Chifumu reminds NCC delegates of deadline
By Mwala Kalaluka
Fri 09 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT
NATIONAL Constitutional Conference (NCC) chairperson Chifumu Banda on Wednesday reminded delegates that on August 31, 2010 the NCC would be no more.
During consideration, confirmation and adoption of various NCC committee reports, Banda said the failure by some delegates to take the conference’s work seriously had led the NCC to being showered with unfair criticism.
After handing down a warning to one of the delegates, Dante Saunders, following what was described as a negative and discomforting statement he made on Radio Phoenix on the work of the NCC, Banda presided over the presentation of various motions to adopt some committee reports.
The reports that came for consideration were those from the democratic governance committee chaired by Stanley Mhango, the executive committee chaired by Michael Mabenga, the legislative committee chaired by Mutale Nalumango, the local government committee chaired by Solomon Muzyamba and the human rights committee chaired by Enoch Mulembi.
Moving a motion to confirm and consider the articles that the House adopted from the democratic governance committee, Mhango said the committee operated on 29 terms of reference.
Mhango said 20 articles were adopted as they were in the Mung’omba draft constitution while eight articles were adopted with amendments.
Mhango said the article on the election of a Republican president through the 50 per cent plus one threshold was referred to a referendum after the NCC failed to reach consensus.
“I now request the NCC to adopt the report of democratic governance committee as amended,” Mhango said.
Banda said the report of the committee had been circulated before the NCC adjourned in February and there was no need to go clause by clause during the consideration.
Alfred Mudenda proposed the adoption of the report and Bishop Joshua Banda seconded it and there was no counterproposal.
Following the adoption of the report, Mhango said the decisions was a clear indication of the commitment of the members of the NCC in ensuring that the views of the Zambian people were reflected in the new constitution.
Mhango said he could safely say that out of everything that the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) had been advocating for in terms of electoral law reform, 99 per cent had seen the light of day through the adoption.
However, the report and the presentation of a motion on the confirmed adoption of the report of the executive committee was deferred after some delegates complained that they had not had an opportunity to read through the document.
Mabenga said the executive committee had 36 terms of reference falling under Part nine of the constitution.
“19 articles were adopted without amendment as recommended by Mung’omba,” he said. “10 were adopted with amendments.”
Mabenga said five articles were deleted and replaced by others while one new article was introduced by the general conference.
He said another article that was recommended under the Mung’omba draft was referred to a referendum after the committee referred it to the general conference.
But the adoption confirmation could not proceed after all the delegates said they had not read the report as it had just been distributed.
“Those documents were distributed as you were reporting yesterday,” Banda said as the delegates disagreed. “In the name of democracy and to allow those that are keen to read the report tonight, we will defer recommendation of this report.”
On the report of the local government committee, Muzyamba said the committee worked on 37 terms of reference and that from that number five articles were adopted as presented while 12 articles were adopted with amendments.
He said 14 articles were deleted and six articles were harmonised with similar provisions in the current constitution.
When it came to the adoption of the report, one delegate suggested that Banda should read the report clause by clause during consideration because some of them had left their copies.
“Let us not postpone decision making. That is why we get unfair criticism,” Banda said.
He said the delegates had been given enough time to read and that all of them were expected to come with their copies of the report.
“This is not a kindergarten. You are expected to bring the report as responsible members of the NCC. This is why we are showered with unfair criticism. We know what we are here for,” said Banda. “On 31st August 2010 there is no NCC, let’s move.”
Labels: CHIFUMU BANDA, DANTE SAUNDERS, NCC, STANLEY MHANGO
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Ministry of Health K10bn scandal is unforgivable – FODEP
Written by Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Monday, May 18, 2009 4:12:19 PM
FOUNDATION for Democratic Process (FODEP) president Stanley Mhango has described the alleged K10 billion scandal at the Ministry of Health as murderous and unforgivable.
And Mhango has expressed concern that civil servants in Zambia have become serious abusers of public resources without applying social shame.
Commenting on the alleged K10 billion scandal involving ministry of health officials that was currently under probe, Mhango stated that FODEP was greatly disturbed by the recent revelation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
"As an organisation, we are greatly disturbed by the recent revelations by the ACC of the abuse of K10 billion public or donor money from the Ministry of Health which was [suspected to have been] invested in private lodges and luxurious vehicles at the expense of poor majority Zambians," Mhango stated.
"It is common knowledge that most hospitals and health centres in the country suffer from the shortages of drugs (ARVs), staff and facilities and yet some public officers are busy abusing and plundering taxpayers' money meant for developmental activities."
Mhango expressed concern that the people involved in the scandal had continued with their usual work and were withdrawing salaries and allowances from the public coffers despite 'killing' many people through their actions.
"How much ARV drugs would have been procured from the K10 billion? How many health centres and associated facilities would have been put up from the K10 billion? How many CD4 count machines would have been procured and installed in hospitals across the country?" Mhango asked.
He noted that such acts were not only embarrassing to the Ministry of Health and the government but to all Zambians and sent negative signals to the country's cooperating partners.
Mhango demanded the immediate arrest of the people concerned or involved in the K10 billion corruption scandal. He commended the ACC for being proactive and saving further loss of public resources from selfish individuals.
"We further demand for a thorough audit of the Global Funds given directly to the Ministry of Health to ascertain the level of abuse of those funds," stated Mhango.
Labels: FODEP, HEALTHCARE, STANLEY MHANGO
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Mhango cautions over united Africa dream
Mhango cautions over united Africa dream
Written by Bivan Saluseki
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 7:48:35 PM
FOUNDATION for Democratic Process (FODEP) president Stanley Mhango has called for a cautious approach in the course of projecting the dream of a United States of Africa.
Mhango yesterday said although the idea of a United States of Africa was a step in the right direction, its major aim should be to provide a platform through which the economic and political aspiration of the African people are met.
He said the dream, if concretised, could be a vehicle through which a 'bulwark' to peer the more integrated and cohesive European Union and the United States of America would be provided.
However, Mhango said some challenges needed to be met.
"We urge the proponents of this concept to note that in a contemporary world, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the most important distinction among the people to a large extent, especially in Africa, is not ideological, political or economic but cultural. Most Africans define themselves in terms of ancestry, religious, language, history, values, customs and institutions, cultural groups and tribes," he said.
Mhango appealed to those championing the idea to make a more rigorous analysis of the concept of a united states.
"They need, among other things, to undertake a comprehensive review of Africa's peculiar historical background because the debilitating conditions affecting the continent today are dictated by historical forces namely trans-Saharan/trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonial domination and conquest which made Africa to be in a perpetual state of socio-economic paralysis," he said.
Mhango said for the dream to be realised, there was need to address the challenge posed by the situation where the economies of the African people were tied to the apron strings of the colonial masters and Western world creating a situation of dependence, a relationship that was tilted in favour of the colonialists.
Mhango said another issue that needed to be addressed was the legitimacy of the present crop of leaders in Africa, especially those championing the dream, since the continent was filled with pseudo-democrats, sit-tight rulers, dictators and autocrats.
"Africans cannot afford to keep their destiny in the hands of such crops of leaders," he said.
Mhango said there was need to address the political will to undertake fundamental reforms of various African policies, which seemed to be lacking.
"In the absence of any other convincing arguments, the proponents of this dream may be living an illusion," said Mhango.
Labels: FODEP, PANAFRICANISM, STANLEY MHANGO
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