned herself with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party. She was also accused of defying Zanu PF’s parliamentary whip by voting for MDC-T candidate Lovemore Moyo in a closely-fought ballot for Speaker.
The decision to expel her, taken by the party’s politburo in Harare on Wednesday, means Mutinhiri could lose her seat as MP for Marondera East and will most likely lose her ministerial position.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said: “It was unanimously agreed that she should be dismissed from the party with immediate effect. The politburo has taken that position and the secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa will advise her.
“We go by the decision of the disciplinary committee.”
Mutinhiri’s troubles began when the Zanu PF provincial executive in Mashonaland East charged and convicted her of “failing to be loyal to the party; failing to conduct herself honestly and honourably in her dealings with the party and public; and bringing Zanu PF into disrepute”.
The matter was referred to the party’s national disciplinary committee presided over by party chairman Simon Khaya Moyo. Mutinhiri unsuccessfully defended herself at a hearing on Tuesday.
Labels: ZANU-PF
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Biti, Goche clash over Air Zimbabwe bailout
Posted by By Our reporter at 26 August, at 15 : 01 PM Print
TRANSPORT, Communications and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche is headed for a clash with his Finance counterpart Tendai Biti on Government’s role in bailing out the ailing Air Zimbabwe.
Minister Biti argues that Government will not rescue the national airline citing other pressing demands. However, Minister Goche dismissed the claims as “personal views”.
Air Zimbabwe is wholly-owned by the Government. Its planes have been grounded for the past four weeks after pilots downed tools demanding outstanding salaries and allowances.
Minister Biti on Tuesday said Government did not have money to rescue the airline.
“We are not going to do that (bail out Air Zimbabwe). We don’t have the money.
“We have a deficit of US$86 million on critical issues and giving Air Zimbabwe (money) is not a priority,” he said.
However, Minister Goche yesterday dismissed the claims, saying Minister Biti’s statements were not Government position.
He said Government was seized with the matter.
“Government is doing all it can to assist Air Zimbabwe remain in business.
“If the Minister of Finance said that, it may be his personal view, not Government position.
“The shareholder is doing something about Air Zimbabwe and if the Minister of Finance is not doing something, the Minister of Transport is doing something,” he said.
The cockpit crew went on strike on July 29 after the airline failed to pay June and July salaries and allowances.
The strike has cost Airzim millions of dollars.
The airline has been forced to book its passengers in hotels while searching for alternative flights.
The strike has affected the airline’s twice weekly service between London and Harare and the weekly service between Beijing and Harare.
Domestic and regional flights have also been cancelled.
The national airline board and management have already indicated that they would need to cut their staff from 1 200 to about 409.
Airzim’s absence in the skies has boosted business for other airlines such as South African Airways on the Harare-Johannesburg route and the Johannesburg-London route.
Ethiopian Airlines and Kenyan Airways are also enjoying good business from Zimbabweans and other nationals travelling between Harare and London.
TH/TZG
Labels: AIRLINES, NEOCOLONIALISM, PRIVATISATION, TENDAI BITI
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Reason Wafawarova:- Spirited back to colonial slavery
Thursday, 01 September 2011 02:00
Africa has haplessly watched the insanity of NATO in Libya, the AU has passively watched French and English military jets being used as the air force for the rag tag rebels in Libya, and today Africa listens attentively as Westerners say they want to bring humanitarian aid to Libya, a country that owes no debt to anyone, a country whose US$70 billion has been illegally confiscated by Western powers, indeed a country that has been the AU's major funder for years.
This writer broke in tears listening to a rebel in Libya saying "we built this entire infrastructure with Gaddafi, and we will build it again. We are capable of building our country."
He had been asked by a journalist why he was wantonly shooting at buildings and smashing windows.
To me this was a sad sight of a young African being spirited back to colonial domination, being used by Western powers to destroy what took forty years for Libya to build, and totally lacking consciousness over the meaning of national independence. We have a sad reality where the destructive acts of Libyan rebels are celebrated as freedom fighting; while we are told to ignore the threat the continent is facing by allowing Western war planes to rampage our cities at will.
I feel so powerless to stop it, yet so powerful to fight it all. This is a time when one feels like doing anything possible to hit back, anything thinkable or imaginable. This aggression by Westerners can be for long but it won't be forever. The current African Union is a bunch of cowardly bucolic boofheads totally mesmerised by Western donor funding. They look pretty scared as they seem all determined to avoid angering the Westerners. What an unthinking lot of hopeless traitors!
It is just as good that they are no longer called the Organisation of African Unity - that fiery club founded by strong characters like Kwameh Nkurumah, Haille Sellassie, Muammar Gaddafi, Milton Obote,
Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, and Abdel Nasser, later to be graced by such revolutionaries like Thomas Sankara, Samora Machel, President Mugabe, Eduardo dos Santos, Sam Nujoma, Nelson Mandela and such other heroes.
Who among the bunch of the new leaders we have today could untie the shoes of Nasser, Nkurumah or Julius Nyerere? The OAU would never stand aside and look while little bullies like Sarkozy and Cameron have a field day bombing the cities of a fellow African state; after inviting themselves.
Now it is time to write on behalf of the great, disinherited people of Africa, a continent so disparagingly named the "Third World". It is time to speak with the language of clarity, frankness and facts. This writer wishes to explain the reasons for our revolt to what is happening in Libya today and what is likely to happen in the aftermath, even though it may be hard to succeed in convincing those who today stand by Westerners as our continent is being bombarded and destroyed by lethal fire power.
The term "third world" was invented after the fall of colonial empires in order to better perpetuate foreign control of our intellectual, cultural, economic and political life. We stand today counted as a poor people incapable of deposing our own tyrants and dictators, indeed incapable of defining our own path to democratic governance. We are being coerced to give credence to this gigantic fraud of history and accepting the status of the "hinterland of the satiated West." We are expected to cheer Westerners as they ruthlessly burn down Libya. Africa must never lose the awareness of the tricontinental whole that was the basis of the Non- Aligned Movement. There is a special solidarity that unites the three continents of Asia, Latin America and Africa in the indisputable struggle against the same political gangsters and economic exploiters that history has ever known. As Jose Marti once said, the life of formerly colonised peoples affirms "that our cheek feels the blow struck against any man, anywhere in the world." Every African worth the dignity of our independence must feel the blow struck against Libya today, the blow from the insane Europeans with the backing of their
North American cousins. From the days of slavery to the era of colonialism Africa has been turning the other cheek. But the blows were redoubled. The evil heart of the Westerner did not soften. Today the blows have been modified as "high precision bombing" and the heart of the Westerner has become all the more ruthlessly evil - destroying in minutes what took decades to build in Libya. The truth of the weak has been trembled under foot and the lies of the strong are prevailing. When the same Westerners came to enslave our ancestors and to colonise us in the 19th century the word of
Christ was betrayed and his cross was transformed into a bludgeon. They put on his robe and they rent our souls and bodies asunder. They obscured and westernised his message. But we understand Christ's message as one of universal liberation and justice.
It is time for Africa to rise to true consciousness and open our eyes to imperialism and its machinations. We must stand up to the West and tell them there will be no more blows. In Zimbabwe we stood up in 2000 and we said there would be no more blows over our farm lands. We fought back and asserted ourselves. Now we are saying next are our mines and industries and we will stop the blows from Western multinational corporations in these sectors. That is not negotiable.
But shall we be reminded that after Muammar Gaddafi took over power from King Idriss in 1969 he also stopped the blows of the Westerner in Libya, emulating what Abdel Nasser was doing in neighbouring Egypt? Gaddafi transformed Libya from the second poorest country on earth to arguably the richest in Africa, constructing the 400km Great Man Made River (GMMR), making the Libyan Desert green, providing free housing for all Libyans, free education, free health, interest free loans and the cheapest cars and fuel on earth. Libya has no debt and is not a member of the IMF and other global lending institutions.
All that is going to change now, as Libya will be adopted into "the family of nations," the euphemism for the West's client states.
We all thought the blows were no more for Libya. Then came Ronald Reagan bombing what Libyans were building, and we saw Gaddafi triumph over that aggression in 1986.
Today, 25 years later we see what it means to stop the blows of imperialism. What Gaddafi built in four decades the triumvirate gang of Sarkozy, Obama and Cameron destroyed in a matter of hours of mindless bombing, with the whole world watching in silence, and we are even being coerced to celebrate the insanity.
So we are being reminded as Zimbabweans that repossessing our resources does not necessarily mean that we have halted the blows from the West. And the warning is not empty at all, especially with some Benghazi minded people within our midst.
We are dealing with a generation of whites that feels it is betraying the legacy of white supremacy by letting weaker countries practice independent nationalism. Now they want to spirit us back to colonial slavery by leveraging on the blissful ignorance of the young African and the gullibility of the current political leadership in Africa - a whole bunch largely composed of puppet politicians and cowards that do not seem to know how to run countries without Western aid.
We must state categorically that there is no salvation for African people unless we turn our backs on all the aid and economic models that charlatans of all types have tried to sell us in the last twenty years. Since 1989, the West has been selling African leaders deadly economic models designed to create perpetual dependency in the name of liberalism and the doctrine of a global free market.
There is essentially no salvation for us outside the rejection of these models.
There is no development for Africa separate from a rupture as was the kind seen with Zimbabwe's land reform program, the kind of rapture advocated for by South Africa's ANC Youth League. Revolutions are not negotiated.
They are radically carried out. Jacob Zuma can only silence the revolutionary voice of Julius Malema on behalf of Western interests, and that is a thoroughly dangerous path to take.
We are aware of the intellectual giants emerging to preserve and perpetuate Western capitalist hegemony in the name of freedoms and liberties, mostly preached under the umbrella theme of democracy. These are people awakened by the dizzying rise of millions of people in rags, aghast at the threat of these hunger driven multitudes determined to end their agony at the expense of wealthy imperialists, the way the landless peasants of Zimbabwe ended their deprivation by ousting those colonial settlers who occupied their land, indeed the way the masses of South Africa are going to rise against the occupiers of their farm lands not so long from now.
We are facing a cowardly club of imperialists who do not want to face us as the masses of Africa. Rather they anxiously search for miracle concepts and new forms of models for our countries, preaching democracy today, and freedom tomorrow, human rights the next day, civic rights the other day - all the time brainwashing young African minds with vainglorious rhetoric. A reading of the numerous publications of innumerable forums and seminars on democracy and human rights is ample illustration of this.
Far be it from this writer to ridicule the patient efforts of honest intellectuals who, because they have eyes to see, are discovering each day the terrible intentions of Western imperialists, who each passing day impose on us ruinous instructions and directives that often come in the name of development.
We are in real danger of being spirited back to a world of slavery dressed up in today's fashions of liberty and freedoms. Why would any sane African accept American weapons, regardless of the war to be fought, given the devilish record of the United States in international affairs? But today the US can forcibly take Libya's US$70 billion, only to parcel it back to the country by giving it in bits and pieces to rebels who use it to purchase machine guns, bombs and tankers from the US military industry - only to use these weapons to destroy what Libya built over four decades of toiling and legendary commitment. It is a script so difficult to fathom, so sad to confront, and so deplorable, and purely evil in intent and practice. It is heart breaking to see Libyan rebels begging Westerners to release US$2,5 billion of their own money, so they can use it to buy weapons to destroy Tripoli and other Libyan cities in the name of fighting for democracy and freedom. We have every reason to be afraid as Africans. We have an educated middle class that is not prepared to part ways with the privileges brought to it by the few benefits of imperialism. The unwillingness to give up these privileges is a result of both intellectual laziness and the fact that these people have tasted the Western way of life - albeit at a consumerist level.
Now Africa's parliaments are filled with lazy bones carried in bodies of empty headed people who are not at all aware that all genuine political struggle requires rigorous, theoretical debate, and they refuse to rise to the intellectual effort of conceiving new concepts equal to the murderous struggle that lies ahead of us - a struggle whose beginning is the aggression we have seen carried out on
Libya - a struggle surely unavoidable in the future given the foothold the West has been allowed in Africa already. The AU is now composed of passive and pathetic consumer leaders who wallow in terminology fetishised by the West, just as they wallow in the joy of visiting Western luxurious places, or in Western whiskey and champagne consumed in obscene looking lounges. We need a patriotic and proud youth who will put this country and this continent ahead of any other perceived privileges. Tears will never dry.
Zimbabwe we are one and together we will overcome. It is homeland or death!!!
Reason Wafawarova is a political writer.
Labels: MUAMMAR AL-GADDAFI, NEOCOLONIALISM, REASON WAFAWAROVA
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