Investors mining manganese upset chief Chimese
By Misheck Wangwe in Mansa
Thu 22 Dec. 2011, 13:27 CAT
CHIEF Chimese of Mansa says he is upset with the manganese mining investors who have continued to exploit his subjects and have failed to honour their corporate social responsibility in his chiefdom.
Speaking when a group of journalists, musicians and members of the Citizens Forum and the Local Government Association of Zambia paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Mansa, chief Chimese said the new government through the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources must come up with serious interventions to protect the interests of the locals on the mining of manganese in Luapula.
He said with the change of government, people were hopeful that the PF government would put things right unlike the previous MMD regime that failed to protect the interests of the local people in manganese mining.
Chief Chimese said it was unacceptable for the people working for small and large scale investors in the manganese mines to be paid meager salaries when the investors were making huge sums of money.
"I urge the new government not to do things without consulting us. This is the problem we saw with the previous MMD government. They used to make decisions in Lusaka and issue mining licences to bogus investors without consulting us the locals. On several occasions, I appealed to the then minister of mines Maxwell Mwale to intervene but our calls were in vain. My prayer is that the PF government will do things differently," chief Chimese said.
He said government must stop issuance of mining licences on manganese until after scrutinising the operations of the current investors.
Chief Chimese said the voice of the poor in Luapula over their rich mineral wealth was not heard because the government was not willing to listen to their cries.
He said it was unacceptable that his chiefdom had no proper roads, schools and other important infrastructure when it was rich in mineral resources such as manganese.
"Why should our people continue suffering when this is a land of plenty in terms of minerals? Our people working for these investors are given slave wages and conditions. They can't even meet the needs of their families but they are working. We are watching, they are taking our minerals and one day we will remain with empty trenches if nothing is done by the government to correct the situation," he said.
The chief said his desire was to see the lives of the people in the 251 villages uplifted as there was no excuse for them to continue suffering when there was a government in place.
Labels: CHIEFS, CITIZENS FORUM, FDI, MANGANESE
Read more...
Decentralisation will reduce poverty - Zimba
By Misheck Wangwe in Samfya
Mon 19 Dec. 2011, 13:55 CAT
SAMFYA district commissioner Godfrey Zimba says the decentralisation policy, if implemented will help mitigate the impact of poverty and underdevelopment among the rural population.
Speaking when a group of journalists, musicians and members of the Citizens Forum paid a courtesy call on him, Zimba said the tenets of decentralisation were so rich that if implemented, the country would start recording unprecedented levels of development.
He said the PF government had placed the implementation of the decentralisation policy top on its national development agenda as it was aimed at empowering local authorities to get the skills and the resources needed for them to discharge duties in a most efficient and effective manner.
Zimba said by 2013, devolution of power would flow with the resources necessary to district levels.
"When we speak about the issues of decentralisation, it is not an easy issue to look at as it requires budgetary allocation and the much-needed political will. Devolving power means that we have to look at human resource at local government level and develop it for them to carry out duties effectively," Zimba said.
He said it was clear that the government had demonstrated the needed political will considering that the local authorities had received the larger chunk of the 2012 budget.
Zimba said Samfya district had many challenges and the people's desire was that they should be given powers through decentralisation to decide for themselves what kind of development should be undertaken in the district.
"Samfya is a unique district as we operate on three levels and geographically we are located as such; we have the islands, we have the wetlands and we have the mainland. The challenges faced in these areas are huge," Zimba said.
"From here to the wetlands, it's about 200 nautical miles and to travel on water, it's not easy but our people need health, education and many other services. Our hope is that with decentralisation, government will be able to reach our people in swamps."
And Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda said the forum, in partnership with the Local Government Association of Zambia and the Press Freedom Committee of The Post, had embarked on sensitising the people on the importance of decentralisation as the type of governance people needed.
Kabanda said it was hoped that through strong advocacy and the political will that the PF government had demonstrated, the policy would soon be implemented.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, DECENTRALIZATION, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Corrupt leaders must not be tolerated - Citizens Forum
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 08 Dec. 2011, 13:00 CAT
CORRUPT leaders must not be tolerated, says Citizens Forum executive director Simon Kabanda. Commenting on ex-South African police chief Jack Selebi whose 15-year jail sentence on charges of corruption was upheld by that country's Supreme Court on Friday, Kabanda said leaders who engage in corrupt activities must be reminded that they are not above the law.
"I want to remind our leaders about a Bemba saying umulandu taubola (A crime is never too old to be tried). If an official is shielded today, they should not think they will be shielded forever. When they hide behind the authorities they should not think that they are above the law," Kabanda said.
"The law catches up with those that perpetrate wrong doing regardless of their status or political affiliation. What is important for our leaders to learn a lesson from what has happened to Selebi all the time is avoid wrongdoing at all times."
Kabanda observed that the case of Selebi was not different from that of some current and senior government officials who engaged in corruption in Zambia.
Kabanda stressed that it was imperative for the country to ensure that the judiciary was independent from the executive and party in power for the effective prosecution of cases of corruption involving senior government officials.
"That is also a demonstration that the courts in (South Africa) are independent and that the executive does not interfere in cases before the law. That's also something we (Zambians) should learn, that the courts must operate freely," said Kabanda.
The Supreme Court of Appeals last week upheld Selebi's conviction for taking bribes worth US$156,000 from convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti for him (Selebi) to turn a blind eye to his (Agliotti's) business.
Selebi was a senior member of South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) and the most senior official appointed by the government to have been sentenced for corruption.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, CORRUPTION, JACKIE SELEBI, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Stiffer punishments will deter corruption - Citizens Forum
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 17 Oct. 2011, 12:30 CAT
There is need for more progressive and stiffer laws that deter public officers from engaging in corrupt activities, says Simon Kabanda. And Kabanda has also demanded that President Banda be investigated over allegations linking him to corrupt activities during his tenure.
In an interview, Kabanda who is Citizens Forum executive secretary, said President Sata's assurance that his government would restore the abuse of office clause demonstrated his commitment to fighting corruption.
Last year, the MMD government amended the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act of 1996 to remove section 37, which provided for the prosecution of public officers found to have abused their offices.
"The announcement is a relief to Zambians. It is encouraging to know that the current President does not tolerate corruption. The reason why it (abuse of office clause) was removed was that the former president Rupiah Banda wanted to be free of anything after his tenure had come to an end. He knew what he was doing, and therefore legalised wrongdoing. So we are so happy that the provision is coming back and we hope that is a signal of many more of such pieces of legislation to come," Kabanda said.
"We need to strengthen the Anti Corruption Act as the President pointed out, so that there can be stiffer punishments. Stiffer punishments will be a deterrent to those who may wish to engage in corruption activities."
He said the removal of the abuse of office clause would make it difficult to prove some cases of abuse of office or theft of public funds.
"When we strengthen the law, it will be easier to prosecute cases of corruption, hence we are going to move in the right direction. We urge the members of parliament especially those that had supported the removal of the clause from the ACC Act not to continue to frustrate the wishes of Zambians by supporting the reinstatement of the clause when it is presented before Parliament. This is not time for politicking. What they should be thinking of is the good of the country," Kabanda said.
He said any opposition party that would not support the re-introduction of the abuse of office clause would simply be decampaigning itself.
Kabanda said that calls by various sections of society to have Banda investigated on allegations of corruption were justifiable.
"President Banda showed Zambians that he loved corruption. He embraced corruption and wrongdoing. Theft by public servant for him was okay. That is why he pushed for the removal of the abuse of office clause from the ACC Act. What is needed is for him to also be investigated," said Kabanda.
Labels: ACC, CITIZENS FORUM, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Probe NCC microphones procurement, Kabanda urges DEC
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 06 Oct. 2011, 14:00 CAT
THE Citizens Forum has written to the Anti Money Laundering unit of the Drug Enforcement Commission and the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the procurement of microphones by the National Constitution Conference (NCC) secretariat in April 2010.
Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda (right) stated that the procurement of the microphones at a time when the NCC was winding up its business and the amount of money involved raised a lot of questions. He wondered why the NCC secretariat decided to spend K1.8 billion at a time when it was concluding its work.
"Were these microphones a necessity for the NCC or merely a luxury? If they were a necessity, why were they not procured in 2007 when the NCC began its sittings? Why did these microphones not come in their original boxes? Were they new microphones or they were second hand whose prices had been inflated to the prices of new ones?" Kabanda wrote.
He stated that the NCC chairperson, Chifumu Banda, observed that the old public address system that was being used by NCC worked much better than the newly-acquired one and wondered if it made sense to discard something good and efficient and replace it with an ineffective and problematic one.
"The supplier did not provide the right card to install in a computer for programming the public address system and this led to the failure to use the computer which came with the microphones. Why did the supplier not provide the right card to install in the computer?" he asked.
Kabanda stated that while only four loud speakers were mounted in the conference hall, up to 16 speakers may have been procured and wondered why the NCC procured more speakers and used only four.
"Where did the rest go to? All the above questions raised suspicions that this colossal amount of money may have just been laundered. Now that the NCC is no more, we wish to know where the PA system with all the microphones and the computer are, and what they are being used for. To this effect, we are requesting that you investigate this issue to establish the facts surrounding this questionable transaction. We would appreciate if you could communicate to us the findings of your investigations and make them public as this is an issue of national interest," stated Kabanda.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, CORRUPTION, PROCUREMENT SYSTEMS, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Citizens Forum urges politicians to make corruption fight a campaign issue
By Chibaula Silwamba
Tue 19 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
POLITICIANS must sign social contracts with Zambians assuring to bring back the abuse of office clause and fight corruption, says an anti-corruption advocate.
In an interview yesterday, Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda urged politicians to make the fight against corruption a campaign issue and assure Zambians that they would fight the vice. He said it was unfortunate that corruption had become endemic and was being practiced openly in and outside the government.
“What is worse is that even the law that was being used to punish those who were abusing their offices for corruption has been removed. Therefore, the first thing we want the politicians who are campaigning for election to office this year is that they must assure us that Section 37 of the ACC Anti Corruption Commission Act will be brought back,” Kabanda said.
“The assurance that we want from the politicians is for them to put it in writing and sign a social contract with the people of Zambia to say that ‘our political party or myself as a presidential candidate will ensure that these provisions of the law to fight corruption are brought back so that corruption can be curbed in our country’.”
He said word-of-mouth assurances would not be adequate.
“Even if they say they are not going to allow corruption and will prosecute culprits waste resources, it will not work because the provision for doing that has been removed,” Kabanda said.
“What has happened after removing that provision is that people are not scared anymore. When that provision was in place and people were being prosecuted, a lot of people were afraid to abuse their offices. Yes, corruption was going on but certain people were afraid ‘that the law will catch me’. But that fear has been removed by removing Section 37 of the ACC Act.”
The Rupiah Banda-administration in November last year removed Section 37 from the ACC Act.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, CORRUPTION, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Respect for the people
By The Post
Mon 27 June 2011, 04:00 CAT
The enjoyment of peace in a nation requires a political life that is governed, not by lies and deception, but by ethics and morality. It must be anchored on truth and honesty.
It is regrettable to note that the leadership of our country is characterised by lies, cheating, hypocrisy, double standards and injustice. And Kafula Mwila, chairperson of the Citizens Forum, is right when he says that peace in the country will only be sustained if people are valued and respected by our political leaders.
Good political leaders respect and protect the dignity of the people they are elected to lead or represent; good leaders are interested in the welfare of those they lead and feel their distress.
It is one thing to have democracy, theoretically, in the constitution; its practical implementation is quite another.
It may happen that the system of government is controlled and manipulated by a small group of top politicians who are not interested in the common good but in their own enrichment and prestige but who always claim to act in the name of the people.
We should never encourage the existence of politicians who do not respect and value the people. We shouldn’t vote for leaders who usurp the powers of the state for individual interests. Authentic democracy is possible only in a state ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.
A real democracy has to be built on the basis of justice and moral values and has to look to the common good. And this common good ultimately demands a correct understanding of the dignity and rights of a person.
There is no perfect form of human government. Abuses can take place in every system, but the fundamental value of democracy is to allow the participation of citizens in the government of their country. In this regard, democracy as a system of government is consonant with human rights and the respect of human dignity and freedom.
A just society can exist only when it respects the dignity of the human person. The social order and its development must invariably work for the benefit of the human person.
There is need for all our people to realise that by virtue of their human dignity, they have the right to participate in the political processes of our country, especially in elections.
Leaders who respect human dignity guarantee basic rights to the people they govern and create opportunities for citizens to exercise their responsibilities.
A person chosen for political responsibility as a leader must remember that he is simply a servant or steward entrusted to offer humble service to others as opposed to owning power or the people he is serving.
Therefore, the greatest challenge for bringing about justice and peace in our country consists in respect for the citizen and in good administration of public affairs in politics and the economy. And we should realise that we have the moral responsibility, as citizens, to vote for candidates who want to serve and not to be served, who want to be our servants and not our masters, who give us respect and not those who demand respect from us.
Above all, we should realise that we have the moral responsibility to vote for candidates who follow the example of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve and who emptied Himself for the good of everyone.
We are reminded in John 13:14: “I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another’s feet.” We need saintly politicians who profoundly love their own people and wish to serve rather than to be served.
Leaders should exercise stewardship and uphold the common good. Politics should be honest and responsible. It is an effective way of serving others and working for the integral development of one’s country.
This is why when the time to vote comes, we must vote wisely and only for people known for their honesty, ability and concern for the welfare of all. Election time is a time to vote for honest and selfless people. “…if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach…” (Romans 12:8).
In a democracy where leaders are chosen by the people and for the people, such leaders should view themselves as being representatives of the people at all levels.
These leaders should listen to the people, respect the people, and work for the welfare of all the people. People’s representatives should fight against injustice and abuse; should devote themselves to the welfare of all. Political power must have as its aim the achievement of the common good.
The common good is the reason for the existence of political, social and economic institutions. It enables people to express commitment and concern for each other as well as attain the fullness of love. Common good calls upon all persons to contribute and commit themselves responsibly to building a peaceful and just society for all.
And as always, it is important for those in the political leadership of our country to realise that the exercise of power must be a constant practice of self-limitation and modesty. Every political leader should be a friend of the masses of our people and not a boss over them.
And at no time and in no circumstances should they place personal interests first; they should instead subordinate them to the interests of the nation and the masses.
They should be more concerned about the masses than about any individual. They should also be ready at all times to stand up for the truth, because the truth is in the interest of the people. They should serve the people wholeheartedly and never for a moment divorce themselves from the masses.
And in all cases, they should proceed from the interests of the people and not from their personal or self-interest or from the interests of a small group. Whatever their rank, they are all servants of the people.
Their duty should always be to hold themselves responsible to the people. Every word, every act and every policy of theirs must conform to the people’s interests. This is what respect for the people entails. This is what sustains peace in a country – respect for the people, love for the people.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM
Read more...
‘Peace will be sustained if politicians respect people’
By Brina Manenga
Mon 27 June 2011, 04:01 CAT
PEACE in the country will be sustained if people are valued and respected by political leaders, says Citizens Forum. Forum chairperson Kafula Mwila said in an interview that the peaceful nature of Zambians should be appreciated because it could easily change if their challenges were not being addressed.
“You cannot be assured that this will continue if people do not see that there is a meaningful response from those in leadership,” said Mwila.
He said the lack of political will to address police killings was one way that could destabilise the country’s peace.
“What sort of country are we in? Where it is so easy to shoot people simply because someone is wearing a police uniform,” he said. “This shows that we have taken the peace in the country for granted.
There are so many issues that constitute peace. One is recognising the value of people and respecting them.
We can also refer to the dignity of humanity and also looking at the quality of life where people have access to proper jobs, proper accommodation and other civil rights.”
He said it was unfortunate that people were dying at the hands of the police even when the country was known to be peaceful.
“That is total ignoring of the law by the authority. If the law was respected then people wouldn’t be dying that way,” he said.
Mwila said the police’s lack of non-lethal means of dealing with riots and demonstrations was unfortunate.
“We have had riots and demonstrations since the birth of this country. People used to react harshly when they thought their views were not taken into consideration. But it is surprising that even in this modern era we still do not have non-lethal ways of dealing with these cases.
The undermining and ignoring of the law by the authority has allowed people to die,” said Mwila.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM
Read more...
Govt accused of secret dealings with mine owners
Thursday, February 10, 2011, 8:48
The Citizen Forum says it suspects that government has secret dealings with the mine owners as evidenced by government’s refusal to reintroduce the windfall tax despite the continued rise in the price of copper on the international. The price of copper on the international market has hit the unprecedented $10,000 level per tonne.
Citizens Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda says it does not make sense for government to continue insisting that it will not reintroduce the windfall tax when the price copper price on the international market has continued to rise.
Mr. Kabanda noted that the Zambians need to benefit from the proceeds of copper adding that whatever government was trying to hide about its deals with the mine owners will be uncovered one day.
And Mr. Kabanda has urged government to take legal action against Mopani Copper Mines for flouting the law on remittance of tax to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
Mr. Kabanda says reports that Mopani Copper Mines’ tax remittances have been inconsistent with the production output are disappointing.
He says it is not in order for the mining company to try to evade tax when it is already enjoying tax rebates on its profits.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, CORRUPTION, NEOLIBERALISM, SIMON KABANDA, WINDFALL TAX
Read more...
Stop vote-rigging - Kabanda
By Christopher Miti in Nyimba
Fri 19 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
CITIZENS’ Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda says there is a need for measures to be put in place to prevent people tampering with votes in an election. And Caritas Chipata has described the voter registration in Eastern Province as “shameful”. Meanwhile, people in Nyimba’s Chamillala ward have said the Vice-President should not be appointed by the President.
In an interview on Wednesday, Kabanda, whose organisation is currently carrying out awareness meetings aimed at ensuring that disabled people’s rights are enshrined in the Constitution, said there was a need to change the law that governed the declaration of votes and the swearing in of the President.
“From the past elections, what has been discovered by the courts and also what those who monitor the counting of votes have discovered is that sometimes the votes are tampered with. One candidate would get a certain amount of votes and yet when the votes from the constituency go to the national centre, the ECZ, they find that the figures that are given are different from what was recorded in the constituencies…,” Kabanda said.
He said what was recommended by the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission that a president-elect should not be sworn in until after 90 days was supposed to be followed.
“What was recommended by the Mung’omba Commission was also recommended by the Electoral Reform Technical Committee 2003; that was the same thing that was recommended by the Mwanakatwe commission in 1993. So it is clear that to strengthen our multi-party democracy, we need not to rush into swearing in the president-elect. Look at Brazil, the woman who was elected has not been sworn in.
In other countries even the United States, they do that, so why can’t we learn some good practices from other people? This will help us to avoid problems. A few weeks ago, I was in Kenya to find out how they managed to have a successful referendum on the constitution but on the sidelines of that discussion, I also inquired what led to that post-election violence. One of the reasons why people were furious was actually the rush in swearing in the president-elect,” he said.
Kabanda appealed to Parliament to ensure that Article 34 of the Constitution was amended before next year’s election.
And Caritas Chipata Governance unit programmes officer John Mthaziko Zulu said the issuance of National Registration Cards had negatively contributed towards the low voter registration in the province.
“This exercise is becoming shameful because as I am talking to you, I am the chairperson of the Chipata District Voter Education Committee and my voter facilitators have not received any money from the time the period was extended. They are in the field and they are just working without money and when you find that some facilitators are not in the field, you can’t question them. And this is not happening only here but even in other provinces,” said Zulu in an interview in Nyimba on Wednesday.
He said the facilitators who were also school leavers might soon start demonstrating over the unpaid allowances.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, SIMON KABANDA, VOTER REGISTRATION, VOTERIGGING
Read more...
Citizens Forum thanks Mabenga for confirming
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 06 Sep. 2010, 04:10 CAT
CITIZENS Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has thanked MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga for confirming that the government exerts pressure on the judiciary to pass judgments in their favour.Commenting on Mabenga’s statement that
Chilanga MMD member of parliament Ng’andu Magande could not have won elections without help from the government and that
he won through a court ruling, Kabanda said Mabenga had confirmed that
the MMD had been rigging elections and used the courts to secure judgments in their favour.
“That has been our worry. The experience has shown that they rig elections in various ways and this is the more reason why many results are not acceptable,” Kabanda said.
“Now when people don’t petition those results it does not mean that they have accepted. It is just that they are not happy with the outcome of the court processes.”
Kabanda said Mabenga’s statement showed that only those on the side of MMD could win court cases.
“We are happy for the revelation by Mabenga because he has revealed what they have been doing to influence the processes of the court. There are many times that elections have been petitioned,” he said.
“We have an example of the MMD petitioning the Mufumbwe election. That case has been taken in an express way, very quickly. Other petitions that come from other political parties don’t take the speed that the petition against the Mufumbwe by-election has taken.”
Kabanda said Mabenga had confirmed people’s fears and that was the more reason why there were calls for a proper separation of powers.
He said it was a pity that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) disappointed the nation on the issue of separation of powers.
“The ruling party exerts pressure on the judiciary, and this is the more reason why we need to call for proper separation of powers,” said Kabanda.
Mabenga last week cited Magande as an example of those who were claiming to have massive support from their areas.
“People like Magande could not have won elections in Chilanga without the help from government. Magande had won through a court ruling,” said Mabenga.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, CORRUPTION, COURTS, JUDICIARY, MICHAEL MABENGA, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Citizens Forum queries NCC over feedback oversight
By Ernest Chanda
Sat 10 July 2010, 14:10 CAT
THE Citizens Forum has queried National Constitutional Conference (NCC) chairperson Chifumu Banda over several serious oversights in the constitution making process. In a letter to Banda dated July 7, 2010, Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda wondered how the NCC would collect public comments since there was no deliberate programme for that.
Kabanda expressed worry about the delay in circulating the draft constitution to all parts of the country.
“Before launching the report and draft constitution, you did not come up with a programme of collecting comments from the people. We have not seen any programme for public debates or meetings in the constituencies where the NCC or any other stakeholders are going to listen to the people and get their comments on various issues contained in the NCC report and draft constitution,” Kabanda stated.
“It seems as far as you are concerned it is up to the people themselves, in different parts of the country, to come up with their own way of submitting their comments to the NCC. What method have you put in place to be receiving the people’s comments? For example, last weekend, the Freedom Fighters League on the Copperbelt met in Kitwe to comment on some issues in the constitution. We are wondering whether you have already received their submissions.”
He stated that so far 42 districts had complained to the forum about the unavailability of the draft constitution. Kabanda further complained that the NCC had not indicated how they would deal with public comments.
“Some sections of the general public are also interested in monitoring the comments being submitted to the NCC. However, you have not put in place a monitoring mechanism. How do you expect the general public and other stakeholders to know what people are saying on particular issues in the NCC report and draft constitution? For example, the general public does not know the comments of the Freedom Fighters League in Kitwe on the issues they looked at,” he lamented.
“You have not indicated to the people of Zambia how you are going to deal with their comments. If, for example, majority of the submissions to you do not agree with what you have concluded on particular issues, are you going to change the provisions in the draft constitution? For example, the Freedom Fighters League does not agree with the university degree qualification for a presidential candidate. If the majority of the submissions will be the same as that of the Freedom Fighters League on this issue, are you going to amend what you have provided for in the draft constitution?”
Kabanda suggested that the NCC quickly drafts a programme for public debates on the constitution.
“As a matter of urgency, it is important that you make available at least twenty (20) copies of the NCC report and draft constitution in each of the one hundred and fifty (150) constituencies of Zambia. People in different parts of the country are eagerly waiting to know the outcome of the NCC process; We implore you to immediately come up with a programme for public debates and meetings, and engage stakeholders to go and facilitate processes of collecting comments from the people; We are asking you to come up with a system of making public the comments as you receive them from different parts of the country,” stated Kabanda.
“Explain clearly to the people of Zambia the purpose of the comments on the draft constitution, and whether what they are submitting will influence the contents of your final draft constitution. We however wish to emphasise that by our suggestions we are not implying that the forty-day period should be extended. Not at all! Just ensure that all this is done within the same time-table, so that by the end of July, you will have received submissions from the majority of the people of Zambia. We hope and pray that you will treat our observations, concerns and suggestions with the seriousness they deserve.”
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, NCC, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Kabanda urges govt to address urban poverty
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 14 Feb. 2010, 03:50 CAT
CITIZENS Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has warned of serious social instability if the government does not control the high levels of poverty that have invaded urban areas.
In an interview, Kabanda said citizens, especially youths were bound to resort to any activities in the absence of meaningful employment. He said it was sad that poverty, which was previously associated with rural areas, is now rampant in urban areas.
“I think you don’t have to be a genius to detect the high poverty levels in our urban areas. Just check through the capital Lusaka, you go to Kabwe and then the Copperbelt; all you see is poverty all round. This can mainly be attributed to declining job opportunities.
In the past people moved to urban areas in search of jobs, but now they just go there to join a host of university and college graduates roaming the streets,” Kabanda said.
“The danger is that this situation is a potential recipe for social instability. People don’t care what they do, legal or illegal, as long as it can help them make a living.”
Kabanda said the privatisation programme that was carried out between 1991 and 1996 had totally collapsed the industries while the government of the day had an oversight on job security and preservation of strategic industries such as the mines.
“The so-called buyers of our industries started stripping these industries of assets. Go to Kalulushi and Luanshya, you will see what asset stripping means,” Kabanda said. “You can also check our rail lines which have also not been spared by these assets strippers they call investors.”
Kabanda urged the government to take the blame for all the poverty associated with the nation.
“This is the same government that rushed us into a privatisation programme that shouldn’t have been. As a result of poverty, we see lawlessness in every corner of our cities,” Kabanda said.
“Street vendors are everywhere because people want to sell in order to survive.
But the question is, who buys if everyone can sell? The government can build trading places, but without creating jobs they are not solving any problem. That’s why youths like those in Zambia National Marketeers Association feel more important than others because they think they are employed. For all this poverty government should take the blame and know what to do.”
Kabanda called for a quick solution to the situation before it deteriorated further.
“We can’t advise this government because they don’t listen even if we advise them. I can say it’s too late to advise them because the 2010 budget was already past last year. And next year we have a general election, so whichever government comes in, let them prioritise job creation.
Whether it’s the MMD coming back or any other government taking over, please create jobs for our people before they lose their dignity further. We cannot afford to subject ourselves to such high levels of poverty in a nation of abundance,” said Kabanda.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, POVERTY, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
The challenges facing our urban poor
By The Post
Sun 14 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
Most Zambians living in urban areas find themselves in a state of poverty, the injustice of which cries to heaven for vengeance.
Therefore, there is need to take seriously the warning given by Simon Kabanda, the executive director of Citizens Forum, about the
serious social instability that awaits us if the government does not control the high levels of poverty that have invaded our urban areas.
The alienated masses in our urban areas are increasing at an accelerated rate. The painful truth is that, despite increased political rhetoric to eradicate urban poverty, it persists and tends to grow. Hunger, poverty, disease, ignorance, unemployment, lack of opportunity, insecurity, inequality and hopelessness are the terms that could well define the living conditions of a great part of the population of our country, especially that which lives in urban areas.
It is an affront to our collective conscience to see so many people live in such dehumanizing conditions. It is an imperative need of our times to be aware of these realities, because of what a situation affecting so many of our people entails in terms of human suffering and the squandering of life and intelligence.
The cold eloquence of the reality Kabanda puts before us is in itself terrifying enough. But beyond the fears of what Kabanda is warning us about lies the tragic situation of hunger, abject poverty and neglect that is individualised several times over.
The poor in our towns and cities suffer from various deprivations such as lack of access to employment; adequate housing and infrastructure; and social protection and lack of access to health, education and personal security. Urban poverty is often characterised by cumulative deprivations: one dimension of poverty is often the cause of or contributor to another dimension. But urban poverty is not just a collection of characteristics, it is also a dynamic condition of vulnerability or susceptibility to risks.
Our urban poor live in overcrowded and unsanitary shanty townships and squatter settlements and often do not have access to basic infrastructure and services. When we have heavy rainfall, they are the most affected by floods. Visit Lusaka shanty townships and see the conditions under which our urban poor are living. Some are forced to live in illegal and informal settlements because they cannot enter formal land and housing markets. The reasons for the formation of shanty townships and squatter settlements are numerous.
Children of the urban poor are unable to access good education. Often the standards and facilities of educational institutions they can afford are lower than those available to children of higher income groups. Moreover, poor children often drop out of school earlier to support their families. Poor education also contributes to the entrenchment of the cycle of poverty.
The poor suffer from both traditional and modern environmental health risks in urban areas. They suffer from diseases associated with poor sanitation, lack of clean water, overcrowded and poorly ventilated living and working environments. While the poor suffer the most from dysfunctions in our towns and cities, they are the least able, as individuals, to influence how towns and cities are governed or managed.
And both the formal structures of government and the culture of governance tend to exclude the poor from decision making and tend to concentrate decision making among a small number of formal and informal elite.
The poor have a greater possibility to influence decision making under conditions of good governance, that is, a system of government and a culture of governance that is participatory, inclusive, consensus-oriented, based on the rule of law and devoid of corruption and other abuses of public resources and power, responsive to the needs of the population, efficient, transparent and accountable.
It is for this reason that we all have to pay a lot of attention to good governance, to transparent and accountable political and civic leadership.
We should not also forget that the poor often lack access to information that they can use to advance their case when dealing with other actors in our towns or cities. Even when information is available, it is often in media and forms that are neither accessible to nor understandable by the poor.
Urban poverty has also a gender dimension. The poorest of the poor tend to be households headed by women. Even within the family unit, the poverties of money access and power vary based on gender, with women and female children suffering more than their male counterparts.
In general, women suffer incredible exploitation and discrimination, they are forced to bear the brunt of poverty in the economic sphere as well as in the spheres of health and culture. Women suffer doubly all the calamities related to the living conditions that exist in our towns and cities.
This is because they are the ones that bear the heavy burden of the home, they are the most hit by the lack of hospitals, medical care, schools, children’s institutions, child-mother programmes, hygiene, so on and so forth. A high number of them die during delivery without any type of care; and it is women who must see a high number of their children die before they are 15 years old.
This problem is first and foremost, a political fact. The poverty situation, we feel, is the product of unjust economic structures. And we are citizens of a nation, and we are also the products of a society that has taught us to look coldly on the impoverished plight of our fellow citizens.
It is difficult to understand how we can remain indifferent as citizens of this country in the face of the tremendous social injustices existent in our country, which keep the majority of our people in dismal poverty, which in many cases becomes inhuman wretchedness.
A deafening cry pours from the throats of millions of men and women asking their fellow citizens, their political and civic leaders for a liberation that reaches them from nowhere else.
This poverty which results from the lack of the goods of this world necessary to enable our people to live worthily as human beings, is in itself evil. The prophets denounce it as contrary to the will of the Lord and most of the time as the fruits of human injustice and sin.
This places before all of us a challenge and a mission that we cannot sidestep and to which we must respond with a speed and boldness adequate to the urgency of the times.
We ought to sharpen the awareness of our duty of solidarity with the poor, to which charity leads us. This solidarity means that we make ours their problems and their struggles, that we know how to speak with them.
This has to be concretised in criticism of injustice and abuse, in the struggle against the intolerable situation that a poor person often has to tolerate, in the willingness to dialogue with the groups responsible for that situation in order to make them understand their obligations.
We should openly express our desire to be very close to those who work in the self-denying apostolate with the poor in order that they will always feel our encouragement and know that will not listen to parties interested in distorting their work.
Human advancement has to be the goal of our action on behalf of the poor and it must be carried out in such a manner that we respect their personal dignity and teach them to help themselves.
As long as social and economic rights are not recognized as a fundamental right of every Zambian and a duty of the community to guarantee or insure; as long as the responsibility of the state and of society in this regard fails to be recognized; as long as inequalities fail to disappear in our country; as long as poverty, hunger, ignorance and squalor fail to be directly fought against, little will be achieved in improving the conditions of our people, especially the urban poor.
And while poverty is the very basis of the present social situation in our country and is directly related to the serious problem of lower income for the great majority of our people, it is in turn closely linked to the employment situation.
The phenomenon of unemployment is another facet of the present social situation of our country. And it should not be seen as a mere quantitative issue but as a qualitative result of the irrational and unjust nature of the existing system of economic policies.
From it stems the paradox that productive human capacity is not fully used in a nation where there is so much poverty and where the most basic needs of millions of human beings are not being met.
The phenomenon of unemployment in our country is aggravated by the growing migration of large rural masses to urban areas, due to extremely poor living conditions and to lack of employment in rural areas. This is the paradoxical attempt to solve by crowding into shanty compounds where living conditions are not so different, thus also swelling the vast army of urban unemployed.
A comprehensive approach is required to fight this situation and to struggle for diminishing or eradicating urban poverty in our country.
These realities are irrefutable. Everyone must be aware that such complex and difficult problems do not have easy solutions. Our aspirations clash with lack of understanding, selfishness, greed and vanity. The existence of such a large number of poor people in our country constitutes an affront to all of us. A stable, permanent solution must be found for this serious problem.
We have no alternative but to struggle, trusting in the great moral and intellectual capacity of our people and of humanity in general and in its instinct for self-preservation, if we wish to harbour any hope of moving our people out of this type of poverty and in meeting this Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by 2015.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, POVERTY, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Citizens Forum urges Rupiah to embrace criticism
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 02 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
CITIZENS Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has urged the Rupiah Banda administration to at least embrace criticism coming from NGOs and the Church if they cannot listen to their fellow politicians.
In an interview yesterday, Kabanda said there was a tendency by those in power to close their ears to dissenting views and treat such views as coming from enemies of the state. He said it was not healthy for the government to antagonise every stakeholder, including the Church where everyone could find refuge.
“In my view, the approach so far shown by the Rupiah Banda administration to criticism is a sign of bad governance. In a country where there's good governance, government is always receptive to different views even if they don't agree with them. In many instances, NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations and the Church have offered constructive criticism, including political parties, which this government has ignored,” Kabanda said.
“Now, if they cannot take criticism from their fellow politicians in the opposition, they should atleast listen to the Church and NGOs. We all know that the Church is where every person has found solace, including those in government. It is therefore wrong for anyone to treat the Church as an enemy of the state. In fact, the Church, NGOs and political parties, we are all stakeholders in national governance. The only difference is that we contribute differently.”
Kabanda called on the government to promote the spirit of co-existence despite the difference in opinion.
“One other thing we have to understand here is that government is not all the time present in all corners of the country. And this is where other stakeholders such as the Church, NGOs and opposition political parties come in to supplement. In short what I'm saying is that we are all partners in national development. After all even in a home you as a father do not expect to have the same opinion with your wife or children all the time. But do they cease to be your family members? No, they don't, you continue to co-exist and defend each other as a family” said Kabanda.
“My appeal to President Banda and his government is that they should open their ears more and develop a receptive heart. This tendency of treating every other stakeholder as an enemy will just increase tension in the nation. We are all partners in running an organisation called Zambia. It is not true that whenever the Church and NGOs speak, then they want to take over power, no!”
“We speak because we are always with the people; we see and experience their problems. I wish those in government could take this and for once begin to embrace every dissenting view in love.”
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, POLITICS, RUPIAH BANDA
Read more...
ECZ hasn’t followed the law on voter registration, says Kabanda
By Agness Changala
Thu 21 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
CITIZENS Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has observed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has not followed the law that was passed in 2000 on continuous voter registration.
In an interview at the on-going meeting in Lusaka where ECZ is meeting various stakeholders ahead of the 2011 general elections, Kabanda expressed concern on ECZ's usage of the word “continuous” in the voter registration, saying the exercise was not continuous but periodic because it would take 90 days.
“One reservation we have is where the ECZ is using the word continuous registration of voters, it is not continuous but periodic,” Kabanda said. “The law says, it is supposed to be continuous registration of voters' cards and continuous means Monday, Tuesday to Friday and January to December, that's continuous. So when you take 90 days, it's not continuous.”
However, he said it was a good practice for ECZ to call stakeholders for the meeting so that they could participate and talk about their expectations as civil society organisations (CSOs) because they were always on the ground and knew what happened.
Kabanda appealed to the government to provide adequate funding because ECZ had indicated that it was constrained by inadequate funding.
“So we want to appeal to the government to be serious on this issue of elections and the government should show the seriousness by ensuring that there's adequate funding for ECZ to conduct the exercise,” he said.
Kabanda advised ECZ to call for a meeting between the politicians and CSOs because they had issues to raise with them regarding the elections.
“It is not enough to meet us separately because we know that politicians also have issues to raise and we also in CSO's have issues to raise with them,” Kabanda said.
And Operation Young Vote president Guess Nyirenda said the step ECZ had taken would ensure transparency in their operations.
He said this was important because of the organisation's mandate to manage the electoral process in Zambia.
Nyirenda said it was important for stakeholders involved in the process to get concerned from the onset and continue to monitor and evaluate ECZ at every stage.
Global Justice Zambia executive director John Phiri said the government should make documents like the passport and drivers' licence valid for one to register as a voter because no such documents were obtained without the National Registration Card (NRC).
He said this would improve voter turnout in the next elections.
Phiri also warned politicians using young people to promote violence that they risked being de-campaigned.
He expressed concern at the growing tendency by politicians to put pressure on youths to fuel violence.
“We must focus on voter registration and not violence and as Global Justice Zambia we won't hesitate to inform the electorate not to vote for such political parties,” he said.
“I am actually disappointed with the police for not acting on the youth threatening violence and we are also questioning their integrity.”
Phiri said as a youth, he wanted to see such youths being brought to book because the violence being perpetuated was not good for the 2011 election preparations.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, ECZ, SIMON KABANDA, VOTERIGGING
Read more...
PFC complains to IG over Fr Bwalya’s harassment
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe, Nicolas Mwale and Constance Matongo
THE Press Freedom Committee of The Post (PFC) has lodged a formal complaint to the Inspector General of Police over the continued harassment of journalists and other media workers. And Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda has said the arrest and detention of Radio Icengelo station manager Fr Frank Bwalya is a demonstration of the lack of respect for freedom of the press.
In a letter of protest dated November 13, 2008 signed by committee chairperson Chansa Kabwela to former Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo and copied to President Rupiah Banda, the PFC charged that police officers on the Copperbelt abused Fr Bwalya's freedoms of expression and movement by arresting and confining him for about 20 hours in the police cells on Wednesday.
PFC stated that freedom of expression and the press was fundamental to the survival of democracy and civilisation of the country. "Not only is this freedom a remedy against every abuse of authority, it is society's lifeblood and defending it is honouring our history and controlling our future," the committee stated. "It is, hence, extremely worrying and disturbing that your officers, whether acting on instructions or not, can incarcerate Fr Bwalya who is merely carrying out a noble civic duty of sensitising the public."
The committee stated that the continued harassment of journalists and other media workers did not only have the potential to brood dissent against the authorities but could lead to chaos as the general populace was fairly politically aware of their rights.
"The PFC of The Post strongly condemns and protests to your office over the action by the police," stated the committee.
The letter was also copied to The Nuncio of Lusaka, the MMD secretariat, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and all Catholic Diocese.
Others are Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Federation of Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) as well as various Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Zambia.
And Kabanda called upon President Banda to come out and condemn the intimidation and harassment of the people of Zambia.
He said there was already tension in the nation arising from the just-ended presidential election and it was incumbent upon President Banda to diffuse the tension for the nation to move forward.
"We appeal to the Republican President to restrain his people from being overzealous in handling the current situation in the country. We are also appealing to the people of Zambia not to respond to this provocation negatively. But this does not mean that we should allow this to go on. We still have to continue to speak out and defend our rights," Kabanda said.
Meanwhile, Caritas Copperbelt University (CBU) chapter condemned Fr Bwalya's arrest.
According to a press statement signed by Caritas Chapter chairperson Christopher Kang'ombe and his secretary Alex Paito, the motive behind the arrest of the Catholic priest was aimed at intimidating Zambians not to speak their minds over the October 30 presidential election.
"We believe so many Zambians share our view that at a time when we are talking about the empowerment of the private media, the Zambia police decided to take actions that demonstrates that we are far from reaching media freedom. One of the tenets of democracy is a free and effective media which is empowered to cover issues and point out facts irrespective of government's stance and is against such a background that Radio Icengelo has been organizing programmes to provide listeners with information about the recent elections, and indeed the past elections we have had in Zambia," the organisation stated.
And Radio Phoenix proprietor Errol Hickey described the arrest of Fr Bwalya as unnecessary.
Hickey said it was shameful that a priest should end up in cells and that the riotous behaviour by some Kitwe residents was not in order.
"Father Bwalya has a right to say what he said because I'm meant to believe that Zambia enjoys democracy and the government should be tolerant to divergent views," Hickey said.
"It is not in order for Kitwe residents to react in a violent way, I liken this arrest to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ because men of the cloth should not end up in police cells."
Centre for Elections and Governance board trustee Gershom Musonda urged the government to be tolerant to divergent views.
"He was running an election programme where he was comparing election results from some polling stations and those from the Electoral Commission of Zambia and there appeared to be some differences," he said.
Musonda said the action by the police amounted to suppression of divergent views contrary to democratic principles.
"We need to express our views especially the media without influence. The police should instead work with the media, there are a lot of good things the media is doing and there are a lot of things that the police are going through that can be covered," said Musonda.
Fr Bwalya, who was arrested last Wednesday over a post-election live programme he conducted on Radio Icengelo, has since been charged with publishing materials intended to cause division in the community and will be appearing in court on November 27.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, FRANK BWALYA, FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PFC, SIMON KABANDA, THE POST
Read more...
Kabanda, Miha decry Muteteka's campaign remarks
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Wednesday October 08, 2008 [04:00]
CITIZENS Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda has said that it is wrong for Chisamba MMD member of parliament Moses Muteteka to use president Levy Mwanawasa's death as a campaign gimmick. And Mission Press director Fr Miha Drevensek described as selfish Muteteka's statement that it would be foolish for late president Mwanawasa's family to vote for the opposition.
In an interview, Kabanda said every Zambian had the right to vote for a candidate of their choice and added that it was criminal to force people to elect for a person they did not want.
"The reason why Muteteka is busy saying that it would be foolish for the Mwanawasa family to vote for the opposition is because he himself is late president Mwanawasa's relative. If he wants to vote for MMD let him go ahead, but he should not force others to vote for a candidate they don't want," he said.
He said it was sad that MMD was using president Mwanawasa's death to gain sympathy from the electorate.
Muteteka on Saturday said it would be foolish for president Mwanawasa's family to vote for the opposition.
And Fr Miha asked Muteteka to stop dragging the late president's family into voting for MMD.
"Muteteka's statement is foolish and selfish. ... I want Muteteka to know that voting is a fundamental right that every citizen of a country has. Everyone has the freedom to vote for whoever they want; it is their freedom," he said.
Fr Miha also said it would be foolish and unfair for any member of the Mwanawasa family to vote for MMD just because they belonged to the family.
Fr Miha said it was undemocratic for Muteteka to ask the Mwanawasa family not to vote for the opposition because they had the freedom to choose who they wanted without anyone forcing or ordering them.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, FR MIHA, MOSES MUTETEKA, SIMON KABANDA
Read more...
Citizens Forum urges govt to tackle street children
By Masuzyo Chakwe and Mwala Kalaluka
Monday March 26, 2007 [02:00]
CITIZENS Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda has urged the government to begin the process of coming up with a long-term policy on street children. And NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale has said it is not justifiable to exclude married street children from the Zambia National Service rehabilitation programme. In an interview yesterday, Kabanda said only a policy on street children could help find a long-term solution to the increasing problem.
"The government must begin to come with a policy on street children. A policy on street children is what we need because this is becoming a very big problem in the country," Kabanda said. "The issue here is larger than just identifying whether someone is married or not." He said the rehabilitation of street kids in ZNS camps would not entail anything if a policy framework did not back it. "A policy would be able to articulate when the street children should go to rehabilitation camps and what things they are going to do," he said.
Kabanda said the government should not leave out other stakeholders in the process of coming up with a policy to deal with the issue of street children. He said further that situations like the one that occurred in Lufwanyama where residents demanded for the eviction of street kids from the area after they went on rampage, could be addressed when there was comprehensive policy in place.
And Mwale said streetism had no face and did not matter whether it was a girl or boy. She said the fact that street children were marrying each other showed that there was another problem. "They are having children and marrying each other because they have nothing else to do. They have no skills and maybe they find solace in marriage. So stopping these girls from entering the training programme is not solving the problem but merely compounding it because they will still continue having children so we need to look at the problem as a whole," she said.
Mwale said from the onset, government had been slow in finding a lasting solution to the problem of street children. "These ZNS camps are being opened to find a means of survival and it does not matter whether it is a girl or boy whether married or not, there is need to show leadership by providing positive interventions," she said. Mwale said there was need to find out how sustainable the programmes were and how they were using the skills after they left the camps.
She said the country had not seen much on the support training programme after they acquire their skills. And community, development and social services minister Catherine Namugala said government was targeting 6,000 children this year.
She said it had been observed from a recent study carried out that only 25 per cent of the children found on the streets slept there and the rest had some sort of homes. "We have 13,200 street children countrywide permanently on the streets with the majority in Lusaka. The K6.4 billion that has been allocated to them in this year's budget will be used to implement programmes for them," she said.
Labels: CITIZENS FORUM, STREET CHILDREN
Read more...
