Effects of corruption in Zambia are still immense - Col Panji
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 16 May 2010, 03:40 CAT
COLONEL Panji Kaunda has said the effects of corruption in Zambia are still immense.
And Col Panji suggested that Zambia should have a federal governance system.
In an interview in Chipata, Col Panji said corruption was still rampant in Zambia.
“If somebody steals billion of dollars in the Ministry of Education, the effect of that on the education of our children is immense and the punishment is not enough. Let’s look at punishment; punishment should deter somebody from being corrupt, not sending somebody to jail for a few years and come back to enjoy the loot because it would still be there unless if it was like 50 years or so,” Col Panji said.
He said corruption should be stamped out at all costs.
“Corruption should be stamped out and the police have a big job to do in this country. If people have a perception that police are favouring one individual against the other, then it will give us problems. So really the police command have to be independent.
What happened in Mufumbwe should not happen again. When there is violence the police command must be held accountable because they didn’t stop violence. So they must tell us why violence took place and why the police failed in those areas,” he said.
And Col Panji said Zambia should have a federal governance system.
“Zambia needs to be a federal government, it needs to have nine provincial governors. If you look at the current system, it’s like you have nine lions and you have one bone and if you give them, they will fight so that they get the pieces. But if you have nine bones, each has its own bone, they will not fight that much,” Col Panji said.
“Similarly, in this political situation if you have provincial governors elective by the people, you have the Hakaindes, the Rupiah Bandas, the Satas to go and serve the people in those provinces and it can also be a proving ground whether that leader can go national or not.”
He said such systems could also give people an incentive to work hard. Col Panji said the federal government system had worked well in many countries like South Africa and Nigeria.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DEVELOPMENT, FEDERALISM, GOVERNANCE, PANJI KAUNDA
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Malawi must convert to federal state, says NARC
Font size: Charles Kufa 12 April, 2009 02:16:00
The National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) says the country can only enjoy even distribution of development if it is converted into a federal state of system and not the current structure.
NARC vice president Beatrice Mwale who is also the party’s runningmate said the current system only favours some regions of the country leaving out others in as far as development is concerned.
She said her party will turn Malawi into a federal republic once it takes over reigns of power after the May 19 parliamentary and presidential elections.
Mwale cited the northern region as one area that is still lagging behind in structural development, over four decades after the country attained independence.
“There is no plausible and evenly distributed development in this country… The northern region is worse, it is still lurching in underdevelopment.
“All the three presidents who have ruled this nation have not assisted the region in as far as development is concerned, every tangible development takes place either in the central or southern region,” she said.
She said once they take over government her party will turn all the regions into state for evenly distribution of wealth.
“The states will be able to know what is lacking and funds will be channeled into the right projects,” she said.
NARC, launched last year by former Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) sole parliamentarian, Loveness Gondwe, is the first party to come up with the female presidential aspirants since the inception of multiparty in 1994.
Gondwe formed NARC after AFORD, the party she represented since 1994 refused to endorse her as presidential candidate during a controversial national convention which was held in Blantyre.
While in the National Assembly, Gondwe rose higher than any other woman parliamentarian and was at some point voted to the position of First Deputy Speaker.
NARC says if elected, it would also like to make more employment opportunities available to the youth. In Malawi unemployment rate currently stands at 45.5 percent.
The party says it will also improve the conditions of service for civil servants, one of the lowly paid in the world, and to support small holder farmers who play a big role in Malawi’s economy, which is predominantly agricultural.
Labels: DECENTRALIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, FEDERALISM, GOVERNANCE, MALAWI, NARC
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Mulongoti's caliber
By F. Mukwala
Thursday October 04, 2007 [04:00]
I want to comment on the calibre of some of our ministers. For heaven's sake, doesn't President Mwanawasa get embarrassed by the low calibre and petty cadre mentality exhibited by ministers like Mike Mulongoti?
The man is a disgrace each time he opens his mouth and it seems the appointing authority takes no notice.
Why allow important national policy statements to be coming from a man who does not seem to have analytical skills.
Mr President (or is it Dr now), please save the dignity of this nation and give us a sober-minded person to speak to us who, despite being partisan, can generate challenging brain-storming analysis.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=32283
More light on federalism
By Kaliza,Unza student
Thursday October 04, 2007 [04:00]
I refer to the article in The Post of September 29 on the subject of federalism which David wrote.
I want to make some clarifications on what the federal type of government is and what a unitary state of government is.
A unitary government is a system of government where a nation is governened as a single entity. In a unitary state, there is one cabinet, one military command, one judiciary, one legislature, one currency, and one central administration.
In a unitary state, sovereignty is not shared among individual provinces or states. Furthermore, there is one constitution.
A federal system, however, is a form of govermenment where different states come together - like in the USA and Nigeria.
In a federal state of government, sovereignty is shared. Individual states have powers to make laws that govern them. For example in the USA, some states have got laws that allow gay marriages whereas others do not.
In Nigeria, the state of Kano has got sharia law that carries a death penalty on an individual caught in adultery, whereas other states do not have such a law.
The disadvantage of a federal system of government is that it is more expensive to run than a unitary one.
Furthermore, in a federal system, there are more chances of individual states seceding from the federal system because of their sovereignty.
This happened in the US where some states seceded from the federal system. In a unitary system, secession is unlikely because the country is being governed as a single unity and also because of having one military command.
I thought of sharing my little knowledge on this issue to supplement David's article.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=32287
KK, Chiluba and the Constitution
By Chomba Lukonde
Thursday October 04, 2007 [04:00]
The Oasis Forum comprises men and women who are intelligent. They say in the abundance of water, only a fool is thirsty.
The Oasis Forum knows too well that the former presidents' advice will not be biased because they are not in government anymore, and therefore will be in a position to exercise impartiality in their approach to issues regarding the Constitution.
Kaunda and Chiluba have been in power before and they know that power intoxicates people more than alcohol, and is more adictive than drugs. Notwithstanding, the current court cases between Chiluba and the government, the Oasis Forum would have sieved Chiluba's advice to suit their requirement.
Fellow Zambians please understand that it is actually very difficult to trust people in government.
George Kunda and his boss should therefore re-consider their stance regarding the NCC road map because going ahead will not only be costly but retrogressive. We do not want another party that forms government to start re-visiting the constitution.
Labels: FEDERALISM, MIKE MULONGOTI, OASIS FORUM
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Federalism vs decentralization
By CM
Wednesday October 03, 2007 [04:00]
One topic missing from the constitution talks is federalism. Federalism is the answer to underdevelopment. Decentralisation does not go far enough.
Too much power is at State House, the Ministry of Finance and its tool ZRA, Cabinet Office and Manda Hill. In the United Kingdom in 1999, Scotland and Wales were given their own parliament and regional assembly to decide on local tax matter. Scotland has oil in the North Sea but people in towns and cities like Aberdeen used to beg for handouts from the parliament Westminster in England 639 kilometres south.
Similarly you have money from gemstones in the Copperbelt Province being spent in Lusaka, Nigeria, Israel and India. Local people see very little because they have no say who mines the stones. Ng’andu Magande throws them the bones and scraps after he and company have fed at the Ministry of Finance.
Why should a Mr Sichinga in Mbala wait for development from Manda Hill 806 kilometres away? Mbala has all the resources to better Mr Sichinga's life. With federalism he would not blame the central government or the local MP who is always at Parliament Motel for underdevelopment. The money the Ministry of Finance in Lusaka hands out in the budget comes from the wealth in the provinces.
Right now we have money from gemstones in the Copperbelt and Lundazi being spent in Lusaka, Nigeria, Israel and India. The local people instead moan about the pocket change from Magande known constituency development funds.
Federalism will not lead to poverty in some provinces and separatism.
In fact it is a cure for tribalism. If Mongu, Solwezi, Mazabuka, Kabwe, Chipata, Kasama and Mwansabombwe were all as economically vibrant as Livingstone under federalism there would be far fewer people rushing to Lusaka. Lusaka is becoming another overcrowded Lagos. In Lusaka where all the money is to be found there is a lot of tribal gymnastics when real wealth is in the provinces.
South Africa is the model to follow. Each of the nine provinces has a regional legislature and a premier. The provincial legislatures can pass bills on many of the same matters as the national Parliament, but their powers are more limited. They receive some revenue from the national government and also can collect provincial taxes. For instance KwaZulu-Natal has the Port of Durban as a major revenue earner, as well as tourism, banking and manufacturing.
Guateng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape are the richest provinces because local effort has made the difference.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=32238
Let's cultivate courage
By John Milimo
Wednesday October 03, 2007 [04:00]
As some people have already said, a constitution is not a gift from the government but people give themselves a constitution.
The point I want to emphasise is let us cultivate courage in the constitution-making process and not just talk about it. Words alone won't take us anywhere.
Instead let us be more pragmatic. If the majority is against NCC whose constitution will it be?
If courage is coupled with love, it can even make us sacrifice our lives for the common good. Courage bestows on us superhuman powers leading us to heights of heroism.
This can only come about with a deep inner conviction of wanting to create a just society for the common good, for it emanates not from the absence of fear but from the ability to overcome fear and it can even make us achieve that which seems impossible.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=32237
A new deal on constitution
By Kombe Ngolwe
Wednesday October 03, 2007 [04:00]
The planned boycotts of the NCC by some civic organisations and political parties reveals lack of consensus among stakeholders.
If the government-sanctioned NCC were a good mechanism, stakeholders’ decision to participate would have been an easy task. But it took days of extra-ordinary meetings and briefings to reach a decision either to boycott or join the NCC.
Since 2003, promises have been made by Mwanawasa's government to come up with a constitution that would stand the test of time and without political deceit. But now it seems the test of time is over and deceit has made a new deal with the government.
Party survival is not a proper motive for selection of a constitution-making process.
Zambians are tired of promises on the constitution and must now make a decisive step for regime change in the next elections. The status quo is undemocratic and unresponsive in taking Zambia forward. Ownership of the process will lead to ownership of the product. The government should engage opposing views about the NCC. Those opposing NCC should state their grievances and offer an alternative process.
The worst political mistake is to continue the process with only selective parties and on pretence of people’s participation. The legitimacy of the constitution involves consent not coercion.
While the NCC Act is now law and will be enforced by force, a constitution will only exist by consent. Zambia needs a new deal on the constitution.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DECENTRALIZATION, FEDERALISM, LETTERS, NCC
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