Maravi

Friday, March 18, 2016

(LUSAKA TIMES) PF Government , IMF reach deadlock over bailout

COMMENT - The IMF goes to town. They want charges to go up, and that is after the massive devaluation of the Zambian Kwacha through Eurobond debt and other borrowing leading to record inflation - with full knowledge and approval of the IMF and World Bank - they are complicit in this crime. This is not an economic policy, this is a hit. And the only thing the PF government of President Lungu can say is - let's wait until after the elections? This is criminal. Oh by the way, they are speaking in euphemisms because they're crooks. This is a massive transfer of resources from Zambian people to the IMF/Eurobonds. I say: scrap ALL the debt, throw the crooks in jail and take back the mining companies' stocks. Makes ZCCM great again, and completely transparent to the public. Use the profits to get into copper manufacturing using local copper only. Diversify into agriculture and infrastructure. That is the only way forward, not this neoliberal austerity and global economy garbage.

(LUSAKA TIMES) PF Government, IMF reach deadlock over bailout
March 18, 2016

President Edgar Lungu has asked the International Monetary Fund to offer an emergency bail out to his government but only start implementing the needed austerity measures after the August elections.

President Lungu through Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda made the plea when he met an IMF mission team that was in Zambia over the last two weeks.

The IMF is however not willing to offer emergency financing to the Zambian government before the country’s authorities submit a detailed technical report on how it will stabilise the economy.

This led to a deadlock and the much expected deal was not agreed at the end of the mission.

Impeccable sources who attended part of the consultations with the IMF team revealed that President Lungu was begging the IMF to relax its terms and allow his government to start implementing key austerity measures after August.

The sources said President Lungu contended that implementing a full set of austerity before the August elections will make it impossible for him to secure re-election.

Among the key measures the IMF team is demanding that government implements includes the removal of fuel subsidies, a serious reform of the Farmer Support Programme, introduces cost reflective power tariffs and a slowdown in infrastructure spending.

And in an End-of-Mission statement released on Friday, the IMF said the Zambian government indicated that strong near-term measures are being evaluated and that, at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in mid-April, they would provide further guidance on the policy direction and reforms, and their plans for an IMF-supported program.

“Government finances are under immense stress. Expenditure is running far above budget, in large part as a result of fuel subsidies and contracted emergency electricity imports that together are estimated to cost the treasury about US$660 million a year at the current pace (equivalent to 3.2 percent of GDP). At the same time, domestic and external financing options have become more limited along with rising interest rates. Mounting domestic arrears are adding to concerns about debt sustainability,” the IMF said.

It added, ““tightening of monetary policy has been effective in stabilizing the exchange rate but tight liquidity conditions have contributed to persistent under-subscription of treasury bills and bonds. However, there is little scope to loosen monetary policy as long as fiscal imbalances are not addressed. A key challenge going forward will be to normalize activity in the interbank foreign exchange market while avoiding a return of last year’s extreme volatility in the exchange rate.”

The IMF said its mission and the Zambian government reached a shared understanding of the challenges and risks associated with the current economic situation.

“The authorities stressed that, notwithstanding the upcoming general elections, they are committed to addressing the budgetary pressures, including moving to cost-reflective energy pricing, and scaling back on discretionary spending while safeguarding social protection programs. They indicated that strong near-term measures are being evaluated and that, at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in mid-April, they would provide further guidance on the policy direction and reforms, and their plans for an IMF-supported program,” it said.

“The mission is confident that Zambia’s current economic challenges can be overcome with resolute policy action, allowing a resumption of growth in line with the country’s abundant potential. In particular, a package of measures that makes clear that the fiscal pressures are being tackled would boost market confidence and pave the way for increased investment and growth. However, delays in implementing corrective measures will only worsen the situation, increase the adjustment cost and postpone the recovery.”

Labels: EDGAR LUNGU, EUROBOND, IMF, MMD, PF, World Bank

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Mature, UPND MP urges HH
By Kombe Mataka
Thu 06 Feb. 2014, 14:01 CAT

UPND Sinazongwe member of parliament Richwell Siamunene has advised Hakainde Hichilema to show maturity in his politics. Siamunene said it was unfortunate that Hichilema had continued speculating on President Michael Sata's whereabouts when State House had made it clear where he was and that he was on a working holiday.

Siamunene said Hichilema should apologise to President Sata for insinuating that he had gone to seek medical attention in India as opposed to going on a working holiday.

"As leaders, we must mature in our handling of political matters. We are in a mature democracy and this democracy demands that we concentrate on issues that are pertinent to the economy of this country as opposed to issues that are trivial in nature," Siamunene said.

"My strong advice is for Hichilema to humble himself and apologise. Let him come out publicly and tell the nation that he erred in his judgement. Let him concentrate on matters that can help the nation, not matters that are pedantic in nature."

Siamunene said there was nothing sinister about the President taking rest.

"There is no need to speculate on the whereabouts of the President. The President has indicated, he was in Ethiopia and from there he travelled to London," he said.

"The President has worked so tirelessly the past one year and he needed rest. He is a human being like any other who needs rest at one point or another."

Siamunene added that President Sata had an army of ministers and their deputies who were in charge of ensuring that the government was functioning when he is in or out of the country.

"The President has indicated that he is okay and we should take it that he is okay. He is a public figure of course but now people should not take advantage of his absence and start speculating on his health," Simunene said.

"The President is not running this government alone; he has Cabinet ministers, he has also permanent secretaries to continue implementing what has been done, so obviously he is supposed to take a rest and he just did that."

On Monday, Hichilema challenged State House to come clean on President Sata's health so that Zambians, including himself, could pray for him.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MICHAEL SATA, MMD, RICHWELL SIAMUNENE, UPND

Who is killing MMD?
By Editor
Sun 02 Feb. 2014, 14:00 CAT

Kapembwa Simbao, the MMD national secretary, says it will be unfair for a parliamentary candidate whose election has been nullified not to be allowed to re-contest the seat.

And Simbao has accused the Patriotic Front of trying to kill the MMD by insisting on those whose elections have been nullified through election petitions in the courts of law not being allowed to re-contest.

What is unfair with the Patriotic Front insisting on the law being followed to the letter? Here, there is no arbitrary action on the part of the Patriotic Front. And this matter has to be decided by the courts of law and not the Patriotic Front itself, or anyone else for that matter.

It is up to the courts to decide in accordance with the law as to whether or not those whose seats have been nullified should be allowed to re-contest. If the courts say they should be allowed to re-contest, there is nothing the Patriotic Front can do other than to meet them in the by-election campaigns.

What Simbao is asking for is lawlessness, impunity and anarchy. If the law has been broken, those who have done so should be dealt with in accordance with the law. Section 22 of the electoral Act of 2006 states that an aspiring candidate convicted of any corrupt practice or illegal practice or who is reported guilty of any corrupt practice as determined by the Supreme Court or High Court shall not be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly. This is what the law that the MMD in government enacted. This was not a law bequeathed to the MMD by some ancestor. It is a law that they themselves made. Who did they make this law for if it shouldn't apply to them, if it should exempt them? They say the law is blind and when you make a law, you are making it for everyone, including yourself. And let credit be given where it is due: this was a very good law by the MMD for which they deserve a lot of credit.

So, where do the evil intentions of the Patriotic Front come in on this issue? Even if they had any such evil intentions, what would they do if this law enacted by the MMD was not there or if MMD candidates were not involved in electoral malpractices and corruption?

And Simbao is hoping that the churches can take this issue seriously and pray about it. Is Simbao serious? He wants the church to embrace and condone corruption and other electoral abuses? Simbao is asking the church to pray for the perpetration of electoral corruption and malpractices! A church that will respond favourably to Simbao's request will lose its standing.

There has to be equality before the law, or equal protection of the law. This is fundamental to any just and democratic society. And under no circumstances should the law be bent to simply accommodate the wishes of one group of people. The law should deal evenly and equally with all citizens. No one is above the law, which is, after all, the creation of the people, not something imposed upon them. The MMD should be the first ones to submit themselves to this law because they are the ones who sponsored it, who created it and enacted it.

When laws are established by the people who then have to obey them, both law and democracy are served.

The MMD should simply accept the consequences of their actions. It is an undisputable fact that in 2011, the MMD led a very corrupt election campaign that had never been seen in this country before. They thought they were smart, but they were not clever - the law caught up with them. They thought they would get away with it but now, they are looking like soaked chickens - as the Chewas say, tambala obvumbwa alibe msika.

There was unfair competition in the 2011 elections. Competing with people who are dishing out all sorts of gifts obtained with stolen public money is not an easy thing. And this can never be said to be fair. If Simbao has any bit of fairness in his heart, he would realise that his party went into the 2011 elections on a very unfair footing. They abused every public institution and resources that were placed under their control. And this was to the disadvantage of their competitors then in the opposition. But as they say, life is like a big wheel: the one who is at the top today, tomorrow is at the bottom.

Accusing the Patriotic Front of evil over something they have not done wrong won't do. And we are reminded in Proverbs 26:2: "Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never light." They thought they were clever, but "the most stupid fool is better off than someone who thinks he is wise when he is not" (Proverbs 26:12).

We don't think the MMD ever thought they would be caught so badly by a law, a trap that they themselves set for others. But we are told that those who set traps for others get caught themselves and that people who start landslides get crushed. Insincerity brings nothing but ruin. Things you get by dishonesty soon disappear, but not before they lead you into the jaws of death.

Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. And when justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are brought to despair. The wicked bring on themselves the suffering they try to cause good people. Wicked people are always hungry for evil: they have no mercy on anyone.

But in this life, we should be prepared to live with the consequences of everything we do. Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame others.

Condemning the innocent or letting the wicked go - both are not acceptable. It is not right to favour the guilty and keep the innocent from receiving justice. Corruption, wickedness does not give security.

Even from a moral point of view, what Simbao is asking for is not acceptable. Why should those who engage in corruption be allowed to benefit from their own corruption? These by-elections have been caused by the corrupt deeds of MMD candidates. Why should those corrupt elements be allowed to participate in processes which their corrupt behaviour has caused the nation to incur unnecessary by-election expenditure?

If these corrupt elements are all the MMD has and without them, the party is dead, then it deserves to die, it has no purpose to continue in existence. However, this cannot be true because there are many decent people in the MMD whom the party can field instead of those who committed crimes, those who engaged in corrupt electoral practices. It is not PF that is killing MMD; it is MMD that is killing itself, that is committing suicide.

Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MMD

There's nothing to convince me GBM was in Luanshya - M'membe
By Mwala Kalaluka
Sun 02 Feb. 2014, 14:01 CAT

POST editor-in-chief Fred M'membe says there is nothing convincing to show that Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba was in Luanshya. And The Post has apologised to Mwamba over the story it published that he was on the Copperbelt decampaigning the PF.

In a letter dated February 1, 2014 to former defence minister Mwamba's lawyer Makebi Zulu, M'membe stated that after reading Zulu's letter dated January 31, 2014 and the concerned stories, he was not convinced that the editors got their story accurately.

Zulu's letter, referenced as 'Article entitled "Mwamba decampaigns PF on C/Belt saying the party is losing in 2016...PF has failed - GBM" in The Post newspapers issue No.6314 of January 31, 2014, denied that Mwamba had been on the Copperbelt.

Zulu stated that Mwamba had not left Lusaka since his return from Kasama and found the story "less than truthful and altogether malicious".

In response, M'membe stated that he had not heard anything convincing from anyone to make him believe that Mwamba was in Luanshya or indeed on the Copperbelt at the said time and said the things he is reported to have said.

"I have just read your letter of January 31, 2014. I was in Johannesburg from Wednesday morning, January 29, 2014 and I only arrived back in the country on Friday January 31, 2014 after 22:00 hours. After reading your letter and the concerned stories, I discussed the matter with the editors who were in charge of the story. I am not convinced that they fully got their story accurately. The source quoted on record in the story, a Mr Menyani Zulu, did not have direct contact with Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba. He was also merely acting on hearsay," he stated.

"I made a few phone calls to some people I know within the Patriotic Front leadership in Luanshya. They, too, say they heard that Mr Mwamba was on the Copperbelt but no one told them they had actually seen or met him."

M'membe further stated that there were Patriotic Front elections on the Copperbelt right now and as such, all sorts of politicking, alignments and re-alignments were taking place.

"We do not want the newspaper to be caught in this politicking and party electioneering. And above all, it is the policy of our newspaper to publish only that which we can verify. It is against our policy to publish things that are not true about anyone or anything. And whenever we get things wrong, we owe it to our readers and news subjects to correct things and give them the correct position. We have no shame in apologising for that which we have gotten wrong because we are never motivated by malice in our reporting," M'membe stated.

"We are always seeking the truth in every story we publish. And for this reason, if mistakes are found in our work, or we have been misled by news sources, we shall never hesitate to make corrections and apologise for that which we have gotten wrong. This has been the source of our strength throughout the 23 years of our existence as a newspaper."

He stated that The Post had no intention of abandoning that policy.
"And in this case, I have not heard anything from anyone to make me believe that Mr Mwamba was in Luanshya or indeed on the Copperbelt at the said time and said the things he is reported to have said," stated M'membe.

"I therefore apologise, on behalf of the newspaper and indeed on my own behalf, to Mr Mwamba and to our readers, for this story and whatever inconveniences this might have caused. And by copy of this letter, I will ask the managing editor and the news editor of The Post to make the necessary corrections and apologies."

And Post news editor Joan Chirwa-Ngoma has also apologised to Mwamba for any inconvenience the story might have caused him.

"I was in charge of supervising this story. I was misled to believe that Mr Mwamba was on the Copperbelt and said the things reported to have been said by him. For this, I sincerely apologise to Mr Mwamba for any inconvenience the story might have caused," said Chirwa-Ngoma.

Former Copperbelt PF youth chairman Menyani Zulu on Thursday told The Post that Mwamba was in the area to decampaign the Patriotic Front ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Zulu claimed that Mwamba had told the people of Luanshya that the PF would lose the 2016 elections because it had failed to deliver on its campaign promises.

Labels: FRED M'MEMBE, GBM, MMD, PF

MMD left people hopeless - Mubukwanu
By Misheck Wangwe in Solwezi
Fri 31 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

THE previous MMD government left people in a very hopeless situation and no meaningful Zambian would like to be associated with them, says North-Western Province minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu.

In an interview in Solwezi yesterday, Mubukwanu said President Michael Sata's PF administration had rekindled the hopes of many people with infrastructure development taking shape and the serious strides being made to reduce the high levels of poverty.

He said there was no doubt that Zambians would give President Sata and the PF another term in 2016 because of the selfless leadership that he had demonstrated in the promotion of human integral development.

"Many people here feel the PF should have come earlier than the MMD, saying things could have been different by now. The previous MMD government is to blame for the sufferings people have experienced for many years. It's today in the PF administration that infrastructure development is feasible, the Solwezi-Chingola road will be worked on, schools and hospitals are being built and people are being given opportunities of empowerment," Mubukwanu said.

He said the mining sector had continued to make positive impact on the growth of both the local the national economy and in job creation for the people.

"The mining sector continues to be our mainstay - the three largest mines, Barrick Gold Lumwana Mine, Kansanshi mine for First Quantum Minerals, Kalumbila in Solwezi West, which is expected to be commissioned mid this year and many others," Mubukwanu said.

He said 5,000 housing units would be put up by FQMO and which would also build a central business district within the mining town.

Mubukwanu said in agriculture, the province had performed exceptionally well in maize, pineapple and other agricultural products.

He said the government was at the same time promoting diversification from crop agriculture to livestock through the livestock breeding centres that had been put up in Kanyama and Jiwundu both in Mwinilunga district.

Mubukwanu said in Kanyama, the breeding centre had been restocked with animals and the government had already spent K1.9 million.
Mubukwanu said the government was also constructing a regional veterinary laboratory at a cost of K3.5 million meant to curb livestock diseases.

Labels: MMD, NATHANIEL MUBUKWANU

Opposition playing to the gallery, says Chilangwa
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 31 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

HOME affairs deputy minister Nickson Chilangwa says playing to the gallery has become the order of the day for the opposition political parties in the country.

In an interview, Chilangwa, who is Kawambwa PF member of parliament, said most of the political party leaders who speak on issues affecting the country do not do proper analysis of the issues they discuss.

"The problem that we have in this country is that we have too many people who want to play to the gallery without analysing properly the issues that they are talking about. We need to critically look at issues that are obtaining in our country. Everybody wants to wake up and give a comment without analysing the issues," he said.

"They just want to speak when they feel like. It is unfortunate. Playing to the gallery seems to be the order of the day. Let us be critical in the way we talk about issues. We seem not to be weighing both sides of an argument as a nation."

Chilangwa said the opposition parties were now using the recent pastoral statement from Catholic Bishops to make political capital.

"They want to think the Catholic is now in support of their agenda and so forth but far from it because the opposition do not have an agenda of their own," said Chilangwa.

Last week, Catholic Bishops released a pastoral letter in which they highlighted a number of issues affecting the nation.

Opposition leaders have since jumped on the bandwagon and are using the pastoral statement to push their political agenda.

However, not too long ago, opposition People's Party president Mike Mulongoti accused the Catholic Church of conspiring with the ruling PF and abandoning its role of speaking for the poor and marginalised majority Zambians.

Mulongoti said some Catholic Church bishops and priests who supported and campaigned for the PF and President Michael Sata had suddenly become quiet when the PF was allegedly violating human rights.

Labels: MMD, NICKSON CHILANGWA, UPND

Joblessness will help MMD bounce back - Simbao
By Henry Sinyangwe
Thu 30 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT

THE MMD will take advantage of the large number of unemployed youths to bounce back to power in 2016, says party national secretary Kapembwa Simbao.

Simbao says the youth are no longer interested in trying new parties, hence their best choice would be to vote back the MMD in the belief that they had learnt a lesson after being voted out of power. The PF was voted into office by majority youths based on a 'more jobs' promise.

Simbao said the PF had failed to create jobs for the youths, whose number was expected to increase by the 2016 general elections.

"There was something like five million youths without jobs in 2011. The PF, even if they claim they have created 300,000 jobs and multiply that by five years, it will only come to 1.5 million, but by then, more youths would have come of age to start employment and if they don't work on this number which could have helped them, they will end up in 2016 with a bigger number of youths wanting to be employment. And so they are going to end up with another unhappy group that will want to see somebody else," he said.

Simbao said there was currently no favourite political party for the majority Zambians.

"Our party can bounce back to power because right now, the way I look at things, there is no favourite, and the PF are going down. It is difficult, of course, because the base of the PF, who are the young people, still have hope that they will see things better than they are now, but it's not true," he said.

Simbao said Zambians would not deem it fit to elect into office another new political party based on the experience they have had with the PF.

"When we come to 2016, they might not see it fit to pick another new party, because of the experience that they have gone through with the PF, so the chances are that they will come to us...and only us can provide them with jobs, and that's where our opportunity lies; that they might not go for another new party," he said.

Simbao said the PF was also facing a perception of corruption, which cost the MMD the 2011 general elections.

"The problem that we have right now is perception that the PF is corrupt, but that is just perception and no one so far has been proven that this guy is corrupt, but the perception is there and a very strong one. And that is what is going to damage the PF. Unless they work around this, they eliminate this perception from the civil service and the general public, it will cost them," said Simbao.

Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MMD, UNEMPLOYMENT

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Riding on others
By Editor
Tue 14 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

Charles Milupi, the president of Alliance for Democracy and Development, says there are political parties that want to get into political alliances for the sole purpose of riding on others.

Milupi says he is aware of some political parties and leaders that were not in existence to serve Zambians, who want to use any opportunity to project themselves as being more popular than others.

"We will not be ridden on by anybody. If someone feels that his political party is so big, let him go ahead and win elections. It will not be the end of the world if we are not part of the next government and the world has not ended because we are not part of the current government. 'I must be president, I must be that'. If you are driven by becoming president, it means the motive for which you want that presidency must be questioned," says Milupi.

The issue of pacts is not new. We have heard of pacts before, we have seen pacts before. Unfortunately, very little, if not nothing, has come out of these pacts.

In 2006, the UPND, UNIP and FDD went into an electoral pact and lost - coming third behind MMD and PF.

In 2009, UPND initiated a pact with PF. That pact failed and the reasons for its failure are well known to the Zambian people and need no further disquisition. Some of the things Milupi is saying are what led to the failure of the UPND and PF pact. And there are also partly the reasons for the poor election performance of the 2006 UPND, UNIP and FDD pact.

Even in 2011, there was an unannounced pact between the UPND and the MMD. The two cooperated in a number of ways to ensure that the PF doesn't win. But the PF won.

Clearly, a pact in itself guarantees nothing. It offers instead the opportunity to succeed as well as the risk of failure.

These pacts seem to be brought about by only one desire: the desire to win power. That will to win power is the one idea that they hold in common. But with the passage of time, that will prove an insubstantial glue. The signs of division start to grow.

There is much more that is needed for a pact to be successful than just the will to win.

And moreover, when one looks at the pact that is being suggested today principally between MMD and UPND, there can't be a pact there. What is being advocated is an agenda being championed by Rupiah Banda and those close to him to handover the MMD to the UPND leadership of Hakainde Hichilema as a continuation of the relationship that was established in the run-up to the 2011 elections. This is the arrangement, the take-over of MMD by UPND, that Andrew Banda is championing on behalf of his father. Of course, together with the MMD, some one-man political parties can also be persuaded to be swallowed, to subject themselves to Hakainde and UPND's hegemony.

If they all accept to subordinate themselves to Hakainde and UPND, there will be no problem and the marriage will last long. This is because there is no pact Hakainde and UPND will accept to enter into without them leading it.

Of course, this whole UPND, MMD pact is being championed without much contribution and participation from Nevers Mumba. By the time Nevers wakes up, he may find himself left alone.

There is really no pact here. It is simply a take-over, a swallowing and annihilation of the MMD. Anyway, it's not difficult to destroy something that one never created. Very few, if any, in the current leadership of the MMD can be said to be part of the founders of that party. Rupiah came into the MMD in 2006. And fortunately for him, Levy Mwanawasa nominated him to be a member of parliament and vice-president of the Republic. This was even before he had officially terminated his membership of UNIP. This being the case, it is not difficult for Rupiah to dismantle MMD and give its parts to his newfound friend Hakainde. Rupiah sincerely believes his survival and those of his close associates is dependent on Hakainde becoming president in 2016.

Probably he hopes that Hakainde will do for him and his followers what he himself did for Chiluba and his associates. And today, all is being organised for handover to Hakainde and UPND to enable them win the 2016 elections.

This is the type of pact, if one can call this a pact, that Andrew is advancing on behalf of his father, and on his own behalf. This is a pact to serve personal ends.

Clearly, this is not a pact being advanced on the basis of common values, principles, standards and aims. It is simply political expedience at play - no principles. It is simply a belief that with a pact, they can win since they believe that on their own, they can't make it. But pacts have lost before. The Patriotic Front won on its own, without a pact. Hakainde used to claim and boast that no single opposition party could defeat the MMD on its own. Can he say the same today? Probably now he believes that no single opposition political party on its own can defeat the Patriotic Front. Can this be true?

Again, it seems to be a game of simply wanting to win an election and be in power. But sometimes power is not won that way.

No true pact can be constructed on such a weak foundation. No true pact can be built on such shifting sands of evasions, illusions and opportunism.

Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA, UPND

Sunday, July 27, 2014

MMD bouncing back
By Editor
Thu 23 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

Michael Kaingu, opposition MMD's vice-president for politics, says his party "will never bounce back to power if it remains uncleansed from its previous deeds". We agree.

Kaingu says there is no way the MMD could ever think of getting back to power on the same precedent it campaigned in 2011.

"The people of Zambia truly rejected us in 2011 for several reasons and I think one of them was the perception of corruption. The other one was the perception of arrogance…"

It is good that some key leaders of MMD like Kaingu are starting to recognise the scale of their defeat and of their problem.

Although not everyone in the MMD was corrupt, the public perception was of corruption and unfitness for public service. They cannot dismiss this perception as a mere false one. It must be appreciated as a deeply felt distaste, rather than a momentary irritation. There was indeed corruption in the MMD. And it is this corruption that has led to a number of their parliamentary seats being nullified. It is also their corruption that has landed their leader, Rupiah Banda, and his son in court.

Such distasteful perceptions can endure and do damage to the MMD's political prospects for a very long time.

It is good that the new leadership of MMD is starting to pick up courage and face these issues head on and deal with them. But there are still some in MMD who are trying very hard to defend what cannot be defended - the corruption of Rupiah and those close to him. There are those who have difficulties even admitting that their party conducted a very corrupt election campaign in 2011 which is today costing it parliamentary seats in election petitions. Instead of accepting blame and accepting the consequences of their corruption, they try to blame the court for the loss of their corruptly obtained parliamentary seats.

And this is a political party that still sends leaders and cadres to court to support the corrupt, to defend corruption. And it is also a political party whose president, Nevers Mumba, is facing corruption charges in our courts of law. How do they expect to regain public trust with all this?

People certainly need a rest from them, and they need time to reflect and listen and come to understand what went wrong with their conduct. They certainly need to do a lot about themselves. They need a better and different leadership from that of Rupiah and probably even of Nevers. They need better and different organisation. They need to spread their appeal and attract different sorts of people.

They also need to get straight the core beliefs of their party that seem to have been lost along the way. They need to take a fresh look at the new circumstances.

If they follow what Kaingu is saying, we are confident that the MMD will renew itself. If they don't, they can forget it and rest in peace.
But all this requires patience. They need to bide their time in the opposition patiently. They need to show that they are positive people and are patriots who want to see their country move forward, with or without them in power. They should not be tempted in any way to look to defeat the Patriotic Front on the back of national failure.

They should start taking pride in being honest, of having the public spirit and the honesty to discuss publicly their errors. If they do that on all levels, it will strengthen them, it will make them more powerful. It will make the people's faith in them renewed. Why? This is because of the fact that by admitting their errors, their mistakes, their transgressions, they stand a better chance to correct them. And the fact that they know how to make corrections will give their party renewed prestige. It will give them all the strength which political parties have when they know how to purify themselves of evils, when they know how to correct their errors, when they know how to overcome their difficulties.

There is a lot the Patriotic Front can learn from the forthright approach being exhibited by Kaingu. "We are not saying that we shall remain the MMD that the people of Zambia rejected. Everybody can see that there has been corruption in MMD and there is still corruption in PF," says Kaingu.

It is said that admitting a mistake, an error, a weakness is the first step to solving it. The seriousness of purpose of a political party is measured, basically, by the attitude it takes towards its own errors. Of course, political opponents are always alert to know the mistakes or errors you have made. But when errors are made and are not subjected to self-criticism, political opponents take advantage of them. When errors are made and are subjected to self-criticism, they may be used by opponents, but in a very different way. This is so because in the former case, the errors would not be corrected and in the latter, they would be. That's why it is important to take a forthright and serious attitude toward own errors.

There is no need to keep on denying charges of corruption when everyone knows how corrupt the MMD in government was. Equally, it will be important for the Patriotic Front to take an early stock take on issues of corruption. It cannot be denied that there is corruption among some Patriotic Front ministers. Last week's revelations about the way business enterprises connected, in one way or the other, to former defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba monopolised contracts from the Zambia National Service tell a big story about corruption in the Patriotic Front government.

There is need to thoroughly investigate how business was transacted at the Zambia Air Force and Zambia Army. It may also be necessary to thoroughly probe the operations of the Ministry of Home Affairs given the questionable contracts business enterprises connected to Mwamba were given supply contracts to some prisons. We don't think these things were only happening to Mwamba. A probe of all ministries may reveal some corruption that may need to be dealt with immediately.

If these things are not addressed now, soon or later, the Patriotic Front will have to pay a similar political price to that the MMD is footing today.

Change is needed at every stage of a political party's life. Political parties that don't change die. For a political party and its leaders, change is an important part of gaining the nation's trust.

Labels: CORRUPTION, MICHAEL KAINGU, MMD

HH declines to join pact
By Allan Mulenga and Kombe Mataka
Thu 23 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has refused to be part of opposition political parties that have formed an alliance to unseat the PF.

And Mike Mulongoti says Hichilema's insincerity has been exposed by his refusal to unite with other opposition parties.

Meanwhile, MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu says the former ruling party had no choice but to team up with other smaller opposition parties for their sustenance.

Five opposition political party leaders yesterday held a closed-door meeting in Lusaka's Kabulonga area where they agreed to form an electoral alliance with a prospect of unseating the PF.

Among the participants were Mulongoti of the People's Party, MMD's Michael Kaingu - who stood in for Nevers Mumba, Narep's Elias Chipimo Jr, Dr Fred Mutesa of ZED and Frank Bwalya of ABZ.

During the caucus, the leaders also agreed to officially make the alliance public tomorrow, although Chipimo expressed misgivings over the efficacy of the alliance.

A check by The Post at People's Party secretariat found the leaders locked up in a meeting which lasted over two hours.

Later after the meeting as leaders were seeing each other off, Kaingu was heard telling Mulongoti that it was naive for Hichilema to shun the meeting.

A while later, Bwalya was also heard complaining that some leaders were preoccupied with going to State House at the expense of serving the interests of Zambians.

"I didn't know that this alliance could come to be like this because we were agreed all of us. I am very disappointed. If this is how we are going to operate, then we will give the PF a chance to go through in 2016," he said.

Bwalya told Mulongoti that he had communicated to the UPND in particular over the meeting.

Bwalya, who received a call from a QFM reporter Nancy Chenga asking for his comment over Chipimo's decision to back out of the deal despite attending the meeting, wondered why the Narep leader U-turned barely 10 minutes after the meeting.

"Is that what he has said with reference to Chipimo's refusal to be part of an alliance? Then ask him. I can't speak for him because I was with him here," Bwalya told the reporter.

Later he told Mulongoti that Chipimo had decided to pull out of the alliance.

"I knew even from the way he was talking in the meeting he wanted to be the president of the alliance. These people are preoccupied with the presidency," he said.

Bwalya further remarked: "These people have been thinking that it is about money. That's why when he called me that he wanted to assist me with legal fees as he had promised, I told him to hold on to it. I have reconsidered that offer because if he cannot be part of the pact, then why should he help me?"

In response Mulongoti said he was equally shocked that things turned out that way, where some opposition political parties shunned the meeting.

In an interview shortly after the meeting, Mulongoti said he was surprised that the two leaders decided not to be part of the alliance.

"It is the principle that we must work together as opposition parties. The finer details about who will lead the alliance will come through a technical committee that we will form. Whether we are two or three, whatever the number, it will proceed," he said.

"Others will join us later. Narep has issued a statement that they are not going to be part of us, but he Chipimo just came from here."

Mulongoti said he was ready to serve under any leader of the alliance.
"In politics it is to do with time and circumstances. If he Hakainde thinks that he can win like PF who went it alone, it will be difficult because that revolted against the MMD. Zambians were just fatigued about the MMD," he said.

Mulongoti wondered why Hichilema was shunning the alliance when he had failed to win presidential elections.

"He has been participating in presidential elections, but has he even won a councillor seat? He has been participating in by-elections parliamentary and coming out number three and four. Is that an indication that he is popular? Ku Mansa, wasn't he even beaten by Nawakwi?" mocked Mulongoti.

When contacted, Hichilema said he had no comment while Chipimo's phone went unanswered.

And Nyangu said it was the wish of the membership that the MMD joins forces with other opposition political parties, regardless of their popularity.

"Our members have been phoning us that they want us to work with other opposition parties. They have told us that the party had become weaker and weaker ever since we lost power," he said.

Nyangu said members had threatened to defect to other political parties if the leadership did not reconsider its position on the formation of an alliance.

"They have informed us that the party will continue losing members if we fail to work together as a team. We are just trying to do what our general membership want," said Nyangu.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MIKE MULONGOTI, MMD, UPND

MMD working to clear corruption tag - Simbao
By Henry Sinyangwe
Thu 23 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT

THE MMD is working hard to clear the perception that it has been a corrupt party, says party national secretary Kapembwa Simbao.

Commenting on a statement by party vice-president for politics Michael Kaingu who said the MMD would never bounce back to power if it remains un-cleansed, Simbao said the former ruling party's major fight was the perception on corruption.

He said the party would not deal any members that were extravagant in their expenditures.

"The past created this problem because a lot of people were handling a lot of money without a stable income and resources. The perception is that money is coming from corrupt means. And so we have said that now wherever this kind of money was coming from is not there, so we will not accept a person that wants to look extravagant without a proper background of resources," Simba said.

"...The idea I have is that maybe we can have a better Zambia, and to have a better Zambia, corruption has to be uprooted. So this perception that is very strong on MMD is very unfortunate."

He said the party would deal with members involved in corrupt activities.

"There could have been corrupt people because here I am struggling and a friend of mine has got so much money. We recognize that there are a lot of people carrying that perception with them and it will be very difficult to remove it because the people facing corruption charges in the courts prove otherwise," said Simbao.

Kaingu in an interview said there was no way MMD could ever think of coming back to power on the same precedent it campaigned in 2011.

"The people of Zambia truly rejected us in 2011 for several reasons and I think one of them was the perception on corruption. The other one was the perception on arrogance, particularly when it came to the enactment of the constitution. Although really on the constitution we were unfairly judged because the process was initiated by President Levy Mwanawasa and it was completed by President Banda. It was even taken to parliament for enactment. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues at the time we were about to enact the constitution, they decided to betray us," said Kaingu.

Labels: KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, MMD

Mumba can't be trusted on alliances - Nawakwi
By Henry Sinyangwe and Kombe Mataka
Tue 21 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT

NEVERS Mumba cannot be trusted on issues of alliances, says opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi. And Hakainde Hichilema says he will not discuss the proposed opposition alliance openly.

MMD leader Nevers Mumba yesterday said at a briefing that he is ready to sacrifice party presidency and work under any leader that would be chosen to lead the proposed alliance.

Mumba, who was flanked by leader of ABZ, Frank Bwalya, one of those spearheading calls for unity, announced that he would table the matter before a National Executive Committee meeting to be held in 30 days' time.

"If to remove the PF to save this country means that Nevers withdraws, that somebody else runs, Nevers will withdraw so that somebody else can run, if that is the one the people want and all of us presidents must come to that agreement," Mumba said.

"The MMD is totally prepared to consider a working arrangement towards the opposition working together in regard to the nullified seats and eventually for the bigger picture."

Mumba said the needs of the many Zambians far out-weighed those of a few individuals.

He said he would not put his individual ambition and fixation to become president for the sake of it ahead of a much nobler cause, which was to fix the country.

Mumba, however, warned that no opposition political party should come to the round-table to discuss the proposed alliance without accepting that its president may not be the one elected to lead the alliance.

"If you come to the table without that mindset, you're wasting our time. Please just go and run your own campaign," he said.

Mumba said MMD was looking for serious parties to partner with in order to remove the PF from power.

But Nawakwi said Mumba had betrayed the opposition parties before when he was entrusted and sent to present a petition to former president Levy Mwanawasa but ended up getting a job as vice-president.

"This is the same Nevers. We had teamed up in the opposition and sent him to present our petition to Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. My brother went and got a job as a vice-president, so where do I even get the moral high ground as Edith to think that things have changed, because we chose him in the opposition during Mwanawasa's time to be our spokesperson and representative because we only thought that our brother has a moral standing which we could draw our strength on," Nawakwi said.

She argued that there was need to create systems of governance to check the excesses of individuals in government rather than aiming at unsettling the ruling party.

"It's never about how we as Zambians should create systems to check the excesses of individuals, but how we can be forward-looking to develop our country. It's always about individuals and I am getting tired of this story that, 'let's team up because there is an individual in State House'. I want us as Zambians to team up on the core business of governing ourselves," Nawakwi said.

She said there was need to start presenting individual party manifestos to the public, on which they could be assessed.

"When we band up together, we need to know what is our policy for the future? What is the programme for the people? This call of 'please opposition, get together' is not a good call. People need to start examining the manifestos of each political party and get all of us together," said Nawakwi.

And Hichilema said he does not want to discuss the proposed opposition alliance openly.

He said he had learnt from past experience that discussing such issues in the media could not work.

"We know each other's numbers, we have been to each other's homes and we talk to each other in camera," he said. "No one discusses strategy in the media."

And Mumba said the MMD would effect a political lockout on justice minister Wynter Kabimba if President Michael Sata does not remove him from his position pending the outcome of the tribunal probing him.
"Our members can be positioned at his office to stop him from going there, including PF members, whom we know will be very happy to do that. We can mobilise them so that we stop him from going there. We call it a political lockout," Mumba said.

"Why should he embarrass himself? In any case, that job, the kind of money they get, he can survive without it. Nga ifwe (what about us), how come we are surviving? We were ministers and vice-president but we are looking okay. Am I not looking okay? Fwe malofwa (we who are jobless), are still wearing suits. So naba Wynter, he will be okay. The flag does not make him, he makes the flag."

And Mumba said the PF should give Zambians a new constitution by October this year or risk facing what he called a direct political reaction.

Meanwhile, Bwalya said that a joint press briefing would be held on Friday to discuss the proposed alliance at the NAREP secretariat.

Bwalya refused to disclose which political parties had responded to his calls for unity and the names of the leaders who would be present at the briefing.

Among those who will be in attendance are NAREP leader Elias Chipimo and People's Party leader, Mike Mulongoti.

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA

UPND converting MMD structures - Mulusa
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 21 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

THE UPND has now gone flat out to convert MMD structures to itself, says losing Mufumbwe member of parliament Stafford Mulusa.

And Stafford says former Solwezi Central MMD member of parliament Lucky Mulusa should show gratitude to him because he (Stafford) gave up an opportunity to contest the seat in 2011 so that Lucky could be adopted as he had just lost employment.

Lucky revealed that UPND had been blackmailing him into re-contesting the seat on its ticket.

Lucky, who said the UPND had put a gun to his head, said he was shocked that the opposition party had taken advantage of problems in MMD to poach its members, including Stafford, whom it has adopted for the Solwezi Central by-elections after he refused to defect from MMD.

But Stafford, who also contested the Mufumbwe by-election but lost to PF's Steven Masumba in November 2012, said he was the favourite to win the Solwezi Central seat in 2011 but was convinced by party officials to give Lucky a chance and to help market him as he had been in South Africa for some time.

He said time had come for him to contest the Solwezi Central seat and that he was surprised by Lucky's claim that he would ride on his name.

"I have applied to stand because I gave him (Lucky) chance to stand in 2011. A lot of people came to say, 'no, give your brother chance, he has lost employment' and I gave him chance. Because of my name, he won. As you know, I stay in this constituency. I have never stayed in South Africa for a long time like him. I have been in Solwezi, Solwezi Central in particular," Stafford said.

"I am surprised that Lucky Mulusa is actually speaking like that. I gave him chance in 2011 (in the adoption process). His name was nowhere here. We helped him win the election here."

He said Lucky would not retain the seat and that victory in the by-elections was certain for him going by his performance in Mufumbwe where he lost by a small margin when he stood on the MMD ticket.

"I am surprised that he is saying that I am riding on his name because even now if you as The Post come, they will tell you that 'we know Stafford Mulusa, we don't know this Lucky Mulusa'. I don't think he is going to win even if he is standing on a finished party, MMD. Also you see the problem with MPs is when you are chosen as an MP, you run away from your people so the link with the people is not there. The people are saying it is even good his (Lucky) election was nullified because they could have suffered. He has never been with the people and so he has found it difficult to come back to say, 'I am now standing'," Stafford said.

And Stafford explained that he moved from MMD because it was sinking.
He said the UPND was now converting the MMD structures to itself.

"People have realised that MMD is sinking. All the structures of MMD here have moved to UPND, those that haven't are waiting for a time when we start campaigning so that we start demolishing them one by one. Otherwise there will be no MMD here. I don't even think a split of votes can be there even if MMD fields Lucky but should they field a candidate, they will be the least or come third runners-up," said Stafford.

"Us we stand with the people. If the people are saying, 'this thing is finished, you move to another place', we move. Immediately we are done with this constituency, we will go round the districts to convert MMD structures to UPND. That is my job and everyone else in UPND, even at provincial level."

Labels: LUCKY MULUSA, MMD, STAFFORD MULUSA, UPND

There has been corruption in MMD, admits Kaingu
By Henry Sinyangwe
Tue 21 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

MICHAEL Kaingu says the MMD will never bounce back to power if it remains uncleansed of its previous deeds.

Kaingu who is MMD vice-president for politics and Mwandi member of parliament, said in an interview that there was no way MMD could ever think of getting back to power on the same platform it campaigned in 2011.

"The people of Zambia truly rejected us in 2011 for several reasons and I think one of them was the perception on corruption. The other one was the perception on arrogance, particularly when it came to the enactment of the constitution. Although really on the constitution we were unfairly judged because the process was initiated by President Levy Mwanawasa and it was completed by president Rupiah Banda. It was even taken to Parliament for enactment. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues at the time we were about to enact the constitution, they decided to betray us," said Kaingu, who added that the MMD was renewed.

"For example, I was not the vice-president in 2011, president Mumba was not the MMD president in 2011, and even vice-president Brian Chituwo was not the vice-president. Many positions have changed hands since then and we are asking the people of Zambia to look at the MMD as a rebranded party. Yes, we may not claim to be totally clean, but I think we are trying to renew ourselves from the perception that made us lose the 2011 elections."

He said the MMD would not remain the party that the people rejected in the 2011 general elections.

"We are not saying that we shall remain the MMD that the people of Zambia rejected. Everybody can see that there has been corruption in MMD and there is still corruption in PF," Kaingu said.

And Kaingu said leaders should avoid arrogance, which cost the MMD power in the 2011 general elections.

"We totally condemn arrogance, and the people who have been elected to preside over the welfare of the people must know that the people are the masters. We are privileged to hold the positions we hold and we should not use these positions to try and take undue advantage of the people who have elected us," said.

"I will not hesitate to condemn any misgivings or any misdeed of the PF. I strongly believe that men and women who are elected into these positions are just privileged. If I have demonstrated to the people that I am their master and not their servant, I totally apologise to them."

Labels: CORRUPTION, MICHAEL KAINGU, MMD

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Why is MMD opposing Sata's indeco idea?
By Editor
Wed 08 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

The MMD leadership is questioning the rationale behind the re-introduction of the industrial development corporation. It is not difficult to understand their problem. The MMD in government blindly pursued neoliberal policies which have not brought any meaningful development to the country for the two decades they were in power. What meaningful benefits have their capitalist policies brought to the poor of this country?

Let us not be carried away with labels and ideological prejudices and objectively face the challenges before us. We are living in a very different world. This is the first thing we need to understand.

Furthermore, the world we live in today is globalised, really globalised. It is a world dominated by the ideology, the standards and the principles of neoliberal globalisation.

The leadership of MMD should realise that when we speak of "the economy" or "an economic system", we are speaking of policies and plans which control the wealth and resources of a country, about how resources are distributed between people, and about how the means of production - such as land, factories and technology - are owned and controlled. It is sometimes suggested that economic laws, like the basic laws of nature, are beyond human control; that we can no more influence them than we can defy gravity or stop the motion of planets.

Therefore, it is argued, the existence of poverty and unemployment, and the inequitable distribution of wealth, are the result of inescapable economic laws, and must be accepted as such. When suffering and even death flow from these "inevitable facts of economic life", that is simply unfortunate, it is said, just as it is unfortunate when suffering and death result from a natural disaster. Although we sympathise with the victims of an earthquake or a flood, we do not consider such natural occurrences unjust or immoral. In the same way, the argument continues, we should not regard an economic system as unjust or immoral, though we regret the suffering that may be part of such a system. Some people will be poor and some rich, inevitably and unavoidably, just as some will be the victims of earthquakes and floods, and some will not.

This argument must be rejected because it fails to take into account the fact that economic consequences come about as a result of human agency. At the heart of every economic system lie human needs, human abilities and human decisions, and it is the choices which we make in addressing those needs, sharing those abilities, and making those decisions, that determine the justice or injustice of an economic system. The more powerful our economic position, the greater our freedom of choice, with the poor and the marginalised having very little effective choice in their economic decision making. There is thus a moral quality about an economy, a quality which has its roots in the morally correct or incorrect choices by people; and it is the moral quality of the economy that enables us to make judgements about whether or not it is a just economy.

We are not surprised that President Michael Sata's decision to re-introduce a developmental state through the industrial development corporation is being opposed by a political party that for two decades presided over the plunder and abuse of our people and their resources. Michael's approach to economic management from the viewpoint of the poor and suffering, his condemnation of their suffering and his unambiguous call for bold and profound changes in the political and social structures that perpetuate that suffering, was destined, from the beginning, to generate opposition and conflict from other sectors of our society that seek to maintain the status quo or even to increase their share of economic and political power. It is time we converted both our hearts and our institutions to respond to the cause of the poor by searching for effective strategies to transform the structures that are the root causes of their suffering.

It is important to emphasise right from the beginning that we do not think this opposition to Michael's industrial development corporation is going to end in some form of reconciliation in the foreseeable future. When one identifies with the interests of the poor, one will undoubtedly come into conflict with the interests of other sectors of society and their allies. It is therefore important in these initiatives of Michael to emphasise the virtue of fortitude - the refusal to abandon the poor in their sufferings. And these same poor - by what they give and what they ask - should inspire Michael and his comrades with that fortitude, the strength to remain steadfast in whatever they do.

When a system ceases to promote the common good and favours special interests, we must not only denounce its injustice but also break with the evil system. We must be prepared to work with another system that is more just, fair and humane and more suited to the needs of the day.
If what Michael is suggesting to do is socialism, and if what Dr Kaunda and UNIP did was socialism, then all persons of goodwill cannot but go along with this; they cannot help but rejoice over the appearance of another social system that is more just, fair and humane.

It is surprising that the same people, the same political party, that declared this country a Christian nation favour greed and oppose policies that are more just, fair and humane. Tomorrow's Christians must follow the lead of Michael and KK, retracing the Christian roots that lie behind the moral values of solidarity and fraternity.

Christians must show that authentic socialism is Christianity lived to the full, in basic equality and with a fair distribution of goods.

Instead of opposing it, we must learn to accept joyfully a form of societal life that is better adapted to our times and more in tune with the spirit of the Gospel. In this way, we will prevent people from equating God and religion with those things that oppress the workers and the poor: that is capitalism and imperialism. These inhuman systems have spawned other systems that proposed to free peoples, but ended up oppressing them.

We must always side with those who seek to build a more equitable and fraternal society among the family of God's children. We should therefore, with pride and joy, greet the new initiatives Michael is coming up with, which do not honour money accumulated in the hands of a few.

It is primarily up to the poor to effect their own betterment. They must regain confidence in themselves. They must educate themselves and overcome illiteracy. They must work zealously to fashion their own destiny. They must open their ears to those who can awaken and shape the conscious awareness of the masses and, in particular, listen to progressive politicians like Michael and the apostle of our independence struggle, KK.

Changes must be made to the way we manage our economy; present conditions must be improved.

The people are hungering for truth and justice, and those who are entrusted with the task of teaching and educating them should do so with enthusiasm. Certain erroneous viewpoints must be wiped away without delay.

We cannot claim to love God without loving our fellow humans. If some try to monopolise for themselves what others need, then it is the duty of public authority to carry out the distribution that was not made willingly.

In like manner, we cannot allow rich foreigners to come and exploit our impoverished peoples under the pretext of developing commerce and industry; nor can we allow rich nationals to exploit their own nation. These things incite the exasperating strains of excessive nationalism, which is hostile to meaningful co-operation and collaboration.

It is high time that the poor, supported and guided by their legitimate government, defended their right to live. When God appeared to Moses, it was said to him: "I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt, I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave drivers… I mean to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7). Jesus took all humanity upon himself to lead it to eternal life. And the earthly foreshadowing of this is social justice, the first form of brotherly love. When Jesus freed humankind from death through resurrection, he brought all human liberation movements to their fullness in eternity.

We should direct all our efforts to work together toward the construction of a society in which all persons will find their place, and in which they will enjoy political, economic, cultural and religious equality and liberty.

The present situation in our country, as in many countries on our continent, calls for some radical change.

Every human being of goodwill should be committed to changing a social order that is cruelly unjust. To refuse such commitment would be to make oneself an accomplice of injustice. If we do not commit ourselves to changing a system that prevents most persons from achieving personal fulfilment, then we are not helping our people to live out their vocation and attain union with God.

The poverty situation, we feel, is a product of unjust socioeconomic structures. Faced with this situation, we have no choice but to support the changes that will help better the living standards of our people. We do realise full well that we are the product of a society that has taught us to look coldly on the impoverished plight of our brothers and sisters. Our actions must be inspired by real love, not by the standards of a society that tends to maintain the present situation.

Our organisations must somehow get close to the poor, because only close experience will teach us the great magnitude of the problems that afflict the majority of our people. We must therefore reform the structures of our organisations so that such contact really takes place.

We ought to sharpen the awareness of our duty of solidarity with the poor, to which charity leads us. This solidarity means that we make ours their problems and their struggles, that we know how to speak with them. This has to be concretised in criticism of injustice and oppression, in the struggle against the intolerable situation that a poor person often has to tolerate, in the willingness to dialogue with the groups responsible for that situation in order to make them understand their obligations.

We should openly express our desire to be very close always to those who work for and struggle with the poor in order that they always feel our encouragement and know that we will not listen to parties interested in distorting their work.

What has been said before and the experience lived by our people lead us to reject neoliberal policies that were imposed on our people by the successive MMD governments; we reject capitalism, in its economic expression as well as in its ideological basis, which favours individualism, profit, and the exploitation of humanity by humanity. We should therefore aim toward the creation of a qualitatively different society. By this, we understand a society wherein the willingness of justice, of solidarity and equality reigns, one that will respond to generous aspirations and the search for a more just society and where values which will guarantee the integral development of our people will be realised.

In order that this kind of society be developed, it is necessary that the education of all people include the social and communal meaning of human life, in the total context which includes culture, economics, politics and the whole society.

Labels: CORRUPTION, INDECO, MICHAEL SATA, MMD, NEOLIBERALISM

PF will have it rough in EP by-elections, says Nyangu
By Kombe Mataka
Wed 08 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu says PF should forget about winning even a single seat in Eastern Province from the by-elections that will be held this year.

And Nyangu has disclosed that MMD organs in Kasama have approached the party leadership to consider convincing PF Kasama member of parliament Geoffrey Mwamba to resign from PF and rejoin MMD.

In an interview, Nyangu said Eastern Province was a stronghold for MMD and that the party's aim was to defend all its seats that it lost through Supreme Court nullifications.

Nyangu said the PF was aware that MMD was its only political threat currently among the opposition political parties.

"Eastern Province is a very big factor. Every vote counts. This is why the PF have ensured that they have more seats belonging to Eastern Province nullified. But I can assure you that without the component of MMD in PF, they will have it rough (in Eastern Province). They are losing ground in Eastern Province just as they are doing in Northern Province," Nyangu claimed.

Nyangu accused the PF wants to attain a status of a party with a two-third majority in Parliament.

"...but can you have two-third majority without Eastern Province and pockets in North Western Province? They will not even do so in Southern Province, they should forget about it because you need 106 seats for you to control Parliament and to run government the way you want to," Nyangu said.

"We are also aware that they want Milanzi and Chipangali, but I tell you that they will not win even one seat when by-elections are held because people there are upset, especially with government's poor agriculture policies. Even in North Western, they won't make it. If these (agriculture policies) were okay the PF would have had an easy ride."

Nyangu said the MMD was eager to participate in all the by-elections.

"We just have to participate and the vice-president (Michael Kaingu) is right to say we will sit and discuss the way forward so that we mobilise funds and put it in by-elections. That is what they want. So, we are just waiting to convene a full national executive council to endorse what we feel should be done, but organs are on the ground," he said.

Nyangu said MMD functionaries and members were agitated by the loss of seats through Supreme Court nullifications.

"MMD by nature is a party that is everywhere. It has got structures throughout the country. We are a former ruling party by the way; that is why the PF wanted to deregister us, but when they failed, they intensified on nullification of seats so that they weaken us to the bone. That is why if they would get rid of MMD, there would be no competition because they know other political parties are just in pockets elsewhere, they are not a national party. United Party for National Development (UPND) can claim to be national, but if you look at the demography, you find that it's just a claim. We would wish them to be national. Let them try hard, that is why they are trying to be everywhere," Nyangu said.

The Supreme Court recently nullified MMD's Kasenengwa, Malambo, Petauke and Vubwi parliamentary seats on grounds of corruption and electoral malpractices, while Chipangali and Malinzi seats are still before the courts.

And Nyangu said the party organs in Kasama have approached the party on the need to convince Mwamba to resign from PF and join MMD.

"The organs there (Kasama) are saying 'it is easier because we already have structures'. MMD has more structures in Kasama, but if Mr Mwamba had to join MMD, it would be easier for us to campaign because Mr Mwamba knows the structures of MMD, each time there are elections, it has been between PF and MMD, so it would be easy to realign those structures and get the seat easily. Obviously he would be a factor in MMD. You know GBM is household name in Kasama politics; so, it would be easy to win the seat," said Nyangu.

Mwamba upon resigning his ministerial position as defence minister told his supporters in kasama that until he is told to leave the Patriotic Front, he would stick to the ruling party.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHEMBE NYANGU, EASTERN PROVINCE, MMD, PF

MMD and constitution
By Editor
Mon 06 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

Acting MMD president Michael Kaingu is accusing the Patriotic Front government of muzzling the roadmap in the enactment of the new constitution. Kaingu is also accusing the Patriotic Front government of wanting to use its numbers in Parliament to enact draconian laws.

The record of the MMD on the constitution-making process is very bad. And if the leadership of the MMD had any sense of justice in their hearts, they would have serious difficulties speaking on this issue.

This is a political party which, for twenty years, failed to come up with an acceptable constitution. This is a party which, since coming into government in 1991, had been working on a new constitution. In 1996, after an expensive constitution review process, the MMD government of Frederick Chiluba made amendments to the Constitution in total disregard of the recommendations of the constitutional review commission it had initiated. They amended the Constitution, with the sole aim of barring Dr Kenneth Kaunda from taking part in the presidential elections of that year. No one had a say in the changes they made. Everything was simply decided by Chiluba and those close to him. They ignored all the public criticism of what they had done.

And since then, the MMD spent its last ten years in office trying to come up with another constitution. In between 2007 and 2010, the MMD government spent over K200 billion on the constitution review process but still failed to come up with a new constitution.

Today, these same MMD leaders want to put pressure on their friends who have just been in power for two years to come up with a new constitution. And they are not ashamed to demand that. What type of people are these? What type of reasoning do they have? Do they have any sense of justice or fairness in their hearts?

We have held four general elections under a constitution given to us by the MMD, that is in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. In addition to this, we held a presidential by-election following the death of Levy Mwanawasa in 2008. The Patriotic Front, which is in government today, participated in four of these elections held under the MMD constitution.

The constitution the MMD is today pushing the Patriotic Front to change is their own document which they themselves enacted with their own hands but failed to change, ignoring all public demands to do so. What's wrong with these people? When will it be possible for them to act in a sincere, honest and fair manner - even for at least once in their lives?

There is need for a new constitution. This is not in dispute. But unrealistic demands and undue pressure should not be put by the MMD on the Patriotic Front to clean up their mess and come up with a new constitution. Let them take their time and do their work in a manner that takes into account their other obligations to the people of Zambia. They were not elected into government for the sole purpose of coming up with a new constitution. They have many other urgent obligations to deal with. This was not a priority matter for the MMD! Why should it be made the top priority of this government?

If at any stage there are limited resources, priority should be given to serving the lives of our people through the provision of adequate medical services and ensuring food security. The constitution has to compete for time and resources with the other national priorities. Important and necessary as it is, the constitution review is certainly not the priority issue number one of the great majority of our people.

If the great majority of our people were given an opportunity to choose between being given schools, hospitals and roads now and a new constitution tomorrow, they would certainly choose the former and not the latter. Of course, the constitution is a priority matter to those seeking power and realignment of forces. And for them, everything else is not important.

What matters to them is a new constitution that they think will facilitate their access to power. It is not even about what that constitution will do for the Zambian people. It is simply what it will do for them. Look at the constitutional clauses they are very much interested in: 50 per cent plus 1, running mate. It's all about power. You never hear most of the vocal ones talk about the economic rights of our people. They are not interested in that because it has no impact on their access to power.

We urge the Patriotic Front government and its supporters not to be swayed by noise but to rationally set its priorities in accordance with the needs and demands of the poor and the most diwsadvantaged of our people. We have a constitution now and the country has been governed by the MMD for almost fifteen years under this constitution. We see no reason why the Patriotic Front cannot be given time to manage and do things in an efficient, effective and orderly manner. Let them take their time and do things the right way and in the best interest of the great majority of our people.

The MMD is accusing the Patriotic Front government of wanting to use its numbers in Parliament to enact draconian laws. But it is the MMD that used its majority numbers in Parliament to enact draconian laws. The last MMD government used its numbers in Parliament to remove the offence of abuse of office from our Anti Corruption Commission Act. Can this be said to have been done in the interest of the great majority of our people? This was simply an abuse by the MMD of its legislative powers. And the same MMD government was trying to use its numbers in Parliament, with the support of its friends in UPND, to come up with statutory media regulation. We have no doubt that if the MMD had won the 2011 elections, we would today have a statutory media regulation regime. And we shouldn't forget that it is this same MMD that enacted a law just to fix one person - the law removing bail for motor vehicle theft. And today, they can preach to the Zambian people about their opposition to draconian laws! What type of hypocrisy is this? What type of dishonesty is this? What type of lack of shame is this? Are these the people we should listen to?

Labels: CONSTITUTION, MMD

'MMD behaved like spoilt little children'
By By Prince Chibawah in Mansa
Sat 04 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT

THE nullification of MMD parliamentary seats is a wake-up call to the PF not to engage in electoral malpractices, says home affairs deputy minister Nickson Chilangwa. And Chilangwa says the MMD whilst in government followed Rupiah Banda's example by behaving like spoilt little children.

Chilangwa said in an interview that the ill-behaviour perpetuated by the former ruling party had turned against them and that the PF should take a leaf.

"This also goes to us (PF) to say when we are campaigning, when we are doing things as government, we should be cautious. We must not do things that will cost us in the future," he said.

Chilangwa said the PF, when in opposition, used to urge the MMD to refrain from corrupt activities but they were always turned down.

"We were warning them that 'you cannot take the people of Zambia for granted'. We used to say those words. So these nullifications of their seats show the level of corruption which existed and still existing in the MMD. And for them to think they were going to continue living with the wrong, for them to think whatever wrong they did would be swept away is not acceptable," said Chilangwa, who is also Luapula Province PF chairperson and Kawambwa Central member of parliament.

"They should blame themselves for whatever they are going through right now. If you look at the conduct of former president Rupiah Banda, he was in the forefront behaving like a spoilt little child. And they all started behaving that way, like spoilt little children. During the campaigns, they could be told not do such things (corrupt practices) but they continued."

He said the government respects the rule of law and the nullification of seats was the MMD's own fate to settle.

"They should not blame the PF. They should not blame the courts of law. They should just blame themselves. The PF government had no leverage over the Judiciary. If we had influence over the Judiciary, we would be breaking the rule of law. We respect and recognise the separation of powers; the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive," said Chilangwa.

On Monday, the Supreme Court nullified the election of MMD's Victoria Kalima as Kasenengwa member of parliament owing to electoral corruption she engaged in during the September 2011 elections.

However, Kalima in her post-judgment remarks emotionally attacked acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda by questioning her stay in office, which she described as illegal.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, MMD, MMD CORRUPTION, NICKSON CHILANGWA, PARLIAMENT, RUPIAH BANDA

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Unemployment and hunger breed impatience - Mutati
By Kombe Mataka
Fri 27 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT

FELIX Mutati has warned that increasing youth unemployment will begin to create impatience among young people if not addressed. Mutati said youth unemployment was one of the major challenges the PF government was faced with.

He said the PF government particularly had the challenge of creating volumes of long-term and predictable jobs to address youth unemployment.

"The bulk of jobs that we have been able to create could be about maybe 300,000, whatever that number may be. The bulk of those are temporary jobs arriving out of the construction and infrastructure sectors; the story where you employ people for three to six months," Mutati said.

"What the economy needs is sustainable employment that is long-term and predictable. That is the biggest challenge that this government has faced in 2013, which they must begin to address."

Mutati said employment, a reliable source of income for many people, was key in advancing development.

"If we don't address the youth unemployment which continues to grow, it doesn't matter how else you define governance, governance can be defined from the ability to be able to have something in your tummy. Once you have that, then you can deal with logic," he said.

"If you have nothing in the tummy, logic doesn't apply and that is how you see that in a little while, before long, there is a mob. It is because the level of hope and opportunity appears to be diminishing and when that happens, people become impatient. So we have to address the impatience and that is what we must do. Of course, it is a long road."

And Mutati observed that the government had not been able to balance the 2013 budget appropriately.

He said the supplementary expenditure by the government had moved from 10 per cent to 25 per cent of the budget, something he said should not be encouraged.

Labels: FELIX MUTATI, MMD, PF

Maravi

Friday, March 18, 2016

(LUSAKA TIMES) PF Government , IMF reach deadlock over bailout

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Saturday, April 12, 2014

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