Online tax payments will mitigate opportunities for corruption - ZRA
By Kabanda Chulu
Sat 21 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIA Revenue Authority says implementation of online tax payment systems will minimise physical interaction and mitigate opportunities for corruption among stakeholders in the clearance process.
ZRA has started implementing robust web-based systems called AsycudaWorld that allow customs administration and traders to handle transactions through the Internet.
So far, ZRA has launched the facility at KK International Airport, Lusaka Port Office, Chirundu and Kariba and will next week launch the Livingstone site, while the rest of the customs offices will implement the system in the first quarter of 2014.
According to a statement issued by ZRA, the system will enable stakeholders to conduct business with customs services at anytime.
"The AsycudaWorld system enables paperless e-commerce through electronic declaration and submission of supporting documents to customs services such as invoices, parking list, certificates of origin, among other requirements," it stated.
"The system will enable anyone to search applicable tariff rates and regulations for goods of interest. It will also enable taxpayers to track status of the customs clearance process for their goods, including taxes assessed through their emails or sms notices."
It stated that creation of central processing centres (CPC) would enable ZRA to streamline the clearance process and provide the service in an efficient way.
"The CPCs will initially be set up at Lusaka, Kabwe and Ndola and all customs declarations submitted by imports/exporters electronically from different locations at anytime will be processed at the three CPCs which will equally operate for extended hours even after borders have closed," it stated. "The CPCs will also enable ZRA to provide a uniform service to the public, standardisation in the application of the law and procedures regardless of which borders one uses."
It stated that AsycudaWorld was earmarked to evolve into an electronic single window for Zambia by the end of 2014.
"A single window is a trade facilitation service that allows parties involved in trade to lodge standardised information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements," stated ZRA.
Labels: INTERNET, TAXATION, ZRA
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COMMENT - Abuse, internet? Just use your blocking functions.
Insults and abuses on the Internet
By The Post
Thu 07 Mar. 2013, 13:40 CAT
The observations made by Charlotte Scott on the abuse of the Internet or social media to insult, abuse, humiliate, harass and intimidate women deserve urgent and serious considerations.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for women to participate in public discourse due to the harassment and abuse they are subjected to on the social media. Of course, it is not only women who are subjected to this. Men are also victims of these abuses. But the brunt of this is predominantly being borne by women.
Many readers will disagree with us and that is normal and rational. People cannot have the same opinion on one subject because though we are all equal by our common humanity, we are also different by our individuality. But does the fact that we differ on an issue give those who disagree with us the right to insult and abuse us?
The Internet has given a true meaning to press freedom and freedom of expression by opening up all forms of media to anyone and everyone with access to the Internet as well as enabling anyone and everyone with access to Internet to freely express themselves. As a result, even the most powerful governments in the world can no longer easily curtail press freedom and freedom of expression.
The Internet has also given a voice to the voiceless and empowered the powerless in the area of press freedom and freedom of expression. However, we believe that many users of the Internet are seriously concerned about the way it is being used or misused and abused in the name of press freedom and freedom of expression in Zambia and by Zambians. The practice these days is such that it appears insults and abuses have become an integral part of the enjoyment of these rights by Zambians.
Without doubt, those who developed the Internet and other media avenues did not intend to create a forum for insults and abuse, but rather an opportunity for us to share ideas, expertise and to contribute to the development of our communities.
The insults and abuses know no limits. Please do not misunderstand the rationale behind this editorial comment. We are not in any way suggesting that Zambians should not hold their leaders accountable or criticise them. Far from it. But could that not be done without insults and abuses? We should be critical friends and offer constructive criticism.
We can disagree with our political opponents without being abusive. After all, political parties and politicians are in competition to win elections and not at battle to win wars.
The freedom to post comments on websites without any review of the contents of such comments has made the insults and abuses inevitable. This is tantamount to a licence to abuse the rights of others.
Most comments posted on some of these websites are nothing but pure defamatory and libellous in nature and against the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and the Zambian Constitution. So why are Zambians violating their own Constitution by using the media and Internet to freely express insulting and abusive language and opinions, incite hatred against other members of the community and so on and so forth?
There is the urgency for appropriate action to be taken to address this danger and threat to the two freedoms. Those who regularly post these insulting, abusive, racist and ethnic bashing comments are enemies of press freedom and freedom of expression.
Sadly, we are tempted to suggest that if the insults and abuses do not stop, then, our media websites may have to introduce some software to weed out the insults and abuses. For example, in order to be able to comment on most if not all media websites in the United Kingdom, one must register with the website and provide name and contact details including a valid email address and telephone number.
Comments are approved in advance before they are accessible to the public. We are not suggesting this approach as our websites may not have the resources to review in advance the many comments posted on the websites each day. However, if these abuses continue, then drastic measures must be introduced to stop the abusers and enemies of progress.
We accept that this would not be easy as it may be defeatist and may even not be in the true spirit of press freedom and freedom of speech. But the enjoyment of these freedoms without due regard to the restrictions contained therein (international and regional covenants and our national Constitution) they would make a mockery of the very rights and freedoms we all cherish and must protect.
We know for sure that we will be subjected to insults and abuse for the contents of this editorial comment.
We are not daunted, rather, we take inspiration from what Martin Luther King Jr said: "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him or her is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law." He also said, "The ultimate measure of a man/woman is not where he/she stands in moments of comfort and convenient, but where he/she stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Current legislation and its enforcement does not provide adequate protection against insults and threats on the internet. As part of the solution, we require now that the law be updated and adapted.
It cannot be said too many times. Internet itself is not the cause of these insults and abuses, it is only a venue. The Internet is a channel where insults, hatred and other abuses can spread by wind-speed and where it seems easier to speak far more coarse and disgusting than face-to-face with someone.
To stop and prevent this requires action at multiple levels and by many actors.
The Internet has swept into our lives and we have smart phones and tablets into our hearts and into our homes. Many are the meetings, initiatives and ideas that have been born thanks to the internet. At the same time, we face a situation that is no longer sustainable.
Children and young people are exposed to serious violations online without doing anything. And oddly enough, there seems to be a general acceptance that a violation that occur on the Internet would be more okay than that that would take place elsewhere.
One may get the impression that the Internet is a lawless land, but this is not the case. The professional rules of zero tolerance of violations also applies to what is happening on the internet.
We need to talk about what is okay and not. We need to talk about what it feels when someone writes something that is lousy and how they want to be treated.
Insults, hatred and other abuses must go out into the light to be combated. Both because it affects individuals and hard for all of us to dare to express our opinions. And because when people do not dare to speak for fear of being insulted, abused in all sorts of ways on the internet, this becomes a threat to our democracy.
We cannot ignore it any longer, it now requires sharper action to change what is going on. The problem will not go away by itself. We need to put in place a system that promotes the rights that every human being has not to be subjected to slander, threats or other serious violations.
Our presence on the Internet has opened up new types of crimes and there may be gaps in the criminal catalogue that now need to be filled. Many of the crimes that many people suffer on the Internet lead to serous consequences, but are not always matched by the penalty that is possible to impose. The penalties should be reviewed.
We need to prioritise this crime and provide resources to the police and prosecutors. Often the police are powerless when it comes to abuses or crime online.
To stop these abuses is our common responsibility and here we all have different roles to play.
We need to strengthen the police's capacity to track these people down and have them arrested. Today very little is done to track down and arrest the abusers of the internet. We need a law and law enforcement agencies that would target people who insult, threaten, bully, harass and defame other people on facebook, forum, blogs, comment sections on blogs, comment sections on newspaper articles and so on and so forth. Some would see this as vial and undemocratic, but many people here would support it, so we guess it is at least democratic.
Day by day, the usage of the Internet is increasing. Some dishonest people abuse it. Anyway, Internet is becoming the necessity of every class of people. We need to restrict the activities of some heinous and immoral people who use the Internet to belittle and degrade others.
It is said that every man or women should have an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he or she pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression; but if he or she publishes what is improper, mischievous or illegal, he or she must take the consequences of his or her own temerity.
Labels: CHARLOTTE SCOTT, INTERNET, WOMEN
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Esterhuysen urges Internet use to improve governance
By Fridah Nkonde in Grahamstown, South Africa
Tue 11 Sep. 2012, 10:28 CAT
AFRICAN governments should use the internet to improve good governance and transparency, says South Africa's Association for Progressive Communication executive director Anriette Esterhuysen.
And Cameroonian blogger Dibussi Tande says the internet should be open and free to promote growth in the region.
During the 16th annual Highway Africa and the Global Forum for Media Development on how the media frame the continents geopolitics, trade, and economic growth, Esterhuysen in her presentation on Internet Freedom noted that most African governments were responding with fear to the increase in people's access to internet.
"Instead of them seeing how it internet could increase good governance and transparency," she said.
Esterhuysen further said there was need for journalists to report on internet freedom.
"We should not take it for granted that internet restrictions are increasing not only in repressive countries. Censorship and filtering of information on the internet has increased. Surveillance of the internet by government is a violation of privacy. There has also been a loss of rights to anonymity," Esterhuysen said.
She said the fact that there had been an increase in access to the internet meant that had also been an increase in fear and constriction by most governments.
Esterhuysen said there was need for journalists to ask themselves on how tolerant their political and social cultures were when it came to internet freedom and how safe they felt when they were online.
She urged journalists to find out whether they were protected by law when they were online or not.
Esterhuysen also urged journalists to know their internet rights and fight hard to keep them.
Meanwhile, Tande said the number of people in Africa that had access to the internet had tripled from 34 million in the last decade.
He said the issue of governments controlling the internet was a worldwide issue and that most people were finding it hard to have access to information because of the many obstacles that were being put in place by those in authority.
Tande said putting a limitation on information to be accessed on the internet was a violation of user's rights.
"We have seen this in most of the countries where governments block facebook or twitter so that people don't communicate to each other. There are also certain laws that have been put up by some governments that do not help grow the internet," Tande said.
He said internet should be open and free to promote growth in a country.
"There is need for people to call for an open internet which is inclusive, participatory and self-regulating," said Tande.
MTN, Barclays and Telkom are the main sponsors of the conference.
Labels: INTERNET
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Internet woes continue in Zimbabwe
Posted by By Professor Tshuma at 29 March, at 14 : 04 PM
INTERNET users in Zimbabwe and other countries continue to experience slow and intermittent services six weeks after two separate accidents that involved
ships which in turn affected the crucial internet and phone link for the region.A survey by this news crew in the Central Business District of Harare has shown that the reports that internet speeds were frustratingly slow over the stipulated time have made it a worrisome thing as most of the interviewed people said they use internet cafes mostly and their money is used up after ‘downloading’ very few if any documents.
“We have been wondering what is happening because I used to go to an internet café for any business that needed internet and for every hour that I used to pay, I would download at least three proposals, but now I can hardly download one due to the speed of the internet,” said one user.
He said this has slowed down his business as well as profits he made as he is now forking out more than he used to before the problem occurred.
The expression on his face (the interviewee) showed that he was not aware what was causing the slow connection and speed of internet.
The manager at Communication Centre Internet Café in Harare, Mr. Raymond Dafi said the problem has also reduced the number of clients that come to have their services, adding that the situation should be rectified in the earliest time possible to allow business to move on as the country now can hardly do without information communication technologies.
On Tuesday the service appeared to be improving.
One of the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) Powertel had to issue a statement explaining that the problem was beyond their control.
In February a ship dragging its anchor off the coast of the Kenyan port city of Mombasa severed an undersea cable that cut off some nine African countries, including Zimbabwe. Engineers warned the repairs could take up to a month.
Another cable severed in two is known as EASSy and is owned by the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC).
The WIOCC is jointly owned by 14 major telecom operators in Africa, including Zimbabwe’s TelOne. Experts say Zimbabwe was hardest hit by the accident which cut the cable.
Last month Information and Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa also told us his ministry was inundated with complaints about poor internet speeds.
On Tuesday Muchemwa said mobile phone networks were also having problems with crossed lines and people were struggling to top up their airtime.
Labels: INTERNET
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Netizen Journalism, Libya and the UN
by Ronda Hauben
Global Research, February 17, 2012
The Special Issue (vol 21 no 1) of the Amateur Computerist on Netizen Journalism and the story of the resistance to the NATO aggression against Libya is now available at the ACN website.The url is:
http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/ACn21-1.pdfThis issue is a collection of articles documenting what happened in Libya in 2011. It presents a critique of the inaccurate reports that were used to justify the NATO war against Libya.
The focus in this collection is on the role played by the UN in making possible the aggression against Libya. The actions taken by the Security Council and other United Nations bodies like the Human Rights Council were contrary to the obligations of the UN charter and other principles of international law. The articles in this issue document the process by which the UN became an accomplice in a NATO war against a sovereign nation that is a member of the United Nations.
These articles serve to argue that starting in February 2011 there was a media blitz supporting the NATO actions, largely based on unverifiable claims by the opposition against the government of Libya. The story that emerged is based on broadly circulated falsifications of what was happening on the ground. The media blitz was accompanied by a rush at the UN Security Council to authorize force against the Libyan government, military, infrastructure and civilians under Article 7 of the UN Charter. The resulting Security Council resolution gave NATO and special forces the pretext to support an armed insurrection inside Libya. This armed insurrection was supported by a military campaign of bombing and other aggressive acts on the part of the U.S., France, the U.K. and several other NATO nations. The harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure was ignored by those supporting the NATO aggression.
There were however a number of journalists, websites and independent news sources which provided an alternative account and critiqued the false narrative being presented to justify the NATO war. Such a form of journalism, contributed to online by many netizens, has been described as “netizen journalism.”(1) Netizen journalism takes as its mission to independently investigate situations, seek out the accurate story, and challenge the fact that much of the mainstream western media is but a media presenting the dominant viewpoint of those in power. Whereas the western mainstream media most often acts to reinforce this power, netizen journalism takes as its mission to challenge the abuse of power.
A number of independent journalists and journalists working for alternative media like TeleSUR covered the struggle in Libya against the NATO aggression and the damage inflicted on the civilian infrastructure and the civilian population. This issue includes not only articles documenting what happened in Libya but also contains references to some of the many independent news reports and analyses that explore the long term goal of the NATO war and the injustice done by that mainstream media which used unverified reports by opposition sources to spread a phony rationale for the invasion of a sovereign nation.
A list of journalists who provided this alternative coverage would include, among others, Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Thierry Meyssan, Lizzy Phalen, and Franklin Lamb.
Some of the websites that have been part of this broader collaborative effort to understand what happened in Libya and to present it to the world include:
Center for Research on Globalization
Voltaire Network
Global Civilians for Peace in Libya
Libya360
Strategic Culture Foundation
Mathaba – Independent News Agency
Investig’Action
teleSUR
Concerned Africans
April Media
American Everyman
In his article in this issue, “From Munich to Tripoli,” Yoichi Shimatsu refers to the resistance offered by the fighters of the Spanish Civil War and the work to spread the story of their resistance by the writers and commentators who conveyed this story to the world. In this issue of the Amateur Computerist we want to pay tribute to both the resistance offered by those in Libya who fought against the foreign intervention and to the journalists, websites, and other forms of netizen journalism around the world that have helped to spread the story of the resistance to the NATO war against Libya and to the destruction of Libya that it wrought.
Note
1) See for example, Ronda Hauben, “The Need for Netizen Journalism and the Ever Evolving Netizen – News – Net – Symbiosis”
http://blogs.taz.de/netizenblog/2011/05/01/need_for_netizen_journalism/
This article appears on my blog at taz.de
http://blogs.taz.de/netizenblog/2012/02/16/netizen-journalism-libya-and-the-un/
Global Research Articles by Ronda Hauben
Labels: INTERNET, LIBYA, NATO, UN
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Why mobile money is popular in Africa, but not in the US
banking mining resource curse cost benefit ground rent
Mining costs Ghanians more than it benefits them
African consumers have leapfrogged traditional banking systems by using mobile phones while their academics speak up for making mining benefit everyone. We trim, blend, and append two 2012 articles from (1) Christian Science Monitor, Jan 13, on mobile cash by C. Hopkins; and (2) Joy On Line, Jan 17, on mining.
by Curt Hopkins and by Joy On Line
Why mobile money is popular in Africa, but not in the US
How cool would it be if we could pay for our meals with our phones? For several years now, Western technology commentators and analysts have proclaimed the imminent rise of mobile cash -- the ability of users to conduct financial transactions using an application on their phone. And for several years now, Western technology users have remained uninterested.
But in Kenya, the futuristic world of mobile money is accepted by most Kenyans as the norm; that country’s mobile applications industry is booming. There are, at last count, 17 mobile cash companies in Kenya alone. Why is mobile money more acceptable in Africa than in America?
The slow growth of mobile cash in the US comes down to Americans’ trusting relationship to banking institutions, despite recent protests. The banking system is very much accessible to Americans, unlike in many African countries. In most parts of Africa, where mobile cash is extremely popular, it is often the only way, excepting paper money, to buy a fridge.
In Africa, Internet penetration and use of e-banking and e-commerce is low, so mobile money fits the bill; it has been going gangbusters for years. Mobile money offers a way for the unbanked to bank their money. Even among those who use a traditional banking institution, most banked people in urban Kenya prefer mobile money for its convenience and speed.
Mobile money has leapfrogged the payment card industry, which requires expensive ATM and Point of Sale (POS) networks to function. ATMs and POS Terminals require regular maintenance and, with ATMs, regular liquidity balancing. By leveraging third party retail outlets and making the phone the primary means of exchange, mobile money bypassed the need to distribute ATMs and POS Terminals.
Mobile cash facilitator M-Pesa and its competitors have to make their services as responsive and simple as possible to accommodate a wide spectrum of user needs, education levels, and technology types.
For Americans, there is too much complexity and too little utility for mobile money. There is no shared platform for payments and most of the current offerings are merely wrappers for credit cards. And, most importantly of all, in the Western world, mobile cash is not a solution to a problem.
To see the whole article, click here .
JJS: A solution to an invisible problem -- that is one reason why proponents of a tax on land or other means of recovery of the socially-generated value of “rents” have such a hard time advancing their cause. It’s hard to connect “land dues” to displacing other taxes, curbing sprawl, raising wages, channeling investment into useful enterprise, etc, eventho’ that has been the track record of the land tax.
Perhaps if proponents were to downplay the tax aspect and play up the notion of sharing any recovered rents -- a la Alaska’s oil dividend -- then they might get further with the public. They’d not be alone in issuing such a call. Sharing the rental revenue from resources is a demand that some prominent Africans do on occasion make.
Mining activities under microscope of New Year School panellists
At the symposium on “’Yellow Gold’ management for the past half century: Implication for the ‘Black Gold’”, opinions diverged.
While the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr Tony Aubynn, contended that mining contributed to the national economy, other panelists at the 63rd Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana declared that mining has been more costly than beneficial to the nation.
The Co-ordinator of the Third World Network (TWN), Africa, Dr Yao Graham; a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics of the University of Ghana, Dr Daniel Twerefou, and the Executive Director of WACAM, Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, were unanimous that the cost of mining to the nation far outweighed its benefit.
Dr Graham said sometimes it was better to leave minerals unmined, especially if the mining would be more costly to the environment and communities; further, the state does not well regulate mining companies. Also, he stressed the need for the revenue accruing from mining to be distributed equitably.
When Owusu-Koranteng revealed that mining companies paid 50Gp per annum as ground rent for a one-kilometre square of land, the audience responded with spontaneous remarks of disapproval.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng said that as mining shifted from underground to surface, that created lots of environmental problems in mining communities.
He said in assessing the cost and benefit of mining, it was important to also consider the destruction of the cultural and spiritual heritage of mining communities that were intangible but invaluable.
Dr Twerefou agreed it was important to put value on the social and environmental impact of mining and not just the benefits, adding that the impact of mining was inter-generational.
He observed that only 22 per cent of revenue accruing from mining was injected into the national economy as against about 98 per cent from cocoa.
To see the whole article, click here.
JJS: And if African governments were to distribute natural resource revenue equitably, then individual Africans could receive their share on their phones -- and they’d be way ahead of ordinary citizens in America.
---------------------
Editor Jeffery J. Smith runs the Forum on Geonomics and helped prepare a course for the UN on geonomics. To take the “Land Rights” course, click here .
Labels: GHANA, INTERNET, MOBILE PHONES
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Sata assassination story annoys government
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 23 Jan. 2012, 13:00 CAT
We'll deal conclusively with the false story - defence minister
STATE House has ordered security wings to arrest people behind a false online story published yesterday alleging that President Michael Sata had been assassinated.
And defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba has vowed to conclusively deal with people behind the false story.
Meanwhile, home affairs minister Kennedy Sakeni says it is treasonable for anyone to spread false rumours that a head a state has been assassinated.
According to a link to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the site ended President Sata's biography with the announcement of his ‘assassination' in the early hours of yesterday.
President Sata's special assistant for press and public relations George Chellah described the story as malicious, sadistic and unfounded.
He stated that the story was published by a named website which he described as uncouth, claiming that the head of state was assassinated in the early hours of yesterday.
"As a matter of fact, State House is aware that such horrid stories are being perpetrated by certain rogue elements, with a bulk of them being investigated for gross misconduct and corruption in the ongoing crusade against graft. These elements are being aided in this attempt to create panic and despondency in our people by another cluster of frustrated politicians, who cannot stomach the reality of losing an election. The Presidency is wide awake to this low-priced political campaign and has ordered the state security wings to straight away bring the perpetrators of such evil acts to book," stated Chellah.
"In the past, the President tolerated akin stories and dismissed them politely but now that he has the mandate of the Zambian people to govern and a development agenda to fulfill; we will let the state security wings chart the way forward on this and any related matters in order to safeguard and preserve the peace this country has enjoyed over a long period of time. Our word of caution to those behind these thoughtless, persistent and inhumane stories circulating in the country, especially on the internet is for them to stop at once before they meet the penalty of their deeds."
And Mwamba, in an interview, said the matter would be investigated as it bordered on the country's security.
"This is the work of some of the members of the opposition. If I can tell you now, I have just arrived from South Africa. I am going to State House now. Such rumours are not good for the country. You don't talk or joke about such sensitive issues. We shall take this matter very seriously. This is just the wish of disgruntled elements in society," said Mwamba.
"As Minister of Defence, I will ensure that this matter is investigated conclusively and the culprits are brought to book."
This is not the first time an online media publication has carried a false story bordering on President Sata's health.
And Sakeni said there were other channels of expressing dissatisfaction over the government's work than spreading treasonable rumours.
"This is total madness. This crime of spreading alarming and disastrous messages on internet needs to be stopped. That is the work of people who are not even worthy to be called human beings. How do you come up with such a stupid rumour which is just meant to bring despondency in the country and tantamount to treason?" Sakeni asked.
"It is treasonable actually to talk about such things. Even if you are dissatisfied with a leader, you don't go to such extents of spreading such rumours which may just bring insecurity in the minds of the people. This is the work of the enemies of the PF government, mostly those who are so dissatisfied with our successes in the last four months."
He said security officers in the country needed to be alert in fighting cyber crime.
"We will have to alert our security officers to fight cyber crime. This is getting out of hand. The chaps are hiding themselves and can't even put their names on their stories. Online media needs to verify stories, and even foreign media, before publishing their stories. And security officers must also double up their efforts to discover who are behind this crime," said Sakeni.
Labels: ASSASSINATION, GBM, INTERNET, MICHAEL SATA
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Given Lubinda challenges online publications to disclose their physical location
TIME PUBLISHED - Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 7:36 am
MINISTER of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Given Lubinda says owners of online publications should state their identity to make it easier for aggrieved parties to seek redress.
He said publishers hiding their identity should not be allowed to tamper with freedom of speech and press freedom through online publications.
“I know some people are hiding in the fact that they cannot be reached. Everyone running a publication should declare where they are to be found. Cowards must not be allowed to interfere with freedom of speech,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said this when he appeared on a special programme on Zambezi FM in Livingstone yesterday.
Mr Lubinda said the attorney-general’s report on the legal framework within which online publications are operating will soon be presented to Cabinet to address the matter.
A few weeks ago, President Sata directed attorney-general Mumba Malila to investigate the legal framework in which online publications are operating in Zambia following complaints from the public about the stories some of them have been carrying.
The minister also reiterated his advice to the public media to always report fairly and professionally and always remember that they are run on public resources.
He said the public media should not take advantage of the latitude the Patriotic Front government has given them to write defamatory stories because the government will not bail them out in the event that they are found wanting.
He said the public media should not take advantage of the latitude the Patriotic Front government has given them to write defamatory stories because the government will not bail them out in the event that they are found wanting.
Mr Lubinda said the public media should not use the press to settle political scores, but mirror the aspirations of the public.
“From our lesson during the 2011 campaigns, we know how the public media can be deceiving. We would like them to reflect the true aspirations of the people. I appeal to them to do one thing; report accurately, fairly and truthfully,” Mr Lubinda said.
Meanwhile, Mr Lubinda has called on all residents of Livingstone, including street vendors, to support the declaration of the city as a tourist capital. He said street vendors should control their vending.
Mr Lubinda said he wants to see an increase in the quality of tour operators in the city, as they are the ones who help to attract tourists to thecapital.
He said despite Livingstone being the tourist capital of the country, it lacks professionally qualified personnel to run the tourism and hospitality industry.
And asked in a separate interview how much the current technical committee of experts on the constitution is getting, Mr Lubinda said it is not important to know the amount.
“It is not how much has been budgeted for, but the cost of getting the business done, that is what is most important,” Mr Lubinda said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, INTERNET, LIBEL, PRESS FREEDOM
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Sata directs new Attorney-General to establish the legality of online papers and disolves ZNBS board
TIME PUBLISHED - Saturday, November 12, 2011, 11:32 am
President Sata has directed newly appointed Attorney-General Mumba Malila to investigate the legality of the many small newspapers and on-line publications operating in Zambia that are bent at spreading falsehoods about him and the Government.
Speaking when he swore in Mr Malila and Ms Rosewin Wandi as Attorney-General and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general at State House, respectively President Sata said there was too much corruption at ZNBS which needed to be addressed.
“Two of you have been once victims of witch- hunt, you have come back because you deserve to be what you are. There is too much corruption at ZNBS. ZNBS is not doing business and I can not see how the board can appoint a woman and pay her K56 million, now K56 million per month by an organisation which is not making money! “ This is the same organisation where somebody irregularly pumped U$98 million. I have with immediate effect dissolved the board of ZNBS and I have appointed a commission which will be headed by Mr Mwila Lumbwe,” President Sata said.
He said the commission would also have representation from the ACC and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and other members. On the mushroomed internet and newspaperpublications, Mr Sata tasked Mr Malila to authenticate the legality of such publications in line with the law which required that they are registered. “Last year when we were preparing for elections, these so called unregistered internet (publications) and newspapers said Mr Sata had collapsed, Mr Sata is very sick, Mr Sata has died and yesterday the whole Eastern Province (was made to believe) that Mr Sata was dead.
There is too much corruption at ZNBS. ZNBS is not doing business and I can not see how the board can appoint a woman and pay her K56 million, now K56 million per month by an organisation which is not making money! “
“So, I am not asking for a witch- hunt, but you as Attorney-General, let us enforce the laws of this country because all these internets are all orchestrated by the UPND,” Mr Sata said. The President said that last year theon-line publication, Watchdog, which he said was UPND peddled lies that he was dead, he was too sick, when in fact not.
“It is all UPND and I am not going to start a witch-hunt and as they are saying now, yesterday I was dead, today I am standing here, maybe I have so many lives because even before elections I was dead, in 2009 our brothers got some fake doctor who told them Mr Sata would die before 2009 and came into a pact, come 2009, I did not die, come 2010, I did not die.
“They pull out of the pact and now they are still peddling lies, what type of politicians are these that want to survive on other people’s blood? He urged Mr Malila to re-enforce the law and assist the police and all investigative agencies in that regard.
President Sata also noted that his administration would not rush into taking people to court without gathering enough evidence to warrant convictions. “Only when we are ready shall we take people for prosecution, we don’t want to rush. You remember Mr Malila and Ms Wandi, the so-called Task Force, people were going to court for seven years, and the so-called prosecutors were getting K100 million per month for three convictions.
“Only when we are ready shall we take people for prosecution, we don’t want to rush. You remember Mr Malila and Ms Wandi, the so-called Task Force, people were going to court for seven years, and the so-called prosecutors were getting K100 million per month for three convictions.
“Three convictions for seven years, I think these are things we need to improve, let us only go to court when we are ready, to say we have a case to go and present to the courts, let us not use courts or use the police for politics,” Mr Sata said.
He noted that there was so much injustice in Zambia and wondered how a person sent on forced leave for more than three years could continue drawing a salary.
“Who is cheating who? If you send a person on leave, and then you continue paying them a Permanent Secretary’s salary, they are still getting all the benefits? In my opinion this is corruption,” Mr Sata noted.
He congratulated Mr Malila for bouncing back as Attorney-General and Ms Wandi on her new appointment as ACC boss. Mr Sata said he had trust that the two appointees would discharge their duties diligently and urged them to show Zambians that they were better than those that were there. The President also took a swipe at Secretary to Cabinet Joshua Kanganja and his team for keeping him waiting at the office.
“I don’t believe in the Secretary to Cabinet because he is always misleading me. I was here waiting for the Secretary to the Cabinet, he is taking his time with his staff and I had to go back to my office. This is the Government you are running,” Mr Sata said.
And Mr Malila welcomed his appointment and stressed that he understood the challenges that lay ahead in the job but that he was equal to the task. “We shall review areas of bad administration, let me also state here that onlinepublications and newspapers are supposed to be registered and so we shall countercheck the many on the market to see if they followed the law,” Mr Malila said.
“We shall review areas of bad administration, let me also state here that online publications and newspapers are supposed to be registered and so we shall countercheck the many on the market to see if they followed the law,” Mr Malila said.
Ms Wandi said she felt honoured and humbled with the confidence President Sata had placed in her and as such she would not let the nation down. Earlier, the President also hailed the cordial ties that Zambia had continued enjoying with Sweden and hoped the two countries would solidify such ties. He said this when he received letters of credence from the new Swedish ambassador to Zambia Lena Nordstrom.
Ms Nordstrom reiterated her country’s continued support to Zambia’s various sectors of the economy and the fight against HIV/AIDS programmes. She congratulated President Sata on his election as head of state and commended the peaceful transition of power process.
[Times of Zambia]
Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION, INTERNET, MICHAEL SATA, MUMBA MALILA, ROSEWIN WANDI, THE POST, ZNBS
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Digitising revolutions: Africa’s major challenge
Wednesday, 02 November 2011 00:00
We are living in a fast-changing terrain. If you snooze, you lose. As I watch the popular embrace of information communication technologies by all and sundry, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity and belief systems, it is as if the Internet, with its accompanying familiarities such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yookos have always been a part of our lives.
We have become the touch-button generation that can easily talk about bits and bytes, cyberspace and virtual reality.
Despite using them daily, I've often remarked that sometimes I feel so ancient. It was in the early 90s that our small class on information networking (the Internet) turned some of us into cyberpunks - literally living on the Internet - netizens as one of our professors loved to call us.
We even laughed at a New York Times article of June 5, 1994 headlined, "On the Internet, dissidents' shots heard ‘round the world'".
To the print media, this was a major discovery, which we had since discovered as we witnessed struggles finding their way on the Internet.
When social media finally became the acceptable term, it was not surprising to see that the Internet is playing a crucial role in people's daily lives. The interesting thing is the manner in which they mutate and also get replicated sometimes with unknown consequences.
For while the Arab Spring continues, it has given momentum to another revolution: the anti-capitalist protests that started off as Occupy Wall Street, but have gone global.
Award winning journalist Heather Brooke's recently published book, "The Revolution Will Be Digitised: Dispatches from the Information War" gives a stamp of authority to this new scenario. What Alvin and Heidi Toffler called the "big bang"!
It is an expose of how revolutions in the 21st century will be fought. This is a book about the information war - the information that leads to thousands of drones being dropped on infrastructure and people.
It is exciting, but in some cases spooky and terrifying. So recent is the information in the book that even the founder of the whistleblower WikiLeaks Julian Assange is given quite a bit of narrative.
Poignant issues are raised on the blurb of the book: "There is more information in the world than ever - but who's in control? At the centre is the Establishment: governments, corporations and powerful individuals who have more knowledge about us, and more power, than at any other time in history. Circling them is a new generation of hackers, pro-democracy campaigners and Internet activists who no longer accept that the Establishment should run the show."
As she seeks answers, Brookes "explores the most urgent questions of the digital age: where is the balance between freedom and security? In an online world, does privacy still exist? And will the Internet empower individuals, or usher in a new age of censorship, surveillance and oppression?"
In my view these questions form the crux of digital revolutions: who is in charge of what, how and where?
Who are the owners, and who are the net consumers? Do the end users understand how this ball game is being played? Do they understand the agendas and the bigger picture?
Zimbabwe has fought major revolutions and has won, but is it able to conduct a digital revolution, and still come up tops?
Do we understand all the electronic gadgets that continue to wire up our lives and, are we able to get maximum advantage from them?
Will we be able to implement what Alvin and Heidi Toffler recommend in their book, "The Third Wave", which is to create knowledge warriors - moving data banks - who can fight these digital revolutions?
The Tofflers argue that "As the third wave war-form takes shape, a new breed of ‘knowledge warriors' has begun to emerge - intellectuals in and out of uniform dedicated to the idea that knowledge can win, or prevent wars . . . "
Brooke is expressing how she sees the world around her changing in real time. What it means is that these are effects that will be felt by every nation and every human being. How we respond to them will determine our failure and/or success.
It is time we started asserting our influence in this digital age and wage digital revolutions.
I've often wondered how we can fight these revolutions when the generational gap makes it look like the younger generation has a better grasp, but instead of taking the older generation together with them, they would rather privatise that knowledge.
The reality is that for that revolution to be won, both generations should work as a team.
"The Revolution Will Be Digitised has an attention-grabbing cover design - a clenched fist - the clenched fist which was denounced by United states president Barack Obama in his inaugural speech in 2009. He preferred an open palm.
Revolutionaries around the world, Zanu-PF included have used the clenched fist as a symbol in their slogans. I noted that the clenched fist is not just a symbol of defiance, but it is also a symbol of unity.
An observer who saw me reading the book remarked that the African revolution through the fist had gone global, but time will tell if Africa will manage the digital age.
Brooke also ends her book thus, "We now have a technology that unites individuals in such a way that we can create the first global democracy. Hundreds of millions of people are climbing out of poverty and the Internet gives them access to the sort of information that was previously accessible only to elite scholars.
"They can join a worldwide conversation and come together in infinite permutations to check power anywhere it concentrates. The greatest achievement isn't in producing technology, but using it to redefine the boundaries of what is possible."
Africa managed to leapfrog and embrace the technologies.
I reiterate the challenge in using these technologies for Africa's good, and not allow them to be used by those who have always had the upper hand to do down Africa.
Labels: INTERNET, WIKILEAKS
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US eyes blackout of ‘rogue websites’
Saturday, 29 October 2011 00:00
WASHINGTON. - New anti-piracy legislation placed before the US House of Representatives would allow copyright law to be used to close down websites.
Sites such as WikiLeaks would be vulnerable, sparking fears that the bill could be used to stifle free speech. The bill, submitted on Wednesday, is called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and will be reviewed by the House Judiciary Committee on November 16.
If approved, SOPA will enable individuals or organisations claiming copyright to effectively block any website they suspect of infringing their rights.
They would simply send complaints to advertisers, payment services, search engines and even Internet service providers operating in the US, who would stop doing business with the site in question.
No court decision would be necessary, and third parties would be granted immunity from any reprisals resulting from their voluntary action against the alleged offenders.
Not-for-profit websites would not be spared.
The lawmakers behind the "rogue websites" bill say it would deal a blow to online pirates and producers of counterfeit brand products like designer fashion items or medicines, reports AFP.
"The bill prevents online thieves from selling counterfeit goods in the US, expands international protection for intellectual property, and protects American consumers from dangerous counterfeit products,"
House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas, said in a statement.
Howard Berman, a Democrat from California who co-sponsored the legislation, said it is "an important next step in the fight against digital theft and sends a strong message that the United States will not waiver in our battle to protect America's creators and innovators."
This stance is not shared by some human rights groups, however. The Washington-based Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) says the House bill "raises serious red flags."
"It includes the most controversial parts of the Senate's Protect Internet Protocol Act, but radically expands its scope," the CDT said in a statement.
"Any website that features user-generated content or that enables cloud-based data storage could end up in its crosshairs."
There are fears that the legislation could be exploited to gag political rivals.
Recently, the controversial whistleblower website WikiLeaks had to stop publishing new leaks due to what they called an unlawful financial blockade by payment services and banks. The move leaves open the possibility of the US State Department copyrighting cables to give them protection under SOPA.
- RT.
Labels: CENSORSHIP, INTERNET
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COMMENT - One more score for the ZANU-PF government. :) They already achieved independence in 1980, the highest literacy rate on the African continent, actual land redistribution, the traffic lights in Harare run on solar energy, and now they are digitalizing their government paperwork. I wonder if this will feature large at the BBC.
Launching e-Government
Saturday, 06 August 2011 02:00
PRESIDENT Mugabe hands over a laptop to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, while Vice President John Nkomo looks on.
Zimbabwe this week witnessed a historic milestone in the country's road to efficient service delivery led by Government when
President Robert Mugabe launched the Electronic Government also known as e-government, digital government, online government or connected government.
President Mugabe said Government was implementing the results-based management programme to improve public service delivery.
"One of the major thrusts of that programme is e-government, which focuses on modernising Government systems and processes through the use of information and communication technologies. This is to mark the launch of this programme, which is co-ordinated by my office in close liaison with the Ministry of Information Communi-cation Technology," he said.
President Mugabe said the programme would enhance Government's ability to provide services to its citizens and stakeholders "in an efficient and effective way".
"Through implementation of the programme, Government will be able to provide online services conveniently through the use of ICTs, bring Government services closer to the people, improve communication between Government and citizens, reduce Government operating expenses and be more transparent and accountable in the manner we provide services," he said.
E-government is digital interactions between a government and citizens (G2C), government and businesses or commerce (G2B), government and employees, and also between government and governments or agencies (G2G).
While e-government is often thought of as "online government" or "Internet-based Government", many non-Internet "electronic government" technologies can be used in this context. Some non-Internet forms include telephone, fax, PDA, SMS text messaging, MMS, wireless networks and services, Bluetooth, CCTV, tracking systems, RFID, biometric identification, road traffic management and regulatory enforcement, identity cards, smart cards and other Near Field Communication applications; polling station technology (where non-online e-voting is being considered), TV and radio-based delivery of government services, email, online community facilities, newsgroups and electronic mailing lists, online chat and instant messaging technologies.
E-government allows for government transparency. Government transparency is important because it allows the public to be informed about what the Government is working on as well as the policies they are trying to implement. Simple tasks may be easier to perform through electronic government access. Many changes, such as marital status or address changes, can be a long process and take a lot of paper work for citizens.
This technology allows these tasks to be performed efficiently with more convenience to individuals. E-government is an easy way for the public to be more involved in political campaigns. It could increase voter awareness, which could lead to an increase in citizen participation in elections. It is convenient and cost-effective for businesses, and the public benefits by getting easy access to the most current information available without having to spend time, energy and money to get it.
It helps simplify processes and makes access to government information more easily accessible for public sector agencies and citizens. In addition to its simplicity, e-democracy services can reduce costs. The anticipated benefits of e-government include efficiency, improved services, better accessibility of public services, and more transparency and accountability.
One goal of e-government will be greater citizen participation. Through the Internet, people from all over the country can interact with politicians or public servants and make their voices heard. Blogging and interactive surveys will allow politicians or public servants to see the views of the people they represent on any given issue.
Chat rooms can place citizens in real-time contact with elected officials, their offices or provide them with the means to replace them by interacting directly with public servants, allowing voters to have a direct impact and influence in their government.
Proponents of e-government argue that online government services would lessen the need for hard copy forms. Due to recent pressures from environmentalist groups, the media, and the public, some governments and organisations have turned to the Internet to reduce this paper use resulting in huge savings on paper as people will print their own forms when and as required.
E-government allows citizens to interact with computers to achieve objectives at any time and any location, and eliminates the necessity for physical travel to government agents sitting behind desks and windows. Improved accounting and record keeping can be noted through computerisation, and information while forms can be easily accessed, equaling quicker processing time.
On the administrative side, access to help find or retrieve files and linked information can now be stored in databases versus hardcopies stored in various locations. Individuals with disabilities or conditions no longer have to be mobile to be active in government and can be in the comfort of their own homes.
Recent trials of e-government have been met with acceptance and eagerness from the public. Citizens participate in online discussions of political issues with increasing frequency, and young people, who traditionally display minimal interest in government affairs, are drawn to e-voting procedures.
There are also some technology-specific sub-categories of e-government, such as m-government (mobile government), u-government (ubiquitous government) and g-government (GIS/GPS) applications for e-government.
The primary delivery models of e-government are classified depending on who benefits. In the development of public sector or private sector portals and platforms, a system is created that benefits all constituents. Citizens needing to renew their vehicle registration have a convenient way to accomplish it while already engaged in meeting the regulatory inspection requirement.
On behalf of a government partner, business provides what has traditionally, and solely, managed by government and can use this service to generate profit or attract new customers. Government agencies are relieved of the cost and complexity of having to process the transactions.
To develop these public sector portals or platforms, governments have the choice to internally develop and manage, outsource, or sign a self-funding contract. The self-funding model creates portals that pay for themselves through convenience fees for certain e-government transactions, known as self-funding portals.
Social networking is an emerging area for e-democracy. The social networking entry point is within the citizens' environment and the engagement is on the citizens' terms. Proponents of e-government perceive government use of social networks as a medium to help government act more like the public it serves.
Government and its agents also have the opportunity to follow citizens to monitor satisfaction with services they receive. Through ListServs, RSS feeds, mobile messaging, micro-blogging services and blogs, government and its agencies can share information to citizens who share common interests and concerns.
E-government's main challenge will be that an e-government site that provides web access and support often does not offer the potential to reach many users including those who live in remote areas, are homebound, have low literacy levels or exist on below poverty line incomes.
Costa.mano@zimpapers.co.zw
Labels: INFORMATION AGE, INTERNET
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Zamtel to invest K600bn in Internet access
By Florence Bupe
Fri 19 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
ZAMTEL is investing K600 billion into new technology to enh-ance the country’s Internet access and capacity, company chief commercial officer Amon Jere has disclosed.
Addressing trainee journalists at Post Newspapers on Wednesday, Jere acknowledged that Zambia’s Internet penetration rate had remained among the lowest globally and pledged Zamtel’s commitment to ensuring a reversal of the situation.
“Although some reports have indicated that Internet penetration rates stand at about 6.3 per cent of the Zambian population, it is in actual fact just about two to three per cent. As Zamtel, we want to take the lead in providing faster, more affordable Internet services and we are working with other countries in the region to install optic fibre technology,” he said.
Jere disclosed that Zamtel was partnering with Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania to lay optic fibre cables for enhanced technological growth.
He further explained that Zamtel was working with Zesco to integrate the two organisations’ optic fibre installations.
Jere also explained that Zamtel would strive to increase Internet access for Zambians through the provision of the service on fixed phone lines.
“We are trying to ensure that all landlines have fixed broadband Internet. This will help us create more access,” Jere said. “We also expect to roll out 3G (third generation) technology by January next year.”
However, Jere echoed sentiments of many other stakeholders that the cost of Internet services in Zambia had remained high due to a number of factors such as the cost of computers.
And Jere said Zamtel was in the process of recovering the K200 billion owed to the institution by various clients.
“We are engaging government to try and recover the huge debt that is owed, and a number of ministries are starting to pay their bills. Zamtel was owed K200 billion by various organisations and we have instituted a team to try and recover the monies,” he said.
Jere said as a means of improving the management of revenue, the company was encouraging the use of pre-paid service facilities.
“If you came to us now and asked for a landline, we will most likely put you on pre-paid. In fact, some government ministries have taken the responsibility of asking for pre-paid landlines to avoid accumulating debt,” said Jere.
Labels: AMON JERE, INTERNET, OPTIC FIBRE, ZAMTEL
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MP claims colleagues can’t use internet
by Staff Reporter
24/10/2010 00:00:00
A LEGISLATOR with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-t party has claimed several members of Zimbabwe’s house of parliament were technophobes who were computer illiterate and could not use the internet.
Kambuzuma MP Willias Madzimura said this while contributing to debate on a US$45 million loan secured from a China bank to fund state-run mobile network, NetOne’s 2G and 3G national roll-out. Madzimure said most of the MPs did not even have e-mail addresses.
“We have got several MPs, some of whom have no e-mail addresses,” said Madzimure. “They have never used that technology (Internet) and they have never done any business using the technology.”
Madzimure’s remarks mirrored comments by Finance Minister Tendai Biti last month about the level of technophobia in government.
Biti said then that some ministers did not even know what a mouse (referring to computer part) was and almost ran away when he made reference to it, thinking that he meant the small rodent
Madzimure commended the government for supporting NetOne saying this would make life easier nervous Zanu PF MPs who were reluctant to use the services of country’s leading mobile phone firm Econet Wireless.
“I am of the opinion that the fact that it is going to be NetOne, those people (MPs) who are allergic to Econet because they think it belongs to the opposition will join in and use the technology,” he said.
Meanwhile Biti said the China loan would largely finance the importation of telecommunications equipment as Zimbabwe was lagging behind in communications technology.
“It is very critical that Zimbabwe rolls out this 3G network. We are lagging behind, and I said in my Mid-Term (Fiscal Policy) statement that technology-wise this country is 23 years behind,” he said.
Labels: INTERNET, MPs, WILLIAS MADZIMURA
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ZICTA gives five ISP five day ultimatum to renew licenses
By Kombe Chimpinde
Wed 06 Oct. 2010, 17:30 CAT
ZAMBIA Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has temporarily withdrawn its order to five Internet Services Providers (ISPs) to cease operations and has given the affected organisations a five day ultimatum to renew the licenses.
ZICTA director of public relations and consumer, Lotty Kakubo said in a statement that the withdrawal of the order was meant to pave way for further discussions with affected Internet Service Providers (IPS).
“ZICTA would like to inform the public that it has temporarily withdrawn its earlier statement indicating that five Internet Service Providers (IPS) should cease operations effective October 8, 2010 for non renewal of operating license,” Kakubo stated.
“This is to pave way for further discussions with affected Internet Service Providers regarding this matter. The authority has since given the affected ISPs a five day ultimatum in which to remedy the situation.”
Yesterday, ZICTA directed that five ISPs cease their operation by October 8 for non renewal of licenses.
Kakubo named the affected ISPs as Zamnet Communications Systems Limited, Realtime Technology Alliance Limited, trading as Realtime Zambia, Coppernet Solutions Limited, Microlink Technologies, and Pronet Zambia Limited.
Labels: INTERNET, ZICTA
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Wanted: Malawi food in US on e-market
By Nyasa Times
Published: April 15, 2010
The fastest growing market in the United States of America is the international food market and Malawi food stands to rake huge profits.
Millions of people are buying their food from international stores. Everyday a new shop opens selling organic food, food that does not have additives or preservatives and is naturally grown. The growing trend is to eat healthy and more naturally-grown foods.
In the US you can purchase food at these international stores from all across Africa but rarely can you find the good products from Malawi until now.
Through a website - http://treatsfrommalawi.com- you can buy Malawi products from an online store. The idea to have an online store come from Malawians living in the U.S. and was developed by Chimwemwe Ncozana the owner of radioyako.com based in Orlando Florida.
Through the website you can buy tea, coffee, beans, nuts, hot sauce, clothes all made in Malawi and other items that enter the U.S. market free of duty under the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), a US legislation in 2002 to promote and raise trade activity between the global powerhouse and Africa.
Under AGOA over 2,000 Malawi products can enter the US market free of duty.
The concept came from a similar venture which has been successfully implemented by Kenyans living in the USA.
Ncozana, the designer of the website, said: “Through the website you can purchase airtime for family in Malawi, purchase grocery vouchers, salon vouchers, Malawi music and much more.
“It’s an exciting time. We are improving the website everyday and e-commerce is here to stay,” he said.
Labels: EBAY, FOOD, INTERNET
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Fight for online freedom of expression is crucial - Reporters Without Borders
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 12 Mar. 2010, 08:10 CAT
THE fight for online freedom of expression is more essential than ever, France-based Reporters Without Borders has stated. In a message to mark the World Day Against Cyber Censorship which falls this Friday, Reporters Without Borders head of the new media desk Lucie Morillon stated that “The fight for online freedom of expression is more essential than ever. By creating new spaces for exchanging ideas and information, the Internet is a force for freedom. However, more and more governments have realised this and are reacting by trying to control the Internet,” Morillon stated.
“Reporters Without Borders will mark the occasion by issuing its latest list of ‘Enemies of the Internet.’
This list points the finger at countries such as Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia that restrict online access and harass their citizens. A list of countries that have been placed ‘under surveillance’ for displaying a disturbing attitude towards the Internet will also be released.”
Labels: INTERNET, PRESS FREEDOM, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
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Rupiah wanted a cut from $53m deal - HH
Written by George Chellah and Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, May 07, 2009 3:29:10 PM
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday described the US$ 53 million mobile hospitals deal as a white-collar crime in which President Rupiah Banda and the MMD want to get a commission.
And Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde-Simukoko questioned the sincerity of the Chinese government when it distanced itself from the mobile hospitals deal when in fact, the company involved is owned by the Chinese government.
Reacting to the visiting Chinese government special representative on African Affairs Ambassador Liu Guijin's statement that his government did not play any role in the mobile hospital deal, Hichilema urged the nation to squarely put the blame on the Zambian government and President Banda in particular.
"In the story today, the Chinese are saying no, it is not them who should decide for Zambia. It is the Zambian leaders that should decide. And this is still what it should be because the responsibility to make decisions on Zambia's development is on the Zambian government," Hichilema said.
"The only difference with the present government is that they are a selfish government and the party that is in office is completely tired and has stopped looking after the interests of the people of Zambia. Other than their own interests... we know that they want to buy these mobile hospitals so that they raise money for the 2011 elections and commissions as usual."
Asked whether he implied that someone in government wanted to get a commission from the deal, Hichilema responded: "Absolutely, there is no question about that."
When asked who that person could be, Hichilema laughed before answering: "The government, the MMD and its President. The MMD and its President wanted to get a commission and we should not allow them to get commission by acquiring debt, which every Zambian will have to pay in future. And they get the commission for their personal agendas as well as the political agendas."
He said the mobile hospital deal was a corrupt transaction.
"We said this the last time that, that's what this mobile hospital deal is all about... it's not about the sick Zambian in Shang'ombo or Kaputa. It is about the MMD and its leadership raising money for elections with some of the money going to personal pockets. This is what is called white-collar crime. This is definitely white-collar crime, corruption of the highest order," he said.
Hichilema said Zambians must now realise where the problem lies in the planned procurement of mobile hospitals.
"I think the problem is not in the Chinese because the Chinese cannot make decisions for Zambia. It is Zambians who should make decisions for themselves. Now we have the wrong Zambians in the name of the leadership of the MMD who are making bad decisions on their behalf. Acquiring debt, you know they are increasing our debt stock. We just had a HIPC qualification, which was so painful to the people of Zambia," Hichilema said.
"Now we have a situation where people are acquiring debt for the nation for personal gains, that's unacceptable. How are we going to fight corruption if corruption is in the highest office in the land? This is what we reminded the people of Zambia just a few months ago during the campaigns that this leadership is corrupt, this MMD is corrupt and we must take it out if we have to see a future in Zambia.
"Look at now the mining jobs that have been lost. There is no strong leadership in the Rupiah Banda leadership. It's a tired leadership, there is no question about that. One doesn't have to be too clever to see. You have to have just common sense to see that this leadership is not strong, this leadership is corrupt and this leadership is tired.
"I ask all Zambians to come together. We must unite to take out the MMD government come 2011. In fact, it's so painful... how we shall survive up to 2011, only God knows under this corrupt leadership that is concerned about itself only."
He said President Banda must apologise to the nation. Hichilema insisted that President Banda speaks highly of things that are meant to benefit him, his party and his family.
"You know, the problem we have with this President, he praises and tries to advance causes that are meant to reward him personally. And when these things are against the wishes of the Zambian people, he tries to use presidency to force his way through. He did that on Dora Siliya and Zamtel, when he was telling us that Dora was smarter than all of us. You know, I keep on laughing about it that Dora is smarter than all of us. I really don't understand," laughed Hichilema. "I will never understand but because he was blinded by his personal greed and his desire to earn a commission on the RP Capital Partners contract. So he talked before he realised whether Zambians where in agreement or not. Now he says mobile hospitals are a damn good thing. What does he mean by that? A damn good thing for Rupiah and company? It is not a damn good thing, that's a terrible thing for Zambia."
Hichilema said President Banda had been caught in his own lies.
"He is behaving like a little partridge. Let me explain it this way, if you plant your maize, as it is germinating the seed is soft and it's now appetising to the partridge and the partridge goes in the field and the owner of the field scares it away. The partridge thinks it's extremely clever and runs in a direction where it thinks the thicket is and it runs straight in a trap and it gets caught," Hichilema explained whilst suppressing laughter.
"Now when it gets caught, it can never deny that it was eating the maize because when you kill it and you open its bowels you will find that there is maize. I’m simply saying he is caught once more in his web of deceit and personal interest. On a serious note, we cannot have a leadership like this. I am not too sure how long Zambians can tolerate this. I can tell you, the only reason why those things were coming was for a corrupt commission, number two to use them for the campaigns. Please write it just as strong as I have put it don't feel sorry for me."
And Nonde-Simukoko challenged the Chinese government to tell the truth because it was clear that CATIC was a state-owned company.
"We have looked at the website www.catic.com.cn/en and we are shocked that the Chinese government representatives are distancing their government from the US $53 million mobile hospital deal when in fact the official website of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), the company involved in this deal, confirms that it is a large scale state-owned conglomerate," Nonde-Simukoko said.
According to the official website, CATIC is a state-owned company headquartered in Beijing, China.
"China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), was established in 1979, is owned by Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It is a large scale state-owned conglomerate with aviation products & technology import and export as its core business. Headquartered in Beijing," states CATIC.
Nonde-Simukoko challenged the government to quickly issue a comprehensive statement on the US$ 53 million deal.
"We have a right to get correct information as Zambians on the issue and as such, we expect the [Zambian] government to give a full report on what this is all about so that we can make an informed decision because just to have mobile hospitals, we feel as a union, that it will be more costly than having a permanent structure in a district. Short term it's expensive but long term it's cheap," Nonde-Simukoko said.
"These mobile hospitals; (1) it's not guaranteed that it can provide good services. Look at our road infrastructure; it's not even possible that this mobile hospital can reach the patient at the right time. (2) These mobile hospitals will be highly abused and in the end, we don't even have the control mechanism to ensure that actually this is a mobile hospital. The road infrastructure is nothing to discuss. What about the repairs because of the poor road network? The cost will be too high for the government to contain."
She said the government must have a budget for constructing hospitals in each district and start working on that.
"We must build good structures at provincial level and then move to the district level and then we go down to the chiefdom level. Honestly that should be the priority and we don't want to be quarrelling on things that we should not be quarrelling on," said Nonde-Simukoko. "Whether the Chinese government is involved or not for FFTUZ it's not an issue, it's just not a good decision at all and it will not help the people."
On Monday, visiting Chinese government special representative on African affairs Ambassador Liu Guijin said the Chinese government did not play any role in the US$53 million mobile hospitals deal.
But according to a letter dated April 28, 2009 and addressed to Department for International Development (DFID), health permanent secretary Dr Velepi Mtonga stated that President Banda indicated during the official opening of the National Assembly that the government would procure mobile clinics from a friendly country to complement efforts to construct 15 hospitals in the 19 districts that did not currently have any.
And last Sunday, President Rupiah Banda said the concept of mobile hospitals was a "damn good idea" from the Chinese.
Labels: CORRUPTION, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, HEALTHCARE, INTERNET, JOYCE NONDE, RUPIAH BANDA
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Internet cafes planned for Zimpost rural depots
New Ziana.
Government will soon introduce Internet services in rural areas through a number of Zimpost outlets dotted around the country, a cabinet minister has said.
Information Communication Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa said last week communications played a critical role in the development of a country.
"Internet cafes will be put up at every Zimpost depot in rural areas," he said, adding consultations with Zimpost were well advanced.
Chamisa said rural areas constituted a larger percentage of the country’s population than the urban sector, hence the need to link them with the latter.
"As long as rural areas are not modernised in terms of communication, we are not going to improve," he said.
Chamisa said rural people could also use the facility to conduct business with potential investors.
Chamisa urged mobile network providers to upgrade their base stations to enable people in rural areas to access their services.
He said it was vital for the education sector to introduce an ICT curriculum at all levels.
"We have an ongoing programme to computerise the nation through the distribution of computers to different schools countrywide," he said. — New Ziana.
Labels: INTERNET, NELSON CHAMISA, ZIMPOST
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Malawians debate on dual nationality
Thom Chiumia 09 January, 2009 01:46:00
Malawian bloggers and “netizens” have been debating on the issue of Malawians having dual nationality following Nyasa Times story that brother to the President, Peter Mutharika has dual nationality.
The President’s brother holds two passports now, U.S and Malawian passports respectively and there are questions on his eligibility to run for the Thyolo East constituency parliamentary seat this year and the presidency in 2014.
Malawi’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act does not allow citizens of other countries to run for elections.
A Malawian blogger Cryton Chikoko on his pleads to the powers that be to revisit (with the aim to amend) the archaic citizenship and nationality law - Malawi Citizenship Act, dated July 6, 1966.
“This is not only for the good of Malawians stuck abroad but also for the good of the country,” argued Chikoko on his blog.
“I therefore advocate a new citizenship law allowing dual citizenship. This is good to Malawians who are still interested in Malawi but have embraced other citizenship as they will be allowed to maintain dual citizenship with unrestricted rights to work and own property in Malawi,” he wrote.
Chatonda Mtika, co-moderator of Nyasanet discussion forum, posted his view in favour of dual citizenship for Malawians.
“I am for dual citizenship. I have yet to hear a convincing reason why we shouldn't have it. But, at the same time, I expect the laws of Malawi to be followed, without exception,” he wrote on the forum.
Mtika went on to state that he was not okaying Prof Mutharika to run for office.
“I'm not saying it's ok for Peter [Mutharika] to run for office. The laws of Malawi need to be followed. I am staunchly against changing the law (or looking the other way) to satisfy certain individuals.”
Trevor Chimimba added his voice to the debate.
“The right to run for elective public office is guaranteed by the Constitution subject only to its provisions. If one is running to be a Member of Parliament, the Constitution is very clear. One has to be a citizen of the Republic, but one may be rendered ineligible if he or allegiance owes allegiance to a foreign government.
“If owing allegiance in this particular case was intended to proscribe one from having dual citizenship the Constitution should have said so expressly. As already conceded having a citizenship of another country may be a pointer to owing allegiance to that country but for the purposes of the Constitution is not necessarily conclusive,” wrote Chimimba, a lawyer based in the US.
London based Nyasanetter, Pia Likoya also posted his reaction:“When you stand before the judge and he declares you a citizen of the United States of America don't you pledge to owe allegiance to the constitution of that country. What’s the point if you don't mean it.”
Labels: DUAL CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET, MALAWI
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