PF took-over a disorderly government, says NGO
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sun 30 Sep. 2012, 10:00 CAT
THE PF need time to deliver on their campaign promises because they took over a disorderly government, says Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Zambia resident director Henier Naumann.
And Naumann says he "trusts in the professional capabilities" of Wynter Kabimba to act independently as Minister of Justice without neglecting his duties as PF secretary general.
Reflecting on the first year of President Michael Sata and the PF in government, Naumann said the current regime took over a difficult job.
He said the renewed anti-corruption crusade and introduction of strong social elements to the robust growing economy epitomized the first one year of the performance of the PF in government.
"They have taken over a very difficult job; the government was in a disorderly position and they tried by all means to start the fight against corruption and to slowly introduce some social elements into the policy," Naumann said in interview.
He said the introduction of the social elements in the country's economy would ensure the concerns of ordinary Zambians that the high economic growth rate had not made a dent on high poverty levels were addressed.
"Now, there was a lot of discussion in the country why the PF has joined the Socialist International and there were some fears in the country that the PF would go a socialist way," Naumann said.
"These have no basis; the Socialist International is a gathering of social democratic parties worldwide, for example, then British Labour Party is a member, Germany's Social Democratic Party is a member...these are political parties with policy directions which do not interfere into the economy - at least not in a strong way that they nationalise or they put too much regulation in the economy."
He said the strong social elements of the government in the economy did not threaten private sector investment which had been responsible for the recent robust economic growth rates in the country.
"The government is aware that the economic roles in the past have come from the mining sector and from private investments into the mining sector and I am sure they will treat the private sector in a way that they are willing to invest further and they can attract further foreign direct investments into the country and that only this can be the basis for social programmes," he said.
Naumann said although the government had shown willingness to deliver on its key campaign promises, it still showed some administrative weakness which he said should give insight to the regime in implementing policies in the next four years.
"I would want to rank myself in the calls of those saying give the PF more time in order to fulfil the promises in their manifesto," he said. "Any engine of a motor needs time to run smoothly and the start of the PF was everything but good; the Ministry of Labour was reorganised four times; it takes sometime before the machinery of the new government could work and then we can expect some good results.
Some concerns on the international side towards the devolution of power; that has to be seen. Promises were made but the real decentralisation policy has not been submitted. The PF has promised in their manifesto the independence of the Judiciary - I think that has not brought some tangible results but we have to give them some time."
Asked to comment on the appointment of Kabimba as justice minister following the retirement of Sebastian Zulu in unexplained circumstances last month, Naumann said he was confident that Kabimba would act independently in the two positions.
"I can't comment on the decision of the Zambian government, I foresee a slight problem that somebody who has to organise the party has to be at the same time be the custodian of an independent Judiciary," said Naumann. "But I trust in the professional capabilities of Wynter Kabimba that he can change the two functions and can act independently as Minister of Justice and the other side does not neglect his duties as PF secretary general but it has to be seen. In the international comparison, it is an unusual construction that the secretary general of a party is at the same time the Minister of Justice."
Labels: FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, WYNTER KABIMBA
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This year’s polls will only be credible with PVT - FES
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 19 May 2011, 04:01 CAT
THIS year’s elections will only be credible if the government allowed the use of the parallel vote tabulation, says FES. Frederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) resident director Heiner Naumann said the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) was a highly accepted means of providing checks and balances during an election.
“Elections will be much more credible if the government allows the use of PVT. I haven’t heard any serious argument why PVT should not be allowed,” said Naumann. “PVT, if professionally conducted, can help create higher acceptance to published results. There shouldn’t be any reason why figures should differ.”
President Rupiah Banda has warned advocates of the use of PVT in the forthcoming presidential elections that anyone computing and tabulating results of the polls would be committing a criminal
offence.
But Naumann said it was worrying that some political parties were viewed as enemies and not competitors. He said it was relevant that a national consensus was arrived at in dealing with national issues.
Naumann said politicians should influence their supporters to stick to democratic rules and peaceful elections. He said those seeking power to rule the country should address high poverty and unemployment levels.
The Law Association of Zambia recently joined the debate over the PVT and declared that there was nothing illegal about the system despite President Banda’s insistence that it was criminal.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, VOTERIGGING
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COMMENT - What is the title of 'the book'?
Zambians have benefited little from copper - FES
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Fri 26 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
FES resident director Heiner Naumann has said making the constitution is not democratic enough if there are no people to defend and protect its democratic provisions.
And Naumann has said Friederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) is working with unions and the civil society in the belief that these organisations are pillars of Zambia’s democracy.
Speaking in Kitwe on Tuesday during a book launch by the Mineworkers Union of Zambia on the Zambian mining industry that was supported by FES, Naumann observed that making a constitution was not democracy in the absence of someone to defend it.
“Democracy is only strong through the people and by the people not just by writing a constitution. If nobody is defending its democratic provisions, then it’s hollow.
That is why FES supports unions and also partners with civil society organisations like the CSPR, we do this in the belief that all these organisations are pillars of Zambia’s democracy,” Naumann said.
He said very little had been achieved from Zambia’s copper in form of economic and social benefits by the Zambian people.
"A lot has been published on Zambia’s mining boom but very little has been done in terms of social protection for workers and the general economic outlook of the country and the situation in the mining industry currently is that mine owners look at labour as a cost factor when in fact it is a major component in production," Naumann said.
"And it is sad to note that management functions in the mining industry are being transferred from producing countries to the headquarters or the country of origin for particular mine owners."
Naumann said issues of safety, health, social and job security in the industry had to be critically analysed and that labour leaders needed to do more research in order to present sound arguments.
"Our organisation will continue to support research of that nature by independent bodies as solidarity is more than justice," said Naumann.
And MUZ president Rayford Mbulu said critics who thought MUZ argued without proof had been shamed by the volume of information which research director Charles Muchimba had gathered in the book.
Mbulu said there had been a void between 2000 and 2010 which had been filled by the new book.
And Copperbelt University lecturer Davidson Chilipamushi who reviewed the book said it was a bankable reference to both the academia and stakeholders in the sector.
Labels: CHARLES MUCHIMBA, DAVIDSON CHILIPAMUSHI, FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, HEINER NAUMANN, RAYFORD MBULU
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ZCTU urges govt to increase PAYE threshold
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Fri 23 July 2010, 14:00 CAT
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba has challenged government to increase the pay as you earn (PAYE) threshold for tax exemption and adjusting the existing tax bands downwards for workers in the lower income brackets in order to reduce poverty among the working poor.
And Hikaumba has observed that the relative economic growth recorded during the
past few years has not translated into widescale job creation or broad-based
economic opportunities for the poor.
During the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) sponsored Zambia Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU) pre-2011 budget policy workshop in Kitwe on Thursday, Hikaumba
said government should consider the plight of the working poor in the 2011
national budget.
“At the same time government must take bold steps to start working towards
broadening the tax base seriously because a number of profitable businesses in
the informal sector remain largely untaxed and it is common knowledge that
billions of kwacha is turned over in the informal economy each year,” Hikaumba
said.
“For these reasons we challenge government to increase PAYE tax threshold
for tax exemption and adjusting the existing tax bands downwards for workers in
the lower income brackets so that poverty can be reduced among the working
poor.”
In the 2010 budget, PAYE tax exemption threshold stands at K700,000 and those
earning K800,000 to K1,200,000 per month are taxed at 25 per cent while those
earning between K1,200,000 and K4,000,000 fall in the 30 per cent tax band with
those earning above K4,000,000 falling in the 35 per cent PAYE tax band.
And Hikaumba said widespread poverty in Zambia meant that an estimated 64 per
cent of the population lives on less than US $1.00 per day.
“The relative economic growth recorded recently was concentrated on capital
intensive sectors of mining and construction and did not translate into wide
scale job creation or broad based economic opportunities for the poor, although
copper mining accounts for 75 per cent of our exports, it provides only one per
cent of direct employment overall,” said Hikaumba.
“The vast majority of Zambians rely on agriculture as the source of their livelihood hence we challenge government to prioritize agricultural needs both in the 2011 budget and the sixth national development plan.”
Labels: FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, LEONARD HIKAUMBA, PAYE, ZCTU
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