Chilufya calls for more effort in diversifying agriculture
By Abel Mboozi
Tue 05 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE government should stick to planned activities and avoid unwarranted expenses if it to meet the 6.6 per cent budget deficit target in 2014, says UPND Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu.
Hamududu who chaired the committee on estimates said the unprecedented 8.5 deficit of the Gross Domestic Product for this fiscal year was unacceptable and was mainly caused because of high unplanned for expenditure.
Hamududu said fiscal indiscipline by the government should be stopped because it entailed that the state spent more than it planned.
"If government continues implementing unplanned for policies and projects, then Zambia will continue having budget deficits and we might not achieve the target of reducing it to 6.6 per cent next year. The government should learn from this year's experience and correct things," Hamududu said.
He cited the funding to unbudgeted for new districts as well as the establishment of new universities that had contributed to the high budget deficit for this year.
"The frequent changes of PSs, where they are appointed and removed, these officers go away with benefits. The recalling of officers in foreign service as well their replacements too is another costly venture as there is repatriation expenses involved," he said.
"Ideally, before such measures are undertaken, government is supposed to budget for them, but this was not the case. The government should at all times consider the budget implication whenever it wishes to undertake such measures."
He said the creation of new districts should have been a well planned exercise that should have been undertaken in phases.
"Instead, these districts were announced, and DCs appointed and that was not planned for in the 2013 national budget and so, the key point is that we are telling the government to plan for unplanned expenditures by factoring them into the national budget," he said.
Hamududu said any new project the government wished to undertake should be slotted in the national budget.
On external debt, Hamududu said the rise in the debt stock was extremely worrying and if not checked, it could plunge Zambia into another foreign debt trap.
"The foreign debt currently stands at U$3. 1 billion which is unprecedented because when there was a debt write-off in 2005, it was way below U$1 billion, but within a period of seven years it has risen so high and our fear is that we could fall into another debt trap," he said.
Hamududu said even if the debt at the moment was still sustainable looking at the size of the economy, at the rate the debt was increasing was worrisome; more so that there were indications by the state to borrow another U$2 billion.
"This therefore means that by end of next year, our foreign debt could stand at U$5 billion plus which is not correct," he said.
And Hamududu said many stakeholders that appeared before his committee, including finance minister Alexander Chikwanda expressed concern that Zambia was not reaping much from its mineral wealth.
"In fact, Mr Chikwanda himself said Zambia was getting about five per cent in form of revenues from the mines when in SADC generally, the mines contributed about 11 per cent and so, we are quite below what mining houses in the region are contributing," said Hamududu.
"Clearly we are way below examples in the region. Other mine houses in the SADC region pay more and so Zambia is under taxing the mines.
Labels: ALEXANDER CHIKWANDA, BUDGET, DEBT, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, TAX EVASION
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Economic Growth not benefiting the majority, says Hamududu
By Kabanda Chulu
Thu 08 Nov. 2012, 12:58 CAT
EXPANDED Parliamentary Committee on Estimates chairperson Highvie Hamududu says the favourable macroeconomic achievements were not benefiting the majority of Zambians.
Presenting the committee's findings on estimates of revenue and expenditure for the 2013 budget, Hamududu said this was clearly evidenced by the prevailing poverty levels especially in rural areas, high unemployment levels, low life expectancy, poor literacy levels and high malnutrition levels, dilapidated infrastructure and poor social indicators.
"Our expectation in this year's budget is that more attention be directed towards ensuring that benefits from the improvement in macroeconomic fundamentals flow to majority Zambians," Hamududu said.
He also advised government to address the issue of poor mechanism for monitoring mineral production and exports in order to ensure maximum revenue collection.
"Mr Speaker, the witnesses that appeared before your committee expressed concern on the low tax contributions to the budget by the mining sector despite high copper prices, yet the sector constitutes three quarters of the country's exports," Hamududu said. "The low tax contribution by the mines in the midst of high copper prices has kept the call by people to continue advocating for windfall taxes."
Hamududu commended the government for having included employment creation as a macroeconomic objective for the first time.
"This is a positive step in the right direction but we are concerned; strategies to ensure creation of decent and sustainable jobs are not clear," Hamududu said. "Your Committee is concerned that in the past, the jobs that have been created have been mainly lowly paying seasonal and contractual jobs without credible benefits."
He also expressed concern at the lack of accurate and timely employment statistics.
"The Committee therefore, urges government to put in place mechanisms and resources through Central Statistics Office to ensure generation of accurate and timely employment statistics that will assist the duty bearers and stakeholders to make informed decisions," Hamududu said.
In accepting the findings, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda said there was need for more engagement with MPs before the finalisation of the budget.
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU
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COMMENT - Message to the dull brained and sleepy minister - there already are high levels of poverty in the country. You stated that there would be no change in poverty levels for another 30 years, following the MMD's neoliberal policies. And you seemed very contented with that idea. Minister Musokotwane cannot chastise the opposition for having policies that would 'cause high levels of poverty', when
he is on record saying: " And Dr Musokotwane said it might take over 30 years for Zambia, which is this month celebrating 46 years of Independence, to accomplish meaningful poverty reduction. "
Musokotwane cautions Zambians over PF
TIME PUBLISHED - Thursday, June 16, 2011, 8:40 am
Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has warned Zambians that they would grapple with huge supplementary budgets if they voted for opposition parties such as Patriotic Front (PF) that had promised to give cash to the people and undertake development projects within 90 days.
Dr. Musokotwane said such parties would leave chaos in the country because they would mismanage the economy and
cause high levels of poverty since there was no example of a place where such promises had been fulfilled anywhere in the world.
The minister said this in Parliament on Tuesday evening after Kabwata PF Member of Parliament (MP) Given Lubinda submitted that the K1.4 trillion supplementary budget the Government was asking for showed lack of control and was contrary to the promise the Government made in 2003 not to overspend by more than two per cent of the budget.
This was when the House debated the Supplementary Appropriation Bill for 2009.
Mr. Lubinda said the K1.4 trillion represented about eight per cent of the national Budget and called on the minister to assemble measures that would curb over-expenditure by permanent secretaries.
But Dr Musokotwane said Mr Lubinda debated from a point of ignorance because the supplementary budget resulted from the global economic crisis when the buying power of the Zambian people went down and affected the taxation system because of uncertainty about their jobs.
The minister said as such, the Government had to spend more to cushion the impact of the crisis and also protect Zambians from losing their jobs.
He also told the House that the lack of controls had resulted from the failure by the opposition MPs to support the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to implement the draft Constitution where progressive provisions on controlling budgets were contained.
Dr. Musokotwane said instead of supporting the progressive law, the opposition MPs from the PF walked out of the House and wondered why they were not steadfast on national matters.
He also told the House that the lack of controls had resulted from the failure by the opposition MPs to support the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to implement the draft Constitution where progressive provisions on controlling budgets were contained
He challenged Mr Lubinda to ask if he did not understand matters and also explained that the United States of America, China and other developed countries spent more to stem losses of economic activity.
Dr. Musokotwane told the House that economics were not just about figures on how one spent more but were about explaining contexts which Mr Lubinda failed to do when he accused Government of overspending.
Bweengwa MP Highvie Hamududu urged the Government to provide a ceiling of supplementary expenditure beyond which controlling officers should not exceed.
He challenged Mr Lubinda to ask if he did not understand matters and also explained that the United States of America, China and other developed countries spent more to stem losses of economic activity.
And Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande said the Government was in the process of training officials working at Zambian missions abroad to improve their skills in promoting the country’s economic and political interests internationally.
Mr. Pande said the embassies had a lot of work for Zambia, resulting in the Zambia Development Agency approving US$2.4 billion by September last year and $7.6 billion from the Asian market between 2007 and 2010.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, HYPOCRISY, KABINGA PANDE, MMD, NEOLIBERALISM, POVERTY, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE
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FQM claims refund for taxes
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe and Mutale Kapekele
Wed 17 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
FIRST Quantum Minerals (FQM) has said
President Rupiah Banda’s regime is
likely to refund the money paid in respect of the 2008 mining fiscal regime. But chairperson of the parliamentary committee on estimates
Highvie Hamududu has challenged the government to
tell the nation when mines will graduate to tax paying positions.
According to FQM’s report on operational and financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, the company has recognised a tax expense in accordance with applicable laws from time to time, notwithstanding Development Agreements.
FQM, a fierce critic of the 2008 mining fiscal regime changes which included a windfall tax on copper sales revenue, a new variable profit tax, a concentrate export levy of 15 per cent, an increase in the royalty rate to three per cent, an increase in the income tax rate to 30 per cent, has been winning kudos in the government circles for being the only foreign mining firm paying ‘normal taxes.’
“Following consultation with external legal counsel, the company FQM assessed there will be a high probability of recovery from the GRZ of payments made in respect of these taxes,” FQM stated.
“The company, through its Zambian subsidiaries, is party to Development Agreements with GRZ for its existing operations which provide an express right to full and fair compensation for any loss, damages or costs (including interest) incurred by the company by reason of the government's failure to comply with the tax stability guarantees set out in the Development Agreements, and rights of international arbitration in the event of any dispute.”
FQM, Kansanshi’s copper and gold mine’s parent company, is also happy that the government last year issued a temporary exemption of the concentrate export levy of 15 per cent to allow the company to export the copper in concentrate that cannot be treated locally due to the lack of smelter capacity within Zambia.
FQM stated that in addition and reflecting the enforceability of the Development Agreements, the company expected an ultimate repayment of taxes permitted under Development Agreements.
“Under the new President, the government reviewed these tax changes and proposed that the new windfall tax be removed, the deductibility of capital allowances be increased back to 100 per cent in the period of expenditure and to allow hedging income be part of mining income for tax purposes,” stated FQM.
From the highlights of the company’s reports, working capital movements during the third quarter of 2010 include an increase in accounts receivable of US $86.4 million as a result of a significant increase in copper price, and a decrease in taxes payable due to payments of US $115 million made by Kansanshi to the government.
Apart from Kansanshi, almost all the mines in the country have not been paying tax, claiming that they were not making any profits owing to huge investments made in the mines at the time of privatisation.
But Hamududu said the mines could contribute 30 per cent to the country’s revenue if they all graduated to a tax paying position, a 28 per cent improvement from the sector’s current contribution of two per cent.
Hamududu said this during the Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) business forum in Lusaka last week.
Recently, Kansashi Mine graduated from its eight-year carryover tax losses and contributed most of the US$1.6 billion revenue that had so far been collected from the mines, although it is now trying to claim a repayment of the money from the government.
“The government should explain its difficulties in revenue generation. Otherwise, people will continue to complain,” Hamududu said.
“The government is not clear on mining taxation. They have argued that they removed windfall tax because windfall prices can go away and that taxation must be long-term, but they have not been clear; they must be clear on their positions. We might not agree with them but they should be clear. They should tell us when all the mines will come to tax position. For eight years, Kansanshi had a loss carryover but now they have graduated and from just that one mine, we have managed to raise so much. Imagine if all the other mines were contributing, how much are we going to raise? We will generate as much as 30 per cent for the tax basket from the mines.”
He said the government had not given a knowledgeable argument to explain what was going on in the mines.
“It’s not that they don’t have an explanation, they do,” said Hamududu. “The problem is that they are simply not making their argument clear when they talk about the new tax regime and the variable corporate tax which they claim is better than windfall tax.”
The government has argued that people who are calling for the windfall tax have a poor grasp of taxation issues or basic economics, further claiming that the removal of the windfall tax will not lead to loss of government revenue as the variable tax still captures any windfall gain that may arise in the mining sector and that the latter takes into consideration the costs of production.
But several experts have argued that a windfall tax is easier to implement than variable corporate tax.
History has proved that countries that used profit variable taxes have had trouble getting accurate profit figures because it is easier for companies to hide them through inflated costs whereas in a windfall tax, the government and citizens can monitor the profits.
Labels: FIRST QUANTUM MINING, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, TAX EVASION, TAXATION
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Hamududu urges govt to clarify mining tax
By Mutale Kapekele
Tue 16 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
THE government should tell the nation when the mines will graduate to tax paying positions, parliament estimates committee chairperson Highvie Hamududu has said. Apart from Kansanshi, almost all the mines in the country have not been paying tax claiming that they have not yet recovered from the losses they incurred when they made their investments.
Hamududu said the mines would contribute 30 per cent to the country’s revenue if they all graduated to a tax paying position, a 28 per cent improvement from the sector’s current contribution of
two per cent.
Recently, Kansanshi Mine graduated from its eight-year carry over tax losses and contributed most of the US$1.6 billion revenue that has so far been collected from the mines.
“The government should explain its difficulties in revenue generation. Otherwise people will continue to complain,” Hamududu said during the Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) business forum.
“The government is not clear on mining taxation. They have argued that they removed windfall tax because windfall prices can go away and that taxation must be long-term, but they have not been clear, they must be clear on their positions. We might not agree with them but they should be clear.
“They should tell us when all the mines will come to tax position. For eight years Kansanshi had a loss carry over but now they have graduated and from just that one mine, we have managed to raise so much revenue. Imagine if all the other mines were contributing, how much are we going to raise. We will generate as much as 30 per cent for the tax basket from the mines.”
He said the government had not given a knowledgeable argument on the developments in the mines.
“It’s not that they don’t have an explanation, they do,” said Hamududu. “The problem is that they are simply not making their argument clear when they talk about the new tax regime and the variable corporate tax which they claim is better than windfall tax.”
The government has argued that people who are calling for the windfall tax have a poor grasp of taxation issues or basic economics.
The government claims that the removal of the windfall tax will not lead to loss of government revenue as the variable tax still captured any windfall gain that may arise in the mining sector and the latter took into consideration the costs of production.
But several experts have argued that windfall tax was easier to implement than variable corporate tax.
History has proved that countries that used profit variable taxes had trouble getting accurate profit figures because it is easier for companies to hide them through inflated costs whereas in a windfall tax, the government and citizens can monitor the profits.
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MINING, TAXATION, WINDFALL TAX
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Financial irregularities at Judiciary worry PAC
By Florence Bupe
Fri 05 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
THE parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) has expressed concern at the failure by the Judiciary to adhere to financial regulations.
Speaking when the Judiciary appeared before the committee to respond to queries highlighted in the Auditor General’s report on Wednesday, PAC member Highvie Hamududu said it was worrying that the custodians of the law were failing to observe it.
“It is disappointing that the Judiciary has continued to appear before this committee to respond to the same queries year after year. We are always talking about issues of unretired imprest, failure to prepare financial statements and other such important requirements of the law,” he said.
Hamududu warned that the Judiciary’s inability to observe financial laws would have a negative spiral effect on the governance of other institutions.
Hamududu observed that officials in the Judiciary were mandated to lead by example by adhering to various aspects of the law but said this was not the case obtaining on the ground.
And PAC chairperson Emmanuel Hachipuka expressed surprise at Judiciary chief accountant Godwin Sakwimba’s explanation on the anomaly of 78 missing payment vouchers.
Sakwimba explained that of the 78 vouchers discovered to be missing, one had been found and the rest were in the custody of courts of law and the police.
However, the members wondered how the Judiciary could allow the police to ‘forcefully’ obtain the payment vouchers, which were the property of the Judiciary without signing for them.
“How can you allow the police to come and intimidate you when you’re the custodians of the law? If that’s what they did then they are breaking the law by getting vouchers without allowing you to keep copies for your own protection,” said Hachipuka.
Labels: CORRUPTION, EMMANUEL HACHIPUKA, GODWIN SAKWIMBA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, JUDICIARY, PAC
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COMMENT - More arrogance from the mines. Not contented with the abolition of the windfall tax, they want the abolition of the variable profit tax as well. According to mr. Bantubonse, the mining sector does not need to support us, we need to support the mining sector. How long will the Zambian people be taken for a ride?
Parliamentary Committee takes Bantubonse to task over windfall tax
By Florence Bupe
Mon 18 Oct. 2010, 18:50 CAT
THE expanded Parliamentary Committee on Estimates yesterday took to task Chamber of Mines of Zambia general manager Frederick Bantubonse for commending government on its continued refusal to re-introduce windfall tax for mining companies.
The Chamber of Mines appeared before the committee to make its submissions on the 2011 National Budget that was recently unveiled by government. In his submission, Bantubonse said it was good that government had not succumbed to pressure to have the windfall tax re-introduced for mining firms.
“The importance of mining to the Zambia economy cannot be overemphasised. The mining sector, therefore, needs to be supported by everyone to enable it grow,” Bantubonse said. “It is in this vein that we salute and support the stand taken by the finance minister not to succumb to public pressure to reintroduce the windfall tax.”
Bantubonse further submitted that government should remove the variable profits tax, much to the annoyance of the members of the committee.
He argued that removing the variable profits tax would boost investor confidence and allow the mining sector to grow and in the long term contribute more meaningfully to the national economic growth.
Bantubonse claimed that Zambia’s calculation of the windfall tax in the sense it was proposed for implementation was too high and could have completely killed the mining industry.
“With the windfall tax in place, experts had worked out that the effective tax rate was over 80 per cent. This is clearly unworkable and could have killed the investments into mining projects. We further agree with the finance minister that no mining country in the world has the windfall tax in the form that it was formulated in Zambia,” he said.
But committee chairperson Highvie Hamududu warned Bantubonse against taking the emotions of Zambians for granted.
“The statement that you are happy that government has withstood public pressure on the windfall tax is very serious and it could have serious implications.
Zambians, who are the public in this case, are the owners of the land and therefore, the minerals, and you are happy that the concerns of the owners are not being taken into account?” Hamududu questioned.
Luena member of parliament Charles Milupi also questioned the premise on which Bantubonse was defending the foreign mines on the payment of tax. He also differed with Bantubonse on his argument that mines were actually in a way paying windfall tax through variable profits tax.
Milupi cautioned Bantubonse against misleading the public by suggesting that windfall tax was equivalent to variable profits tax.
There have been consistent calls for government to reintroduce windfall tax as a sure way of the country benefiting more meaningfully from the mining industry but government has remained adamant.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, FREDERICK BANTUBONSE, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, PARLIAMENTARY ESTIMATES COMMITTEE
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Speakers orders Liato to remove Rupiah’s campaign badge from jacket
By Mwala Kalaluka
Fri 24 Sep. 2010, 16:00 CAT
SPEAKER Amusaa Mwanamwambwa on Thursday ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove an “RB 2011” campaign badge from labour minister Austin Liato’s jacket on grounds that political campaign materials are not allowed in Parliament.
And Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has described President Rupiah Banda’s talk about the country’s economic growth during his recent address before Parliament as fake and irrelevant.
During a question for oral answer session in Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Chipili PF parliamentarian Davies Mwila rose on a point of order and asked Speaker Mwanamwambwa to rule whether or not it was proper for Liato to come to the House putting on a badge written RB 2011.
“Mr Speaker is the Minister of Labour in order to come to this House with a badge saying ‘RB 2011’, which is a campaign material, is he in order?” Mwila asked. “I need your serious ruling.”
In his ruling, Speaker Mwanamwambwa said Mwila’s point of order was correct.
“The ruling is, it is not in order,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa said. “That campaign material (badge) should be confiscated.”
Speaker Mwanamwambwa said such campaign materials should not be allowed to enter the chamber and he directed the Sergeant-at-Arms who was seated at the back of the chamber to confiscate the badge from Liato, who was seated on the front bench.
As Speaker Mwanamwambwa delivered his ruling, Liato removed the badge and lands minister Gladys Lundwe handed it to the Sergent-At-Arms.
And during debate on President Banda’s speech to the fifth session of the tenth National Assembly, Hamududu said the poor translation of the presidential pronouncements into tangible programmes had reduced such speeches to a boring exercise.
“To a point where most of the Presidents’ addresses to this House have become boring,” Hamududu said. “No matter how special the speech will be that speech will be good for nothing.”
Hamududu said although Zambia had a weaker currency it was surprising that the country had a poor export base.
“A weaker currency promotes export. A strong currency is dangerous for a country like this one because you can’t export,” he said.
Hamududu said the economic growth that President Banda had referred to in his address was nothing because most Zambians were still poor.
“Therefore, this growth is at best fake,” Hamududu said. “That is irrelevant to the people of Bweengwa and elsewhere.”
Hamududu said maybe the government was creating the above economic growth for the foreigners that had invested in Zambia.
“The growth is not appreciated. It is at best fake because it does not address the issues,” said Hamududu. “The high poverty levels that the President acknowledged, the poverty is increasing.”
Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, AUSTIN LIATO, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MMD, PARLIAMENT
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Govt’s approach to NCZ problems is dangerous, says Hamududu
By Florence Bupe and George Zulu
Fri 11 June 2010, 07:50 CAT
GOVERNMENT has taken a dangerously weak approach to the problems facing Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ), Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has observed. In an interview, Hamududu said the government was being unpatriotic in addressing the challenges being faced by the fertiliser-manufacturing plant.
“The problem we have with government is that they don’t seem to appreciate the huge financial investments that went into the establishment of NCZ. The government of that time put in huge investments to set up the plant but those investments are now going to waste because of the way the present government is running its affairs,” he said.
There have been various concerns raised on the continued awarding of contracts for the supply of fertiliser to Omnia and Nyiombo Investments but the two companies have again been contracted to deliver 80 per cent of the total fertiliser requirement for the 2010/ 2011 farming season.
NCZ has been contracted to supply only 20,000 metric tonnes, translating into 20 per cent of the total requirement, despite the manufacturing plant having a capacity to produce 142,000 metric tonnes per annum.
Hamududu, who is also the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on estimates, called for an investigation into government’s interest in Nyiombo and Omnia, arguing that it was unusual for the same companies to keep getting tenders for the supply of fertiliser for eight consecutive years.
He said many jobs and the economy of Kafue district were at stake as a result of government’s approach.
“Omnia and Nyiombo are private entities and they have nothing much to offer the country in terms of development because they just import fertiliser and re-package it. These two companies are basically traders and they don’t offer any sustainable employment like NCZ does,” he said.
And Hamududu has said the government must take responsibility to ensure that farmers are not exploited by briefcase maize traders during this year’s crop marketing exercise.
In an interview in Monze yesterday, Hamududu said there was a government in place which must show concern over the outcry of the people especially small-scale farmers whose livelihood depended on farming.
“...But it is unfortunate that government has failed to protect its citizenry. This is not Sudan or Congo where people do things at their wish, this is Zambia and there is order and a government in this country. So government must redeem itself and come to the aid of farmers by stopping the exploitation in maize buying. Government must stop these exploitative maize buyers; let this government deal with them,” Hamududu said.
He said exploitation was a crime against humanity and the government must ensure that people were protected from such vices.
“I want to send a warning to those maize traders, I hope they are not a frontage of millers, they are exploiting poor farmers by buying maize at K25, 000 and K30, 000 per 50 Kg bag. That is total exploitation, those people have no conscious and I want to appeal to their conscious that it is not fair to have such evil profiteering, how can you buy a 50 Kg bag of maize at such low prices when the government price is K65,000?” he asked.
“It is very unfair and they are killing people in rural areas and we are ready to take them on. Very soon, we are going to mobilise people in Monze to deal with anyone buying maize at such low prices, we are going to mobilise our people to chase them from the district and I will be in the forefront of doing that.”
Hamududu said it was unreasonable for people to take advantage of the high moisture content in maize to buy at an exploitative price.
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, NCZ, PARASTATALS
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‘Withdrawal of funding has affected RDA’
By Ernest Chanda and Mwala Kalaluka
Fri 07 May 2010, 03:40 CAT
ROAD Development Agency (RDA) director Erasmus Chilundika yesterday told the parliamentary committee on estimates that the withdrawal of donor funding to the road sector has affected the rate at which the agency can perform.
Responding to a question from Kabwata Patriotic Front (PF) parliamentarian Given Lubinda who wanted to know why the Auditor General’s report on the road sector presented to President Rupiah Banda has not yet been presented to Parliament and if it were true that the contents of the report had led to donors withdrawing funding from the sector, Chilundika admitted that there were errors highlighted in the report.
The committee is chaired by Bweengwa UPND parliamentarian Highvie Hamududu.
“With regard to the standoff with the cooperating partners, you will recall that a number of cooperating partners had issued statements in the press where they were saying that they had suspended funding to the road sector until the issues that had been raised by Auditor General are resolved.
Now where we are the audit is complete, the draft final has been submitted to the ministry, we have reacted to it. And we are expecting that this document will be presented to the parliamentary public accounts committee as the law requires. And it’s only really after that that we will be in greater position to be able to speak into the details of that audit,” Chilundika submitted.
“But what we are doing now, because we are a sector that requires a lot of resources and the absence of donor funding is affecting the rate at which we are able to undertake works. You will recall Honourable members of parliament that we did mention in our presentation of the budget the other year and last year that we are working with the EU in Central Province and North Western Province by way of sector budget support.
Now those monies have dried up and yet there’s a lot of need in those two provinces where they committed to work with us. We’ve looked at the audit heads and we have developed what we are calling corrective actions to be undertaken. We do value the audit findings; like any institution there are systemic failures and those issues we are addressing them by way of those corrective actions. And we hope that we should be able to discuss this matter and bring it to a conclusion.”
And former works and supply permanent secretary Lieutenant Colonel Bizwayo Nkunika said his recent removal from office had nothing to do with recommendations made in the donor-induced financial audit report on the road sector.
Lt Col Nkunika in an interview described his removal from the ministry as a normal reshuffle.
“It’s just time up. I have been there Ministry of Works and Supply for eight years and we normally are shuffled around. I do not see anything strange in this,” said Lt Col Nkunika yesterday when asked if his removal was connected to the road sector audit. “As far I am concerned I do not see anything strange in this.”
When told that there were further assertions that he asked to be removed so that he focuses on his political interests in Lundazi, Lt Col Nkunika responded in the negative.
But sources said Lt Col Nkunika left in order to get into active politics.
“He wants to go into politics because even the issue of new permanent secretary Watson Ng’ambi going in as PS we knew it by January,” the source said. “He Lt Col Nkunika was even in Mufumbwe with the President. He is still trying to warm up his seat in Lundazi.”
However, the source said it would be speculative to connect Lt Col Nkunika’s exit from the Ministry to the donor-induced audit in the road sector.
“People are just speculating because the report has not been released. It is still with State House and it has not yet been released,” the source said.
The Auditor General’s office last year constituted a team of auditors to probe concerns by the donor community on the K1.5 trillion over-procurement of projects by the Road Development Agency (RDA) in 2008.
Donors funding the road sector queried the Road Development Agency (RDA) to substantiate why it over-procured projects by more than K1 trillion in the 2008 annual work plan and a partial halt of donor funding to the road sector was effected awaiting the RDA’s explanation.
Lt Col Nkunika, who was still in office then, said the above over-procurement query was in a way a misunderstanding of the process of procurement.
Labels: ERASMUS CHILUNDIKA, GIVEN LUBINDA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, INFRASTRUCTURE, RDA
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Politics has caused despondency in civil service, says Hamududu
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 15 Apr. 2010, 03:40 CAT
BWEENGWA UPND parliamentarian Highvie Hamududu has observed that currently there is despondency in the civil service because of excessive politics.
And Hamududu has challenged the ruling party to set the pace for
issue-based politics. In an interview, Hamududu said those in the ruling party had politicised the civil service to a point where civil servants felt unappreciated in national development. He said the situation had resulted in civil servants losing interest in several national issues.
“In my view, the civil service has been weakened by excessive politics. There is a lot of despondency to a level where civil servants feel un-appreciated in the governance of this country. Politicians, especially those in the ruling party have failed to provide a clear roadmap to our civil service.
And this has frustrated our colleagues in the civil service, making them stand aloof in most cases,” Hamududu observed. “Instead of giving proper guidance on the economic development of the country politicians in the ruling party are busy parroting. And because of excessive politics, the civil servants lose interest in performing to their ability. They fail to see a clear political direction because there is nothing to inspire them from the political leadership.”
He said the civil service was full of credible people who could not withstand poor leadership. Hamududu warned that the MMD risked losing control of the civil service because of excessive politicking even when it was not necessary.
“We should not create a situation of hopelessness in them because they need motivation in every sense. So if the politics are not issue-based, those in office lose control over the civil service. The civil service basically moves in tandem with politicians; if we bring issues they also follow suit. And as a politician if you bring pettiness in the civil service, you lose control over them,” he said.
“They take you as a nuisance and take their own course. We need also to set a clear training programme for them. This will inspire them to work even harder because they will know the levels of leadership they have to aspire for. They know that from a clerk I’ll become a senior clerk; then they go on until they reach the ceiling of permanent secretary.”
He said there was little morale in the civil service because of too much politics.
“But at the moment there is very little morale in the civil service because the position of permanent secretary has been given up to cadres. I believe that in any organisation you join you don’t expect to be stuck to a lower level.
You must have some position to aspire for and that will inspire you in your daily performance,” Hamududu said.
“But now there must be very few directors in the civil service who are inspired because all the permanent secretary positions have been politicised through the appointment of cadres.
This has caused serious despondency in the civil service, and the MMD government should take the blame.”
And Hamududu said the current level of politics the ruling party exhibited was not inspiring.
“My concern is the level of our politics at the moment in Zambia. The politics that are there are not inspiring to the Zambian people. And the challenge is on the ruling party to set the pace for issue-based politics. I think many: the voters and the Zambian people in general are complaining about the low level of our political engagement in the country,” Hamududu said.
“But in any society those who are in the driving seat must set the pace for serious political engagement. And the current political despondency we have should be blamed on those in the ruling party who have not set the pace for issue-based politics. They must be in the lead because they are the ones that are running the affairs of the country.”
He called for a break from politics of insults and name calling.
“You cannot have a situation where opposition parties are insulted daily by those in the ruling party through the state media. The most disappointing thing is that even the Republican President takes the lead in insulting his counterparts in the opposition,” remarked Hamududu.
“The President will say this about Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata, and you hear him say another thing about UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. I don’t think all of us in the opposition are irrelevant to the governance of this country.
The truth is we are all relevant and we should not be treated like second class citizens. The MMD should not blame us in the opposition that we are championing non-issue based politics, no. Let them set the pace for clean politics and we shall follow suit.”
Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU
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PAC summons Secretary to the Cabinet over shortage of manpower in govt
By Florence Bupe
Tue 13 Apr. 2010, 03:50 CAT
THE parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) has requested the Secretary to the Cabinet to appear before it to account for the shortage of manpower in the civil service.
Responding to concerns raised by Northern Province permanent secretary Mwalimu Simfukwe on the inadequate staffing levels in the provincial office, PAC acting chairperson Highvie Hamududu said the Secretary to the Cabinet had been asked to appear before the committee to address concerns relating to understaffing in the civil service.
“We have noted that almost every government institution that appears before this committee has challenges with staffing levels. In order to try and find a solution to this problem which is clearly affecting operations of these institutions, we have summoned the Secretary to the Cabinet to come and explain to us what the problem is so that we can find solutions,” he said.
Hamududu said adequate staffing levels, combined with qualified manpower, were critical in the effective performance of the civil service.
He observed that understaffing in the civil service had resulted in negative spiral effects such as poor accountability and low performance in most institutions.
Earlier, Simfukwe complained that the provincial office was understaffed, especially in the accounts and procurement departments.
Simfukwe called on the government to address the staffing challenges to ensure improved operations.
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MWALIMU SIMFUKWE, PAC
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Western Province accounts officials resisting new system – PS
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 09 Apr. 2010, 04:00 CAT
WESTERN Province permanent secretary Ikanuke Noyoo yesterday complained that the
officials in the accounts department at the provincial office are resisting the new system he wants to introduce because they feel the money is theirs.
[They should be fired. - MrK]
Appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu, Noyoo said the system he had tried to put in place had been rejected.
“The other biggest impediment is that even when you present issues of financial irregularities to the police, no action is taken and if I push too hard I am seen to be personal. But I can assure you that I am trying hard to do a professional job,” Noyoo said.
“We need time to sit down with the officers to look at the Auditor General’s report so that we do something better next time we appear before this committee, we need to also beef up our staff and get the right responses from the police.”
Noyoo revealed that out of K300 million, only K185 million was retired by the officers.
Hamududu said it was evident that Noyoo was not getting enough support from officers regarding financial matters.
He said there was need for Noyoo to personally get involved in the irregularities at his office.
“We are not going to send you back but we shall soon be making recommendations on how Western Province can be dealt with, with regards to financial irregularities…you need to be given the capacity to deal with the past so that the province can be cleaner,” he said.
Hamududu expressed concern at the unsupported payments that were revealed in the Auditor General’s report.
“There is no way documents can be missing after spending some money…this is pure theft someone is cooking up receipts. What has been done to these officers because abuse of resources cannot be tolerated?” wondered Hamududu.
Labels: ACCOUNTING, CORRUPTION, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, IKANUKE NOYOO, PAC, WESTERN PROVINCE
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MMD govt has failed Zambians on floods, observes Hamududu
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 01 Mar. 2010, 08:20 CAT
BWEENGWA UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has said the MMD government has failed Zambians on the issue of floods. In an interview on Friday, Hamududu called on the government to own up and admit that they have failed the people.
He called on Zambians to speak louder through a demonstration against a failed leadership. He said it was immoral for the government to be wasting money every year on something they could provide a long-term solution to.
"The recurrence of floods in Lusaka that are known and predictable is a full test of a failed leadership. And the government must own up that they have failed the Zambian people in addressing the flood situation.
This is one case in point, we have the office of disaster management and disasters we have in Zambia are predictable; we've never had strange disasters basically except for a few mine disasters," Hamududu said. "But these ones are known.
We know that next year there'll be floods again or there will be a drought. But the government has failed to put up measures for preventing flood disasters.
The electorate must speak with a very clear voice, and, if possible let them demonstrate in the streets to show displeasure that there's no solution to the flood situation that has been here for so many years.
Over a decade you are complaining of serious floods in Lusaka and nothing is being done. And I think we must not make problems permanent and every year we spend money, that becomes costly. These lives that are being lost are human lives, and therefore we call upon the people to rise to the occasion and demand that this be addressed."
He said the government should provide preventive measures rather than wait for floods and then start reacting. Hamududu charged that some people were making money out of the flood disaster, hence the ineptitude.
"I can tell you, for example, after these floods we will be facing lack of water in some rural areas because water will not have been harvested.
So the office of disaster management must deal with preventive measures. For example let them design a master plan for waterways in Lusaka once and for all. And I think the electorate now must demand accountability on the issue of floods. This is not very simple.
We don't want next year again to talk of floods and cholera afterwards and many, many other problems," he said. " We know that some people are benefiting from these floods because every year there are floods and some people are supplying tents, other people are doing adhoc measures.
That is costly, it's better we spend once and for all on a long-term solution. And therefore the issue of floods must be addressed once and for all. So we demand a master plan from government to deal with these floods once and for all."
He scalded government for blaming the councils, saying local authorities had no capacity to run on their own.
"And government must own up. The blame on the council must stop. If you are in government, you are ruling; you must own up and do what is right.
The council has got no capacity to address these same floods because it is the central government, which compromised councils. They compromised councils because in some cases the same government is not releasing the grants on time. The valuation roles are outdated and these valuations are sponsored by government through the Ministry of Local Government," said Hamududu.
Most of the compounds in Lusaka and many other areas have been flooded following the heavy rains experienced, leaving bridges washed away and people’s homes water-logged.
Lusaka district commissioner Christah Kalulu is one of the people that have attributed the problems of floods in Lusaka to climate problems being experienced globally and that the government has no control over such occurrences.
Labels: FLOODS, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU
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Kunda must resign on medical grounds – Syakalima
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 24 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
VICE-President George Kunda must resign on medical grounds, UPND Siavonga member of parliament Douglas Syakalima demanded yesterday.
And Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu gave Vice-President Kunda a 12-hour ultimatum to retract his statement that UPND parliamentarians had resolved to expel party leader Hakainde Hichilema and replace him with Mazabuka Central member of parliament Gary Nkombo, failure to which he would sue him.
Meanwhile, Nkombo labelled Vice-President Kunda as a liar following his claim that he Nkombo would be appointed UPND president and Syakalima his vice to replace Hichilema.
Addressing a media briefing at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka, Syakalima, who repeatedly told the gathering that he was a professional psychologist, said Vice-President Kunda had run insane hence telling lies about the UPND.
“He has now panic disorder; you must now become worried,” Syakalima said.
“We are in trouble as Zambians. The best I could ask him, George Kunda, is to step down on medical grounds. If he cannot on his own, when Rupiah Banda comes back, and I think he will know, they will have told him to say that 'one professional psychologist has declared your Vice-President insane'. He must remove him. He Vice-President Kunda gonna do certain things which the whole country will regret one day. Like now he is the acting commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Do we know what he can easily say? That is why I am saying the whole country is under siege.”
Syakalima said Hichilema was unstoppable.
“HH now is unstoppable, no law, no war, no man shall stop him,” declared Syakalima.
He also said the PF-UPND pact would bruise former Frederick Chiluba “with bare knuckles”.
“The respect that we have for our former presidents must end where they ended,” said Syakalima.
And Hamududu warned that he would take legal action against Vice-President Kunda.
“I want to ask the Vice-President George Kunda to retract the statement that he made in Livingstone. He must tell us if he has any facts. Which MPs met and where? If he does not do that I am giving him 12 hours to retract that statement or I will drag him to the court. I have already spoken to my lawyer,” said Hamududu.
Meanwhile, Nkombo said Vice-President Kunda had failed the test that came with the responsibility of holding the second highest position of the land.
“Mr Kunda, in the last couple of months, has made a lot of wild, unsubstantiated statements,” Nkombo said. “Whatever biomedical conditions or mental condition that Vice-President suffered has gone beyond any means of contemplation. This country, I feel, is in danger. We have a lair as acting President.”
Nkombo said no amount of pressure or lies would divide the UPND.
“We are determined to make sure that Mr Kunda, within 15 months, he will not only be in the opposition party but he will be back in Luanshya where the late president Levy Mwanawasa found him walking on the street with a plastic bag,” said Nkombo.
Addressing MMD cadres at Livingstone International Airport on Monday, Vice-President Kunda claimed that the UPND had serious internal problems.
“Mr Hakainde Hichilema will soon be expelled from his party by his members of Parliament. Mr Gary Nkombo will be appointed the president of the UPND while Mr Douglas Syakalima is going to be the deputy,” said Vice-President Kunda.
Labels: DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA, GEORGE KUNDA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU
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NCC abandons Mung’omba recommendation on press freedom
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 21 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
SEVERAL delegates at the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) on Thursday refused to grant absolute freedom to the media as proposed in the Mung'omba draft constitution.
This was despite human rights committee chairperson Enock Mulembe's clarification that there were restrictions in other clauses ahead. Article 57 (1) of the Mung'omba draft constitution states that, “There shall be freedom of the press and other media.”
Most delegates argued that if left without control the media would feast on people without due respect for their rights.
Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe argued that giving the media such freedom would amount to opening a Pandora's box.
“Yes, press freedom is a necessity, but have we not heard in this country? So far certain radio stations create debate to merely scandalise and scorn people. We have known also some sections of the media which totally... So if we open a Pandora's box and give them freedom the country will go.
I'm not saying we are against this but I'm simply saying there must be some safety valve because if left like it's very easy for a multinational company to buy a whole range of the press and suffocate the country,” debated Munkombwe.
Munkombwe's views were supported by Northmead Assembly of God church overseer Bishop Joshua Banda, Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) representative Dr Antonette Phiri, among others.
Commissioner Chama Chilukuta from Nchelenge District Council complained that he was not happy with some of the language used by the media.
“The media today is quite dangerous. It is only today that we have certain print media publishing words like idiot, foolish towards fellow human beings or even the Head of State. I'm not saying it's all the media, but one groundnut can destroy the goodness of the other groundnuts. We need to provide safety measures,” said Chilukuta.
And Reverend Gibson Nyirenda, one of the Lusaka pastors who honoured former president Frederick Chiluba, claimed that some people in the media had become too powerful.
“Some people in this country have become untouchable. They write what they want and say what they want. If we don't give the media safety measures we are simply giving them a blank cheque for pornography. Every time you open the papers you read insults and see pornographic pictures. The world over is talking about fighting HIV/AIDS. Now, how shall we fight AIDS if we give the media a blank cheque?” Rev Nyirenda asked.
But Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu challenged those complaining to form their own newspapers and write what they wanted. He said there were enough defamatory laws in the country for those who felt insulted by the media.
“This country is not going forward. I support this Article 100 per cent and it must be approved without any infliction. We all know that in this country the press is subject to the Constitution.
I think the people talking about insults don't understand the Constitution. If the press insult you take them to court because they are subject to the Constitution of the land. Why do you want to continue chasing one newspaper when you have a chance to create your own?”
Hamududu inquired. “I want to caution people in this conference not to be subjective. You won't be in power forever because one day you will need the same press you are trying to gag. If you doubt me ask my brother George Mpombo, who if not for the press today he would have been dead and buried. But because of the press he has risen up and is more read about than some of you. So if you are not happy with what the press writes open up your own newspaper and write what you want.”
His views were supported by Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) president Andrew Sakala who said if passed, the media would for the first time be supported by a stand alone clause.
When it came to voting, the conference resolved to adopt the clause but with the importation of limitations from Article 20 (3) a, b and c of the current Constitution.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DEAN MUNG'OMBA, GIBSON NYIRENDA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, NCC, PRESS FREEDOM
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Politicians are not angels – Hamududu
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 10 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
BWEENGWA UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has said politicians are not angels who should be left alone to run public affairs without media scrutiny.
In an interview yesterday, Hamududu said people aspiring for public office should weigh themselves before they take up office.
He said there was no need to blame the media whenever leaders' shortcomings were exposed because the media had a duty to scrutinise every public officer.
“Statutory regulation of the media is a draconian law that cannot be tolerated in our democracy. Let me put it straight that we politicians are not angels who should be left to run public offices without scrutiny. And because we are not angels we need a free media to check our conduct all the time.
This I believe can even help us perform to people's expectations and avoid inviting criminal suits upon ourselves when we leave office,” Hamududu said.
“Going into public office is a sacrifice, no one is forced into it. So, if some people think that they have skeletons around them, which will make the media feast on them when they assume public office, let such people step aside and leave public office to clean souls. There is no way a government can scheme a law against the media just because the media has found them wanting in one way or another. This is all because of insecurity from a government that is doing things below board.”
Asked why politicians talk about media regulation when their conduct is in check, Hamududu attributed the trend to people's fear for their actions.
“It's like in the Bible, those who are obedient don't fear the law. But those who are disobedient fear the law. Equally, those who have dirty issues around them will always scheme up something to stifle a free media when such issues are exposed. When a government works hard to cripple a free media then just know that they have a lot of corrupt activities to hide,” he said.
“When late president Levy Mwanawasa came into office, although I didn't agree with the manner in which he came into office, he faced a lot of media scrutiny. But at one time he sat down and decided to do what the people wanted, and he got it right with the media. He did not threaten to introduce a law that would cripple the freedom of the media because he knew he was a clean man. Our current government must have a lot of issues they are hiding which they don't want the media to keep on exposing.”
Hamududu vowed to fight statutory regulation of the media even if his party came into power.
“I think I have told you before my colleagues in the media that those who don't agree with what the private media are saying about their governance they should form their own propaganda newspapers. My friendly advice to them is that when they discover they are on the wrong path, let them do what's right and they will have no problems with the media,” said Hamududu.
“For me, whether in this government or when we come into power I will never support statutory regulation of the media. It's a backward and dictatorial system that can only be embraced by a corrupt regime. I will always support a free media so that every leader's conduct is kept in the public eye.”
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MEDIA, REGULATION
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Govt considers pumping more money into ZRA
By Kabanda Chulu
Sat 07 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
FINANCE minister Situmbeko Musokotwane on Thursday told parliament that government is considering allocating 2.5 per cent of revenue collected to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) in order to enhance its operations.
And Dr Musokotwane raised a motion to present three bills namely, the income tax amendment bill, customs and excise duty amendment bill and value added tax amendment bill, in order to be in line with changes announced in the 2010 budget.
Responding to Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu who asked whether government was considering other funding models for ZRA to enable it perform better, Dr Musokotwane said the government was considering the proposals.
“We know the importance of increased funding for revenue collection and this is why this matter is under consideration to see how it will work,” he said.
And responding to a question by Livingstone Central member of parliament Sakwiba Sikota who asked what measures were being put in place to improve infrastructure at border posts, Dr Musokotwane said new structures had been built at Chirundu and Katima Mulilo border posts and that government would soon advertise for bids for the development of structures at other border posts around the country.
And Hamududu asked how much money was released for the operations of the ZRA from 2005 to date and what major constraints ZRA had been facing in carrying out its mandate effectively.
In response, finance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe said in 2005, ZRA was given K127 billion, another K127 billion in 2006; K197 billion in 2007 and K210 billion in 2008 while K168.2 billion has been released so far out of the K205 billion budgeted for in 2009.
“The treasury has been consistent with funding ZRA and the key operational challenges for the institution are lack of infrastructure in new border facilities where cross border trading activities have increased and the need for adequate investment in human capital development to equip staff to competently audit multinational corporations such as the mines,” said Kapwepwe.
Labels: CHILESHE KAPWEPWE, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, ZRA
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Self-regulation is the best, says Kapeya
By Kabanda Chulu
Sat 07 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT
PARLIAMENTARY committee on information and broadcasting services chairperson Mwansa Kapeya has said self-regulation as opposed to external regulation is the best form of regulating the media.
And Kapeya, who is also Mpika Central member of parliament, suggested that the Media Ethics Council of Zambia (MECOZ) must be given an opportunity to gain legitimacy from its stakeholders by ensuring that any type of regulation originates from the media practitioners.
And Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has said the threats of statutory regulation by the MMD government are a sign of inferiority complex and challenged the government to start its own newspaper if they are getting negative coverage.
Moving a motion in Parliament for the adoption of the report of his committee on Thursday, Kapeya said there was need to put in place measures that would enhance the positive contribution of the media to national stability and economic development.
“Mr Speaker, your committee were informed that there already existed a number of laws that restricted the media and these include the radio and telecommunications Act which sets very high fees at US $40,000 for a 3B licence for internet service providers and this undermines the development of non-traditional media (new media, blogs, audio and video streaming), the broadcasting Act, preservation of public security Act, the state security Act and official secrets Act and the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia,” Kapeya said.
“Your committee recommend that the first step in enhancing the positive contribution of the media to national stability and economic development is to review these laws and bring them in tandem with the current political dispensation and worldwide media reforms.”
He proposed that MECOZ should work towards gaining credibility and acceptance among media institutions who must then give it the necessary mandate and means of enforcing professionalism.
“As regards strengthening MECOZ, your committee recommend that since international best practice on media regulation suggests that self regulation, as opposed to external regulation, is the best form of regulating the media,” Kapeya said. “Hence the MECOZ must be given an opportunity to gain legitimacy from its stakeholders by ensuring that any type of regulation originates with the media practitioners themselves.”
He said the media must play its watchdog role by exposing issues of corruption in public institutions and also highlight and expose developmental issues.
“Unfortunately, the media in general (public and private) has not done enough to contribute to the political stability and economic development of the nation due to lack of training and appreciation of the current political and economic landscape as well as undue influence exerted by shareholders on the editorial policy and content,” Kapeya said. “So we recommend that media houses must train their staff and shareholders must place national interests above those of their own and economic expediency.”
Kapeya said the media tended to get caught up in the political web of personal and petty accusations by the political players at the expense of providing in-depth analyses.
He said the perception of the media by the public during election campaigns was two-fold.
“There is this view that government-controlled media is used to portray a working government and to create that the opposition were just a bunch of noise makers who seize every available moment to stifle government operations. The other view is that the private media worked as a tool for unearthing certain unacceptable government activities, furthermore, the private media, had come to be viewed as an ally of the public which is relied upon to keep government in check,” Kapeya said.
“We therefore recommend that in order for the private media not to have an excuse for always reporting negatively about government, the public media should be seen to be balanced in their reporting. They should be willing to criticise and expose government weaknesses instead of leaving this to private media who may overdo it.”
He said from lessons learnt from what had transpired in the region, it was not entirely the media that directly instigated violence that occurred in some countries.
“It was actually the politicians who used the media, useful as it might be, is a dangerous tool if placed in the hands of non-professionals, especially during election time when political tensions are high,” said Kapeya. “Therefore, we recommend that the media, in reflecting events to society as they unfold, should be cognisant of the fact that it is not what they report that matters but how they report it.”
Debating the report, Bangweulu member of parliament Joseph Kasongo said the tendency by those in the private media who think they were above the law must be stopped since they even condemn Parliament and the Judiciary.
“In the eyes of those journalists, everything is rotten, including the Judiciary, Legislature and the Executive, does it mean those journalists are very wise to impose ideas on others? We should not use democracy to insult others and if those journalists cannot restrain themselves then they should be controlled because they should not continue calling others useless especially that we leaders are popularly elected,” Kasongo said. “In other countries, the media enhances peace and stability and not enticing people to rise against government through honking and other activities and when others got arrested, the people at this media institution ran away and hid in embassies of foreign countries.”
However, Mandevu parliamentarian Jean Kapata, wanted to rise on a point of order but Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa ignored her and allowed Kasongo to continue debating.
Kasongo said this private media institution only wrote insults and politics and one could only find something useful in the 'Sangwapo' pages.
“From page one it is politics and insults, when you turn the pages, the Judiciary is rotten, useful things are only found in the 'Sangwapo' pages and you feel the pain when insulted as a human being especially when popularly elected,” said Kasongo. “Those calling for self-regulation should rethink because I will never support such media that incite people to rise against government since I am a great believer in peace.”
But Hamududu argued that media regulation would backfire on the government officials when they leave office.
“The same media they want to bring down they will need when out of power and this is a sign of inferiority complex by the MMD government and if they feel that only negative coverage is painted at them, let them start their own newspaper that can articulate their views and compete on the basis of ideas,” said Hamududu.
And Bahati parliamentarian Besa Chimbaka said some media institutions were just focused on insulting so that anarchy could prevail in the country.
Chongwe MMD member of parliament Sylvia Masebo said she supported self-regulation of the media as opposed to statutory regulation.
Masebo said while the media could sometimes be irritating, especially when they reported wrong information, statutory regulation was not the answer to the many challenges and shortcomings of the media. She said the media was a powerful tool that could build or destroy and urged journalists to practice responsible journalism.
She urged the government not to listen to some opposition members of parliament who were pushing for the statutory regulation of the media just because they had personal battles to wage with the media.
She said free media were important because they keep leaders on their toes.
“When we decide to become public figures, we open ourselves to the public scrutiny so we can't run away from the media. The media helps us to become better leaders because we do not want to attract wrong headlines because we have stolen or we are corrupt,” said Masebo.
Livingstone ULP member of parliament Sakwiba Sikota declared that he was “a blood relative” of the media and his contributions in defence of media freedoms had been consistent.
He said self-regulation was the only way out for the media and urged all media houses to support it.
He said all over the world, the media was regulated, either by self or statute.
Sikota said if some media houses would attempt to frustrate efforts by other media organisations in pushing for self-regulation, the government would have no choice but to impose statutory regulation to ensure that the fish that ran away from the pond was caught.
Sikota said in that case, the government would not be blamed because it will have given the media an opportunity at self-regulation.
Labels: HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MECOZ, MWANSA KAPEYA, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
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Mining firms prospecting for minerals in National Parks
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 11:27
Parliament yesterday heard that three firms are prospecting for minerals in the Lochinvar National park and Kafue flats in Bweengwe constituency.
Mines and Mineral Development Minister has told parliament that Albidon Zambia limited, Dongwe and other small licensed firms are prospecting for Gypsum and other precious minerals and stones in the area.
Dr. Mwansa was responding to a question by Bweengwe Member of Parliament Hive Hamududu who wanted to know whether there were any firms prospecting for minerals in the Lochinvar national park and Kafue flats in his constituency.
Mr. Hamududu also wanted to know the names of the firms and the kind of mineral they are prospecting.
Mr. Hamududu said there was need for the Ministry of Mines to be careful as some firms would get consent for prospecting minerals while they were actually mining.
In response the Dr. Mwansa said the process of prospecting involves special meteorological works hence the use of some equipment which seem as though the companies were mining.
He appealed to those interested in prospecting for minerals in the area to apply for the mining rights.
Earlier Transport and Communications Minister, Geoffery Lungwangwa told the house that his Ministry is committed to holding the Rail Systems of Zambia (RSZ) accountable to the concession that was signed between the company and government.
Prof Lungwangwa said government will always make sure that the RSZ adheres to the concession requirements so that the rail sector develops in the country.
On the cargo exceeding the set tonnage, Prof Lungwangwa said there is a law that stipulates that any cargo vehicle should not be more than 22 metres long and should be weighed.
The Minister was responding to oral questions by Kabwe Central MP Kayula Kakusa who wanted to know whether the Government has any plans to introduce maximum tonnage on particular stretches of roads so that cargo exceeding the set tonnage should be transported by rail to save roads.
Mr. Kakusa also wanted to know when the Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ) will repair the rail tracks to save the roads from being damaged by heavy trucks.
ZANIS
Labels: ALBIDON, GAME PARKS, GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU
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