COMMENT - The problem is deeper than incompetence or a failure to listen. It goes right to the corruption that flows from the World Bank and IMF system like a tsunami. The former Finance Minister Caleb Fundanga's MEMFI institute now works with
the World Bank, IMF, Bank of International Settlements, and the National Treasury of South Africa. He is presently located in Zimbabwe, a country he disparaged for it's economic policies.
See:
(LUSAKATIMES) Fundanga opposed to suggestions to adopt the US dollar as national currency
September 4, 2015
The simple fact is this: as long as the mines are in private hands, the politicians will be bought off by the De Beers/IMF/World Bank cartel.
(THE POST ZM) Government officials now have kwacha diarrhoea - Nawakwi
By Mukosha Funga |
Updated: 06 Sep,2015 ,07:00:18
GOVERNMENT officials now have diarrhoea over the fast depreciating kwacha because of failure to heed to advice early on, says FDD leader Edith Nawakwi. And Nawakwi has charged that Zambia has a sleeping government. Meanwhile, Nawakwi has warned that Zambians will sit on the runway to prevent President Edgar Lungu from landing if he misuses public funds for party functions while in New York.
Nawakwi has over the last four years been calling for the dismissal of finance minister Alexander Chikwanda, saying he is ‘incompetent’. On March 18, Nawakwi attributed the continued depreciation of the kwacha to lack of economic understanding by President Lungu and his ministers and warned that the local currency would one day reach K15 to a dollar.
But government officials dismissed her statement as mere politicking.
However, six months on, the kwacha has breached the K10 psychological barrier,
trading at an average rate of K9.90 and K10.05 for buying and selling on Friday.
In an interview yesterday, Nawakwi said the kwacha has depreciated rapidly because of the government’s failure to listen to advice.
“When I said the dollar will reach K15, they were telling me that I was sick. Now I want to know who has diarrhea. Is it me or them? They were saying ‘Nawakwi is sick, she is politicking’; now let them talk. Instead of discussing the problem, they are playing golf. We told them [that] this Minister of Finance is going to take this country to the knife edge bridge. I haven’t even closed my mouth, where is the Minister of Finance? Where is he hiding?” she asked.
“They have been accusing me of politicking, so now I will start politicking. When I am advising them professionally, they don’t want to listen, someone is snoring and sleeping. Mwebantu ba mu Zambia, twapapata fumeni mubebe aba bantu ati beme bambe ukwenda! (You people of Zambia, I plead with you to come out and tell these people to stand up and start walking).”
Nawakwi said it as said that Zambia had a sleeping government.
“The kwacha has gone over K10 and the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance are sleeping. When a currency has slid this much, normally, speculators tend to go in and purchase the kwacha by bringing in dollars, praying that in the next one week, it can change and they can make profits. This is the best time that anyone who has dollars would have wanted to bring the dollars into the banking system. Those who have dollars in the mattresses, in the market, this is the best time because they can see that from one dollar, they will get more than K10 because we have a sleeping government,” she said.
“They are just snoring and not thinking about what is going on. They are still maintaining this archaic law which we put up in the 1980s which said that because there was a shortage of dollars - in fact this was a Katele (Kalumba) law - that there should be a restriction on how much dollars you can take out and how much dollars you can deposit. That was the reason for that. There was a shortage of dollars, there was no money, now this man has gone and borrowed Eurobonds which we can’t even see. Can they stop sleeping and take out the blankets from their heads and start to think! Stop playing golf! This is not time for golfing, sleeping and fundraising. This is the time for serious economic reflection.”
Nawakwi said not even diverting the US$120 million of borrowed money into the market could save the kwacha.
“I am asking [Bank of Zambia Governor] Dr Denny Kalyalya to lift this administrative hindrance where there is a restriction on deposit of dollars because that’s the only way we can mop up the dollars which are in mattresses and help the kwacha. It is not just by him releasing the few [dollars] which the minister borrowed a couple of months ago,” she said.
“I want them to answer me. I want those people who were saying ‘Nawakwi shut up’ to start talking now. I am urging them to open their mouths now. Talk baba, talk! Talk time yaoneka, talk! What is happening to the kwacha? We told them, even if it is a global phenomenon, it can be mitigated if you don’t have a deficit, the one that they have. This phenomenon of the sliding kwacha is being accelerated by the excessive expenditure, over borrowing and lack of alternative sources of income.”
Nawakwi said the argument that what was happening to the kwacha was a global phenomenon could not hold as the depreciation of other currencies was not as bad.
“Don’t tell me that because my neighbour is walking naked, I should also walk naked. That is wrong thinking! Because Tanzania has the same problem but they are not as hard hit as we are in this country. I wish I could be given a chance to talk to this Cabinet because it appears that the whole Cabinet is asleep,” she charged.
Nawakwi said the current massive load-shedding was worsening the economic situation.
“These people shock me; they are telling us we had a drought, isn’t this the same government which was telling us that we could not take ballot papers because of the heavy rains and the results could not come on time? They had to airlift the ballot boxes. Even the Minister of Agriculture said we have a bumper harvest because we had good rains. Now all of a sudden, in six months, they want to tell us there was a drought?” she wondered.
“How can you tell me, a Zambian who comes from Luapula, that we have a drought in this country? Does Egypt have dams? Does it have rainfall? In Egypt, does the Nile have waterfalls like we have here? The Nile is shared by so many states, fighting for the little water. Have you ever seen in Egypt where they cannot pick ballot boxes because there is too much rainfall? The answer is a simple no. They have a desert, one river and they have more power than this country where we have too much water.”
Nawakwi said the country lacked leaders with functioning brains.
“Ukutuka Lesa tuleke. Lesa alitulambula, alitupela fyonse efyo tufwayika. Efyo ta twakwata fye ni abantu abakwete ama tompwe ayaleshinguluka bwino muma office abo twapele inchito ati bane twafwilisheni. Pantu apa nafishupa. Ifilechitika lelo, Kwacha epo yafika, ninshi malilo, elo wingalaya namukutamfya aka bola wemukulu ne chinkonto, takwaba iyo (We should stop insulting God. God has blessed us with everything we need. What we lack are people with functioning brains in public offices who we have empowered to govern on our behalf. Because things are dire, what is happening today, how the kwacha has depreciated, amounts to a funeral. Is this the time a grown man should go and have the pleasure of playing golf, it is unacceptable),” she said.
Nawakwi also wondered why President Lungu could spend so much public money on campaigns but fail to pay the debt owed to the University of Zambia.
“There are 105 districts in this country; I am shocked that when we have no medicine, we have no books, the university can’t be paid but the President can buy 150 Land Cruisers purportedly for DCs when in fact, he is positioning district commissioners to be shadow MPs. He is sending them to start campaigning on public expenditure. You know, this kind of looting, I don’t understand it. This problem at the University of Zambia, we owe University of Zambia as a country K320 million. Now in dollar terms today, it is just $32 million. I am ordering minister Chikwanda to release $32 million dollars at the current rate of K10 to a dollar because that will resolve the problem at UNZA. That money doesn’t even have value to those who are owed,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nawakwi warned that Zambians would sit on the runway to prevent President Lungu from landing if he misuses public funds for party functions while in New York, where he will attend the UN General Assembly.
“We are seeing adverts that there will be a ‘Meet the President’ dinner in New York. Is it a PF trip? Or is it a government of the Republic of Zambia trip? How is he going to get to New York? Is he using an ox-cart or what? If it is a PF trip, I don’t want the policemen from Zambia to go with him. I don’t want the security team to go with him. Let him use PF security and use a chartered plane paid for by Patriotic Front. Honestly, if he goes on government expense, tell him he will have consequences which will be too dire to even contemplate,” she said.
“There will be no runway to land here. We are going to sit on the runway, he has to find his own runway. They should say that this is a private trip which he is paying for from his pocket since he has so much money now. But if he is going to New York just for fundraising for his political party, I don’t think I am going to accept it.”
Nawakwi said Zambians were the PF’s opposition in the 2016 elections.
“Anyway, he (President Lungu) has made our work very easy because in this country, this government of Patriotic Front doesn’t even need opposition. The people themselves are the opposition. They are feeling the heat, the people are angry; just walk into any shop, the problem is that this President can’t even go where we go. I am just walking downtown here in Cairo Road and he can come to Cairo Road and listen...he doesn’t even want to go on Cairo Road because he has created the dirtiest city in Southern Africa, but he is breathing fresh air there [at State House], playing golf,” said Nawakwi.
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Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, CORRUPTION, DEBT, EDITH NAWAKWI, EUROBOND, IMF, KWACHA
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Nawakwi questions source of IDC's K20m allocation
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sun 02 Feb. 2014, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi has wondered why President Michael Sata has allocated K20 million not budgeted for in the 2014 national budget to revive Indeco when the country is beset with poor health delivery and shortage of farming inputs, among other problems.
In a posting on her Facebook page, Nawakwi, the Forum for Democracy and Development president, also criticised the introduction of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) which would replicate the works of INDECO.
"One wonders where His Excellency President Sata got the K20 million he has allocated to Indeco when such a colossal amount of money was not budgeted for in the 2013-2014 national budget. Why use such an unbudgeted for expense on Indeco when the country is bleeding with poor health delivery, shortage of farming inputs, desks and other learning and teaching implements in our schools? Why start a new war when the old ones are still raging?" she questioned.
Nawakwi warned that the consequences of the misguided policies would be catastrophic to the lives of the majority Zambians for many years to come.
"In any case, the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) is the appropriate body to use in ensuring the appropriate state involvement in running of public enterprise. Indeco is taking us 50 years back to the days of nepotism and patronage and wanton pilfering of state resources by political elites and their friends and relatives," she stated.
Nawakwi observed that the solution was in looking at the human, natural and capital resources of the country.
"We vividly remember the pomp and splendor with which those at the helm of political power abused INDECO, MEMACO and ZIMCO, entertaining themselves and their friends and relatives to extravagance and self-aggrandisement. We remember going through ZIMCO building, where a lift was a preserve of the political elite. Even the foreign exchange allocations were only given to preferred individuals, including well-known criminals who had political connections. What about DC-10 with only five paid-up passengers and the rest of the seats being occupied by the elite from INDECO, MEMACO, ZIMCO and the ruling party for free! It was such abuse that grounded Zambia Airways," Nawakwi posted.
She stated that the anger over the looting of public resources through ineffective and inefficient parastatals such as INDECO quenched all manner of reasoning, hence the reckless privatisation that led to untold misery of joblessness and poverty.
"The exclusion of Zambians from the mainstream economic programme is what has caused poverty and destitution in our country," Nawakwi stated.
She stated that the solution to Zambia's economic malaise was not the uncoordinated and ill-thought polices such as the re-introduction of loss-making ventures like Indeco.
"The solution is to look at the human, natural and capital resource that we have as a country. Such an enormous undertaking as the re-introduction of Indeco needs extensive national dialogue through people's representatives in Parliament. Good governance entails active people's participation in national issues, hence there is need for Parliament to debate the re-introduction of Indeco," Nawakwi stated.
She stated that Parliament should actively be involved every time the government wanted to introduce major social, political and economic changes.
Nawakwi observed that such a policy shift needed to be reflected in the national budget.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, INDECO
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Chikwanda misleading Sata on debt - Nawakwi
By Henry Sinyangwe
Fri 24 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says finance minster Alexander Chikwanda is misleading President Michael Sata on debt sustainability following the government's path of 'reckless' borrowing. And Nawakwi who is FDD leader says the country is experiencing the worst farming season since independence owing to the late delivery of inputs.
In an interview following Chikwanda's statement during ZNBC's Sunday Interview that Zambia will not slide back into a debt trap, Nawakwi said Zambia's debt would be unsustainable if the government continues on the binge of borrowing from the commercial window.
"When they took over government about two years ago, the total debt was US$1.7 billion, as we are talking now, the debt is over US$3.5 billion and they are planning to borrow an addition of US$4 billion in the next two to three years. Then you add all these figures, the amount of debt that the PF will accumulate on behalf of this country by the end of their first term will be over US$8.2 billion, far much more than what the people of Zambia tightened their belts for and managed to clear in the 27 years of UNIP government," she said.
Nawakwi said the government should explain where it would get the money to service the debts.
"If the President today assures us that the debt is sustainable, the question he must answer is; where is the income that is going to service the debt, because the private sector is not growing, the trade sector has been strangled by the introduction of exchange controls, the international reserves are at their lowest in the last two years," she said.
Nawakwi said there were policy inconsistencies in the economy that had sent a wave of scare to the business community.
"The business community is in limbo and doesn't know what next this government is going to introduce," she said.
Nawakwi also said the agriculture sector was also being mishandled.
"If the President is saying to us that the budget is on track, can I be told why there is no urea in Chongwe. This is end of January and these are some of the policy inconsistencies which instead of generating cash from the agriculture sector, from the industrial sector, from the trade sector, these sectors are being strangled because the President doesn't want to face reality of our advice that this minister Chikwanda needs to be assisted to rest," she said.
Nawakwi said there was fear of hunger next year because the agriculture sector was not being properly run.
"And if you don't finance agriculture, you are going to have hunger the following year, you need money to import food to be able to feed people. Proper financing in the agriculture sector can help the government achieve even a 12 per cent growth in one year. Get half of the money that these people are overpricing in the road contracts and put it in agriculture, we could have surplus food for export and the money earned can be used for infrastructure development," she said.
"There is no malice in telling people that you are strangling our economy, and that's what they have done. What minister Chikwanda has created by the Statutory Instrument which is basically for control of foreign exchange, he has created a huge parallel market for the dollars, can the minister come out in the open and tell us why there is shortage of foreign currency in the system?"
Nawakwi said there was no government that did not borrow for infrastructure development, but that the current borrowing was unstructured and unregulated.
"We are happy about having a bridge in Chiawa, we are happy about having a road, we would even be happier if this government could realise that the same money they are using for the roads, they could finance the farmers and the profits from the farmers could be used to finance the roads. But what seems to happen is that they have a one track mind, they don't have the overview of what they can do as a government to generate money and also continue to undertake the infrastructure development," she said. "And that's why we are saying the debt is unsustainable because they are not able to finance education, health and agriculture."
And Nawakwi alleged that the government was getting funds from the parastatals because it had run broke.
"The President is aware that the money we sent to Zambia Railways was collected back, the President should be aware that all the money that was sent to parastatals for various projects, the minister went and got it back because he burst the budget. So when you stand up and mislead the President, we all get baffled. Maybe the President wants to be misled, because ideally I wouldn't come to the defence of the Minister of Finance because the activities are not pleasing anyone," said Nawakwi.
Chikwanda, during the interview, also wondered why Zambians believed the International Monetary Fund more than their own government on the country's economic status.
Chikwanda said the government was not worried about issues to do with debt management because everything was on the right track.
And President Sata on Sunday posted on his Facebook page that the country's risk of external debt distress remained low as all debt indicators were below the indicative policy thresholds.
President Sata assured Zambians that the government was cautious about landing the country into another debt trap.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, DEBT, EDITH NAWAKWI
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(LUSAKATIMES) Ministry of Finance in wrong hands-Nawakwi
Time Posted: January 21, 2014 11:11 am
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has charged that the ministry of Finance is currently in wrong hands.
Commenting on Finance Minister’s Alexander Chikwanda remarks that the country is within sustainable growth and there is no possibility of failing in another debt trap, Ms Nawakwi says she is worried because President Michael Sata will have to bare the brunt of the country’s economic mismanagement.
Ms.Nawakwi said that by the time the Patriotic Front leave office, the country would have accumulated about 8.2 billion dollars in borrowing due to reckless expenditures.
Ms Nawakwi stated that it is only fair for President Michael Sata to persuade Mr. Chikwanda to retire and take into consideration that he is not relevant to the economic aspirations of the country.
Ms. Nawakwi has also challenged the ministry of Finance through the central bank to tell the nation how much is in the foreign reserves.
[QFM]
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, EDITH NAWAKWI
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Mumba can't be trusted on alliances - Nawakwi
By Henry Sinyangwe and Kombe Mataka
Tue 21 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT
NEVERS Mumba cannot be trusted on issues of alliances, says opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi. And Hakainde Hichilema says he will not discuss the proposed opposition alliance openly.
MMD leader Nevers Mumba yesterday said at a briefing that he is ready to sacrifice party presidency and work under any leader that would be chosen to lead the proposed alliance.
Mumba, who was flanked by leader of ABZ, Frank Bwalya, one of those spearheading calls for unity, announced that he would table the matter before a National Executive Committee meeting to be held in 30 days' time.
"If to remove the PF to save this country means that Nevers withdraws, that somebody else runs, Nevers will withdraw so that somebody else can run, if that is the one the people want and all of us presidents must come to that agreement," Mumba said.
"The MMD is totally prepared to consider a working arrangement towards the opposition working together in regard to the nullified seats and eventually for the bigger picture."
Mumba said the needs of the many Zambians far out-weighed those of a few individuals.
He said he would not put his individual ambition and fixation to become president for the sake of it ahead of a much nobler cause, which was to fix the country.
Mumba, however, warned that no opposition political party should come to the round-table to discuss the proposed alliance without accepting that its president may not be the one elected to lead the alliance.
"If you come to the table without that mindset, you're wasting our time. Please just go and run your own campaign," he said.
Mumba said MMD was looking for serious parties to partner with in order to remove the PF from power.
But Nawakwi said Mumba had betrayed the opposition parties before when he was entrusted and sent to present a petition to former president Levy Mwanawasa but ended up getting a job as vice-president.
"This is the same Nevers. We had teamed up in the opposition and sent him to present our petition to Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. My brother went and got a job as a vice-president, so where do I even get the moral high ground as Edith to think that things have changed, because we chose him in the opposition during Mwanawasa's time to be our spokesperson and representative because we only thought that our brother has a moral standing which we could draw our strength on," Nawakwi said.
She argued that there was need to create systems of governance to check the excesses of individuals in government rather than aiming at unsettling the ruling party.
"It's never about how we as Zambians should create systems to check the excesses of individuals, but how we can be forward-looking to develop our country. It's always about individuals and I am getting tired of this story that, 'let's team up because there is an individual in State House'. I want us as Zambians to team up on the core business of governing ourselves," Nawakwi said.
She said there was need to start presenting individual party manifestos to the public, on which they could be assessed.
"When we band up together, we need to know what is our policy for the future? What is the programme for the people? This call of 'please opposition, get together' is not a good call. People need to start examining the manifestos of each political party and get all of us together," said Nawakwi.
And Hichilema said he does not want to discuss the proposed opposition alliance openly.
He said he had learnt from past experience that discussing such issues in the media could not work.
"We know each other's numbers, we have been to each other's homes and we talk to each other in camera," he said. "No one discusses strategy in the media."
And Mumba said the MMD would effect a political lockout on justice minister Wynter Kabimba if President Michael Sata does not remove him from his position pending the outcome of the tribunal probing him.
"Our members can be positioned at his office to stop him from going there, including PF members, whom we know will be very happy to do that. We can mobilise them so that we stop him from going there. We call it a political lockout," Mumba said.
"Why should he embarrass himself? In any case, that job, the kind of money they get, he can survive without it. Nga ifwe (what about us), how come we are surviving? We were ministers and vice-president but we are looking okay. Am I not looking okay? Fwe malofwa (we who are jobless), are still wearing suits. So naba Wynter, he will be okay. The flag does not make him, he makes the flag."
And Mumba said the PF should give Zambians a new constitution by October this year or risk facing what he called a direct political reaction.
Meanwhile, Bwalya said that a joint press briefing would be held on Friday to discuss the proposed alliance at the NAREP secretariat.
Bwalya refused to disclose which political parties had responded to his calls for unity and the names of the leaders who would be present at the briefing.
Among those who will be in attendance are NAREP leader Elias Chipimo and People's Party leader, Mike Mulongoti.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA
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Creating a future for ourselves
By Editor
Sun 05 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
Edith Nawakwi, leader of the Forum for Democracy and Development, says Zambians should use the peace being enjoyed in the country to create a future for themselves.
Nawakwi says, "It is only when we live in harmony that we can exploit the potential in each one of us. It is only when all of us sit together and discuss our future that we can be able to enjoy the fruits of our common future." We agree.
Those who are ready to join hands can overcome the greatest challenges. No single person, no single group can develop this country and move our people out of poverty. This will require collective effort and collective wisdom. This country knows no single genius, there can only be a collective genius. Therefore, unity is the main thing for us. And whatever we engage in, including politics, should promote unity, if possible. Lack of unity weakens us because no divided nation can tackle basic problems.
This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will. We cannot encourage narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action. We have hard work ahead to make the people of Zambia what destiny intended them to be.
Too much time is being wasted on petty squabbles by politicians and others pursuing narrow personal agendas. We have many political parties but we shouldn't be misled into thinking that this in itself constitutes democracy and a promise of prosperity and better life for our people. As Mike Mulongoti put it the other day, these political parties are nothing but vehicles created by some politicians to get power. And through some of these political parties, our people are being divided and turned against each other. Unscrupulous and greedy politicians are dividing the ignorant and misleading people into factions supporting them. They are setting one humble section of the people against the other factions as part of their schemes to get power. This is not leadership; it is banditry.
Some mistake a multi-party political dispensation for a battlefield where the aim is to destroy the other. A multi-party political dispensation can in some way be said to be a unity of opposites. This is so because as human beings, we possess a variety of sometimes contradictory desires. We want safety yet we relish adventure; we aspire to individual freedom yet we demand social equality. The multi-party democracy we are pursuing is no different, and it is important for us to recognise the fact that the many tensions, or even paradoxes that we experience or face in this country are present in every democratic society. As we have stated before, a central paradox exists between conflict and consensus. And the multi-party democracy we are pursuing is in many ways nothing more than a set of rules, a mechanism, an arrangement for managing conflict. At the same time, this conflict must be managed within certain limits and result in compromises, consensus or other agreements that all sides accept as legitimate. An overemphasis on one side of the equation can threaten the entire undertaking. If our politicians and their supporters perceive our multi-party political system as nothing more than a forum in which they can express their demands, the society can shatter from within. If the government exerts excessive pressure to achieve consensus, stifling the voices of the people, the society can be crushed from above.
This is not an easy simultaneous equation to balance. This is so because multi-party democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted. It needs the commitment of citizens who accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for consensus and tolerance.
It is for this reason that the culture of democracy is so important to develop. Individuals and groups must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other's differences, recognising that the other side has valid rights and a legitimate point of view. If there is disagreement, there is need to meet in a spirit of compromise and seek a specific solution that builds on the general principle of majority rule and minority rights.
Those in the opposition should not seek to politically succeed on the back of national failure. This is not the essence of multi-party politics because it is anchored on coalition-building. What should matter should not necessarily be who is in power but what is being achieved by the nation as a whole and the common good. We should learn, and learn very quickly, how to negotiate with others, how to compromise and work within our constitutional system. By working together, we learn how to argue peaceably and pursue our goals in a democratic manner and ultimately how to live in a world of diversity.
It shouldn't be just a question of frustrating those in power or those in the opposition. The priority should be placed on the needs of our people, especially the most disadvantaged and marginalised. Everything we do should be weighed on the basis of how it affects the poor. It is very easy for us to pursue our narrow interests and forget the plight of the great majority of our fellow citizens who happen to be poor and voiceless. Some of the issues we pursue at a great cost are not for the benefit of the poor and in some cases, we are simply robbing them of an opportunity to improve their lives.
We urge those in government to work tirelessly at increasing the levels of co-operation with progressive elements in the opposition. It would be good to continue the initiatives that we saw at the beginning of this government of including opposition leaders in national programmes. Edith and Elias Chipimo, among others, showed some positive attitudes towards co-operating with the government on matters of general benefit to the nation. Of course, they were criticised heavily by some opposition elements who don't believe in any form of co-operation between them and those in power, who see only enmity in politics. Those in the opposition can actually gain more national respect by being seen to be selfless and supportive of everything that benefit the people regardless of who is driving it. With or without us, the country must progress, must move forward. This is the only way Zambians can, as Edith suggests, use the peace being enjoyed in the country to create a future for themselves, live in harmony and exploit the potential in each one of them. This is the only way "the participation of all citizens to attain development" can be attained.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, PF
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Nawakwi urges harmony
By By Henry Sinyangwe
Sun 05 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says Zambians should use the peace being enjoyed in the country to create a future for themselves. The Forum for Democracy and Development leader urged Zambians to live as one family.
"Let us stop finger pointing, let us stop witch-hunting, let us live as one family. It is only when we live in harmony that we can exploit the potential in each one of us," she advised.
Nawakwi also said the PF alone did not have the monopoly of knowledge to move the country to higher heights and required the participation of all citizens to attain develop the country.
"It's only when all of us sit together and discuss our future that we can be able to enjoy the fruits of our common future...," she said. " We don't want to start having conflicts of finger pointing."
And Nawakwi said 2013 was full of hardships.
Reviewing the past year, Nawakwi said FDD would like to see a shift from the current laissez faire of the PF government to a position where the nation begins to engage in a discourse with the employers and owners of companies to discuss the country's stake.
She said the hardships faced in 2013 could have easily been avoided if the government had sat down to plan and evaluate the impact of a number of policy decisions.
"For example, the removal of subsidies on transport and food, the haphazard increment in public sector workers' wages which had not been implemented and therefore have caused untold misery especially in the health sector," Nawakwi said.
"The introduction of the minimum wage which the government has followed through to make sure that it's implemented which in effect has caused a lot of job losses as companies have resorted to mechanization."
She said if the government had sat down to work with the industry and the workers' unions, a "very good policy" could have been implemented to the benefit of all concerned.
"This is not the first country to introduce a minimum wage. However, the government must introduce such measures having fully consulted all stakeholders so that it is not just about the minimum wage, but about the local content in these industries and commercial service sectors," Nawakwi said.
She said there was need to look at the local content in terms of manpower and shareholding in foreign-owned investments.
"A lot of these companies are owned by foreign nationals, while the government sits and tries to persuade them to employ Zambians. The best would be to start evaluating as to what the local content will be, both in the shareholding and structure of employment of local people in these companies. This is what countries like Tanzania, Botswana are doing; any foreign company is told to give a specific number of shares to the local people and you must employ this quality of staff. We need a local content policy which requires that a foreign company must train young people who have no formal education, to be supervisors, to be truck drivers," Nawakwi said.
She said the government could not claim to be creating employment when its people were "just pushing wheelbarrows".
"What will the locals own in these companies, how many local mangers are you going to employ and how many people in the streets are you going to train and employ? It is possible," said Nawakwi.
And FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the PF had betrayed Zambians on the constitution by denying the general public access to the final draft.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI
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Nawakwi questions govt borrowing
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sat 28 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
FDD leader Edith Nawakwi has questioned the intention by government to borrow more money to finance the budget. Meanwhile, Nawakwi says 2014 will present hunger and inadequate funding to government departments.
Government next year intends to borrow K9.64 billion to finance part of the budget for 2014, which is about 22.6 per cent of the national budget. Government last November raised the country's debt external debt ceiling from K20 billion to K35 billion.
Nawakwi said President Michael Sata should get rid of Chikwanda to save the country from another calamity of a debt trap.
"Time has come for the honourable Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda to shift from his current position into retirement. I know that a lot of us don't like doing the honourable thing, that is to resign from one's position. So the President of this Republic must save this country from the impending calamity of pushing Zambia into another debt trap," Nawakwi said.
She said the World Bank and the IMF had lost confidence in the economic management of the country.
"Today's reading that they are worried is just a tip of the iceberg. The truth is IMF is headed back to set up camp in Lusaka in January 2014 because they do not believe that Chikwanda is managing our economy competently. This is coupled with his inability to listen to those of us who he terms 'street people' when we talk about his lack of knowledge on management of our fiscal regime in this country. There are 13 million of us in this country and for sure, we must have one child somewhere in the corners of Zambia who can serve this country with diligence, competence and direction," said Nawakwi, who once served as finance minister in the Frederick Chiluba era.
She said some ministers were arrogant.
"Early this year, I raised the alarm that the budget had burst, that the Minister of Finance was not in the frame of mind to be able to control the runaway expenditure. There was hue and cry from the ministry. They tried to justify their actions to the point where even the likes of labour minister Fackson Shamenda had to criticise my persona. I then still raise the alarm that by January 2014, IMF is setting up camp again in Zambia due to their lack of confidence in the management of our economy by the current Minister of Finance," Nawakwi said.
She said the country no longer required Chikwanda's services.
"If the President does not listen to this very serious and timely advice, he has himself to blame for what Zambia is going to be in the next three or four years. 2014, we will be faced with hunger; 2014, we will be faced with inadequate funding to departments and ministries. We have doctors and nurses on strike, the Minister of Finance is mute; we have no medicines in the hospitals, we have no mealie-meal in several places and the buck stops at the Ministry of Finance," Nawakwi said.
She said she did not understand why President Sata thought Chikwanda was the only Minister of Finance the country could have.
"If the President is not able to relieve him, I think my brother should be honourable enough to say he needs to rest and allow younger people to be able to assist this country," Nawakwi said.
"This is a person who wants to export copper ore, this is a person who doesn't care whether nurses are on strike, this is the nominated member of parliament who doesn't care about the state of the University of Zambia. Unless we clear the stumbling block at the Ministry of Finance, whether it is PF, FDD, UPND, we may dance and cry, the buck stops at the Ministry of Finance."
She also expressed worry that Chikwanda signed the SI allowing exports of copper concentrates without any charge, which was later reversed by President Sata.
"If my minister doesn't understand that gold and other precious minerals are not found in independent mines, they are by-products of copper concentrates and he wants to give it as a Christmas gift to some companies, what can we discus? We are simply sitting on a time bomb," Nawakwi said.
She said a lot was sacrificed to get Zambia's debt written off, hence the country could not sit and watch mismanagement of the economy in the name of PF and some ministers in government.
"The reason we are having so much ineptitude is due to the fact that some of these brothers are nominated MPs. You go to Ministry of Education, there is no progress, you got to finance, he tells us 'shut up, you are advising me from the streets on windfall tax', you go to Ministry of Agriculture, the gentleman doesn't even know when we should plant our seeds. You go to Ministry of Health, there are problems. You go to Ministry of Justice, you want to get the constitution on time, who does he report to? He has no constituency apart from number one the President," Nawakwi said.
She said the country was facing major problems because critical ministries were manned by people who had no constituencies.
"These nominated MPs are living in ivory towers and as far as I am concerned, my only advice to President Sata for 2014 is to get rid of this lot. Let him nominate women and see what they can do. Let's get a different direction for 2014 and that can only happen if we come to 2014 without my brother Chikwanda at the helm of our treasury," Nawakwi said.
She said Chikwanda must not take the country to the days when a head of state must start telling the nation to tighten belts.
"This is the time when we need to loosen our belts. If you are going to injure us in this way, we are going to fight. This is injury, especially for those of us who spent long hours, days negotiating with the international community to write off our debt," said Nawakwi.
"People like ABC have not experienced what it takes to negotiate a debt write-off, to camp in a foreign capital, begging. He has not experienced what late Cardinal Mazombwe experienced and many Zambians who fought to get the debt written off; that's why he is so arrogant."
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, DEBT, EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, MICHAEL SATA
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'In every challenge, there is an opportunity'
By Editor
Tue 22 Oct. 2013, 14:00 CAT
There are few misfortunes in this world that cannot be turned into a personal triumph if one has the iron will and the necessary skill.
And Edith Nawakwi is right when she says to our young people without jobs that "the key is for every challenge, there is an opportunity. If the council is not collecting garbage, that is your opportunity… that opportunity is your source of income because you are unemployed" and that no matter how menial or dirty one's work is, it is significant as long as it benefits the people's health and sanitary environment.
Unemployment is the scourge of our country. It deprives our people of their God-given right to work. It undermines their human dignity. It is a terrible frustration and humiliation for a parent to be unable, due to unemployment, to provide for the family. It is equally demoralising for young people to find there is no work waiting for them when they leave school.
Good leaders must be interested in the welfare of those in distress. We expect them to feel the distress of many who have a problem about the cost of goods, education, medicine, with the tragedy of unemployment, of youth and so many other important concerns where we are all involved, and all must help the government. All these are difficult problems for any government to face. But to solve them, we need hardworking and public-spirited political and civic leaders like the way Edith is doing; we need people of courage who will defend the truth and demand justice for the poor, for the ordinary.
Most people rely on work in order to earn a living. It may be formal employment, earning a wage in exchange for labour, or it may be through some form of self-employment such as the garbage collection scheme Edith and her comrades are working on. Either way, there are very few people who do not have to work for a living.
One of the main tasks of an economy, therefore, is to ensure that there are enough jobs, or opportunities to work, to meet our people's need to earn a living. Where there is high unemployment, we have an indication of an unjust economy.
One of the main reasons for our high rates of poverty is the failure of the economy to provide sufficient jobs. While it is true that no economy is able to assure sustainable full employment, joblessness in Zambia is not just a matter of a small percentage; it is an extremely serious problem.
In order to derive benefit from an economy, people must be able to participate in it; and for most people, the primary means of economic participation is through work. Indeed, throughout human history, it has been a basic norm that all are expected to work, and thereby to contribute to the economy. Those who refuse to do so, for no good reason, have generally been excluded from the benefits of the economy.
However, if society expects all its members to work and to contribute, then it should make it possible for them to do so. In this regard, a profound responsibility rests on both the political authorities and those who hold powerful positions in the economy. Everything possible needs to be done to maximise job opportunities. And where the choice is between greater profits and greater employment the latter must be chosen.
Clearly, as things stand in our country today, this is a matter of the greatest urgency. The level of unemployment is too high. And as long as this remains the case, there can be no hope of achieving a secure and prosperous future for our people. In some parts of the country, unemployment is so high that the few who work have to support not only their own dependants but another worker and his dependants as well.
Thus, unemployment affects not only those without jobs, but also those who have work. In consequence, the poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor can only be exacerbated. Furthermore, such a high scale of unemployment acts as a huge drain on the state's resources, further reducing its ability to provide much-needed social services.
And the harm caused by unemployment is by no means limited to material matters; there is also an enormous social cost. While simplistic deductions must be avoided, there can be no doubt that a connection exists between high rates of unemployment and the distressing high incidence of crime, family breakdown, domestic violence, hooliganism and even political violence, and drug and alcohol abuse which beset our society. Many of these social problems in turn impact negatively on the economy, resulting in a vicious circle which will only be broken by the provision of jobs.
We are aware of, and do commend, our government's efforts over the last two years to deal with the tragic effects of unemployment. But we feel that much more needs to be said and to be done if we are to effectively meet the massive problems of human suffering in Zambia today.
And no one should be silent in the face of this suffering of our people. The word of God challenges us: "If you refuse to hear the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13).
We therefore call upon all people of goodwill to emulate what Edith is doing and to try and deal more forthright with this increasing suffering in our midst. We all know of our people's suffering.
And as to our young people without jobs, they should not be ashamed to take up any job that is available. If it is garbage collection, let them take it up if that's the only job available to them. If it's cleaning toilets, this job has to be taken up by someone because it is a job that needs to be done.
It is important to realise that the value of any human work does not depend on the kind of work done; it is based on the fact that the one who does it is a person. There we have an ethical criterion whose implications cannot be overlooked.
Thus, every person has a right to work, and this right must be recognised in a practical way by an effective commitment to resolving the tragic problem of unemployment. The fact that unemployment keeps a large sector of our population, and notably the young, in a situation of marginalisation, is intolerable. For this reason, the creation of jobs is a primary social task facing individuals and private enterprises, as well as the state. As a general rule, in this as in other matters, the state has a subsidiary function; but often it can be called upon to intervene directly.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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Nawakwi laments exclusion of Zambians from mining
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - This is the consequence of over two decades of neoliberal rule by the MMD. The UPND and elements in the PF think this should continue indefinitely. Foreign ownership of the mines is theft of natural resources, and Zambia should not receive a single cent in 'donor aid' until the mines are taxed to the max. These high copper prices aren't going to last, and the people have alreaydy missed out on most of it. This is theft. - MrK
EDITH Nawakwi says the government has everything it takes to compel foreign investors in the mining sector to start empowering Zambians by giving them business opportunities.
In an interview in Kitwe, Nawakwi, who is FDD president, said
it was unacceptable that many locals had been excluded from the mainstream of the country's national economy, namely mining.
She said it was sad that many Zambians in the mining sector had been sidelined to an extent where everything was left to foreign companies to operate, manage and even supply goods and services.
Nawakwi said Zambia was still behind with the management of its rich mineral resources when many Africa countries with similar resources like Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana had advanced as their nationals had been empowered through laws and policies to participate in their extractive industries and help create wealth for their nations.
"If you look at this country, we have produced many experts in mining who are Zambians but none of those brothers even owns a metre of an emerald mine or a copper mine. This is a complete contrast to countries like the neighbouring Tanzania, where the locals in that country now own gold mines. The situation we have in Zambia is also in complete contrast to countries like Ghana, where it's the Ghanaians who are the wealth creators of their country," Nawakwi said.
She said in situations where the total national wealth was left in foreign hands, it was difficult for the locals to appreciate or see any benefit.
Nawakwi said it was sad that almost everything was being outsourced in the mining industry, leaving Zambians with no jobs.
"Unless we realise that Zambia can only be developed by Zambians, then we will not see tangible development. In some of these mining companies, even repairing pumps underground is outsourced to Indians or Australians and other foreign nationals. Zambians are just left to sell on the streets of Kitwe. We must reverse this trend," Nawakwi said.
She said the government must not spend time fighting each other but must begin to address critical issues and people's concerns like the lack of business from the mining companies, which was causing their families much suffering.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MINING, NEOCOLONIALISM, NEOLIBERALISM
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PF's confusion must be ended - Nawakwi
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 30 Sep. 2013, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says the PF should not allow anybody within their party to advance a tribal agenda or gain political mileage using a tribe. And Hakainde Hichilema says he expects that the Anti Corruption Commission to move in to investigate and prosecute the corrupt elements in government.
Speaking in Kitwe after she attended Mass for the presentation of Seminarian Fund at St John's Convent on Saturday, Nawakwi, who is the president of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), said Zambians must condemn with contempt anybody attempting to use a tribe as a political strength, adding that the squabbles in the PF and allegations of tribal politics were extremely unfortunate as they were directly affecting the governance of the nation.
She said the world had advanced to another level whereby no human being should be viewed as greater than the other on the basis of tribe or race.
"We look at the drama in our sister party the PF, and I say sister party in the context that governments on earth are governments that are provided for in the Bible. That confusion in the ruling party must be brought to an end because a house divided cannot stand. The character of the ruling party gives the face of government. This now shows us that there is no cohesion, there is no leadership in the PF," she said.
Nawakwi said in party politics, calls for resignation of a secretary general like the PF members that were calling for the resignation of Wynter Kabimba signalled the end of such a political party.
"Some of us belong to a tribe with less than hundred thousand people and we are still proud to be Zambians. I just came from Western Province; the people welcomed me as their own. They never called me names, they called me musali Nawakwi. That's a Zambia we want, a united Zambia," she said.
Nawakwi said the people from outside were looking at Zambia as a country destroying itself because the leaders in the PF were fighting. She said the infighting in the PF was unfortunately spilling over to the streets and property was being destroyed while everybody was watching.
"It's like a home, when you walk in a house where parents are fighting, you will see the misery on the face of children and this is what is happening in Zambia," she said.
Nawakwi said name-calling in the PF was extremely embarrassing for the nation, hence the need for President Michael Sata to show leadership and stop the squabbles.
And Hichilema said the PF had no agenda for Zambia other than sharing positions.
"PF went into office not to work for the suffering masses but to dubiously obtain money from the poor Zambians by corruptly awarding themselves tenders. The PF formed government to put more money in their pockets corruptly as confirmed by both Vice-President Guy Scot and secretary general Wynter Kabimba that there are corrupt elements within their ranks. Corruption is a cancer and we need to fight it and not harbour it as the case is with the PF government," said Hichilema, who is UPND leader.
Labels: ACC, EDITH NAWAKWI, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF
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(STICKY) Nawakwi laments exclusion of Zambians from mining
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 04 Oct. 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - This is the consequence of over two decades of neoliberal rule by the MMD. The UPND and elements in the PF think this should continue indefinitely. Foreign ownership of the mines is theft of natural resources, and Zambia should not receive a single cent in 'donor aid' until the mines are taxed to the max. These high copper prices aren't going to last, and the people have alreaydy missed out on most of it. This is theft. - MrK
EDITH Nawakwi says the government has everything it takes to compel foreign investors in the mining sector to start empowering Zambians by giving them business opportunities.
In an interview in Kitwe, Nawakwi, who is FDD president, said
it was unacceptable that many locals had been excluded from the mainstream of the country's national economy, namely mining.
She said it was sad that many Zambians in the mining sector had been sidelined to an extent where everything was left to foreign companies to operate, manage and even supply goods and services.
Nawakwi said Zambia was still behind with the management of its rich mineral resources when many Africa countries with similar resources like Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana had advanced as their nationals had been empowered through laws and policies to participate in their extractive industries and help create wealth for their nations.
"If you look at this country, we have produced many experts in mining who are Zambians but none of those brothers even owns a metre of an emerald mine or a copper mine. This is a complete contrast to countries like the neighbouring Tanzania, where the locals in that country now own gold mines. The situation we have in Zambia is also in complete contrast to countries like Ghana, where it's the Ghanaians who are the wealth creators of their country," Nawakwi said.
She said in situations where the total national wealth was left in foreign hands, it was difficult for the locals to appreciate or see any benefit.
Nawakwi said it was sad that almost everything was being outsourced in the mining industry, leaving Zambians with no jobs.
"Unless we realise that Zambia can only be developed by Zambians, then we will not see tangible development. In some of these mining companies, even repairing pumps underground is outsourced to Indians or Australians and other foreign nationals. Zambians are just left to sell on the streets of Kitwe. We must reverse this trend," Nawakwi said.
She said the government must not spend time fighting each other but must begin to address critical issues and people's concerns like the lack of business from the mining companies, which was causing their families much suffering.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MINING, NEOCOLONIALISM, NEOLIBERALISM
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Sata's ministers giving him wrong advice - Nawakwi
By Henry Sinyangwe
Tue 13 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says President Michael Sata is surrounded by wrong ministers who are giving him wrong advice. And Nawakwi, who is Forum for Democracy and Development leader, says the labour sector is in a mess.
Nawakwi said ministers like Fackson Shamenda were failing to provide answers to various issues concerning national development.
"These people are not advising our head of state properly because they are too emotional. So if you tell people that Edith is being emotional, so what? The likes of Shamenda like to stereotype women and tears are only associated with women; I am not crying. So really I think my brother should reflect," she said.
Nawakwi said the nation needed to be assured that the economy was on the right course rather than the ministers' emotional responses whenever they were criticised.
"And on the fact that do people have secure jobs? Do people have security of tenure? That is the role of a Minister of Labour and Social Security, and he addressed none of those. Instead, in their usual style, he took the emotional position. Being a Christian, he should go back and read the book of Proverbs. When someone is telling you something, listen to the words, don't look at who is talking about it," she said.
Nawakwi said she expected Shamenda to concentrate on answering the discussion on the flouting of labour regulations by immigrants on the pretext that they are investors.
"When you use word like 'frustrated', frustrated with what? I honestly want to contribute to my country in a manner which people can see as being of value, and if someone is as emotional as Shamenda, they actually mislead the government. We want to get responses from the minister responsible as honorable Chikwanda has rightly responded.
Shamenda is ignoring his portfolio; the labour sector is in a mess. He should address that," she said. Nawakwi challenged the government to state when it would clean up the UNZA payroll.
"However, we have raised specific points. If we are doing fine, why is there no insulin in the clinics? We raised issues about the university, why haven't we responded as to when government will clean up the payroll at the university. We raised issues about these Chinese and other nationals who are selling vegetables on the streets and the market," Nawakwi said.
She said some of the ministers had no direction.
"Some of these ministers have no direction because people like Shamenda. I raised very critical issues which he should address. Why do we have foreigners selling vegetables at the markets, Tuesday Market?" she asked.
Last week, Shamenda dismissed as mischievous allegations by Nawakwi that the country was headed for a K5 billion budgetary deficit by the end of the year.
Shamenda said the allegation was symptomatic of a frustrated and failed politician who wanted to use lies to gain cheap political mileage.
"Ms Nawakwi once served as Minister of Finance under the MMD government when corruption and general mismanagement of the country's economy thrived, which this government is now working hard to reverse," stated Shamenda.
"She should, therefore, not pretend to have answers to the management of the country's economy now which she failed to provide then."
Nawakwi had challenged finance minister Chikwanda to shed light on expenditure concerns from local and the international communities.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FACKSON SHAMENDA, MICHAEL SATA
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Zambia risks K5bn deficit - Nawakwi
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sat 10 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says the country risks being in a K5 billion deficit due to unbudgeted for expenditure. But Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba has maintained that the budget is on course.
And Nawakwi, the Forum for Democracy and Development leader, says there is need to clean up the UNZA payroll. Speaking on Radio Phoenix's Let the People Talk programme yesterday, Nawakwi challenged finance minister Alexander Chikwanda to shed light on expenditure concerns from local and the international communities.
"I would like the Minister of Finance to shed light on this; by the end of this fiscal year, this country will be in deficit by K5 billion - US$1 billion - because of unbudgeted for expenditures such as by-elections," Nawakwi said.
She said Chikwanda had allowed the government to go on a spiral of reckless expenditure, which would result in high inflation.
"There are no brakes. I think in the history of the country, this is the second minister who has gone on free-fall expenditure," Nawakwi said.
She said it was Chikwanda's duty to control expenditure and advise President Michael Sata correctly.
"He has to say 'no' even to the President, that we can't afford, because a president is a politician; and we expect the Minister of Finance to be a technocrat because he holds the future of the country in his hands; he has to say 'no' to the point of being called rude or whatever... And if you don't agree with the President, you resign. There are many ministers and chancellors who have resigned because the policy direction differs with the head of state but it looks like my elder brother Chikwanda is 'Mr Yes'," Nawakwi said.
She said the President wanted to deliver as he knew what the people wanted.
"He can start one million bridges, the only one who can stop him is the minister himself, by saying that 'no we can't afford this, can you tell your people can we do it in 2016 or 2017'. And the President can say 'yes'. There is no President who can say no to good advice. But if there is free-fall expenditure, it squarely lands on the Ministry of Finance," Nawakwi said.
But Yamba said there was a budget that was approved and the ministry would follow it.
"The demands in any country are so many, so we determine how much we are going to spend on the basis of how much we are going to collect. So no matter what the demands are, you cannot over-commit," said Yamba.
And Nawakwi said the law should be very clear that a member who resigns their seat must never recontest.
"A member who is caught in illegalities, electoral malpractices, must never be allowed to re-contest because it is a penal offence," she said.
Nawakwi said if elected president, she would personally want to refurbish existing infrastructure before embarking on new ones.
"… such as the University of Zambia before I put up another university. UNZA is in dire need of money. When the Minister of Finance was paying increments to the lecturers, I requested that we clean up the payroll at the institution. The payroll at UNZA is of people who have been retired; they are still in university housing, they are teaching at other private universities and still earning salaries from the university. That is creating stress for the budget of UNZA," Nawakwi said.
And Nawakwi said FDD would decentralise the government operations.
"In this country, people think Lusaka is Zambia and Zambia is Lusaka and, therefore, you don't allow people to participate in decision-making. Our policies are about decentralisation of economic and political power to allow people at local level decide what they want to do so that we can create wealth at household level," said Nawakwi.
Labels: DEBT, EDITH NAWAKWI, FREDSON YAMBA
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Zambia needs youth mentorship programme, says Nawakwi
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 20 May 2013, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says Zambia needs a serious mentorship programme where the youth can be empowered with knowledge and survival skills. And Nawakwi on Friday announced the death of her mother.
Nawakwi, the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader, has been on a countrywide mentorship programme for the youth. Her party has come up with a programme called Neighbour's Friend, through which she is training the youth in entrepreneurship.
And on Tuesday last week, Nawakwi mentored five Copperbelt University forestry graduates.
"Given an opportunity to be in office, our idea is to create income at household level. It's through starting a project like this that the youth can create income for the future because tree planting is one of the few lucrative agriculture jobs. So, mentorship is part of the FDD's empowerment programmes," she said in an interview.
"So what we have managed to do through the party is to organise for them to go for actual practical work. They'll go with their own seedlings and they'll be assisted on doing that because they'll find someone who is a practitioner. So, in about six months' time, they will be delivering the seed to the customer. We are importing the seedlings from Vietnam. These are graduates in one field, forestry; it's not a single job for them anywhere."
She appealed for government support to the programme so that more youths could be empowered.
"At least I know that this programme can grow. And when you as government say 'let us work together with political parties', this is one programme where the government can come to this secretariat and say 'we have money for youth enterprise, how much does the FDD want? How many people are benefiting?' We are not saying they should bring money to the secretariat, no, but to the association," said Nawakwi.
"They have now gotten to a position where they have an order for 50,000 plants through us here worth K120 million (KR120,000). The curriculum at the university as usual is white collar; they have nowhere to get practical experience. We've done the talking, we need someone to incubate them and then release them."
Meanwhile, on Friday, Nawakwi wrote on her facebook page: "Friends, it is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow that I announce the passing away of my dear mother. Kindly remember us in your prayers during this tragic time."
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, YOUTHS
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Nawakwi pledges to address youths' needs once elected
By Allan Mulenga
Tue 02 Apr. 2013, 14:01 CAT
EDITH Nawakwi says FDD has pledged to engage young people in addressing their problems when elected into office. And Nawakwi has observed that the focus on girl child education has left the boy child completely neglected.
In an interview, Nawakwi, who is Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president, said youths had brilliant ideas, but lacked the platform where they could present them.
"We need to engage them and they are willing to be engaged. So, when I am president, that is a strategy I will use and say, 'look, what do you want to do?' I will not go to them and say, 'I want to take you to Namushakende so that you can go to the university because I want to put you in farming'. Not every young person can be a farmer," she said.
Asked whether the party's mentorship programme targeted at youths was a political strategy ahead of 2016 elections, Nawakwi responded: "If you tell me that it is a political strategy, I don't know what the young people will think amongst all of us politicians. FDD, and Edith Nawakwi in particular provide the best solution to their problems. It is them to judge. We are not basically going to them to ask them to vote for us, this is FDD. We genuinely call them and those young people are extremely brilliant."
She observed that not all leaders were willing to talk to young people about their problems.
"Yes, I am in the opposition, but I have to spend my time not only looking for votes for 2016, but trying to get people to realise that we cannot share poverty and we can share knowledge which we can apply and eradicate poverty," she said.
"You will be amazed what is coming out of this. It is not only graduates we have young people who have distinction, six or seven points and they are not able to go to university because they have no money."
And Nawakwi observed that the boy child had been completely neglected.
"All of us are talking about the girl child. The boy child has completely been neglected. There is a boy child who is in the pub drinking tujilijili and we have forgotten about them. All of us mothers are now talking about the girl child and girl education. Let's talk about our children. I want my daughter to excel. This should be the basis of government. What it is it that the boy child can do? These are the huge problems which can not only be left to people in formalised office. All of us need to get involved," said Nawakwi.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, YOUTHS
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Nawakwi wins rape threat case
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sat 02 Feb. 2013, 12:30 CAT
CHIEF resident magistrate Collins Lundah yesterday convicted former UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa and fined him KR10,000 for threatening to organise cadres to gang rape FDD leader Edith Nawakwi.
And in an interview after Kalusa's conviction, Nawakwi said it was sad that women in Zambia were regarded as weaker vessels.
Kalusa was charged with one count of threatening violence.
Matters before court were that Kalusa, 40 on September 14, 2012, allegedly issued the threat in Ndola to the effect that he would organise cadres to "gang rape" the opposition leader.
Kalusa had vowed to organise UPND youths on the Copperbelt to 'gang rape' Nawakwi in order to teach her to respect married men like UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
His threats were issued after due to Nawakwi's criticism of Hichilema in the media.
In passing judgment, magistrate Lundah said out of the KR10,000, five thousand should be given to Nawakwi as compensation.
He said the KR10,000 should be paid within three days in default nine months imprisonment.
Lundah said he regarded every woman as his mother, sister and daughter, and that women should be respected.
He said that insulting a woman was as good as insulting one's mother.
"Politicians should always remember to talk about issues and not insult each other. Talk about issues that are affecting people and not who has children with who and who is having sex with who. Use civil language to each other and not insults," he said.
And Nawakwi said many children, women and grandmothers were being abused and threatened with permanent injuries where they live or at their work of places.
"I wish to commend the magistrate, he has set precedence. He has written the law that shall be followed from on onwards. Up until this point, our menfolk did not realise that verbal violence is a criminal offence under the Penal Code," she said.
Labels: CADRES, COURTS, EDITH NAWAKWI, JOE KALUSA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RAPE, UPND
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Nawakwi describes daughter's death as tragic
By Kabanda Chulu
Fri 11 Jan. 2013, 13:56 CAT
IT IS a tragic thing and no matter what we say our daughter will not come back, says Edith Nawakwi. And police have arrested two more suspects in connection From front page with the brutal murder of Haantambo Hambulo, who was also robbed of her motor vehicle in Lusaka's Ibex Hill residential area.
Reacting to the killing of her stepdaughter (Haantambo), Nawakwi, reluctantly said it was not easy to face the current predicament.
"It is a good thing the police has done their work but it is not easy and it is a tragic thing. No matter what we say Haantambo will not come back," said Nawakwi.
"So bear with me and thanks for mourning with us; we shall talk later. Right now we are going to pick up her clothes; you see the predicament we are in."
Haantambo's father, Geoffrey Hambulo, said it was very difficult to comment on the death.
"It is a tragedy, we just want to mourn her and we think it is just one of those tragedies and whatever the police will come up with after postmortem, we shall listen," said Hambulo, when asked if the family suspected foul play other than the robbery.
And some police sources disclosed that preliminary findings indicate that Haantambo could have died of suffocation because her body was intact.
"But we shall establish actual cause of death after conducting postmortem and the motive of the killing is not clear although the suspects have told us they only wanted the car and they didn't get anything from the house apart from the vehicle and the cellphone," said the sources.
Lusaka Division police commissioner Joyce Kasosa said there were four suspects in custody by yesterday morning.
"Two more suspects have been picked up within Lusaka and I wouldn't say we have arrested all of them since investigations are ongoing and because the death is not natural, we shall ascertain what really happened after postmortem," said Kasosa.
"On the motive, we are still investigating, so I will not say anything but apart from the car and the phone, which are in our possession, we don't know if other items were taken, especially that she was alone."
Haantambo was killed on Tuesday night and her body was found in a septic tank in a sitting position, with her hands and legs tied.
Burial is expected to take place today at Leopards Hill Memorial Park, after a postmortem and a funeral service at Family Life Miracle Church.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, HAANTAMBO HAMBULO, MURDER
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Nawakwi describes daughter's death as tragic
By Kabanda Chulu
Fri 11 Jan. 2013, 13:56 CAT
IT IS a tragic thing and no matter what we say our daughter will not come back, says Edith Nawakwi. And police have arrested two more suspects in connection From front page with the brutal murder of Haantambo Hambulo, who was also robbed of her motor vehicle in Lusaka's Ibex Hill residential area.
Reacting to the killing of her stepdaughter (Haantambo), Nawakwi, reluctantly said it was not easy to face the current predicament.
"It is a good thing the police has done their work but it is not easy and it is a tragic thing. No matter what we say Haantambo will not come back," said Nawakwi.
"So bear with me and thanks for mourning with us; we shall talk later. Right now we are going to pick up her clothes; you see the predicament we are in."
Haantambo's father, Geoffrey Hambulo, said it was very difficult to comment on the death.
"It is a tragedy, we just want to mourn her and we think it is just one of those tragedies and whatever the police will come up with after postmortem, we shall listen," said Hambulo, when asked if the family suspected foul play other than the robbery.
And some police sources disclosed that preliminary findings indicate that Haantambo could have died of suffocation because her body was intact.
"But we shall establish actual cause of death after conducting postmortem and the motive of the killing is not clear although the suspects have told us they only wanted the car and they didn't get anything from the house apart from the vehicle and the cellphone," said the sources.
Lusaka Division police commissioner Joyce Kasosa said there were four suspects in custody by yesterday morning.
"Two more suspects have been picked up within Lusaka and I wouldn't say we have arrested all of them since investigations are ongoing and because the death is not natural, we shall ascertain what really happened after postmortem," said Kasosa.
"On the motive, we are still investigating, so I will not say anything but apart from the car and the phone, which are in our possession, we don't know if other items were taken, especially that she was alone."
Haantambo was killed on Tuesday night and her body was found in a septic tank in a sitting position, with her hands and legs tied.
Burial is expected to take place today at Leopards Hill Memorial Park, after a postmortem and a funeral service at Family Life Miracle Church.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, HAANTAMBO HAMBULO, MURDER
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Government conveys condolences to Nawakwi
Time Posted: January 10, 2013 6:32 pm
Government has conveyed its condolences to Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader Edith Nawakwi on the death of her 26 year old daughter, Hatamba Hambulo.
Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni, who is also Information and Broadcasting Minister, said the death of the FDD leader’s daughter was saddening.
Hatamba is believed to have been brutally killed by unknown people in Lusaka’s Ibex Hill residential area on Tuesday.
Mr. Sakeni said this in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.
He expressed government’s deep-felt grief and sorrow on the sad and tragic loss of Ms. Nawakwi daughter.
Mr. Sakeni wished the bereaved family God’s comfort and strength as the bereaved family goes through a time of extreme pain and sorrow.
He said perpetrators of such brutal and barbaric acts would not go unpunished but be dealt with severely by the long arm of the law once they are nabbed.
ZANIS
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, HATAMBA HAMBULO, KENNEDY SAKENI, MURDER
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