'He who betrays the poor betrays Christ'
By Editor
Sun 10 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
MOSES Sakala of the Sakala Brothers says there is no better cause than to stand up for the poor and the vulnerable in society. We agree. Christ's entire doctrine was devoted to the humble, the poor; his doctrine was devoted to fighting against abuse, injustice and the degradation of human beings.
This makes us recall Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's 1971 talk with Catholics in Chile, his 1977 meeting with ministers in Jamaica, and that phrase of his in the first few years of the revolution: "He who betrays the poor betrays Christ."
Truly, this is so because it is your fellow man, and especially one who lacks life and needs justice, in whom God wishes to be served and loved. They are the ones with whom Jesus identified. This is the best way to follow Jesus, especially in Zambia's present situation.
In advice to a king, we are told in Proverbs 31:8-9: "Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."
In Sirach 18:25-27, we are reminded: "When you have all you want, think what it is like to be hungry, what it is to be poor. Things can change in a single day; the Lord can act very quickly."
The poor are in a weak position and they need someone to speak up for them and to protect their interests. And speaking up for the poor and defending their interests is not a riskless undertaking. As Bishop Dennis de Jong once observed, "The prophets stood on the side of God and the side of the poor and got themselves in trouble and imprisoned.
Jeremiah was thrown into a well, exiled and so forth. Sometimes some of our people say, 'you shouldn't be speaking out like that, you will get into trouble'. I think it is true that we have forgotten the principles of fairness and justice as well as love of our neighbour and our duty to protect the poor. We should appreciate that most countries start off with a great deal of hope.
But suddenly, we forget God somewhere along the line. We forget the poor. The decisions we make, the policies we put in place affect the poor and we should be mindful of that. The poor are never really consulted or helped to analyse the problems they face.
We, together with the government and other agencies, should be helping them to find solutions" (Bantu Magazine, March 2000, Edition No.3). Only thus can we avoid the myth of a formal democracy which hides a situation of injustice.
COMMENT - By the way, 'Bantu Magazine' is part of the corporate funded anti-ZANU-PF NGO WOZA (Women of Zimbabwe Arise). They give their address as Johannesburg, South Africa. - MrK
Actually, if beyond juridical laws, a more profound sense of respect and service of one another is lacking, and even of an equality before the law, it could serve as an alibi for flagrant discrimination, for constant exploitation, for effective deceit.
There is no political participation without economic participation. The poor cannot be said to be participating in our democratic processes while they remain poor.
The poor in the gospel do not constitute a "class" per se, but a quality of availability, who usually co-exist in a situation of economic crisis.
And it would be dangerous to minimise the elements of real poverty by "making spiritual" what in the scripture appears as a virtue, because it belongs to the poor. The poor are also the oppressed, the humble, the enslaved, and for the most part, it's the rich, the powerful and the violent ones who are to be blamed for causing this evil.
When Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," by poverty he means an attitude of total orientation to God. And absence of property is really included, because material possessions enslave persons and take their liberties away from the true meaning that they should give to their life. The true support, the true security, the treasure that counts is the Lord. It is the same idea in Sophonias: "But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord."
In St James' epistle, there are similar vibrations. One finds constant preaching of the prophet favouring the poor. The poor deserve respect. They must be sought out in contrast to the rich. We must look at them with acceptance, because: "did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith? Are not the rich exploiting you? They are the ones who haul you into the courts…" (James 2:6).
From the eschatological perspective, with the sort of eschatology that has already began, then we are already in the "last days". St James points out: "Now, then, you rich persons, cry and yell for the affliction that will be coming upon you. Your riches are rotten and your garments have become moth-eaten… Behold, the wages that you have not paid to the peasants who reaped your fields cry out as a protest; the shouts of the field workers have reached the ears of the Lord." In this last expression, there is a clear reference to Exodus 22:22.
In Christ's preaching, preaching against the rich who he calls "unfortunate," we find a relationship to the theme of idolatry that existed in the old covenant. Riches are a form of idolatry: the idolatrous person is the one who assigns an absolute value to something that did not have value before. The unique absolute is God. Wealth is a form of idolised cult. From another viewpoint, it is an institution, a lack of availability. Its chains are heavy. An alienated person is also alienating.
Poverty is a liberator. Human agility permits a response. It gives the poor an approach to God and to others. The beatitude of poverty in St Matthew's gospel and his clear reference to the poverty of the spirit is something quite demanding. Obviously he wanted to emphasise - not to forget or relegate to a secondary level - the fact that it was not enough to be really poor because of lack of possessions but to stress that one should consent to this lack of possessions up to a certain point. Here this is not the case of differentiating - as we do it in modern times - poverty as an evangelic command and destitution.
Christians in their special vocation can sometimes play the role of the destitute as a protest against misery in a perspective of authentic awareness.
All this should be very deeply understood in all its meanings. And as Bishop Charles Kasonde of the Catholic Diocese of Solwezi says, "responding positively to empowering the poor and defenceless is a special calling". We should always be mindful of how our decisions and actions affect the poor; "he who betrays the poor betrays Christ".
Labels: MOSES SAKALA, PAUL MUSUSU, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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Too many unemployed youths a danger - Mususu
By Henry Sinyangwe
Sun 10 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says it is dangerous to have too many unemployed and vulnerable people in society. The former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director said people who were vulnerable were being used by selfish individuals such as politicians to fight their battles.
Recently, Moses Sakala of music duo Sakala Brothers said there was no better cause than to stand for the poor and vulnerable in society. This was during a fundraising dinner organised by the Solwezi Catholic Diocese where Bishop Charles Kasonde also said responding positively to empowering the poor and defenceless was a special calling.
Commenting on the matter, Bishop Mususu said the duty of every leader was to protect the interests of their followers by standing up for the poor and vulnerable in society.
He said there was need to ensure an equal share of the natural resources in the country.
"Whether a church or political leader, a leader is there to protect the interest of his followers which is supreme," Bishop Mususu said.
And Bishop Mususu said the fighting among Patriotic Front cadres was as a result of high unemployment levels.
"Youths have no jobs which leaves them open for manipulation. There is need to empower people so that they spend time on progressive things, rather than butchering themselves like what happened on Thursday," said Bishop Mususu. "The sponsors should come out clean on this because those youths cannot organise all those machetes going to a presidential function."
Labels: PAUL MUSUSU, UNEMPLOYMENT, YOUTHS
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Ruling parties should help the opposition survive - Bishop Mususu
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 20 Apr. 2012, 11:59 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says politicians should form parties based on ideologies and principles in order for them to survive even after losing elections. Bishop Mususu, the former executive director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, also said ruling parties should help opposition parties survive.
Commenting on visiting German law maker Stefan Liebich's appeal that Zambian political parties should learn the art of surviving in the opposition after losing elections, Bishop Mususu said there were so many factors contributing to such a scenario.
"I absolutely agree with him, he's right. But there are many factors at play why our political parties fail to survive after losing power. One, there is a problem with the way we are constructing our own political parties. What I mean is, once a political party is formed, everything is centred on the person in charge," he said yesterday.
"You will find that principally there is more belief and trust in the leader of that party as opposed to the ideology which that political party may hold. Others hang on tribal lines and things like that. That's why you will find that someone will leave MMD today and tomorrow they belong to another political party because it is not based on ideology or principle."
He said political parties in Western countries survived because they were based on ideologies and principles.
Bishop Mususu said since survival instincts were embedded in those principles, parties continued to exist for long.
He further said ruling parties also had a share of the blame because they tended to embark on wiping out opposition parties.
"Second thing, and I'm afraid is very evident even in the arrangement today; every political party that has taken power has not enhanced the survival of other parties. They've gone flat out to champion the mood of really making the party that was there dead and buried. MMD did the same to UNIP, and it was the same after a change over from Chiluba to Mwanawasa. You remember the majority MPs were in the opposition in the National Assembly," he said.
"Before you knew it, they MMD lobbied and there were several by-elections; Dr Sipula Kabanje, the Nedson Zowas and all the opposition members that made the majority in parliament overnight they swung. So, to me the whole blame would be on the sitting government, and PF is no exemption. In their appointments now, whatever they're doing it's a killer instinct for them to win the majority. We are bent towards one party state, and it's there to see."
Bishop Mususu said the large number of political parties in the country also contributed to a weakened opposition.
He suggested trimming the number of political parties so that people could continue supporting them.
"We cannot afford to have 55 political parties. In as much as I would want the freedom of expression, freedom of association, surely we can do something. Like we have church mother bodies, we only have three," said Bishop Mususu.
[In Germany, which has a proportional representation system, there is a 10% cutoff point for representation in parliament. They mainly do this to exclude the extreme right from parliamentary politics, but it makes sense. There will still be upto about 10 parties in parliament, probably fewer than that. - MrK]
In an interview after he addressed delegates at a cocktail party at the German Ambassador's residence on Tuesday, Liebich, a member of parliament in the Left Party said democracy demanded that political parties continue to exist.
"In a democracy it is important, if you lose power, to learn how the opposition works. I hope that the former ruling party MMD here in your country will get a chance to learn it," said Liebich.
"My party was 10 years in a coalition partnership in the Senate of Berlin, after the last elections we were sent to the opposition. That's life, it's how democracy works and I hope in your country it will be the future. It makes no sense to disappear after elections."
Labels: BISHOP MUSUSU, OPPOSITION, PAUL MUSUSU, POLITICS
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Mapoma's advice timely - Mususu
By Mwala Kalaluka
Mon 09 Jan. 2012, 13:57 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says former senior public servant James Mapoma's advice that the current crop of ministers should avoid living luxurious lives at the expense of the majority poor is timely.
Commenting on Kenneth Kaunda's former special assistant for economic affairs Mapoma's call on ministers to ensure that the PF government makes a difference in the lives of the majority poor, Bishop Mususu, a former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director, described abuse of public resources as ugly.
"Yes, I agree with Mr Mapoma," he said in an interview yesterday. "This counsel to the new ministers is timely because it is coming within 100 days of PF being in office."
Bishop Mususu said those serving in the public service should check their conduct to avoid a situation where every former leader had to be probed over what they did while in office.
He said Zambians did not want a repeat of the naked abuse of public resources that characterised the previous MMD regime.
Bishop Mususu said the fact that some of the former ministers were being probed over public resources in the wake of the MMD's electoral defeat shows that there were weaknesses that needed to be tackled in the legal system.
Labels: PAUL MUSUSU
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Sata's inquiries Act route on constitution alarms Mususu
By Moses Kuwema and Roy Habaalu
Tue 03 Jan. 2012, 13:55 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says he is frightened by President Michael Sata's pronouncement that the technical committee of experts to draft a new constitution is answerable to him by law of the inquiries Act.
In a recent interview, Bishop Mususu said he was concerned on the constitution-making process, especially on the issue of the inquires Act.
He said the country had in the past failed to produce a constitution that could stand the test of time because of Acts like the inquiries Act, which gave the president the monopoly over the process. Going the inquiries Act way entails the technical committee submitting the draft constitution to the President and the government would produce a white paper indicating what it rejects and what it accepts.
"I think what frightens me is the pronouncement by President Michael Sata that this committee of experts is answerable to him by law of the inquiries Act, to me that is what sticks out and to me those are my fears. If you look at the past historical setting where we have failed to produce a constitution that would stand the test of time because when you use the inquires Act, as the president you have the monopoly like Frederick Chiluba to draw out 70 per cent, like Levy Mwanawasa to end up appointing the National Constitution Conference route just to escape the reality of what people want. And even today, when you are talking about a finished product like the Mung'omba draft constitution and you commit it to the committee of experts which is another form of NCC and this will do what?" he wondered.
Bishop Mususu said what was needed was the straightforward thing of taking the Mung'omba draft to a referendum and have people endorse or reject it.
The technical committee has indicated a roadmap that stretches to June this year.
And Bishop Mususu observed that there is some kind of "breather" in the public media under the Patriotic Front government.
He said the typical traditional manipulated media which existed under the MMD was no longer there because there was some liberty and freedom of expression that was visible and that the PF government should be commended for that.
"I think that without bias, there are certain things that we can commend them for; there are things which we are seeing which are slightly different. For me I think that fundamentally, when you talk about the media for instance, there has been some kind of breather from the typical tradition manipulated media that we had. I will just appeal to the PF to just guard that and continue on the path that we have introduced and we can score very high," Bishop Mususu said.
Bishop Mususu said the PF government had started well, as there were certain strides that it had made but that it needed to do more because it promised big for 90 days.
Meanwhile, Dr Kasuka Mutukwa said the bringing about of rationality in the media was very evident under the PF government. He said towards the September 20 elections, the country had reached a stage where the public media could not be read by the faint-hearted.
He said having worked in 14 SADC countries, he does not ever remember such a biased and unprofessional media as that which characterised the Zambian media towards the elections.
"It was absolutely nauseating. I couldn't believe I was back in my own country where people could misuse the media. Someone once remarked that for one to watch ZNBC news, you have to drink Red Bull to had the energy to watch that rubbish," Dr Mutukwa said.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, MICHAEL SATA, PAUL MUSUSU
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Get to the bottom of all financial irregularities under MMD - Mususu
By Kabanda Chulu
Sun 30 Oct. 2011, 12:30 CAT
THE PF government should get to the bottom of all financial irregularities that happened during the MMD administration and inform Zambians who want tangible results in the fight against corruption, says Bishop Paul Mususu.
And National Movement for Progress president Ng'andu Magande has said the government should not waste time because people involved in the irregularities surrounding the procurement and signing of the operational contract for the border scanners are known and are walking the streets freely.
Commenting on revelations that the MMD government developed a scheme to continue stealing public funds by wrongly engaging Bradwell International of UK to operate border x-ray cargo scanners for 10 years despite having some ZRA staff undergoing specialized training to handle such kind of operations, Bishop Mususu said correct procedures should be followed when handling national affairs.
"If they are Zambians who are qualified to operate the scanners, it is not correct for anyone to bring people outside ZRA so that contract to operate border scanners has created a lot of suspicions since our institution has capacity. And we are told the same contract was single-sourced but this procedure is not the best mode of tender procedure because tenders should be open so that we have chance to scrutinize all bids and settle for the lowest bidder," said Bishop Mususu.
"All these are anomalies that must be addressed, but my general observation is that these and many other irregularities should be one of the things the commissions of inquiry especially the one looking at ZRA should address and get to the bottom of these issues and give Zambians proper information because people want tangible results of what was happening otherwise some people will be saying the PF government is witch hunting. So we want substantial results in this fight and corruption must be fought at all levels regardless of who is involved in perpetuating this vice."
And Magande said the financial irregularities surrounding the purchase and signing of a contract to operate the border scanners was a clear case of mismanagement.
"Government should not waste time because everything is clear and people involved are known and they are freely walking down the streets and we can't have such a situation," said Magande.
The MMD government engaged Bradwell International of UK through its local subsidiary, Border Protection Company Zambia Limited (BPCZ) through direct bidding (formerly single sourcing) for a 10 year contract to operate border scanners despite ZRA having the capacity.
To finance the contract whose ratio was 85 per cent to Bradwell International and the remaining 15 per cent for government, then vice-president George Kunda hastily signed Statutory Instrument number 101 of 2011 on August 28 2011, as an amendment to the customs and excise Act to pave way for the introduction of examination fees, which is not a tax but a charge towards the managing of scanners.
However, President Sata has since terminated the contract and it is now a subject for security investigation.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MMD, NG'ANDU MAGANDE, PAUL MUSUSU
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Mususu urges MMD to desist from abuse of public resources
By Moses Kuwema
Sun 04 Sep. 2011, 14:30 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says the continued abuse of public resources by the MMD in its campaigns defeats the purpose of an election. In an interview, Bishop Mususu said there was need for the political field in the campaigns to be levelled and allow the public to make their decisions without undue influence.
"Generally I think the law stipulates that there should be a level playing field and no one should be disadvantaged or given an advantage over others. So if the government of the day is utilising the government machinery and resources, they have an edge over others and that does not give a level playing field," said Bishop Mususu who is former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director.
"I think it is unjustifiable and in all fairness, it defeats the purpose of an election. We need to have a level playing field and let the people make a decision."
Bishop Mususu said a wrong such as the abuse of public resources could not be justified and the government should uphold the law by not using public resources in the election campaigns.
He said it could be understandable if it were the President involved and not the rest of his party members.
"We appeal to the people in the position of advantage, in this case the government of the day, to desist from abuse of public resources because they are actually breaking the law and I don't think that is justifiable in this kind of arrangement. We want everybody to be given equal opportunities and equal access and not a situation where people have undue advantage because they are in government," he said.
Bishop Mususu urged the MMD to exercise the same fairness it would expect from the ruling party if it were in the opposition.
"If you are in government today and do certain things, tomorrow you will be out of government and what would you expect? I think a wrong is wrong whether it is the people in the government or the people in the opposition because whatever is wrong now, even when others take over should be condemned as being wrong. There should be a fair game. The government should be seen to be enforcing its own law," he said.
And Bishop Mususu urged the police to effect the peace that it were preaching prior to the campaigns by enforcing the law regardless of who is involved.
"The law must be upheld and enforced on everyone that is a citizen, whether they are MMD or opposition I think everybody should be treated fairly," said Bishop Mususu.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MMD, PAUL MUSUSU
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Mususu backs LAZ on ZNBC
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 21 July 2011, 13:59 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu says LAZ's observations on the operations of ZNBC are not off balance. Bishop Mususu whose remarks come in the wake of a barrage of attacks targeted at the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Musa Mwenye by chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha and some government-sponsored non-governmental organisations, urged Zambians to be realistic and make sober judgements on various issues affecting the nation.
“...I don't think LAZ's observations on ZNBC were off balance, because strictly speaking, the Times of Zambia, Daily Mail, and ZNBC are public institutions who should serve the public interest,” he said.
“But we are not seeing this. So it is not warranted for people to attack and malign the association and its president because LAZ is just expressing what the people have been crying about all along. It is not fair to simply lash out at people, just because they have different views from what you hold. I don't think this atmosphere should be entertained, what LAZ is saying is legitimate.”
Bishop Mususu, who is former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director, said it was actually painful that ZNBC had continued charging people when what they were subjecting them to watch does not warrant the payments.
He said the attacks on LAZ and its president were unwarranted and should not be promoted.
Bishop Mususu said LAZ should be left to interpret the law and where appropriate those who were breaking it should heed.
LAZ has in the recent past come under attack following Mwenye’s call on ZNBC to stop flouting the law in the manner it was currently covering national affairs.
However, information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha refuted the claims that ZNBC was biased in the manner the national broadcaster disseminates news and general information to the general public.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said Mwenye had merely been against President Rupiah Banda and his administration for some time now.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MMD, PAUL MUSUSU, ZNBC
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Mususu urges cops to enforce Electoral Code
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 20 May 2011, 04:01 CAT
THE police should try by all means to enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct during this year’s elections, even though it is a loose one, says Bishop Paul Mususu.
In an interview, Bishop Mususu, who is former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director, said the issue of revising the current code of conduct was a dead one because there could be no amendments that can be made.
“The point of revising it is a dead one. I don’t see the current electoral code being amended. We are likely to go into this election with the old law. It will be helpful if our leaders could appeal to their cadres not to engage in violence. We are all Zambians I don’t think we need to kill each other,” Bishop Mususu said.
“Cadres should be disciplined to ensure that life is protected.”
And Bishop Mususu said it was evident that the campaigns had already started even before the election date could be announced and that there was no party which was innocent.
“Campaigns have already started and it is clear that the provisions of the law are not being respected, there is no party which is innocent. Everyone is in campaign mood, except maybe Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda. It is clear that the practical aspect of the law is not being followed.
One would have expected these parties to observe the law but that is not the case and at this stage, not even the ECZ Electoral Commission of Zambia can do something about it,” Bishop Mususu said.
During the launch of the election related programme of training of law enforcement agencies at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel on Wednesday,
ECZ said it expected the police to carry out its mandate in this year's elections without fear or favour and in an impartial manner.
ECZ commissioner Grace Mulapesi said the legal framework was already in place to support the work on the police.
Commissioner Mulapesi said the ECZ had noted with regret the growing incidences of violence that have been observed in the past few years especially during by elections such as in Mufumbwe.
“This has shifted the attention on how elections should be policed in Zambia. Elections are premised on the exercise of free preference manifesting itself in various forms of political expression,” Commissioner Mulapesi said.
And Inspector General of police Francis Kabonde at the same function warned that police would arrest any person who may attempt to incite or participate in any act of violence regardless of their political affiliation.
Kabonde, who called on the media not to incite people to breach the public peace, also urged stakeholders, political parties, civil society organisation and other interest groups to work closely with the ECZ if the country was to attain a violence-free election.
Meanwhile, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director Viola Morgan said the maintenance of law and order enabled candidates and voters to participate in political campaigns.
Morgan said a peaceful environment was a complement to a transparent, free and fair electoral process.
Labels: ECZ, GRACE MULAPESI, PAUL MUSUSU, POLICE
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Minimum wage not adequate - Mususu
By Moses Kuwema
Sat 19 Feb. 2011, 04:00 CAT
GOVERNMENT leaders need to tighten their belts to indirectly cushion the salaries of the poor, says Bishop Paul Mususu.
In an interview yesterday following the recently announced K419,000 as minimum wage for non-unionised workers, Bishop Mususu advised government leaders to trim costs in the interest of poor workers.
“It is unfortunate that when these people think of the poor, they don’t lower themselves to the levels of these people,” said Bishop Mususu who is former Evengelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director.
Bishop Mususu said the minimum wage was not adequate and needed to be adjusted.
He said the common sense that people needed to bear in mind was the Basic Needs Basket (BNB) which indicated that the cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka was above K2 million.
“We need to be sympathetic with the poor and that’s why I am saying certain things that are enjoyed by the leaders in government should be curtailed to indirectly push certain amounts to the poor,” he said.
Bishop Mususu said the reality on the ground was that the current wage was not enough and added that this could not be disputed.
The government recently announced an increment in the minimum wage for non-unionised workers from K268,000 to K419,000, with the wage for domestic workers being increased to K250,000.
But on Thursday, Caritas Zambia said it will be tough for the country to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on poverty with the set minimum wage of K419,000.
Caritas Zambia’s unit head for development Martin Sampa said despite the increase of the figure from K268,000, a good number of citizens in the country were still living below the poverty datum line.
He said the government should tie the minimum wage issue to the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) Basic Needs Basket (BNB) which was now around K3,000,000 for a family of six in Lusaka.
Labels: MINIMUM WAGE, PAUL MUSUSU
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Egypt uprising is a lesson for Africa, warns Mususu
By George Zulu
Thu 03 Feb. 2011, 04:01 CAT
AFRICAN governments must learn lessons from the political uprising in Egypt, says Bishop Paul Mususu. In an interview, Bishop Mususu said the political uprising in Egypt was a clear indication that Africans would not allow their leaders to take them for granted. He said Zambia was not an exception, hence the need for dialogue and focus amongthe leadership to avoid what had happened in the North African state.
Bishop Mususu said elections and good governance were very important in addressing issues of corruption, unemployment as demanded by people in Egypt.
"The happenings in Egypt are worrying and they must be a lesson to all of us. Our leaders should take note of the issues demonstrators in that country are raising. They want a corrupt free government,” Bishop Mususu said.
“They are demanding for employment, they are saying poverty levels are too high and I feel they are genuine and the major challenges rest on the leadership."
On the failure by Ivory Cost President Laurent Gbagbo to heed to the demand for him to step down, Bishop Mususu said it was a responsibility of all elected leaders to permit democracy reign. He said it was disappointing that African leaders perceived the position of presidency as personal to holder.
Labels: EGYPT, IVORY COAST, PAUL MUSUSU
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MMD shouldn’t cry foul when voted out – Mususu
By Ernest Chanda and George Chellah
Wed 03 Nov. 2010, 04:02 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu has warned the MMD government that they should not cry foul when people vote them out next year on account of their conduct over the abuse of office offence. And CCZ has described plans to remove Section 37 of the current Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act as a direct ploy to legalise abuse of office in Zambia.
Supporting the stance taken by the Anglican Church and other stakeholders over the matter, the former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director said the government should not think they have won the battle against the people's will. He said the time for reckoning will come when Zambians will have the final say.
“Those parliamentarians who supported the removal of Section 37 of the ACC Anti Corruption Commission Act will face their people in constituencies next year. If people choose not to send them back to the House next year they shouldn't complain. And the government should not celebrate yet.
They might think it is a sweet victory for them but the time of reckoning will come when the people of Zambia will have the final say,” Bishop Mususu warned. “It is a short-lived victory, a short-lived celebration. But let them remember this; they will not cook their cabbage and not eat it. They should not cry foul when Zambians vote them out of office next year on account of their behaviour towards the fight against corruption. People always want a government that protects their interests and their money.”
Bishop Mususu expressed confidence that the people of Zambia were capable of defending the law which has worked so well.
He said when people vote for leaders it does not mean that they should no longer have a say in the conduct of those leaders.
“I agree with the view of the Anglican Bishops on the ACC Act. I think people should not stop pushing for the defence of that law. Some of our colleagues working at the Anti Corruption Commission have complained to us that they will have difficulties in fighting corruption due to the removal of this clause. I also agree with Honourable Lubinda that people should picket Parliament the way they have always done that peacefully,” said Bishop Mususu.
“I remember that the people of Zambia picketed Parliament for the removal of Dr. Chiluba's immunity and it worked. They also picketed for a new constitution in 2005; and although the government was adamant on that the message was still delivered. Equally now, there is still hope for the people to peacefully picket in defence of this law. We should not allow the government to legalise abuse of public resources.”
Bishop Mususu urged the government to listen to people's concerns, if indeed they had ears.
He contended that several legal brains had argued against the removal of the offence, a sign that it was a wrong move being taken by President Rupiah Banda’s administration.
Bishop Mususu argued that the government should not take people for granted and manipulate laws just because they have the power to do so.
And according to submissions made before Parliament, CCZ secretary general Reverend Susane Matale stated that one would have a sense that the Anti Corruption Bill would have provisions to the effect of strengthening the ACC Act No. 46 of 1996 by bringing the provisions of the proposed law into conformity with misuse or abuse of a public office or authority for private advantage or benefit.
“However, the reading of the whole Bill does not give any evidence of how Zambia wants to bring the law into conformity with the provisions of the regional and international conventions to which Zambia is a state party as it seems to us that in fact, this Bill is trying to not only fail to follow the provisions of regional and international conventions to which Zambia is a state party but is also a direct ploy to divert from our own National Anti Corruption Policy of 2009 in many ways than one as follows: Section 3 of the Bill is the interpretation section and according to this section "corrupt" means 'the soliciting, accepting, obtaining, giving, promising or offering of a gratification by way of a bribe or other personal temptation or inducement, and "corruption" shall be construed accordingly',” she stated.
“The 1996 ACC Act defines corruption as "the soliciting, accepting, obtaining, giving, promising or offering of a gratification by way of a bribe or other personal temptation or inducement, or the misuse or abuse of a public office for private advantage or benefit, and "corruptly" shall be construed accordingly". The 2009 Zambia National Anti Corruption Policy defines corruption as 'the soliciting, accepting, obtaining, giving, promising or offering of gratification by way of a bribe or other personal temptation or inducement or the misuse or abuse of a public office or authority for private advantage or benefit through bribery, extortion, influence peddling, nepotism, fraud, rushed trials, and electoral malpractices'.”
She stated that it is clear that the 1996 ACC Act and the 2009 National Anti Corruption policy have similar definitions of corruption as they include issues to do with 'misuse or abuse of a public office or authority for private advantage or benefit'.
“Bill No. 41 of 2010 on the other hand completely does away with the issue to do with 'misuse or abuse of a public office or authority for private advantage or benefit' as constituting corruption. Our understanding of government policy is that it provides a direction when coming up with laws to put to effect what the policy stipulates. We are now left to wonder as to why the persons who drafted this Bill chose to neglect the definition that the National Anti Corruption policy has to adopt a definition, which to us is unacceptable as it legalises abuse of office in Zambia. This is a great source of concern to CCZ as the definition also directly diverts from the definitions found in the provisions of the regional and international conventions to which Zambia is a state party,” Rev. Matale stated.
“The definition found in Section 3 of the Bill has to be read in line with the provisions found in Sections 37 and 50 of the 1996 ACC Act. To us, the action taken by the current Government to remove Section 37 of the current ACC Act from the Anti-Corruption Bill has dealt a very serious blow to the fight against corruption as it is a direct ploy to legalise abuse of office in Zambia. This undoubtedly is making the current government act contrary to the international conventions that Zambia is a State party to such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol Against Corruption and the African Union (AU) Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
“We want to put it on record that the internationally accepted definition of corruption focuses on bribery and abuse of public office and is aptly captured in all the major anti-Corruption Conventions including the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol Against Corruption and the African Union (AU) Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption which Zambia is a party to further ably defines corruption as including the living beyond ones means. The SADC Protocol Against Corruption is very clear as it defines corruption as 'means any act referred to in Article 3 and includes bribery or any other behaviour in relation to persons entrusted with responsibilities in the public and private sectors which violates their duties as public officials, private employees, independent agents or other relationships of that kind and aimed at obtaining undue advantage of any kind for themselves or others'.”
She stated that Zambia is embarking on steps going backwards instead of strengthening its legal framework to comply with the mandatory provisions of the UNCAC.
She stated that it was therefore inconceivable to imagine how a government that boasts of having ratified all the 3 above international laws could at the same time act contrary in compliance with the provisions there under.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Zambia signed the AU Convention on 03/08/2005, ratified it on 30/03/2007 and deposited the signature of ratification on 26/04/2007. With regards to the SADC Protocol, Zambia signed it on14/08/2001 and ratified it on 08/07/2003. with regards to the UNCAC, Zambia ratified it in December, 2007,” she stated.
She stated that as CCZ they believe that Section 37 in its current form is very important in the fight against corruption and in ensuring that public officers do not acquire wealth or property to which they fail to account on how they acquired the same.
“If anything, this section needs to be strengthened,” stated Rev. Matale.
Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata said members of his party’s women's league will today stage a protest at the National Assembly building when the Anti-Corruption Bill comes up for committee stage.
This follows widespread condemnation of the move by government to remove the abuse of offence clause from the ACC Act.
And on Sunday during the celebration of the Anglican Church in Zambia, Bishop William Mchombo urged President Banda not to ascent to the Bill as removing the offence could compromise the fight against corruption.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CCZ, PAUL MUSUSU
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Bishop Mususu asks govt to address doctors’ demands
By Ernest Chanda, Kabanda Chulu, Misheck Wangwe and Abigail Cha
Thu 30 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
BISHOP Paul Mususu has urged the government to act quickly and stop the countrywide strike by resident medical doctors before many lives are lost. And resident doctors in Kitwe have vowed that they will not resume work until the government improves the conditions of service.
Commenting on the strike by health workers which started on Monday this week, Bishop Mususu, who is former Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director, cautioned against going back to last year's situation. Bishop Mususu called on the government to meet the doctors' demands, saying the cause was genuine.
"Generally, a strike by health workers is the least anybody should expect because they doctors touch on the lives of people. Last year we had the same situation where all health workers went on strike and we lost a lot of lives.
It started in the same manner and we ignored it until the situation worsened. A machine breaks down and you find a replacement, but you cannot replace life," Bishop Mususu said.
“I think it's a justified demand from the doctors because things like equipment would make them operate efficiently. Now, if there is no equipment, they cannot operate properly. The people responsible, in this case the government, should act quickly before the situation deteriorates.
We should not play with people's lives because that is a dangerous thing to do."
Bishop Mususu wondered why the government could fail to meet the doctors' demands when they had always funded unnecessary activities.
He demanded that doctors be motivated through good salaries and other incentives.
"I think the doctors' demands are genuine and deserve quick action from the powers that be. We have seen this government quickly release money for by-elections and other unnecessary activities such as the NCC. But here is a genuine cause, but they don't want to give doctors what they want.
This is one of the things any government should pay attention to," Bishop Mususu said.
On chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha's statement that the doctors were being used by opposition political parties, Bishop Mususu called for levelheadedness on the matter.
"If Gen Shikapwasha has evidence that the doctors are being used by politicians then he is justified. But to put a general condemnation on the doctors when he should be providing answers is totally wrong.
Looking at what the doctors have out forward so far, it is a genuine demand. Do we want our doctors to get into politics or join other organisations for money? Why not give them this same money they seek elsewhere so that they continue helping people?
I think let's remove politics and face the situation as it is. Let's call a spade a spade and deal with the issues raised by our doctors," demanded Bishop Mususu.
And a check at Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) yesterday revealed that resident doctors did not even report for work.
Some doctors who spoke on condition of anonymity said government was to blame for the ongoing disagreements because it had failed to attend to their plight for a long time now.
The doctors said going on strike was the last resort that government forced them to take although they felt bad that patients were suffering because of their decision to down tools.
“As you know our vocation is to save lives but we deserve to be happy people as well. Resident doctors are human beings like any other person, we have families to look after but in this country it seems government does not attach importance to the welfare of medical personnel.
We have been patient with them for too long and we’ve continued to operate under difficult conditions. We are simply demanding for an upward adjustment of our salaries and an improvement in other conditions of service,” one of the doctors said.
They said the government should not expect doctors to work effectively under poor conditions of service.
The doctors said their expectations were that the ongoing negotiations between the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) and the government would be treated with the expediency they deserved so that contentious issues regarding their demand for a pay rise and other conditions could be resolved.
And at Kitwe Central Hospital, some patients and visitors were found on the hospital lawn because of the overwhelming number of people that were being attended to by expatriate doctors in various departments and wards.
The strike action by resident doctors had forced the few expatriate doctors and senior medical personnel at the institution to be working for long hours.
And a check at several clinics and health centres across Kitwe revealed that the strike by resident doctors had minimal imPact.
At Buchi clinic, nurses who preferred anonymity said the operations were going on smoothly since the majority of the health workers were working.
Similar situations were obtaining at Chimwemwe, Kawama urban, Bulangililo and Kwacha clinics, where nurses said complicated cases were referred to the Central Hospital.
"Clinicians and nurses are working and they do most of the basic work unless when they face complicated cases that is when they refer such cases to the doctors hence the strike action by doctors has little effect to a certain extent,” said one of the workers.
In Ndola, some doctors threatened to join their striking colleages if the government does not move to address the problem.
“We are definitely going on strike and this won’t be good for the country but we are people and the government should respect us. We are going to have a meeting and we are going to inform the nation on our stance after a meeting,” said one of the doctors who refused to be named.
The doctors in Ndola further said they felt like they were not respected by government because they were also not being paid on time.
However, the situation at the hospital yesterday seemed normal as doctors were carrying out their usual duties.
Labels: DOCTORS, PAUL MUSUSU, STRIKE
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‘We all have a role to play’
By Editor
Wed 20 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
For as long as some of our people feel they are not allowed democratic participation in decision-making processes, and cannot elect their leaders in truly free and fair elections, there will always be tension and conflict.
And as Bishop Paul Mususu has aptly put it, “Zambia cannot be democratic if certain sections of society feel their freedom is being stepped upon”. It is not going to help to stifle anyone and “the noble thing that leaders could do is to listen and not to be vindictive”. And there is need to heed Bishop Mususu’s advice on this score:
“We are all stakeholders and it is only fair to listen to one another. We all have a role to play in the country, in a democracy in educating and sensitising people on what is happening. If the people left politicians to do whatever they wanted, they would just concentrate to please what puts bread and butter on their plate.”
The great lesson of our time is that no regime can survive if it acts above the heads of the ordinary citizens of the country.
And those in our government, and all those in our politics should know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it’s a good place for all of us to live in.
Throughout the world, thugs and despots – some democratically elected, and some not – solemnly give lip service to “democracy” and “freedom”, while doing everything in their power to destroy them. We are seeing this in this country. Rupiah Banda and his friends are doing everything they can to destroy democracy and freedom in this country while giving lip service to them.
To have a free and peaceful nation, we must create a society in which the inalienable rights of the individual are again respected, and the powers of government are strictly limited. We must make sure that the exercise of power must be the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty.
This means abolishing most of our immunity roles and the abuse of our judicial process and ensure that friends and agents of those in power are not freed from legal responsibility when they steal public funds, torture or murder. It means creating truly independent judicial institutions with the power to investigate and indict corrupt government officials whatever their rank or connections. We should not allow the destruction of freedom under the guise of building and protecting democracy.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression is essential in enabling democracy to work and public participation in decision making. Citizens cannot exercise their right to vote effectively or take part in public decision making if they do not have free access to information and ideas and are not able to express their views freely.
Freedom of expression is thus not only important for individual dignity but also to participation, accountability and democracy. Violations of freedom of expression often go hand in hand with other violations, in particular the right to freedom of association and assembly.
The right to freedom of expression upholds rights of all to express their views and opinions freely. It is essentially a right which should be promoted to the maximum extent possible given its critical role in democracy and public participation in political life. There may be certain extreme forms of expression which need to be curtailed for the protection of other human rights.
Limiting freedom of expression in such situations is always a fine balancing act. One particular form of expression which is banned in some countries is “hate speech”. There is a fine balance between holding the right to freedom of expression and protecting other human rights. The success of such laws has often been questionable and one of the consequences has been to drive hate speech underground.
In the present situation of our country where poverty, ignorance, disease, among other problems, dominate, all Zambians should give the fullest expression to their initiative which alone can ensure the overcoming of these problems. This initiative must be demonstrated in their courage and ability to raise questions, voice opinions and criticise defects.
Otherwise, very little, if not nothing, will come from our efforts. But the exercise of such initiative depends of the spread of democracy in our country. It cannot be brought into play if there is not enough democracy in our country. Only in an atmosphere of democracy can large numbers of people be brought forward.
Anyone should be allowed to speak out, whoever he may be. And it does not matter if he says something wrong. Leaders at all levels have a duty to listen to others. And here, two principles must be observed: Say all you know and say it without reserve; Don’t blame the speaker but take his words as a warning. Unless the principle of “Don’t blame the speaker” is observed genuinely and not falsely, the result will not be “Say all you know and say it without reserve”.
As Bishop Mususu has correctly suggested, education in democracy must be carried on in our country so that our people can understand the meaning of democratic life and the way it should be put into practice. Only in this way can we really extend democracy in our country and at the same time avoid ultra-democracy and laissez-faire which destroys discipline. Democracy is meant to strengthen discipline, efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness in the nation, not to weaken them.
The most fundamental goals of democracy, in our view, are to make rulers accountable and answerable for their actions and policies; to make the citizens effective participants in choosing those rulers and regulating their actions; to make the society as open and the economy as transparent as possible; and to make the social order fundamentally just and equitable to the greatest number possible.
Accountable rulers, actively participating citizens, open society and social justice – appear to be the fundamental ends of democracy. There is need to make those in government more accountable and answerable in their use of power. For most of the time, our politicians have their say. There is need to find time for the people also to have their day. For most of the time, our politicians are speaking to each other, at each other and past each other. They have parliamentary sessions and they have sittings of the National Constitutional Conference.
But beyond the walls of Parliament Building and Mulungushi International Conference Centre, there is growing impatience with their speechifying. Our people see it as the responsibility and task of their politicians to give each Zambian an essential piece of dignity in their lives – the dignity that comes from having a solid roof over your head, running water and other services in an established community.
For this reason, we see democracy as a growth in the confidence, in the power of ordinary people to transform their country, and thus transform themselves. We see democracy as a growth in the appreciation of people organising, deciding, creating together. And in the final analysis, we see democracy as a growth of fraternal love. This is why in democratic states, authority comes from people who have power to elect their leaders.
We value the democratic system in as much as it ensures the participation of all citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.
We see the value of democracy in enabling people to come together with different interests to work for the common good. All citizens are called to participate actively and responsibly in the governance of their country. Individual citizens are obliged to make their specific contributions to the common good – government and the people should co-operate together.
And for all we have said, democracy itself guarantees nothing. It offers instead the opportunity to succeed as well as the risk of failure. In Thomas Jefferson’s ringing but shrewd phrase, the promise of democracy is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.
Democracy is then both a promise and a challenge. It is a promise that free human beings, working together, can govern themselves in a manner that will serve their aspirations for personal freedom, economic opportunity and social justice. It is a challenge because the success of the democratic enterprise rests upon the shoulders of its citizens and no one else.
Government of and by the people means that the citizens of a democratic society share in its benefits and its burdens.
Josef Brodsky, Russian-born poet and Nobel Prize winner, once wrote, “A free man, when he fails, blames nobody.” It is true as well for the citizens of a democracy who, finally, must take responsibility for the fate of society in which they themselves have chosen to live. In the end, we get the government we deserve.
Labels: PAUL MUSUSU
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‘We all have a role to play’
By Editor
Tue 19 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
For as long as some of our people feel they are not allowed democratic participation in decision-making processes, and cannot elect their leaders in truly free and fair elections, there will always be tension and conflict.
And as Bishop Paul Mususu has aptly put it, “Zambia cannot be democratic if certain sections of society feel their freedom is being stepped upon”. It is not going to help to stifle anyone and “the noble thing that leaders could do is to listen and not to be vindictive”.
And there is need to heed Bishop Mususu’s advice on this score: “We are all stakeholders and it is only fair to listen to one another. We all have a role to play in the country, in a democracy in educating and sensitising people on what is happening. If the people left politicians to do whatever they wanted, they would just concentrate to please what puts bread and butter on their plate.”
The great lesson of our time is that no regime can survive if it acts above the heads of the ordinary citizens of the country.
And those in our government, and all those in our politics should know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it’s a good place for all of us to live in.
Throughout the world, thugs and despots – some democratically elected, and some not – solemnly give lip service to “democracy” and “freedom”, while doing everything in their power to destroy them. We are seeing this in this country. Rupiah Banda and his friends are doing everything they can to destroy democracy and freedom in this country while giving lip service to them.
To have a free and peaceful nation, we must create a society in which the inalienable rights of the individual are again respected, and the powers of government are strictly limited. We must make sure that the exercise of power must be the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty.
This means abolishing most of our immunity roles and the abuse of our judicial process and ensure that friends and agents of those in power are not freed from legal responsibility when they steal public funds, torture or murder. It means creating truly independent judicial institutions with the power to investigate and indict corrupt government officials whatever their rank or connections. We should not allow the destruction of freedom under the guise of building and protecting democracy.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression is essential in enabling democracy to work and public participation in decision making. Citizens cannot exercise their right to vote effectively or take part in public decision making if they do not have free access to information and ideas and are not able to express their views freely. Freedom of expression is thus not only important for individual dignity but also to participation, accountability and democracy. Violations of freedom of expression often go hand in hand with other violations, in particular the right to freedom of association and assembly.
The right to freedom of expression upholds rights of all to express their views and opinions freely. It is essentially a right which should be promoted to the maximum extent possible given its critical role in democracy and public participation in political life.
There may be certain extreme forms of expression which need to be curtailed for the protection of other human rights. Limiting freedom of expression in such situations is always a fine balancing act. One particular form of expression which is banned in some countries is “hate speech”.
There is a fine balance between holding the right to freedom of expression and protecting other human rights. The success of such laws has often been questionable and one of the consequences has been to drive hate speech underground.
In the present situation of our country where poverty, ignorance, disease, among other problems, dominate, all Zambians should give the fullest expression to their initiative which alone can ensure the overcoming of these problems. This initiative must be demonstrated in their courage and ability to raise questions, voice opinions and criticise defects.
Otherwise, very little, if not nothing, will come from our efforts. But the exercise of such initiative depends of the spread of democracy in our country. It cannot be brought into play if there is not enough democracy in our country. Only in an atmosphere of democracy can large numbers of people be brought forward.
Anyone should be allowed to speak out, whoever he may be. And it does not matter if he says something wrong. Leaders at all levels have a duty to listen to others. And here, two principles must be observed:
Say all you know and say it without reserve; Don’t blame the speaker but take his words as a warning. Unless the principle of “Don’t blame the speaker” is observed genuinely and not falsely, the result will not be “Say all you know and say it without reserve”.
As Bishop Mususu has correctly suggested, education in democracy must be carried on in our country so that our people can understand the meaning of democratic life and the way it should be put into practice.
Only in this way can we really extend democracy in our country and at the same time avoid ultra-democracy and laissez-faire which destroys discipline. Democracy is meant to strengthen discipline, efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness in the nation, not to weaken them.
The most fundamental goals of democracy, in our view, are to make rulers accountable and answerable for their actions and policies; to make the citizens effective participants in choosing those rulers and regulating their actions; to make the society as open and the economy as transparent as possible; and to make the social order fundamentally just and equitable to the greatest number possible.
Accountable rulers, actively participating citizens, open society and social justice – appear to be the fundamental ends of democracy. There is need to make those in government more accountable and answerable in their use of power. For most of the time, our politicians have their say.
There is need to find time for the people also to have their day. For most of the time, our politicians are speaking to each other, at each other and past each other. They have parliamentary sessions and they have sittings of the National Constitutional Conference. But beyond the walls of Parliament Building and Mulungushi International Conference Centre, there is growing impatience with their speechifying. Our people see it as the responsibility and task of their politicians to give each Zambian an essential piece of dignity in their lives – the dignity that comes from having a solid roof over your head, running water and other services in an established community.
For this reason, we see democracy as a growth in the confidence, in the power of ordinary people to transform their country, and thus transform themselves. We see democracy as a growth in the appreciation of people organising, deciding, creating together. And in the final analysis, we see democracy as a growth of fraternal love. This is why in democratic states, authority comes from people who have power to elect their leaders.
We value the democratic system in as much as it ensures the participation of all citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate. We see the value of democracy in enabling people to come together with different interests to work for the common good. All citizens are called to participate actively and responsibly in the governance of their country. Individual citizens are obliged to make their specific contributions to the common good – government and the people should co-operate together.
And for all we have said, democracy itself guarantees nothing. It offers instead the opportunity to succeed as well as the risk of failure. In Thomas Jefferson’s ringing but shrewd phrase, the promise of democracy is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.
Democracy is then both a promise and a challenge. It is a promise that free human beings, working together, can govern themselves in a manner that will serve their aspirations for personal freedom, economic opportunity and social justice. It is a challenge because the success of the democratic enterprise rests upon the shoulders of its citizens and no one else.
Government of and by the people means that the citizens of a democratic society share in its benefits and its burdens.
Josef Brodsky, Russian-born poet and Nobel Prize winner, once wrote, “A free man, when he fails, blames nobody.” It is true as well for the citizens of a democracy who, finally, must take responsibility for the fate of society in which they themselves have chosen to live. In the end, we get the government we deserve.
Labels: FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PAUL MUSUSU, PRESS FREEDOM
Read more...
‘We all have a role to play’
By Editor
Tue 19 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
For as long as some of our people feel they are not allowed democratic participation in decision-making processes, and cannot elect their leaders in truly free and fair elections, there will always be tension and conflict.
And as Bishop Paul Mususu has aptly put it, “Zambia cannot be democratic if certain sections of society feel their freedom is being stepped upon”. It is not going to help to stifle anyone and “the noble thing that leaders could do is to listen and not to be vindictive”.
And there is need to heed Bishop Mususu’s advice on this score: “We are all stakeholders and it is only fair to listen to one another. We all have a role to play in the country, in a democracy in educating and sensitising people on what is happening. If the people left politicians to do whatever they wanted, they would just concentrate to please what puts bread and butter on their plate.”
The great lesson of our time is that no regime can survive if it acts above the heads of the ordinary citizens of the country.
And those in our government, and all those in our politics should know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it’s a good place for all of us to live in.
Throughout the world, thugs and despots – some democratically elected, and some not – solemnly give lip service to “democracy” and “freedom”, while doing everything in their power to destroy them. We are seeing this in this country. Rupiah Banda and his friends are doing everything they can to destroy democracy and freedom in this country while giving lip service to them.
To have a free and peaceful nation, we must create a society in which the inalienable rights of the individual are again respected, and the powers of government are strictly limited. We must make sure that the exercise of power must be the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty.
This means abolishing most of our immunity roles and the abuse of our judicial process and ensure that friends and agents of those in power are not freed from legal responsibility when they steal public funds, torture or murder. It means creating truly independent judicial institutions with the power to investigate and indict corrupt government officials whatever their rank or connections. We should not allow the destruction of freedom under the guise of building and protecting democracy.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic rights and freedoms. Freedom of expression is essential in enabling democracy to work and public participation in decision making. Citizens cannot exercise their right to vote effectively or take part in public decision making if they do not have free access to information and ideas and are not able to express their views freely. Freedom of expression is thus not only important for individual dignity but also to participation, accountability and democracy. Violations of freedom of expression often go hand in hand with other violations, in particular the right to freedom of association and assembly.
The right to freedom of expression upholds rights of all to express their views and opinions freely. It is essentially a right which should be promoted to the maximum extent possible given its critical role in democracy and public participation in political life.
There may be certain extreme forms of expression which need to be curtailed for the protection of other human rights. Limiting freedom of expression in such situations is always a fine balancing act. One particular form of expression which is banned in some countries is “hate speech”.
There is a fine balance between holding the right to freedom of expression and protecting other human rights. The success of such laws has often been questionable and one of the consequences has been to drive hate speech underground.
In the present situation of our country where poverty, ignorance, disease, among other problems, dominate, all Zambians should give the fullest expression to their initiative which alone can ensure the overcoming of these problems. This initiative must be demonstrated in their courage and ability to raise questions, voice opinions and criticise defects.
Otherwise, very little, if not nothing, will come from our efforts. But the exercise of such initiative depends of the spread of democracy in our country. It cannot be brought into play if there is not enough democracy in our country. Only in an atmosphere of democracy can large numbers of people be brought forward.
Anyone should be allowed to speak out, whoever he may be. And it does not matter if he says something wrong. Leaders at all levels have a duty to listen to others. And here, two principles must be observed:
Say all you know and say it without reserve; Don’t blame the speaker but take his words as a warning. Unless the principle of “Don’t blame the speaker” is observed genuinely and not falsely, the result will not be “Say all you know and say it without reserve”.
As Bishop Mususu has correctly suggested, education in democracy must be carried on in our country so that our people can understand the meaning of democratic life and the way it should be put into practice.
Only in this way can we really extend democracy in our country and at the same time avoid ultra-democracy and laissez-faire which destroys discipline. Democracy is meant to strengthen discipline, efficiency, effectiveness and orderliness in the nation, not to weaken them.
The most fundamental goals of democracy, in our view, are to make rulers accountable and answerable for their actions and policies; to make the citizens effective participants in choosing those rulers and regulating their actions; to make the society as open and the economy as transparent as possible; and to make the social order fundamentally just and equitable to the greatest number possible.
Accountable rulers, actively participating citizens, open society and social justice – appear to be the fundamental ends of democracy. There is need to make those in government more accountable and answerable in their use of power. For most of the time, our politicians have their say.
There is need to find time for the people also to have their day. For most of the time, our politicians are speaking to each other, at each other and past each other. They have parliamentary sessions and they have sittings of the National Constitutional Conference. But beyond the walls of Parliament Building and Mulungushi International Conference Centre, there is growing impatience with their speechifying. Our people see it as the responsibility and task of their politicians to give each Zambian an essential piece of dignity in their lives – the dignity that comes from having a solid roof over your head, running water and other services in an established community.
For this reason, we see democracy as a growth in the confidence, in the power of ordinary people to transform their country, and thus transform themselves. We see democracy as a growth in the appreciation of people organising, deciding, creating together. And in the final analysis, we see democracy as a growth of fraternal love. This is why in democratic states, authority comes from people who have power to elect their leaders.
We value the democratic system in as much as it ensures the participation of all citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate. We see the value of democracy in enabling people to come together with different interests to work for the common good. All citizens are called to participate actively and responsibly in the governance of their country. Individual citizens are obliged to make their specific contributions to the common good – government and the people should co-operate together.
And for all we have said, democracy itself guarantees nothing. It offers instead the opportunity to succeed as well as the risk of failure. In Thomas Jefferson’s ringing but shrewd phrase, the promise of democracy is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.
Democracy is then both a promise and a challenge. It is a promise that free human beings, working together, can govern themselves in a manner that will serve their aspirations for personal freedom, economic opportunity and social justice. It is a challenge because the success of the democratic enterprise rests upon the shoulders of its citizens and no one else.
Government of and by the people means that the citizens of a democratic society share in its benefits and its burdens.
Josef Brodsky, Russian-born poet and Nobel Prize winner, once wrote, “A free man, when he fails, blames nobody.” It is true as well for the citizens of a democracy who, finally, must take responsibility for the fate of society in which they themselves have chosen to live. In the end, we get the government we deserve.
Labels: FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PAUL MUSUSU
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Don’t trivialise Zamtel sale, Mususu urges govt
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Saturday, September 19, 2009 5:18:33 PM
EVANGELICAL Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Paul Mususu yesterday challenged the MMD government to be sensitive and not trivialise the sale of Zamtel through suspicious re-engagement of RP Capital Partners as exclusive financial advisors to the transaction.
And Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda has urged the government to explain why 'goal posts' are being shifted to suit the aspirations of RP Capital Partners in the 75 per cent sale of Zamtel shares.
Initially government stated that RP Capital Partners were engaged as evaluators for the assets of Zamtel and to propose the best way of restructuring the country's largest telecommunications company whose revenue for 2008 stood at K370 billion and has over 160,000 mobile subscribers and 95,000 fixed and wireless customers.
Commenting on the appointment of RP Capital Partners as the exclusive financial advisor to the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) in the sale of 75 per cent shares in Zamtel, Bishop Mususu said it was a sad development and urged Zambians not to stand aside and look.
"It is wrong to re-engage RP Capital Partners again especially that tenders were not opened or what means were used to invite them [RP Capital] or extend their mandate as financial advisors from being evaluators?" Bishop Mususu asked.
"In light of glaring irregularities cited in the [Dora] Siliya tribunal and even before the dust settles, this government has again appointed this company whose earlier engagement raised so much dust. But why? Anyway this government should be sensitive to this matter [sale of Zamtel] because it is of national interest which should not be trivialized."
And Habasonda challenged the government to explain why 'goal posts' were being shifted to suit the aspirations of RP Capital Partners in the 75 per cent sale of Zamtel shares.
"There is something fishy about this deal because the government said that RP Capital Partners were evaluators but how come they have become financial advisors and why wasn't this tender open so that all entities had an opportunity to participate?" asked Habasonda.
"Government should clear the air on why goal posts are being changed to suit RP Capitals and Zambians deserve to know the kind of relationship which the MMD government has with RP Capital in relation to the sale of Zamtel."
And Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) president Dr Fred Mutesa expressed fears that the current solution where the MMD government seeks to sell Zamtel to a foreign organisation will result in a situation where no major telecommunication company operating within Zambia will be locally owned and managed.
Dr Mutesa said ZED believes that Zamtel needed to be revitalised if it was to regain its lost competitiveness.
"However, we differ with the MMD government's approach concerning this matter. In our assessment, the recapitalisation and restructuring of Zamtel is the most important remedy to its problems. Whilst we accuse Zamtel of not being efficient, we note that it was under the policy direction of government all these years. Government has no one else to blame except itself for the problems Zamtel is facing. And we fear that the current solution which the MMD government seeks to sell Zamtel to a foreign organisation will result in a situation where no major telecommunication company operating within Zambia will be locally owned and managed," said Dr Mutesa.
"The experiences of Ramcoz and LCM should serve as sufficient lessons for the MMD government. The ZED policy position will be to use the Lusaka Stock Exchange and attract investment from Zambian citizens as well as local companies so that locals are empowered with shares and the majority of the company has Zambian control. It is unfortunate that whilst the government talks of empowerment and even sets up bodies such as the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), that these institutions are not being supported to perform the work that they were originally established to do."
And Development Partnership International (DPI) Zambia coordinator Richard Musauka called on Zambians to rise against the suspicious approach, which the MMD government was undertaking towards the privatisation of Zamtel.
He said the MMD government must explain the re-engagement of RP Capital Partners as financial advisors without tender procedures, saying the development shows that privatisation of Zamtel will not be done in a transparent and accountable manner.
"This company [RP Capital] or whatever you may call it was initially engaged in questionable circumstances and again it has been appointed as financial advisors but what the MMD government should know is that this suspicious approach shows that privatisation of Zamtel will not be conducted in a transparent and accountable manner that will not benefit the people of Zambia and people should stand up and oppose this development which smells of corruption," said Musauka.
The Zambia Development Agency during announced that they would be the main privatisation agent for Zamtel with RP Capital Advisors Limited as the financial advisor.
Labels: EFZ, LEE HABASONDE, PAUL MUSUSU, PRIVATISATION, RP CAPITAL PARTNERS, SACCORD, ZAMTEL
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