Dutch envoy hails expense on Auditor General's office
By Moses Kuwema
Sun 04 Dec. 2011, 13:30 CAT
NETHERLANDS Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar says the money that his country has been providing to the Auditor General's office has been well spent.
Speaking when visiting Norwegian Auditor General Jorgen Kosmo met deputy minister in the office of the Vice-President Edgar Lungu at his office on Friday, Ambassador Molenaar said the money that his country had provided to the Auditor General's has been well spent.
"May I add a bit because I am a bit of an old hand in this country. I am here for three years and sometimes you look at your development cooperation programme and some activities are more successful than others but when I look at our programme, I would say the money spent on the Auditor General's office is well spent," he said.
"I mean....in the past the going was not easy; it was tough and the Auditor General herself stood her ground in different circumstances and we have seen results of that when we have the unfortunate corruption scams in the past like in (Ministry of) health. She actually had to take over the whole auditing system in the ministry and its money as we can say from our side, very well spent."
And Lungu said the Auditor General's office was the hub of the country's development.
"And if you are saying money spent in the Auditor General's office is money well spent, that's very good for me and for us as the government because it assures us that we can still get back to you and engage you as our partners," Lungu said.
Lungu said the government was in a hurry to get going and change the country and that the promise of development within 90 days had to be seen.
At this moment, Norwegian Ambassador to Zambia Tore Gjøs chipped in and said: "It is 70 days so far."
As Lungu responded: "It's 70 days, yes, but certain changes can be felt. It starts with the mind; minds have already changed. Our attitude to work is different. The Auditor General knows we are very punctual. We do report to work on time, everything now has changed because of the mental attitude."
Auditor General Anna Chifungula also added: "For the first time I am seeing some civil servants being in the office at 08:00 hours."
Lungu then continued saying there was a "bit more money in people's pockets".
"Thank you for your support. We can assure you that all your support is not in vain; we treasure it. On behalf of the Zambian people, I can guarantee you that we are there to provide for them, they are the employers and whatever we do is in the best interest of the Zambian people," said Lungu.
Labels: ANNA CHIFUNGULA, AUDITOR GENERAL, HARRY MOLENAAR
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Issue-based election campaigns
By The Post
Thu 24 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT
Good elections require intelligent and responsible participation of all candidates and voters.
And the political campaigning that precedes our elections is a critical aspect of the electoral process. We say this because it provides a platform to our politicians and their political parties to articulate party agenda on international, national and local issues, and ought to reflect the contestation of ideas on how the state and society should be organised and run. Such contestations are healthy for our political process in the sense that the electorate is thereby assisted to make rational political choices. The political campaign ought to highlight the outlook of the parties and therefore guide their perceptions of the state, society and economy.
The political campaign process in Zambia seems to be deviating from this normative approach we have outlined. It is rather unfortunate that the campaign process has become an instrument used to harass, humiliate, demonise, defame, intimidate and repress political opposition. We caution that our politicians should emphasise electoral tolerance and leverage on issue-based campaigns. The obvious lack of issue-based campaigns among our politicians, especially those of the ruling party who are supposed to lay a good example, is a source of serious concern. The Zambian people are looking forward to campaigns that will affect their lives and livelihood. They want to see campaigns that will consolidate and strengthen our democracy beyond individualism, ethnicity and regionalism. But what they are seeing are campaigns that totally lack vision regarding how to solve the myriad of problems confronting the nation. And maybe due to lack of any clear-cut programmes for the people, the only discernible message that they are selling is abuse. But abusive campaigns are not what the Zambian people expect to form the focal point of this year’s election campaigns. They expect to hear what plans are in the offing towards finding lasting solutions to the long queue of problems facing the country from those aspiring to emerge as our leaders in this year’s elections but not abuses.
We therefore encourage all our people to get themselves informed of the manifestos of the various political parties. The Patriotic Front launched their manifesto last Saturday in Lusaka. We expect the MMD and others to do so soon. These manifestos are supposed to have the programme of action that the parties propose to follow in order to serve the good of all people. A sound manifesto should articulate achievable programmes that will enhance the development of our country and our own wellbeing. Hence, we should be able to decide to vote for the party that has a programme we see as the best for us as a nation.
The candidates for political parties will be committed to the manifestos of their party as well as to their personal vision for their constituency.
Candidates should therefore be evaluated on their capacity to implement both their party’s manifesto and their personal vision. As we have stated before, those who offer themselves for re-election ought to be evaluated against the record of what they have or have not achieved. Did they fulfil their promises? Did they offer quality service to all the people and not only those who voted for them into power? Were they available to listen to the concerns of the people? Were they selfless in responding to the needs of all, especially the poor? Again, as we have stated before, those who have not yet held office, those in the opposition, should be carefully evaluated in terms of their competence and their reputation for honesty and selfless dedication to the common good.
In casting our votes, we should therefore not be swayed by personal profit but solely by the consideration of which of the conflicting issues or candidates is better for the nation. We should scrutinise the people who wish to represent us and select our candidate strictly according to the good we think they can do. The interest of the political parties should be kept subordinate to the public good. And at the risk of boring our readers, we again remind you that politics is for the good of the people and the country, and not for a political survival of any individual or party. And if this spirit of the primacy of the common good were to animate all the parties, we would not witness these campaigns anchored on character assassination, mudslinging, slander, lies, calumny, manipulation and deceit which leave the public dismayed and disheartened.
As we approach this year’s elections, we must express concern regarding the frequent instances of intolerance, intimidation, character assassination and lust for power. We call upon our politicians and their cadres to avoid distorted presentations of their opponents. Responsible politics demands a fair assessment of one’s opponents. 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, there is need to consistently remind ourselves of the noble goals of political activity. Politics should aim at the promotion of the common good and the service of all the people.
Ours is a nation where we may freely choose those who will represent us, where we may now review the performance of our present representatives, weigh them in the balance of truth, justice and unselfish service, and, if we find them wanting, reject them and elect others in their place. This is our inalienable right. Our vote can help eliminate the unworthy and improve the quality of the leadership of our country.
Free, fair and constructive elections would become a reality in our country when the politicians take their responsibility seriously by addressing themselves to real issues, to their manifesto, so that voters could judge what ideas the parties and their leaders had on problems that really matter: cost of living, unemployment, corruption, poor services in education, health, government offices and so on and so forth. They should respect truth and their political opponents.
It is always interesting and inspiring watching the leaders of the advanced democracies of the world during electioneering campaigns. Their campaigns are usually issue-centred. Candidates do take one another up on critical issues affecting the lives of their people, especially during presidential debates which we hardly hold here because the ruling party has consistently refused to take part in such debates. And theirs goes beyond ‘I will do this, I will do that’, ‘I will provide this, I will provide that’, which have become usual platitudes with our politicians here. They make it a matter of duty to truthfully explain how they intend solving identifiable problems in every facet of their lives and how to make life more liveable for their people. They hardly engage in name-calling, abuse, lies, slander, character assassination, malice and insults. This is the kind of campaign approach one expects our politicians, especially those in the ruling party, to emulate. Only those candidates who have nothing to offer the electorate resort to lies, slander, character assassination, calumny and deceit during electioneering period. This is unacceptable and should be discouraged. This is the type of politics and campaign the Dutch Ambassador to Zambia, Harry Molenaar, is discouraging in favour of issue-based campaigns. There are many issues for any serious politician to pick on.
Elections are an opportune time to review our past in order to prepare for better political choices for the future; it is a time to vote for honest and selfless leaders. Those whose only discernible preoccupation is to demonise, scandalise, defame and character-assassinate others don’t deserve our votes. We need honest and clean politics. Liars, crooks and dishonest politicians of all hues should not be given our votes – they don’t deserve them.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, HARRY MOLENAAR, MANIFESTO, POLITICS
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Molenaar urges issue-based campaigns
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Thu 24 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT
THE Netherlands government has urged Zambian politicians to look at how they will improve the people’s welfare as they campaign in this year’s elections. In an interview, Ambassador Harry Molenaar hoped that people would be motivated to vote on the basis of issues.
“Issue based campaigns… I hope all politicians pay more attention to that because there are issues on the economy, women’s rights. As political leaders, they also have a role to play to educate the electorate and not only say bad things about each other,” he said.
Ambassador Molenaar said it was important to get a lively debate and look to the future of the country.
“What sort of things should we be having? What sort of things should be changed? What things should we keep? I think, that will give it more substance,” he said.
And Ambassador Molenaar said Zambia needed policies that would contribute to fighting poverty especially in rural areas. He said the challenge that Zambia had was how to trickle down the much talked about economic growth to the ordinary people. He said although poverty was there in urban areas, it was not as bad as in rural areas. He said rural areas were the places that needed to be addressed and where investment should take place.
Ambassador Molenaar said rural areas needed decent roads so that farmers could take their produce to the markets and get a better price. He said Zambia needed a multi-faceted approach.
“It’s not only one thing that you should change, it’s complicated but that is what I think government should work on. An integrated approach to fight poverty, transport, energy, roads, extension services, it’s not only about fertiliser,” he said.
On the happenings at the Ministry of Health, Ambassador Molenaar said donors were working very hard with the ministry and had put in place a plan to address problems of accountability. He said fighting corruption meant preventing it, which called for hard work in all sorts of agencies including the private sector.
He said fighting corruption was not only talking about it but how to avoid it, how to strengthen the systems and change people’s behaviour.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, HARRY MOLENAAR, POLITICS
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Zambia’s economy too reliant on copper – Ambassador Molennar
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 14 Sep. 2010, 20:50 CAT
ZAMBIA'S economy is too reliant on the mining industry, Netherlands ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar has observed. In an interview, ambassador Molenaar said there is need to diversify Zambia’s economy to other sectors such as agriculture.
“There is need to figure out how to diversify the economy so that more people can profit from the environment and also spread out the economy and for that I think you need the right policies in place. This means putting in place integrated policies; and when you think about agriculture for instance, it is not only about fertiliser subsidies.
It is also about energy extension services so that farmers know how to improve the crops, to improve the cattle. It is about energy and that has to come together. If you don’t do that at once, you will be struggling… roads have to be in place too,” he said .
Ambassador Molenaar said Zambia had a lot of potential and there was need to make better use of it adding that if policies were put together, then the country would see the diversification of the economy which would in turn result in added value.
Ambassador Molenaar said he expected next year’s budget to be focused on diversifying the economy by seeing to it that funding was available especially to the rural areas.
“When you have a policy, you have to attach the budgetary means to it. Be consistent, in that when you say you want to focus on agriculture, see to it that all the policies you would like to have in place are also covered with funding,” he said.
[Time to start taxing the mines - MrK]
And ambassador Molenaar has urged the government not to intervene too much in the diversification of the economy, but instead leave it to the private sector so that they can export the produce.
[Ehhmmmm... no. Sorry, ambassador Molenaar. - MrK]
“If you look at the region, South Africa which is the powerhouse, they are less and less producing food so that is an opportunity for surrounding countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia to produce enough food and export it.
[A dumb idea. Most of South Africa's land is not in use, they have high unemployment, and need to start setting up EU size family farms of around 100 hectares. That is the only way to redistribute the land, and secure the food supply. South Africa is going to have to depend on imported food from SADC? That's absurd. - MrK]
The markets are there, the DRC Democratic Republic of Congo…a lot of people say DRC is an untapped potential. And when you look at southern Africa, inter-regional trade is still fairly modest and that should grow,” said Ambassador Molenaar.
[I prefer preferential regional trade over global trade, but local production and consumption maximize both job creation and wealth accumulation. - MrK]
Labels: AMBASSADOR, COPPER, ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION, HARRY MOLENAAR
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Kabwe, Chungu protest over donors’ concerns on London judgment
Written by George Chellah
Saturday, September 26, 2009 6:13:28 PM
DEFENDANTS in the London judgment have protested to Netherlands Ambassador Harry Molenaar on the concerns raised by donors during their private meeting with President Rupiah Banda over the registration and enforcement of the judgment against Chiluba, Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe. Defunct Access Financial Services directors Kabwe and Chungu protested through their lawyers Simeza, Sangwa and Associates.
In a letter dated September 23, 2009 to Ambassador Molenaar, which was also copied to President Banda, foreign affairs minister Kabinga Pande and Attorney General Mumba Malila, Kabwe and Chungu, the defendants complained over the comments attributed to Ambassador Molenaar during the Cooperating Partners Group Troika meeting with President Banda.
"Your Excellency, our clients' attention has been drawn to the statements attributed to Your Excellency speaking on behalf of the "Cooperating Partners Group Troika," in the issue of The Post newspaper of 22nd September 2009, on the registration and enforcement of the London judgment. Your Excellency's comments are prejudicial to our clients, who have challenged registration of the judgment, and have the potential to deny them their right to a free and fair hearing of the issues in contention guaranteed in our Constitution," the defendants' lawyer John Sangwa stated.
"If Your Excellency had acquainted yourself with the law in Zambia governing the registration of foreign judgments and followed the events in the courts, we have no doubt Your Excellency would not have issued these statements, let alone bring up this issue in the discussions with the President. Such comments are understandable only if Your Excellency has no understanding of the laws of Zambia and respect for its judicial system."
He stated that the Zambian legal system has its own shortcomings and challenges.
"But it is the only system we have under our Constitution for the resolution of disputes. Your Excellency's pronouncements undermine the very ideals your government preaches to countries such as Zambia and which you prescribe as conditions for foreign assistance: the rule of law and respect for human rights. Zambia is a sovereign country; for any foreign judgment to be registered and enforced as though it were a judgment of a superior court in Zambia, certain legal requirements must be met," Sangwa stated.
"There is no provision for automatic registration and enforcement of foreign judgments. The judgment of the London High Court of Justice has to meet certain standards stipulated in the Foreign Judgment (Reciprocal Enforcements) Act, chapter 76 of the laws of Zambia. That it was delivered by a white British judge does not mean it must be registered and enforced in Zambia without question.
"Contrary to the comments attributed to Your Excellency, the judgment in issue has in fact been registered in the High Court for Zambia pursuant to the provisions of the Act. The same Act gives the judgment debtors, our clients, the right to apply to set aside registration, which right they have exercised. The case is being prosecuted within our judicial system like any other case and the office of the Attorney General is deeply involved on behalf of the government."
He stated that by raising concerns to President Banda over a matter that was in court, Ambassador Molenaar has clearly shown double standards.
"You do not believe that the principles of separation of powers, the rule of law and human rights, cherished in your country, are also important and valued in Zambia. Your Excellency is in effect suggesting that President Banda ignores these values and dictates to the courts what they should do in relation to the registration and enforcement of the judgment of the London High Court and appease Your Excellency," Sangwa stated.
"Your comments equally have the potential of bringing unnecessary pressure and undermining the independence and impartiality the judges tasked with the responsibility of determining this case. Because Your Excellency enjoys diplomatic immunity we are constrained to state that the comments attributed to Your Excellency are in contempt of the court as they relate to a matter, which is a subject of adjudication by the Zambian courts.
"But this immunity should not be employed to undermine our clients' rights and freedoms guaranteed under our constitution and recognised under the international law. Our instruction is to ask Your Excellency to refrain from commenting on this matter and allow it to run its full course within the Zambian judicial system."
Diplomats told President Banda that his government's failure to register and enforce the London judgment against Chiluba will send a strong message to the international community that he is not committed to fighting corruption.
And the Cooperating Partners Group Troika told President Banda that his personal leadership is paramount in safeguarding the international reputation of Zambia in the fight against corruption and the quest for good governance.
The Cooperating Partners Group Troika comprises embassies/high commissions [or their diplomats] accredited to Zambia and other key donor governments and international organisations.
The CPG Troika representative that met President Banda, Vice-President George Kunda and other senior government officials at State House during a private meeting included US embassy, the World Bank and the Netherlands.
According to a document accessed by The Post, which Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar presented, the donors noted that Zambia's reputation had come under scrutiny within and outside Zambia.
"I should mention that of late, Zambia's reputation when it comes to good economic governance and full commitment in the fight against corruption has come under scrutiny. High profile cases such as the criminal case against former president Chiluba are followed with great interest and are a benchmark to gauge Zambia's commitment in the fight against corruption," the CPG said.
"In this respect we wonder why a judgment of a court of first instance on such a high profile case is not tested by the state through a notice of appeal at a court that is more in line in status with the weight of the case. In this respect, donor countries follow with even greater interest the registration and enforcement by Zambian courts of the London [High Court] civil case judgment. Should the Zambian government decide not to register and enforce the civil judgment, it would be forfeiting an opportunity to recover some or all of the $45 million [US $ 46 million]. Such decision would send a strong message to the citizens of Zambia, our taxpayers and political leaders."
However, the CPG said it was not only the fight against corruption that count but also preventative measures that needed more and focused attention such as the legal framework on procurement, strengthening of accountability systems and transparent management of public funds.
The CPG said their nationals and parliamentarians were holding them more accountable if the money donated to Zambia was not properly spent.
Labels: FAUSTIN KABWE, HARRY MOLENAAR, XAVIER CHUNGU
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Govt yet to satisfy MoH funding donor conditions
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Monday, July 27, 2009 12:29:14 PM
NETHERLANDS Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar has said donors that have withdrawn funding to the Ministry of Health following revelations of corruption are still waiting for some conditions to be fulfilled before funding can be resumed. In an interview, Ambassador Molenaar said the money that Sweden had released had nothing to do with the expanded basket they were talking about.
"So we are still waiting for some conditions to be fulfilled of our action plan and also the ministry gave some communication on that, so these conditions have to be fulfilled before we can relaunch our funding and it's also our headquarters which are involved. Our headquarters of course as also the government here is mentioning. What is important is that we have to convince our taxpayers, our government that monies are well spent," Ambassador Molenaar said last Thursday.
He said such measures included getting better structures within the ministry and ensuring audits worked well.
"We are working on that joint operation with the Ministry. We have a joint technical committee, a joint governance committee to improve the oversight within the ministry," he said.
On the 2007 Auditor General's report on parastatals, Ambassador Molenaar said donors were looking forward to getting that information in writing, as that was one of the conditions.
He said he hoped to see that the budget was in line with what the government had planned for this country.
"I mean there is the FNDP [Fifth National Development Plan], we hope it will be in line and consistent with that as much as possible," he said.
Ambassador Molenaar said he could not give the exact figure of how much his country would give Zambia because it depended on developments and the presentation.
"And we have also the Ministry of Finance, we are in process of defining a roadmap in which certain progress has to be measured and if that is measured we can make our commitment and that will be done in the coming months," Ambassador Molenaar said.
And United States Ambassador to Zambia Donald Booth said the donors that suspended funding to the Ministry of Health had no other choice.
Ambassador Booth said those donors and other cooperating partners had engaged with the government to put measures in place to ensure that funding that was given to the Ministry of Health and or any other part of government would be used as agreed
"Some donors have given money directly as budget support to the Ministry of Health and when they saw that some unscrupulous civil servants in the ministry had embezzled the funds, they had to stop disbursements until they were sure procedures were in place to ensure that no future funds that they put in would also be vulnerable so they really had no choice but to suspend," Ambassador Booth said.
Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) recently suspended funding to the Ministry of Health. Prior to that Sweden, through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Netherlands suspended aid to the Ministry of Health following revelations of corruption.
Labels: DONORS, HARRY MOLENAAR, MINISTRY OF HEALTH
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‘It’s impossible for donors to do nothing when their money is being misused’
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Thursday, July 16, 2009 5:10:06 AM
FRENCH Ambassador to Zambia Francoise Le Bihan has said it is impossible for donors to do nothing when their money is being misused.
And Netherlands Ambassador to Zambia Harry Molenaar said the Netherlands government and the Ministry of Health have set conditions that have to be met before funding can be resumed to the Ministry of Health.
In an interview on Tuesday, Ambassador Le Bihan said it was the work of the government to see how donor money was disbursed.
"The priorities have to be done by the government and it is not the task of the donors, the donors are giving the money and it is the responsibility of the government, if you don't do that, you will never fight corruption. You have to put some, you have to give some signal, very, very strong signal. Everybody responsible has to give the signal, the government, the donors. When your money is abused, what can we do?" she asked.
When asked if the solution to the problem was suspension of funding, she responded: "I should prefer you give the question, you ask the Swedish donors for example because they are the ones who suspended, but you know they can't see the money misused and do nothing. It's impossible."
Ambassador Le Bihan said the fight against corruption was essential in every country. She said here in Zambia, it was a legacy from the late president Levy Mwanawasa.
"So it's something very important because it's like a promise to somebody who died, so it's something sacred, because it's a promise to the late president. What we see in the press, in your newspaper is that, yes the fight is going on; maybe I think the government can't do everything at the same time. They have to go step by step but each step is welcome because when you see in the Ministry of Health, there were a lot of problems and countries suspend. It is a strong signal to stop corruption," Ambassador Le Bihan said.
"When somebody in the civil service is guilty with corruption, you have to take him out of the duty and to clean the service, it is very important. The work against corruption in general is very hard and it's a fight to each day, each hour and everywhere in each service, in each ministry."
And Ambassador Molenaar said they were working with officials from the Ministry of Health on how they could resume the funding.
He said they were looking at what steps to be taken before they could resume their contribution.
"We have made some engagements, we are in discussion with the ministry and we have made clear plans together, not only from us but both parties sitting round the table and these conditions have to be fulfilled. The conditions we have jointly agreed upon which should happening before the funding can be released," he said.
On whether funding could be resumed soon, Ambassador Molenaar said there was a timeframe but the conditions had to be met first.
And during the French national day, Ambassador Le Bihan said in spite of the global crisis, Zambia was fighting to reach a better welfare.
She said in that objective, its role in the region, within regional organisations such as Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) must be dominant.
Ambassador Le Bihan said the regional integration would be a chance for Zambia as well as the diversification of its economy.
Science and technology minister Gabriel Namulambe said relations between Zambia and France had always been cordial based on mutual trust and respect.
Namulambe said the Zambian people also commend France for supporting efforts to improve education standards through the provision of educational materials and scholarships.
"In as far as our bilateral trade is concerned, we need to put our efforts together and bring to fruition the agreement on the promotion and protection of investment to facilitate secure and effective trade transactions between Zambia and France," he said.
Namulambe encouraged the French government to continue lobbying for the inclusion of more African states at international foras in making fundamental decisions that affect the world at large.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CORRUPTION, DONORS, FRANCOISE LE BIHAN, HARRY MOLENAAR
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