Present evidence against Henry to SA -Saccord
By Bright Mukwasa
Fri 06 Apr. 2012, 13:54 CAT
SACCORD has urged police to begin legal proceedings against Rupiah Banda's son, Henry, using the South African legal system if they have a solid case against him. Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes information officer Obby Chibuluma said in an interview that if police had sufficient evidence of wrong doing on Henry's part, they must travel to South Africa and interview him.
"South Africa is not very far, they can go there, interview him and possibly begin proceedings within the South African judicial system of getting Mr Banda here in Zambia. The idea of running to Interpol and hoping Interpol is going to force other countries to have him arrested and deported is not going to help us," Chibuluma said.
"They need to focus their energies on South Africa and ensure that if political
processes cannot help, they need to ensure that they go to court and produce the evidence that is required for the courts in South Africa to order for Mr Banda to be deported or extradited to Zambia.
We know that South Africa has been doing that in several countries they have also been requesting other countries to extradite their people who are accused of crimes in South Africa so there is nothing different with Zambia doing the same so let them focus their energies on going to South Africa provide the evidence and ask for Mr Banda to be brought to Zambia so that he can face the charges within our courts and answer to those allegations that the police have against him."
Chibuluma said it would not help the country to seemingly continue politicking on Henry Banda if there was wrong doing on his part.
"Zambia police should stop wasting taxpayers' money looking for Henry Banda in places where they clearly know that he's not there. There has been consistent information within the public that Mr Banda is in South Africa and he has been there for quite some time and they have decided to mislead Zambians by talking of him in places where he clearly he hasn't been for some time," said Chibuluma.
South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane told the Zambia Daily Mail that the Zambian authorities would need to use Interpol to secure any law breaker, including Henry.
Labels: HENRY BANDA, MOSES CHIKANE, SACCORD
Read more...
AU Commission needs strong leader - Chikane
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 06 Feb. 2012, 12:59 CAT
THE African Union needs a strong person on its driving seat, says South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane.
In an interview shortly after the long anticipated election of the new AU Commission chairperson in Addis Ababa ended in a deadlock, High Commissioner Chikane said South Africa had acknowledged that democracy meant only one person could be a winner and the member states had the right to exercise their own choices.
This was after incumbent Jean Pean of Gabon and South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma failed to garner two-third majority of votes.
The AU communication and information directorate in Addis Ababa has since announced that the suspended elections of the chairperson, deputy chairperson of the AU Commission and eight commissioners will take place in Malawi this June.
The Heads of State and Government of the African Union meeting at the 18th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit that ended last Tuesday at the new AU Conference Centre in Addis Ababa ultimately decided to extend the mandate of the Commission, led by Dr Ping, for another six months.
High Commissioner Chikane said "we as South Africans are not worried because we know that Mrs Zuma is a person of credibility and she has a clean track record".
"Whatever she did in our country became absolutely a success from the time she was Minister of Health and then she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, now Minister of Home Affairs, the most difficult ministry in any government," High Commissioner Chikane said.
He said South Africa would benefit from her leadership should she want to continue the race.
"There are several areas where the continent has gone through turbulences…we need a very strong person on the driving seat, a person who will not fear to say the truth at all times so that membership is educated and informed," said High Commissioner Chikane.
Labels: AU, MOSES CHIKANE
Read more...
COMMENT - More neoliberal nonsense. Already, the Swaziland government, which received most of it's income from taxation, is in trouble. The IMF is already advising them to start cutting jobs, and implement other austerity measures, rather than turn back this damned policy. (See:
Swaziland must get its house in order, warns World Bank JINTY JACKSON MBABANE, SWAZILAND - May 22 2011 07:40; and
MBABANE – Privat-ising the SwaziBank and allowing a second mobile phone operator are key to improving Swaziland’s business climate, the IMF says.", and
Chikane hopes Free Trade Area will break barriers
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 17 June 2011, 04:01 CAT
SOUTH African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane says
the recently launched Free Trade Area in the SADC, Comesa and East African region will help
remove unnecessary trade barriers such as taxation. In an interview, High Commissioner Chikane said any step towards the unity of purpose by the African continent is a step in the right direction.
“We know that the world has been shrinking economically because people have been forming all sorts of consortiums and regional formations and I think Africa must work to that cause. I hope that this launch will be able to remove some of the unnecessary barriers that exist among ourselves, one of them is over-taxation which makes it very difficult for people to make business,” he said.
High Commissioner Chikane said other barriers include unnecessary political blockage that sometimes are formed by unwise decisions.
He said it was important for Africa to survive and that this could only happen if the people's interest were placed as a priority.
“The benefits are that Africa will learn to keep itself without all these barriers and by keeping ourselves we would be regaining our dignity. Once we can be able to trade freely it means everybody will be able to put food on the table…and that is regaining of dignity,” he said.
High Commissioner Chikane said African countries were able to provide jobs generated by themselves in the region through trade in goods.
“The fact that the quality standards have been set beyond our means if we trade with ourselves then it means we will be able to deal with all these questions and that is already a benefit.
We believe that if we can be able to benefit our products. By selling amongst ourselves, we will be able to provide jobs, not only will we provide goods because there will be demand and supply among us,” said High Commissioner Chikane.
*****
For more background on the impact of the IMF/World Bank's neoliberal economic policies (privatisation, free trade for corporate capital and deregulation) in Swaziland, read:
Africa: Swaziland in Crisis as Customs Union Revenue Is Slashed
* by Mantoe Phakathi (mbabane)
* Tuesday, February 08, 2011
* Inter Press Service
Apart from the looming job losses in Swaziland’s public sector, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have also warned of retrenchments following the government’s decision to suspend procurement from small businesses.
Workers during a recent protest in Mbabane about the Swaziland government's financial crisis. - Mantoe Phakathi/IPS Workers during a recent protest in Mbabane about the Swaziland government's financial crisis. - Mantoe Phakathi/IPS
The government of the southern African autocratic monarchy has been forced to cut expenditure after its receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) shrunk with 60 percent.
SACU receipts contribute more than half of the country’s national revenue; due to changes in the revenue formula, Swaziland’s share has dropped from 741 million dollars to 281 million dollars.
The government’s sudden exercise in fiscal discipline comes after recommendations by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the government not purchase any new goods and services unless already committed to, postpone all new investment projects, and slow down the implementation of existing ones in line with available financing.
The Swaziland cabinet took a decision that all ministries that require financing for any basic materials should write to the minister of finance requesting authorisation.
A cash flow committee, consisting of the governor of the central bank, the accountant general and the ministry of finance, has been established to monitor developments, the minister of finance, Majozi Sithole, told IPS.
'It is such assessments that enable the ministry to decide which expenditure to accept and which not to accept,' Sithole explained. The committee also helps prevent government from over-committing itself, which protects suppliers from not being paid for services and goods rendered.
The majority of SMEs in the country are sustained by supplying the government with stationery, building material and protective clothing.
'We are not getting any contracts from government right now, except those dealing with education and health supplies,' Ezekiel Mabuza, vice-president of the Federation of the Swaziland Business Community (FESBC), told IPS.
FESBC has close to 300 members, the majority of which are dependent on state tenders and which are now losing millions of dollars.
The SMEs have been left with no choice but to downscale their services. 'We can no longer justify the number of people in our employ because we are not getting as much business as we used to,' said Mabuza.
FESBC has yet to sit down to work out the number of people whose jobs are on the line. 'It would be difficult to state the figures for now,' said Mabuza.
FESBC Mbabane branch chairperson Titus Thwala blamed SME dependency on the small size of the Swaziland economy: 'The market is too small. That is why a lot of small businesses are servicing the state.'
He said it was very 'sad' that the government did not consult with businesspeople before suspending procurement. 'The government had already put some goods and services out on tender. We were informed of the suspension only after applying for the tenders,' said Thwala.
Mabuza added that government knew about the approaching fiscal challenges more than five years ago but did nothing to prepare the business community. IMF reports in the last few years have also continually warned the Swaziland government that SACU receipts will decrease after 2010.
'It would have been easier, had we been made aware of the problem over the years,' said Mabuza. 'Right now, we are taken by surprise, which is why a lot of our workers will suffer.'
The finance minister blamed part of the fiscal crisis on businesspeople that he accused of conniving with public servants in looting state resources through bogus sales. Sithole told the parliament recently that the government loses about 5,7 million dollars a month to corruption.
He told a recent meeting on the fiscal crisis that some companies would supply government with unnecessary furniture just to get money 'for the weekend'. 'If we could stop at least most of the corruption that drains our resources, our recovery would be quicker,' said Sithole.
The state currently survives through borrowed funds to pay wages, which has left little money to buy goods and services.
'The government has to minimise the cost of borrowing by only borrowing as and when cash is needed. This requires close monitoring,' explained Sithole.
Swaziland would have borrowed 286 million dollars by the end of the financial year in March 2011, increasing the domestic debt to 357 million dollars. The government raised the domestic borrowing ceiling from 143 million dollars to 428 million dollars.
One of the reasons for the Swaziland government’s borrowing from domestic sources is that the IMF refused to give it the go-ahead to source funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) until it puts its house in order.
While local banks have agreed to lend money to the government, SMEs are not so lucky. 'The risk is lower when you lend to the government, compared to the entrepreneur.
'This puts SMEs at a disadvantage when it comes to access to loans,' said Zodwa Mabuza, chief executive officer of the Federation of Swaziland Business Employers and Chamber of Commerce.
SMEs have always struggled to get funding from local banks and they do not stand a chance when competing with government, she added.
Labels: FREE TRADE AREA, MOSES CHIKANE, SADC
Read more...
Keep local jobs for Zambians - South African envoy
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 05 May 2011, 04:01 CAT
DO not give away jobs for Zambians to foreigners, South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane has advised.
In an interview, High Commissioner Chikane said that it was possible to achieve a higher employment rate in view of the current economic growth and increased investments Zambia was experiencing.
He observed that the benefits from Zambia’s economic growth recorded due to increased foreign investments was not trickling down to the majority because it was not creating jobs for them.
“Foreign investments must translate into job creation. Zambians should not give away jobs to foreigners. We should create jobs for Zambians, that’s the only way you (government) can distribute wealth amongst your people,” High Commissioner Chikane said.
He said that the government should take advantage of the steady growth of the country’s economy by creating more employment for Zambians.
Labels: JOBS, MOSES CHIKANE
Read more...
Southern Africa must use local resources to develop — envoy
By Business Reporter
THE Southern African region must use local resources to develop instead of relying on help from international financial institutions, South African High Commissioner to Zambia, Moses Chikane has said. Mr Chikane said in Lusaka that the countries in the region must harmonise the resources in their economies to enhance trade and investment among themselves.
Citing the economic turmoil that Greece was currently going through and the financial help that country would receive to re-organise her economy, the high commissioner said there was no need for countries in the region to look to international aid because there was money and investments that could be harnessed.
The envoy was launching the new Nandos Zambia and the first restaurant under the brand at Tukunka Mall in Kabulonga on Wednesday evening. Nandos operated in Zambia before, but the new company has come under a new partnership between the South African global brand and Zambia’s Fortune Chickens Ltd.
“We should be able to use our common products in order to create wealth in the region, and help to improve the quality of life.
This region can be better. We don’t want to go the way other people have gone. We can be able to create a different world if we can be able to use our money to develop the region,” he said.
Mr Chikane said Zambia stood to gain more from investments from South Africa because a number of investors from that country were increasingly interested in setting up operations.
Since the end of the apartheid era in 1994, there was anticipation of increased trade and investments between South Africa and Zambia because of shared history.
“This is the beginning of many relationships between our people, and this is what all of us have been waiting for since 1994.
“We think the screws are beginning to open that South African people are now coming here to invest in the Zambian economy that contributed so much to our liberation,” he said.
When South African President Jacob Zuma was in Zambia last year he had directed him to ensure that he promotes more intake of Zambian products by South African companies.
He was asked to market the rich tourism and mining resources in areas such as Luapula and the Copperbelt provinces, as well as many agricultural products.
Visiting Nandos Worldwide licensing senior brand manager Guy Carter said the firm was coming back to Zambia in a big way, adding that it was set to open six stores in the next five years in Lusaka alone.
Mr Carter said the substantial investment that Nandos was making in Zambia was testimony to the confidence the investors had in the economy.
And Fortune Chickens Ltd managing director Katen Parmar said so far 26 Zambians had been employed at the Kabulonga restaurant, six of whom were sent to South Africa for orientation.
Labels: DEVELOPMENT, MOSES CHIKANE
Read more...
Zuma visits Zambia today
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 07 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma (right) and eight of his ministers are expected in Zambia today for a four-day bilateral visit where they will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
In an interview on Saturday, South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane said through President Zumaís visit, South Africa wants to enhance its relationship with Zambia.
“Next week, our President is coming on the 7th of December (today) and he will be in Zambia until the 10th of December to consolidate our relationship with Zambia. It has always been healthy but we think that it needs to be taken to new heights where we can begin to develop a concise programme of win-win situation,” High Commissioner Chikane said.
“He Zuma is bringing with him eight ministers and all those ministers are also going to be signing memorandum of understanding.”
High Commissioner Chikane said President Zuma and his delegation would give him and his staff at the mission a blueprint programme on enhancing bilateral cooperation with Zambia.
“For us, it’s going to be a programme from day one as soon as they go back home. It means that they have given us a business plan; something to work on in order to create a win-win situation in the southern tip of the African continent,î said High Commissioner Chikane. ìWe know that Zambia is not landlocked; Zambia is land linked with eight neighbouring countries. You develop relationship with Zambia; you develop relationship with SADC. You develop the relationship with SADC; you develop a relationship with the African continent.
“As you can see today we are here on the Zimbabwean side of the Chirundu one-stop-border-post, so there is work in progress in the southern African region. Wheels of progress are grinding faster and faster every day. We think our children will find Zambia and this continent better than we found out.”
Labels: JACOB ZUMA, MOSES CHIKANE
Read more...
KK deplores the tribalism of Oct 30 presidential election
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 6:40:25 AM
DR Kenneth Kaunda yesterday said the pattern of voting in the October 30 presidential election that saw President Rupiah Banda emerge victorious is a clear picture of disunity getting to Zambia.
And Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) national secretary Buti Manamela said the youths of today should not be neglected because they are the most important asset for any change in any society.
Meanwhile, South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane said there is need for South Africa despite its strong economy to unite with other African countries to meet the challenges affecting the continent.
Speaking when the YCLSA paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Dr Kaunda said the disunity that had manifested itself in the October 30 elections was a dangerous development.
He said the levels of disunity among the people were against the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ which he preached when he was in power.
“Various newspapers gave us a clear picture of who got how many votes in the Northern Province, how many votes one got in the Southern Province... but it is a clear picture of disunity getting into Zambia,” Dr Kaunda said. “People scored on tribal lines, but that is a dangerous development.”
Dr Kaunda said despite having preached against disunity in the beginning, it had continued to manifest itself in the country.
“We preached against that [disunity] in the beginning, One Zambia One Nation but are we going to now allow One Zambia, 72 Nations?” he asked.
Dr Kaunda also questioned how people could preach One Zambia 72 Nations in 2008 and at the same time accept US President-elect Barack Obama’s emphatic victory on behalf of the Zambian people.
Dr Kaunda urged the YCLSA to be strong and fight for what former South African president Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters stood for.
“This continent is ours and we should stand together for us to succeed,” Dr Kaunda said.
And Manamela said South African history could not be complete without mentioning Zambia and the role it played during the liberation struggle of that country.
“South Africa is highly indebted to the role you played in our struggle of the liberation of our country as most of our freedom fighters took refuge in Zambia. So we thought coming here would help us learn more from you,” he said. “We should also say that we are inspired by your leadership. We believe that our continent, our region needs such courageous men and women like you.”
Manamela said there was so much devastation in the world because the African continent was running out of courageous men of Dr Kaunda’s calibre who would sacrifice for others.
Manamela hoped that as young communists, the delegation would exchange notes with the vibrant youths of Zambia for the betterment of the two countries.
And speaking when the delegation paid a courtesy call on High Commissioner Chikane at his office, Manamela said one factor that led to the marginalisation of the youth was to call them leaders of tomorrow when they were actually leading even today.
“They may not necessarily be leading on a larger scale, they may also be committing a lot of mistakes and errors. But for us the youths of South Africa are the most important asset for any change, for any project that seeks to move us towards transformation and that’s the kind of attitude that we have,” Manamela said.
He said there was need for leaders to allow youth formations to express themselves freely.
“What hurts most is the attitude by our leadership to allow youth movements to speak in a somewhat regulated environment. But what should happen is [to] allow youth formation to express themselves freely and do as many things as possible and in the process when they falter, [they] should come back and say these are the lessons we are learning,” he said.
Manamela said it was a pity that young people of today no longer talked about revolution because they were not connected to the history of their countries and the liberation struggles.
“The greatest challenge we are facing is that the youths of today, are not concerned with the history of their countries. They are saying ‘no, that happened during apartheid so that doesn’t concern us’ but they should know that the role of history is very important on the part of the youths,” he said.
And High Commissioner Chikane said there was need for South Africa to start reviving its bonds that existed with other countries.
“You see life is like boxing, you can be strong today but you can’t be strong tomorrow. So we might be the strongest economy on the continent today, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t do it for other countries,” High Commissioner Chikane said. “There are a lot of challenges that we are facing today not only economic but social challenges as well. So if you don’t know your neighbours very well then you don’t know yourselves because our future is intertwined.”
High Commissioner Chikane also called on youths to contribute in whatever way they could to the betterment of society.
Labels: BUTI MANAMELA, COMMUNISM, KENNETH KAUNDA, MOSES CHIKANE, YCLSA
Read more...
Chikane bemoans politics of individuality
By Mutuna Chanda
Saturday June 28, 2008 [04:00]
POLITICS of individuality are not relevant to today's African context, South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane has said. And High Commissioner Chikane said the Thabo Mbeki-led SADC mediation in Zimbabwe is needed now more than ever. In an interview on Thursday, High Commissioner Chikane said the talk on reconciliation in Zambia's political scene would expose those who pushed the agenda of being seen as having done things alone.
"Politics of individuality or self portrayal are not relevant to the African context today," High Commissioner Chikane said. "What is relevant is collective leadership.
So the reconciliation among Zambia's political leaders will expose those who have the 'I' mentality of 'I did this, I did that'. We should be able to say 'we did this together' regardless of political affiliation."
He said all political parties on the campaign platform stood for creating jobs and improving the welfare of people and wondered why they could not work together on national issues.
"We need to identify areas that are essential for the survival. For a country like Zambia, unemployment is high, industrialisation is quite low but if we have a common perspective from political leaders, instead of them blaming each other for the problems that are being experienced, then it would be positive," High Commissioner Chikane said.
"If we continue saying that people in province x are unemployed because they do not come from the same province or tribe as the President, then you are polarising society and are agitating the people.
You should be able to deal with the problems sincerely and speak collectively. It is in this area that I appreciate the spirit of the Zambian people and leadership. Through the recent reconciliation that we have seen, they have spoken from a common platform."
However, he said once political leaders have agreed on the common direction for development in areas such as infrastructure, they should be able to criticise each other if funds were diverted for other programmes other than what was agreed on.
And High Commissioner Chikane said the mediation led by South Africa's President Mbeki in Zimbabwe was needed more today than at the time there was peace in that country.
He said much as observers had seen flaws in the mediation effort of President Mbeki, it was not an easy course.
High Commissioner Chikane said the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which tasked President Mbeki with the mediation effort, reserved the right to determine which course of action to take.
"In mediation, you work until you have no work to do," High Commissioner Chikane said. "The objective of SADC was not to facilitate elections which were left to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
The objective of SADC was that 'things have gone out of rail and need intervention', that is why they called on President Mbeki to mediate.
"The mediation becomes more relevant now given that there are reported killings and violence because we don't want Zimbabwe to go to war with itself.
The mediation is needed now more than at the time there was peace. Without mediation, such conflict would affect the region.
"It's not a comfortable job. President Mbeki didn't apply to do it, he was just chosen."
When asked why President Mbeki did not avail timely information to SADC chairperson President Levy Mwanawasa on the situation in Zimbabwe, High Commissioner Chikane declined to comment on the matter saying he did not know what happened between the two Presidents.
President Mwanawasa on Sunday during a press conference at State House in Lusaka complained that he was being denied information as SADC chairperson.
President Mwanawasa said he had twice attempted to contact President Mbeki a day before to get a briefing on the situation in Zimbabwe and was informed that the South African leader would get back to him as he was busy on both occasions.
President Mbeki, by the time of the press conference, had not contacted President Mwanawasa to brief him on the situation in Zimbabwe.
High Commissioner Chikane also said South Africa agreed with President Levy Mwanawasa's position that elections in Zimbabwe were supposed to be postponed.
He further said it was not too late for talks between President Robert Mugabe and opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
"They should talk to each other as Zimbabweans and find a solution to Zimbabwean problems. Although we wish that talks should have come up earlier, they can still talk to save lives of us ordinary people," said High Commissioner Chikane.
Labels: MOSES CHIKANE, POLITICS
Read more...
