Nawakwi laments exclusion of Zambians from mining
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - This is the consequence of over two decades of neoliberal rule by the MMD. The UPND and elements in the PF think this should continue indefinitely. Foreign ownership of the mines is theft of natural resources, and Zambia should not receive a single cent in 'donor aid' until the mines are taxed to the max. These high copper prices aren't going to last, and the people have alreaydy missed out on most of it. This is theft. - MrK
EDITH Nawakwi says the government has everything it takes to compel foreign investors in the mining sector to start empowering Zambians by giving them business opportunities.
In an interview in Kitwe, Nawakwi, who is FDD president, said
it was unacceptable that many locals had been excluded from the mainstream of the country's national economy, namely mining.
She said it was sad that many Zambians in the mining sector had been sidelined to an extent where everything was left to foreign companies to operate, manage and even supply goods and services.
Nawakwi said Zambia was still behind with the management of its rich mineral resources when many Africa countries with similar resources like Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana had advanced as their nationals had been empowered through laws and policies to participate in their extractive industries and help create wealth for their nations.
"If you look at this country, we have produced many experts in mining who are Zambians but none of those brothers even owns a metre of an emerald mine or a copper mine. This is a complete contrast to countries like the neighbouring Tanzania, where the locals in that country now own gold mines. The situation we have in Zambia is also in complete contrast to countries like Ghana, where it's the Ghanaians who are the wealth creators of their country," Nawakwi said.
She said in situations where the total national wealth was left in foreign hands, it was difficult for the locals to appreciate or see any benefit.
Nawakwi said it was sad that almost everything was being outsourced in the mining industry, leaving Zambians with no jobs.
"Unless we realise that Zambia can only be developed by Zambians, then we will not see tangible development. In some of these mining companies, even repairing pumps underground is outsourced to Indians or Australians and other foreign nationals. Zambians are just left to sell on the streets of Kitwe. We must reverse this trend," Nawakwi said.
She said the government must not spend time fighting each other but must begin to address critical issues and people's concerns like the lack of business from the mining companies, which was causing their families much suffering.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MINING, NEOCOLONIALISM, NEOLIBERALISM
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PF has crumpled opposition's activities, charges Mpombo
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
GEORGE Mpombo says the two years of PF in office has been a huge cacophony of noise with little sustainable economic, social and democratic achievements.
Mpombo, who is People's Democratic Party president, said there had been tragic leadership failure in all areas, something he said was at a great cost to the country.
"On democracy, the PF has maintained the obnoxious public order Act in order to suppress the activities of the opposition and yet President Michael Sata was challenging the opposition to keep his government on the toes. How can the opposition do this when they are not allowed to hold public meetings? Since the PF came in, they have crumpled the activities of the opposition," he said.
Mpombo said during President Sata's time in opposition, the country witnessed the worst form of vulgarisation against the government.
Mpombo said President Sata used to utter the most uncharitable remarks against the president and no one asked him to report to the police but that at the moment, there was a deliberate attempt to muzzle opposition leaders.
"That is a clear failure of democratic tolerance. They should be able to tolerate other leaders but the democratic project under Mr Sata has suffered a comprehensive mission creep. We have also seen retrogression in the editorial performance of the public media under Mr Sata. The little modicum of freedom which existed under Mr Banda has completely been wiped out. The public media has been turned into a megaphone to sing Mr Sata's praises all the time. This is a setback to the democratic growth of the country," he said.
Mpombo said in terms of foreign policy, Zambia's position had plummeted to its lowest since independence.
"Zambia is now viewed as a country that has no respect for human rights and a country that does not seem to do things right," said Mpombo.
Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, PF
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Internal wrangles jeopardising PF accomplishments - Mutesa
By Fridah Nkonde
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
THE good that the PF government has accomplished in its first two years in office risks being jeopardised if the leadership fails to heed the concerns that many citizens have raised, says Dr Fred Mutesa.
And Dr Mutesa, who is Zambians for Empowerment and Development president, wished President Michael Sata God's wisdom and guidance as he deals with the internal leadership wrangles threatening the unity and stability of the PF.
In an interview yesterday, Dr Mutesa said if the PF and its government succeeded in its mission of improving the people's living standards, society as a whole would benefit.
"That is why we do not rejoice in making political capital out of the failures of our friends in government. Where they fail, we are all affected. We do not dispute the fact that the growth in infrastructural investments that we have witnessed during the first two years of the PF in government is good for society. This is as it should be and should continue. That is what governments are elected to do," Dr Mutesa said.
"Our concern is with the neglect of other equally important ingredients of peace and prosperity. The Scriptures teach us that, 'as dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour' (Ecclesiastes 10:1). There is also a proverb common to our people which says that, 'one rotten nut forces a man to spit out everything'."
Dr Mutesa said the PF and its government needed to do something about its governance record, adding that good governance was the hallmark of democracy.
He said there were several undemocratic tendencies which seemed to be taking root under the PF and its government, adding that political violence had increased.
"Too much blood has been spilt during by-elections. What is the government doing to put a stop to this? The rights to freedoms of expression and assembly, especially for the opposition political parties have also come under serious threat. What is government doing to ensure that we are moving towards maturity? We surely can disagree without being disagreeable! There is routine defying of court orders by the executive which has endangered the independence of the Judiciary. The separation of powers should not just be talked about, but practiced," he said.
Dr Mutesa said media reforms, particularly the independence of public media and passing of access to information, had stalled.
"The PF has an opportunity to move the country forward at a faster speed than what we have seen, but it must do so in a manner that takes the concerns of all citizens on board," said Dr Mutesa.
Labels: FRED MUTESA, PF
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Youth are Zambia's greatest resource, says Chikwanda
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
FINANCE minister Alexander Chikwanda says youths should not be allowed to be wasting assets by getting involved in crime and other vices.
COMMENT - Then they need a good example to follow. Considering the current economy is based on giving away natural resources to foreign mining corporations, I don't see how any minister is in a position to chastise any youths for criminality. - MrK
Speaking yesterday when visiting Prince Edward paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Chikwanda said Zambia was faced with the challenge of turning the youths into a useful asset for the country.
"The youth of any country represent a great resource. The greatest resource the country has is people; people armed with knowledge, armed with skills... 70 per cent of our country are people 30 years and below," Chikwanda said.
He said Prince Edward's visit to Zambia to try and push forward a youth programme had a lot of meaning and that the Zambian government was grateful for the support. Chikwanda said Britain's support to Zambia was very significant at the moment.
"We have a four-year programme and it is worth emphasising that at the height of challenges in the economy, the UK government has never relented to support Zambia. It is up to us, Zambia, to make sure that we make full use of the support we get from UK because it comes from the hard-squeezed taxpayers in the UK for us to appreciate the sacrifice that the people of Britain make in order to help us," he said.
And Chikwanda told Prince Edward that Zambia and Britain's relationship had not been characterised by acrimony.
"We were your colony but now you handed over the responsibility to an independent Zambia. There has been no wrangle and our relationship has not been characterised by acrimony, fortunately," said Chikwanda.
Prince Edward, who is on a two-day working visit to Zambia, also met Vice-President Dr Guy Scott at Government House.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, EDWARD WINDSOR, YOUTHS
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You can't make wrong work
By Editor
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
There is need for those who seek to control the Patriotic Front to seek power in the right way.
The way they want to hound Wynter Kabimba out of his position as secretary general of the party amounts to a coup d'état. Whatever their claims to enforcing their democratic rights to perpetrate the anarchy they have been engaging in cannot be justified under the banner of practising democracy. Democratic goals cannot be achieved or advanced by undemocratic means.
You can't make wrong work. All their claims are lies. They are simply dishonest people seeking power by dishonesty, lies and undemocratic means. Thomas Jefferson stated, "Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom." Never chase a lie: if you leave it alone, it will run itself to death. It is said that everything you add to the truth, you inevitably subtract from it.
It is discouraging to think how some people nowadays are more shocked by honesty than by deceit. We all know that the scheme against Wynter is nothing but deceit, falsehood. No lies of whatever form against anybody can be said to be good. Even so-called "white lies" can be harmful to another human being. Awson O'Malley stated, " Those that think it is permissible to tell 'white lies' soon grow colour-blind."
We punish ourselves with every lie, and we reward ourselves with every right action. Soon, those who have been telling lies about Wynter will realise that their lies are adding to their troubles, subtracting from their energy, multiplying their difficulties, and dividing their effectiveness as politicians. Marcus Antonius observed, "Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks, and falsehood is always weak no matter how strong it looks."
It is therefore important to be honest and never to break promises. We should never view anything positively that makes us tell a lie, that makes us break our word. We should make our word our bond.
In the war between falsehood and truth, falsehood may win the first battle, but truth wins the war. "If we live truly, we shall truly live," said Ralph Waldo Emerson. Liars are never free. Look at the people who had been telling lies about Wynter and see how miserable they are; look at their faces and see how troubled they are. Truly, liars are never free. And Horace Greely observed, "The darkest hour of any man's life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it."
The book of Proverbs says it best: "Dishonest gain will never last, so why take the risk?" Honesty always lasts longest. A lie never lives to be old.
There are people in the Patriotic Front today who are seeking to have power they have never worked for, never sacrificed for. And they want people like Wynter, Guy Scott, who sacrificed so much and contributed so much to the party's electoral victory, to be kicked out of the party positions they today hold so that they can replace them. Can power obtained in this way really last?
It makes all the difference in the world whether we put truth in the first place or in the second place. As scarce as the truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. Wrong is wrong no matter who does it or says it. Truth does not cease to exist because it is ignored, and it doesn't change depending on whether it is believed by a majority or not. The truth is always the strongest argument.
Truth exists; only lies are created. Truth shines in darkness. There is never an instant's truth between virtue and vice. Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
Truth needs no crutches. If it limps, it's a lie. Joan Welsh said, "You find that life is an uphill battle for the person who is not on the level." If you continue to do what's right, what's wrong and who is wrong will eventually leave your life. One businessman had a personalised letterhead that read, "Right is right even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it." We agree. No matter how many desperate youths those who are seeking to oust Wynter pay to go on the street and demand his resignation, it will not change the fact that what they are doing is wrong and what Wynter stands for is right.
Consider the words of John Wesley: "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
And as we have stated before, it is not hard for one to do a bit of good. What is hard is to do good all one's life and never do anything bad, to act consistently in the interests of the broad masses and to engage in arduous struggle for decades on end. That is the hardest thing of all.
Actually, the positions people have taken over this issue are a good yardstick for measuring where they stand on the issues of right and wrong.
We have people who have behaved like Pontius Pilate, washing their hands and allowing the ruthless, corrupt, tribalistic and opportunistic elements to go for Wynter while they stand by and watch. We also have people who have been totally scared to oppose and denounce what is being done against Wynter simply because by him not taking his supporters to the streets, they thought he was alone and defeated. They don't want to be on the losing side no matter how right the losing side is. They want to be on the winning side no matter how wrong the winning side is. We all know that sometimes evil has had some short-lived or temporal victories over good. Opportunists first try to see where the winning side is before they take a stand.
This is not strange in life. Wasn't our Lord Jesus Christ deserted by his own apostles? Who betrayed Christ? Wasn't it his own apostle, Judas Iscariot?
We don't join the struggle simply because victory is the following day. Which genuine and legitimate struggle in the history of mankind has never suffered setbacks?
It's good that some of the comrades of Wynter are starting to speak out in his support. It happens. It happened to Christ. It took time before his apostle could again identify with him, with his name. People do sometimes get frightened by the violence and brutality of evil forces.
Who wouldn't be scared by those violent cadres Wynter's enemies had hired to intimidate and humiliate him together with his comrades?
But today, as always, those who defend what is right are starting to find their courage and are starting to speak out, speak up, speak against the evil forces, the corrupt, tribalistic and opportunistic elements who want to appropriate the Patriotic Front to themselves so that they can loot the resources of our people and of our country. Good will always, in the final analysis, whatever the setbacks along the way, triumph over evil.
Labels: WYNTER KABIMBA
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Mwamba's conduct displeases Kabimba
By Moses Kuwema and Tilyenji Mwanza
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
WYNTER Kabimba says information and broadcasting services permanent secretary Emmanuel Mwamba is prepared to destroy the public media in order to please his paymasters and their cronies.
But Mwamba says Kabimba should have written to his superiors and that he had officially complained of harassment.
In his letter to Mwamba obtained by The Post dated October 3, Kabimba, who is PF secretary general and justice minister, said he would not sit back and allow the destruction of the public media to continue unabated to the detriment of national development.
"I have a duty to protect the majority interest in this country against turncoats whose objective is to serve narrow personal interests of their paymasters. Your insidious activities since you assumed your new position come against the background when members of the public were beginning to show some confidence in the renewed professionalism of the public media under the PF government. This trend is now gradually going in reverse again," read Kabimba's letter to Mwamba.
Kabimba explained that about two weeks ago, he phoned Mwamba to express his concern about one of his pronouncements as was reported in the print media, regarding what Mwamba referred to as the practice by some ministers being accompanied by preferred reporters while on government duty outside Lusaka.
He explained that he advised Mwamba to remain professional in his execution of responsibilities as information permanent secretary.
"In the last week, I have seen several headlines against me in the Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia which were so personal in nature and style that they were unexpected from the government media against a sitting minister of government. His Honour the Vice-President Dr Guy Scott alluded to this on Saturday, 29th September, 2013 during his interview with The Post Newspaper. One would have thought that you and your colleagues would have taken a leaf from His Honour the Vice-President's comments over this matter. I have also received reports that you personally ordered the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) to limit coverage of my stories," read the letter.
Recently, Vice-President Scott said it was strange to see government media setting ministers against each other.
Kabimba reminded Mwamba that as secretary general of the ruling PF, he was the custodian of the party's manifesto, which outlines all the social and economic programmes of the government, and that he was also the official spokesperson of the PF.
"In my various contacts and meetings with our party members and general public, I am enjoined with the duty to inform them about the successes of the Patriotic Front through the government's implementation of its programmes. I know that this does not matter to you at all since at the time when we were struggling to build the Patriotic Front, you were busy feeding from Frederick Chiluba and Rupiah Banda's plates. You are therefore, not expected to show any sense of commitment or loyalty to this party. After all in the event of the PF's failure to form government at any time in future, you shall move on to another political party in government," read Kabimba's letter.
Kabimba stated that Mwamba could not in this respect be President Sata's protégé more than him as he would want to project in the manner he intends to politicise the public media.
Kabimba further stated that by copy of the letter to Mwamba, he would like the minister of information and broadcasting services Mwansa Kapeya, to advise him on the steps that his ministry intends to take to save the public media from imminent collapse again.
But Mwamba said Kabimba had been phoning him and threatening to dismiss him as permanent secretary.
He said Kabimba had also been threatening media heads from Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, ZNBC and individual reporters with dismissal and unknown punishments.
Mwamba said the ministry should be allowed to run its affairs without intimidation.
He said Kabimba should address his grievances to superiors and not in a letter to him.
Mwamba said he had not received the letter which had been circulated to media houses and whose contents had been read out to him.
Labels: GBM, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
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(NEWZIMBABWE, REUTERS) Chinamasa pledges to stick with IMF programme
03/10/2013 00:00:00
by Reuters
FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa has said the country will stick to an IMF monitoring programme that could pave way for the country to clear its debts, as the economy grapples with chronic power cuts and a crippled manufacturing sector.
A manufacturing sector, crippled first by World Bank structural adjustment (ESAP) from 1991-1996, a disastrous policy, which they then tried to sell as 'Mismanagement By Mugabe'. Then, there are the economic sanctions of ZDERA, especially Section 4 C. Let's have honesty in reporting from Reuters.
S. 494 (107th): Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS- The term `international financial institutions' means
the multilateral development banks and
the International Monetary Fund.
(2) MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS- The term `multilateral development banks' means the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the
International Finance Corporation, the
Inter-American Development Bank, the
Asian Development Bank, the
Inter-American Investment Corporation, the
African Development Bank, the
African Development Fund, the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the
Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency.
- MrK
Zimbabwe is still emerging from a decade of economic decline and hyperinflation, but the economy is stuttering in the aftermath of a disputed election in July that has extended President Robert Mugabe's 33-year rule.
Harare began an International Monetary Fund-led staff-monitored programme in June which, if successful, could help it clear $10 billion in external debts and give it access to new credit from international lenders.
Under the programme, which is set to run until December, it is expected to implement a raft of economic reforms.
"We are committed to the programme," Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told Reuters on Thursday.
He said he will travel to Washington this weekend to assure IMF officials there that Harare will continue with programme.
Consumers in the southern African nation have experienced electricity blackouts lasting up to 16 hours a day in recent weeks, which state-owned power utility ZESA attributes to maintenance work on its ageing power generating plants.
Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire said this week the only long-term solution to the power crisis was to invest in new plants, which will require billions of dollars and take time to build.
Zimbabwe has a peak demand of 2,200 megawatts of electricity, but only has a supply of 1,167 MW, including imports from Mozambique.
The electricity crunch has hit the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, where output has fallen although mines have largely been spared. Zimbabwe has the second-largest platinum reserves in the world after South Africa, as well as one of the biggest diamond deposits and large quantities of coal and gold.
"We are in the intensive care unit," local media quoted Charles Msipa, head of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries as saying at the Wednesday launch of a report on the state of manufacturing, which showed many firms were operating at a third of capacity.
"Capacity utilisation is declining, in some accounts by alarming margins, leading to downstream effects like retrenchments and reduced activity on the domestic economy," he said.
Manufacturers are battling with high financing costs, with banks charging as much as 20 percent interest, and with demands for higher wages from restless workers.
The power cuts have hampered irrigation of the winter wheat crop in a country that a United Nations agency says is facing its worst food shortages in four years.
Mugabe's new government is crafting a new economic policy, but the 89-year old has vowed that all policies will revolve around his plans to force foreign-owned firms to give majority stakes to black citizens.
The policy, known as indigenisation, is seen as discouraging badly needed foreign investment and hindering access to IMF and World Bank funding.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe's stock exchange continues to recover after the industrial index plunged 11 percent on Aug 5, the first day of trading after Mugabe's re-election.
The main index rose 14 percent in September alone in what traders said was a market correction from an overdone sell-off.
Foreign investors are mostly targeting Zimbabwe's largest mobile firm Econet Wireless and SAB Miller's local unit Delta, the two largest firms on the exchange.
"There was initial panic but investors have realised that while the government may not induce the desired economic recovery, there is no additional political risk," a local stock broker said.
Labels: ENERGY, IMF, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) MP thrown out for reading novel in Parliament
03/10/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
BULAWAYO South MP Eddie Cross (MDC-T) was thrown out of Parliament on Thursday after reading a novel during a debate on the President’s Speech. The Deputy Speaker Mabel Chinomona interrupted a speech by Zanu PF’s Daniel MacKenzie Ncube to give Cross his marching orders.
“Order! Honourable Cross is reading a novel, can you please stand up and I will send the Sergeant-At-Arms to escort you so that you read the novel outside this House,” the Deputy Speaker said. The Sergeant-At-Arms escorted the red-faced Cross outside as MPs fell about laughing.
Chinomona called for order again: “Order! Order Honourable Members! Honourable Mackenzie you can resume your debate.”
The Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has been warning MPs against breaking the House etiquette and decorum – from walking across the House when an MP is debating, the use of mobile phones to failing to stand when he walks in.
During a debate on Wednesday, Mberengwa East MP Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu PF), was also escorted out after the Speaker saw him on the phone.
Mudenda said: “Order! One of the announcements I made as we started business, I said, we must switch off our cell phones. Honourable Hlongwane was entertaining a call in this Honourable House. I therefore request the Serjeant-At-Arms to escort him out of the House.”
It was a theme Mudenda returned to before opening Thursday’s debate – but this time he said he was giving MPs a final warning.
“May I make this other announcement, Honourable Members, do not test the patience of the Chair and the Chair’s accommodation, especially when we advise that members should switch off their cellphones before business commences,” he told MPs.
“I don’t want to see a repeat of what happened yesterday [Hlongwane incident]. I will not make further announcements about switching off cellphones when we next sit. It must be taken as a Standing Order.”
Labels: EDDIE CROSS, MPs, PARLIAMENT, RHODESIANS
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Government announces US$161m inputs scheme for farmers
02/10/2013 00:00:00
by Roman Moyo
THE government on Wednesday announced a US$161 million Agriculture Input Support Programme for the 2013/4 farming season, targeted at 1.6 million households.
The Input support programme targets communal, old resettlement, small scale and A1 scale and A 1 farmers. Agriculture Minister Joseph Made and his Finance counterpart Patrick Chinamasa unveiled the programme at a joint press conference in Harare.
The two ministers said delayed payments to farmers had to be addressed to avoid compromising their capacity to prepare for coming season.
Under the scheme, each household will be given 50kg of Compound D fertiliser, 50kg of ammonium nitrate (AN), 50kg of lime and 10kg maize seed pack.
Chinamasa also said the government had resolved to pay the outstanding payments to input suppliers, which stand at US$11.8 million.
“We have given instructions for the money to be delivered straight away.”
Government owes US$9.75 million to the seed houses split between Pannar at US$2.02 million, Pioneer US$3.72 million and SeedCo at US$4 million. They also owe ZFC US$1.54 million and Nyiombo US$500,000.
Made said Cabinet on Tuesday agreed not to be actively involved in the day-to-day running of farmers’ operations.
“It (this year) will be the last time government would actively be involved in the day-to-day running of farmers. If farmers are paid on time they should be able to buy their own inputs with limited government support that is how farming should be,” he said.
“This is not to say farmers can or should finance themselves because that is where banks come in but they (banks) have their own requirements,” Made said.
Made said government would subsidies farmers in the event of events such as drought. He said government would not allow Genetically Modified crops in Zimbabwe going forward to protect the country’s seed industry and crops.
He said government had also disbursed outstanding US$9,2 million payment to farmers for grain deliveries to the GMB under the current grain marketing season, while noting that deliveries had risen by about 2 million tonnes ever since people got wind the government was going to pay.
“This demonstrates our commitment to agriculture as this is the backbone which will trigger economic growth. Everything else should rotate within agriculture, we believe in establishing linkages with every other sector. It is important to note that such a scheme should have been more focused had we done the preparations earlier,” Made said.
Chinamasa said the country has about 44,000t of fertiliser but the country's requirements are in excess of 400,000t.
“As a result the country will need to import the balance.”
But Chinamasa said there is adequate seed in the country. In total, 16,285t of seed would be required. Seed houses have indicated they are holding 56,174t.
Of the US$161 million, US$157.96 million would go towards seed and fertiliser while the remainder will go towards GMB handling costs (US$2.60 million) and DDF tractor rehabilitation costs (US$530,000).
The Food and Agriculture Organisation, working with mostly Western countries, has indicated readiness to partner the government to the tune of US$19.5 million targeting 77,800 small holder farmers.
Chinamasa said discussions with the banks over A2 and commercial farmers’ funding were ongoing. The minister also said the input programme extended to livestock where farmers have a choice between crop or livestock but the values will be equal.
The fertiliser industry will require injection of financial resources to increase their capacity to meet the national requirement. To that end, Chinamasa said government had secured collaboration with the private sector geared at providing financial facilities in support of production of agricultural inputs.
Labels: FISP, JOSEPH MADE, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Man charged over Zanu PF office bomb
02/10/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
A 40-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over a suspected petrol bomb attack on Zanu PF’s Highfield offices and an adjoining supermarket at around 2AM on Saturday. Collen Chisunga appeared before Harare magistrate Elijah Makomo on Wednesday and was remanded in custody. The magistrate advised him to apply to the High Court for bail.
Prosecutors said Chisunga was arrested after bragging in a bar that he had carried out the attack on the Zanu PF offices at Machipisa Shopping Centre. The fire also destroyed Grocery World supermarket. Chisunga is facing two counts of aggravated malicious damage to property.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said over the weekend that 32-year-old Spiwe Pambayi, a Harare resident, was arrested on Saturday over the fire and kept in custody for two nights, together with her one-year-old son, Clifford Mbewe.
The lawyers said Pambayi was arrested after an informant told the police she had been overhead bragging that the "fire-fire operation yatakaita nezuro yakabudirira [the fire-fire operation that we conducted yesterday was a success]."
Labels: COLLEN CHISUNGA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ZANU-PF
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Mulongoti explains the in-fighting in PF
By Stuart Lisulo
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
MIKE Mulongoti says those fighting to remove Wynter Kabimba have bigger things at stake which are to do with the future leadership of the PF and not the secretary general's perceived 'arrogance'.
Some senior members of PF want Kabimba removed as secretary general of the party, citing arrogance and his alleged failure to mobilise the party.
But Kabimba recently said there was a tribal clique in the PF behind the members pushing for his resignation.
However, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda, who was among the 11 who went for Kabimba in their last joint meeting of the central committee and Cabinet, issued a statement, calling for an end to careless talk bordering on tribalism.
But Mulongoti said the direction which the PF leadership was taking in dealing with the fate of Kabimba was a recipe for disintegration.
"The direction they are taking is not helpful to them as a ruling party. We have seen this happen before in UNIP and MMD. In the end, unless they are very strong, it is a recipe for disintegration. No matter how much they want to pretend, it is not easy to do away with a national secretary of a political party and hope the matter can just die like that,'' he said.
Mulongoti, who is People's Party president, observed that the fight against Kabimba could not be a question of his perceived 'arrogance' but more to do with the future leadership of the PF.
"I have had a look at the PF manifesto and constitution. I don't think there is a provision to provide for arrogance as an issue, as an offence, because arrogance has got to do with the attitude of an individual. Even when Mr Kabimba was being elected as secretary general, most knew what his character was but how come all of a sudden, it has become an issue? I think it goes beyond that. It is not a question of his arrogance; it is a question of bigger things at stake and more so to do with the future leadership of the party,'' he said.
Mulongoti said the manner in which PF was dealing with Kabimba was not a solution to the internal problems of the PF.
"The very issues of corruption and tribalism point to specific individuals because corruption, nepotism and tribalism do not exist in a vacuum. Whether they (PF) like it or not, the public have been aroused to the fact that these issues are not dead; they are there,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Mulongoti observed that as political developments had been unfolding, it was clear that control had been given to political party cadres as opposed to those who had the intellectual capacity to do so.
"The people who lack intellectual rigour, the people who have got 'poverty of thought' seem to be in control of politics in our land,'' he said.
Mulongoti also encouraged the elite of the PF not to keep quiet when mob psychology was moving in.
He observed that President Michael Sata should make a decision on the matter in the interest of the nation.
"No matter how much the President keeps silent, the issue will still get to his table. He must make a decision because by not deciding, it's also a decision. So everybody is watching with interest, not only the people in PF but also even the general public in Zambia. They are interested to know how this saga is going to be resolved. The President must make a decision. It is not a matter that he can continue pretending it doesn't exist. It exists, it's there, so he must make a decision,'' said Mulongoti.
Labels: MIKE MULONGOTI, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Magande warns of price hikes
By Henry Sinyangwe
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
ZAMBIANS should brace themselves for major hikes in prices of goods following wage increments in the public sector, says National Movement for Progress president Ng'andu Magande.
And Magande, who is also former finance minister, says he hopes President Michael Sata sorts out the PF wrangles as they are 'consuming' Zambia.
He said there would be major inflationary pressures, as observed by the Bank of Zambia, because most Zambians were also not employed.
"We expect some inflationary pressures because a lot of Zambians are not employed and those who are employed are in the civil service, so they are getting more money and they will be spending it in the same shops that the other people go to. So when that happens, it means the businessmen will increase the prices of goods. To them, they are seeing these people who are spending money, but they don't realise that these are very few people and it's not everybody," Magande said.
He said the move was suicidal on the part of the government.
"Advising when someone has already jumped 10 floors and has committed suicide is not very useful because when the government was negotiating, they did not widely consult. There is nothing that the consumer will do because the government negotiated with the civil servants, and they agreed. They didn't at any time ask to say 'what do you think?'. If they had asked, we would have said 'no, you request the civil servants that instead of getting this increment at one go perhaps let them stagger them over some months or so'," Magande said.
He said it would be difficult to bring the prices down once they shoot up.
"And once prices go up, it's very difficult to bring them down, so you find that the citizens will start feeling the high cost of living, and that is what governments are there to do, to control the cost of living for all the citizens," Magande said.
He said the unemployed and the lowly paid would be most affected by the wage increase for civil servants.
"The unemployed and those who are lowly paid. I don't know why they are saying the public service is not well paid. Against whom are they comparing? If you take the private sector and there is some small bank which just came into Zambia with 10 workers and they pay those 10 workers K10,000 each, you can't say 'because these people are getting K10,000, therefore they are better paid than the civil servants and I will increase for civil servant'; the civil servants are nearly 260,000. So if you increase for civil servants in competition with 10 people, you know what that will...," Magande said.
He said addressing issues affecting the PF and the nation would be a nice way of President Michael Sata celebrating his anniversary as he swore in his Cabinet in October.
"I am waiting for the President to arrive so that he can quench this fire going on because apart from consuming the PF, it is consuming Zambia…Even as I go to some of these functions, you see people singing the national anthem and the voices are low, but when it is PF they are able to go on a public road and close it shouting 'PF'," said Magande.
"No, this country is for all Zambians and once you are in government, you look after all citizens."
Labels: INFLATION, NG'ANDU MAGANDE
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Mushala calls for unity among civil servants
By Ben Mbangu in Choma
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SOUTHERN Province permanent secretary Bert Mushala has called for unity among civil servants in the area for development to take place.
Addressing provincial heads of department yesterday at Leons Lodge in Choma, Mushala said it was important to love one another and give advice where it was due rather than working against each other.
Mushala further urged civil servants in the province to operate like a herd of buffalo so as to achieve development for the people of Southern Province.
He also warned that those who would embrace vices that had the potential to retard development, such as corruption, would have themselves to blame, warning that he would not take kindly to such.
"If we remain united, no one will divide us as people in the province," he said.
And speaking at the same meeting, outgoing Southern Province permanent secretary Bernard Namachila urged civil servants to be loyal to the government of the day.
Namachila, who likened his disappointed to Big Brother Africa, said he received the development with calm and thanked President Sata for according him an opportunity to serve in his government.
"These appointments and disappointments remind of BBA because the moment you are told that you have been evicted, all you can do is to go and nothing else... even if you still wanted to go on, so that's how these positions like the one I was holding are," said Namachila.
Namachila also boasted of being the longest-serving permanent secretary in Southern Province since the ruling PF took office in 2011.
He advised the civil servants not to compromise themselves in the manner they discharge their duties but instead should strive to remain focused towards work.
"The only problem I encountered in this province is elements of corruption and I think that's the only thing some people might have hated me for because I'm a straightforward person," said Namachila.
Labels: BERT MUSHALA, CIVIL SERVANTS
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Seyuba lauds Finnish support to Forestry Dept
By Vincent Chilikima in Solwezi
Thu 03 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
NORTH Western Province permanent secretary Augustine Seyuba has applauded Finland's cooperation and support in the management of forests and other natural resources. Seyuba said this when a project appraisal team paid a courtesy call on him.
He disclosed that Finland was providing 4.5 million Euros to the decentralised forest and other natural resources management programme in North Western and Muchinga provinces.
And project appraisal team leader senior consultant Henk Remme said the introduction phase of the programme would operate in Mwinilunga and Kasempa districts of North Western Province, and Nakonde and Chinsali districts of Muchinga Province, adding that the project was scheduled to start in 2014 and would initially run for three years to establish a solid platform and enabling conditions for full-scale programme implementation to last 12 years.
Meanwhile, Seyuba said the province was excited because the project was aimed at stopping deforestation, forest degradation, loss of biodiversity and reduction of carbon emissions, describing such conditions as negatively contributing to global warming and climate change.
He said the protection of land and water resources was very important for sustaining the agricultural sector, adding that the decentralised nature of the programme would assist in strengthening local rights by creating awareness among traditional leaders and their communities on their rights and responsibilities to ensure sustainable utilisation of natural resources.
Seyuba added that the project was necessary because it would reduce poverty and inequality through increasing rural incomes, enhancing food security and generating new employment opportunities for the rural poor.
He explained that the planned interventions should strengthen local government and support devolvement of many key natural resource management functions to the local levels to empower rural communities in the sustainable management of forests and other natural resources.
"The primary beneficiaries should be individuals and groups in local forests and other natural resources-dependent communities, including households and other vulnerable groups living in extreme poverty as well as community-based organisations in targeted districts," he said.
Seyuba also said the programme's success could be enhanced by integrating its implementation through establishing a team of key stakeholders from various institutions, among them the royal establishments, ministries of agriculture, local government, community development, the media and NGOs.
Labels: AUGUSTINE SEYUBA, FINLAND, FORESTRY, TREES
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(HERALD ZW) Zanu-PF parliamentary majority godsend – Mnangagwa
October 2, 2013
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said the resounding victory by Zanu-PF in the July 31 harmonised elections will enable the party to effectively implement its policies and programmes in Parliament without hindrances that were caused by the previous hung Parliament.
Minister Mnangagwa said this in his congratulatory message to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cde Jacob Mudenda, and his deputy, Cde Mabel Chinomona, in the National Assembly.
“The just ended Seventh Parliament, which was in fact a hung Parliament, naturally it was not always easy to debate issues and pass Bills as no party would effectively implement its policies or its manifesto.
“Now that Zanu-PF won a landslide on July 31 and holds and commands a comfortable majority in both Houses (National Assembly and Senate), as leaders, it is now possible to debate and enact programmes and policies outlined by His Excellency the President and Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces in his address at the opening of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Minister Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans now awaited the fulfilment of promises made by Zanu-PF in its election campaign, adding it was incumbent upon Cde Mudenda to direct debate in the House.
Zanu-PF won 160 seats of the 210 contested seats in the just ended elections with the MDC-T winning a paltry 49 while one was won by an independent.
With the inclusion of seats from proportional representation Zanu-PF has 197, the MDC-T 70 while the Welshman Ncube led MDC formation has two. President Mugabe trounced his MDC-T opponent Mr Morgan Tsvangirai after he garnered 61,09 percent of the vote as compared to Mr Tsvangirai’s 33,94 percent.
“The electorate now awaits the fulfilment of the promises we made to them during the election campaigns with bated breath.
“Indeed the task of superintending and ensuring robust and constructive debate around these issues without denigrating the powers of the judiciary lies in your (Cde Mudenda) hands,” he said.
Zanu-PF ran its election campaign under the theme “Indigenise, Empower, Develop, and Create Employment”.
The revolutionary party promised to vigorously pursue indigenisation policies through the transfer of majority ownership of resources into the hands of majority blacks.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, GLOBAL POLITICAL AGREEMENT, PARLIAMENT
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(LAND DESTROYER REPORT) Old Dog, Old Trick: US, Saudis, Qatar Attempt "Arab Spring" Retread in Sudan
Protests are smokescreen for unfolding US-Saudi-Qatari backed violence seeking regime change in Sudan.
September 28, 2013 (Tony Cartalucci) - The Associated Press reveals that recent and ongoing "Arab Spring-style" unrest in Sudan's capital of Khartoum is led by Sudan's Western-backed opposition, the National Umma Party, and the various faux-NGO's and "independent media" organizations created by the West to prop it up. This reveals yet another Western-engineered uprising designed for regime change in favor of a new, Western friendly client regime.
The AP article, "Sudanese protesters demand the regime's ouster," first claims:
Activists acknowledge they have no unified leadership or support from political parties but express hope the spontaneous nature of the current round of protests means they're gaining momentum.
However, AP then admits [emphasis added]:
One of Sudan's most prominent opposition leaders, Sadiq al-Mahdi of the National Umma Party, told worshippers at a mosque in the district of Omdurman that al-Bashir has been spending the state's budget on "consolidating power" and failed "to lift the agony off the citizens' shoulders."
After the sermon, protesters marched through the district, a longtime opposition stronghold, chanting "the people want the downfall of the regime," the slogan heard in Arab Spring uprisings that began in late 2010 and have led to the ouster of the leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.
Clearly, the "activists" indeed have a leader - Sadiq al-Mahdi of the National Umma Party who was literally leading the protesters out into the streets. And while comparisons to the "Arab Spring" invokes images of peaceful "pro-democracy" protests - AP admits that the protesters are already turning to violence:
Angry protesters torched police and dozens of gas stations and government buildings, and students marched chanting for al-Bashir's ouster.
AP, perhaps hoping readers would not bother researching the matter further, also quotes "local blogger and journalist Reem Shawka" to bolster their narrative. Shawka is a columnist at Sudan's 500 Words Magazine. While 500 Words maintains that it is "a Sudanese independent online magazine," it proudly advertises in the right column of its website an upcoming US Institute of Peace "Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leaders Program." Like Thailand's deceitful US-funded propaganda front Prachatai, 500 Words is most likely directly funded by the US government, and is most certainly in tune with the US State Department's agenda and talking points regarding Sudan.
Image: Sudan's "independent online magazine," 500 Words proudly advertises for the US Institute of Peace on its website (right-hand side), exposing the predictable ties between its support for Western-backed opposition inside of Sudan and the US State Department through the National Endowment for Democracy and others, who most likely funds the online propaganda front.
....
Indeed 500 Words' editor-in-chief, Moez Ali, has his own page on "Open Democracy" - funded by convicted criminal George Soros' Open Society Institute, the Oak Foundation, the Sigrid Rausing Trust, TIDES, and many others.
It should be mentioned that the US Institute of Peace - advertised for on 500 Words - has played an instrumental role in the Western-engineered "Arab Spring," where it literally crafts the constitutions and structure of proxy regimes the West plans to create once targeted nations have been overthrown.
Who is Opposition Leader Sadiq al-Mahdi?
Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of Sudan's National Umma Party, is a member of the EU-US-Saudi-Qatari run Arab Democracy Foundation and the Club de Madrid which features former US President Bill Clinton as a "full member" amongst many others, and is backed by Wall Street and London's myriad of "international institutions" and foundations including the World Bank, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Ford Foundation, Walmart, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Microsoft, and many others.
Al-Mahdi himself was Oxford educated, according to his official Club de Madrid biography, which also states [emphasis added]:
Al-Mahdi was elected president of the Umma party in November 1964, and led a campaign to promote political activity, develop political Islam, and reform the party by expanding its base and promoting democracy behavior. Despite his efforts towards a democratic government, there was another coup d´état in 1969 that led to a dictatorship referred to as the May Regime.
He was soon arrested by the military government, exiled to Egypt, and detained in Sudanese prisons repeatedly until 1974. Later that year, he traveled abroad and toured Arab and African Capitals where he delivered a number of lectures. While in exile, he formed the National Democratic Front (NDF), comprised of Umma, the Democratic Unionist Party, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Through his efforts, the NDF was able to make an accord of national reconciliation in 1977 with the May Regime that mandated democratic reform.
His direct association with the Muslim Brotherhood is important, as this is the organization that as far back as 2007, under then US President George Bush, began receiving US-Saudi-Israeli support to prepare the violent overthrow of several nations, including in particular, Syria. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 New Yorker article, "The Redireciton: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?" would reveal US-Saudi-Israeli support behind funding and arming the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria:
"the Saudi government, with Washington’s approval, would provide funds and logistical aid to weaken the government of President Bashir Assad, of Syria. The Israelis believe that putting such pressure on the Assad government will make it more conciliatory and open to negotiations."
Hersh also reported that a supporter of the Lebanese pro-US-Saudi Hariri faction had met Dick Cheney in Washington and relayed personally the importance of using the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria in any move against the ruling government:
"[Walid] Jumblatt then told me that he had met with Vice-President Cheney in Washington last fall to discuss, among other issues, the possibility of undermining Assad. He and his colleagues advised Cheney that, if the United States does try to move against Syria, members of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood would be “the ones to talk to,” Jumblatt said."
The article would continue by explaining how already in 2007 US and Saudi backing had begun benefiting the Brotherhood:
"There is evidence that the Administration’s redirection strategy has already benefitted the Brotherhood. The Syrian National Salvation Front is a coalition of opposition groups whose principal members are a faction led by Abdul Halim Khaddam, a former Syrian Vice-President who defected in 2005, and the Brotherhood. A former high-ranking C.I.A. officer told me, “The Americans have provided both political and financial support. The Saudis are taking the lead with financial support, but there is American involvement.” He said that Khaddam, who now lives in Paris, was getting money from Saudi Arabia, with the knowledge of the White House. (In 2005, a delegation of the Front’s members met with officials from the National Security Council, according to press reports.) A former White House official told me that the Saudis had provided members of the Front with travel documents."
That al-Mahdi, whose coalition included the Muslim Brotherhood that's played an instrumental role executing recent Western designs in Syria and Egypt, and whose uprising and calls for faux-reform is echoed by the likes of Sudanese extremist leader Hassan al-Turabi (who had in fact invited Osama Bin Laden to Sudan), is now leading protesters through the streets of Sudan's capital, torching infrastructure, government buildings, and police stations (just as was done across Egypt and Syria), indicates another attempt by the West to overthrow the Sudanese government via proxy militancy.
That the West has once again "coincidentally" arrayed its vast resources behind al-Mahdi's "revolution," which includes Al Qaeda-linked leaders like al-Turabi, once again illustrates that so-called "Islamic" extremism is a geopolitical tool both created and intentionally perpetuated by the West, both as a pretext for direct military invasion and occupation (Mali, Afghanistan) and as an inexhaustible proxy mercenary force for overthrowing targeted nations (Libya, Egypt, Syria).
What to Watch For
Sudan shares borders with NATO-overthrown Libya, destabilized Egypt, and US military proxy Ethiopia. It is also across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia itself. Both Libya and Egypt have sizable US-Saudi-Israeli-Qatari-backed terrorist organizations and their affiliated political arms - the Muslim Brotherhood being the most prominent. Sudan is a potential tinderbox made more volatile in recent years due to the Muslim Brotherhood's US-Saudi-Qatari-Israeli enabled rise, along with the Western-backed terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda, that form it's armed factions.
The West's interest in Sudan is not causal or spontaneous. It was listed as one of several nations the US had intended to violently overthrow and subjugate as a client regime since at least 2001, revealed in a speech given by US Army General Wesley Clark in 2007.
With a recent terrorist attack by US armed and backed Al Qaeda in Nairobi Kenya threatening to justify new joint African Union-US AFRICOM incursions into Somalia, and destabilizations ongoing in both Egypt and to a much greater extent in Syria, the words of General Wesley Clark are both prophetic and indicative of the true nature of both the so-called "Arab Spring" and the attempted violent regime changes being organized behind the smokescreen of "pro-democracy protesters."
While Sudan may not seem to have significance to most across the West, the geopolitical implications of an entire region from Mali to Pakistan under Western destabilization directly impacts oil, logistics, and stability across the globe. Nations like China which relies on African and Middle Eastern trade, are directly impacted by US attempts to destabilize and overthrow Sudan - and is in fact one of the driving motivations of the West's so-called "Arab Spring."
Following the "Arab Spring" playbook, we should expect attempts to justify the increased militarization of the so-called "opposition," who will at first be portrayed as "pro-democracy" moderates forced to "defend themselves," but will be fully revealed as Al Qaeda as full-scale proxy military operations get underway. The only way to avert a destructive military conflict is for the Sudanese government to swiftly and severely crush the opposition and secure the borders where NATO-backed militants and their equipment are most likely to flow.
Sudan's government must also make real attempts at reform, while exposing the foreign-backed nature of opposition leaders trying to divide and destroy the nation. By breaking the predictable "evil dictator" mold Sudan's leadership has been cast in by the Western media, it, and other nations targeted by Western regime change can even the odds leveled against them by the still formidable Western press and their partners in propaganda across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel.
Unprecedented amounts of resources have been committed to the geopolitical reordering of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. It would be a considerable mistake for any nation overtly listed by the US as "pending regime change" to underestimate any beginnings of unrest clearly backed by foreign interests. While some operations may be "testing the waters," the final push can come at any time with fully militarized proxies pre-positioned and prepared to sow the same genocidal destruction US-backed terrorists in Syria are carrying out.
Labels: ARAB SPRING, COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Tungsten miner agrees indigenisation deal
01/10/2013 00:00:00
by Business Reporter
SHARES in London-listed Premier African Minerals shot ahead as the company concluded an indigenisation agreement with the local authorities for its tungsten arm RHA.
The National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund (NIEEF) will hold 51% of RHS after the deal, though Premier’s subsidiary ZimDiv will manage the project for an initial 5 years.
Premier will convert all expenditure so far into a loan. RHA is also now responsible for all of its own funding and Premier and NIEEF are under no obligation to pay for any of its future exploration and development costs.
Once RHA has moved in to commercial production, Premier will issue US$750,000 worth of shares to NIEFF.
Premier’s chief executive, George Roach, said: “The early completion of the agreements is indicative of the excellent relationship and mutual understanding that we have enjoyed with NIEEF for some time now.
“In particular, that RHA is responsible for its own development costs both eases the burden on Premier and broadens the sources from which finance will be available to develop the project into a low-capex tungsten mine in the near-term.
"We are in advanced negotiations on an off-take and project finance and we have committed to the additional confirmatory work suggested in the recently published Mining Study and Preliminary Economic Assessment.”
Labels: NIEEF, PREMIER AFRICAN MINERALS, TUNGSTEN
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(NEWZIMBABWE) MDC suffers blow as top official quits
01/10/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
THE MDC led by Welshman Ncube suffered a blow this week after its director of policy and research, Qhubani Moyo, announced he was “retreating from politics”.
Moyo suffered a heavy defeat to Zanu PF in Insiza North constituency in the July 31 parliamentary elections, as did all the party’s other candidates.
The party managed just one seat in the National Assembly and another seat in the Senate which were won through proportional representation.
Moyo said: “At the moment, I’m retreating from politics. I’m open to any possibility given that my people in Matabeleland South voted for Zanu PF in all the 13 constituencies.
“No-one should be shocked by any move after what the people of Matabeleland South did.”
Moyo said he had spoken “at length” with Ncube before resigning his position.
“Subsequently, on Sunday I wrote a letter of resignation to the party secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga indicating that I was leaving the party. I want to focus on academia and contribute to the development of the country in a different capacity,” Moyo said.
The former university student activist said he thanked Ncube for allowing him to engage in political discussions, especially during the constitution-making process.
“I thanked him for his great team work, his high work rate and the rest of the Green Team that worked tirelessly for devolution of power. I’m one of the people, being a political scientist by training and politician by practice, who have found it hard to understand the voting preferences of the people, particularly in the Matabeleland region,” he added.
Moyo, a close friend of the Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, is said to be weighing the possibility of joining a newly formed National Constitutional Assembly party party led by Lovemore Madhuku, but sources suggest he is eyeing a government job which would move him closer to joining Zanu PF.
MDC spokesman Nhlanhla Dube said: “The MDC takes this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Moyo for the committed and sterling contribution to the party’s national agenda in the various capacities and roles in which he was deployed.
“It is indeed sad to see our esteemed comrade disembark from the devolution train, the party will sincerely miss his contribution. We, however, wish him well in his chosen path and future endeavours.”
Labels: MDC, WELSHMAN NCUBE
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(NEWZIMBABWE, AFP) Zambia charges 70 separatists
02/10/2013 00:00:00
by AFP
MORE than 70 Zambian separatists are due in court on charges of treason Wednesday, in one of the country's biggest trials in recent years.
The defendants, mostly from the Lozi tribe, want Barotseland state in the country's impoverished west to secede from the copper-rich southern African country.
Police have arrested 83 people in a crackdown on secessionists, some while they were trying to hoist their own flag or singing songs denouncing the government.
Western province police chief Lombe Kamukoshi said only 72 of them will appear at Mongu High Court on Wednesday.
A treason conviction in Zambia could carry the death penalty.
Barotseland traditional leader and former deputy minister of education, Clement Sinyinda is among those facing treason charges, but will go to court on a later date.
"Sinyinda has been charged with the offence of treason felony and will appear in court on October 10, others will appear on October 2," Kamukoshi told AFP.
The secessionist bid dates back decades.
Barotseland was originally a protectorate of Britain, but entered into a deal at the end of colonial rule in 1964 to become a province of Zambia.
Under the agreement signed with independent Zambia's first president, Kenneth Kaunda, the region was supposed to have limited self-rule, but the Lozi say that agreement was never respected.
The issue had quietened down during the 1990s.
Last year, President Michael Sata ordered the military to clamp down on secession protests.
In January 2012, two people were killed during clashes with police in the town of Mongu, west of the capital Lusaka.
Human rights activist Brebner Changala blamed Sata for not doing enough to initiate talks and called on him to pardon those facing charges.
"It's a sad story that people are arrested and charged with treason," he said.
"Dialogue is the only way out... he should take the lead".
He added that the issue was capable of causing mayhem in the country.
"This issue should be handled with care, he (Sata) should not trivialise it," said Changala.
"This is a matter that can cause serious problems in this country,??? he said.
Last year, Sata said allowing the tribe to secede would cause other tribes to demand the same, in a country with 73 ethnic groups.
Labels: SEPARATISM, TRIBALISM
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Caution about tribalism talk
By Editor
Wed 02 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
It is interesting to note that some people became very uncomfortable with the mention of tribalism being a factor in the demands for Wynter Kabimba's resignation as secretary general of the Patriotic Front.
We started hearing people who have never cared about the mention of tribalism calling for caution in the use of the word "tribalism". We never heard some of these characters ever complain about charges of tribalism when those at the receiving end were Tongas from the UPND.
Since 2006, this newspaper has carried many stories of people accusing the UPND of being a political party of Tongas. We have also carried many editorial comments urging the UPND to move away from a narrow, tribal political base and do everything possible to make their party acquire a national character if they have to harbour any hope of ever being a ruling party of this country. We never heard any complaint from the people who are today cautioning about the use of the word "tribalism".
What has changed? The only thing that has changed is that our previous talk in the last few years or since 2006 has been about UPND and Tonga tribal politics. And today, we are talking about the Patriotic Front and Bemba tribal politics. And surprisingly, almost all the people who have thrown caution about the use of the word tribalism are this time round Bemba-speaking elements.
We don't think it is right for us to be free to talk about tribalism only when those said to be involved in it are non-Bemba speaking people - are Tongas or some other tribe.
It is not in dispute that some people in the leadership of the Patriotic Front went for Wynter because of his tribe. We could mention some names of those who took sides in this dispute on the basis of supporting a fellow tribesman. And those involved know that we know.
There are people in the Patriotic Front who stood against Wynter simply because he was seen to be fighting a fellow Bemba tribesman. We do not want to bring too many problems for these people. All we can say for now is that their tribal approach to politics and to life in general is wrong and deserves to be denounced.
We ask those who are complaining about the tribal talk today to tell us where they were when we were denouncing the Tonga tribalism that saw Sakwiba Sikota hounded out of the UPND simply because he was a Lozi-speaking person and the top leadership of the UPND was a preserve of Tongas? They never uttered a word against what was being said about UPND's Tonga tribalism.
The Zambian people, including ourselves, were not denouncing UPND's Tonga tribalism because they hate UPND and Tongas. No. They were doing so because they hate tribalism in general and regardless of which tribe or individuals are involved in it.
Today, the same people, and this same newspaper, are denouncing the Bemba tribalism that is said to be negatively influencing the politics of the Patriotic Front and the power struggle in this political party.
It is therefore dishonesty on the part of some of our Bemba politicians who seem to be so uncomfortable with the denunciation of Bemba tribalism. What is making them uncomfortable? It is simply because of a realisation that the Zambian people don't like tribalism and tribalists. And if they come to know them as being tribalists, their chances of winning national political offices will greatly diminish. It is not the fear or the dislike of tribalism that is making them uncomfortable with the mention of the word "tribalism", especially Bemba tribalism. It is the fear of losing power or the reduction of their prospects or chances to win power that is making them uncomfortable with the mention of the word "tribalism".
But what words should be used to describe the behaviour, the actions of people who are behaving or acting in a manner that can be said to be tribalistic?
They want to be allowed to be behave in a manner that is tribalistic, but they don't want anyone to publicly describe their behaviour as being tribalistic. Things have to be called by their right names. If calling things by their right names brings some credit to some people, let them get the credit. If calling things by their right names brings some discredit to some people, let it be so.
In life, one should be known by their behaviour, by what they do and by their beliefs. Those whose behaviour is one of tribalism, let them be known for that. Those whose actions are of a tribalistic nature, let them be known for that and reap the rewards of that. Those whose outlook, whose beliefs are tribalistic, let them be judged by that. We have to be honest about these things.
If one thinks that being tribalistic is a good thing, let them not pretend otherwise. That's what honesty demands. But today, we have tribalists being scared to be known as such. Again, there is need for honesty in life. Flann O'Brien once remarked: "Put a thief among honest men and they will eventually relieve him of his watch." And Bertrand Russell says: "The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented hell."
There are only two kinds of people in this world: honest people and dishonest people. We have a choice as to the category we want to belong to.
We shouldn't fear to be associated with our beliefs and pretend to be what we are not.
We should also not be afraid to hear the truth. And as Plato put it: "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."
As we have strongly pointed out before, tribalism is a blight on the human conscience. And we should never allow our country to play host to tribalism. Nor shall our voices be stifled if we see that one of us is engaging in tribalism or is a victim of tribal tyranny. Tribalism must be consciously combated and not discreetly tolerated by any of us.
Clearly, there is nothing careless about exposing tribalism and tribalists. What is careless is to assume an ostrich attitude and pretend that tribalism does not exist in our politics. It exits and is a growing problem that is principally led by our politicians themselves for narrow and selfish considerations.
The best way to dismantle tribalism is not by denying its existence or by labelling those who courageously and publicly draw our attention to its existence as careless. It is by acknowledging it and by working for increased understanding in the society of the underhand and pervasive ways in which tribalism functions. It calls for a willingness to reexamine what would be regarded as normal.
It presupposes opening up the subject of tribalism - no longer isolating and alienating those who dare raise it. It involves listening and creating spaces to hear the hurt, anger and aspirations of those expressing tribal oppression or marginalisation. It means dragging tribalism from the hushed conversations and murmurs and silences, into the arena of public discussion. And our politicians, the main culprits who mobilise on tribal basis and who generate tribal consciousness, should be in the forefront of this transformation.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, TRIBALISM
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Kaunda counsels against tribalism
By Abel Mboozi
Wed 02 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
IT makes me angry indeed when I hear leaders talking about tribe in Zambia, says Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Asked to give counsel on the issue of tribalism being discussed by some senior PF members, Dr Kaunda said it was not right that in 2013 issues of tribe should resurface.
"It is not right that in 2013, after we have come all the way building ourselves into one nation, some people somewhere in a dirty corner keep shouting about tribe… why? To achieve what? They want to get power through tribe?" Dr Kaunda asked.
Dr Kaunda said the talk of tribalism must stop immediately, stressing that such had no place in Zambia.
He said Zambia had been held together for a long time through the philosophy he coined of 'One Zambia, One Nation' and that citizens should remain steadfast on upholding that achievement.
"The tribal talk should be stopped immediately and completely. The nation has held, and we have been building the nation together. It sends me angry indeed when I begin hearing leaders talking about tribe," he said.
Dr Kaunda said Zambia was founded on the biblical commandment which stresses the need to love one another regardless of creed, race and religion.
"Young people, go back to God's teachings. Love God your Creator with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength as He is the One who has made His image like you. His teaching is 'love your neighbour as you love yourself; do unto others as you would like them to do unto you'," he said
Dr Kaunda said the commandments, as espoused in the Bible, were amazing because where they have been followed, peace prevails.
"Amazing teaching, amazing commandment; where these commandments are followed, there is genuine peace. Where they are not followed, disaster. So in Zambia, we saw that there were so many tribes, many colours, and many faiths and if we didn't come together, all these would be destroyed," he said.
Dr Kaunda said fighting and killing each other would have been the order of the day in Zambia if he, as the founding father of the nation, did not champion the 'One Zambia, One Nation' philosophy.
"So we thought we had to come together through 'One Zambia, One Nation'; through the podium, we shouted 'One Zambia' and citizens would respond 'One Nation' to transcend across race, tribe and anything else," said Dr Kaunda.
And MMD national youth chairperson Moses Muteteka has called on political parties in Zambia to avoid championing tribalism.
Muteteka, who is also Chisamba MMD member of parliament, said PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba was forthright when he stated that a clique within the party was scheming to hound him out on the basis of tribe.
"In fact, Kabimba has vindicated the UPND, which has been called tribal for a long time and yet the same evil is rife in the ruling party," said Muteteka.
Recently, Kabimba, said there was a tribal clique in the ruling party behind the cadres pushing for his resignation.And The Post ran an editorial in which it advised PF to deal with Kabimba in a fair way. The editorial read: "Wynter himself is today saying that it is a clique of tribal elements that is financing party cadres calling for his removal. He may have every reason to feel this way if the rules of natural justice and the party processes for disciplinary measures against him are not being followed.
There is no discernible charge that anyone has brought against Wynter before the disciplinary organs of the party to defend himself against. And for this reason, Wynter feels discriminated against on the basis of tribe.
And the list of those who went for him, those who were attacking him in the last joint meeting of the Patriotic Front central committee and Cabinet are predominantly from one tribe and region. Of the 14 people who spoke at that meeting, only three -Jean Kapata, Elizabeth Phiri and Bridget Atanga - can be said to be non-Bemba speaking people. And the 11 people who went for Wynter were Nkandu Luo,Chishimba Kambwili, Alexander Chikwanda, Joseph Katema, Esther Banda (from Mporokoso), Samuel Mukupa, Alfridah Kasembe, Willy Nsanda, Benson Chali, Emmanuel Mpakata and Freedom Sikazwe. All these are Bemba-speaking people. And Wynter seems to believe that these are the people championing the campaign for his removal. Geoffrey Mwamba didn't speak at this meeting.
But his position on this issue is well known and that's probably why it was not necessary for him to speak at that meeting. And as for the three non-Bemba speaking people who spoke at that meeting, they don't seem to have many issues with Wynter. ElizabethPhiri's complaint against Wynter at that meeting was that he was the one responsible for her not being adopted as a parliamentary candidate. This is the only complaint she voiced against Wynter. Atanga spoke in very general terms and had no direct issue against Wynter. As for Kapata, it is believed that the issue she has against Wynter is that she thinks he is the one who brought in Sylvia Masebo to compete with her. Of course, the truth is that Sylvia was not brought in by Wynter but by Michael himself."
Later Chikwanda issued a statement and called for an immediate end to "careless talk" bordering on tribalism by senior government officials, because it had the potential to cause disunity in the country.
Chikwanda said the government was concerned with reports attributed to some senior government officials alleging that there was tribalism in the PF.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, TRIBALISM
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Those fighting Wynter weakening Sata, warns Munkombwe
By Moses Kuwema
Wed 02 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
DANIEL Munkombwe says the people that have been organising others in order to remove Wynter Kabimba as secretary general want to weaken President Michael Sata.
And commenting on Vice-President Dr Guy Scott's statement that the people who had been calling for Kabimba to leave the post of secretary general were after President Sata, Munkombwe, who is Southern Province minister, said the calls were not aimed at weakening Kabimba but President Sata.
"If you are a leader of a political party and the party is split, where do you get your presidency? If it is split in whatever form, be it quarter or whatever, then you are a weak president. They are not weakening Kabimba, they are not weakening anybody; they are weakening the party, whose head is Michael Sata. Sata must have a right hand person and right hand central committee," he said.
Munkombwe said much as he was new to the PF, he was not a stranger to political parties as he had served under all the five presidents.
He said the experience of building political parties was his expertise.
"If you throw away whether you are throwing away Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, you are causing a crack. More so if you throw away a secretary general of a party, you are causing a bigger crack. I know myself from history and my knowledge that PF has had a high turnover of secretary generals. They must know who among them has served the party well. Let them compare. Why was PF not in government when these guys were secretary generals? Who has managed to lift PF into government?" he asked.
Munkombwe said each and every member of the PF was useful in one way or another and that he did not want the PF to be lame.
And Munkombwe, who is PF Southern Province chairman, said no one in the province had been mandated to speak for the province on matters to do with Kabimba.
"I am a provincial chairman. We have not met on the matter. We will wait for the President to give a direction on the matter," he said.
Last week, some PF supporters had a meeting where they announced that all 10 provinces wanted Kabimba removed as secretary general.
Labels: DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, GUY SCOTT, MICHAEL SATA, WYNTER KABIMBA
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Police rearrest Liato
By Agness Changala
Wed 02 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
AUSTIN Liato was yesterday discharged and re-arrested at Woodlands Police Station for abuse of office after the state entered a nolle prosequi in a matter where he was in court on the same charges.
Liato, the former labour minister in the MMD government, was appearing before principal resident magistrate David Sumusamba on two counts of abuse of office.
It was alleged that Liato on or about June 8, 2011 in Lusaka, being a public officer, namely Minister of Labour and Social Security and member of parliament for Kaoma Central Constituency, abused the authority of his office by facilitating the sinking of two boreholes at his farm in Mwembeshi.
In count two, it is alleged that Liato on dates unknown but between May 14 and 19, 2011 in Lusaka, being a public officer, namely Minister of Labour and Social Security and member of parliament for Kaoma Central constituency, abused the authority of his office by facilitating the diversion of two hammer mills meant for the people of Kaoma to himself, thereby obtaining property advantage or profit, an act prejudicial to the interest of government and the people of Kaoma Central Constituency.
When the matter came up for continued trial yesterday, the arresting officer took her position in the witness dock in readiness to testify.
However, the state told the court that it had an application to make.
Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor James Mataliro said he had received instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs) office to enter a nolle prosequi in the matter.
"In this regard, I am making an application to enter a nolle prosequi," said Mataliro much to the surprise of Liato's lawyers, who were assured that the matter would proceed on trial today.
Ruling on the application, magistrate Simusamba discharged Liato and released the witness.
But immediately, Liato and his lawyers walked out of court, five police officers, who waited outside, led Liato to a vehicle registration number TRK 509ZM, which was parked within the court premises.
Liato, who was asked to accompany police, complied and was taken to Woodlands Police Station, where he was re-arrested for abuse of office and was released on police bond.
Earlier, his lawyers complained at the forceful manner in which police conducted themselves when they asked Liato to accompany them to Woodlands Police Station.
Defence lawyer Moses Chitambala said Liato was a law-abiding citizen and would go with them as required.
Chitambala accused the police of being sensational in the manner they were handling his client's matter.
"This is the same kind of excitement we talk about. He will come to Woodlands because he is a law-abiding citizen," said Chitambala.
And according to a statement released by the Government Joint Investigations team (GJIT) public relations officer Namukolo Kasumpa, the DPP instructed that Liato be re-arrested on the same charge and two separate counts of abuse of authority of office contrary to the Laws of Zambia.
Labels: AUSTIN LIATO, COURTS, MMD
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SADC diplomats laud Sata on investment, economic policies
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Wed 02 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SADC region chairperson for Ambassadors and High Commissioners David Bandawe says President Michael Sata's government has performed exceptionally well in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the benefit of many Zambians.
Speaking when he led High Commissioners and Ambassadors from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) that toured the Chambishi Multi-facility Economic Zone (MFEZ), Bandawe who is also Malawian High Commissioner to Zambia said the country's sound economic and foreign investment policy was inspiring.
Bandawe said the rate at which the country was moving in terms of economic and infrastructure development spoke volumes of the commitment of the Zambian government to the introduction of attractive policies for both international and local investors in the country.
Bandawe said the infrastructure development going on at the MFEZ where the Zambian government had partnered with the Chinese government was impressive and good for a developing country. He said Africa still needed China in the development of the African communities.
"This is impressive and I believe we still need China in the development of our African communities and continent," he said.
Bandawe said it was gratifying that MFEZ was creating job opportunities for many Zambian people and reducing poverty in communities.
He said economic zones were also enhancing economic activities thereby reducing the levels of poverty. Bandawe appealed to Chambishi residents to protect the infrastructure by avoiding vandalism adding that such investment would significantly improve their living standards.
And planning and investment promotions supervisor at the Chambishi MFEZ Cai Jian said there were 27 companies currently operating at the zone.
Cai said the company had so far invested over $140 million and that a lot of local jobs had been created.
She said the MFEZ was open to international and local investors that would want to run businesses from the premises.
Labels: DAVID BANDAWE, MICHAEL SATA, SADC
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(THE SOUTH AFRICAN) Protest against ‘slaughter of whites’ in South Africa heads to London
COMMENT - I quote: "However, Lizette Lancaster, project manager of the Institute for Security Studies claims that “whites are far less likely to be murdered than their black or coloured counterparts.”
This was supported by an analysis of 1,378 murder dockets completed by the South Africa police in 2009. They found that 86.9% of the murder victims were black and 1.8% were white, despite white people making up 8.85% of the overall population." - MrK
The Red October group plans to protest outside South Africa House, Trafalgar Square against the ‘oppression and murder of white people’ in South Africa and for the protection of their ethnic minority rights.
By Harriet Mann on 1 October, 2013 11:02 am in Featured, News / 43 comments
A PROTEST outside the SA High Commission in London against the ‘oppression‘ and ‘slaughter’ of white South Africans will be one of several international demonstrations by campaign group Red October on Thursday 10 October.
On that day, the group plans to march and release red balloons across South Africa and cities in New Zealand, Australia and USA to demand the protection of their ethnic minority rights ‘as enshrined in the SA Constitution’.
“We are tired of corrupt governance, racist Black Economic Empowerment and affirmative action policies,” the group said in a statement on its website.
“We can no longer be silent about the brutal torture of the elderly and defenceless people of our ethnic minority.
“We can no longer tolerate the destruction of our infrastructure, our filthy government hospitals, our pathetic education system, uninhabitable parks and public areas, dangerous neighbourhoods and filthy streets,” it claims.
The group also wants to be in charge of its own education system and wants the South African government to provide a safe environment for all – among other demands in its constitution.
Debate
Although the term “genocide” is not used by Red October, the reasons for the protest are part of the greater debate about whether white South Africans are being killed because of their ethnicity.
Last year a protest against ‘Boer genocide’ held alongside a Freedom Day celebration in London made headlines when an ANC member taunted the protestors with the words, ‘Kill the Boer’.
The United Nations defines genocide as “Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”
Most of those who believe a white genocide is taking place in South Africa think its battleground is on South African farmland.
Approximately 87% of farmland is owned by the white population, despite plans to redistribute 30% of it after apartheid, Genocide Watch reported in 2012.
While the government describes farm attacks as simply part of the bigger picture of crime in South Africa, white farmers believe it is a campaign to drive them off their land.
According to Johan Burger, senior researcher of the crime and justice programme at the Institute for Security Studies, there is in fact a lack of accurate statistics regarding farm murders.
Flikr: Mark & Gideon
Flikr: Mark & Gideon
National priority
In 1997, the South African government, realising the importance of farms for food security, launched a joint task force to protect farms from being uniquely targeted for political reasons, including race.
This team launched the rural protection plan and in 1999 farm protection was upgraded to national priority. With this upgrade came yearly statistics on farm attacks and murders, which gave an in-depth view of the number of crimes being committed.
In 2003, a committee launched by the minister of police found that 89.3% of attacks were motivated by robbery, with little evidence implying they were racially motivated. As a result, then-president Thabo Mbeki stopped the protection initiatives, ending the publication of annual statistics, Burger explained.
How safe?
The effect of this absence of statistics on expert opinion is clearly seen in news reports and crime analysis. For example, John Simpson told the BBC in a report that white farmers are twice as likely to be murdered than police officers in South Africa.
He was investigating whether white South Africans had a “future” in the country.
“Working-class white people, most of them Afrikaans-speakers, are going through an intense crisis.
“But you will not read about it in the newspapers or see it reported on television because their plight seems to be something arising out of South Africa’s bad old past – a past which everyone, black and white, would like to forget.
“It seems to me that only certain parts of the white community really have a genuine future here: the better-off, more adaptable parts,” he added.
Contradiction
However, Lizette Lancaster, project manager of the Institute for Security Studies claims that “whites are far less likely to be murdered than their black or coloured counterparts.”
This was supported by an analysis of 1,378 murder dockets completed by the South Africa police in 2009. They found that 86.9% of the murder victims were black and 1.8% were white, despite white people making up 8.85% of the overall population.
“The fact is that whites are less likely to be murdered than any other race in South Africa. The current murder rate of white South Africans is also equivalent to, or lower than, murder rates for whites recorded between 1979 and 1991 [during apartheid],” reported Africa Check although the Transvaal Agricultural Union claims that farm murders have increased by 34% to 68 deaths last year.
Burger told The Telegraph that in 2011 there was a murder rate of 31.9 per 100,000 people, 30 times higher than in Britain.
The murder rate for police officers is 51 per 100,000, but the murder rate among farmers is even higher, at 99 people killed per 100,000.
But Burger does not believe this high murder rate is politically motivated.
“The perception [in South Africa] is that farmers are all rich, and these criminals know the vulnerability of these remote farms, and so they see it as relatively low risk,” he said.
However, he believes some attackers may “take out their hatred for all those past wrongs, and show who’s in control now”.
Driving force
Aside from the statistical aspect of this debate, for any genocide to take place there must be a driving force.
In Rwanda it was the Hutus, in Bosnia’s Srebrenica massacre of Bosnian Muslims it was the Bosnian Serbs and in Uganda it was Idi Amin.
Genocides do not just happen by accident, so if it is happening, someone must to be masterminding it.
According to The Telegraph, farmers claim their attackers are inspired by the apartheid song ‘Shoot the Boer’, which has been publicly sung by President Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema.
Zuma has made it clear he believes the murders of white farmers are not racially motivated but a part of South Africa’s bigger crime problem.
Malema, the former ANC Youth leader and now head of the new party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was ousted by the ANC for singing ‘Shoot the Boer’, which resulted in a court case.
Some farmers say Malema is sparking the genocide, especially after the controversial EFF constitution called for the ”expropriation of South Africa’s land without compensation for equal redistribution”.
However, on Thursday Malema denied to News24 that a genocide would ensue if land-grabbing took place and warned farm owners not to trust the ANC as he predicts a violent uprising.
“Anger is boiling inside. One day, people will rise and claim the land and it will not be controllable,” he said.
National Priority
Lobby group Afriforum have called on the government to class farm attacks as a crime of national priority.
The group handed a memorandum to the police minister urging him to give these murders the same attention as rhino poaching and cable theft.
The police minister’s spokesperson said in reply, “They are only representing people based on their colour. For us, racialising crime is problematic. You can’t have a separate category that says, farmers are the special golden boys and girls. You end up saying the life of a white person is more important. You cannot do this.”
Afriforum are now taking the issue to the UN.
Red October was contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
What do you think? Is there a white genocide in South Africa? Comment below.
Labels: SOUTH AFRICA, WHITE FARMERS
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