Ministers failing to explain policy, says Siabutuba
By Gift Chanda
Wed 25 Sep. 2013, 14:00 CAT
SOME ministers have difficulties explaining very basic and straightforward government policies to the people, says former CSPR board chairperson Partner Siabutuba.
Commenting on President Michael Sata's call on ministers to explain developmental achievements under the PF's tenure, Siabutuba said some ministers behave like they do not believe in the President's vision.
"The President is spot-on to urge his ministers to go out and explain government development success. But ministers need to also go out and explain government programmes and policies so that people can understand exactly what the government's intentions are in as far as bringing development is concerned," Siabutuba said in an interview.
"What is worrying however is that some of the ministers have difficulties explaining very basic and straightforward policies. It is as if they don't believe in the vision of President Sata himself or the PF manifesto."
President Sata last week questioned why ministers and party officials have remained quiet when people and opposition leaders like United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema were busy attacking the party.
He told the ministers to explain the government's succeses, saying nobody was going to defend the party and the government if they did not protect party policies from attacks and explain to the nation what the government was doing.
But Siabutuba said unless ministers fully understood both President Sata's vision and the PF manifesto, they would somewhat "sabotage" all efforts to take the country forward.
"Therefore, the President must not just end at encouraging his ministers to just go out and explain development success. He should challenge them to also understand and appreciate government and PF's vision so that they can go out and explain the vision perfectly to the grassroots," he said.
Meanwhile, Siabutuba said the government needs to explain how the electronic voucher system would be used in the distribution of farming inputs under the state-run Farmer Input Support Programme.
He explained that some farmers in Southern Province were panicking as information on the e-voucher system has been scanty.
"...and panic is not good when you are heading into the farming season," said Siabutuba.
Labels: PARTNER SIABUTUBA, POLICY
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PF may not have a clear agric policy - consultant
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Wed 28 Mar. 2012, 12:57 CAT
BUSINESS consultant Lawrence Chileshe has expressed concern that the PF government may not have a clear and progressive agriculture policy.
Commenting on agriculture minister Emmanuel Chenda's clarification on reports of imported chicken last week, Chileshe who is also former Chamber of Mines of Zambia assistant general manager, said the minister's statement did not refer to any PF policy on agriculture or particularly poultry, "and was not even convincing".
He said this had raised further concerns, especially considering that there had not been any significant application of policy change in the agriculture sector.
"Can it be interpreted that PF does not have a vision for agriculture in Zambia, or do we just need a revolutionary leader in the sector? Since the election (which is now six months), there has not been much policy indications in agriculture, except desires to promote different cash crops apart from maize. It is surprising that months after elections, there is no indication from the government on whether and how it will revise the Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FISP). My greatest fear is that we may not have a clear and progressive agriculture policy," he said.
Chileshe said the government in the past had allowed importation of turkeys and not chickens.
He wondered what economics the government applied in allowing importation of chickens, as it would negatively affect the growing local poultry sector.
"Even if we were to have a shortage of chickens in Zambia which I think can only happen to processed chickens, the process of importing would be cautiously done, and done so with consultation of stakeholders like ZNFU. In such exceptional circumstances, the quantity imported would only be to meet a short-fall and would be a very short-term measure or permit," he
said.
"However, it is surprising that the minister, Honourable Emmanuel Chenda, is claiming ignorance of having imported chickens in two chain stores. What is worse is that he made the ministerial statement without having adequate information, saying the imported chickens on the Zambian market may have been smuggled. Is he really on ‘top of things' at his ministry? Where is his permanent secretary and other technocrats? I fear we may need to broaden the corruption investigations to the current handling of operations (especially permits) at the Ministry of Agriculture."
He said the poultry sector has in the last decade been a serious source of employment and livelihood for many Zambians.
Chileshe said in Zambia, the agriculture sector provided the highest level of employment, much more than other sectors like mining.
He said if the PF government was to give permits for chicken importation, then the country would be better off in the MMD regime of Rupiah Banda who allowed the economy to run at ‘auto-pilot', but ensured that self-interests were gratified.
Chileshe said employment creation was not an easy task for any government in the world and in Zambia, the task was even tougher.
He said promoting agriculture would be an easier way of reducing unemployment and poverty levels.
"I therefore cannot understand why a government can allow the importation of chickens and risk the loss of jobs and increase poverty in Zambia. Such a move by the PF government can be said to be ‘the beginning of the end of their rule'. We have failed to establish a lot of primary or basic industries, which is a proven formula of any developing economy. I would therefore be left wondering why we would tamper with the little we currently have in the agriculture sector - in form of chickens," said Chileshe.
The government has since permanently revoked the sanitary permits issued to Shoprite for the importation of 75 metric tonnes of chicken, with Chenda saying the sanitary permit was granted by a junior management officer without consultation with his superiors.
Labels: AGRICULTURE, FISP, PF, POLICY
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Government lacks people to effect policies - energy PS
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Fri 26 Aug. 2011, 08:40 CAT
GOVERNMENT ministries lack people and managers to implement the "tonnes and tonnes" of drawn policies, says energy permanent secretary Teddy Kasonso.
Speaking when he officiated at the first ever renewable energy forum organised by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), Kasonso described as a ‘tragedy' the failure by the government to implement its own policies.
"The tragedy for Africa, and Zambia is no exception, is that we sit on tonnes and tonnes of information and education but the problem is implementation," Kasonso said.
"Managers and people to implement these policies that we make for ourselves, we don't have. Ministries have got tonnes and tonnes of policies agreed upon but never implemented. I hope yours conference on renewable energy will not be sat on. We must run fast and implement what you are going to discuss here."
Kasonso said the current power shortage at regional level, rising international oil costs, protection of the environment, the need for clean energy, and using energy to reduce high poverty levels in the country had seen a growing demand for renewable energy sources.
"The Zambian government is also keen to see the growth and development of renewable energies in the country so that contribution of renewable energy to the national energy mix is increased," said Kasonso.
Earlier, ERB vice-chairperson Ida Nkhoma said renewable energies were a clean source of energy, relatively cost-effective and an appropriate solution for mitigating the current power deficit, resulting in reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
"To further enhance our role in the sub-sector, the ERB has refocused its strategy and established a unit to specifically handle matters pertaining to renewable energy," said Nkhoma.
"This gives us the regulatory edge to adequately address and respond to the needs of stakeholders in the sub-sector."
The two-day workshop which closes today was aimed at promoting the development of the renewable energy sector with a specific focus on mini-hydro, biomass, energy crops, wind energy and geothermal energy.
Labels: ENERGY, PERMANENT SECRETARIES, POLICY, TEDDY KASONSO
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Of disconfirmity and classical conditioning
By George R. Chingarande
DURING the Diplomacy Briefing Series Conference on Sub Saharan Africa hosted by the State Department in Washington DC on June 14, one participant who identified himself as Calvin Hayes asked Secretary of State Hilary Clinton the following question:
"Given the challenges of political battles associated with leadership in Zimbabwe, how is the Obama Administration showing that the foreign aid given to this area actually meets the people and their local communities? Is there a comprehensive strategy to measure the efficiency of our appropriated resources, the accountability of our disbursements, and the sustainability of our efforts both in Zimbabwe and countries in sub-Saharan Africa? If so, can you shed some light on the strategy…"
The rather dyspeptic Clinton blithely responded by stating that, "Zimbabwe is a very difficult challenge to us and to our policy. It is a country that has been woefully governed and misruled for a number of years now. Congressman Donald Payne, who had to leave for a vote, is probably, in the Congress – is he still here — there he is — is probably, in the Congress, the most knowledgeable, strongest advocate for African interests.
‘‘And when he tried to go to Zimbabwe a few months ago — right, Donald? The Government of Zimbabwe would not let him in because they don’t want somebody who has his expertise and experience actually seeing for himself all of the difficulties that are now apparent in Zimbabwe. And it’s very sad. It’s a tragedy. And we are working hard with South Africa, with the African Union, with other countries to try to assist the people of Zimbabwe. We’re doing primarily humanitarian assistance".
She further stated that: "So we are trying to walk a line between supporting the people, keeping the pressure on the Mugabe leadership, working with South Africa to try to get that message across. But I’m not going to stand here and tell you we have some perfect formula, because it’s extremely difficult to try to do what we’re doing and really make a difference for the people of Zimbabwe", and also revealed that, "the President just renewed sanctions against 220 individuals and entities associated with the Mugabe regime… I’ve had two meetings with Prime Minister Tsvangirai in the last year to try to send a message that we support reform in Zimbabwe."
This exchange between the Secretary of State and Calvin Hayes is instructive in that it not only betrays American frustration with the unmitigated failure of its Zimbabwean policy but also reveals the reasons for that failure. A number of themes call out for a robust address; and America would do well to pay attention to them.
Credibility Deficit and American Hyperrealism
It has been pointed out; rightly and correctly so; that the secretary of state misled her audience by informing them that Senator Payne had been refused entry into Zimbabwe when in fact he had visited the country on several occasions during the period that Clinton was referring to.
At the height of the Iraq debate when the US was desperate to sell its case for invading Iraq and the exercise had run into serious difficulties, the then Secretary of State Collin Powell laced his presentation to the United Nations with falsehoods, terminological inaccuracies and blatantly perverse hyperbole. There are several other relevant examples of the State Department and its senior officials resorting to misinformation in order to buttress their arguments.
Whether or not Clinton knew that she was peddling false information at the time she gave her response is not of material importance. What is important is the fact that she deliberately chose not to correct her assertions weeks after it has been exposed that she is dealing in lies and inaccuracies, and by so doing has relegated herself into the league of liars.
After Powell’s failed attempt to pull off a gigantic confidence trick at the UN was exposed; he too never withdrew his presentation or acknowledged publicly that he had erred. Well, there have been loud murmurs that Powell was deliberately misled, but surely that is a feeble defence, a man incapable of distinguishing for himself the difference between truths and improbabilities is not suited for high office.
As for Hilary Clinton, her reputation of subjecting the truth to cosmetic surgery by resorting to decorative phrases, extravagant exaggerations and outright lies preceded her to the state department. When her faltering presidential campaign had degenerated into terminal decline Hilary infamously told the world of how she artfully dodged bullets and bombs during her trip to the Balkans. However, resourceful journalists soon exposed that nothing of the sort happened as footage of a congenial Hilary walking in a tranquil environment were unearthed and published for all to see that the self proclaimed "artful dodger" was after all an artful liar.
It serves no useful purpose to taunt the State Department for its dealing in falsehoods. However, it has to be underscored that whenever such lies come to light the fragile image of the department is further dented and sullied. By dealing in falsehoods, the state department is not just showcasing incompetence but deliberately engaging in deception. It is indisputable that to some significant extent, the US foreign policy is based on deception. For this reason alone it is bound to fail because lies do not only have a short leg, but also have a notoriously short shelf life.
However, this pattern of lies that dovetails neatly into US foreign policy has actually created a Credibility Deficit. The US needs both allies and surrogates to play the midwife to its policies. By casting itself as a thoroughly dishonest interlocutor the US has severely eviscerated its ability to attract reliable allies and surrogates, and consequently does not always receive the support that it requires. Many know that the US lied about Iraq and therefore sparingly support the US initiatives there.
Likewise many are wise enough to see through some of the obvious US lies about Zimbabwe; and therefore no self-respecting African is willing to be a surrogate of the US Zimbabwe policy. Unless the US addresses the Credibility Deficit, it will experience more frustrations in Africa.
The question that has to be asked is — How can such a well-resourced department get it so wrong? The answer lies in a phenomenon called hyper-realism. Jean Baudrillard, the French philosopher argued forcefully that the media’s preoccupation with filtering the information that it somehow force-feeds onto its captive consumers has transported us into a "hyper-real" society.
This over-reliance on filtered information has blurred the distinction between "reality" and its "simulation". This is the pestilential malady afflicting the State Department, and indeed the whole discourse on the ‘‘Zimbabwean crisis’’.
The West has based its policies on filtered information manufactured by the media, NGOs and other non-state actors some of whom are phantoms existing merely in name. Whole governments and sometimes even academics in the west have formulated positions also based on filtered information, such as Hillary Clinton’s perverse inaccuracies. The net effect of all this is that when it comes to Zimbabwe, the west, its media barons and many that unsuspectingly feed from its lap, now inhabit a world of hyper-realism that is grossly at variance with the reality in Zimbabwe itself. It was predicted that Zimbabwe would descend into a genocidal conflagration that would dwarf the Rwanda calamity in scope and savagery. That did not happen.
It was predicted that Zimbabwe would become the next Somalia, triggering western governments to engage in simulation exercises in preparation for rescuing their citizens; that too did not happen.
A military coup, in fact many were predicted, but have not materialised. In 2000, it was predicted that the government would not survive until December. All these predictions were awry because they were based on a "hyper-realistic" analysis of the Zimbabwean situation.
Scourge of blackness
Research shows that up to today the Rwanda genocide in which more than a million people perished has not received as much coverage as the Zimbabwe situation. Why is this so? Again the answer lies in information filtration.
The reason there is so much hyperbole about Zimbabwe are reports that 12 white farmers died in the initial stages of the land redistribution exercise. Discussing racism does not make one racist. Violence of any kind is deeply revolting and should be condemned; and the death of one man regardless of his ancestry is one death too many more so if he perishes at the hands of his fellowmen.
Zimbabwe has failed to conform to all the textbook predictions and to the desires of the West because instead of engaging with the facts the west has betrayed itself into a Pavlovian Bell type response, itself to a large extent created and fed by media hyper-realism. When the Pavlovian syndrome sets in one rarely changes tact even in the face of mounting evidence of policy failure. As long as this remains the case Zimbabwe will remain a cryptic puzzle to the west.
winningmantra *** yahoo.com
Labels: DONALD PAYNE, HILLARY CLINTON, HYPERREALISM, POLICY, PROPAGANDA
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SA Govt has no coherent long term plan, says Manuel
By Reuters
Fri 15 Jan. 2010, 15:30 CAT
Poor policy co-ordination and the absence of a long-term government strategy are hampering South Africa’s efforts to reduce poverty and improve public services, says Trevor Manuel.
Manuel, planning minister and a respected former finance minister, made the comments as President Jacob Zuma, voted into power last year, is under pressure to deliver on his election promises to reduce unemployment drastically. The jobless rate stands at about 25% after recession slashed nearly one million jobs last year.
“Lack of a coherent long-term plan has weakened our ability to provide clear and consistent policies,” Manuel said in a policy document.
“It has limited our capacity to mobilise all of society in pursuit of our developmental objectives.”
“In addition, weaknesses in co-ordination of government have led to policy inconsistencies and, in several cases, poor service delivery outcomes,” added Manuel, who heads a planning commission established last year.
The African National Congress celebrated its 98th anniversary last week amid growing infighting with its communist and labour union allies who want economic policies to shift to the left, abandoning a pro-business stance applauded by foreign investors.
The government has repeatedly said existing policies will remain in place, but that it is open to debate over contentious issues such as a strong rand currency and the central bank’s inflation targeting policy, which unions say has led to high interest rates, worsening the plight of the poor.
On Friday, Manuel said the government’s efforts to reduce poverty and roll back the inequalities of the apartheid era “have only begun to take effect”.
Manuel launched a public campaign for nominations to serve on the National Planning Commission, which will draft a long-term vision and strategic plan for the country. Zuma is expected to announce the commissioners by the end of March.
Labels: POLICY, TREVOR MANUEL
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Zambia is in a logjam - Dr Chongwe
Written by George Chellah
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:24:46 PM
VETERAN politician and lawyer Dr Roger Chongwe has said the nation is currently in a logjam because Zambians do not know the government's agenda on many issues affecting the country. In an interview, Dr Chongwe said he does not know the priorities of the government.
"Quite honestly, they have not been announced to the people. We don't know what the timetable of the government is on many issues that are cropping up in this country," Dr Chongwe said.
"Until such a time that an announcement is made that 'this is our policy and this is what we want to do in order ameliorate or to ease problems', we can say we don't know because the head has not announced to tell us this is the way forward. For the moment we are in a logjam."
Asked how serious the leadership was in governing the country amidst the current economic problems, Dr Chongwe responded: " Well, the point is this, we do have a leader in this country. We do have a President, who was elected in November last year, that President and Cabinet have not yet told us who elected them...who put the government in place how they intend to deal with so many issues, social issues, economic issues as affected locally and also globally."
Dr Chongwe said it was not sufficient to say that everything was in the budget.
"People don't eat the budget. And in any case, you are a government, which has created that budget. What is it that the budget says in order to save this country from the economic malaise that it is experiencing at the moment?" he asked.
He said there was need for government to swiftly tackle the issues facing the country.
"You need a government, which is quick to grapple with those issues and we need now to focus on issues that will be of benefit to Zambia. We need
to stop bickering over issues which do not mean a thing at all. We need to stop bickering because this is not time for elections. The elections were held last year and we chose a President. So there is only one President and the President does not go to a cultural ceremony and begin campaigning against an opposition political leader because this is not the time for campaigning," Dr Chongwe said.
"This is a time for consolidating the policies that were announced and which are the policies that attracted the people of Zambia to elect the new President into office. In 2011, we will have time for quarrel because that's when we will be holding the elections, not now. Now, we are building the nation, now we are putting forward our proposals, how we are going to run this country together. It's not time for bickering about who is loud mouthed and who is morally correct or who is morally wrong."
Dr Chongwe said President Rupiah Banda should set the pace.
"And that pace is for the promotion of peace and good governance in Zambia. What is happening now is very healthy, that you newspaper people you go to people and ask for their opinion and the people give their opinion either in support of government or critical of government because it's the only way that government can be forced to do something to be more democratic, to be alert. But if you always praise, praise, praise you will find nothing. Democracy doesn't work like that," he said.
Dr Chongwe said politicians should not feel complacent of what they were doing.
"They should always know that there is another opinion elsewhere. Yes, some of the things that we are seeing today like all of a sudden people don't have money to pay rent, people don't have money to pay their mortgages, that is the effect of the global meltdown," said Dr Chongwe.
"It does not however affect the salaries that our employees get because we ought to have budgeted for them. And then if we have money enough to pay our members of parliament and constitutional offices...huge salaries then why don't we have money to pay for journalists who work for government? That doesn't make any sense."
Labels: MMD, POLICY, ROGER CHONGWE
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Chongwe bemoans govt’s lack of clear programmes
Written by George Chellah
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:19:27 PM
VETERAN politician and lawyer Dr Roger Chongwe has said the nation is currently in a logjam because Zambians do not know the government's agenda on many issues affecting the country. In an interview, Dr Chongwe said he does not know the priorities of the government.
"Quite honestly, they have not been announced to the people. We don't know what the timetable of the government is on many issues that are cropping up in this country," Dr Chongwe said.
"Until such a time that an announcement is made that 'this is our policy and this is what we want to do in order ameliorate or to ease problems', we can say we don't know because the head has not announced to tell us this is the way forward. For the moment we are in a logjam."
Asked how serious the leadership was in governing the country amidst the current economic problems, Dr Chongwe responded: "Well, the point is this, we do have a leader in this country. We do have a President, who was elected in November last year. That President and Cabinet have not yet told us who elected them...who put the government in place how they intend to deal with so many issues, social issues, economic issues as affected locally and also globally."
Dr Chongwe said it was not sufficient to say that everything was in the budget.
"People don't eat the budget. And in any case, you are a government, which has created that budget. What is it that the budget says in order to save this country from the economic malaise that it is experiencing at the moment?" he asked.
He said there was need for the government to swiftly tackle the issues facing the country.
"You need a government which is quick to grapple with those issues and we need now to focus on issues that will be of benefit to Zambia. We need to stop bickering over issues which do not mean a thing at all. We need to stop bickering because this is not time for elections. The elections were held last year and we chose a President. So there is only one President and the President does not go to a cultural ceremony and begin campaigning against an opposition political leader because this is not the time for campaigning," Dr Chongwe said. "This is a time for consolidating the policies that were announced and which are the policies that attracted the people of Zambia to elect the new President into office. In 2011, we will have time for quarrel because that's when we will be holding the elections, not now. Now, we are building the nation, now we are putting forward our proposals, how we are going to run this country together. It's not time for bickering about who is loud mouthed and who is morally correct or who is morally wrong."
Dr Chongwe said President Rupiah Banda should set the pace.
"And that pace is for the promotion of peace and good governance in Zambia. What is happening now is very healthy, that you newspaper people you go to people and ask for their opinion and the people give their opinion either in support of government or critical of government because it's the only way that government can be forced to do something to be more democratic, to be alert. But if you always praise, praise, praise you will find nothing. Democracy doesn't work like that," he said.
Dr Chongwe said politicians should not feel complacent of what they were doing.
"They should always know that there is another opinion elsewhere. Yes, some of the things that we are seeing today like all of a sudden people don't have money to pay rent, people don't have money to pay their mortgages, that is the effect of the global meltdown," said Dr Chongwe.
"It does not however affect the salaries that our employees get because we ought to have budgeted for them. And then if we have money enough to pay our members of parliament and constitutional offices...huge salaries, then why don't we have money to pay for journalists who work for government? That doesn't make any sense."
Labels: MMD, POLICY, ROGER CHONGWE
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Zambian political parties lack ideologies, says Simutanyi
By Jack Zimba
Sunday June 15, 2008 [04:00]
THERE is lack of clear ideological foundations within political parties in Zambia, University of Zambia (UNZA) lecturer Dr Neo Simutanyi has observed. During a discussion on political parties and their manifestos organised by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FHS) at Lusaka Hotel on Thursday, Dr Simutanyi said political parties risked becoming irrelevant if they did not publicise their manifestos for public scrutiny. He expressed worry that most leaders attending the workshop could not clearly explain their party ideologies because they were developed by few individuals.
“Even the officials that are sitting here do not know about the content of their manifestos, which is really a shame,” he said.
“Time has come for parties to sharpen their skills and come up with good policies that they can market to the electorate.”
Dr Simutanyi said the relegation of policy to the backside was doing a disservice to Zambia’s democracy.
And FHS country director, Gerd Bolterweck said members of political parties must define the manifesto of the party to promote democracy. He said this would also help the members to identify with the party and not an individual.
National Democratic Focus national secretary Clifford Mwaba, observed that most parties in the country were based on personalities, instead of policy.
“Once a strong personality comes up with a political party, he becomes the manifesto and ideology of the party,” Mwaba said.
And one of the resource persons, Horrance Chilando, from the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue, said political parties should come up with participatory ways to formulate their manifestos.
He said manifestoes were not a preserve of a political party, and called on leaders to publicise their party policies so that people could scrutinise them.
Chilando said the tendency by political parties to hide their manifestos had led to failure by other parties to analyse the manifestos of other political parties.
The workshop was attended by representatives from over 10 political parties, including the MMD, United Party for National Development, Patriotic Front and UNIP.
Labels: DR NEO SIMUTANYI, PARTIES, POLICY, POLITICS
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