MMD and lies
By Editor
Sun 22 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
"THE MMD thought telling lies was going to make them stay in power forever. But where are they now? It doesn't pay to cheat people because what goes around comes around. That's why as PF government, we will not engage in promising you what we shall not fulfil."
This is lands minister Harry Kalaba's diagnosis of what led to the MMD's "collapse". It is also a challenge to the Patriotic Front to be careful and very truthful in the promises it makes to the Zambian people. It is always better to promise less and give more.
And there's a beautiful teaching from Amilcar Cabral on this score: "Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories…"
We believe that we serve the cause of the other peoples to the extent to which we work well, to the extent to which we are sincere, to the extent to which we are honest, to the extent to which we have eradicated demagoguery and lying from politics and to the extent to which we have eliminated compromise and deceit.
It is good that Kalaba realises this and we hope his comrades in the leadership of the Patriotic Front see things the same way. This is very important because that is precisely what the radical changes they are trying to push through consist of: bring about a radical change in society, not only hitting those "upstairs" - the powerful, the abusers - but effecting a change, hitting them also in their vices, of which compromise, lying and deceit were among the most characteristic.
This is a challenge to the cheap politicians of every ilk who are every day telling lies to have the courage, just once in their lives, just once in all their history, to tell our people a single truth.
Why didn't the lies of the MMD win acceptance? They failed to win acceptance simply because those lies did not answer the great desires of the masses of our people; they did not answer to the needs of the masses of our people.
What the Patriotic Front said or promised won acceptance simply because those ideas, those truths answered the great desires of our people; they answered the needs of the masses. And that is why all the lies of the MMD began to crumble; all their lies were slowly defeated by the overwhelming advance of the Patriotic Front's ideas which represented the interests of the masses of our people.
Of course, in that struggle, everyone took a position. Not everyone was won over to the Patriotic Front's ideas. This is a process which cannot be cut short. This is a process in which opinions and the different sections of the nation cannot be sliced neatly because it is a very complicated one. It would be necessary to analyse why some reacted in one way and others in another.
And there were some who held opinions which were not in accord with their own interests. There were people of the poor, humble sectors of our nation so confused by lies that they reacted against their own interests.
All these realities marked a struggle; they marked a struggle between the ideas of the Patriotic Front and the lies and deceit of the MMD. Which ideas came out victorious? The ideas of the Patriotic Front were victorious; the ideas of the masses came out victorious; the new truths came out victorious. All lies, all falsehoods, all hypocrisy were defeated.
Does this mean that the struggle has ended? No, the struggle has not ended. The struggle assumes very different forms, very subtle forms at times.
We feel that any citizen may have made a mistake at any given moment, but then he may make great and extraordinary efforts to vindicate himself. Nobody claims that what is being done is perfect no matter how much effort we devote to trying to make things turn out in the best possible way. Only life itself will be able to tell us where the shortcomings are and which aspects or details leave something to be desired. But we should always be able to improve the instruments we have established.
The MMD told too many lies about themselves and others. They lied about who they were and about what others were. They lived in a world of lies and got to a point where they started believing their own lies. And they don't seem to be changing. They have continued on the same path of deceit and lies about themselves and others. They can't even value themselves at their true worth. And because of this, they are not able to value others at their true worth. Today they are even dreaming about Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Rupiah Banda weighing the same on the scale of respect and dignity!
They lied about so many things when they were in government. They told the Zambian people that if they voted for Michael Sata, there would be chaos in the nation, there would be war and men will be marrying other men, women other women! Their lies seem to have caught up with them.
They lied even about us. They accused us of so many things. And today, they have difficulties abandoning their lies even in the light of all truths. Look at their lies about us owing the Development Bank of Zambia billions! Look at their lies about us relying on Michael Sata to protect us from paying the billions they claim we owe the Development Bank of Zambia! There was a Supreme Court judgment last week on some aspects of this issue. Look at how they are trying to play them down!
This is how liars live. The truth crushes them. And to survive, they have to continue telling more and more lies, piling up one lie on top of another. How else can they explain their earlier lies if not with more lies? How can they today explain the lies they told about Michael if not with new lies?
As Kalaba correctly observes, they are today "reaping what they had sowed". In Bemba, they say ubufi bulaya nokubwela!
Labels: LYING, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA
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Lies destroyed MMD - Kalaba
By Prince Chibawah in Mansa
Sat 21 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
LANDS minister Harry Kalaba says lies destroyed the MMD.
And Kalaba says there will be no developmental projects initiated by the PF government that will fail to be completed due to insufficient resources.
Speaking when he inspected construction works at Kalanga Day Secondary School in his Bahati Constituency on Thursday, Kalaba said the MMD had collapsed due to political deceit which they used to feed the people during their tenure of office.
Welcoming 37 MMD members who defected to the ruling PF in Lupende area, Kalaba noted that the former ruling party was reaping what it had sowed.
"The MMD thought telling lies was going to make them stay in power forever. They were coming to this area a few days before the election day to add more promises on top of those which they failed to fulfill. But where are they now? I want to tell them that it does not pay to cheat people because what goes around comes around. That is why as PF government, we will not engage in promising you what we shall not fulfill," Kalaba said.
The Patriotic Front defeated the MMD to gain government control in 2011.
And Kalaba said the government had budgeted and allocated enough resources to every developmental project implemented in the country.
"We have budgeted and allocated enough resources to all the developmental projects which we have initiated. We will not start a project which we will fail to complete," he said.
Kalaba noted that the government would refrain from the culture of having incomplete projects due to poor planning.
"In the previous government, projects were initiated but without the capability of completing them due to lack of proper planning. This resulted in the losses of national resources because people were not benefiting from such unfinished and abandoned projects despite spending huge sums of taxpayers' money on them," he said.
Other projects inspected were the complete Lupende Primary School teachers' houses, Lunda Primary School and the sites earmarked for the construction of Lupende and Lunda clinics.
And Kalaba was happy with the rate at which most of the projects were progressing, adding that this was in line with the Patriotic Front manifesto and campaign promises.
He said the Kalanga Day Secondary School project which was being constructed by Copperbelt-based contractor, Melcast Geo-Tec joint venture, was scheduled to finish by next year.
"When we say PF is determined to deliver development to the people, this is what we mean. The people are witnessing development in every part of this country. When this day secondary school is completed, it is expected that levels of illiteracy will reduce in this particular community," he added.
Kalaba further revealed that two clinics which were currently under construction would be completed next year.
Labels: HARRY KALABA, LYING, MMD
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(STICKY) (NEWZIMBABWE) Sanctions don’t create potholes, US envoy
Shame, shame, shame to the United States! ... Mugabe berates US over sanctions
13/02/2014 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
COMMENT - This is the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe - what a lying lawyer. Admit to the existence of economic sanctions, so you can admit to the effects of your economic sanctions. They are still lying about the existence and effect of economic sanctions, rather than repeal them. Shame on America for being used to implement Rockefeller/Rothschild/British Crown/Dutch Crown neo-colonial system (Rothschild Bank funded De Beers in 1887, after which the renowned imperialist Cecil Rhodes became it's Founding Chairman of the board of directors in 1888), shame on the MDC. However, in the la-la-land narrative of Ambassador Wharton, Zimbabwe is free from outside influence. Free to set it's own domestic and foreign policy. Liars, thieves and murderers.
On the various statistics surrounding the economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, see my April 2010 post here, which includes a statement from then Georgia Representative Cynthia McKinney, who had it right from the start. - MrK
ZIMBABWE’S economic and political problems are self-made and a shift in policy could assist in developing a new trajectory for the country, US ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton said Thursday.
“My fundamental point in all of this is that Zimbabwe has the right and the power to make policy decisions.
Just not redistribute the land that was stolen under the colonialism and UDI, both of which the American government supported, land that should have a) never been stolen in the first place and 2) should have been given back in 1965. How about some back rent? - MrK
"Some of these have had significant demonstrable effects on the economy, effects far greater than the targeted sanctions,” Wharton told a Southern African Political Economy Series (SAPES) meeting in Harare.
Still lying about the existence of economic sanctions, like ZDERA. And pray tell, what are the 'economic effects' of 'targeted sanctions', you lying hypocrite?
Here is what is in ZDERA, and you can tell for yourself whether the objective of the sanctions are 'individuals' or 'the Government of Zimbabwe' as a whole. From the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, S.494 of the 107th US Congress:
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
So, what do your lying eyes tell you - are these sanctions against individuals (targeted or otherwise), or against 'the Government of Zimbabwe'?
Talking about 'targeted sanctions', blaming War Veterans' pensions, SHAMEFUL.
- MrK
President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party insist sanctions imposed by the US and European countries are responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic problems.
They are, and were intended to. As economic sanctions always are. If anyone is naive or ignorant enough to doubt the genocidal effect of economic sanctions, let's ask Madeleine Albright (of the Albright Stonebridge Group, which is co-chaired with Sandy Berger, who is also on the International Crisis Group), and Bill Richardson (former Sr. Managing Director at Kissinger & Associates, and executive at Citi Bank).
(YOUTUBE) Madeleine Albright Says Deaths Of 500,000 Iraqi Children Is Worth It
And in case you thought you misheard that, or she misspoke, here is fellow clintonite, the Kissinger Associates employee Bill Richardson:
(YOUTUBE) Richardson: 500,000 dead kids OK in pursuit of U.S. policy
Admit it, Bruce, a couple of tens of thousands of dead Zimbabweans is more than acceptable in the pursuit of US policy in Zimbabwe, after all, they own 20% of the world's known diamond reserves, and De Beers wants it. Over 60,000 dead Libyans, including the lynchings of Black Libyans, was more than acceptable in pursuit of Libya's 47.1 billion barrels of known oil reserves - just ask Susan E. Rice and her 'responsibility to protect'. - MrK
The sanctions were imposed over allegations of rights abuses and electoral fraud which the Zanu PF strongman denies.
Economic sanctions were imposed because De Beers wants to get hold of Zimbabwe's diamonds, and the MDC is their ticket. The MDC wants to privatise everything, except the diamond fields, so they can create a PPP with De Beers, like De Beers has in Namibia (NAMDEB) and Botswana (DEBSWANA), a ZIMDEB or DEBZIM. ("We will nationalise diamonds and ensure that government goes into partnership with genuine investors." - source: MDC’s plan for the mining sector, Saturday, 13 July 2013, from the very MDC friendly SW Radio Africa website.) - MrK
But President Barack Obama’s top man in Harare said blaming sanctions for Zimbabwe’s problems was a diversionary tactic by Mugabe's administration.
“The US takes great care to minimise any unintended consequences from targeted sanctions and I can tell you that my embassy works hard to try to resolve any that may arise. But, blaming targeted sanctions for Zimbabwe’s serious economic challenges or for issues such as potholes and road accidents is diversionary,” he said.
“Worse, such statements do not acknowledge Zimbabwe’s agency, its ability to address its challenges and to mobilize its magnificent natural resources and human capital.
Like, sell it's diamonds, which the United States has attempted to prevent at every turn? - MrK
“Zimbabwe is tremendously blessed in human and natural resources, and the narrative that targeted sanctions are the reason for economic woes undermines and obscures this nation’s vast capabilities.”
And you obscure the role of the United States, and the MDC in the creation of economic sanctions, like the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001. If it is so insignificant - REPEAL IT. If economic sanctions were so insignificant, why did they destroy the national currency the year they came into force - in 2002, not 2000 ('farm invasions'), or 1997 ('pensions for War Veterans')? And apologize to the Zimbabwean people for the economic sanctions that were imposed on them, just because they made the choice to exercise "Zimbabwe’s agency", by taking their stolen land back. They are the ones who should be compensated for a century of foreign occupation and theft of their land, cattle, labor and freedom. An occupation and harassment that goes on to this very day. - MrK
The US is willing to work with the Zanu PF government.
“We are also willing to work with members of the Zanu PF government that are willing to work with us,” Wharton added.
He means 'divide and rule'. - MrK
“As a Zanu PF-supporting friend of mine said … yes, I do have those … the burden of diplomacy is to keep seeking engagement until all conflict is ended. I agree with that and I am willing. The US government is willing”.
Wharton said decisions including the unbudgeted 1997 cash-pay-outs given to war veterans and the economic turnaround witnessed between 2008 and 2010 provide insight into the positive and negative effects of critical policy decisions by government.
Did the 'unbudgeted 1997 cash-pay-outs given to war veterans' have a worse effect on the Zimbabwean government, than the implementation of austerity through ESAP, from 1991 to 1996? And he is blaming the highly predictable and monotonously repeated destructive effect of structural adjustment on the economies of the world (job losses, reduction in healthcare and education, destruction of local businesses in favour of transnational corporations) - on pensions for War Veterans? What a neoliberal scumbag. - MrK
“There were no sanctions in 1997 and they had not been varied in 2008. Zimbabwe’s sovereign policy decisions are the primary drivers of its economic performance,” he insisted.
From 1991 to 1996, there was ESAP. Own up to THAT.
From Antonia Juhasz "The Tragic Tale of the IMF in Zimbabwe.", March 7th, 2004:
" An IMF-sponsored study of its policies in Zimbabwe concluded that it "radically underestimated the social consequences," of its policies and that the "social hardship was avoidably severe because of poor program design." In other words, the IMF is to blame for the deadly impacts of its policies in Zimbabwe. "
In essence,
In essence, Zimbabwe was forced to implement every radical economic policy in the Fund’s arsenal immediately, without any concern for the impacts of those policies on the populace.
As a result,
The impacts were devastating.
Both employment and real wages declined sharply. During 1991-1996, manufacturing employment fell by 9 percent and wages dropped by 26 percent. Public sector employment fell by 23 percent, with wages dropping by 40 percent. While pocketbooks shrank, food prices soared, increasing by 36 percent. Private consumption levels declined by about one-fourth with urban households being particularly hard-hit. Worse still, the economy did not respond as the Fund had hoped and the government deficit increased. This put the country into a "debt trap" where it was losing money while simultaneously having to pay interest on its loans owed to the Fund and the World Bank. This created a losing spiral of increasing indebtedness and poverty.
However Ambassador Wharton is going on about a few 'pensions for War Veterans'? Is that neoliberal 'code', because it doesn't make sense in dollar terms.
- MrK
“Zimbabwe’s economy has been through dramatic ups and downs in the last 15 years. You all know that better than I do. But the idea that targeted U.S. sanctions have caused Zimbabwe’s economic woes simply does not hold up to critical analysis, the evidence is clear,” he said
Oh, the evidence is clear alright. In Jan 1st 2002, ZDERA 2001 came into force. This is the effect on tobacco exports - notice that from 2001 to 2002, after the 2000 'farm invasions', long after the 1997 payments to War Veterans, tobacco exports grew, and in 2002, the year ZDERA came into effect, they dramatically fell.
Tobacco Exports in million US$:
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
548.8 594.1 434.6 321.3 226.7 203.8
Trade Deficit in million US$ (a negative deficit is a surplus):
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
-295.6 -322.5 18.2 108.3 305.2 387.9 231.3
Source: Special Report, FAO/WFP Crop And Food Supply Assessment Mission To Zimbabwe, 5 June 2007
Table 1: Zimbabwe - Key economic indicators, 2000–2007
It is also in 2002, that the Zimbabwe Dollar started it's hyperinflationary decline against the US Dollar - see chart here.
Hey, the evidence is in, Bruce.
- MrK
“Now, this fact ought to be encouraging to Zimbabweans because it means that Zimbabwe need not wait until real or imagined external forces create the conditions needed for economic growth.
So repeal ZDERA, you jerk. - MrK
“Zimbabwe’s economy is in the hands of Zimbabweans. While businesses, labour unions, trade associations, courts and schools all have important roles, economic destiny starts with decisions made by the government of Zimbabwe.”
Sure, because unlike every other government in the world, the Zimbabwean government exists in a vacuum, free from external forces, even though their economy is heavily dependent on exports. - MrK
Mugabe had hoped that his victory in last year’s violence-free elections would lead to the immediate removal of the sanctions but the EU and the US have backed claims by the opposition that the vote was fraudulent, infuriating the Zanu PF leader.
However, the EU has indicated it will lift its remaining sanctions next week, although not on Mugabe and his wife Grace.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, BRUCE WHARTON, LYING, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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(HERALD ZW) Tsvangirai in shocking July 31 U-turn
Thursday, 18 July 2013 00:14
Lloyd Gumbo in Gokwe
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday made an incredible somersault that will shock even his handlers from Western countries when he said that his party wants elections to be held on July 31, but Zanu-PF wants them to be postponed. This is despite Mr Tsvangirai’s recent various public attempts to have the polls postponed.
Addressing about 1 000 supporters at Gokwe Centre, some of whom had come from as far away as Zhombe, Kwekwe and Redcliff, Mr Tsvangirai brewed a shocker when he said he would fight hard to stop Zanu-PF from postponing the elections.
“I heard that now they want elections postponed from July 31, but we are saying no,” said Mr Tsvangirai.
“That will not happen. We want them to be held on July 31.”
Mr Tsvangirai seemed to have forgotten that he filed an application at the Constitutional Court recently attempting to postpone the elections indefinitely, saying he wanted reforms to be carried out first.
The elections were saved from being postponed after the court dismissed his application.
President Mugabe this week said Mr Tsvangirai, together with the leader of the other MDC faction, Professor Welshman Ncube, recently petitioned the African Union calling on the continental body to defer the polls. This is despite the fact that all the electoral processes starting with the special vote have already been conducted.
Their latest action followed similar attempts to have Sadc influence poll postponement remarkably failed after the Constitutional Court dismissed calls for postponement of the polls.
Mr Tsvangirai, who has mastered the art of vacillating on several issues, claimed that Zanu-PF was now pushing for postponement of the polls.
President Mugabe on Monday told thousands of party supporters who thronged Marondera that the electoral process had reached a point of no return. The President said the AU could not influence postponement of the polls, adding that if the continental body sought to influence that then Zanu-PF would not accept it.
Mr Tsvangirai said his party wanted all Zimbabweans who are in the diaspora to come back and utilise their skills here.
“The biggest problem we are facing as a country is that our university graduates are not employed because there are no employment opportunities,” he said.
“Now there is no difference between university graduates and those who attained Sub A.”
On that issue, Mr Tsvangirai failed to mention that jobs shrunk in the last decade after his party played a leading in having Western countries impose sanctions on Zimbabwe which resulted in industries closing.
Mr Tsvangirai defended poor performance by his party’s legislators and councillors, saying they failed to deliver because Government did not give them money for developmental projects. He begged them to vote for him than to vote for Members of Parliament and councillors only.
Mr Tsvangirai castigated former party officials who opted to stand as independent candidates after losing at the primary elections under controversial circumstances.
He said urged his party supporters to refrain from politically motivated violence.
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), LYING, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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Zambeef launches lies campaign
By Prudence Phiri
Wed 10 July 2013, 14:01 CAT
ZAMBEEF Products Plc has adopted singer Petersen's Bufi song to dismiss recent findings that some of its imported beef products that were tested contained aromatic aldehyde.
According to tests carried out on samples of Zambeef imported beef products by the Ministry of Health through its Food and Drug Laboratory, it was found that they contained aromatic aldehyde, a preservative substance that is said to cause cancer.
But Zambeef has defended the quality of its imported beef products.
Zambeef on Monday staged a road show in Lusaka's Mtendere township where a public address system mounted on a stage at the company's outlet constantly played the Bufi song.
The director of ceremony once in a while chipped in to announce that whatever was written about Zambeef regarding the safety of its products was buffi - lies.
A woman dressed in bum shorts and a Zambeef branded T-shirt with three other men entertained the huge crowd with dances and occasionally dished out T-shirts and key rings while a promotion for customers that bought meat products was also conducted.
Eligibility for the draw was restricted to only those that bought meat products from Zambeef and were required to indicate their names and phone numbers on receipts.
Prizes for the promotion ranged from Zamanita cooking oil, sausages, polony and beef.
Labels: LYING, ZAMBEEF
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HH lying about attempt on his life – State
September 10, 2012
MWAMBA
By CHILA NAMAIKO and KAIKO NAMUSA -
THE Government has described as blatant lies claims being peddled by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema that he has uncovered a conspiracy to have him assassinated.
And Police in Kafue impounded two buses ferrying only male passengers from Southern Province suspected to have come to attend an aborted UPND public rally in Kanyama Township.
Reacting to Mr Hichilema’s disclosure at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba has since appealed to Zambians to ignore such seditious information, saying people should instead preach messages of unity and love.
Mr Hichilema alleged that he had information that police officers and Patriotic Front (PF) cadres planned to assassinate him and other party officials at yesterday’s aborted public rally in Lusaka’s Kanyama Township.
“It is a dark today. We have information that Dr Solomon Jere and one Judge Ngoma, who has been given a job at ZESCO, held a meeting to disrupt the UPND rally in Kanyama, we further have information that some cadres were carrying machetes to attack us at the rally,” Mr Hichilema said.
The Kanyama rally was called off after scores of police officers in riot gear sealed off the venue at Kanyama grounds, as early as 04:00 hours.
But Mr Mwamba said the Government had no hatred for Mr Hichilema and that it was saddened to hear that the UPND leader and other party officials were peddling lies about a planned attempt on their lives.
“This is a very serious and seditious matter which will be thoroughly investigated. As Government, we have nothing to do with Mr Hichilema and maybe he is just scared of something or maybe it could be that letter of some Tongas under Oath group, who are threatening to kill more Bembas.
“He just wants to portray a bad picture about the Government because Government can’t waste time to eliminate HH…for what? We have serious issues to do, such as developing Zambia and not what Mr Hichilema is alleging,” Mr Mwamba said.
He said the Government was also saddened that Mr Hichilema could not come out in the open to condemn the letter authored by the underground group, ‘Tongas under Oath’, who stated that they had killed three Bembas and poisoned more.
He said Mr Hichilema’s silence on the matter could raise concern saying as a political leader who vied for the highest office, he needed to condemn such threats of a tribe wanting to rebel against another.
“If he doesn’t condemn authors of the letter going by the name Tongas Under Oath, people will wonder because we expected him to condemn it as a leader instead of talking about plots to eliminate him,” he said
Mr Mwamba said President Michael Sata had not marginalised the people of Southern Province and he had continued to embrace every citizen regardless of their tribe because the country was founded on the principal of One Zambia One Nation.
He described Tongas as hardworking and loving people and that those who wanted to cause division between them and Bembas trading on tribal lines, would face the wrath of the law.
Mr Mwamba said the late UPND leader Anderson Mazoka worked towards uniting all tribes in the country and when he pursued his education in Northern Province, he embraced all Bembas.
A check at the Kanyama grounds found scores of police officers, who were deployed, turning away UPND cadres, a situation which prompted, Mr Hichilema to hastily hold a press briefing.
He alleged that Dr Jere was working under directions from President Sata to disobey the Court order for UPND to hold the rally after police reversed its decision to allow the party to hold the rally yesterday.
Mr Hichilema said Police had stopped UPND cadres in the most cruel manner to hold the rally when the party went through all rightful procedures and wondered why the PF was scared of his party having a rally.
Mr Hichilema also accused Chief Government spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni of fabricating a letter allegedly issued by the ‘Tongas Under Oath’to accuse UPND of formulating it.
Mr Hichilema said UPND would review the legal process at the court today.
Alliance for Development and Democracy leader Charles Milupi accused President Sata of destroying democracy and that what the Head of State had done was a political persecution.
And police in Kafue impounded two buses ferrying only male passengers from Southern Province suspected to have come to attend an aborted UPND public rally in Kanyama Township.
The passengers told police at the check-point that they were travelling to Lusaka to attend a wedding ceremony, while others stated that they were coming for kitchen party.
“The statements about the reason for their visit to Lusaka raised suspicion that is how we impounded the buses and want to find out who the owners are. We turned the passengers back and impounded the buses, but we are highly suspicious that they were coming to attend a kitchen party,” Dr Jere said.
And many other buses were seen in Monze loading people who were transported to Lusaka to attend the failed public rally.
Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LYING
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COMMENT - The MDC is a corrupt party that came to power through lies and destruction of the national economy through sanctions like ZDERA, which they helped draft for maximum damage to the economy. They also called for illegal invasion of Zimbabwe. According to the Wikileaks cables, MT opposed sanctions in public while urging them to be maintained in private conversation with his US backers. (
"He [Tsvangirai - MrK]also acknowledged that his public statements calling for easing of sanctions versus his private conversations saying they must be kept in place have caused problems.") They will not talk about their neoliberal economic philosophy, because they know the people of Zimbabwe will never knowingly vote for it.
MDC-T admits blocking diaspora vote
17/09/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party did not push for voting rights for Zimbabweans based abroad over rigging fears, a senior official said. The
shock admission by the party’s deputy organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe
flies in the face of previous claims by senior party figures – including secretary general
Tendai Biti – that it was
Zanu PF which was blocking the Diaspora vote.
An amended Electoral Bill which sailed through parliament in July last year and a draft constitution published in July this year both offer no electoral participation for Zimbabwean expats.
Bhebhe told a meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) in Bulawayo last Friday that there was agreement between his party and Zanu PF that voting should only be limited to Zimbabweans on diplomatic and official government duties.
“It is not clear how the government would allow the generality of Zimbabweans outside the country, some of whom are illegal immigrants, to vote,” he is quoted as saying by the NewsDay newspaper.
“The parties agreed that the rest of the Diasporans should be left out for now. While it bothers many of us that people in the Diaspora should be allowed to vote, it is important to know that in Southern Africa we are dealing with the united liberation movements that can do anything to support their counterparts during elections.
“These liberation movements cannot be trusted on how they handle postal votes. It is not necessary to say all the people in the Diaspora should be allowed to vote.”
An estimated two million Zimbabweans are resident in South Africa alone, with former colonial power Britain hosting as many as 600,000 Zimbabweans according to recent estimates.
UK campaigners led by New Zimbabwe.com CEO Jeff Madzingo petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a right to vote for millions of Zimbabweans outside the country, but the application was rejected as “without merit” by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.
Bhebhe, however, insisted that in principle his party supported the Diaspora vote.
Meanwhile, Bhebhe said people’s hopes that a new constitution would ensure free and fair elections were misplaced.
“Even the Lancaster House adopted constitution did not condone violence, but some politicians chose to violate it,” he said.
“A new constitution is only important to enable people to deal with those who violate the rights of others, but still the problem will be those who say their interests supersede laws of the land.
“Some people have a habit of not following the laws. Even the GPA signed by three political parties, some of us, do not want to follow though they signed it. Even if we have good laws, if some players want to play wearing iron boots those laws will not work.”
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DIASPORA, LYING, MDC, MDC CORRUPTION, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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Before things change, we must change
Tue 04 Sep. 2012, 19:19 CAT
Before things can change in this country, we ourselves, the citizens of this country and our leaders, must change.
If we want our country to change for the better, we will have to change our values, our methods of work and the way we relate to each other and treat each other. To change our current situation, we have to change our philosophy, our outlook. The only way things are going to change for us is when we change. If we don't like where we are, let's change it! We are not trees.
Progress in life, social, economic and political development is neither magical nor mysterious. It is nothing but the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals. It is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines that leads us to either fortune or failure.
But as we have consistently and repeatedly pointed out, virtue must be nourished. While vice springs up spontaneously like weeds and grows by itself, virtue must be nourished.
We need to return our country to the Kaunda type of politics that were based on principles, values and on morality. We have to try in a new way and in a new time to restore that type of politics and that type of national conduct.
To acquire a new set of values and build on our own capacities for transforming the society, we would need to go through an "Easter" type of experience. This involves dying and resurrection, letting go of our prejudices, letting go of our bloated ego, and allowing ourselves to be enveloped by the kind of humility and innocence that Jesus saw in small children, the only category of Jewish population Jesus could declare to be worthy of the Kingdom.
This new disposition would call for adoption of new values that will face life with courage: such as to accept to be different, to stand alone, and even to be ridiculed for defending justice. New values that will seek to assure the poor and the lowly that what they know is not necessarily inferior compared to the contribution of the so-called experts. They too have different but equally important worldview, their own view of reality.
We believe for things to get any better, we will need to nurture a new set of values. We need to develop the capacity to listen to those of humble background. We need to develop the capacity to let go of our own ego, biases and prejudices. We need to develop the capacity to accept our personal inadequacies and mistakes without pretence. And we need to develop the capacity to consider others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) in their own areas of experience whether or not we are more or better schooled than they are.
We believe we can only begin to effectively build capacity in others when our own attitudes are right; otherwise, how can we genuinely build others' capacities if we tend to be offended by their contribution and by their ideas, especially when they differ from those of our own? How can we build others, if we fear being corrected, if we fear being told when we are wrong, in fact, if we believe we can never be wrong?
How can we build others' capacities if we claim to possess the monopoly of knowledge and truth, if we believe what others have to say is inferior or of less importance, how will we ever listen and learn from them? How can we enable others to change their situation if we see ourselves as the only ones who can change things, the only ones who can tell right from wrong?
How can we build others' capacities if we are offended when people around us take liberty to be creative, and do things their own way? If we fear change itself, and if we fear being changed, will we genuinely love those who change the status quo? And we have recently learnt that 'status quo' is a Latin phrase that literally means 'the mess we are in'. Yet, we are told that change is the spice of life and to live is to change, and to live long is to change often.
If we believe our decisions are the best, our choices are the only correct choices, will we never give others the chance to make their own decisions and make their own choices?
Again, as we have repeatedly stated, the individual does best in a strong and decent community of people with principles and standards and common aims and values. And those who lead us cannot lead us to where they themselves have never been; you can't lead anyone further than you have gone yourself. If a leader is constantly telling lies about this and that, defaming or maligning this one or that one, then one wonders what type of leadership he is offering.
A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not. We have been criticising Hakainde Hichilema for telling lies. This is not an act of hatred for him on our part. It is simply a duty that we have to perform. We have a moral and professional duty to expose and denounce lies whenever they are told. A person who tells lies, who slanders others is not fit to lead. Hakainde has been telling lies about us and Michael Sata.
We have tried to correct him, but he has persisted in his marriage with lies. Hakainde has been claiming that we have done a deal with Michael to forgive us of the debts we owe the Development Bank of Zambia. We have pointed out to him that at no time did Post Newspapers Limited ever borrow a ngwee, a kwacha, a cent or a dollar from the Development Bank of Zambia. The company that borrowed from the Development Bank of Zambia was Zambian Airways. And it borrowed this money long before Post Newspapers Limited acquired a stake in that company. That company is today in receivership for reasons that are very well known, that are not a secret.
The debts of Zambian Airways, a limited liability company, are not debts of its individual or collective shareholders. And so are its assets. This matter is in the Supreme Court of Zambia and the records filed by all the parties to this matter are in the public domain. Anyone can go and read the case records for themselves. If Hakainde has any respect for the rule of law and for the rights of others, including our own rights no matter how much he may dislike us, he would give the court processes a chance and allow the Supreme Court judges to hear this matter without unnecessary malicious and untruthful utterances from him. But this is the type of politician Hakainde is - an unrepentant liar. But his lies will catch up with him; it's just a matter of time. A lie has short legs, it can't go far.
Leadership and politics are not about lies, slander and calumny. They are about honesty and truth; they are about integrity. There has to be ethics in political leadership. And those who want to lead others must set the example. Moral courage and character go hand-in-hand. A man of real character is consistently honest, being imbued with basic integrity and a firm sense of principle.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LYING, MMD, PROPAGANDA, UPND
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PF denies reports that most of its cadres have been employed as FRA clerks
TIME PUBLISHED - Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 9:17 am
The Patriotic Front in Choma has denied accusations that most of its cadres have been employed as maize buying Depot Clerks by Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
District Political Secretary Benadette Hamweemba says the rumours are false, and they
aim at disturbing the warm relationship her party is enjoying with the people of Choma.Speaking in an interview to ZANIS in Choma on Tuesday, Mrs Hamweemba said it’s unfortunate to learn that some people in the district are masquerading as PF cadres to champion their agenda bent on character assassination.
Mrs Hamweemba says this clearly indicates how much influence her party has in the district and that it has started bearing fruits resulting into some people trying to bring confusion through alleged falsehoods.
The Choma PF District Political Secretary has charged that her party will continue doing its best in the district to serve the people despite the falsehood that is being promoted by others.
Mrs Hamweemba says people of Choma will not allow some few individuals to take them for granted at the expense of development.
With the shifting of the provincial headquarters from Livingstone, Choma is expected to soon undergo major changes in terms of development.
Mrs Hamweemba however says qualified PF members are also at liberty to apply for employment as FRA Depot Clerks just like other members of opposition political parties.
Mrs Hamweemba has warned that the speculations are misleading and can cause political tension in the district if left unchecked.
“People are just jealous because they have seen how the party in the district has continued scoring marks,” she says.
Meanwhile Mrs Hamweemba has also disputed claims by a Sky FM Radio caller on the radio station popular program SKY Forum alleging that the ruling party in Choma district is forcing people to join it.
Mrs Hamweemba says on Monday this week an unknown caller called on Sky FM program alleging that her party (PF) is forcing people to join it.
She says people who are joining the party are doing so willingly due to the good leadership qualities the district has exhibited.
“We are working tirelessly and people are seeing results not that we are forcing them,” she says.
ZANIS
Labels: FRA, LYING, UPND
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'Liars deserve to be cursed'
By The Post
Fri 10 Aug. 2012, 12:00 CAT
Recklessness and lies can never be a good political strategy. Politicians should not be reckless and untruthful in the things they say. This is a position Hakainde Hichilema cannot argue with. How can he say the Zambian government of the day is training militias in Sudan and expect not to answer for his assertions? If what Hakainde has been claiming is true, let him go to court and prove it.
Without proving through evidence that what he said about the Zambian government training militias in Sudan is true, Hakainde may be successfully prosecuted for causing to be published and broadcast false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public.
But so far, Hakainde has not provided any evidence to show that the Zambian government is training militias in Sudan. Hakainde has even stopped talking about this issue that he was so passionate about a few weeks ago. Probably this is in the hope that the police will forget about it.
Instead, Hakainde picked up another lie: that The Post had entered into a deal with President Michael Sata over the Zambian Airways debt. Again, Hakainde will not be able to produce any evidence that will stand in any court of law as evidence of The Post getting into a deal with the President so that the money it owes the Development Bank of Zambia is not paid.
Hakainde knows very well that The Post never borrowed any money from the Development Bank of Zambia; he should also know very well from his friends who were dealing with this matter that The Post never guaranteed any debt of Zambian Airways to the Development Bank of Zambia. But it is not the truth Hakainde is after. It is smearing people he perceives to be political opponents that Hakainde is after.
Today, Hakainde is in trouble for lying about the government's training of militias in Sudan. The police have given Hakainde an opportunity to make an ordinary statement - a statement made without being warned and cautioned - in which he should retract his reckless and false statement and have the matter closed once and for all. But he has refused to do so, leaving the police with no option but to arrest and have him prosecuted in court.
We know that both options are not easy ones for Hakainde. It is not easy for Hakainde to apologise for his lies. He has never done so since he entered politics. And moreover, there are serious political consequences for him to accept that he told lies. Hakainde knows very well that his political opponents would try to make political capital out of this.
And he is not ready for that kind of thing. What Hakainde is forgetting is that when mistakes are made, when false statements are made and they are apologised for and retracted, it becomes very difficult for political opponents to use them in a very strong way against him.
But opening himself to prosecution may leave Hakainde in a far much worse situation if he doesn't have the evidence to show that it is true the government has been training militias in Sudan. He may also need to show that he actually never made such a statement. But there is abundant evidence to show that Hakainde actually made such a statement. His defence over this matter will be a very difficult one.
And if he is convicted, the political consequences will be devastating and far worse than if he had apologised. Hakainde will have a criminal record. Is this really what he wants?
It is always better to admit when you are wrong and you will avoid embarrassment. It is said that "a wise person will not speak until the right moment, but a bragging fool doesn't know when that time is" (Sirach 20:7).
Lying is truly an ugly blot on a person's character, but ignorant people do it all the time. No wonder it is said that a thief is better than a habitual liar, but both are headed for ruin. A liar has no honour. He lives in constant disgrace.
We have consistently advised Hakainde to be truthful in his politics and in life in general. Hakainde has managed to weave his way into many things through dishonesty and he thinks he can continue to do so for the rest of his life and in everything.
Things don't work that way. Hakainde will not succeed in his political endeavours through lies, calumny and despising others. Hakainde should seek to increase his popularity not because his political opponents are despised, but because he is understood, supported, trusted. But with these lies and contradictions he is engaging in so often, who will trust him?
People who falsely and maliciously seek to hurt others will be hurt by their own actions and will have no idea why. No wonder it is said that "…liars deserve to be cursed, because they have been the ruin of many people…" (Sirach 28:13) and that "Anyone who pays attention to slander can never find peace of mind.
A whip can raise welt, but a vicious tongue can break bones. More people have died as a result of loose talk than were ever killed by swords. Count yourself lucky if you have been spared the experience of having irresponsible talk directed against you…" (Sirach 28:16-20).
What is at stake here is not only a legal issue but also a moral one. You cannot have a person who is consistently operating on lies about others seek to become a leader of his people. You can't lead successfully on lies because lies won't take the nation far as they have short legs.
There is too much lying in our politics. And at the helm of these lies is Hakainde. We need to change our politics and the way we treat each other as citizens of our country. A decent society can never be based and built on lies. It is based and built on truth. We all have a duty to show respect and tolerance to each other. But this is only possible when those who lead try to adhere to truth.
Hakainde has told too many lies, and it is time for him to be taken to court and let the Zambian people know what type of liar he is. We are not calling him a liar out of malice. We are calling Hakainde a liar because he has lied about us. And when the time comes, we will prove that what Hakainde has been saying about us is a lie coming from a person who is said to have been born a liar.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LYING, UPND
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Sudan trashes HH’s youth military training allegations
June 18, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor
By CLAVER MUTINTA
SUDANESE Ambassador to Zambia Mohamed Balila has trashed allegations by United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema that the Patriotic Front government has sent youths to Sudan to be trained by militias.
Mr Balila has since advised Mr Hichilema against being careless with his public statements and work with various stakeholders for the good of the country and the rest of Africa.
Mr Balila said there is no need for Mr Hichilema to issue such unconstructive statements and urged him to use his vision with wisdom as he practises politics.
He said in an interview in Lusaka on Friday that there is no need for the opposition leader to use internal politics as a platform to injure the feelings of a fellow African country.
“I call upon Mr Hichilema to be prudent and join forces with all political parties in the two sisterly countries and others in the region to work together for the benefit of our nations, the region and the continent as a whole to achieve the goals of development,” he said.
Mr Balila is hopeful that Mr Hichilema is not attempting to tarnish the image of Sudan to the outside world.
“I hope that as a respectful politician, Mr Hichilema does not mean to sell a bad image of Sudan to the outside world,” he said.
Mr Balila said the relationship that exists between Zambia and Sudan dates back to the early days of the two countries’ common struggle for freedom and has continued to strengthen even after both countries attained independence.
Mr Balila said Zambia and Sudan share membership to many regional, continental and international organisations such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Union (AU).
He said their membership with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region is another important platform that brings Zambia and Sudan together.
He said under the AU, the two countries work together and share ideas on the benefits of continental programmes in various fields of development.
“These organisations provide platforms for hundreds of shared programmes for Sudan and Zambia. COMESA, for example, brings Zambia and Sudan as well as other members together in programmes such as agriculture, trade, customs, infrastructure, energy and many others,” he said.
Mr Balila said security arrangements between the two countries can clearly be seen in Zambia’s participation in peace-keeping missions in Sudan.
He also said Zambia and Sudan cooperate in fields of agriculture, education, mining and health and that one important area of cooperation is higher education where the two countries exchange scholarship programmes.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LYING, SUDAN
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When will Rupiah learn to be honest?
By The Post
Thu 05 Apr. 2012, 13:55 CAT
WHEN will Rupiah Banda learn to be honest; when will he learn to tell the truth? Rupiah was dishonest before he became president; he continued to be dishonest while occupying the office of president of the Republic; and he is still dishonest today. There is absolutely no need for Rupiah to lie to his audience at Boston University about the truth that everybody knows. In trying to tell the political history of Zambia, Rupiah conveniently decides not to disclose where he stood in 1991. He even fails to disclose to his audience when he left UNIP to join MMD.
This was not an oversight; it was deliberate because Rupiah wants only to associate with that which he thinks is right and acceptable. Rupiah wants to give himself the credit he doesn't deserve.
Rupiah says what he is most proud of during his presidency is less visible:
"It was our administration's steadfast refusal to allow the executive branch to encroach on other branches of government, to stand by the principles of democracy that had been damaged in the past."
What principles of democracy had been damaged in the past that Rupiah stood by, defended, promoted or upheld? Is Rupiah claiming to have been a better president, to have defended the principles of democracy better than Levy Mwanawasa? Is he telling us that he defended the principles of democracy better than Frederick Chiluba? Rupiah was a member of UNIP throughout.
Even when others were leaving UNIP for the MMD, Rupiah stayed in UNIP and defended its outlook. Rupiah only joined the MMD when Levy drafted him into his 2006 election campaign and later made him vice-president of the Republic. So what principles of democracy did Rupiah advance better than Levy, Chiluba and Kenneth Kaunda? The truth is the opposite.
It is a well-known fact in Zambia that Rupiah abused the Judiciary to get whatever decisions he wanted. Our entire judicial process under Rupiah was corrupted to suit his desires. Political opponents were arrested and prosecuted for all sorts of things while his allies went scot-free on similar issues.
Rupiah says his government was criticised over a Zambian court decision regarding Chiluba, who had been found guilty of corruption in a civil case by the London High Court. "Essentially, I was being demanded as president to personally intervene in the judicial process and violate the separation of powers to force the judiciary to uphold a British decision against Chiluba, who, it must be recognised, was seen as an enormously popular leader by a large number of people in the country," claims Rupiah.
There is no Zambian who had demanded of Rupiah to intervene in Chiluba's cases and send him to jail. It was Rupiah himself who chose to intervene and free Chiluba from going to jail and from paying back what he had stolen from the Zambian people. And this came out of his own dishonest and lying mouth. Even before Jones Chinyama, the magistrate who was hearing Chiluba's criminal case could finish reading his judgment, Rupiah was already justifying Chiluba's acquittal some 150 kilometres away in Kabwe.
How did he know that Chiluba had been acquitted before the magistrate pronounced this? Rupiah was even asking the Zambian people, pleading with the Zambian people to accept Chiluba's acquittal before magistrate Chinyama had finished reading his handwritten judgment. How possible was this? Rupiah made it very clear that it would be irresponsible of him to allow Chiluba to go to jail.
And this became his campaign message among the Bemba- speaking people, especially those of Luapula Province where Chiluba hailed. Rupiah continued to boast about how he had freed Chiluba from going to jail. There was an appeal that was lodged by the prosecutors of Chiluba. Rupiah connived with the then Director of Public Prosecutions Chalwe Mchenga to withdraw that appeal.
And today, this shameless liar wants to claim that he had no hand in all that! He wants to lie to the American people and the whole world that there were some people who were forcing him to interfere with the country's judicial process and get Chiluba convicted! There should be a limit to lies, to dishonesty, to manipulation.
Equally, in the case of the London High Court judgment, Rupiah and his government did not behave honourably. Rupiah's government, through his Attorney General Abyudi Shonga, refused to appeal the clearly faulty judgment of judge Evans Hamaundu refusing to register the London High Court judgment so that it could be enforced against Chiluba and his tandem of thieves.
In both this and the criminal proceedings against Chiluba, the Law Association of Zambia criticised Rupiah and his government's approach to the issue and demanded that the matters be appealed.
But Rupiah did not yield in his criminal scheme to deny the Zambian people the justice they deserved. And today this same Rupiah wants to insult the Zambian people that they were forcing him to interfere with the Judiciary and have Chiluba convicted!
It is said that if you can lie, you can steal and if you can steal, you can kill.
Rupiah claims that when his presidency began, he continued the fight against corruption, and sought to base these anti-corruption efforts on a sound statutory framework that would conduct prosecutions in a lawful manner. What Rupiah did was simply to stop the fight against corruption so that his league could steal public resources with impunity. In no time, Rupiah and his sons who were, before he joined government, being pursued by bailiffs here and there, became very liquid, very rich.
How was this possible? It is no wonder that today Rupiah's son, Henry, is being pursued by the Zambian government for corruption and an Interpol alert has been raised for his arrest. And we have no doubt more would be unearthed about Rupiah's own personal conduct and it's just a matter of time before he is called to account.
Rupiah says he is very proud of his achievements while in office. Yes, he has every reason to be proud because he has made a lot of money, he has accumulated a lot of wealth, together with his sons, in a record period of time - three years. For a person without shame, without principles and standards, this is something to be proud of.
Equally, Rupiah says he is proud of his campaign last fall: "In an election contested by three major parties and seven smaller parties, our party secured the votes of 35 per cent of the country, and lost by a narrow margin of around 180,000 votes in a hard-fought contest."
But Rupiah is not telling his audience how this 35 per cent of the vote was secured. Rupiah is not telling them that he had engaged in the most extravagant, expensive and corrupt election campaign ever seen in the history of Zambia.
Rupiah is not telling them how he had abused state resource, including the state-owned media to secure only 35 per cent of the vote. And moreover, Rupiah is calling 180,000 votes a narrow margin, but he is not telling his American audience about the 35,000 votes he had obtained over Michael Sata in an equally corrupt election of 2008 that put him into power.
No wonder he has the record of being the only elected president in Africa who only reigned for three years and was voted out. If he was so popular three years ago, what made him so unpopular three years later? Rupiah needs to explain this to his American audience.
Rupiah claims that Chiluba "was seen as an enormously popular leader by a large number of people in the country". Rupiah had the political support of Chiluba. Why did he still lose the election with that support on his back? Chiluba had lost the respect of the Zambian people because of his corruption. That's why even in Chiluba's own village, his friend Rupiah lost the election to Michael.
Again, when will Rupiah learn to tell the truth?
Labels: CORRUPTION, LYING, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA
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COMMENT - This is what Robert Sichinga said about the Windfall Tax when he was not in office, a year and a week ago. This article from 2010 puts into stark contrast the u-turn that Robert Sichinga and the PF have made on the Windfall Tax, the second they got into power. Are the PF just a couple of old men who chose security over revolution the second they achieved their personal ambitions? Why the silence on the Windfall Tax, other than stating that somehow, someone convinced them that it is a bad idea? This article is in stark contrast with this recent article: (STICKY)
Government has a challenge of creating 5.5 million jobs, says Sichinga All of a sudden, 'we need jobs, not taxes'.
Refusing windfall tax is an injustice - Sardanis
By Joe Kaunda and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Fri 12 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
Andrew Sardanis has described the government's refusal to reinstate the windfall tax regime in the mining sector as an injustice to the country. And economic consultant Bob Sichinga has advised opposition political parties to make the issue of restoring windfall tax a campaign issue in next year's general elections.
In an interview, Sardanis who presided over negotiations during the nationalisation of the mines under the Kenneth Kaunda administration, said he was appalled to learn that government was only getting 2.6 per cent in revenue from the exports of copper that stood at US$2.9 billion despite the huge boom in metal prices.
"…in other words a total tax of only 2.6 per cent of total revenue. When the mines were bought by the current owners, the copper prices stood around US $1,500 per tonne, but the price has shot up to the current over US $8,500," Sardanis observed.
He described the low revenue from the mining sector to the government a huge anomaly and an injustice to the country especially that the global markets were still predicting a further rise in metal prices on account of an anticipated long term shortage of copper.
"It is an injustice for the government to only collect US$ 77.6 million from copper exports valued at US$2.9 billion. And I do not see that the mines themselves in their heart of hearts would consider it an injustice to pay extra more," he said.
And further disagreeing with finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane's assertions that any changes to the current tax regime in the mining sector would chase away investors, Sardanis maintained that it was time government realised that the country was losing an opportunity to benefit from the remarkably high copper prices.
"Do you honestly think they (mines) are going to close down and leave? The reality is that at the moment there is predicted a long term shortage of supply (of copper) which would mean the price is likely to rise even further. So I do not understand why there are these fears of the investors leaving," Sardanis stated.
"They (government) ought to realise that copper is a wasting asset, it is not going to grow in the ground again."
He expressed concern at what would be a missed opportunity for the government to pass on the benefit from the mining sector into the socioeconomic development of the country.
And Sichinga, who has described President Rupiah Banda and Dr Musokotwane as unpatriotic for opposing the reintroduction of windfall tax, has charged that despite increasing pleas for maximising revenue collections from the mining sector, the government has continued to be adamant and irresponsible.
He said it was in this vein that campaigning on the platform of increasing tax collections from the mining sector would determine how serious the opposition political parties were to the governance of this country.
The mining sector which contributes about 70 per cent of the foreign exchange earnings and about 11.2 per cent of the country's gross domestic product only accounts for just over one per cent of the revenue collections by the Treasury.
"I am suggesting that if political parties were serious, they should make this a campaign issue," Sichinga said.
"They should say to the people that we are failing to get development because your government is not serious about obtaining the benefits of our God-given endowment to your country. So, if I were in politics, that is exactly what I would be saying. I will be making this a campaign issue that ‘the government is irresponsible, not being patriotic and failing to do what is necessary'. Why tax you and I at 35 per cent and tax the mines almost nothing?"
Sichinga said the re-introduction of the windfall tax should be also debated in Parliament and those members of parliament (MPs) who oppose it should be exposed and de-campaigned.
He charged that President Rupiah Banda and Dr Musokotwane were not patriotic to this country.
"Why would any patriotic citizen or leader stop that windfall tax? That issue is so crucial such that the civil society and ordinary citizens will continue to argue they must impose that tax," Sichinga said.
"I am also urging Parliament to reintroduce this topic and even if they get defeated, they must ask for a division and we must know which people are supporting the government over this failed and imprudent manner of taxing the mines. They should be named during the campaigns that these are the people who refused to have taxes imposed on the mines and let them go to the Copperbelt and campaign on that basis."
He observed that the current regime favoured getting underhand payments from the foreign mining firms at the expense of the country.
"What justification is there? What is clear is that the government wants to benefit from these mines by them giving them campaign monies and that is why they are not imposing these taxes," he said.
"There is no other reason. We have written, we have spoken, we have made our case… Dr Musokotwane, the president and their cabinet have not given us any justifiable reason why they mine should not being paying taxes."
Sichinga also dismissed assertions by the government that windfall tax on the mining sector would scare away investors.
He said evidence has shown that countries that were increasing taxation in the aftermath of the global economic crisis remained stable as no investor had shown any signs of movements.
Sichinga also rejected Dr Musokotwane's insistence on the application of variable profit tax as not feasible because the government does not understand the cost structure for most mining operations.
"In our country, the mines have different costs of production but the maximum you can expect from even the ones with the lowest ore content is not to go beyond U$ 2, 000 per tonne," he explains. "That means they are making super profits between the US $2, 000 mark and the US $8, 000."
He further dismissed the announcement that the government would audit mining firms for tax compliance.
"They are saying they are going to carry out an audit of what has been exported. It means they don't even know what has been exported at the moment," said Sichinga. "Otherwise why would they be asking for an audit now? What have they been doing all along? On what basis have they been taxing the mines in terms of the exports? It frightens me that you can have a government saying that they are going to carry out an audit and yet they are arguing that the mining companies would leave Zambia if they were to impose taxes."
He reminded the government that with windfall tax, nobody would be taxing the mines when they made losses or when the copper price fell below an agreed level.
Labels: HYPOCRISY, LYING, ROBERT SICHINGA, TAXATION, WINDFALL TAX
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Maamba Collieries houses were long sold, says ex-MD
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 13 July 2011, 12:01 CAT
RUPIAH Banda is not sincere about the 838 Maamba Collieries’ former houses because they were already sold, according to Nchanga member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa.
Commenting on President Banda’s recent announcement of the sale of the houses to residents pegged between K300,000 and K4 million, Simuusa, who served as Maamba Collieries managing director from 2004 to 2007, said the announcement was interesting.
“That time I was there houses were already sold. I even had accommodation problems for my new staff because when I was taken to run the mine I needed to incorporate new members with the old ones. They were coming from Lusaka, Chingola and other operations,” said Simuusa in an interview yesterday.
“We had problems finding accommodation and we even had to rent houses for miners because they houses had bought them already. So which houses is the President talking about which were not sold? He needs to be very clear.”
Simuusa said Maamba Collieries houses were sold along with other mine houses in several parts of the country during late president Frederick Chiluba’s tenure.
“What he should say is the title deeds had not been issued.
It’s been a campaign gimmick that when they delay title deeds then every time there is an election they will come with title deeds and sing a song of houses.
Even here in Chingola title deeds have not been issued since 1997,” Simuusa said.
“The President’s announcement was like he was selling mine houses between K300,000 and K4 million. Let him not use the old tired tricks. Let him clarify, which houses because as far as 2004 when I was there those houses were already sold.”
Simuusa said President Banda should not even boast about finally selling Maamba Collieries because the process to do so had already been embarked on before he became President.
He said there was a decision when he served at the company that Maamba, the only coal mine in the nation, be kept under Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH), by retaining 35 per cent shareholding and offloading 65 per cent.
President Banda last Friday announced the sale of houses belonging to Maamba Collieries at a rally at Kazinze Stadium in Maamba.
Labels: CORRUPTION, HOUSING, LYING, MAAMBA COLLIERY, RUPIAH BANDA
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There is no corruption in Zambia, says Rupiah
By Fridah Nkonde in Ndola
Tue 05 July 2011, 04:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said there is no corruption in Zambia. During a presidential luncheon at Mukuba Hotel on Saturday, President Banda said Zambians should not listen to people who say there’s corruption in the country.
“Let’s not listen to doom speakers who say that there is corruption in the country. I feel the enthusiasm of the people when it comes to the movement of the country forward,” he said.
President Banda urged the people to prove those that were saying that there will be problems in Zambia after elections wrong. He said he saw in every Zambian the desire to get out of poverty.
“…because as I go round opening up institutions, I feel that Zambians are ready to take up the fight against poverty. I thank all who have revolutionised to make Zambia a less poor country. Zambian people are strong enough and have confidence in themselves,” he said.
He said he was hoping that Ndola could be transformed by having good roads, a good show ground and a beautiful airport.
“Use your vote to decide who will be your councillor, member of parliament and president. Let’s vote for right leaders because we know them,” said President Banda.
Labels: CORRUPTION, HYPOCRISY, LYING, RUPIAH BANDA
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COMMENT - Tendai Biti and the MDC are phonies and frauds.
Audit shows no diamond money missing, Biti left with egg in face
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 2:26 am
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti has been
left with egg in face after his claims that diamond money had disappeared have been proved wrong following a verification and reconciliation of proceeds from diamond sales.
The exercises showed that nearly US$167 million has found its way into Treasury, despite Biti's claims that the funds had not been accounted for. Minister of Mines and Minerals Development
Obert Mpofu immediately attacked Biti for acting like an auditor.
Mpofu said it was only proper for ministers - who are politicians - to leave professional work to professionals and stop grandstanding.
"We want to allow professionals to do their work. Once we start to pretend to be auditors, this tends to be misunderstood.
"This (verification) has been done to the satisfaction of Cabinet," he said in apparent reference to suggestions by Minister Biti that some of the diamond proceeds could not be accounted for.
Biti and Mpofu had given conflicting statements over the actual amount the Government realised from diamond sales.
Biti had said there were discrepancies in the figures of the money Treasury received, prompting the verification and reconciliation.
Minister Mpofu said the verification and reconciliation has been completed and the two ministers met on Monday to discuss the outcome before reporting to Cabinet at its weekly meeting yesterday.
"(Monday) we met with Minister Biti who acknowledged and accepted the reconciliation of the US$174 million and this was reported to Cabinet today (Monday). That matter has been put to rest," Minister Mpofu said at a Press conference on Tuesday.
Biti did not attend the press conference to clarify his position.
Mpofu said the money should be used to improve the salaries of civil servants as pledged by President Mugabe in January.
"The objective (of the verification and reconciliation) was to address the plight of our civil servants.
"The civil servants' plight needs our united attention.
"We assist the Ministry of Finance to realise some income which will help address the challenges of our nation and the plight of civil servants and MPs," he said.
After Biti had been proved wrong, he changed his stance and raised new issues relating to mechanisms of controlling the diamond money.
Biti and his MDC-T side in the inclusive Government want the diamond money used for debt servicing, instead of paying civil servants.
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai confirmed this in his address to the Euro Money investment conference in Harare last week.
Officials from the Ministries of Finance, Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and the Minerals Marketing Corporation took part in the reconciliation.
Zimra Commissioner-General Mr Gershem Pasi was also consulted and he submitted figures from his organisation.
It was discovered that statutory obligations in the form of corporate tax, VAT and withholding tax were being incorrectly classified as diamond proceeds by minister Biti.
DIAMOND MONEY FROZEN BY U.S.
Meanwhile, Biti's double standards have been exposed as has remained mum on the freezing of US$2 million realised from sales of local minerals and deposited locally into a Stanbic Bank account by the United States’ central bank, the Federal Reserve.
The funds were frozen on the grounds that the two account holders — Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) — are under US sanctions.
This puts paid to claims by that sanctions are "targetted at individuals" in President Robert Mugabe's government.
The MMCZ and ZMDC employ hundreds of employees whose livelihoods depend on their viability.
Labels: DIAMONDS, LYING, MDC CORRUPTION, OBERT MPOFU, TENDAI BITI
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Tsvangirai using 'deceit' to remain PM
By: Feature by Nancy Lovedale
Posted: Saturday, March 12, 2011 6:41 am
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has mastered the art of deceiving people and sometimes openly telling people what they want to hear in order to retain his position as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.
On Thursday he told reporters that the inclusive Government was not working and that it should be ended, despite having expressed that the same government should run for five years last month. He told reporters that the "marriage" (inclusive Government) had led to confusion and a paralysis of leadership.
Tsvangirai's statement denouncing the inclusive Government was immediately echoed on Friday ambassadors from eight Western nations who appealed to the inclusive Government and the political parties to “respect the spirit and the letter of the GPA”.
The appeal was signed by envoys from Canada, Denmark, Australia, Germany, France, Austria, the Czech Republic and the European Union.
This has raised speculation that the prime minister is back to his tactics of using the EU to ensure that his party remains on the political map.
It has now emerged that Tsvangirai is hoodwinking the people of Zimbabwe to believe that there is no consensus in the inclusive Government, while he has a near-perfect working relationship with President Mugabe.
A day before telling reporters that the inclusive Government was not working, Tsvangirai had told 300 business executives from South Africa, London and the United States of America at a Euromoney Conference in Harare that the inclusive Government was "working very well" and that Cabinet business was proceeding smoothly.
On Tuesday this week, the PM had carried out an interview with a Financial Times reporter where he repeated that the government was working well.
In the interview with FT's Alec Russell, Tsvangirai said of the Cabinet meeting earlier that day: "“It was very good, very productive ... It’s enlightening that everyone was serious about addressing the concerns.”
He added: “If you were to enter the room you would not know who was who, MDC or Zanu-PF. The seating is Zanu-PF, MDC, Zanu-PF, MDC ... and he [Mugabe] and I direct.
"We really do consult when things get out of hand.”
Russell also reveals that the PM had also told David Cameron at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos (Switzerland) at the end of January that the inclusive Government was working well.
Shocked by this revelation from PM Tsvangirai, journalist Russell wrote: "So I am all but lost for words at Tsvangirai’s Milquetoast reference to his and Mugabe’s latest meeting – as, I have been told, was David Cameron when he was given a similarly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed account by Tsvangirai at Davos earlier this year."
It is now not clear what the PM's position is.
It is, however, clear that he does not want elections this year and wants the life of the inclusive Government extended, creating confusion among his followers.
He should tell the people of Zimbabwe what exactly is at play here.
If the inclusive Government is that bad, why is he still in?
The tactic of hoodwinking Zimbabweans at an opportune moment and openly telling lies to an increasing naive media audience will soon thin out. The West, we all know, has already revealed via WikiLeaks what it really thinks of the PM.
Only Zimbabweans are currently following the man blindly and the Zimbabwe media's toothcomb was lost a long time ago.
____________
Nancy Lovedale can be reached via nancy_lovedale@yahoo.com. She reports from Beijing, China.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), LYING, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NANCY LOVEDALE, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT
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COMMENT - The Zimbabwean economy was not sunk by land redistribution in 2000, it was torpedoed by economic sanctions through ZDERA in 2002. That is the year all the economic damage is shown in the macro-economic data. For a decade, the UK, US and MDC have been lying high and low about the existence of economic sanctions, to they could 'hide' their effects on the Zimbabwean economy and people and 'blame Mugabe'. This is part of that process. See
more here. They tried to blame hyperinflation on the racist idea that 'Africans can't farm', even though never in economic history has hyperinflation resulted from land reform. Or from anything other than financial manipulation (like Weimar Germany letting go of the gold standard in 1914, fighting a 160 billion gold mark war - WWI - and then being forced to pay $132 billion in restitution mainly to France. That is what caused hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic. Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe was caused by the credit freeze the Zimbabwean government was put under overnight through ZDERA (section 4C - Multilateral Financing Restriction) passing in December 2001. And now the cat is out of the bag.
EU disguises economic sanctions impact: WikiLeaks
by Staff Reporter
01/02/2011 00:00:00
THE European Union considered "creative" means of presenting sanctions against Zimbabwe to hide their full economic impact, according to a confindential United States State Department cable released by WikiLeaks.
The cable shows that under a sanctions plan code named ‘reftel b’, the EU considered imposing a complete investment ban on Zimbabwe. But the proposal came unstuck when it was realised that British and American companies with operations in the country would be affected.
“The United Kingdom will push for further measures, including an investment ban, to be enacted in September (2008),” the US embassy cable read.
“However, the remaining foreign investments in Zimbabwe are British and American, and pursuing an investment ban is difficult.”
The Dutch government then proposed what they described as creativity in implementing the sanctions which, it was hoped, would help disguise their debilitating economic impact.
“For example, governments could use ‘moral suasion’ rather than an investment ban, with press statements such as ‘it’s inconceivable to do business in Zimbabwe’.”
“Tesco, UK, has stopped buying from Zimbabwe, and Shell is also considering a sale of assets in Zimbabwe,” the cable added.
Western countries have always claimed that the sanctions do not affect the majority of Zimbabweans and only target individuals accused of rights abuses and electoral fraud.
However, the Zimbabwe government blames the sanctions for the country’s near-economic collapse over the last decade.
President Robert Mugabe claims the measures are part of wider plans by the West to force him out of office.
Officials insist the country’s economy cannot recover unless the sanctions are removed.
“Zimbabwe’s full recovery and return to the path of lasting prosperity continues to be heavily constrained by the debilitating effects of the illegal sanctions being imposed on the country,” central bank governor, Gideon Gono, said recently.
“The Reserve Bank continues to urge those responsible for the imposition of the sanctions to please free us from this unjust handicap which is negatively affecting not just the alleged targeted few, but the majority of vulnerable Zimbabweans.”
Labels: EU, HYPOCRISY, LYING, MDC, SANCTIONS, WIKILEAKS, ZDERA
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Mugabe coup
by David Smith I Guardian
09/12/2010 00:00:00
A BLOODLESS coup was planned to remove Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's president with the help of pressure from the UN secretary general, according to classified US documents.
A group of exiled Zimbabwean businessman proposed in 2007 that Mugabe could be persuaded to hand over executive power to a prime minister before leaving office completely three years later. American officials welcomed the idea, noting that it was "increasingly in circulation" in the capital, Harare, and "may not require outside intervention".
The plot came to nothing, although it does bear similarities to the power sharing deal that saw Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai become prime minister after violent elections in 2008.
A confidential memo from the US embassy in South Africa is entitled "Secret power sharing plan" and dated 30 January 2007. At the time Zimbabwe was plunging into an unprecedented economic crisis.
The cable names a group of prominent Zimbabwean businessmen living in South Africa who were pushing for change but says their leader's identity should be "strictly protected".
Executive power was to be shifted from Mugabe to a "technocratic" prime minister. "To get Mugabe to accept the deal, Mugabe would remain president until 2010 with some power over the security apparatus, but the prime minister would run the economy and get the country back on its feet," the dispatch says.
"All parties would work together to draft a new constitution. [The businessman] was open to ideas on who best to sell the plan, but suggested new UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, working through an envoy like former Malaysian PM Mahathir, as possible mediators."
Mugabe would have retained the power to appoint the ministers of defence, home affairs and national security. The prime minister would have appointed other cabinet members, particularly in the economic arena. Deployment of troops would have required the approval of both the PM and president.
In return for various reforms the international community was to agree on a phased lifting of sanctions, the "acceptance" of the extension of Mugabe's term to 2010 and economic assistance to help rehabilitate the Zimbabwean economy. The prime minister would have needed the backing of 85% of parliament and therefore the support of the opposition MDC.
The US embassy said it could not comment on the merits of the plan but found it "encouraging" that senior Zimbabwean businessmen abroad were discussing solutions to the country's political and economic malaise.
"The four businessmen agreed that there is a 'window of opportunity' to bring positive change to Zimbabwe, opened by the deteriorating economic situation and Mugabe's advancing age and declining health."
Little detail was given on how Mugabe, a hero of the liberation struggle who came to power in 1980, could be persuaded to stand aside.
Moeletsi Mbeki, a South African businessman and brother of its then president, Thabo Mbeki, recommended against South Africa playing the mediation role, arguing instead for a combination such as Ban and Mahathir.
An additional note from the US embassy in Harare suggests the MDC endorsed the concept. It says Tsvangirai told embassy officials that "this is Mugabe's Plan B as he runs into growing resistance" and that the prime minister would be Simba Makoni, a former Mugabe ally turned rival.
"Significant outside intervention, therefore, may not be necessary; however, gentle encouragement from Pretoria is unlikely to be amiss. UN SYG [secretary general] Ban may not wish to engage on this issue at the beginning of his tenure, especially in view of the way Mugabe treated former UN SYG [Kofi] Annan.
"He fears for his future if he steps down – citing the Charles Taylor example [the former Liberian president now on trial for war crimes] – and perhaps even more importantly fears for the future of his wife and young children."
Another memo from the US embassy in Harare – with subheadings that include "How to get Mugabe out" – shows that a decade ago the MDC considered a "mass action" intended to force the president from office.
It details a breakfast meeting on 16 November 2000 between Tsvangirai and Susan Rice, then-president Bill Clinton's assistant secretary for African affairs.
"Mass action would be intended to pressure president Mugabe to resign," it says. "The MDC understands the serious risks associated with mass action, Tsvangirai professed, and recognises that it is in the country's best interest to avoid bloodshed."
Mass action would most likely have taken the form of a general strike that December, it adds. But brutal government retaliation was a genuine fear: "Tsvangirai believed the army wouldn't hesitate to shoot a lot of people.
"Tsvangirai was frank, confident and relaxed. However he did not convince us that the MDC has a clear or well thought out plan for mass action or what it would accomplish.
"Everyone is focused on seeing Mugabe go but it will probably take a convergence of opposition from Zanu-PF, the military and regional leaders to force him out."
The MDC leader was seeking foreign assistance with little success. "Tsvangirai mentioned that on his last visit to South Africa he met with former president [Nelson] Mandela – who still exerts great influence in South Africa, he stated – and urged the leader to intervene in Zimbabwe. He did not receive a firm commitment from Mandela, however, and did not see [Thabo] Mbeki.
"Tsvangirai said that when he was in the UK recently he told the British to refrain from making public statements on land reform in Zimbabwe and to use their influence behind the scenes to resolve the problem."
Even in 2000 Tsvangirai said that ideally the MDC would like to see a "transitional arrangement" over two years where Mugabe's Zanu-PF remained in power but brought in MDC ministers to arrest economic decline. Another eight years, with much bloodshed and hardship, were to pass before this became reality.
[Enough of the editorializing. This article does not even mention the economic sanctions that destroyed the Zimbabwean economy - ZDERA. - MrK]
Labels: LYING, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, NEOCOLONIALISM, SUSAN RICE, TREASON, WIKILEAKS
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The only way you get survey results like that, is when you a) only use a singly hypersensitive HIV test, b) only test on women. This is *old hat*. But it is the sort of scare tactic you can expect leading up to World AID$ Day. Happy World AID$ Day (December 1st - EVERY YEAR). Better yet, read this article from the Washington Post, back in 2006:
How AIDS in Africa Was OverstatedReliance on Data From Urban Prenatal Clinics Skewed Early Projections
By Craig Timberg
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, April 6, 2006; Page A01
Half of women on Limpopo farms HIV positive
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Nov 23 2010 17:17
Almost half of women working on farms around Limpopo and Mpumalanga are HIV positive, compared to only a third of the male workforce, a study revealed on Tuesday. The study, conducted by the International Organisation on Migration, from March to May this year, focused on 23 farms in Malelane, Tzaneen and Musina.
The study found that an overall 39,5% of the farming workforce who anonymously gave blood specimens for testing are HIV positive. Women accounted for almost half, said Mark Colvin, who lead the research.
The 39,5% infection rate in these 23 farms was twice the UNAids (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids) national prevalence percentage of 18,1% in South Africa. It was also the highest HIV prevalence ever reported among a working population.
Colvin could not pin-point a single factor causing this high rate of HIV infection on these farms. He highlighted a multitude of factors such as multiple and concurrent partnerships, transactional sex, irregular condom use, presence of sexually transmitted infections and sexual violence.
Halving of new infections
According to a study released on Friday, South Africa could more than halve its new HIV infections in ten years, if it used the right programmes and funding.
But the report, undertaken at the request of the government, also warned that even with wise decision-making, about 5-million more South Africans would become infected over the next two decades.
The report was compiled by experts from the Cape Town-based Centre for Economic Governance on Aids in Africa, and the United States' Results for Development Institute.
It said that with the right funding mix and programme choices, South Africa could reduce the number of new HIV infections "by more than half their current level" to less than 200 000 a year by 2020.
CONTINUES BELOW
The funding required to fight Aids in South Africa under the scenarios explored in the report would require a rise in spending from around R16-billion in 2009 to R28-billion - R35-billion by 2015/16.
South Africa, the report said, already accounted for nearly 15% of all Aids spending in low- and middle-income countries.
"It's critical that the government of South Africa and other organisations at the national and international level involved in the fight against Aids mobilise around these financing issues," said Robert Hecht, one of the report's authors and managing director of Results for Development.
He said South Africa was acting to makes its Aids programmes as effective as possible in stopping new infections and saving lives. "[But] our analysis underscores the need for a long-term view and ... use the money available for Aids as efficiently as possible over the next two decades or longer.
"Difficult and decisive choices need to be made now, that will have important consequences for years to come."
The report said that under a continuation of the approach adopted in South Africa's current national Aids plan, total costs from now to 2031 were estimated at R658-billion, with new infections falling only gradually to about 350 000 a year.
With a more ambitious and broad-based prevention policy, total costs might rise to R765-billion over the 20 year period, but the number of infections would fall to under 200 000 a year by 2031. -- Sapa
Labels: HIV/AIDS, LYING, PROPAGANDA, WORLD AIDS DAY
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