Malumo calls on media, CSOs to take decisive action against corruption
By Lovely Kayombo
Fri 04 May 2012, 09:20 CAT
BETTER aid inflow can only come in when there is a serious fight against corruption, says Action Aid Africa advocacy coordinator Henry Malumo. In an interview, Malumo said the fight against corruption has to move from mere talk and politicking and called on civil society organisations and the media to take a more decisive step to end the vice.
He said freedom and access to information is fundamental in the attainment of the developmental goals, saying where this has happened, leaders are accountable to their citizens and services are delivered "because government budgets are responsive to the needs of its citizens and government priorities".
He said the absence of access to information leads to plunder and mismanagement of resources by leaders in government.
"A lot more needs to be done by members of the society, media and civil society in fighting corruption and hold the government accountable. In the absence of access to information, there will be plunder, mismanagement of resources," he said.
Malumo said the current government has made positive policy changes which will ultimately lead to the attainment of millennium developmental goals and urged them not to backtrack on their set objectives.
"There are areas where the PF government has made very positive policy changes that will ultimately lead to the attainment of MDG's...one of the most important thing is the fact that the MDGs are very near now, the target of 2015 is close and it requires coming up with efforts and not backtracking," he said.
Malumo said the government needs to look at eradicating poverty and hunger critically.
"Another critical area is to begin looking at MDG goal number one of halving hunger and poverty. I think there haven't been major positive gains in the area of poverty reduction first of all because the concentration has not positively diverted from commercial farmers to the small holder farmers which will provide food for consumption, the perception in the agriculture sector is that commercial farmers are producing food for consumption and I think that is not true, in fact most of them may not be producing food for eating, they are into agriculture for commercial gains and for export outside our markets," he said.
Malumo urged the government to make major investment in small holder farmers who need help.
"We haven't made major investments in small holder farmers which is a worrying factor and also categorical investment in women who need that help. We have still continued from the MMD trend where there was much of talk and less action...I am hoping that the move and decision to reduce interest rates by banks will ultimately empower small holder farmers and local producers to be able to compete and be able to export so that they are able to inject in foreign currency," he said.
Malumo also said the MMD government took the country slightly backwards because there was irresponsible contraction of debt after debt cancellation.
"We hope that the PF government will be prudent and transparent in its borrowing so that when they contract debt, it will be one that is agreeable," said Malumo.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, CORRUPTION, CSO, MEDIA
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CSOs urge Africa to stop giving mines concessions
By Gift Chanda
Tue 21 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
AFRICAN governments should be more responsible in
maximising benefits from mining through rigorous taxation, urges a consortium of civil society organisations. And the consortium has called on African governments to
stop giving concessions to mining companies at the expense of development of local entrepreneurs.According to submissions by
a consortium of civil society organisations from Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe that met recently in South Africa on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba,
mining has not fully benefited Africans, the owners of the resources.
It observed that a lack of attention elements such as environmental degradation, deepening poverty levels, and slippages in the quality of life, and label the 2012 Mining Indaba as a "gathering of exploitative profit mongers".
The civil society accused mining companies operating in Africa of concentrating on profits at the expense of the welfare of the locals, adding that governments also focus on attracting foreign direct investment without ensuring that the investment benefits communities and national economies at large.
The consortium condemned the inability of governments to negotiate contracts that could result in maximising the benefits of mining while promoting ethical investment.
"We note with grave concern on limited capacity of tax revenue authorities to monitor, collect and enforce tax laws; legalisation of capital flight through the provision of high incentives, protection of transnational companies, tax avoidance, evasion and transfer pricing; lack of enforcement of existing legislation and in many countries mining policies are fragmented and inconsistent and are not harmonised across countries," observed the consortium in an emailed statement yesterday adding that mining was the worst polluter.
The consortium demanded a review of all current multi-national concessions based on ecological and social standards.
"Governments should be more responsible in maximising benefits from mining through rigorous taxation. They should stop giving concession to mining companies at the expense of the development of local entrepreneurs and must utilise mining tax revenues to diversify their economies," the consortium demanded.
It said transparency in the extractive industry should be improved by compelling mining companies to report their profits on a country by country basis.
Zambia was represented by the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Caritas Zambia and the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, CSO, MINING, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX
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Civil society lashes out at govt’s insensitivity towards the poor
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 05 Aug. 2010, 14:20 CAT
CITIZEN’s Forum executive director Simon Kabanda has charged that government was not serious about the plight of the poor in the country.
Commenting on the recently hiked electricity tariffs on residential and small consumers that was not extended to the mining sector, Kabanda questioned why government would allow its citizens to be subsidizing the huge mining houses.
“We are not happy with the decision by government to exempt the mines from the current tarrif increment when they are the ones who account for the largest part of the energy consumption in the country,” he said.
“We have been told that that the Energy Regulation Board would separately negotiate the Zesco tariff increment with the mines as including them on the current tariffs would mean a breach of the initial agreements entered into with mining firms by government. If that is the case then we demand that Government must equally negotiate with vulnerable Zambians on the tariffs in compounds and markets rather than exempting high class business such as hotels in the name of Foreign Direct Investment.”
And Civil Society for Poverty Reduction executive director Patrick Mucheleka has also charged that government is more interested in protecting the interests of Foreign Direct Investment than the plight of suffering Zambians.
In an interview Mucheleka said he wondered why the government was ‘hell-bent’ on insulating the production costs of the mining firms’operation costs which were being subsidized by the few Zambians in the formal employment sector.
“Its unfortunate that once again we have experienced a Zesco tariff increment minus a corresponding increment of salaries in both the public and service sector,” Mucheleka said. “The situation will be tragic to the economic development because energy is the driver of the economy.”
He said that lack of matching increment on Zambian workers’ disposable income will just lead to increased poverty levels and stressed that instead of leveling tariffs and introducing additional taxes on mines which the country could benefit from, it was sad to see that government had allowed the mining sector to get away with huge profits .
“It appears that this government is hell-bent on protecting FDI (Foreign Direct Investment).Government has allowed the mines to get away with huge profits 80 per cent of which they externalize and on top of it, it government has excluded the mines from having the Zesco tariffs on production increased when it is the average workers that subsidize these mines,” said Mucheleka.
The Energy Regulation Board last month increased the Zesco tariffs by 25.6 on all consumer classes by the country's electricity utility company.
Zesco has clarified that the mines are not part of the increment as stipulated in their business agreements with government.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, PATRICK MUCHELEKA, POVERTY, SIMON KABANDA, ZESCO
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AU snubs Zimbabwe civil society group
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 5:24 am
President Robert Mugabe (2nd R) and African Union (AU) Chairman President Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi arrive for the closing ceremony of the AU summit in Ugandas capital Kampala July 27, 2010.
THE
African Union snubbed civil society institutions from Zimbabwe in their attempt to
include teething problems in the inclusive Government on the agenda of its 15th Ordinary Session Summit. AU leaders gathered in Uganda this week for the summit, officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
On the agenda was the crisis in Somalia, the conflicts in Sudan’s Darfur region and in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
AU leaders resisted attempts by representatives of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, who had gathered in Uganda to try and influence a discussion on Zimbabwe.
The group wanted the AU to interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe and urge speedy changes in the country's electoral laws ahead of national elections that may be called next year.
Both President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) have signaled recently that they are ready for elections next year.
The Coalition approached the AU secretariat hoping to have Zimbabwe on the agenda, but was ignored.
They resolved to deliver the same message to a Southern African Development Community meeting in mid-August in Namibia.
Meanwhile, the AU says it will add 4,000 troops to its peace force in Somalia and is considering whether to let them battle Islamic fundamentalists who were behind suicide attacks in Uganda that killed 76 people.
They said a cap of 8,100 on troop levels for the force, known as AMISOM, had been lifted and they were mulling whether to give it powers to combat militants, despite misgivings of some AU members.
The AU also called for the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir to be suspended while the continental body carries out a probe into alleged genocide in Darfur.
The Hague-based court earlier this month charged al-Bashir with three counts of genocide against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. The court had issued a warrant against al-Bashir in March for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“We have decided to establish our own mechanism,” AU President Bingu wa Mutharika told reporters in Kampala at the end of a three-day summit.
“We are asking the United Nations to suspend for the period of 12 months” the arrest warrants against al-Bashir, he said.
Labels: AU, CIVIL SOCIETY, NEOCOLONIALISM, SOMALIA, ZIMBABWE
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West has permanent interests, not permanent friends
By: By Tendai Midzi
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 2:58 am
TIME and again, we have heard that countries have permanent interests and not permanent friends. If a 'friendly' country threatens the national and foreign policy interests of another it ceases to be a friend.
We have seen this in recent weeks with the BP issue, which has threatened to split the US and Britain. The appointment of Bob Dudley, a non-British as chief executive of the embattled oil giant, is no coincidence. He is an American, who was raised in the Deep South, in Mississippi, and is the first American to head BP.
His appointment is a political move aimed at increasing US influence in the oil company. It is no coincidence that BP has started drilling in Libya only a few days ago. America needs BP oil, despite all the shenanigans going on. Take oil out of the equation and everything stops in the US, transportation, production, manufacturing, the list goes on and on. There is no magic replacement material for petroleum-based products available yet that is as economical as oil.
President Obama's promise to "kick ass" in relation to the oil spill in the Gulf, and his whole attitude towards BP, has everything to do with BP's alleged influenced in the release of the Lockerbie bomber; and attempts by the US to have a controlling stake in BP -- a mainly British company.
Goldman Sachs deliberately polluted the world economy, being responsible for almost pulling down the entire world economic system, yet they were only fined $550m – after hearings and trials. Yet BP pollutes four states in one country and is ‘fined’ $20 billion – before any justice is permitted.
Americans did not join World War II until Pearl Harbour was attacked. It is public knowledge that by the time D-Day had come the Russians were already approaching Germany and the threat of communism taking over Europe was more of a concern to enter the war than “the US being concerned about the welfare of its allies”.
Same story for The Marshall Plan. It was designed to prop-up Western Europe only so it does not fall for communism, as Greece and Italy so nearly did.
The recent revelation by Dr Lovemore Madhuku that his National Constitutional Assembly has run out of funds is true testimony of the west's permanent interests.
Lovemore Madhuku's NCA has served its purpose, as the MDC-T nearly did had it not entered the inclusive Government. There is no option left for the west except to try and "influence politics in Zimbabwe from within". Zanu-PF and President Mugabe simply resisted western manipulation and pressure.
The US, Britain, Netherlands, Canada and the rest of the west will not keep pumping money into organisations that do not serve their foreign policy objectives. They will fund a corrupt regime in Iraq before they can fund the constitutional exercise in Zimbabwe. They will have more conditions on funding the constitutional exercise in Zimbabwe than on pumping millions into Afghanistan where the end is not in sight, and where the body count of western servicemen in increasing daily.
It is no secret that groups like the Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe, the various student bodies, Women of Zimbabwe Arise, Lawyers for Human Rights etc are today (or woon will be) suffering from lack of funding. They no longer serve a very useful US foreign policy objective. America would rather use other public diplomatic approaches to influence politics in Zimbabwe.
President Obama would rather give scholarships to individuals to "Americanise" them, and run "workshops" in the country aimed at selling American-style democracy to Zimbabweans, than fund a group that will not increase its visibility.
The "cold war" still goes on. The power of China on the continent threatens the US and the rest of the west.
Dr Madhuku should know that his organisation is quickly losing relevance in a new Zimbabwe. They cannot keep singing the same mantra for too long. They do not even represent a single voter in Zimbabwe -- they have no constituency. They cannot even guarantee what they call a "people driven constitution". Theirs is an "NCA-driven constitution".
Other organisations like the many media outlets that ostracised Zimbabwe's leadership when the western heat was on are already in the dumps. Many analysts have become exhausted and exasperated and broke.
Even the much anticipated Daily News has failed to take off despite having been awarded a license months ago. NewsDay has no more news or influence than BBC or Al Jazeera or Reuters or AFP.
Many organisations that thrived in the 2000-2008 period will slowly disappear and many individuals, who led anti-Zimbabwe campaign from the diaspora on the hope that a new government will take over and promote their western style ideas, will remain wounded and haunted by their past as funding runs dry. They will battle to find relevance in a new Zimbabwe.
In the meantime, Zimbabwean patriots will work together, fight sanctions and thrive in a resource-rich nation, and feel proud that never at any point where they tempted to sell their birthright to a forein government, business or entity.
_________________________
Tendai Midzi is a senior lecturer in economics at the London Metropolitan University. He can be reached via tendaimidzi1 *** yahoo.com
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, LOVEMORE MADHUKU, NEOCOLONIALISM
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Kimberley Process - the new colonial project
By: By Tendai Midzi
Posted: Sunday, July 4, 2010 9:41 pm
THE debate over Zimbabwe diamonds has discredited civil society groups within the Kimberley Process and the media in Zimbabwe. The debates over what exactly transpired are becoming ridiculous by the day; but there is an underlying story behind the KP madness.
The likes of Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) and Global Witness, selected NGO members of the KP, are but a figment of the western governments they represent.
One finds it puzzling that 3 or 4 governments (and 2 or 3 so called civil society institutions) out of 75 members of the KP can hold the whole organisation at ransom.
What happened to democracy as the wish of the majority? Why is the minority holding that organisation at ransom? Is this still about Chiadzwa or there's something deeper? Ironically, these governments that are against Zimbabwe's certification happen to be former colonisers or linked to former colonisers. They also happen to have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe as well.
One ridiculous debate emerged when Mines and Mining Development Minister, Obert Mpofu, sensationally revealed that the two civil society organisations had demanded 1% from the proceeds of Zimbabwe's diamond exports to be reserved for them.
The two discredited civil society organisations, in their defence, argued that no such bribe was made and they only asked for 1% to be directed to civil society in Zimbabwe. Who is civil society in Zimbabwe and who is represented by civil society? Are they not the same people that Chiadzwa diamond proceeds are meant to benefit?
And are these two NGOs now involved in setting policy (or influencing it) in Zimbabwe? Why are they extending the mandate they were given by the KP, if they have any, to include internal politics in Zimbabwe? Would 1% then get rid of the "human rights violations" they allege to be taking place in Chiadzwa?
Such ridiculousness often finds acres of reporting space in so-called independent media in Zimbabwe -- The Independent, The Standard and other western policy praise singing papers. Unsurprisingly, pirate radio stations who masquerade as mainstream news organisations, even though they have no national jurisdiction or national identity, for example SW Radio Africa, also give these ridiculous defences acres of space.
They are filled with half-baked analysts and people who claim to be journalists when they are mere mindless activists with no understanding of what is happening on the ground in Zimbabwe; or have the level of sophistication necessary to understand the underhand tactics of the western world.
One Lance Guma has become a clown in the defence of such claims and his pathetic form of reporting, if I may call it that, seems to be fed on our people daily. He drools when he interviews the likes of white farmers Deon Theron and Ben Freeth; calling black lands "their farms". One pathetic story told by SW Radio was about Freeth receiving an OBE from the Queen of England. Does SW Radio even know the significance of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award, when they call it a "prestigious award"?
Freeth was acknowledged by that country's Queen for his services to British or white farmers, not to the people of Zimbabwe. The British have shipped their own people, who were not farmers, from Zimbabwe to cushion them from the effects of their (western) sanctions. And who reports that story and not question the altruism of British policy on Zimbabwe? So-called Zimbabwean independent media. There's nothing independent or free about this media when it represents western policy and western propaganda. This is the madness that characterises our media and our so-called journalists.
The KP minimum conditions required to certify Marange diamonds were met by Zimbabwe. Mr Abbey Chikane's report is testament to that. He was a KP appointed monitor, so what more do they want? In any case, issues of human rights (violations or no violations) have nothing to do with diamond certification. If they did, De Beers would have closed shop a long time ago. KP "blood diamonds" definition does not mention issues of human rights. Even De Beers' Oppenheimer even admitted that KP was in a quandary over Zimbabwe as the country has a legitimate government and no rebel activity.
Why does Zimbabwe media not comment on human rights violations by DeBeers and all the antitrust lawsuits in the U.S. and the lack of social responsibility policies by that company in Namibia, Botswana, etc? Why are Zimbabwean, South African, Batswana and Namibian diamonds finding their way to countries like Britain and the U.S. that abuse rights of the people in the Middle East and other parts of the world? Is DeBeers not guilty of selling to abusers of human rights?
The biggest lie that we can ever tell ourselves is that those who enaslaved us will be responsible for our welfare. The absence of an African civil society institution in the KP smacks of an attempt by "those in high places" to thwartle development in Africa; and determine our destiny by remote control.
When we fuss and fight with foreigners over our own resources, we can rest assured that our minds have been enslaved; and enslaved they shall remain.
Zimbabwe, a tiny country, is on the world radar today and institutes and institutions that purport to fight for Africa's independence have published many stories and many news items calling Zimbabwe the worst country to live in, or the most dangerous place to live in, yet they fight for their kith and kin to retain farmlands in those countries. They fight to retain their businesses in that same country, and want to go white water rafting on the Zambezi, or go on a safari in that country. What they fear is what Zimbabwe is a champion of; i.e. a champion of black empowerment and an end to 21st Century enslavement.
Those who hail countries like South Africa as symbols of democracy in Africa should see the state of the African person in that country compared with the white person. They should tell us about the number of black people living below the poverty line in that country. They should also tell us why up a person dies from crime every five minutes in South Africa and why there are so many drug and white collar crime syndicates in that country and not in Zimbabwe. They should also tell us why apartheid, racism and neo-Nazi groups of the likes of murdered DWB leader Terre'Blanche still exist years after apartheid.
So, as we debate the KP process and its importance in African mining and Africa in general, we should ask ourselves whose interests the KP protects. It might look honourable in principle; but when that organisation sees a country's people dying from curable diseases and lack of basic sanitation and still wants that country to suffer and not benefit from its natural resources, we should question its altruism.
If the likes of De Beers and Rio Tinto were involved in Marange diamond fields, this anti-Zimbabwe stance would not have been commonplace. Marange diamonds would have been certified a long time ago; and cartels of these plunderers would have taken over Zimbabwe, and be benefiting from that plunder. Zimbabwe, however, will not brook such nonsense. The liberation war was fought for land (and minerals); and we will not reverse the gains of that struggle.
Those who enslaved us are saying, "How dare you want to maintain this multi-million resource and reduce our power over you?" This is Zimbabwe's crime.
This is the reason why the likes of President Robert Mugabe, Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, ANC Youth Leader Julius Malema are castigated by "those in high places". They dare liberate they own people and educate their minds. They are called all sorts: anti-white, racist, evil, dictator, Hitlerite, etc. because they are enlightened and therefore wish to enlighten and empower their own people. That is why someone like Minister Louis Farrakhan was denied an entry visa into Britain. He would have told the true story of the black person, not the likes of Dr John Sentamu or Bishop Desmond Tutu, who are quick to dismiss African leadership and appease the west. African leaders are not infallible and are not beyond reproach. They indeed can be criticised, but the bidding should not be done on behalf of the very fallible west -- the former enslaver and coloniser, but on behalf of the African people.
The castigation of our leadership in the media and the various labels imposed on them, are mere tactics meant to frighten any right thinking African who dares question why their own people are still poor on a rich continent. Many of our young people who graduate with law, accounts, medicine, engineering, media, etc degrees are quickly absorbed by the institutions run by these "people in high places" and never allowed to see, or tell, the true story. They are given so-called "human rights awards" and research fellowships to silence them. They are never given real careers, nor real power, but these token awards to silence them and rinse them.
The likes of Human Rights Watch, International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, etc are full of African people who do the bidding for these "people in high places". By having black people do the bidding, the racist label is shrugged off the real culprits -- the western establishment. Then, only African countries will be subjected to the scrutiny of these organisations, never western ones.
Africans, unless they liberate themselves from this mental slavery, will continue to self-hate and think they should please the white person in order to advance in life. Those of us who live in Europe and other places know very well that the establishment will never advance us. It will appease us, but that's all. We will be given various titles (African Researcher, Senior Journalist, Chairman of ..., Convenor of Crisis in Africa Organisation, Leader of the National Constitutional Assembly,etc). These are all titles that blacks got after independence, not before. Before, you could only be A Filing Clerk, Cleaner, Janitor, Post Boy, etc.
In the meantime, all our resources will be plundered and we will be made to hate our own people; our own leadership. We will be told to tell the story, the lie, ourselves. See how many anti-Zimbabwe websites there are today. Most of them speak ill and evil of those heroes who died for them and are still fighting for them.
The likes of CNN, BBC, etc do their job of denigrating our leadership very well. They even use our own black commentators to tell their version of our, story. Their story is that we are corrupt and unable to rule ourselves.
This is the crux of the whole debate over Marange and all those journalists and black so-called "human rights defenders" are still suffering from slavery, and colonial, hangover. That hangover is so strong, it cannot break the shackles that are making our people believe that the Anglo-Saxon world can be both liberator and enslaver.
_______________________________
*Tendai Midzi is a lecturer in economics at the London Metropolitan University. He can be reached via tendaimidzi1 **** yahoo.com
Labels: ABBEY, CIVIL SOCIETY, KIMBERLEY PROCESS, NEOCOLONIALISM, OBERT MPOFU
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Kimberley Process - the new colonial project
By: By Tendai Midzi
Posted: Sunday, July 4, 2010 9:41 pm
THE debate over Zimbabwe diamonds has discredited civil society groups within the Kimberley Process and the media in Zimbabwe. The debates over what exactly transpired are becoming ridiculous by the day; but there is an underlying story behind the KP madness.
The likes of Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) and Global Witness, selected NGO members of the KP, are but a figment of the western governments they represent.
One finds it puzzling that 3 or 4 governments (and 2 or 3 so called civil society institutions) out of 75 members of the KP can hold the whole organisation at ransom.
What happened to democracy as the wish of the majority? Why is the minority holding that organisation at ransom? Is this still about Chiadzwa or there's something deeper? Ironically, these governments that are against Zimbabwe's certification happen to be former colonisers or linked to former colonisers. They also happen to have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe as well.
One ridiculous debate emerged when Mines and Mining Development Minister, Obert Mpofu, sensationally revealed that the two civil society organisations had demanded 1% from the proceeds of Zimbabwe's diamond exports to be reserved for them.
The two discredited civil society organisations, in their defence, argued that no such bribe was made and they only asked for 1% to be directed to civil society in Zimbabwe. Who is civil society in Zimbabwe and who is represented by civil society? Are they not the same people that Chiadzwa diamond proceeds are meant to benefit?
And are these two NGOs now involved in setting policy (or influencing it) in Zimbabwe? Why are they extending the mandate they were given by the KP, if they have any, to include internal politics in Zimbabwe? Would 1% then get rid of the "human rights violations" they allege to be taking place in Chiadzwa?
Such ridiculousness often finds acres of reporting space in so-called independent media in Zimbabwe -- The Independent, The Standard and other western policy praise singing papers. Unsurprisingly, pirate radio stations who masquerade as mainstream news organisations, even though they have no national jurisdiction or national identity, for example SW Radio Africa, also give these ridiculous defences acres of space.
They are filled with half-baked analysts and people who claim to be journalists when they are mere mindless activists with no understanding of what is happening on the ground in Zimbabwe; or have the level of sophistication necessary to understand the underhand tactics of the western world.
One Lance Guma has become a clown in the defence of such claims and his pathetic form of reporting, if I may call it that, seems to be fed on our people daily. He drools when he interviews the likes of white farmers Deon Theron and Ben Freeth; calling black lands "their farms". One pathetic story told by SW Radio was about Freeth receiving an OBE from the Queen of England. Does SW Radio even know the significance of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award, when they call it a "prestigious award"?
Freeth was acknowledged by that country's Queen for his services to British or white farmers, not to the people of Zimbabwe. The British have shipped their own people, who were not farmers, from Zimbabwe to cushion them from the effects of their (western) sanctions. And who reports that story and not question the altruism of British policy on Zimbabwe? So-called Zimbabwean independent media. There's nothing independent or free about this media when it represents western policy and western propaganda. This is the madness that characterises our media and our so-called journalists.
The KP minimum conditions required to certify Marange diamonds were met by Zimbabwe. Mr Abbey Chikane's report is testament to that. He was a KP appointed monitor, so what more do they want? In any case, issues of human rights (violations or no violations) have nothing to do with diamond certification. If they did, De Beers would have closed shop a long time ago. KP "blood diamonds" definition does not mention issues of human rights. Even De Beers' Oppenheimer even admitted that KP was in a quandary over Zimbabwe as the country has a legitimate government and no rebel activity.
Why does Zimbabwe media not comment on human rights violations by DeBeers and all the antitrust lawsuits in the U.S. and the lack of social responsibility policies by that company in Namibia, Botswana, etc? Why are Zimbabwean, South African, Batswana and Namibian diamonds finding their way to countries like Britain and the U.S. that abuse rights of the people in the Middle East and other parts of the world? Is DeBeers not guilty of selling to abusers of human rights?
The biggest lie that we can ever tell ourselves is that those who enaslaved us will be responsible for our welfare. The absence of an African civil society institution in the KP smacks of an attempt by "those in high places" to thwartle development in Africa; and determine our destiny by remote control.
When we fuss and fight with foreigners over our own resources, we can rest assured that our minds have been enslaved; and enslaved they shall remain.
Zimbabwe, a tiny country, is on the world radar today and institutes and institutions that purport to fight for Africa's independence have published many stories and many news items calling Zimbabwe the worst country to live in, or the most dangerous place to live in, yet they fight for their kith and kin to retain farmlands in those countries. They fight to retain their businesses in that same country, and want to go white water rafting on the Zambezi, or go on a safari in that country. What they fear is what Zimbabwe is a champion of; i.e. a champion of black empowerment and an end to 21st Century enslavement.
Those who hail countries like South Africa as symbols of democracy in Africa should see the state of the African person in that country compared with the white person. They should tell us about the number of black people living below the poverty line in that country. They should also tell us why up a person dies from crime every five minutes in South Africa and why there are so many drug and white collar crime syndicates in that country and not in Zimbabwe. They should also tell us why apartheid, racism and neo-Nazi groups of the likes of murdered DWB leader Terre'Blanche still exist years after apartheid.
So, as we debate the KP process and its importance in African mining and Africa in general, we should ask ourselves whose interests the KP protects. It might look honourable in principle; but when that organisation sees a country's people dying from curable diseases and lack of basic sanitation and still wants that country to suffer and not benefit from its natural resources, we should question its altruism.
If the likes of De Beers and Rio Tinto were involved in Marange diamond fields, this anti-Zimbabwe stance would not have been commonplace. Marange diamonds would have been certified a long time ago; and cartels of these plunderers would have taken over Zimbabwe, and be benefiting from that plunder. Zimbabwe, however, will not brook such nonsense. The liberation war was fought for land (and minerals); and we will not reverse the gains of that struggle.
Those who enslaved us are saying, "How dare you want to maintain this multi-million resource and reduce our power over you?" This is Zimbabwe's crime.
This is the reason why the likes of President Robert Mugabe, Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, ANC Youth Leader Julius Malema are castigated by "those in high places". They dare liberate they own people and educate their minds. They are called all sorts: anti-white, racist, evil, dictator, Hitlerite, etc. because they are enlightened and therefore wish to enlighten and empower their own people. That is why someone like Minister Louis Farrakhan was denied an entry visa into Britain. He would have told the true story of the black person, not the likes of Dr John Sentamu or Bishop Desmond Tutu, who are quick to dismiss African leadership and appease the west. African leaders are not infallible and are not beyond reproach. They indeed can be criticised, but the bidding should not be done on behalf of the very fallible west -- the former enslaver and coloniser, but on behalf of the African people.
The castigation of our leadership in the media and the various labels imposed on them, are mere tactics meant to frighten any right thinking African who dares question why their own people are still poor on a rich continent. Many of our young people who graduate with law, accounts, medicine, engineering, media, etc degrees are quickly absorbed by the institutions run by these "people in high places" and never allowed to see, or tell, the true story. They are given so-called "human rights awards" and research fellowships to silence them. They are never given real careers, nor real power, but these token awards to silence them and rinse them.
The likes of Human Rights Watch, International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, etc are full of African people who do the bidding for these "people in high places". By having black people do the bidding, the racist label is shrugged off the real culprits -- the western establishment. Then, only African countries will be subjected to the scrutiny of these organisations, never western ones.
Africans, unless they liberate themselves from this mental slavery, will continue to self-hate and think they should please the white person in order to advance in life. Those of us who live in Europe and other places know very well that the establishment will never advance us. It will appease us, but that's all. We will be given various titles (African Researcher, Senior Journalist, Chairman of ..., Convenor of Crisis in Africa Organisation, Leader of the National Constitutional Assembly,etc). These are all titles that blacks got after independence, not before. Before, you could only be A Filing Clerk, Cleaner, Janitor, Post Boy, etc.
In the meantime, all our resources will be plundered and we will be made to hate our own people; our own leadership. We will be told to tell the story, the lie, ourselves. See how many anti-Zimbabwe websites there are today. Most of them speak ill and evil of those heroes who died for them and are still fighting for them.
The likes of CNN, BBC, etc do their job of denigrating our leadership very well. They even use our own black commentators to tell their version of our, story. Their story is that we are corrupt and unable to rule ourselves.
This is the crux of the whole debate over Marange and all those journalists and black so-called "human rights defenders" are still suffering from slavery, and colonial, hangover. That hangover is so strong, it cannot break the shackles that are making our people believe that the Anglo-Saxon world can be both liberator and enslaver.
_______________________________
*Tendai Midzi is a lecturer in economics at the London Metropolitan University. He can be reached via tendaimidzi1 **** yahoo.com
Labels: ABBEY CHIKANE, CIVIL SOCIETY, KIMBERLEY PROCESS, NEOCOLONIALISM, OBERT MPOFU
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"Constitution review process has unnecessarily been long"
By George Chellah
Sun 27 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
CIVIL Society Organisations (CSOs) have stated that the constitution review process has unnecessarily been long and divisive. And the CSOs have stated that it is necessary for the government to present a full roadmap on the constitution review process.
In a statement following the launch of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) draft constitution, the CSOs stated that they cautiously welcomed the launch of the draft constitution and reports by the NCC for public comments.
However, they stated that the review process had been divisive instead of rallying Zambians around a common cause.
The CSOs that issued the statement are Caritas Zambia, Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Transparency International Zambia, Citizens Forum, Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD), Civil Societyfor Poverty Reduction (CSPR), Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) and Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR).
“It is a process where the interests of the general public, have been sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. It is our sincere hope therefore that the launch of the draft constitution and report will go a long way in uniting Zambians in coming up with a people-driven and people centred constitution,” they stated.
“The Zambian people have long desired for a constitution that commands their respect and obedience, a constitution that addresses their aspirations for a fully democratic country - where the rule of law is paramount and the ordinary man and woman - recognized as full participants in national development.”
The CSOs stated that they had their concerns and apprehensions on the whole process of adopting the constitution through the NCC.
They stated that they had previously expressed their worry about the long delay in concluding the exercise.
“… And we are still concerned about the prospects of Zambians going to the polls in 2011 on the current constitution, knowing fully well the inadequacies of the electoral process and systems,” the statement read in part.
They stated that it was their intention to engage in this process mainly by sensitizing the general public on what the NCC was proposing and enabling them to participate from a well informed basis.
They added that they would continue to advocate for the adoption and enactment of a new constitution anchored on common shared democratic principles.
“We do however, note with sadness some inadequacies in the whole process of receiving comments from the public and we are concerned that these could affect the participation of the majority of Zambians. Some of our observations are as follows:
The launch of the draft constitution and report took place without a prior notice.
Indeed the public generally knew that the report would be launched soon but NCC should have taken a leaf from the Electoral Commission of Zambia which has been running public notices in the mass media to sensitise the public of the voters registration exercise,” they stated.
“NCC, knowing fully well that the public only has 40 days to comment on the draft constitution, should have preceded the official launch with public sensitization – unless the intention is not to have as many people participating in this exercise.
There is an apparent lack of preparedness for this exercise and this can be illustrated by the fact that the launch took place at the time when Government Printers is still printing copies of the documents, all the websites mentioned had not uploaded the document for access by the public and the issue of translation is not yet decided. In the meantime, the countdown of the 40 days has begun. These are basic logistics which should have been put in place before the launch – and if people cannot yet access these documents – what was NCC launching?”
They stated that it was a pity that the translation of the draft constitution and report were not a given and contingent on availability of resources.
The CSOs stated that the NCC and the government should have prioritized public participation as opposed to the largesse spent on endless sittings of the NCC.
They stated that they were worried that the whole process could soon become exclusive and the preserve of the literate and yet all Zambians needed to have a say.
They stated that the NCC chairperson should have taken advantage of the launch of the draft constitution to equally avail to the public a programme of how they would facilitate public engagement in this process.
“Is the NCC going to organize public meetings and if so - where and when? Further details should have been given on how rural areas which are far away from the district centres are going to access the documents.
The question which still lingers is how will communities in the rural and remote areas participate in this process? Is the NCC in discussion with churches, NGOs or other stakeholders working in these areas to reach out to these communities? Related to the above, it is necessary that NCC indicates how many copies of the draft constitution and reports will be or have been sent to each district and how the people can access these copies,” they stated.
“Another issue that requires clarification from the NCC is the manner in which differences between what the NCC is recommending and what the people and institutions who comment on the draft constitution and reports propose, will be resolved.
For instance, the NCC, in its draft constitution has proposed a minimum degree qualification for a prospective presidential candidate; assuming that the majority of the people and institutions (more than the numbers at the NCC) canvass for removal of this article - how will NCC handle this development?”
They stated that the process of reviewing and integrating the proposals from the public should be made clear from the onset so that it does not turn out as an academic exercise.
“Given the stage that this process has reached and some of the issues raised in the draft constitution, it is necessary for government to present a full roadmap as to what will happen after 31 August 2010.
There should be a sense of forward planning on the part of government and thus ensure that this process does not stall after August 2010 but reaches its logical conclusion,” they stated.
“Government, for instance, should consider appointing a Referendum Commission which should start working out modalities for a referendum as soon as possible. Such a step will be a sign that government really means well and that a new constitution is a possibility before the next elections.”
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, CONSTITUTION, NCC
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Prof Chinene urges govt to subsidise budding institutions
By Justin Katilungu in Kabwe
Thu 22 Apr. 2010, 03:00 CAT
MULUNGUSHI University vice-chancellor Vernon Chinene has urged the government to consider institutions with subsidies in its formative years before it can attain financial sustainability.
And Mulungushi University council chairman Costain Chilala has asked the government to move fast and operationalise its US$35 million joint infrastructure development investment for the university.
Professor Chinene told education minister Dora Siliya during her visit to the institution yesterday that the university in its initial stages was facing high overhead costs relative to the income being generated internally.
Prof Chinene said that to get the university running, management had to assemble a critical mass of staff resulting in high personnel costs relative to the income being generated internally.
“This situation is however expected to change as student numbers increase. This is the justification for seeking government subsidy in the formative years of the university before we attain financial sustainability,” he said.
Prof Chinene explained that the annual budget for emoluments and other personnel-related costs currently amounted to K24 billion while the grant from the government in 2010 was just K16.9 billion, living a financing gap of K7.1 billion which the university has to source internally.
“This is in addition to having to fund in full all other recurrent costs which in the 2010 budget amount to K19.9 billion, which is quite heavy for a new institution that is barely two years old,” he said.
On infrastructure development, Prof Chinene said the institution was undertaking five projects where the government had already spent K105 billion leaving a financing gap of K28.4 billion.
He was happy that the university had brokered several partnerships with universities abroad in academic ventures.
The university has launched seven-degree programmes, while certificate courses continue and that in September this year the degree programmes would increase to 16.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, COSTAIN CHILALA, VERNON CHINENE
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Civil society seek audience with Mangani over security
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 16 Mar. 2010, 03:00 CAT
A CONSORTIUM of 11 civil society organisations (CSOs) are today expected to seek audience with home affairs minister Lameck Mangani on matters of security and law in the nation.
And the CSOs have resolved to hold a good governance rally on the 27th of this month.
According to a letter dated March 15, 2010 and signed by Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda, the civil society organisations have also expressed concern at issues of orderliness in the nation.
“I write to you on behalf of a consortium of civil society organisations seeking an appointment with you this week on Tuesday 16 March 2010. The civil society organisations would like to meet with you to discuss matters of security, law and order in the nation,” Kabanda stated.
The 11 organisations include the Anti-Voter Apathy Project, Caritas Zambia, Citizens Forum, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction and the Civil Society Trade Network of Zambia.
Others are the Foundation for Democratic Process, National Youth Association in the Fight Against Corruption, Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Transparency International Zambia, Zambia Civic Education Association and the Zambia Council for Social Development.
And the civil society organisations have notified Lusaka division commanding officer Greenwell Ng’uni of a public rally in Lusaka’s Mandevu area.
“We write to you on behalf of a consortium of civil society organisations, to give notice to you that we intend to hold a Good Governance Rally in Lusaka on Saturday 27 March 2010. The venue of the public rally is Mutambe Grounds in Mandevu,” stated Kabanda.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, LAMECK MANGANI, SECURITY
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Nkombo urges NGOs to check engagement of foreign investors
By Florence Bupe
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
MAZABUKA Central member of parliament Garry Nkombo has challenged civil society organisations to provide checks and balances for the government in the engagement of foreign investors.
Nkombo said civil society organisations should move away from being talk shops, but ensure that they engageg the government and monitored its relations with foreign investors.
“Civil society organisations should learn to engage government on the relationship they have with foreign investors,” he said.
Nkombo observed that local people were usually disadvantaged because the government offered incentives to foreign investors at the expense of local communities.
He said civil society organisations needed to make government accountable in critical areas such as the tax regime as this had a bearing on the well being and economic development of the nation.
“For instance, how much has civil society engaged, tried to make government understand that migration from one tax regime to another has an impact on poverty? Taxes in Zambia have remained high and the poor are the most affected,” he said.
Nkombo said civil society organisations needed to come up with a comprehensive position to the government and act as partners in development instead of taking a lay back position.
And Kanyama member of parliament Gerry Chanda observed that poverty levels in Zambia had continued to be high because of the culture of selfishness by some leaders.
“You can put in trillions of kwacha, no meaningful development will take place because of the culture of selfishness among some leaders,” said Chanda.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, FDI, GARRY NKOMBO, NGOs
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Civil society calls off honking, whistling
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:31:51 AM
INSPECTOR General of Police Francis Kabonde yesterday convinced 18 civil society organisations (CSOs) to call off honking against the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba on charges of theft of US $500,000 public funds.
Kabonde held a more than three-hour meeting with representatives of the 18 CSOs at Zambia Police Service headquarters in Lusaka after which the CSOs agreed to call off honking on Friday, saying they would use other means of protest such as holding rallies, protest marches and petitions, among others.
Some CSOs’ representatives, who attended the meeting called by Kabonde, said they were told that honking was illegal.
“Mr Kabonde was trying to intimidate us at first but he changed and was pleading with us to call off the honking on Friday because it was illegal,” the insider said. “The police said, 'when you look at the law, to hoot to the annoyance of road users or any other person becomes an offence. It’s very clear when you hoot to the annoyance of other people then you are breaking the law'.”
The source said the police argued that noises of celebrations were not an offence while certain noises like those that annoy others were an offence.
The source said the CSOs said they would only sign the communiqué of their agreement to call off honking if the police assured them that they would unconditionally drop cases against two Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament Mumbi Phiri [Munali] and Jean Kapata [Mandevu] and seven others who honked last Friday.
“The IG assured us that the police would have no problems dropping those cases but he demanded that we pursued the people who were arrested not to sue the police for unlawful detention,” the insider said. “The IG acknowledged our right to protest but he said they had a problem with honking because it was illegal. He said as the police, they had a duty to provide law and order. We, therefore, agreed to call off honking but we will use other means such as rallies, marching and petitions. We also told the IG that we had problems with the double standards applied by the police in allowing various groupings in Zambia that want to protest. But he assured us that the police will permit us to protest.
“We told the police that, 'what we are asking you bwana IG is that can you apply the law fairly. If you want to apply the same law on us we agree. Law breaking should not be condoned in this country',” the source said.
The source said the CSOs told Kabonde that they honked during Chiluba’s anti-third term bid and when they were demanding for the lifting of his immunity.
The source said CSOs wondered why the police were now saying it was illegal when the same means were used in the past.
Labels: CHILUBA, CIVIL SOCIETY, CSO, DEMONSTRATION
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Honking doesn’t worry govt, says Mangani
Written by George Chellah
Monday, October 05, 2009 8:46:08 PM
HOME affairs minister Lameck Mangani yesterday maintained that the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have received too much money from donors. Addressing journalists at Lusaka International Airport, Mangani, who was responding to a question on the statement from the CSOs that they would intensify the honking and whistling, said the government was not worried.
“We are yet to see that but I can guarantee you we will respond to whatever they are talking about. So we are not worried whether they are many or whatever number. It will help us, the police will be assisted,” Mangani said.
“They [CSOs] have too much money which they could have got from their cooperating partners. So some of this money the police will be charging them, it will help me to clear the cells. So that's a good thing, let's see what happens on Friday.”
Mangani denied that he was issuing directives to the police.
“The police are merely doing their work, honking is an offence. It's considered under the public nuisance. So anybody who is creating problems for the public has to be arrested. I did indicate that anybody, as you know, uses the road, the road is not just only for politicians,” Mangani said. “The road is for anybody including visitors that come here so anybody that is going to disturb the peace of these people that are using the road has to be arrested and there is no abuse of any kind. It's just that the police are doing their work.”
On Saturday, a consortium of 18 CSOs vowed to continue with honking and whistling against Chiluba's acquittal despite the arrests of some citizens that took part in the exercise last Friday.
In a statement on behalf of the CSOs, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu dared the police to be on streets from 17:00 hours until the following morning as the honking and whistling strategy would be intensified in the few weeks to come.
He announced that the strategy had been extended.
“We wish to notify the public that the Consortium has extended its honking and whistling strategy on every Friday from 17 hours to 24 hours anywhere in the country and we invite the Police command and the entire Service to be on the street from 17 hours till the following morning as the honking will be more spirited in the few weeks to come,” Mulafulafu stated. “We encourage the Police to create more bed-space or cells at various stations around the country as they should expect more innocent clients to be arrested if they don't stop with these malicious, arbitrary and illegal arrests. The more police presence on the streets and the more sirens there will be, the better because the sirens will contribute to the intended honking. We expect the police to ensure that the honking and whistling is conducted in a lawful and peaceful environment and without intimidation.
“We would like to advise Hon. Shikapwasha and Hon Mangani to desist from making unsubstantiated attacks on diplomats who are not part of this national cause. We would advise Hon Shikapwasha not to misdirect his energies on non-issues such of challenging civil society to forming a political party. We remain committed to promoting One land, One Nation and One Law is our Cry for all citizens.”
And President Rupiah Banda yesterday returned home from Cuba after his three-day state visit to that country.
The President who was accompanied by first lady Thandiwe arrived around 10:00 hours.
Upon arrival, President Banda was whisked away to greet the ministers, deputy ministers, government officials and MMD cadres.
Efforts to have the President address journalists were thwarted by security personnel and State House officials who kept pushing away reporters that attempted to ask him questions.
Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Bob Samakai was heard telling a Muvi TV reporter that the President would call for a briefing at State House after he had been fully briefed.
Before going to Cuba, President Banda attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York and the Second Summit of Africa and South America in Margarita, Venezuela.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, DEMONSTRATION, LAMECK MANGANI
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Civil society vows to intensify honking
Written by George Chellah, Ernest Chanda and Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday, October 04, 2009 4:56:22 PM
A Consortium of 18 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has vowed to continue honking and whistling against Frederick Chiluba's acquittal despite the arrests.
And Mandevu and Munali PF members of parliament Jean Kapata and Mumbi Phiri respectively on Friday spent a night at Lusaka Central Police after they were detained for honking and whistling against Chiluba's acquittal.
Meanwhile, hundreds of motorists in Lusaka central business area on Friday evening honked, whistled and blew trumpets as they sought to push the government into appealing against Chiluba's acquittal.
In a statement on behalf of the CSOs, Caristas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu dared the police to be on the streets from 17:00 hours until the following morning as the honking and whistling strategy would be intensified in the weeks to come.
“We, the 18 civil society Organisations, frontrunners in the honking and whistle blowing against the acquittal of Dr FJT Chiluba do totally condemn the abuse of the Zambia Police Service by the government. We are determined to honk and whistle back Dr Chiluba to court no matter how long it may take. We wish to state that no amount of intimidation will work and has never worked with us. We are now even more resolved than ever to forge ahead with public mobilisation until the people of Zambia get equal justice,” Mulafulafu stated. “We wish to thank those that honked and whistled on Friday and we encourage more citizens to join in this battle. As civil society we shall not relent in our efforts to provide leadership. We totally condemn the action by the Zambia Police Service to arrest nine innocent citizens, including two honourable members of parliament for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression. The reaction from government is cowardly and does not show a system that understands human rights or the essence of citizens' participation in the governance of this country.
“We demand the immediate release of the persons arrested and we do encourage the police to show impartiality in dealing with national issues and not show double standards where those who support the acquittal can publicly demonstrate without any police harassment and beatings. When Hon. Mabenga and the MMD cadres were expressing solidarity in the acquittal of Dr Chiluba, the police stood by to provide security and we wonder why they should victimise other citizens who disagree with government. If government has nothing to hide, they should allow all Zambians to exercise their constitutional freedom to express their views.”
He announced that the strategy had been extended.
“We wish to notify the public that the Consortium has extended its honking and whistling strategy on every Friday from 17 hours to 24 hours anywhere in the country and we invite the Police Command and the entire Service to be on the street from 17 hours until the following morning as the honking will be more spirited in the few weeks to come,” Mulafulafu stated. “We encourage the Police to create more bed-space or cells at various stations around the country as they should expect more innocent clients to be arrested if they don't stop with these malicious, arbitrary and illegal arrests. The more police presence on the streets and the more sirens there will be, the better because the sirens will contribute to the intended honking. We expect the police to ensure that the honking and whistling is conducted in a lawful and peaceful environment and without intimidation.
“We would like to advise Hon. Shikapwasha and Hon. Mangani to desist from making unsubstantiated attacks on diplomats who are not part of this national cause. We would advise Hon. Shikapwasha not to misdirect his energies on non-issues such of challenging civil society to forming a political party. We remain committed to promoting One land, One Nation and One Law is our Cry for all citizens.”
And Kapata and Phiri were on Friday detained for honking and whistling against Chiluba's acquittal.
The duo's lawyer Wynter Kabimba confirmed the incident yesterday.
Kabimba said his clients who spent a night on the stairs at the entrance of Lusaka Central Police Station were yesterday morning formally arrested.
“They have been arrested this morning at around 11:00 hours. Though when I enquired I was told that the police are still preparing the papers, they haven't charged them yet,” Kabimba said.
Narrating the incident on Friday, Phiri who was flanked by Kapata at Lusaka Central police complained of being unfairly treated by the police.
“We were arrested at Arcades roundabout around 17:00 hours. We were going to Jean's place that's when somebody tried to cross the road and I hooted to remind that person that I was right behind him. After that I just noticed some police officers coming to my car to say ‘you are honking’,” Phiri said. “'They jumped into our cars and said ‘let's go to the police’. That's when we now started honking because we can't be arrested for nothing. So we resolved to start doing what they were accusing us of doing and we honked all the way from Arcades to here with police officers in our cars.”
The duo who were seated outside the police station in the company of Kabimba and Kabwata PF member of parliament Given Lubinda refused to enter the police station.
“We are seated here because we have refused to go in cells. Let them find a bulldozer to lift us. I’m not going in. We are not going in. Why should we go in when the real thief is sleeping in Kabulonga? Ka Chiluba kali ku ng’anda [Chiluba is at home]!” said Phiri as Kapata chipped in: “This is our country, Chiluba is just a little drop not even a normal drop but just a little drop in the ocean and a wife snatcher. This is now political because the police who are supposed to be non-partisan are siding with the ruling party.”
About 15 policemen and women stood helplessly as the duo went on narrating their situation.
An unnamed police officer believed to be the officer-in-charge tried to plead with the duo but they refused to comply.
“Officer, I feel sorry for you because I know you are just being used. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and you will end up having a headache just listening to me because I never get tired. I will talk the whole night just seated here. And also bear in mind that I am paid for talking so talking is my business,” Phiri told the officer who stood helplessly and kept scratching his head.
This prompted a senior police officer only identified as Mr Ngimu to come in with the hope of convincing the duo to comply with the police.
“I think let's not do things like we don't know what we are doing. If you have committed an offence, let's go inside. Let's go in my office and talk. Who is the counsel for these two? ...because if you sit here these people standing will act as police officers and push you in,” Ngimu remarked.
In response, Kabimba said: “if you are saying that they will react like policemen then let them act. What's the point of going to your office if they will act?”
Ngimu later asked Kabimba to accompany him to his office. After 20 minutes, Kabimba emerged from Ngimu's office.
“He told me that as counsel go and tell your clients to come in so that we charge them. I said 'no it's not my job. If you want go and use whatever force you want to use since that's what you have said'. I told him 'they are outside but I will not do your job, if you want go and shoot them'! That's how I stood up and left,” he narrated.
Later, National Assembly deputy security officer a Mrs Mwanamakwa arrived at the police station with the hope of negotiating for the duo's release.
Mwanamakwa went into Ngimu's office but there was still no progress until she left.
A few minutes after she had gone, Ngimu emerged and instructed the police to forcefully push the duo inside the station.
“Can you get officers and have these people arrested and put in cells. These are people we want to respect. Resisting arrest is also an offence so just get officers and put them in cells. We have talked about this and I will not talk about it again,” he said. Around 23:50 hours a team of about nine female police officers were brought in to execute the assignment, but they just stood watching as Kapata and Phiri dared the police to touch them.
Phiri and Kapata slept at the entrance of the station under the watchful eye of the officers and were only arrested the following day.
And an identified police officer was heard telling Kabimba and Lubinda that the offence allegedly committed by the parliamentarians did not warrant detention.
“This is a simple traffic offence where one can only be fined and released. It doesn't even fall under a misdemeanour. We are just being used boss, so please understand!” he complained.
Meanwhile, Lusaka resident a Mr Kakubo had his driver beaten and detained after he honked to prevent an accident with the vehicle that was ahead of him.
Kakubo, who is a patient and was being rushed to UTH, had his vehicle a Toyota Chaser registration number ABG 9660 impounded from 17:00 hours to 20:00 hours before he was allowed to proceed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, the honking which started on a low note in Lusaka's city centre intensified when motorists saw police harrassing their colleagues.
As the honking increased, there was also a build-up of police presence at the junction of Cairo and Church roads.
Several police officers were seen being dropped outside the main Post Office where they waited, armed with sjamboks.
Police officers took advantage of the traffic lights at the junction and harrassed motorists who honked as they waited for the traffic lights to give them a go ahead.
More police reinforcement was seen as several officers were brought to the scene in a white light truck, a Mazda registration number ABT 30.
The behaviour of the police incensed motorists and pedestrians, making them honk and whistle more.
As one motorist was being blocked by a police officer who was on a motorbike, several pedestrians descended on the police officer and ordered him to leave the motorist alone.
One pedestrian was heard shouting, "Iwe muleke ninsambu shakwe! Ngataukwete fyakucita kabiye mukwikata ba kabwalala [Leave that person because he is exercising his rights! If you do not have anything to do then go look for criminals and arrest them]".
Despite police harassment, the motorists kept on honking and blowing whistles, while pedestrians joined in with trumpets.
Towards the end of the 10-minute period, the noise intensified on Cairo Road as traffic also increased and cut through the road from Kabwe roundabout to Kafue roundabout.
The noise attracted attention from onlookers who stood on the road sides, with some of them applauding.
On Freedom Way, there was less honking, but police presence was everywhere on the road.
A handful of motorists honked while others just drove on.
One motorist talked to, Lucas Muswatila, said most of the people were not aware of the protest.
"I think you have witnessed little activity on Freedom Way because it's the first day of the protest. Most of the people were not aware, and others were not too sure if it will be there. But you see in everything, first days are quite difficult to make an impact I'm sure there will be a huge turnout next Friday and the other weeks to come. Surely we all know that Chiluba stole and because he has been helped by his newly found friend Rupiah Banda we cannot allow him to be mocking us the people he defrauded. Just wait for next Friday, I think it will be more interesting," said Muswatila.
Police arrested and detained nine people, among them the two PF parliamentarians for participating in the honking.
When contacted for comment, police spokesperson Bonnie Kapeso confirmed arresting the nine people who he said were remanded in custody.
"We have arrested nine people in connection with the honking. We have charged them with unnecessary honking and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace; and they will appear in court on Monday [tomorrow]," said Kapeso.
On Wednesday last week, 18 civil society organisations resolved to wear black and honk every Friday at 17:00 hours in all major towns to push government into appealing against Chiluba's acquittal.
Chiluba was acquitted last month by the Lusaka magistrate court on charges of embezling US $500 000 public funds.
Despite public calls for government to appeal against the acquittal, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga has refused to appeal, citing weaknesses in the case.
Labels: CHILUBA, CIVIL SOCIETY
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Sata, HH back civil society
Written by George Chellah
Friday, October 02, 2009 8:33:11 AM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) and UPND have endorsed the position and strategies adopted by a consortium of 18 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to demand an appeal against Frederick Chiluba's acquittal.
In an interview yesterday, PF leader Michael Sata backed the CSOs stance on former president Chiluba's acquittal.
"If the Zambian people can wake up and fight for their own rights nobody is going to be stepping on them like doormats. That's why I have endorsed what the Non-Governmental Organ-isations are doing and I am going to tell the people of Northern Province. They have my full endorsement," he said.
Sata said PF had always sided with the civil society on important issues affecting the nation.
"PF has always been a member of the Oasis Forum. Most of the NGOs, which met yesterday [Wednesday], are also part of the Oasis Forum and that's why PF is not in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC)," he said.
Sata praised the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) over their stance on Chiluba's acquittal.
"Am grateful to Mr Stephen Lungu that LAZ is now coming out. He has now grown into a true leader so I am grateful to LAZ," Sata said.
And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema equally supported the CSOs' position on Chiluba's acquittal.
"It's just that I am in Mongu, if I was in Lusaka I would have attended that press conference but I have been briefed by my secretary general who was there. The NGOs raised fundamental issues about the governance of our country, issues pertaining to the independence of the Judiciary," Hichilema said. "That is a matter that some of us in the opposition have been raising for quite a while now. Nobody should be allowed, be it in the MMD or be it the Office of the President."
He said the problem was with the leadership.
"The problem is not with Chiluba, the problem is with the MMD and the President. This is the failure of the presidency. We all heartedly support what the civil society are doing. Our support goes to them," he said.
Hichilema called for unity in the country.
"We need to work in a consolidated manner. All progressive civil society organisations and genuine opposition political parties must come together to put a stop to the greed, to the corruption being perpetrated by the President and the MMD," Hichilema said. "Currently, I can say that it's only UPND, PF and Heritage Party, these are the genuine parties, the rest are just surrogates. I am calling for unity. We raised these matters as opposition parties but the civil society organisations shied away, they were afraid of being accused of being political. But now we should work together."
Hichilema said Zambians would eventually succeed.
"My appeal is that we all put our efforts together and we hold our hands and we will succeed. We have succeeded before and we shall succeed. We put an end to the third term madness, the Kashiwa Bulaya madness and even this one I know that we will put away the madness," he said.
He agreed with LAZ's position on the acquittal.
"I detest stealing and I am willing to sacrifice anything and everything to fight this," Hichilema said.
He accused information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha of promoting anarchy over his remarks on donors.
"I have always said that Shikapwasha's body has no bearing on the quality of his brain. One would assume that because he has a big body then he has a quality brain but that's not the case," said Hichilema.
On Wednesday, a Consortium of 18 CSOs warned that they shall adopt some of the anti-third term campaign strategies in support of the demands for an appeal against Chiluba's acquittal.
During a press conference, which was also attended by Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Stephen Lungu at Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) secretariat, Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu advised Zambians who were worried about corruption to wear black and honk or whistle every Friday at 17:00 hours for 10 minutes.
Mulafulafu, who represented the other organisations, said civil society organisations stopped Chiluba's third term bid and were determined to use the same system to advocate for the appeal against his acquittal to be heard.
"We call upon all Zambians who love this country and are worried about corruption to wear black and honk or whistle every Friday at 17:00 hours for 10 minutes. We call upon all ministers and senior government officials who hate corruption to join in this campaign. We stopped Dr Chiluba from going for a third term, we are determined to use the same system to advocate for this appeal to be heard. This is not about causing anarchy as government would want the people to believe, this is a fight for justice," Mulafulafu said.
He demanded that Vice-President and justice minister George Kunda and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga step down from their offices for failing the Zambian people.
Mulafulafu said the judge-in-charge of the Lusaka High Court and if necessary the Chief Justice must exercise supervisory jurisdiction and call the case record in the Chiluba case and review it.
Mulafulafu said the government ministers including the Republican President must stop intimidating Zambians who had totally refused to accept the acquittal of Chiluba.
Labels: CHILUBA, CIVIL SOCIETY, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, SATA
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Civil society protests are pointless – Chiluba
Written by Ernest Chanda
Friday, October 02, 2009 8:31:06 AM
FORMER president Frederick Chiluba has said the civil society organisations' resolve to push the government into appealing against his acquittal is an exercise in futility.
Chiluba, who spoke through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba in an interview yesterday, said his immunity was restored automatically the moment the court acquitted him.
Chiluba said anyone who wanted to bring charges against him would have to go to Parliament and ask for the removal of his immunity.
"Let us all remember that Dr Chiluba's immunity was lifted for a specific purpose; in this case he was accused of having committed some offences. These offences were prosecuted and Dr Chiluba was acquitted by the courts of law. And because of that, when the purpose for which his immunity was lifted expired, then the immunity was restored to Dr Chiluba automatically," Mwamba said. "So, what civil society organisations are trying to do is a disguise of what they are up to. We all know that they want to attack President Banda, and I challenge them to do it openly instead of using Dr Chiluba. Theirs is an exercise in futility because Dr Chiluba's immunity has been restored automatically. And anyone who wants to bring a case against Dr Chiluba should besiege Parliament and ask for the removal of his immunity."
Asked why Chiluba's lawyers wrote to Parliament asking for the restoration of Chiluba's immunity if he already had it, Mwamba said that was a moral act.
"When we wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly, we were informing the people of Zambia that since Dr Chiluba had been acquitted his immunity had been restored automatically. So when we say someone should pass a motion in Parliament we are simply saying that is a moral issue because we hold the view that Dr Chiluba's immunity was automatically restored when he was acquitted. The removal of his immunity was legal but the restoration is a moral issue because he has been cleared by the courts of law," he said.
Mwamba said it was not strange for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to refuse to appeal against certain cases.
"We have always said that it is not strange for the DPP to refuse to appeal on a matter. The Constitution of this country allows the DPP to exercise certain functions in accordance with the law. And in this case he has resolved not to appeal based on his constitutional provisions. When Mr Sata was acquitted the DPP did not appeal despite overwhelming evidence against Mr Sata. And there are many other cases where the DPP has not appealed. So what is so special about Dr Chiluba's acquittal?" Mwamba asked.
Earlier, featuring on Radio Phoenix Let the People Talk programme, Mwamba said what the civil society organisations were doing was illegal.
The programme also featured CARITAS Zambia executive director Samuel Mulafulafu and Change Life Zambia executive director Fr Frank Bwalya.
Mwamba said the organisations could not push the government into appealing when there was a judicial review in the High Court over Chiluba's acquittal.
"A Zambian citizen, Mumbi Phiri who is also a member of parliament for Munali has gone to the High Court to seek Judicial Review over Dr Chiluba's acquittal. I wish to state that our advice to the civil society [is] if they wish to pile pressure on the DPP to appeal, or on government to appeal they should direct that the matter that is before court be withdrawn. Because the question of Dr Chiluba's appeal is in court, a citizen has taken him to the High Court and a citizen wants the court to determine," said Mwamba. "So, they can't do any action outside the judicial institution. What they are doing is promoting lawlessness and anarchy. And in conclusion we've held that whether this case reached up to Supreme Court level you will not change the fact, the true facts that are before that court. What we have seen is people want Dr Chiluba nailed for his economic and political decisions he took as president. Someone was aggrieved because they lost a job and they want Dr Chiluba to go to jail."
But Mulafulafu said Chiluba's immunity should not be restored until all court issues against him had been resolved.
"I think as civil society we still hold that Dr Chiluba's immunity has been removed and it should remain so until all the processes of appeal have been done. The registration of the London case which is still in process and any other court case that is still pending should continue; as we are made to believe and we are told that there are still cases pending against Dr Chiluba . So the immunity should still be lifted," said Mulafulafu.
And Fr Bwalya vowed to join in the honking to push the government to appeal against Chiluba's acquittal.
"Attacks on true prophets are normal in a corrupt environment especially, because what corrupt leaders do is that they try to corrupt institutions, including the church. Leaders should be made accountable by the public and the public cannot all come here. We speak for them as priests as civil society leaders, as parents and as people in authority," Fr Bwalya said. "I also want to say that tomorrow in a named town on the Copperbelt I will obey the directive of the consortium of civil society organisations yesterday [Wednesday] in that press conference. I'll wear black, I'll honk and blow a whistle and I want people on the Copperbelt to join in. We will honk for 10 minutes and no one will arrest us because the people who are supposed to arrest us are the ones who suffer more when public money is stolen."
On Wednesday, chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha was quoted by the Daily Mail as having warned civil society organisations against agitating honking and whistling as a way of pressing the government against the acquittal of Chiluba.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the police would be put on alert to ensure that there was law and order.
"The Judiciary should be free from interference even by those who are planning to honk and whistle," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said.
He said if some people were not happy with the judgment, there was a legal process they could follow and that it was irresponsibility on the part of the organisations to condemn the judgment passed in Chiluba's case.
"Why didn't they condemn the judgment in [Post editor] Fred M'membe's case?" he asked.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the reputation of the organisations agitating for chaos were at stake because there were laws that they could follow as opposed to resorting anarchy.
"Any government cannot allow people to agitate for chaos, we want peace. In every situation there is the other isde of the coin. There are people who don't agree with the plans by these organisation to bring chaos," he said.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the government was open to dialogue on all matters.
"I have not heard of any of these organisations approach the Vice-President, Attorney General or even myself to request for an audience," he said.
He wondered which law these organisations would use to push for an appeal when the 14 days provided for had elapsed.
"The law doesn't allow appeal after 14 days have elapsed, so which law will they use? Are they going to change the law?" he asked.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said Ndola High Court registrar Jones Chinyama gave judgment in this case and if Task Force on Corruption prosecutor Mutembo Nchito did not do enough to argue the case in court, it was not for civil society to resort to chaos.
Labels: CHILUBA, CIVIL SOCIETY, EMMANUEL MWAMBA, LEGAL IMMUNITY
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Zambians are docile – Milupi
Written by Margaret Habbuno
Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:51:21 PM
PARLIAMENTARY Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Charles Milupi has said Zambians have displayed a special talent of being docile on several issues. And Federation of Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde Simukoko said over-respecting of leaders by citizens in the country has contributed to poor leadership.
Speaking on Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix yesterday, Milupi said it was sad that Zambians remained docile on issues of governance.
“It is important to know and appreciate the fact that over the years, Zambians displayed a special talent of being docile in the way we reflect on issues. If you look at governance issues in the number of countries, it’s the citizens themselves that drive what needs to be done in the nation,” he said.
Milupi said in developed countries, it was citizens themselves that blocked massive rigging in an election.
“It is the citizens themselves that do not tolerate if there has been massive rigging in an election. With the Zambian context, we need to look at things in a different way. Maybe we are peaceful which is a good thing,” he said.
Milupi said if Zambians had displayed an attitude of unity and fighting poverty in the country, positive results would have been achieved.
And Simukoko bemoaned the pattern of voting in the country.
“The pattern of voting in this country is bad because it is based on friendship, tribe - somebody who is sociable, somebody who can buy us beer,” she said.
Simukoko said it was important that the Zambians start taking the government to task by providing checks and balances.
“We have been complaining about the bad state of roads in the country. We should engage government to monitor their activities and look at their expenditure, income and wastage. We have the Auditor General’s report coming out every year. But have the unions taken management to task? Now I am criticising the unions. Yes I am criticising myself as a union. Because we are so scared when we put our leaders in office and because of that, we have been unable to provide checks and balances to our leaders in the country.
“We must be in good books with them so that we get favours from them there is no sacrifice. So we are the ones who have made the leaders to be the way they are in this country today,” said Simukoko.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, CIVIL SOCIETY, GOVERNANCE, JOYCE NONDE, PAC
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Civil society organisations defend Malila, Sichinga
Written by George Chellah
Sunday, April 26, 2009 3:03:25 PM
CIVIL society organisations (CSOs) yesterday advised President Rupiah Banda against tabling the RP Capital Partners Limited memorandum of understanding (MoU) before Cabinet. And the CSOs have accused State House of using the Attorney General's chambers as a scapegoat to the tribunal's findings on former communications minister Dora Siliya.
Reacting to President Banda's announcement that he would table the RP Capital Partners MoU before Cabinet for determination, the CSOs urged Cabinet to uphold and defend the Constitution.
"The President should not table an MoU, which is a nullity before Cabinet unless he will be confirming that he is part of it. There is nowhere in the laws of Zambia, which permit, legitimising illegal activities like the unconstitutional MoU. It is very clear that the illegal MoU as the tribunal concluded should rest on Honourable Siliya's shoulders," the CSOs stated.
"We want to offer timely advice that it is dangerous for Cabinet to legalise Hon Siliya's breach of the Republican Constitution. Instead, they need to uphold and defend the Constitution by not legalising an unconstitutional MoU."
They stated that it was very clear that Siliya started by breaching the public procurement Act before the office of the Attorney General came into the picture as noted by the tribunal on her purported limited selection conduct.
"The Attorney General's chambers cannot therefore be faulted for her clear breaches as she did not invite them to the meetings she was holding with RP Capital. We should not allow the public to be misled and deceived at this point as the tribunal report is very clear that Honourable Siliya did not only breach the Constitution but other laws and the Cabinet Handbook too," the CSOs stated.
"We still appeal to the President to fire Honourable Kunda and all those who have continued misleading him on this matter. Even Honourable Siliya in her reaction has not denied breaching the various laws and the Republican Constitution in her conduct. No one can claim being misled as defence. We therefore do not agree that the Attorney General's chambers misled her as she misled herself from the word go by not following the public procurement Act and Cabinet Handbook in the first instance."
The CSOs commended the Attorney General's office for showing professionalism on this matter.
"The blame on the Attorney General's chambers is therefore completely misplaced and unjustified. Honourable George Kunda and she are responsible for their own misleading, unlawful and unconstitutional actions. Honourable Kunda must not wait to be fired in embarrassing circumstances. He should also resign honourably," they stated.
They further expressed their grave concern at the manner in which State House reacted to the report of the tribunal.
"A reminder of tribunal findings of facts. At page 42 and 43, the tribunal states the following: 'the advice of the Attorney General of the 5th January, 2009 was that the first memorandum of understanding be treated as a nullity and be re-done. His advice was not that a second memorandum of understanding concerning the role of the Zambia Development Agency be signed. Further, the role spelt out for the Zambia Development Agency in the second memorandum of understanding is merely that of providing supervision over RP Capital Partners Limited. Therefore, the second memorandum did not address the chief concerns raised by the Attorney General. At this juncture, we note that the provisions of the Zambia Development Agency Act, No. 11 of 2008 do not give powers to a minister to do what Hon. Dora Siliya did. The action she took unlawfully usurped the powers of the Zambia Development Agency'," the CSOs stated.
"At page 43 the tribunal concluded that: 'Therefore we agree with the Attorney-General that the Memorandum of Understanding which was the preliminary stage leading to the final sale and transfer of the assets of ZAMTEL should have been signed by the Minister of Finance. That aspect of the Attorney General's letter of the 5th January 2009 was not addressed'. The tribunal in their report, on page 47 states the following: 'It is clear that the manner in which RP Capital Partners were selected was against the provisions of the public procurement Act. The evidence clearly shows that RP Capital Partners went to the ministry through the Hon. Dora Siliya. Therefore, the omission must squarely be put on the shoulders of the Hon. Dora Siliya. Therefore we find that the Minister of Communications and Transport did not follow the requisite tender process in the selection of RP Capital Partners Limited. It is not the law that the 'limited selection' occurs when a supplier of goods and services presents a different proposal from others.'
"At page 41, the tribunal makes the following observation: 'On the 22nd December, 2008, Hon. Dora Siliya went ahead to sign a memorandum of understanding which was not substantially the same as the draft which the Solicitor General had cleared for signing in that in the memorandum of understanding signed on the 22nd December, 2008 there was introduced a new element regarding the financial implications. There was now inserted a base floor sum of US$ two million. This was not contained in the final draft, which the Solicitor General approved. In the circumstances, Hon. Dora Siliya cannot plead that she was following the advice of the Solicitor General in its entirety.' Thus, one wonders what State House is talking about when they said that the tribunal found a matter of fact that there was confusion in the Attorney General's chambers. To us, this is a scapegoat as the report of the tribunal is very clear and was written in simple language."
The statement was issued by the first complainant, William Harrington and the ten CSOs namely, Transparency International Zambia, Civil Society for Trade Network of Zambia, Southern Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, Citizens Forum, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction, Foundation for Democratic Process, Zambia Youths Association in the Fight Against Corruption, Women for Change and Caritas Zambia.
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, PRIVATISATION, RP CAPITAL PARTNERS
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Civic leaders urged to be non- partisan
November 23, 2008
Choma Mayor Geoffrey Makaya has urged civic leaders not to allow partisan politics to derail development programmes.
Closing a UNICEF workshop on Water and Sanitation for the southern province Artisan Association at Choma hotel yesterday, mayor Makaya said there is danger to involve politics in development programmes.
He said council should rise above partisan politics and work to attain development in their respective wards.
Mr Makaya said tension between development agents such as technocrats and councillors over whose is superior in spearheading development is unnecessary and counter-productive.
He said politics should not interfere with the work of other stakeholders in the development process of the wards.
Mayor Makaya urged members of the Artisan association not to use the knowledge gained from the workshop to exploit communities out of the hard earned resources.
He said the work of artisan calls for sacrifice in addressing water and sanitation problems in rural communities.
He urged the artisans to fully implement the village level operation and maintenance of water points so that communities can have access to safe and clean water.
And Southern Province WASHE (Water Sanitation and Health) monitoring officer Leonard Mukosha said though the job on artisans was not rewarding enough, they played a crucial role in the maintenance of hand pumps and latrine construction in rural areas.
Mr Mukosha urged the artisans to continue sacrificing in maintaining hand pumps for the benefit of their respective communities.
ZANIS/CM/ENDS/MM
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY
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