Miyanda requests Sata to address the nation
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 21 Feb. 2013, 15:10 CAT
HERITAGE Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has requested President Michael Sata to address the nation through an interactive live broadcast to diffuse tension in the country.
In a statement yesterday, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the daily quarrels, threats against citizens and defensive tactics by those in authority point to an undeclared war of words in Zambia.
"I believe that the President can help to diffuse the situation by addressing issues that are contributing to the unbridled antagonism, hatred and tension in our nation. To end this undeclared war, I once again call upon the President of Zambia, as I did in October 2012, to face the people of Zambia via a live radio and television interaction to address current issues that are creating concern in the nation," Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
"President Sata's silence since he won the election in September 2011 till today in February 2013 is strange and uncharacteristic for one whose hallmark has been talking and talking and talking for 10 years! It is as though somebody or something is now holding him to ransom. To prove that he is not a captive president, let him appear on a live television and radio interview for at least two hours to face the people of Zambia."
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that there were many contentious issues and serious rumours in the political arena that would simply not go away but might be put to rest by an honest interaction with the people.
"Some issues have a bearing on our national security (for instance, does the Commander-In-Chief believe that street kids in Matero are better than his Defence and Security personnel?) A good number are governance issues; several are real policy and economic issues while others may just be irritating but divisive campaign rhetoric," observed Brig Gen Miyanda.
"A question and answer session may bury the rumours and parry any lies and misconceptions all round. I believe that once the President addresses and answers all the critical questions truthfully and transparently, detractors, if any, may be silenced."
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that it was imperative for President Sata to address the nation after nearly a record two years of no such address.
He stated that winning an election was not the "be-all and end-all of our political journey; neither is it a blank cheque to do as a winning political party wishes".
"In fact, it is highly misleading for any political party in government to claim that they received a mandate through the ballot to do as they please. Voters do not vote on each and every clause in a manifesto but, as in the last presidential election, they were merely choosing one servant out of several applicants. Hence the chief servant must avail himself, once in a while, to the employers. The President has accepted another invitation to address an international audience in Asia - fine. So why must he refuse or neglect to face his own people here in Zambia for close to two years?" he asked.
Brig Gen Miyanda advised President Sata to address the nation on the rule of law; decentralisation; the public order Act; rights and freedoms of citizens as he perceived them; traditional rulers and their role in national affairs; justification of the increased arrests of political opponents, among others.
"...is it true that there was a parallel PF security structure which has now been infused in the government main system without following usual stringent government procedures? If so, where did these people come from? Are they all Zambians? Is it true that our airspace is porous as announced by the Minister of Tourism? What was the rationale for recalling literally the whole civil service from diplomatic service and what has become of these Zambians and their families?" he asked.
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that one of the job descriptions of the Republican President in the Constitution was to provide leadership.
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, MICHAEL SATA
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COMMENT - I think Brigadier General Miyanda needs to reconsider his position. It is borderline treasonous for opposition members to meet with foreign diplomats and members of foreign governments. Especially as he is a former member of the armed forces, and an active politician. I don't like the entangling of members of the Executive becoming members of the Legislature, and the Brigadier General is pushing the envelope by meeting with foreign diplomats on top of that.
Sata is right on EU diplomats - Magande
By Allan Mulenga, Lovely Kayombo and Bright Mukwasa
Mon 14 May 2012, 10:30 CAT
NG'ANDU Magande says European Union Ambassador Gilles Hervio is making himself unpopular by meeting opposition parties. Magande, who is leader of the National Movement for Progress party, said President Michael Sata was right to direct the foreign affairs minister to look into the matter where diplomats were meeting opposition figures in the country.
But
Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda says they are not going to be cowed or deterred from meeting and consulting stakeholders and diplomats on any matter. In an interview on Thursday, Magande said the EU Ambassador was not in the country to hold dark corner meetings.
"The opposition people have just made this Ambassador now unpopular, even when we need to go to him some of us because we are technicians… I want to go ask these people for money to help small-scale farmers to grow cotton. Even to buy ginnery because we want to process our cotton here or the miners to start some small companies like, ZAMESA to process our copper the government will already suspect," he said.
Magande wondered why the EU Ambassador and the representatives of some opposition parties were not ready to share with the public what they discussed in a meeting.
"What will happen now when the Ambassador reports to the commissioner in Brussels? Are you going to allow now one of the opposition members who is here to use a Zambian passport just to fly out to Europe to go and talk about Zambia? Why? Where is the Ambassador going to go now? And especially that the Ambassador is saying 'no, I can't disclose what we are discussing'. So now already the Zambian government is suspecting this Ambassador… has he got a hidden agenda in being in Zambia?" he asked.
Magande suspected foul play in the manner representatives of some opposition parties were dealing with the EU.
"We have a lot of organisations. Why did they meet the EU which is European? Why didn't they go to the Commonwealth? Why didn't they go to SADC? Why didn't they go to Comesa? Under SADC we have a lot of organs there even dealing with political issues, why didn't they pick that one? Again now the same thing when other people are complaining to say why pick a Malawian judge? The question now some of us are asking, why did the opposition pick an international organisation - the European Union - to go and report this matter? They better tell us," he said.
Magande urged opposition parties to be accountable and transparent in the manner they handle issues.
"I am a bit surprised that some representatives from opposition parties, without some of us, went to the EU. You know that I was secretary general of the ACP group (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States) when we were negotiating the current Cotonou Agreement which is a partnership between the ACP and the EU. Obviously, I am just wondering that, if any one of my colleagues in the opposition won the elections and was the president, he would even ignore that I am the only Southern African citizen who has been involved with the EU for three and half years."
And Magande said President Sata was right to take strong exception to diplomats who were interfering in the country's internal affairs.
"The President is correct. He should leave his minister of foreign affairs to call the EU Ambassador and advise him that he is not here to sort of hold dark corner meetings. He is here to help every Zambian and we want to know, even myself I want to know, what is he talking to some of leaders of the Zambians," said Magande.
During a joint press conference by opposition political party leaders comprising UPND's Hakainde Hichilema, Charles Milupi of ADD, MMD acting president Michael Mabenga, ULP's Sakwiba Sikota and Edwin Sakala, Brig Gen Miyanda, leader of the Heritage Party, said diplomats were free to access citizens and that they were not working with them to destabilise the government.
He said President Sata should revise his position and allow them to interact with diplomats.
"Our own President has attacked us. What it is implying to citizens is that those who have not met us will be afraid to meet us because the President has spoken. The President is an experienced person, he has been in government before. Apart from normal protocols, there is nothing that stops diplomats and ambassadors from calling on other political parties. There is nothing wrong about it, diplomats are free to access citizens," he said.
"We met ZCTU followed by the European Union and the purpose was to brief them and inform them that is why we are disgusted by our President's reaction to that meeting because it is implying that a mere meeting of opposition political parties and diplomats amounts to interference in internal affairs of the nation."
He said the opposition is not against the fight against corruption but is interested in genuine judicial reforms.
"We believe that the President did not act within the presidential powers when he suspended the judges and appointed a tribunal. We feel that the President acted prematurely. At no time have we said the President has no powers to set up a tribunal as he has done. We have been saying that he has acted without following the due process, that is the matter that has been emphasized. We feel that perhaps the President was misled or misdirected himself. So far those who have condemned us, including those so-called state counsels, have not answered these questions that procedures have not been followed. They are just saying that the President has got powers," Brig Gen Miyanda said.
"…We also feel the timing of the suspension of judges is also suspect because the judges were suspended soon after one of them passed a ruling against the Mutembo Nchito, JNC Holdings Limited and The Post newspapers in a matter involving K14 billion with DBZ."
He accused President Sata and the Executive of interfering with the Judiciary for political and personal gains under the guise of fighting corruption.
Brig Gen Miyanda also disputed allegations that they planned to incite workers to go on a countrywide strike during a meeting with ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba to press President Sata to lift the suspension of the three judges.
ZCTU secretary general Roy Mwaba on Wednesday told the press that opposition party leaders wanted the union to assist in inciting workers countrywide to strike over the suspension of the three judges when they met Hikaumba.
Labels: EU, GODFREY MIYANDA, MICHAEL SATA, NG'ANDU MAGANDE, ROY MWABA
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MMD women threaten to strip over de-registration
By Kombe Chimpinde, Allan Mulenga and Speedwell Mupuchi
Fri 16 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT
THE MMD Women's League has threatened to strip naked tomorrow in protest against the de-registration of their party. And Clement Andeleki has insisted that the de-registration of the MMD is not politically engineered.
But MMD national treasurer Mwansa Mbulakulima says that the MMD has documented evidence indicating that it has never defaulted on remitting its annual returns and change of office bearers' subscription.
And Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda says President Michael Sata should dissolve Parliament and call for fresh general elections if the MMD remains de-registered.
Speaking at a briefing in Lusaka, an emotionally charged MMD women's affairs chairperson Catherine Namugala, who was flanked by several women clad in party regalia accused the PF of attempting to obliterate opposition political parties.
"We do not want our country to go back into a one-party state. We refuse that. We will not allow the country that belongs to our children, the future generations to go back to a one-party state," Namugala charged.
"We will not allow the Patriotic Front government to undermine our hard-earned democracy, to use state machinery to obliterate the opposition because we know the opposition is good for good governance."
Namugala said that the opposition MMD was needed to keep the PF government in check.
"And only a strong opposition can do that. The power that PF has assumed should not be used to obliterate the opposition, but to improve the livelihood of our people," Namugala said.
"We, therefore, call on our President to immediately reinstate the registration of MMD as a political party," she said.
And in an interview yesterday, Andeleki, who is Chief Registrar of Societies, said he would leave it to the Zambian people and the courts of law to judge him.
"I would leave that to the Zambia people. My job is to collect revenue on behalf of the Zambian government and what I have always said is that I would engage any erring society, asking for the said money to be paid. That is what I would do and I will continue to do that. That is exactly what I have done to the MMD, I am a revenue collector, I am a law enforcement officer," he said.
Andeleki urged the public to study what was contained in the Societies Act Chapter 119 of the Laws of Zambia.
"What I can say is that as Chief Registrar of Societies, the Act is very clear. You must look at the Act, the problem we have here in Zambia is that people debate things that they don't understand. They are accusing the President that he has directed me. If you are very keen journalist you will understand that I first wrote to the MMD and they wrote back to us," he said.
Andeleki said the MMD only paid for one branch out of 43 countrywide.
"I don't fight with them MMD, then I replied to our colleagues and I attached the documents because if somebody says we didn't receive you have to write back. I attached the bill to that gentleman. They have 43 registered, they have only been able to pay for one which is their headquarters," he said.
Andeleki said he would not want to been arguing with the MMD in the media, saying that if the party felt aggrieved it should seek legal recourse as provided for by the law.
"I would encourage them to seek the remedy of the law because we also have all the documents showing that the MMD is indebted and they have only been able to pay for one branch and have not paid for the other branches. The law requires that they should pay for particular branches," said Andeleki.
But Mbulakulima yesterday at a briefing at the party's secretariat challenged the Registrar of Societies to show the nation proof that it had failed to comply.
"We want to clarify the issue of payments so that we know who is telling the truth and put this matter to rest," said Mbulakulima as he handed receipts dating as far back as 1993 to 2012 to journalists.
"We have physical receipts here. We want to demonstrate that there has not been any default whatsoever by the party."
Mbulakulima who was flanked by election chairperson Gabriel Namulambe and party spokesperson Dora Siliya also assured members across the country to remain calm and that the party was intact.
And Namulambe said that Andeleki did not have the constitutional mandate to nullify parliamentary seats as earlier suggested.
And Siliya described Andeleki as a treacherous individual.
In a statement yesterday, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the de-registration of MMD had raised constitutional and legal questions beyond the registrar's mandate.
He stated that although the Registrar of Societies had the discretion to de-register a political party and that he was within his jurisdiction to de-register the MMD if they have not been paying their due statutory fees, he does not agree that he had the power to nullify a parliamentary seat as he declared.
"...We believe that the Registrar has only succeeded in creating an undesirable constitutional crisis in a democratic state as Zambia. The crisis I see is that there may not be any by-elections to be held as several people have been suggesting. It seems that under the current Constitution (Articles 65 and 71) there are only three circumstances under which a by-election may be held, namely through the death of an elected member of parliament, through a resignation or when a member crosses the floor by joining a different party from the one that sponsored him or her or by an independent MP joining a political party," he stated.
"Apparently there is no provision for a by-election following de-registration, in which case we could have a constitutional crisis as the National Assembly is already elected and formed. The quorum of the National Assembly is one third of the total number of MPs. At the current count, the MMD holds slightly over one third of the elected MPs. Even if we include the eight nominated MPs, the scenario remains the same. It means that the National Assembly cannot hold any credible sessions and pass legislation in such a situation unless the PF is scheming to create a de facto one party system and their actions so far seem to confirm this."
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that Andeleki had already made his decision and the ball was squarely in the PF's court.
"If MMD remains de-registered, then the President must dissolve parliament and call for fresh presidential and parliamentary elections. But of what benefit will this be other than to satisfy the PF's desire to increase their numbers in Parliament?" he wondered.
Brig Gen Miyanda also wondered whether a mere department of government could have the power to abridge or take away guaranteed fundamental rights of assembly and association.
"In this case, there are no proper grounds for such a draconian step other than a failure to pay statutory fees. For example, could a limited company be de-listed for failing to pay tax? I urge the government to rescind this decision by the Registrar of Societies without waiting for an appeal. The Registrar has carried out his perceived mandate but the government must not pass the buck because of the serious constitutional issues that have arisen or will arise," stated Brig Gen Miyanda.
Labels: CATHERINE NAMUGALA, DEMONSTRATION, GABRIEL NAMULAMBE, GODFREY MIYANDA, MMD, MWANSA MBULAKULIMA
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Sata a liar - Milupi
By Staff reporters
Wed 29 Feb. 2012, 09:47 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata's reluctance to recognise the Barotseland Agreement amounts to lying to the Lozis, says Charles Milupi. And Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda says the PF duped Zambians over the Barotseland Agreement, including many other issues, and should therefore not be excused.
Milupi, who is president of the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD), said President Sata was supporting seceding of Barotseland from Zambia by rejecting the outcome of the most credible commission of inquiry appointed by the President.
Receiving the report on the inquiry into the Mongu killings on Thursday, President Sata said he would be very reluctant to recommend the reinstatement of the Barotseland Agreement.
But Milupi warned that apart from straining the relationship between the government and Western Province, President Sata's position would also heighten hard-lined pro-secessionist campaigners.
"If he President Sata is not careful how he is going to handle it, he is shifting the opinions of those that were for recognition like he was when he was campaigning. He is going to make them more hard-lined and shift those who say ‘look, these people are not trustworthy, let's just a country on our own'," said Milupi in an interview.
"That is a very unfortunate thing and let us watch this out. That is what is going to happen and it is going to strengthen those that have always said ‘no, we just want to be a country on our own'."
Milupi accused President Sata of duping the Lozis into an election victory by promising to recognise the Barotseland Agreement .
"It's unfortunate that even before he was campaigning, as far back as 2010, the President was saying this is genuine," he said.
"When he was campaigning, he was saying he was going to use Barotseland Agreement as a basis for decentralisation and devolution. What has happened to those noble thoughts? When he came into power, he said he was going to use the Ten Commandments as the principle upon which he is going to run the country. One of the commandments says ‘Thou shalt not lie; Thou shalt not tell falsehoods' and so on. We politicians must be very careful that when we campaign, we say exactly what we intend to do. That is the whole basis of democracy. People who vote for us, vote for us on the basis of truth," he said.
On President Sata's statement that recognising the Barotseland Agreement would agitate other areas to push for secession, Milupi said: "People need to be reminded that the very reason we keep talking about the Bartoseland Agreement was because it was unique - it was two separate territories that had to be brought together. Which other native authority has an agreement? Which other province has an agreement that would say ‘we also want our agreement to be like that?"
And Brig Gen Miyanda says he feels the PF has been a letdown to the Zambian people.
During The Journalist programme on Livingstone's Zambezi FM on Wednesday, Brig Gen Miyanda, who is Heritage Party president, said President Sata should only be excused if he gave a public apology for misleading Zambians.
"The real issue of the 90 days is that the PF on their own volition - no one put a gun to their head -they pronounced what they were going to do in 90 days. Personally, I did not believe that, as it is literally impossible to do major developmental issues in 90 days. They said they will have job creation, return the Barotseland Agreement and restore it to what it was before. Of course, they did not mean it or they did not understand what they were saying," he said.
Gen Miyanda said the government had now made an ordinary citizen look foolish with their 90 days promises.
"For me they should not be excused. They will only be excused if they stood up publicly and said 'sorry we misled you, we were wrong' and I would accept and say I actually knew that you were wrong. I will accept that," Brig Gen Miyanda said.
He said the PF over the years realised that Zambians did not analyse issues and took advantage of that to win the 2011 elections through hook and crook. "The real culprit is the PF, partly their campaign message was correct, the PF tactically were correct in their message as people felt let down by the MMD and the PF over the years understood with what the message they should put across to the people," he said.
"The messages for the PF were short term and they have been proved that they can't be done and they don't know how to get out of that and they are blaming the citizens. In the developed countries, a politician can be fired if he said ‘I will do this in 90 days'. I feel they (PF) have been a letdown," said Brig Gen Miyanda.
On the major pronouncements so far made, Brig Gen Miyanda accused President Sata of dictatorial practices. "What would stop President to create two or 73 provinces? People must not trivialise the matter; people must learn to consult. To dictate is to say things of what you want people to do according to you without hearing them. A dictatorial tendency is that one wakes up and says ‘I'm changing this now'. That is not keeping up in spirit of our Zambian Constitution and I can go to any forum and say that in the Zambian Constitution what the President is doing is not in the Constitution," he said.
Brig Gen Miyanda said the sovereignty of the country was reposed in the people and not to the President and that this must be respected by the PF.
"Zambians are shareholders and must be consulted. My worry is that if a President has given himself powers to create provinces, what would stop him to wake up and create two provinces or 73 provinces for each tribe? In Britain they don't pass fundamental laws overnight," he said.
Brig Gen Miyanda said as soon as a government stops to listen to people, it loses the right to govern. "And that is what happened loss of the MMD in elections; people were annoyed as this has been going on for several years, over so many years somebody stopped listening. That is why I say it was a regime change. As to whether there was a consensus, I have my doubts as I have my own information that something happened behind the scenes," said Brig Gen Miyanda.
And a University of Zambia lecturer in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies said the government should consider carrying out a referendum over the Barotseland Agreement.
Phineas Bbaala observed that Zambia may have to learn from other countries in resolving the Barotseland Agreement.
"We may have to learn from what other countries have done. Government should consider carrying out a referendum on this issue. It is important for the government to get views from the people of Western Province through a formal exercise like it was done in Sudan," Bbaala said.
He said the referendum may either be an independent one or the government may take advantage of the upcoming referendum on the constitution-making process to also include questions on the Barotseland issue.
Bbaala suggested that the referendum must be restricted to all districts of Western Province and that the government should announce the outcome and then make a collective decision on the matter.
"Government must make a decision as a government to announce its position on the matter. They should give reasons for their own recommendations. Government has a duty to guide the people of Western Province and the nation at large over this issue," said Bbaala.
Labels: BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, CHARLES MILUPI, GODFREY MIYANDA, MICHAEL SATA
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Sata's threats against Nzamane, Madzimawe dictatorial - Miyanda
By Speedwell Mupuchi
Mon 20 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
BRIGADIER General Godfrey Miyanda has described as arbitrary, dictatorial, illegal and unconstitutional President Michael Sata's threat against chiefs Nzamane and Madzimawe for allegedly threatening Paramount chief Mpezeni.
In an open letter to the Law Association of Zambia over the matter, Brig Gen Miyanda quoted President Sata indicating that the two chiefs had committed some serious crimes warranting the invoking of some provisions of the chiefs Act, with a further threat to resuscitate them to an area outside their ancestral areas.
He said President Sata's threats were inconsistent and contradictory following his and his party, the PF's opposition to threats by former president Rupiah Banda to dethrone chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II.
"I contend that the President's intention to dethrone the two chiefs is without proper or plausible grounds. Further, it was uncalled for to publicly dress down the chiefs in front of the whole Zambia," according to the letter. "Unfortunately, such have a tendency to grow louder and bigger and create fear and tension in the nation."
Brig Gen Miyanda urged LAZ to show leadership and provide appropriate direction on pertinent legal controversies and come to the aid of any citizen under threat of abuse of power or executive excesses.
He also urged all chiefs to stand in solidarity with each other to resist "dictatorial and divisive tendencies that threaten the unity of the country".
He also urged Minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu to stop being a spectator when the Executive was acting in an arbitrary and dictatorial manner, and that unless he had some private interest to protect, he should provide timely and professional advice.
Brig Gen Miyanda contended that the President does not possess powers to arbitrarily remove a chief from their hereditary station under the guise of "withdrawing recognition".
He said if President Sata proceeded with the threat, he would be acting illegally and unconstitutionally.
"I contend that there is no law that gives the President any blanket authority over traditional affairs, especially the ascendancy and succession of chiefs in Zambia. Proper procedures must be followed before the relevant powers are invoked; from his very angry attack on the two chiefs, it appears he has already made up his mind about their guilt!" he said.
"Clearly, the President has misconstrued the letter and spirit of the Republican Constitution vis a vis the resolution of disputes in a traditional setting in Zambia."
Brig Gen Miyanda contended that reliance on the chiefs Act for the crimes alleged by President Sata was misconceived because the sections relied on were repugnant to Article 127 of the Constitution of Zambia.
He also said the procedure adopted by President Sata to publicly lambaste the two chiefs during an unrelated swearing-in ceremony of ambassadors was contrary to the current law and practice regarding traditional affairs and lacked transparency.
"In fact, it is intimidating (as opposed to being inquisitorial) and has presumed, without hearing the two chiefs, that they are guilty as alleged by whoever is their accuser," Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
He contended that the power to recognise does not mean power to remove a chief solely by presidential decree or even to dissolve a chieftaincy.
He stated that even assuming that the two chiefs threatened chief Mpezeni, there were other ways of dealing with it.
"And in all of them it is undesirable for the President to be an active participant. For the President to be active in the early stages of a traditional dispute is what creates a personality cult that leads to patronage which further slows down democratic development because citizens revert to the President whom they begin to worship as some sort of a god!" Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
He also urged chiefs to speak out against arbitrary Presidential decrees, saying there was no Zambian without a village.
"The President is just one of the villagers. As a result of the elections, he has become the number one servant of the people. All bona fide Zambians must condemn any arbitrary, divisive and dictatorial tendencies," stated Brig Gen Miyanda.
Labels: CHIEF MADZIMAWE, CHIEF MPEZENI, CHIEF NZAMANE, CHIEFS, EASTERN PROVINCE, GODFREY MIYANDA, LAZ, MICHAEL SATA
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Do not tamper with Christian nation declaration - Miyanda
By Abigail Sitenge
Sat 31 Dec. 2011, 13:54 CAT
NOBODY, including the technical committee to draft a new constitution, should tamper with the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, says Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda.
Speaking to journalists after the 20th anniversary of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, Brig Gen Miyanda (left) urged Christians never to be ashamed about the declaration.
He said Christians should never be ashamed to confess Jesus Christ as Lord over Zambia because that was the purpose of the Christian nation declaration.
"As far as I am concerned, nobody should tamper with it, this is a wrong forum. I will talk about the constitution making on another forum but today (Thursday) I am saying no one must tamper with it, not even what they've called the technical committee which personally I don't agree with," he said.
And in his New Year's message, Brig Gen Miyanda urged the new government to look into the interests of the people.
"I hope the government will look after the interest of the people and to us the politicians, I have seen a lot of deceit, a lot lies in the politics of our nation. I hope that the New Year will be different. Nobody must promise things they can't do, if you can't do it, don't promise it, that's my message," he said.
Brig Gen Miyanda also warned young people against drinking alcohol during the festive period.
Speaking during the commemoration, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director Reverend Pukuta Mwanza said corruption was one of the worst forms of crime that had badly ruined the moral fibre of the country.
He said corruption had become so deeply rooted in the hearts of selfish and greedy persons, among them leaders in public office.
Rev Mwanza said the Church supported the government's commitment and that of law enforcement agencies in fighting corruption because it would protect the country's resources.
"The constitution-making process is an important undertaking in our country because it is a basis for accountability and good governance. May I correct the notion that seems to fill the general public that our primary interest in the constitution-making process is only the declaration clause. To the contrary, we are interested in the entire constitution; we want a good constitution just like every Zambian," said Rev Mwanza.
On Thursday, several church leaders, political party leaders and government representatives gathered to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka.
Labels: CHRISTIANITY, GODFREY MIYANDA
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Miyanda urges dialogue
By George Chellah
Thu 30 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT
DIALOGUE is always better than wielding machetes, warns Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda. And Brig Gen Miyanda has maintained that President Rupiah Banda’s appointment of Bahati PF member of parliament Besa Chimbaka as Luapula provincial minister was a provocative act and a precursor of violence.
Reacting to chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha’s remarks that his statement on Chimbaka’s appointment was misplaced, Brig Gen Miyanda, who is also Her-itage Party president, stated that Lt Gen Shikapwasha trivialised his comments on the need for the government in general and the President in particular, to lead in creating a conducive political atmosphere devoid of rancour.
“The government spokesman claimed on ZNBC television that my statement regarding the appointment of a PF Member of Parliament (The Post No 5180 of 25th December 2010) was misplaced,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“That retort indicates that the government is not serious about its pronouncements in support of dialogue. Government responses to national issues must graduate from mere propaganda and defensive verbal gymnastics to substance and quality contributions.”
He maintained that President Banda’s act was provocative and a precursor of violence.
“Dialogue is always better than wielding machetes. I again call on the President not to lead in provocative acts. If his motives are genuine, he must ask the sponsoring party to nominate. Why talk secretly to their member? This is called ‘Divide and Rule’ and makes his pronouncements in support of dialogue and peace questionable. Such actions create a chain reaction,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
He said when an appointment was made without consulting the sponsoring party, the concerned party began to quarrel with the poachers and ended up suspending or expelling their member resulting in court battles, disharmony and continuous discord in the political arena.
“The Heritage case was cited to show how we lost MPs who were enticed in the same fashion in a scheme manipulated at high levels of the ruling party. How do you build harmony and peace when you habitually plant seeds of discord and display vindictiveness?” said Brig Gen Miyanda.
He stated that President Banda must play the role of unifier which must be evidenced not just by words but by deeds.
Brig Gen Miyanda cited last year when he called on President Banda to be the first courageous President to show that he wasn’t afraid of his shadow by freeing the public media, especially television, so that contending political leaders could be seen together regularly, debating topical issues.
He said this would have helped citizens learn from the leaders so that they may believe that politics was not warfare and that it can be clean.
“This is a challenge that has eluded all our past Presidents. We must tolerate divergent views; we are over ten million people and cannot have the same views even if we tried. How does the government rubbish my non-partisan call for dialogue and fair conduct of political affairs?” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
He said those that believed they were always right never repent.
“As Christians if we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and must repent. Not repenting means we cannot renew our hearts,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda.
Labels: BESA CHIMBAKA, GODFREY MIYANDA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Pact was created for wrong reasons - Miyanda
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 19 July 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE PF-UPND pact was created for wrong reasons and followed the same pattern of lies and half-truths of previous electoral alliances like the UDA, Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has charged.
In a media statement issued in Lusaka yesterday, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that he had found United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema’s claim that the PF-UPND pact was the “only option” for Zambia to be wishful thinking and hence his comment on the Pact.
“I laud the recent Post revelations and editorials on the PF/UPND Pact. The Post warnings are timely because the Pact was born the same way that the UDA had been,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “Dismissing the point of The Post advice is their choice but not a wise one.”
Prior to the 2006 tripartite elections, the UPND, UNIP and Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) formed the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to unseat then president Levy Mwanawasa.
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that although he agreed with Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s observation that non-members of the Pact should leave them to sort out their internal disputes, he was an exception because he was a target of some of their lies that added to his continued stigmatisation.
Brig Gen Miyanda, who is president of the Heritage Party, observed that a genuine pact or alliance must look beyond winning an election.
He observed that promoters of the PF-UPND pact had refused to learn from past alliances as their rationale was ill-motivated from inception.
“Instead of being defensive, it is important for them to take seriously the correct advice by The Post. I agree and support everything said by The Post so far,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“The issues that have compelled me to comment on the Pact are ones that The Post has repeatedly emphasised in the past week: namely shifting sands, evasion, lies and half truths. To me, these stand out as the labels that presently clothe and identify the Pact. I have latched onto The Post issues of truthfulness and honesty because of what happened to me; the two leaders lied about me, giving the impression that we had been talking; an absolute lie.”
He challenged PF-UPND pact leaders to truthfully answer about his alleged association with them.
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the leaders of the PF-UPND Pact laid the foundation of lies about him on Muvi Television, Radio Yatsani, in The Post and other fora.
“They alleged that they had talked to me or were engaging me. They announced that in Zambia there were only three genuine opposition parties, namely the Heritage, UPND and PF. President Hichilema went further on Muvi TV and disparaged political parties that had supported President Rupiah Banda during the 2008 presidential by-election, calling them bootlickers. President Sata did the same on Radio Yatsani,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“But a short while later, they announced the formation of the PF/UPND Pact, declaring that there were only ‘two giant opposition parties that were going to liberate Zambia’, namely UPND and PF.
They maliciously kept quiet about what had happened to the third party that they themselves had named, leaving the public to make their own conclusions that ‘Miyanda must have refused as usual’.”
Brig Gen Miyanda recalled that during the first memorial service of the late president Levy Mwanawasa at Cathedral of the Holy Cross in 2009, Hichilema and Sata accosted and queried him why they the trio were not working together.
“Hichilema declared inside that holy place that ‘you and us are meant to be working together’. I reminded the two that they had short memories and were not truthful. They agreed that they had not handled the matter well and were ready to start afresh and correct the mistake,” Brig Gen Miyanda explained. “I said that the ball was in their court as it was them to correct what they had done.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that in spite of this undertaking, Sata later addressed The Post’s Press Freedom Committee newsmakers’ forum at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, where he again repeated the lie.
“If they have lied then they are getting support for lies and half truths,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda. “I am sad to acknowledge that in Zambia leaders do not solve problems but instead create them and when things go wrong they blame imaginary foes. They must retract the lies and apologise to all those they have deceived thus far. It will be a good starting point before they make any attempts to regain credibility.”
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, PF-UPND
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Miyanda accuses govt of deception over draft constitution
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 12 July 2010, 13:20 CAT
BRIGADIER General Godfrey Miyanda has charged that it is deceptive for the government to give Zambians a 40-day period to comment on the draft constitution when in fact they knew all along that they never meant to follow it. In a press statement, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that President Rupiah Banda must see his team’s cheating and deception in broad daylight.
“Last Friday, Vice-President George angrily told Parliament that there will be no extension to their self-imposed 40-day review period given to the public. He declared that the process ‘has been going on for too long and we have to move on with a new constitution’ and added that ‘the NCC National Constitutional Conference will decide whether to make substantial amendments as NCC or whether to take the entire constitution to a referendum’,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
He stated that Vice-President Kunda’s retort to Katuba parliamentarian Jonas Shakafuswa’s legitimate question suggested that the government might have a pre-determined position on the matter.
“The response demonstrates how insensitive the government has become and how Zambians are being taken for granted. The review period was announced with fanfare by NCC chairman Chifumu Banda before even the relevant documents were dispatched to the districts. Both chairman Banda and the Vice President are members of the NCC and Parliament,” said Brig Gen Miyanda, a former Vice-President.
“A few days ago, the NCC proudly announced the belated dispatch of only 9, 000 draft copies to all districts, long after the 40-day clock had begun to tick; the NCC further announced that they are yet to print 20, 000 more copies. The promised translation into local languages has not been done. It is also reported that Braille copies had not been distributed at the time of the Vice-President’s announcement.”
He noted that it was clear that the views of people that do not understand English or the law did not matter to this government.
“In view of the non-extension, must money be wasted on printing more copies? It seems the NCC and the Vice-President expect villagers to trek to district offices and gather at one place to read together, assisted by questionable interpreters.
Since many have no internet facilities, to beat the deadline, they will convey their resolutions by shouting in union from all corners of Zambia to the Vice-President ‘sir, we have now finished!’” Miyanda stated.
“Nobody forced the government to allocate the 40 days; no one forced the NCC to undertake to translate the documents. Even President Banda must surely see this cheating and deception in broad daylight by his team. So, he must just instruct his Vice-President to go ahead and announce the government’s predetermined position.”
Brig Gen Miyanda questioned the motive of the government and NCC to grant a period for people to comment on the draft constitution.
“Is it to leave a paper trail that they had given citizens a chance to comment on the drafts? In any case, why base the decision to write a so-called new constitution on the date of an election? What or which guides or follow the other, the constitution or an election?
Must we write a constitution because of an election? This confusion between the government and the NCC shows that the constitution is not a problem; the big problem is not knowing what the problem is,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“This government must desist from their tendency to mortgage Zambia for selfish and unpatriotic interest only beneficial to them and and their shylocks.”
He stated that now that Vice-President Kunda had slammed the door in the face of Zambians, President Banda should instruct him Kunda announce when Zambians would comment on the defence and security of Zambia and other contentious issues.
“Remember that the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission held secret sessions with service personnel and have never published those submissions. We urge President Banda to compel his Vice-President to finish distributing the documents and then announce the period for comment,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, GODFREY MIYANDA, NCC
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Miyanda defends Gen Masheke’s comments on retiring of 6 generals
By George Chellah
Mon 26 Apr. 2010, 04:40 CAT
HERITAGE Party (HP) leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has advised President Rupiah Banda’s government to revisit its new policy of governing by threats and intimidation because this method seldom achieves the intended purpose.
And Brig Gen Miyanda said attempts to find fault in General Malimba Masheke’s comment on a matter of public interest will turn out to be a wild-goose chase
Commenting on chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha’s utterances last Sunday that the government was investigating General Masheke to see if he had broken his oath of secrecy by commenting on President Banda’s retirement of all defence chiefs at the same time, Brig Gen Miyanda dismissed the threats.
“General Malimba Masheke’s comment on President Banda’s recent removal of Defence Force generals cannot by any stretch of imagination qualify to be an offence or breach under our laws. Instead it exposes how jittery government has become. To threaten any former Army or Air Commander with prosecution for an obscure and non-existent crime is the last thing the government should be wasting public funds on,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“To threaten General Masheke after his long service is beneath the Zambian government which does not even properly utilise or look after its former service or military personnel.
All military personnel sacrifice one thing when they sign up their lives, which is the ultimate sacrifice. This attempt to find fault in General Masheke’s comment on a matter of public interest will turn out to be a wild-goose chase.”
Brig Gen Miyanda said it was not every statement that amounted to a breach of security or oath.
“In order to succeed in a prosecution of this nature, the government must take into account the facts and the circumstances of the case which may be material and necessary to constitute an offence under our laws; I see none here. Such facts will be found in the statement first made by the President and then commented on by General Masheke,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“It is laughable to hear the government declare that the President’s decision to remove defence personnel cannot be debated. There is no such blanket law in Zambia; it all depends on the specific case. How can an opinion become an offence? In fact, the government itself has been condoning serious breaches by disclosing secret tunnels!
“Before initiating any inquiry, it is always necessary to have a modicum of evidence to avoid more Chansa Kabwela-type comedies; General Masheke did not disclose any secrets. He commented on a matter that was put in the public domain by the President himself. The question is, which part of the President’s speech was secret?
And will the President be investigated for being the source of the publication of the alleged secret? I see no such secret in the President’s speech; his action was purely an administrative action that did not even require a Presidential Press briefing, unless truly there was some undercurrent behind the action.
Ordinarily, a retirement is known in advance and even published by the military themselves in their circulars!”
Brig Gen Miyanda said it was completely unnecessary for ministers to keep themselves busy with matters that must in the first instance be handled by professionals under their command, in this case the Police and subsequently the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP’s) office.
“When president Sata alleged that there was a plot to assassinate him, the correct response was for the operatives in the Police to take a formal statement from him and begin to investigate the allegation with no fanfare.
The press battles with Honourables Chishimba Kambwili, Mumbi Phiri and Jean Kapata have acquired a political label through minister’s running commentaries, leading to the perception that there may be political persecution even when this may not be so.
Leave the Police to handle these things and ministers to comment sparingly should there be need to do so,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “It is not only insults that are anathema to Zambian politics, but also these daily unproductive threats and intimidation by the government of anyone who comments on matters of national interest.
Day in, day out we hear threats against the Church, the media, students and all and sundry. Threats and intimidation have become the normal way to govern as though punishment is the only option. Government must revisit its new policy of governing by threats and intimidation because this method seldom achieves the intended purpose. The charade must stop. Those who are afraid of shadows usually end up hanging themselves.”
Labels: ARMED FORCES, GODFREY MIYANDA, MALIMBA MASHEKE, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA, RUPIAH BANDA
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NCC microphone purchase is unwarranted – Miyanda
By George Chellah
Sat 24 Apr. 2010, 04:20 CAT
The purchase of microphones for the NCC was at a cost of K1.8 billion
HERITAGE Party (HP) leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has described the National Constitutional Conference (NCC)’s purchase of microphones at a cost of K1.8 billion as unwarranted expenditure.
And Brig Gen Miyanda has demanded a full disclosure of how the transaction came about. Commenting on the purchase of microphones for the NCC, Brig Gen Miyanda observed that there was no justification for this unwarranted expenditure, which the NCC was trying to justify.
He stated that there were a lot of red herrings splashing about in the attempt to give satisfactory answers on the latest scandal of microphones for the NCC.
“The issue is not whether the items purchased are government property or not but how they were bought and why. Further if the items were ordered a long time ago, the public are entitled to know what steps were taken to ensure that the items were delivered in time for the actual purpose for which the contract was entered into,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“Who drew up the contract and what was the timeframe for delivery? Why was the order not carried out punctiliously? While it is true that the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) falls under the National Housing Authority (NHA), the NCC does not fall under the MICC and is not an agent of the said organisation nor of the NHA.
“Further, the NCC was not created as a purchasing agent for the MICC or any other government unit. So under what consideration did NCC buy microphones on behalf of the MICC? This is sheer recklessness and the decision was made with malice aforethought.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the NCC was created on the fallacious claim that it was cheaper than a constituent assembly.
“So now what has happened at the 11th hour? There is no justification for this unwarranted expenditure, which the NCC is trying to justify. Was the contract honoured? If not there is a breach by not delivering the items on time,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda. “We demand full disclosure of how this transaction came about, the delivery schedule stipulated in the contract and the inventory and other details of the purchase.“
Recently, NCC delegate Bonnie Tembo sought clarification from chairperson Chifumu Banda on the purchase of microphones at a cost of K1.8 billion.
In response, Banda said the microphones in question were government property.
“There is no problem at all, if people want to be negative they will always be negative. The bottom line is that these microphones we’ve been using have given us problems. A decision was made a long time ago to purchase new ones so this is not something new. And let me say that these microphones are government property and they will obviously be surrendered to government,” said Banda.
“Bear in mind that Mulungushi International Conference Centre is under National Housing Authority, and National Housing Authority is a quasi-government institution.
This should not worry people. Honourable Chifumu Banda will not go away with this equipment. If people want to be negative, you can’t stop them. Some people are just naturally negative. If you show them a white piece of paper they will tell you it’s red. So, we have to learn to live with them.”
Labels: BONNIE TEMBO, CHIFUMU BANDA, CORRUPTION, GODFREY MIYANDA, NCC
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Retiring 6 top generals is out of the ordinary – Miyanda
By George Chellah
Wed 21 Apr. 2010, 04:10 CAT
Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has observed that President Rupiah Banda’s act of retiring six top generals is out of the ordinary
HERITAGE Party (HP) leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has observed that President Rupiah Banda’s act of retiring six top generals is out of the ordinary.
Commenting on President Banda’s recent dismissal of all defence forces commanders and their deputies, Brig Gen Miyanda explained that critics of President Banda’s latest statement have been described as desperate
politicians only interested in State House and their perceived crisis of the removal of six generals as a figment of their imagination.
“Though we should not question every action the President takes, some official actions call for scrutiny due to their impact generally on policy or general governance. The President’s action to retire simultaneously the three service chiefs and their deputies is one such important subject calling for public scrutiny because it is a precedent the country may regret in future,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “Although the speech was uncharacteristically brief, it was up to the point and I dare say very presidential as the President departed from his usual style of delivering a political harangue at such press briefings.
“Public reaction has been varied but predictably partisan. Some in opposition have condemned the President for acting rashly and covering up a crisis; those supporting the President have defended him on the grounds that he has the powers to retire the officers. It is of course unfair to criticise merely to make or subtract political points for either side. The President’s action deserves serious examination and comment. There is nothing wrong for the President to act when he detects a crisis.
“If the President acted to forestall a crisis that is what he ought to do and he should be commended for acting promptly if indeed there was a crisis. But this act of retiring six top generals is out of the ordinary. The President read out his speech verbatim; the speech was short, hence easy to analyse. It is the speech that reveals the reasons that he did not directly ascribe to the purported retirement of the generals.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the speech confirms that there was something that triggered off his action.
“Prominent indicators from the President’s speech before announcing the retirements included these words and phrases ‘there are our nationals who have campaigned relentlessly for chaos and have continued even as I speak; there are internal enemies whose aim is to destabilize our country’,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “He then made clear what he was about to do. The reasons for removing the Generals were to forestall destabilisation of the country, to create room for juniors to rise and to motivate them to work harder!
There are contradictions in the President’s speech that may set a bad precedent and that could make administration in the services more difficult. Anyway he announced, ‘I have retired the Generals’,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “I dare say that under our laws, the President has no powers to retire serving officers. Retirement is a condition of service in which the President does not play any part but which occurs once the terms and conditions of service are satisfied.
The potent power available to the President is that of granting a prospective officer a Commission; this is a condition precedent to one being allowed to serve in the regular Army and Air Force as an officer. By being granted a commission an officer serves at the President’s pleasure who may cancel the Commission for appropriate grounds; this is very very rare and almost always follows disciplinary action or verified dishonourable conduct. It is one of those inherited customs and practices.
“As for motivation, well trained officers know or ought to know that it is not possible for all officers to ever become Army or Air Commanders; the military organisation pyramid does not make easy such an eventuality. Officers should not believe that now they have more chances of rising simply by the removal of half a dozen from among them! For goodness sake officers are trained to accept the hierarchical system and this ought to remain so. The system is efficacious; few officers expect to become Defence Force Commanders.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that President Banda must avoid using retirement as a goad for promotion and job creation, thus making young officers to dream the impossible dream.
“The promotion they may all reasonably look forward to is a progressive rise between the junior ranks of subaltern (from second lieutenant) to full colonel. After that the path to the top of the pyramid becomes predictably constricted, with upward movement to Army or Air Commander almost impossible. This is the reality and the Commander-In-Chief must not be the one to promote and encourage agitation within the ranks,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“I pray that the seed inadvertently planted by the President in his brief speech does not take root among our officers that they have to pressurize for removal of Army or Air Force Commanders in order for them to rise because such a notion would become the harbinger of chaos and restlessness in the services. The better alternative to be actively promoted and acted on by the President would be to increase salaries and improve other perks across the board because all ranks would benefit, rather than a half dozen Generals!
“Perhaps times have changed, but my recollection is that officers, as well as other ranks, are brought up in the understanding and recognition of this hierarchical system. It is part of their discipline and training and it is this that makes them take orders from their superiors across the board, including obedience to the Commander-In-Chief when he acts in the national interest.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that it was not necessary for the President to use retirement as bait to those remaining to believe that now they would have promotions galore.
“Removal of the six Generals will not result in any significant vacancies for the hundreds of officers and thousands of other ranks. This is like the NCC making Zambian youths dream that the degree clause will result in job opportunities for them to become President, a one out of twelve million probability!
The President is humbly advised to consider other rational and practical ways to motivate officers and create jobs. Dismissing Generals is definitely not one of them!” said Brig Gen Miyanda.
Labels: ARMED FORCES, GODFREY MIYANDA
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Govt’s slow response to floods borders on criminal negligence - Gen Miyanda
By George Chellah
Tue 30 Mar. 2010, 04:01 CAT
HERITAGE Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has stated that the government's lazy and slow response to the flood situation borders on criminal negligence.
Commenting on the disaster management in the country, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the flood situation in the nation was not a pleasant event and should not be politicised.
“Nobody should use the plight of our people to compete for voter attention; not the government, not the opposition nor anyone else. People have died when they should have not. However, we all have a duty to make suggestions in the hope that those in authority will pay attention and act,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“My comment is provoked by the belated desperate cry by the Vice-President in Parliament last Friday. It is pathetic at this late hour for the Vice-President to mourn in Parliament that the flood situation is desperate, hoping for donor support when the floods are subsiding. The floods have been imminent since the beginning of the rain season last year. The problem is that the government is not forward-looking and has misplaced priorities and has failed to discern what an emergency or desperate situation demands. While the President was away, we have seen the Veep hop and stop from Western Province to Southern, Eastern, Copperbelt and other areas all at stretch. Clearly these were campaign trips and have nothing to do with floods; the Veep's message on those trips concerned attempts to divide the PF/UPND Pact. Government has been politicking and aiming to score points for 2011 instead of dealing with the emergency that is already upon us.
“The time spent by the Vice-President criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country could have been better spent on assessing and analysing the impact of the anticipated floods which they are doing now. A national disaster is an urgent situation that must be dealt with promptly as an emergency, using extraordinary action to contain or avert the disaster. Since at this late hour the Vice-President has now admitted and assessed that the situation is desperate, the government must formally declare a national disaster or state of emergency in specified areas.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that there was no justification for this inertia that was bordering on criminal negligence.
“Emergencies require immediate extraordinary measures; this is why they are covered under emergency provisions and not under the ordinary. Government should refrain from dealing with this situation as an ordinary occurrence. When he addressed the displaced people in Lusaka, the Veep announced that Cabinet would soon meet to decide on long-term action,” Brig Gen Miyanda said. “The concept of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) is that of a Rapid Response Unit and must not be preoccupied with long-term research.
Further, there is no need to wait for new laws when old ones that can be invoked remain on his shelves. When an emergency is upon us, it is not the time to hold press briefings, workshops, and seminars or make ministerial statements.
“Emergencies may be of natural disasters such as floods, or widespread fires that threaten to engulf huge populations; they could be those that may be of an outbreak of an epidemic on a wide scale. We may not need new laws to deal with the flood situation but must use laws already in place and act diligently and promptly, without witch-hunting or finger-pointing. Based on information from the DMMU, the President should have been advised to declare a state of emergency or national disaster, identifying the nature of the emergency. The announcement in Parliament that the situation is 'desperate' confirms that an emergency already exists or is threatening. So the Veep should send an S.O.S. to the President, imploring him to declare the national disaster or emergency.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that declaring an emergency would assist the government to invoke appropriate legislation under this particular emergency.
“Under the emergency law so invoked, the government would then requisition or commandeer requisite materials and equipment first from within the country from construction, mining companies and/or persons having those items, including earth-moving equipment like bulldozers, excavators, dredgers, pipe layers, compactors and so on. The President would then designate this task to the Military High Command who would set up a Command Headquarters of all the necessary services; too many cooks spoil the soup. The High Command would be free to co-opt other persons or institutions as the situation may dictate,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “As they plan the operation, they must be aware that there are a lot of resources within the country (both human and material).
Looking up to 'donors' as the first port of call is a tired and parrot-like action plan that must be a last resort. Lastly, in an emergency all citizens must pull together, but government must lead and show initiative and seriousness. They must not merely issue divisive statements condemning the opposition. Over this 'desperate situation' the government has been lazy and slow.”
Labels: FLOODS, GODFREY MIYANDA
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Current standard of political debate is below par – Miyanda
By George Chellah
Sat 27 Feb. 2010, 08:00 CAT
HERITAGE Party (HP) leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda yesterday observed that the current standard of political debate in the country is below par. Commenting on the current political environment, Brig Gen Miyanda pleaded with his political colleagues to restrain themselves.
“And reduce the political temperature that had been raised. Instead we must raise the standard of debate. Currently the standard of debate is below par and does not inspire one to join in and enjoy a productive discourse,” he said.
“We must bring up quality arguments so that we all learn something from one another and inspire our young folk. Each time you insult somebody, this has the opposite effect because they do not hear you and ignore what you are saying.
Regrettably this malaise is not confined to government leaders only but is prevalent even among the opposition. This is a sure sign of why things do not change even when the opposition become the government because they continue to do the very things they were condemning.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that Vice-President George Kunda's use of intelligence reports to vilify political opponents at airports was an example of how to deliberately create tension and yet add no value to the national agenda.
“The purpose of the daily briefs and reports that the intelligence officers submit to the Commander-In-Chief are meant to keep him up to date on security matters. Such reports are not intended to be used as missiles or to show how knowledgeable the recipient is about each Zambian citizen,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“Unfortunately, under our system the President is even briefed about internal deliberations of political parties literally on a daily basis. This is because opposition parties are viewed not as citizens but as enemies who are permanently a danger to society. This attitude is wrong and unfair and must be stopped forthwith.
“In the army, an enemy, once identified, has to be destroyed or completely neutralised. But in politics one may have opponents but they are not enemies.
This trait in our politicians has to change before we can make progress in our search for an ideal political system.
In our case, political power is used not for national development but for personal survival and for crushing perceived enemies; our short political history is full of examples. No amount of writing and re-writing our constitution will change this until a proper understanding of freedom and democracy are attained.
“A Constitution is just a piece of paper whose value or worthiness depends on what you do with the contents therein. You either practice them or ignore them.
No amount of writing, re-writing or amending the constitution will achieve the democracy that is shouted about. When in power, the winners of an election make sure the losers feel it and have it in them to vanquish and destroy the opposition; they ensure that their friends and relatives and those who agree with them or support them or dance to their tune are rewarded. It is the African way, the Zambian formula.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that Vice-President Kunda should refrain from misguiding simple Zambians at airports who look up to him and believe whatever he says because he was supposed to be a defender of the Constitution and as Minister of Justice is expected to be fair and just to other citizens.
“His cadres truly believe whatever he says; this is the reason for him to have such a big heart and be slow to anger and not behave like the cadres he addresses, many of whom do not have the advantage of the knowledge he has acquired through his education and now high public office.
He should try hard to be a fountain of justice because of the portfolio of justice that he carries,” Brig Gen Miyanda. “It is not too late for him to change.
Being the stronger of the 'combatants', and bearing in mind that he is not there to vanquish an enemy, he must demonstrate that he values the law he has studied and will not be vindictive or partisan in interpreting it.
Hon George Kunda must thus restrain himself from using intelligence reports as drafts for his airport speeches; this is a strange way of using such reports and is not a common practice. World over intelligence reports are submitted to Heads of State and Government but hardly do we ever hear them used in the manner that Zambian ministers do.”
Brig Gen Miyanda also pleaded with his colleagues in the opposition to review their political and tactical strategy.
“I doubt that their present media blitz is efficacious; it may be doing them more harm than good. In fact, they should not underestimate or look down on one Vernon Johnson Mwaanga; he is a Maestro in his own right.
They should take an interest in what role he is playing; he was with KK, he was at the side of FTJ, he was with Levy and now with RB; all these have valued him,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “Remove emotion from your thought process and you will begin to see things you are not seeing.
Change your ways if you are serious about your concern for the people of Zambia because the current crusade is leading us to nowhere. Above all, always remember not to throw out the baby with the bath water.”
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, POLITICS
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Miyanda urges Rupiah to reject K5bn for NCC MPs
By George Chellah
Sat 13 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
HERITAGE Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda yesterday urged President Rupiah Banda and his Cabinet to reject Vice-President George Kunda's recommendation to pay about K5 billion to ministers and other Lusaka-based parliamentarians attending the NCC because the issue is a scandal in the making.
Brig Gen Miyanda commended President Banda for disclosing that the Cabinet had not yet discussed the K5 billion plot. “Being number one soccer fan, the President must rule the proposal completely off side. Each day that passes reveals the fallacy of the NCC Act,” Brig Gen Miyanda said.
“In spite of being aware that the NCC Act was flawed from inception, the government went ahead with it. The Heritage Party has always maintained that the NCC Act is flawed. Under the NCC Act the Vice-President - cum- Minister of Justice has no authority or power to initiate the financial transaction that he has embarked on. It is curious that the NCC dodged the query when its spokesperson Mrs Mwangala Zaloumis declared that the NCC had nothing to do with what was decided outside of it.
The Cabinet must not entertain the memorandum for the following four reasons: first the Act does not identify the Vice-President or Minister of Justice as the responsible minister being referred to in seven of its eight parts; second the Act has vested financial responsibility in the Minister of Finance; third the need to disclose interest and fourth the moral question.
"First, in what capacity did Hon George Kunda originate the Cabinet memorandum recommending the payment of five billion kwacha to ministers and Lusaka-based MPs without input from the NCC? The NCC Act has eight parts; and in seven of these, no one has been designated as the responsible minister. Only in Part VII is the Minister of Finance named.
In the remaining seven parts the word 'minister' appears about eighteen times. In these seven parts [minister" is not defined and neither is it defined anywhere else in the whole Act. In Zambia, there is no minister or ministry called "The Minister". It is contended that "minister" cannot and must not be assumed or presumed."
He stated that it was mischievous for any minister to assume that the Act refered to him or her.
"Part seven of the Act deals with financial provisions. Under this part the Act has established the Constitutional Review Fund whose expenses are paid out of monies appropriated by parliament. This part specifically vests this Fund in the minister responsible for finance.
There is no provision for the Vice-President or Minister of Justice to initiate the award of allowances. In fact, the Act does not even state to which minister the NCC will submit their recommendations once completed! The Minister of Finance should have initiated the Cabinet memorandum," Brig Gen Miyanda stated. "Section 18 requires all members of the NCC to disclose their interest in any contract, proposed contract or other matter in which they are directly or indirectly interested. The five billion plot falls under the 'other matter' provision. Vice-President Kunda is a member of the NCC, he is Lusaka-based and is one of the beneficiaries and thus has an interest in the five billion plot. He should have declared interest under the NCC Act.
"The moral issue arises because Commissions of Inquiry, including Review Commissions, have a limited life and thus should not have conditions that smack of permanency to warrant a gratuity or even a pension. Why are the majority of trade union leaders silent over this scandal? Why should Zambians allow leaders to make such decisions and get away with it? It seems degrees are not helping these people to visualise what five billion translates into.
Don't they know how many bags of pamela five billion will buy, how many villages can be serviced or how many medicines could be bought?"
Brig Gen Miyanda also stated that accusing the opposition of being responsible for the floods was not only cheap politics but was aimed at distracting attention from the immediate scandal and displayed gross ignorance of the government system.
"In spite of high profile pronouncements against finger-pointing, government leaders are leading the onslaught. The floods are unashamedly being blamed on the opposition; but whether true or false, in emergency situations, solutions must be found to answer the people's cries; that is what governments are for: to come to the aid of the people instead of telling them who has messed up,”
Brig Gen Miyanda said. “It is inexcusable to look for scapegoats; when life is lost in the shanties of Lusaka and elsewhere. It is not the time to point at who has sinned. Governance is not a competition about who is better looking, who talks loudest or who travels everywhere. It is about solving people's problems, consoling them, protecting them and giving them hope. Cholera is not a joke; death is not a joke neither is the plunder of five billion kwacha!" Brig Gen Miyanda stated. "It is so frustrating to be in Zambia and remain a Zambian at a time such as this when corruption seems to be here to stay.
Perhaps government should change the law so that corruption officially becomes our way of life, instead of pretending that we are fighting it. The symbol of a Christian government is the sword, which makes the primary function of the government the protection of its citizens as well as to act decisively to counter any improper conduct done in the name of the Cabinet. I urge President Banda and the Cabinet to reject this memorandum and throw it into a waste paper basket!"
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, NCC, RUPIAH BANDA
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Logic behind NCC’s degree clause is myopic – Miyanda
By George Chellah
Thu 28 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
HERITAGE Party leader Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda yesterday described the logic behind the National Constitutional Conference (NCC)'s recommendation that a presidential candidate must be a degree holder as myopic.
Commenting on the recent contentious resolutions from the NCC, Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the two resolutions by the NCC regarding the voting system and the first-degree myth indicate that they had reverted to their favourite pastime of tying themselves in knots and creating controversy where there should be none.
He stated that unfortunately the NCC had now mischievously resorted to debating in secrecy by stopping the live and daily television broadcasts that contributed to transparency.
“They are hiding something!” he stated. He stated that on the degree myth, the NCC had decided without reference to the real job description of the President.
“You cannot prescribe qualifications without considering the nature or functions of the job. I have said before that the president is not an economist; he or she is not an engineer, a doctor, nor even a lawyer though definitely a general as he or she is the Commander-In-Chief. We can glean the job description of the President from Article 44 of the Constitution as read with Article 33. The President is the Head of State, Head of Government as well as the Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Force,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “This job description entails wisdom, leadership and concern for the security of the state and its entire people.
But I venture to say that he or she is not a CEO in the conventional sense, otherwise he or she would find it difficult to manage the country because of the wide span of control of government structures, ministries and various departments, which is wider than the usual or standard spans. The misconception is that because we have an Executive presidency, this suggests that the President has to directly manage the departments below him. He or she is more of a chairman of the board (Cabinet) rather than a managing director or CEO.”
He stated that he had served in government for ten years as a Cabinet minister, vice-president and acting president.
“At no time was there need for me to use a calculator or to solve a puzzle created by Einstein! We must demystify the Presidency, a position whose primary purpose is the preservation of our sovereignty, nationhood, security and well being of all our people. The President is the focal point for the coordination of the defence and security of the country, government and state and ensuring that all the citizens enjoy the fruits of independence regardless of their station in life or political status. The President must have empathy, compassion, concern for all the people and above all love of the Motherland. What degree is this and where does one get it from?
Article 44 enjoins the President to perform his functions with “dignity and leadership”,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “When we are looking for a president we are not looking for a woman, a youth, a disabled, an old or educated person but we are looking for a leader. But now see how myopic the logic of the degree myth is: why should an accountant who is not a degree holder be prevented from being a president since logically he or she will understand the figures being banded about by the IMF and the ministry of finance? Even journalists now have to be degree holders to practice journalism if the Media Bill goes through. And what of the corruption that seems to be endemic - is the degree holder insulated? Come Zambians, the NCC has botched it and will later have to be forced to indicate which specific degree is appropriate for a presidential candidate!”
Brig Gen Miyanda observed that it was imperative to identify the problem that they were purporting to solve regarding the “one past the post” and “fifty per cent plus one” as well as the degree issues.
“It seems the problem is the assurance of democracy on the one hand and prevention of rigging on the other. Accusing our two friends “Mr One Past the Post” and “Mrs Fifty Plus One” of being responsible for the usual electoral frauds and chaos is like accusing money of being responsible for the misery and evils that Zambians are facing. It does not make sense to accuse an inert thing of wrongdoing and leave man, the real culprit, to get away scot-free. To say, as the protagonists on each side of the argument are saying, that “One Past the Post” is democratic and assures stability is as misleading as saying “Fifty Plus One” will prevent rigging.
These two propositions are neither constitutional question nor are they legal ones. They are merely what people with evil motives do when they circumvent the law. Electoral disputes are the result of fraud and cheating and disregarding existing electoral laws and regulations,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated. “For each of these systems to succeed depends on the integrity of those participating and those managing the elections and not on the system itself. Peace comes when people are contented that the system is transparent and devoid of bribery and abuse of government officers and resources. To rig an election is to arrange the outcome of the result to the rigger's advantage.
The most difficult rigging to trace is the one that takes place well in advance of the election. One way this has been done is to create an in-built majority at the time of registration of voters. In the past it used to be said that refugees and foreigners in border areas were given priority in getting National Registration Cards, thus illegally granting them citizenship and enabling them to register as voters.
“This is a serious question that each successive government has refused or neglected to address. The “Fifty per cent plus One” argument does not take this into account. Another way is the swapping of ballot boxes between centres. Then there is the stuffing of pre-marked ballot papers; but with the use of transparent boxes this is getting less prevalent. But it still takes place in remote places where the opposition do not have election agents.
The answer is for government to provide funding for the payment of election agents for all participating parties and transport. This is necessary for safeguarding our democracy. The Heritage Party had proposed this to the ECZ last year but it was not considered favourably. Additionally the advent of technology has brought with it electronic tampering which is a real menace because nowadays even computers take part in voting! This is more difficult to detect.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that the fraud in the electoral process was the real source of conflict after every election.
“In view of this, the arguments so far for and against the “One Past the Post” and the “Fifty Plus One” systems are not tenable. When electing the president they say that it is undemocratic to do so by less than “50 per cent plus one”; but when electing MPs and Councillors they continue to use “One Past the Post” and this passes as democratic! How come? Receiving 50 per cent plus one vote does not guarantee that the successful candidate will not turn into a chameleon and start abusing and mistreating people,” stated Brig Gen Miyanda.
“It is not the system that creates democracy but the character and conduct of those elected and entrusted with leadership. As was once said by Professor Maliyamkono of Tanzania “there can be no democracy without democrats”. Both systems may work and achieve the intended result; but the “One Past the Post” has the added advantage of not having to repeat the voting.”
The NCC recently unanimously adopted a clause that requires a presidential candidate to have a first degree.
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, NCC, PRESIDENCY
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Miyanda’s reflections on the year 2009
By Editor
Fri 08 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
“The year 2009 can be safely dubbed as the quarrelsome year; in this regard, Zambians have been very productive. It has been a traumatic journey; a year when we seem to have been going somewhere and yet not going anywhere!
This is a year when there has been too much government and too much rule by threats…All the talk about reconciliation only takes place when leaders are attending a church gathering where those they must reconcile with are neither present nor even listening; such messages are intended to impress the audience and may not be a serious call for reconciliation…let the new year be our turning point for turning back to decent politics and for all of us to change our ways and depart from the culture of intimidation, hatred, deception, violence and vulgar debates.
In the new year, we pray for a change of culture and for an atmosphere that will be devoid of political fantasies intended to deceive and discourage citizens from demanding accountability, especially from those in authority. Zambia is indeed on the verge of becoming a totalitarian state…the President must steer clear of media regulation by the government because it will not achieve what its advocates think it will achieve. Instead of spending a lot of energy trying to muzzle the media, government must urgently resolve the issue of access to the public media. It is imperative that Zambians get to hear various views for and against issues, to assist them really understand what is at stake.
This way, they may arrive at informed opinion on any important national issue…let us remember that politics is not only about getting votes at all costs. It is also about building our young nation that has been struggling to find its feet for over 40 years and about educating the less fortunate of our followers who believe in us and not taking advantage of their lack of knowledge. Let us raise the standard and quality of debate.” This is an extract from Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda’s reflections on the year 2009 and the new year that we have just entered – 2010.
Brig Gen Miyanda has made very important observations that require deep meditation from all of us. It doesn’t matter whether one likes him or not; or whether one agrees with him or disagrees, we should all seriously think about what he has said because these are matters that we cannot afford to ignore if we have to harbour any hope of a peaceful and prosperous life in this country.
Brig Gen Miyanda has joined many others who have been talking about the need for reconciliation in our country. But what do we mean by reconciliation? The simplest description of reconciliation that we can give starts from a situation in which one person dislikes another or feels anger, resentment or hatred against that person, or both feel this way about each other.
Reconciliation occurs when the bad feeling is overcome, and the two people become friendly. We should have no difficulty understanding such situations, we have all experienced them. The position is much more complicated and much more serious when the bad feeling is not merely between one person and another, but between one group – however that group is defined – and another.
The long history of mankind is full of stories of such bad feelings between groups of people – be they communities, tribes, nations, people of different religions, people of different political affiliations and so on and so forth. These frequently have led to greater animosities and hatreds, conflicts and even revolutions. We cannot deny the fact that we find it hard to like people who belong to a different group from ours. We are more tempted to fight them.
Yet we cannot live without belonging to a group, however that group is defined. Enmity between groups is one of the worst examples of human sinfulness. Group spirit is one of the greatest blessings of humanity. But when it turns into a spirit of enmity against other groups, political or otherwise, it is one of the greatest evils.
A disastrous aspect of this evil is that it blinds us, it prevents us from seeing the evil in ourselves. We belong to our group as a drop of water belongs to the river, as a grain of sand belongs to the earth, as a breath of air belongs to the atmosphere. We see with the eyes it gives us. We hear with the ears it gives us. Its spirit is our spirit. Its life is our life. Whatever good is in it is in us. Whatever evil is in it is in us also. That is why we find it so hard to see the evil. As with our individual failings, others see them much more quickly and clearly than we do.
We may never see them. One of the greatest tragedies of the human race is that groups hardly ever see and admit their own failings. They do not want to see them. They prefer to remain blind to one another without apparently any qualms of conscience. As long as this goes on, reconciliation is impossible. The group that is hurting the other sees no need to change; and the group that is being hurt gets more and more resentful until its resentment bursts out into open conflict.
Clearly, reconciliation is not possible without a genuine repentance of evil. Unity and peace demand that all of us as Zambians be reconciled with one another. We must work for reconciliation. We would like to point out that when people are kept well informed, and truthfully so, then harmful talk cannot succeed. The radio, television, newspapers and magazines must all be at the service of truth and justice. When the media are used for other purposes, trust disappears and lies, deceit, manipulation, calumny flourish. Unity is broken.
The demands of unity require justice for those who have been wronged as well as punishment for wrongdoers, for those who have stolen public funds. But at the same time, those who feel they have suffered any injustice must not forget the virtue of mercy. A genuine reconciliation would only emerge against the background of the integration of mercy and justice as well as of truth and charity.
And the realisation of the enjoyment of the right to peace requires the commitment of all the citizens to dialogue and to eliminate everything that leads to conflict. We know that intolerance, corruption and other abuses lead to conflict. A complete conversion of heart and a thorough reform of society are needed and must be attempted soon. The use of intimidation or physical violence will achieve nothing permanent and good. Zambia can be served only by a genuine revolution of love, by violence to our selfish interests.
As we approach 2011, the year of our next presidential and general elections, we must express concern regarding the frequent instances of intolerance, intimidation and lust for power. We need to remember the lesson: “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
In the present atmosphere of fierce competition and character assassination, we remind the nation of the noble goals of political activity. From a Christian point of view – since we have decreed this country a Christian nation – politics aims at the promotion of the common good and the service of all the people. We read in the scriptures that “The Son of Man himself came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:42). There is an urgent need for understanding dialogue and reconciliation.
We are aware that reconciliation is a long and difficult process. We are also aware of the obstacles and difficulties set upon this road, the road of reconciliation. The process of reconciliation involves the seeking of truth that ensures sincere and lasting forgiveness. It also presupposes justice. As Pope John Paul II once observed: “There is no contradiction between forgiveness and justice. Forgiveness neither eliminates nor lessens the need for reparation which justice requires.”
And we should not be easily enticed to read reconciliation and fairness as meaning parity between justice and injustice. Justice must be embraced while injustice must be fought. There can be no peace and reconciliation where there is no justice. It’s meaningless to talk about peace without talking about justice.
Emphasising peace without trying to anchor it on justice will simply lead to totalitarianism, tyranny and straitjacket. We should never forget that no one in politics starts with a declaration that they are going to be dictators, tyrannical leaders. Not even Hitler did so. All start from a premise of being good and democratic leaders but some of them end up totalitarian and tyrannical governments.
And as Brig Gen Miyanda has correctly observed, informed public opinion is the most potent of all restraints upon misgovernment. And for this reason, any attempts by the government to muzzle the media through statutory regulation or otherwise cannot be regarded otherwise than with grave concern. Again, we call on all of you, on all our readers to meditate deeply over what Brig Gen Miyanda has said. You don’t need to agree with him. All we are asking you is to reflect deeply on the issues he has raised in his year-end message to the people of Zambia. Read it and reflect on it.
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA
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Miyanda warns govt against rule by threats
By George Chellah
Fri 08 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
ZAMBIA is on the verge of becoming a totalitarian state, Heritage Party (HP) president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda has said.
Giving his expectations for 2010, Brig Gen Miyanda observed that it seemed the stage had been set for continued quarreling in 2010 because of the many unresolved contentious issues that are hanging in the air.
“Government must not assume the role of 'manufacturer of controversy'. They did it with the NGO Bill. Now it is media regulation. Why has government opened up this new battle front?” Brig Gen Miyanda asked.
“Information is important and the media are one of the most active tools for dissemination of information. We are totally against media regulation by the government as revealed in the press.
“Barring genuine security and morality issues, people are entitled to know what is happening in our country and around us. We believe that the best media regulation is already in place; it is called the law of defamation, which protects everyone. Defamation is about publishing untruths about another person.
“This law favours all citizens, including government and newspapers. In the New Year we pray for a change of culture and for an atmosphere that will be devoid of political fantasies intended to deceive and to discourage citizens from demanding accountability, especially from those in authority. Zambia is indeed on the verge of becoming a totalitarian state!”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that 2009 had been a traumatic journey and a year when Zambians seemed to have been going somewhere and yet not going anywhere. He said there had been too much government and too much rule by threats.
“So as the year was coming to an end, we were looking forward to a better New Year. But the treason message by the Minister of Justice seems to have dashed hope of a new beginning. We pray that, that was just an ill omen, which will not come to pass,” he said.
”In 2009 everything was under assault; our nationhood, our tribes, our families and all government institutions including the justice system.
The contenders seem to be saying that only an outcome that is pleasing to them is the correct one. We must soberly reflect on this challenge of a contentious spirit that has manifested itself among us. All the talk about reconciliation only takes place when leaders are attending a church gathering where those they must reconcile with are neither present nor even listening; such messages are intended to impress the audience and may not be a serious call for reconciliation.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that people were never reconciled through the media or via well-timed phrases from the pulpit.
“Those who qualify to be called peacemakers must interact with those who should be encouraged to reconcile, otherwise their messages remain empty slogans. We appeal to the Church to use appropriate fora to call for reconciliation by getting in touch with those in serious disputes requiring reconciliation. Let the New Year be a new beginning in our political conduct,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“The Heritage Party is seizing this chance to plead with all Zambians to let the New Year be our turning point for turning back to decent politics and for all of us to change our ways and depart from the culture of intimidation, hatred, deception, violence and vulgar debates.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stressed the need for Zambians to see a new man in President Banda, with new energy for resolving issues with those he disagrees with.
“Let him be quick to discourage intimidation and misinformation all round. I urge the President to help the nation to start the New Year on a new leaf and encourage dialogue without compromising important national principles and to discourage patronage while promoting patriotism. We are over eleven million people, we cannot have the same views even if we tried,” he stated.
He also highlighted the need for President Banda to deliberately encourage debates with opposition parties live on the national broadcaster for people to see their leaders talking together.
“It is more important to let our uninformed citizens learn from different national leaders instead of just the government officials and/or their supporters. The President must steer clear of media regulation by the government because it will not achieve what its advocates think it will achieve. Instead of spending a lot of energy trying to muzzle the media, government must urgently resolve the issue of access to the public media,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
“In this regard there is the obvious bias by the public media, especially ZNBC, in favour of the ruling party. Of course there is the chronic disease that all ministers of information always deny that there is bias against opposition parties. I believe that it is perfectly in order for free time to be allocated every so often for political parties to promote their organisations at government expense. This will remove the 'wamuyaya' syndrome, which was inculcated in our people during the one party state era.
“President Banda must leave a legacy that records that he was the one in 2010 who opened up the air waves to even those opposed to his government. Let him be the first republican President since independence to achieve this. It will be a wonderful and rich gift to the people of Zambia because our people will have confidence that in fact we have a huge national pool or reservoir of national leadership from which to tap.”
Brig Gen Miyanda stated that President Banda must give an undertaking that he would go out of his way to ensure that there is genuine access to the public media by opposition political players and be seen to carry out this policy in 2010.
He also advised his fellow opposition leaders that politics was not only about getting votes at all cost.
“It is also about building our young nation that has been struggling to find its feet for over forty years and about educating the less fortunate of our followers who believe in us and not taking advantage of their lack of knowledge. Let us raise the standard and quality of debate. If you have nothing to say, do not say anything; instead, take a walk or jog a little and maybe calm down and reduce some weight and BP; enjoy the fresh air for a little while, and you will be surprised how much refreshed you will have become,” Brig Gen Miyanda stated.
Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, GOVERNANCE, PRESS FREEDOM
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