(BUSINESS DAILY AFRICA KE) Sun setting on British empire?
Opinion and Analysis
By John Kamau
Posted Wednesday, April 10 2013 at 18:04
Three noteworthy events occurred this week — the death of Margaret Thatcher, the swearing-in of Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya’s fourth president, and the departure of Mwai Kibaki from office.
If we have to remember Mrs Thatcher, it is because of the way she sustained the Kanu government, turned a blind eye to former President Moi’s dictatorship and kept pumping money into the bottomless pit that was his government as budgetary support.
But we have to understand that the relationship between Thatcher and Moi was of two hard-driving hard-headed characters who had assumed office months apart.
While Thatcher had been sworn into office in May 1979 Mr Moi was first sworn into office on October 14, 1978 — two green-horns in power seven months apart.
Interestingly, Thatcher invited Moi as the first head of state to visit the UK during her reign with Moi arriving at No 10 Downing Street on June 12, 1979. His only other State Visit being Ethiopia in January, 1979.
From then on, Thatcher made the mistake of oiling the wheels of Moi’s dictatorship and it was not until her fall in 1990 that Kenyans were able to push for sensible reforms in the country.
In all that, the British economic interests outweighed Kenya’s desire for change. So close were Moi and Thatcher that when Moi University was built in Eldoret in 1984, the library, with a sitting capacity of 2,500 readers, was named the Margaret Thatcher Library.
Moi also allowed Thatcher to have Kenya as a training ground for troops destined to defend the Falkland Islands in a pact that still brings in 10,000 troops. For all that, Thatcher will always have a place in our history.
The entry of Kibaki in 2002 was unanticipated by British top echelons who had given tacit support to Moi’s candidate Uhuru Kenyatta hoping that there would be no change of policy that would affect their geo-political and economic interests.
But months before Moi left, he had been irked by the British and called British High Commissioner, Sir Jeffrey James a “meddler” when he went to bid him bye.
Sir James’ replacement, Edward Clay, turned as combative as his predecessor with the Kibaki government cancelling British tenders and turning East for development support.
In a radical twist, the government unbanned Mau Mau and unveiled Dedan Kimathi’s monument still regarded in Westminister as a terrorist. And that explains the “they are vomiting on our shoes” remark by Mr Clay.
Mr Kibaki has left State House without paying a State visit to the UK despite being invited. His handlers said he was busy. And that shows that despite the diplomatic speak of cordial relationship with the UK London’s influence on Kenya is on the wane.
The numbers tell the story with UK aid to Kenya on the decline. Since 1997 — when the Tories lost power — the UK’s expenditure on Kenya has been cut by more than 50 per cent from a high of 2.8 per cent of the entire UK DFID bilateral programme.
“With our recent direct experience of fraud in the Ministry of Education, we will make limited use of Government systems to distribute aid, but…the 2012 elections could be a major watershed for governance in Kenya, and we will review our aid delivery instruments again after that,” says a DFID strategy document.
And that is where Mr Kenyatta’s relationship with UK will start. How things change!
Mr Kamau is the Associate Editor, Business Daily. Email: jkamau@ke.nationmedia.com
Labels: 2011 BUDGET, ELECTIONS, KENYA, MARGARET THATCHER, UHURU KENYATTA
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COMMENT - Hmmm... odd that the only thing that made it into the 'liberal' pro-DA, pro-MDC Mail & Guardian, was President Kaunda's statement that 'two wrongs don't make a right'. Not that land reform is a very serious issue in South Africa (where colonial and apartheid governments hoarded 87% of the country for now 10% of the population). President Kaunda on land reform and Zimbabwe. Here's the math: there are 50 million South Africans, and 45 million are supposed to live on 13% of the land surface, while 5 million retain 87% of the country?
KK steals limelight at ANC dinner
By Chibaula Silwamba Mangaung, South Africa
Mon 09 Jan. 2012, 13:59 CAT
DR Kenneth Kaunda stole the limelight at South Africa's governing African National Congress centenary celebrations dinner with rapturous ovation from dignitaries, including about 14 heads of state that chanted: "KK! KK! KK!"
Immediately African Union (AU) commission chairperson candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was a co-director of ceremonies, called on "our father and guardian fondly known as KK" to go to the podium to address the gathering, the delegates spontaneously burst into pro-Kaunda chants, as the former Zambian leader trotted to the stage.
The chants drowned all the previous speakers as all heads of state, former presidents, foreign dignitaries and locals alike stood up and started singing.
"KK! KK! KK! Our father!" the crowd chanted while clapping. Dr Kaunda could not resist the chants and joined in and started singing his famous liberation struggle song: "Tiyende pamodzi ndi mutima unomodzi." Let us move together with one heart".
Dr Kaunda chanted: "One South Africa!" while the audience responded: "One nation!"
In his address which was punctuated with songs and chants, Dr Kaunda urged President Jacob Zuma to discuss with white South Africans about the land issue.
"Comrade President, the many problems you face so many other former colonial countries don't face. I have in mind in particular the problem of land; it's a serious problem. We are very proud of what you are doing. That reminds me of Zimbabwe," Dr Kaunda said.
"That British woman former prime minister Margaret Thatcher listened to Robert Gabriel Mugabe about the problems of land in Zimbabwe. Margaret Thatcher together with Robert Gabriel Mugabe worked out a programme and that was going to be very well for Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, Margaret Thatcher lost to Labour Party, people I consider our friends, our colleagues, our comrades, socialists, their Commonwealth Secretary destroyed what Robert Mugabe and Margaret Thatcher had agreed to do for Zimbabwe."
He as a result of the Labour Party's conduct, President Mugabe was in trouble.
"That is why I keep saying, ‘don't demonise Mugabe over what has been taking place in Zimbabwe because that problem was created by the social Labour Party'. Mugabe is still going through some problems. To comrade Zuma, I am saying ‘please continue. You have more serious problems than any of us in your hand, land question mark'," Dr Kaunda said.
"I am saying to the young people of South Africa, ‘please remember, two wrongs can never make a right'. Discuss with the white leaders in South Africa about the problem of land. Let them know what is taking place elsewhere in other countries, let them know that the situation here is very serious but they and black people of South Africa should remember that ‘two wrongs never make a right' anywhere on earth."
He called for peace in the world.
"God taught us, whether we are Hindus, Muslims, Christians or whatever, ‘love God your Creator with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, with all your strength.' Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Do unto others as you would love them to do unto you. Wonderful commandments! Where these are obeyed, there is genuine peace. Where they are not obeyed, there is chaos," Dr Kaunda said.
"Egypt should have been here but there are problems there. Libya, Gaddafi is gone, Tunisia, Syria and so many other small countries in the Middle East, where people are pointing fingers at each other, saying, ‘because of your colour you are very stupid' like the Boers did here. These three fingers were pointing at them that, ‘you Boers are three times as stupid'."
He urged people not to point blaming fingers at others but learn to discuss to iron out differences.
He called for the respect of humanity.
"Comrade Zuma, continue to lead us and we are proud of what you doing," Dr Kaunda said.
"Thank you for this wonderful occasion when you bring us all together to come and say to the people of South Africa and all those who supported them to ‘thank you for a job so well done!'"
He noted that South Africans had gone through many difficult times.
Dr Kaunda urged South Africans to combat poverty and HIV and AIDS.
"Today, as we say South Africa is independent, anyway there are many other problems which you face. We have to fight poverty and all its offshoots of hunger, ignorance, disease, crime, corruption and above all exploitation of one man by another. This is common to all countries, which once upon a time were colonised," said Dr Kaunda.
"We have now an added problem to fight HIV and AIDS. That reminds me of that great son of Africa, Kwame Nkrumah, the song he sang, ‘sons of Africa raise and fight. We shall fight and conquer AIDS'."
Among Presidents present were Hifikepunye Pohamba (Namibia), Yoweri Museveni(Uganda), Bingu wa Mutharika (Malawi), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Mahmoud Abbas (Palestine), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), Andry Rajoelina (Madagascar).
Thomas Yaya Boni (Benin), Mahamadou Issoufou (Niger), James Alix Michel (Seychelles), Michael Sata (Zambia), Mohamed Ould Abdel Azizi (Mauritanian), Armando Guebuza (Mozambique), Manuel Pinto da Costa (Sao Tome and Principe) while President Mugabe was represented by his Vice-President Joyce Mujuru.
Other leaders were Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Kenya's Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Swaziland Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini,.
Former presidents present were Jerry Rawlings (Ghana), Benjamin Mukapa (Tanzania), Sir Ketumile Masire (Botswana) and Thabo Mbeki (South Africa) while Nelson Mandela was absent.
ANC, the liberation movement that was headquartered in Lusaka for many years until the early 1990s, formed government in 1994 when its leader Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president at the end of the brutal apartheid rule.
The ANC, initially called the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), was founded on January 8, 1912 in Bloemfontein now called Mangaung in Free State Province to increase the rights of the black South African population.
Labels: ANC, JACOB ZUMA, KENNETH KAUNDA, LAND REFORM, MARGARET THATCHER, NKOSAZANAA DLAMINI ZUMA
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Mann claims SA backed coup plot
by Kylie MacLellan
29/11/2009 00:00:00
SIMON Mann, a British mercenary jailed for plotting against the government of Equatorial Guinea, has said South Africa tacitly supported a failed 2004 coup in the oil-rich African nation.
Mann, who was released from prison earlier this month, told the BBC he believed that the operation had the unwritten consent of South African intelligence.
"South Africa wanted to be in," he said, according to extracts of an interview to be broadcast on Tuesday. "In fact, I was told: 'Get on with it.'"
"Because, if they are very good friends of the new government, it would be of great benefit to South Africa because they know perfectly well that billions of dollars are at stake," 57-year-old Mann said.
Educated at Eton, Britain's top private school, the ex-special forces officer was arrested in Zimbabwe along with 70 other mercenaries en route to Equatorial Guinea aboard a plane.
Extradited to Equatorial Guinea, he was sentenced in July 2008 for conspiring to topple President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. He was pardoned on health grounds, having served just over one year of a 34-year sentence.
During his trial, Mann portrayed himself as a pawn of international businessmen he said were trying to seize power and named the son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as being involved -- an allegation Mark Thatcher has denied.
In the BBC interview, Mann said he got on well with Mark Thatcher, at one point his neighbour in South Africa, describing how Margaret Thatcher would come and stay in a cottage in the garden of her son's house.
"I always sat next to her at dinner parties," he said. "She liked me. We even went on holiday together."
Mann, who said that from his point of view the purpose of the coup was to make money from the oil-rich country, said he wanted Mark Thatcher as an investor in the plot, and that he had told him precisely what the operation was.
Discussing some of his early plans for the coup, Mann said he had also considered an assassination and a guerrilla war, but these options had been discarded.
He said had been unhappy with aspects of the final plan but was under pressure from unnamed backers to get the coup over.
"I thought there was quite a good chance I was going to die, because I knew that far too many people knew about the operation," he said, adding that he should have had the courage to halt the plans but failed to.
On Sunday, Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang looked set to win an election landslide, extending his 30-year rule. - Reuters
Labels: MARGARET THATCHER, MARK THATCHER, MERCENAIRIES, SIMON MANN, SOUTH AFRICA
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