Saturday, July 07, 2012

(NEWZIMBABWE) MDC ministers face wealth probe

COMMENT - Note to NewZimbabwe.com, if it is true that ministers suddenly came into a lot of money after they ascended into office, it is not 'a smear' or a 'smear campaign'.

MDC ministers face wealth probe
06/07/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

SEVERAL Ministers from the MDC formations face investigations over the source of their "sudden wealth" as part of a campaign by Zanu PF to discredit its rivals ahead of elections expected next year.

According to the weekly Financial Gazette newspaper, the smear campaign would target key figures such as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, Energy Minister Elton Mangoma as well as MDC leader Welshman Ncube.

Nathaniel Manheru, a blogger with the Zanu PF-leaning Herald newspaper who is believed to be Presidential spokesperson George Charamba hinted at the strategy last Saturday, warning: “The MDC has failed both the competence test and the integrity test.

"It wallows in countless scandals, its officials now numbering among the richest, especially by way of real estate. I shall have occasion to trace for the reader this property labyrinth traceable to MDC ministers who are hardly four years in their portfolios, on a paltry salary.

"Only then will it become plain that all the carping about Chiadzwa is but diversionary talk. The list is about ready. That is the beauty about an election season, is it not? No holds are barred.”


Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said he was not aware of the planned investigations. But MDC-T spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, said his party was aware of a plot by Zanu PF to manufacture allegations against its leaders.

“We know that Zanu PF is trying to manufacture stories against our leaders and it’s nothing new,” he said.

“The fact of the matter is that our deployees in government - our ministers, our deputy ministers, our Prime Minister, our Deputy Prime Minister - have done very well to improve the lot of the people of Zimbabwe.”

MDC vice president, Edwin Mushoriwa, said if anyone should be investigated over the source of their wealth it was the top leadership of Zanu PF.

“Some Zanu PF ministers are the ones who have been mentioned now and then in relation to corruption,” he said.

The integrity of our people in government is unquestionable. Our councillors have never been found on the wrong side when it comes to corruption. All our Members of Parliament were never mentioned in the looting of the Constituency Development Fund.”

[Click on the label MDC Corruption at the bottom of this article. - MrK]


Several MDC-T councillors have been implicated in corrupt dealings especially in the allocation of land in their respective municipalities around the country as well as stripping councils of their assets.

Activists have expressed disquiet over the sudden wealth of MDC-T Ministers although insisting any corrupt conduct by party officials pales into insignificance when compared to Zanu PF.

Said South Africa-based activist and former regional spokesman, Sibanengi Dube, on his Facebook Wall: “Tales of the abrupt opulence of MDC cabinet ministers, councillors and mayors are dominating headlines in both the liberated and partisan media.

“The majority of ministers are accused of double-dipping in government coffers. Some are alleged to have been caught with their fingers in public cookie-jars. Some are said to be cutting deals in government offices.

“All these (allegations) have been easily dismissed by MDC characters as Zanu PF affronts to dishonour Machinjas. But the overt opulence of MDC ministers is not easy to dismiss.”


***

COMMENTS FROM READERS:

Svirimon Mutundashuga

The biggest problem facing most African institutes today is corruption. Its undisputable fact that corruption in Zimbabwe like any other African country is rampant and has since reached alarming levels. On a none partisan lines, I will certainly doubt the sanity of any person objecting nor defending either ZANUPF/MDC-T/N/M when it comes to scrupulous means of acquiring wealth in Zimbabwe.

MORGAN RICHARD TSVANGIRAI paid about 40 000usd for locadia, this year he has forked out the same if not more than for Elizabeth, He pays 1400usd/month to Loreta Nyathi Recently been to USA with all his family supposedly at his own expense. His salary is 1000usd/month.

GENERAL CONSTANTINE CHIWENGA (Salary 700usd/month before tax)-Last year he paid the mubaiwas 47000usd bride price for marrying shingie’s ex-wife. We even told that after marrying he moved into a 250 000usd house in the splash suburb of borrowdale.

ORBET MPOFU (Salary 800usd/month before tax)-He bought 30 houses on the same day in Victoria Falls and his unknown Trebor Khays with virtually no known form of core business bought ZABG for 23million usd. Recently he had a birth day bash worth thousands and thanks to 180 000usd that he splashed out to buy maize for the folks in his constituency.

THOKOZANI KHUPE (Salary 1200usd/month before tax)-Has 2 kids that she is paying almost 30 000pounds per year in British Universities.

Shall we talk about Chombo, Gono, Kereke,Biti, Chamisa. The list is long and one wonders where they getting the money from. Dear Electorates-let it be known to you that you duped and enriching others by voting any of the current politician into power. They have not promulgated any law that can improve the life of an ordinary Zimbabwe ever since the GNU was formed. All they did was to enrich themselves through COPAC and unending arguments to protect their own interest.

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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe a ‘village dog’: Bennett

COMMENT - VOA is Voice Of America, which is an extension of the CIA, and relays propganda for the US State Department. Roy Bennett is a former Selous Scout under Ian Smith. On the VOA and the MDC's guidance by the US government, read: "US Government Report Undermines Zimbabwe Opposition’s Claim of Independence".

Mugabe a ‘village dog’: Bennett
06/07/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter I VOA

EXILED MDC-T treasurer general, Roy Bennett, has launched a rambling attack on President Robert Mugabe, describing the 88 year-old Zanu PF leader as an “illegitimate and diseased village dog”.

Bennet accused his MDC-T party of giving legitimacy to Zanu PF and claimed that Mugabe wanted another power-sharing arrangement after the next elections to ensure that his party remains in charge.

“Zanu PF continues holding on to power using the military junta and controlling absolutely everything, and the MDC is giving them the playing field to continue looting and to continue moving diamond revenue outside the country,” Bennett told VOA News.

“We did not begin the struggle to stroke the hand that kills. No more GNU - a miserable and malnourished mongrel fathered by an illegitimate and diseased village dog. Zanu PF, get out of our way. Let's finish it now."

Proded by reporter, Violet Gonda, on who the “diseased village dog” was, Bennett said: “Obviously Mugabe is the dog.

“He is the dog that destroyed Zimbabwe; he is the dog that continues to hold onto power and kill people and direct, instruct and prop up a junta that unleashes violence on the people of Zimbabwe; and to terrorise his own people in a country that is supposed to be a free country that has come out of a liberation struggle.”


['A' liberation struggle which he was on the wrong side of. I don't think he calls it a liberation struggle in private. - MrK]


Bennett’s remarks are in sharp contrast to the effusive praise heaped on Mugabe by Finance Minister and MDC-T Secretary General Tendai Biti in a recent interview with the Sunday Mail.

“What I want to also appreciate about the man is his capacity to listen, counsel, most importantly, his unflappability. It is very important for a leader to listen to both sides (of a story) and not to (easily) get angry,” Biti reportedly said.

“We find counsel and wisdom in him. His importance in this country will be seen once he’s gone. When he’s gone that is when you will see that this man was Zimbabwe.

"Some of us who came from different parties have had to learn a lot from the man. He is a fountain of experience, fountain of knowledge and, most importantly, a fountain of stability.

"There are a lot of horrible things that would have happened in this country if he had not said 'No'. History will prove the correctness of this statement. He has been the number one symbol of stability.”

But Bennett claimed the Sunday Mail had told “absolute lies” adding “its just propaganda from Zanu PF”. Biti has however, not disowned the remarks.

Bennett also said the coalition government had outlived its usefulness, insisting that although the administration had managed to stabilise the country’s economy, most ordinary people were still struggling to survive.

“It’s fine to have the U.S. dollars and shops full of food, but the people on the ground don’t have the money to buy the stuff and when the people on the ground are battling," he said.

"So we need to bring absolute and complete change and empower the people.”


[He means empower himself. - MrK]


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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mugabe a ‘village dog’: Bennett

COMMENT - VOA is Voice Of America, which is an extension of the CIA, and relays propganda for the US State Department. Roy Bennett is a former Selous Scout under Ian Smith.

Mugabe a ‘village dog’: Bennett
06/07/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter I VOA

EXILED MDC-T treasurer general, Roy Bennett, has launched a rambling attack on President Robert Mugabe, describing the 88 year-old Zanu PF leader as an “illegitimate and diseased village dog”.

Bennet accused his MDC-T party of giving legitimacy to Zanu PF and claimed that Mugabe wanted another power-sharing arrangement after the next elections to ensure that his party remains in charge.

“Zanu PF continues holding on to power using the military junta and controlling absolutely everything, and the MDC is giving them the playing field to continue looting and to continue moving diamond revenue outside the country,” Bennett told VOA News.

“We did not begin the struggle to stroke the hand that kills. No more GNU - a miserable and malnourished mongrel fathered by an illegitimate and diseased village dog. Zanu PF, get out of our way. Let's finish it now."

Proded by reporter, Violet Gonda, on who the “diseased village dog” was, Bennett said: “Obviously Mugabe is the dog.

“He is the dog that destroyed Zimbabwe; he is the dog that continues to hold onto power and kill people and direct, instruct and prop up a junta that unleashes violence on the people of Zimbabwe; and to terrorise his own people in a country that is supposed to be a free country that has come out of a liberation struggle.”


['A' liberation struggle which he was on the wrong side of. I don't think he calls it a liberation struggle in private. - MrK]


Bennett’s remarks are in sharp contrast to the effusive praise heaped on Mugabe by Finance Minister and MDC-T Secretary General Tendai Biti in a recent interview with the Sunday Mail.

“What I want to also appreciate about the man is his capacity to listen, counsel, most importantly, his unflappability. It is very important for a leader to listen to both sides (of a story) and not to (easily) get angry,” Biti reportedly said.

“We find counsel and wisdom in him. His importance in this country will be seen once he’s gone. When he’s gone that is when you will see that this man was Zimbabwe.

"Some of us who came from different parties have had to learn a lot from the man. He is a fountain of experience, fountain of knowledge and, most importantly, a fountain of stability.

"There are a lot of horrible things that would have happened in this country if he had not said 'No'. History will prove the correctness of this statement. He has been the number one symbol of stability.”

But Bennett claimed the Sunday Mail had told “absolute lies” adding “its just propaganda from Zanu PF”. Biti has however, not disowned the remarks.

Bennett also said the coalition government had outlived its usefulness, insisting that although the administration had managed to stabilise the country’s economy, most ordinary people were still struggling to survive.

“It’s fine to have the U.S. dollars and shops full of food, but the people on the ground don’t have the money to buy the stuff and when the people on the ground are battling," he said.

"So we need to bring absolute and complete change and empower the people.”


[He means empower himself. - MrK]


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Rupiah annoys Sata over Bush

Rupiah annoys Sata over Bush
By Ernest Chanda and Afeti Yulu
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has told Rupiah Banda to prepare to answer for his misdeeds instead of seeking relevance from the international community.

Former president Banda has apologised to former US president George W. Bush over President Sata's remark to the latter when they met on Wednesday, that his visit to Zambia was payback for what colonialists got from Africa. Banda described the sentiments said during a light moment at State House as incorrect and undiplomatic.

But in a statement issued yesterday by his special assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah, President Sata stated that Banda was not the right person to play cheap politics.

"Let Mr Banda prepare to answer for his own misdeeds. Trying to turn a light-hearted exchange between former president Bush and myself, which we normally do, will not help him to sort out his numerous problems," President Sata stated.

"Mr Banda spent his presidency doing wrong things for himself and his children. I therefore, understand his desperation and attempts to seek relevance, though in wrong places this time around. I would encourage my dear brother to come to terms with what has happened and subsequently behave as a mature adult, and leave the running of government to the duly elected officers."

He warned Banda not to take his luck too far because he had offended Zambians in many ways when he was Republican president.

President Sata reminded Banda that it was him who told off the donors when he was in office.

"Today, Mr Banda can pretend to be a friend of the international community because he wants their support to defend the wrong things that he did during his tenure. But we have not forgotten that it is during his administration that he told donors to 'pack and go' when they questioned the corruption in his government," he stated.

"Notwithstanding the many wrongs that Mr Banda committed against our people and us, we have restrained ourselves and tried to accord him full respect. Obviously, Mr Banda is mistaking this for a weakness. We warn him not to push his luck too far. In fact, he is the least person that should cross paths with this administration."

President Sata stated that Banda had turned the head of state's light-hearted conversation with Bush into an occasion for cheap political scoring.

According to a letter sent to Bush and released to the media by his office yesterday, Banda claimed that President Sata's statement did not represent the true feeling of Zambians.

Banda described the moment President Sata had with Bush as an embarrassing experience.

"These statements, which were not only factually incorrect and undiplomatic, do not represent the true feelings of the Zambian people, who strongly recognise the value of positive relations with the United States of America. It is deeply regrettable that these statements were made on the same day as the celebration of your Independence Day, marking the universally-shared hope of self-determination and freedom. As our elected head of state, the President is entitled to formulate a foreign policy of his choosing," stated Banda.

"However, disagreement need not manifest itself in disrespect, and the form and manner in which these statements were made is not representative of our culture. No matter what political views different parties may hold, the people of Zambia are peace-loving, welcoming, and focused positively on the future, not the past. We hope that this unpleasant and embarrassing experience will not dissuade you or other former heads of state from collaborating with us on development projects in the future. Hope, not resentment; hard work, not victimhood; and progress, not retrocession; are the hallmarks of the new Zambia that our people dream of building, and we hope that people of all nations will work with us in pursuing a better future for our people."

And Mbita Chitala has said those condemning President Sata over the chat he had with Bush may be extending the argument too far because what they had was a casual conversation between the two senior leaders of the world and they resolved it there and then.

"While Mr Sata in a very casual and nice way indicated that we in the Third World have been victims of unequal trade in neocolonialism which is a correct statement and Mr Bush in defence of his country says no they have never…but we as we know Mr Sata was correct; not colonialism as practiced in the olden days where they conquered land but of a newer form of which Nkrumah described as neocolonialism. So he was correct, but of course this was a casual chat between the two," he said.

Chitala said anyone commenting on the issue is just being mischievous.

"That was a casual chat and people doing that (commenting) may be extending the argument too far. If even casual chats and jokes should be construed as becoming public policy then that in my view would not be the right way of reading this situation and maybe a condemnation is misplaced…particularly when the two gentlemen resolved their chat there and then. Anyway, this is part of democracy, isn't it?" said Chitala.


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The unity of opposites

The unity of opposites
By The Post
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

WE should never deceive ourselves that the role the opposition plays is not important. It would be a mistake to write off the role of the opposition just because opposition political parties and their leaders do not always work well. Opposition political parties form a pivotal institution in a healthy democracy.

Without well functioning opposition political parties, certain sections of society lose the opportunity of being represented in a meaningful way. Opposition political parties are the bridge between government and society, both in the ways they translate society's demands into political ideas and programmes, and in the way they hold government to account on society's behalf.

Clearly, in the pursuit of a healthy democracy, opposition political parties cannot be neglected. Viable opposition political parties and effective party systems are fundamental to building democracy.

But of course different situations in different countries demand different approaches. It is not just a matter of copying and pasting. The opposition challenge must be understood within a wider context of the way society is organised.

A democracy operates on the basis that there is room for choice all the way up to the selection of the government.

A single party state, whether de facto or de jure, is not acceptable. The one party state, except at rare moments in history, is a recipe for tyranny. We have learnt from the history of others and from our history that the concept of one party rule is a disaster no matter how meritorious, how noble, how honest those running it may be.

Dialects also teaches us something about the unity of opposites. The opposition and the ruling party or parties are two sides of the same coin, same state, same government, same society. Destruction of one side undermines or destroys the value of the whole. And this is why we have always been calling for a loyal opposition - loyal to the whole and not just one side.

It means, in essence, that all sides in a democracy - those in the opposition and those in the ruling party - share a common commitment to society as a whole, to the state, to the country and indeed to the people and to the basic values of the nation.

And as we have consistently stated, political competitors in a multiparty democracy don't necessarily have to like each other, but they must tolerate one another and acknowledge that each has a legitimate and important role to play. Moreover, the ground rule of society must encourage tolerance and civility in political discourse.

And all sides must agree to cooperate in solving the common problems of the society. Those in the opposition must realise that their role is important and take it seriously and constructively with the knowledge that their role is essential in any democracy worthy of the name.

As we have already alluded, they are loyal not to the specific policies of the ruling party, but to the fundamental legitimacy of the state, and the democratic process itself. Multiparty democracy, after all, is not a system where political parties and their members and leaders are fighting for survival, but a competition to serve.

This means that opposition to the ruling party should be provided constructively without transgressing the laws, the constitution of the country or being disloyal to the nation.

Opposition political parties have to make themselves relevant to be accepted by society. The acceptance by society of a valid role for the opposition is in itself an important underpinning for its work. It is equally important that those in the ruling party accept and respect the role of the opposition, however small it may be in relation to the ruling party.

The opposition is an important scrutiniser of the work of those running government, and a supporter or critic of its policies. And members of the opposition must accept that greater burdens devolve on them in regard to scrutiny and oversight.

At the same time, those in the opposition have a duty to themselves and their voters to play the role of an alternative government, the role of a government in waiting. In more stable and mature democracies, this is well recognised and the leader of the largest opposition party is often given access to sensitive information on the basis that he or she, as leader of the government in waiting, has to be ready to perform the role of running the country at comparatively short notice.

This calls for maturity, this calls for a loyal opposition, an opposition that is trustworthy. The major challenge for the opposition is its need to be seen as credible in this role.

In order to do that, it must be as responsible, respected and united as an opposition political party and it must create policies that are relevant to the day-to-day lives of people. It must not be seen to be a bunch of anarchists, annihilators, people who are hell-bent on frustrating anything that comes from the ruling party no matter how good it may be.

Those in the ruling party also have their responsibilities to the opposition. In the first instance, sufficient space and opportunities should be provided for caring out the work of a loyal opposition. There must be an adequate level of access to sources of information to enable those in the opposition to make informed statements and decisions.

This is important because this is the only way an opposition can make a sound contribution towards the efficient running of the country and also can make its own points and demonstrate how its policies could have achieved better results.

Those in the opposition sometimes feel their views should carry the day. This is unrealistic as this would mean giving them the position of the majority and creating a majority for them where none exists. It must be accepted that those in the ruling party were elected to rule and that the opposition's role is constructive criticism and keeping alternative policies in view.

Once again, the opposition has to be adequately resourced if it has to come up with ideas, policies and criticisms that are well researched. Otherwise they could end up just wasting time and making a nuisance of themselves with bad effects not just for the opposition but for our multiparty democracy as a whole.

We understand the political challenges that are there in the opposition supporting or cooperating with government in certain things, given where we are coming from and our political culture. The opposition often has a difficult decision to make with regards to supporting the ruling party or in working to a consensus on a policy matter.

This could be statesmanlike approach and in the national interest, but the possibility of negative perception of such stances can be damaging to the opposition if not properly handled. And this is where the prerequisites Dr Fred Mutesa is raising come in.

As he correctly observes, it is not wrong for the ruling party and the opposition to work together for national development. But there should be circumstances warranting non-partisan collaboration. And such collaboration needs to be justifiable, transparent and known to the public.

The opposition may also have to be careful in relation to other civil society organisations and indeed individual interests. These may have their own disagreements with those in government and will seek to engage the opposition in their cause.

If the opposition espouses their positions, this may be misunderstood by others to mean that the opposition agrees with them. This may be far from the truth and could damage the interests of the opposition in relation to other components of society.

Again, multiparty democracy is not a set of revealed, unchanging truths, but the mechanism by which, through the clash and compromise of ideas, individuals and institutions, the people can, however imperfectly, reach for truth.

Multiparty democracy is pragmatic. Ideas and solutions to problems are not tested against rigid political outlook but tried in the real world where they can be argued over and changed, accepted or discarded.

Multiparty politics cannot protect against mistakes, end strife or guarantee economic prosperity. It does, however, allow for the debate and examination that can identify mistakes, permit groups to meet and resolve differences, and offer opportunities for innovation and investment that are the engines of economic growth.

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Government, opposition should have a common ground - Mutesa

Government, opposition should have a common ground - Mutesa
By Fridah Nkonde
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:24 CAT

DR Fred Mutesa says the government and opposition political parties should always have a common ground where there is national interest at stake.

In an interview yesterday, Dr Mutesa, president of the Zambians for Empowerment and Development, said it was not wrong for the government and the opposition to work together for national development but there should be circumstances warranting the collaboration.

"In as much as the opposition political parties need to offer checks and balances and give government policy options, there is need for both the government and the opposition to adopt non-partisan positions where there is national interest at stake," Dr Mutesa said.

He said there was also need to ensure that the role of the opposition is maintained for the sake of democracy.

Dr Mutesa said it was important for both the ruling party and the opposition parties to show genuineness in the way they were tackling issues of national development.

He said the ruling party should not be seen to have a motive of trying to liquidate the opposition, adding that it would also not be right for the opposition to join the ruling party for a particular gain.

Dr Mutesa said all collaborations between the government and the opposition political parties needed to be justifiable.

He further said circumstances causing the government and the opposition to work together needed to be transparent and known to the public.

"The issue of the government and the opposition working together for the sake of national development is supposed to be understood very well because in a multi party state, the opposition needs to offer constructive criticism. But it depends on what Zambians want…whether to have a one party state or what…if they want both the ruling party and the opposition to think alike, then it would mean that the opposition has failed to play their critical role of offering checks and balances," he said.

Dr Mutesa said in the Zambian context, cooperation between the ruling and the opposition political parties was mainly motivated by sinister motives.

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Rupiah annoys Sata over Bush

Rupiah annoys Sata over Bush
By Ernest Chanda and Afeti Yulu
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has told Rupiah Banda to prepare to answer for his misdeeds instead of seeking relevance from the international community.

Former president Banda has apologised to former US president George W. Bush over President Sata's remark to the latter when they met on Wednesday, that his visit to Zambia was payback for what colonialists got from Africa.

Banda described the sentiments said during a light moment at State House as incorrect and undiplomatic.

But in a statement issued yesterday by his special assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah, President Sata stated that Banda was not the right person to play cheap politics.

"Let Mr Banda prepare to answer for his own misdeeds. Trying to turn a light-hearted exchange between former president Bush and myself, which we normally do, will not help him to sort out his numerous problems," President Sata stated.

"Mr Banda spent his presidency doing wrong things for himself and his children. I therefore, understand his desperation and attempts to seek relevance, though in wrong places this time around. I would encourage my dear brother to come to terms with what has happened and subsequently behave as a mature adult, and leave the running of government to the duly elected officers."

He warned Banda not to take his luck too far because he had offended Zambians in many ways when he was Republican president.

President Sata reminded Banda that it was him who told off the donors when he was in office.

"Today, Mr Banda can pretend to be a friend of the international community because he wants their support to defend the wrong things that he did during his tenure. But we have not forgotten that it is during his administration that he told donors to 'pack and go' when they questioned the corruption in his government," he stated.

"Notwithstanding the many wrongs that Mr Banda committed against our people and us, we have restrained ourselves and tried to accord him full respect. Obviously, Mr Banda is mistaking this for a weakness. We warn him not to push his luck too far. In fact, he is the least person that should cross paths with this administration."

President Sata stated that Banda had turned the head of state's light-hearted conversation with Bush into an occasion for cheap political scoring.

According to a letter sent to Bush and released to the media by his office yesterday, Banda claimed that President Sata's statement did not represent the true feeling of Zambians.

Banda described the moment President Sata had with Bush as an embarrassing experience.

"These statements, which were not only factually incorrect and undiplomatic, do not represent the true feelings of the Zambian people, who strongly recognise the value of positive relations with the United States of America. It is deeply regrettable that these statements were made on the same day as the celebration of your Independence Day, marking the universally-shared hope of self-determination and freedom. As our elected head of state, the President is entitled to formulate a foreign policy of his choosing," stated Banda.

"However, disagreement need not manifest itself in disrespect, and the form and manner in which these statements were made is not representative of our culture. No matter what political views different parties may hold, the people of Zambia are peace-loving, welcoming, and focused positively on the future, not the past. We hope that this unpleasant and embarrassing experience will not dissuade you or other former heads of state from collaborating with us on development projects in the future. Hope, not resentment; hard work, not victimhood; and progress, not retrocession; are the hallmarks of the new Zambia that our people dream of building, and we hope that people of all nations will work with us in pursuing a better future for our people."

And Mbita Chitala has said those condemning President Sata over the chat he had with Bush may be extending the argument too far because what they had was a casual conversation between the two senior leaders of the world and they resolved it there and then.

"While Mr Sata in a very casual and nice way indicated that we in the Third World have been victims of unequal trade in neocolonialism which is a correct statement and Mr Bush in defence of his country says no they have never…but we as we know Mr Sata was correct; not colonialism as practiced in the olden days where they conquered land but of a newer form of which Nkrumah described as neocolonialism. So he was correct, but of course this was a casual chat between the two," he said.

Chitala said anyone commenting on the issue is just being mischievous.

"That was a casual chat and people doing that (commenting) may be extending the argument too far. If even casual chats and jokes should be construed as becoming public policy then that in my view would not be the right way of reading this situation and maybe a condemnation is misplaced…particularly when the two gentlemen resolved their chat there and then. Anyway, this is part of democracy, isn't it?" said Chitala.

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Zamtel should assume optic fibre upon paying market value - Kashita

Zamtel should assume optic fibre upon paying market value - Kashita
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:24 CAT

ZAMTEL should only assume the Zesco optic fibre upon paying a market value for the asset without compromising the power utility's ability to monitor the safety of its installations, says Andrew Kashita.

And Kashita says finance minister Alexander Chikwanda should intervene in the fight over the initially US$13 million Zesco asset and at the same time constitute a forensic audit to determine the correct status of the Zamtel optic fibre project.

Government sources have disclosed that Zamtel, through managing director Dr Mupanga Mwanakatwe, is pushing to wrestle back the Zesco optic fibre from the power utility after the government reversed the sale of the telecommunications company.

And communications minister Yamfwa Mukanga said he would like to see Zamtel takeover the Zesco optic fibre, saying "Zesco is a company that is supposed to execute electricity and energy-related issues, and communication issues are for Zamtel" and that Cabinet will decide on the matter.

The matter is expected to be tabled before Cabinet to decide ownership of the asset grabbed from Zesco and given to Zamtel at the height of the ill-fated 75 per cent sale of the telecommunications giant to Lap GreenN of Libya. The optic fibre was reverted to Zesco after the government aborted the US $257 million sale of Zamtel last January.

Energy minister Christopher Yaluma said he will heavily defend Zesco's optic fibre from being ceded to Zamtel unless the latter agrees to pay the capital expenditure invested by the power utility.

Kashita, a former communications minister, said there was need to resolve the wrangle of the optic fibre to benefit the Zambian people.

He said there was need for Chikwanda who holds shares in two firms on behalf of the Zambian people, to decide in the interest of the country.

"If on business consideration, it is found that Zamtel is the better company to run even the Zesco's investment optic fibre, then that should be done but Zesco should not be deprived of its right to use the communication system for its own house telemetry to allow them know what is happening on the line," Kashita said in an interview.

Kashita who said Zesco needed to safeguard its ability to closely monitor the safety of its installation using the fibre optic, said the commercial viability of the asset was the source of the current wrangles.

"Zesco has a duty to make sure that they know what the fault is; where the fault is and how long they are going to put it right using this technology telemetry," he said.

"We must use the optic fibre to the benefit of Zambia and not get stuck in squabbling between state-owned enterprises. Therefore the ministers cannot put a coin in the air and say 'head you win; tail you lose'. There must be a business analysis of what is the best for the country but Zesco has a duty…necessity to tell at any time where the fault is."

Kashita who blamed the MMD regime for what he termed lack of foresight said Zesco and Zamtel optic fibre projects were "duplicated investments" and that there was need to investigate the current status of both optic fibre projects to determine their current status and viability.

"What is the capacity that Zamtel has where there is a duplication compared to what Zesco has? If the capacity of both is big enough to accommodate present demand, fine," said Kashita.

"If it isn't, Zesco will be told that you have to make available and so much will be paid but they must control the charges because optic fibre should cost the same. If it comes to compensation, it must be done as a business because these are two separate businesses and they must be treated as such. Each one will say we invested this much, so, they must be a forensic audit of that investment to show that it was a genuine investment in fibre optics."


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By-elections results reflect major gains for PF - Kabimba

By-elections results reflect major gains for PF - Kabimba
By Mwala Kalaluka, Moses Kuwema, Edwin Mbulo and Christopher Mi
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

THE PF says results from the just-ended parliamentary and local government by-elections reflect major gains for the ruling party and a shrinkage of the opposition MMD and UPND.

But MMD president Nevers Mumba says the PF should stop behaving like "a smart mouse" and accept that the Zambian people have hit the ruling party through its loss in two parliamentary by-elections.

Commenting on the outcome of the parliamentary by-elections held in Muchinga, Chama North and Livingstone Central and several local government by-elections on Thursday, PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba said yesterday that his party was slowly becoming localised in its non-traditional areas.

Kabimba said all the three parliamentary seats that were under contest had been MMD seats.

"We have won Chama North," he said. "All the local government seats were MMD, in Western Province, in North Western Province; Ikelenge, Kasempa and Mufumbwe and the three in Eastern Province; Chadiza, Chipangali and I can't remember the third one. Also the one in Livingstone ward election, which we won…it means for us there has been a gain."

Kabimba said it was evident from this major electoral gain that the PF was becoming localised as a political party, especially that it had won local government by-elections in Kalabo and Kaoma in Western Province.

"Again you know that is an area perceived as a non-traditional PF area. We have penetrated the two seats in Chadiza and again that is a non-traditional PF area," he said. "We won a seat in Akapelwa Ward in Livingstone. Out of the three MMD parliamentary seats we have penetrated one seat. So that is a gain for us. That is Chama North."

Kabimba said Livingstone which the PF lost to the UPND was part of the Southern Province Bantustan framework.

"That is their UPND description, not mine. So we have gone up one seat, MMD has gone down by two seats. We have grown, MMD is shrinking.

These results show growth for PF and they show shrinkage by MMD and shrinkage by UPND at local government level," Kabimba said.

He said the PF had learnt lessons from its losses in Muchinga and Livingstone.
"There are always lessons that a self-criticising political party learns from each political event and PF is a self-criticising party.

"We criticise ourselves when there is a development like this. We don't proceed on the basis of arrogance," said Kabimba.

But MMD president Nevers Mumba said in an interview yesterday that the PF could not claim to have gained when they had lost two parliamentary seats and one won through corrupt means.

"I wouldn't agree with that. That is not what they expected. I think they expected to win all the seats because they are now a ruling party," he said. "They were under the illusion that they were more popular."

Mumba said the electoral outcome was a blow to the PF and that Zambians were now thinking twice about the ruling party's capacity to deliver.

"Sometimes it is better to accept that there is a problem rather than behaving like a smart mouse," he said. "Let them not be smart mouses."

Mumba said the PF should try and discern what the Zambians were saying because it was a very serious matter for a ruling party to lose two seats.

Asked about the MMD's failure to make the number required for a political party to be accorded the status of leader of opposition in the House despite winning one out of the three parliamentary polls, Mumba said he hopes the Speaker would use his prerogative on the matter.

"It's a percentage issue. They have to calculate," said Mumba. "The Speaker has a prerogative of going ahead and giving us the official position. Remember in 1991, the Speaker granted UNIP the official opposition status when they had 25 seats but we have more than 25, we have 52."

Fifty-three is the number of members of parliament a political party should have to be accorded the slot of leader of opposition in the House and recently, the MMD's Felix Mutati stepped down as leader of opposition citing intra-party issues.

Latter addressing a press briefing at the MMD secretariat in Lusaka, Mumba urged Howard to go to Parliament and speak out like his father did saying the late Kunda feared nobody.

Speaker Dr Patrick Matibini is expected to issue a ruling on the matter soon.
And newly-elected Muchinga MMD member of parliament Howard Kunda urged the PF to continue petitioning last year's parliamentary elections so that the MMD could 'take back what belongs to it'.

"This election means a lot to the MMD and for PF I think now this is the time they are going down. We have started to eliminate them and we are urging them to nullify more seats so that we can go after them and get back what belongs to MMD," he said.

Howard, son of the late former Republican vice-president George Kunda, said his election could never be a vote of sympathy because the people of Muchinga Constituency decided to send him to Parliament.

Howard said at a pressing briefing in Lusaka that he will continue with the legacy of his father.

Losing PF candidate Jeliaty Ntembwa said he felt pity for the people of Muchinga because they had retarded the development of the constituency by voting for the opposition.

Meanwhile, an MMD convoy that drove from Malcolm Moffat College through town to the MMD camp at Villa Mbanandi had two of their vehicles' windscreens shattered by irate PF cadres that were by the road side at Mapontela Guest House.

By press time yesterday, the MMD had not reported the matter to the police but identified one of the suspects as PF Ibolelo ward councillor Chester Kasonde.

Howard polled 3,419 against his closest rival Ntembwa who polled 3,023 while National Restoration Party candidate Kenneth Ngosa only managed 168.

A total of 6,715 ballots were cast and about 105 of the ballots were rejected.
Muchinga Constituency has 15,996 registered voters.

In Livingstone, the UPND candidate Rev Howard Sikwela emerged victorious.

According to returning officer Elester Hazinji who announced the results after 02:00 hours on Friday, Rev Sikwela polled 11,979 votes in the by-election marred by apathy, while the PF's Joseph Akafumba polled 8,318.

Out of the over 65,000 registered voters, only 20,858 cast their votes.

Stephen Zulu, an independent candidate, polled 119 votes while another independent candidate Joseph Mwanza polled 95 and Zondhwayo Soko managed a paltry 39 votes.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said the results were a clear message that no one could bully Zambians and get away with it.

In Chama North, PF candidate January Zimba emerged victorious after he defeated MMD's Yotam Mtayachalo with 6,650 against the latter's 2,560 votes.

Campaign manager Edgar Lungu said it was always important for the government to deliver on its promises.

"This victory only sends one message that you do what the people want or you deliver what you promise or you walk the talk. If you do what the people want, then they can give you a mandate to preside over their affairs," said Lungu who also refuted allegations that the ruling party was engaging in electoral malpractices.

UNIP campaign manager Archangel Mbewe, who conceded defeat, said the party's 80-year-old Herbert Zimba had tried.

The PF also scooped the Muchinga, Manthepa, Chisunga and Bazimu ward local government by-elections held in Chama North and Chama South.

The MMD scooped the Sisinje and Msandire local government by-election in Chipata while the PF scooped Taferansoni ward in Chadiza.

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SADC drivers refuse to operate in Congo DR

SADC drivers refuse to operate in Congo DR
By Darious Kapembwa in Kasumbalesa
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:23 CAT

DRIVERS from all SADC countries have refused to start operations in the Congo DRC, describing the country as "an open prison for foreigners" following the burning of a Zambian truck driver, Derrick Chanda, by some Congolese.

And Vice-President Guy Scott says the Zambian government will engage the Katanga government at a higher level following the burning to death of a Zambian driver in Congo on Thursday.

The situation at Kasumbalesa has remained tense following the burning to ashes of a Zambian driver Derrick Chanda by the Congolese.

During a meeting with Chililabombwe acting district commissioner Stephen Chishiko at Kasumbalesa border post, the drivers refused to return to work demanding that Katanga governor Moise Katumbi assures them of the their safety whilst in Congo.

"Sir, we appreciate your efforts as the government of Zambia in resolving this crisis but we cannot return to work until we are addressed by a Congolese official at the highest level, not the mayor of Kasumbalesa," said a driver from Zimbabwe.

"Look, this is the only opportunity we have to change the mindset of the Congolese people, they have to assure us that they have stopped harassing us, too many bribes along the way, anyone can do anything to you in Congo. In Zambia systems work very well but in Congo individuals matter and we told the immigration officer on the Congo side that when you come to Zambia, you operate freely without any inconveniences and he shocked us with his response, he called us fools. We will not go into Congo until they address these issues especially security, it's an open prison."

Chishiko tried to assure them that the matter was being handled and that the mayor of Kasumbalesa had guaranteed them safety.

But chairman of the SADC Drivers Association Stanley Muluka said the only language that the Congolese will understand is Katumbi.

"The only language the Congolese will understand is Katumbi. Here, the soldiers, the immigration and everybody else will only get serious when Katumbi gets involved, the mayor cannot guarantee our security…we have dealt with him so many times but this impunity has continued and the other reason why we want Katumbi to address us is because burning of foreign trucks in Congo is not just synonymous to Kasumbalesa but even other towns in Katanga Province," said Muluka.

Meanwhile, Chishiko assured the drivers that government was doing everything in collaboration with Congolese authorities to address the matter urgently.

No business was taking place yesterday at the border with Zambian drivers chasing away Congolese pedestrians back to Congo peacefully.

By press time, security personnel and border authorities from Zambia were still awaiting a delegation from Congo to address them.

Chanda's remains are still at Kakoso Clinic mortuary in Chililabombwe.

And Vice-President Scott told Parliament yesterday that the according to initial reports received by his office, the situation at Kasumbalesa had "normalized", adding that there was an element of anarchy creeping in at the border.

Vice-President Scott was responding to a question from Nalikwanda member of parliament Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa who was asking what the government will do about the burning of the Zambian driver in Congo and other reports of abductions of Zambians by Congolese.

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CCDP welcomes government's funding to youths' entrepreneurship projects

CCDP welcomes government's funding to youths' entrepreneurship projects
By Cynthia Phiri in Choma
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:22 CAT

THE Choma Children Development Project has welcomed the decision by government to set up financing for youth entrepreneurship projects in the 2013 National Budget in a bid to create more jobs.

In an interview, project coordinator Cornwell Hademu said the intervention by government is a move in the right direction because it would enable youths who already have skills but have been failing to access funding to become self-sustaining economically.

Hademu said access to funds had been a huge challenge for most youths being churned out of youth skills training institutions who wished to venture into self-employment activities.

He said the Youth Entrepreneurship Facility would enable youth to turn their energies and ideas into business opportunities to increase their incomes and create decent work for themselves and others.

Finance deputy minister Miles Sampa disclosed on Monday after attending the opening session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 2012 that the government is keen to set up financing in the 2013 national budget that will particularly target innovations coming from the youths.

Hademu said while his organisation had intensified efforts in the provision of skills to youths, it was sad that many of the beneficiaries still ended up on the streets as a result of failure to access funding for their entrepreneurship projects.

He said it is for this reason that the Choma Children Development Projects salutes the government for coming up with an initiative that will address this challenge.

"As a project, we are indeed thankful to government for this well-thought move," said Hademu.

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Re-connect with nature through tree planting, says Mukuni

Re-connect with nature through tree planting, says Mukuni
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Sat 07 July 2012, 13:22 CAT

CHIEF Mukuni of Kazungula district says there is need to re-connect people with nature by promoting tree planting.

Speaking during a tree-planting exercise in Songwe Village by Greenpop, a social enterprise dedicated to tree planting, chief Mukuni said there was need to uplift the lives of the underprivileged by planting trees in deforested areas.

"We need to encourage the Greenpop initiative which is dedicated to tree planting and setting up creative ways of sustaining trees. We need to also re-connect people with nature and highlight some of the challenges of climate change and inspire a greener future," he said.

Chief Mukuni said he was delighted that the Greenpop which started in 2010 has since planted 17,000 trees in over 170 schools, community centres, orphanages and deforested areas.

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Friday, July 06, 2012

(LUSAKATIMES) President Michael Sata reacts to RB’s apology letter to George Bush

COMMENT - This has the fingerprints of the MMD/UPND's new advisor Robert Amsterdam all over it. They have no clue what to do in or out of power, what their economic policies are (other than 'whatever the World Bank says')or how to market them, but all of a sudden they have an 'international media strategy' that includes letters to donors, and they embroidering on familiar 'regime change' themes, like singing the 'black racism' song like the chancers in Zimbabwe did. Time to switch to the offensive. This is not left vs right, it is the people vs the foreign mine owners.

President Michael Sata reacts to RB’s apology letter to George Bush
TIME PUBLISHED - Friday, July 6, 2012, 7:03 pm

President Michael Sata has said that he is deeply embarrassed with immediate-past President Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda’s hyperbole over his lighted-hearted conversation with former United States president George W. Bush. This is contained in a press statement released to the media his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah

“It is very unfortunate that Mr. Banda has chosen to play very cheap politics on a matter that does not concern him. Mr. Banda is remotely connected if not totally disconnected to the matter at hand, as he does not understand the nature of the personal relationship that I have cultivated with former president Bush,” President Sata said in the statement.

“Therefore, my light-hearted conversation with former president Bush should not be an occasion for cheap political scoring by Mr. Banda. As a matter of fact, this is not the first time that I was hosting former president and Mrs. Bush. And I am very grateful that they chose to pay us two visits in a space of six months, which clearly indicates the cordial relations between the two countries and former president Bush’s personal commitment to our country.”

President Sata encouraged Mr. Banda to behave in a manner befitting a former Head of State.

“Mr. Banda spent his presidency doing wrong things for himself and his children. I therefore, understand his desperation and attempts to seek relevance, though in wrong places this time around. I would encourage my dear brother to come to terms with what has happened and subsequently behave as a mature adult, and leave the running of Government to the duly elected officers,” President Sata said.

“Let Mr. Banda prepare to answer for his own misdeeds. Trying to turn a light-hearted exchange between former president Bush and myself, which we normally do, will not help him to sort out his numerous problems.”

“Let Mr. Banda prepare to answer for his own misdeeds. Trying to turn a light-hearted exchange between former president Bush and myself, which we normally do, will not help him to sort out his numerous problems.”

The President described Mr. Banda’s conduct as unbecoming and unprecedented for a self-respecting former Head of State.

“Notwithstanding the many wrongs that Mr. Banda committed against our people and us, we have restrained ourselves and tried to accord him full respect. Obviously, Mr. Banda is mistaking this for a weakness. We warn him not to push his luck too far. In fact, he is the least person that should cross paths with this administration,” President Sata said.

“Today, Mr. Banda can pretend to be a friend of the international community because he wants their support to defend the wrong things that he did during his tenure. But we have not forgotten that it is during his administration that he told donors to ‘pack and go’ when they questioned the corruption in his Government.”

The Head of State said that the Zambian Government continue to express its unreserved gratitude to former president and Mrs Bush’s works in the country.

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(LUSAKATIMES) Former President Rupiah Banda sends an apology to George Bush over Sata’s remarks

Former President Rupiah Banda sends an apology to George Bush over Sata’s remarks
TIME PUBLISHED - Friday, July 6, 2012, 2:02 pm

Following a controversial debacle on 4th July, 2012 in which His Excellency Michael Sata, President of the Republic of Zambia, publicly attacked former United States President George W. Bush, Zambia’s immediate-past President Rupiah Banda, has sent a letter to Mr Bush’s offices offering an apology on behalf of the Zambian people.

“It is deeply regrettable that such statements were made on the same day as the celebration of your Independence Day, marking the universally-shared hope of self-determination and freedom that continues to inspire oppressed people of the world,” President Banda wrote in the letter to President Bush.

“No matter what political views different parties may hold, the people of Zambia are peace-loving, welcoming, and focused positively on the future, not the past. We are especially grateful for your generous contribution to women’s healthcare in our country.”

During a ceremony held at State House in Lusaka, President Sata castigated President Bush in front of an audience as a “colonialist” who had returned to pay back the resources that had been stolen from Africa.

“And you have all drifted away; you have abandoned Africa after taking all our raw commodities, our raw materials and build your cities,” President Sata said to President Bush at the press conference. “I mean, as far as you are concerned, Africa doesn’t exist. And when we have a former colonialist like you coming back to pay back what you took out of this country, we are grateful.”

“And you have all drifted away; you have abandoned Africa after taking all our raw commodities, our raw materials and build your cities,” President Sata said to President Bush at the press conference. “I mean, as far as you are concerned, Africa doesn’t exist. And when we have a former colonialist like you coming back to pay back what you took out of this country, we are grateful.”

President Banda’s letter to President Bush also recognised the important work of the Pink Ribbon/Red Ribbon charity group.

According to the George W. Bush Presidential Center website, the visit by the former American head of state included the opening of the new African Center of Excellence for Women’s Cancer Control at University Teaching Hospital, the donation of a new electronic hub (e-Hub), and the announcement of aid from Airborne Lifeline, a non-profit organisation that will provide airfreight services for medical equipment and transport medical personnel and patients as well as the support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which has provided the funding for a health promotion manager who will be hired and based in Africa to support PRRR activities
The full text of President Banda’s letter to President Bush can be read below:

43rd President of the United States of America George W. Bush
C/O The George W. Bush Presidential Center
P.O. Box 600610
Dallas, TX 75360
U.S.A.

July 5th, 2012
Lusaka, Republic of Zambia

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to you on behalf of concerned citizens in Zambia to express our most sincere apologies for statements made by President Michael Sata during your public reception at State House in Lusaka on 4th July, 2012.

These statements, which were not only factually incorrect and undiplomatic, do not represent the true feelings of the Zambian people, who strongly recognise the value of positive relations with the United States of America.

Having recently completed an appointment as a President-in-Residence at Boston University, I had the opportunity to meet with many Zambians living in the U.S. diaspora.

Some of these Zambians were studying to become doctors and engineers, others had risen to prestigious positions in business, while some were looking forward to bringing their new skills back home, contributing to our development as a nation and forging a stronger bilateral bond between the people of the United States and the people of Zambia.

I, for one, have always viewed this as a positive development and something to be encouraged in the future.

It is deeply regrettable that these statements were made on the same day as the celebration of your Independence Day, marking the universally-shared hope of self-determination and freedom.
As our elected head of state, the President is entitled to formulate a foreign policy of his choosing. However, disagreement need not manifest itself in disrespect, and the form and manner in which these statements were made is not representative of our culture.

No matter what political views different parties may hold, the people of Zambia are peace-loving, welcoming, and focused positively on the future, not the past. We are especially grateful for your generous contribution to women’s healthcare in our country, helping us to address urgent humanitarian needs of our people.

We hope that this unpleasant and embarrassing experience will not dissuade you or other former heads of state from collaborating with us on development projects in the future.

Hope, not resentment; hard work, not victimhood; and progress, not retrocession; are the hallmarks of the new Zambia that our people dream of building, and we hope that people of all nations will work with us in pursuing a better future for our people.

Sincerely,
Rupiah Banda
Fourth President of the Republic of Zambia


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Andrew Banda and the challenges of power

Andrew Banda and the challenges of power
By The Post
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

WE agree with Andrew Banda that there are challenges that come with power, with privileges of being close to the head of state. We also agree with Andrew that there are people who try to use, manipulate for their own selfish ends those in power, those close to those in power. There are endless streams of very dangerous and manipulative favour-seekers.

It is these who have made good men and women in the political and civic leadership of our country fall. But as we have stated before, if you are honest, truly honest, you won't be manipulated into doing wrong things, into abusing power or public office, you won't be corrupted. If you are unassuming and have a clear understanding of the worth of people and of yourself, you won't be corrupted.

There is need to maintain eternal vigilance about this throughout one's life, especially one's public life. There is need to examine everything one does, checking to see whether it is correct or not, whether or not one has let oneself be carried away, be used, be manipulated.

And as we have also stated before, the exercise of power must be the constant practice of self-limitation and modesty. Public office, or power as it is sometimes called, is not something one should treat as personal, something one should enjoy or use to amass wealth and gain oneself things that are not one's due.

We have over 47 years of experience in self-rule, in self governance and this should teach us what can be done and what cannot be done, what is acceptable and what is not, what one can get away with and what one cannot get away with.

By now, we should all know, especially those who are in power, the importance of incorruptibility as part of the essence of self-respect. There is no one who will not appreciate opportunities to enjoy the good life. But this should not be by using one's position to get oneself or those close to one anything that isn't one's due.

We all know what damage abuse of office does to the authority of the state. Corruption destroys the authority of the state. If you destroy the authority of the state, the consequences are terrible. It is a matter not of the criticism of others, of those who had the privilege to govern or of those who were very close to those who governed, but of the destruction and negation of all the values and merits.

We have had two regimes since our independence that one can without hesitation say were corrupt. The first one is that of Frederick Chiluba and the second one is that of Rupiah Banda. No one can in all honesty accuse Kenneth Kaunda and his regime of corruption. And no one can accuse Levy Mwanawasa of corruption. Yes, there could have been some corrupt elements with corrupt practices in Levy's regime but not by Levy himself.

Similarly, for the nine months Michael Sata has been in government, we have not heard anyone meaningfully, justifiably and truthfully accuse him of stealing public funds or enriching those close to him. Of course, lies, malice, calumny will always be there.

It was there against Kaunda with some malicious people claiming he had stolen US $4 billion and books from State House. They failed to find even a dime or a page of a book that KK had stolen or even by mistake taken that wasn't his due, that didn't belong to him. We also used to hear all sorts of innuendos, insinuations, lies about Levy being corrupt.

We will not be surprised to hear lies of corruption against Michael. But if there is anything that is true that points to corruption, that can be said to be abuse of office against Michael, he should be made to account for it now or in the future. No one should be given impunity against wrongdoing, against corruption.

As for the families and friends of our presidents, what they should learn is that this country always has only one president. The wife of a president is not a president; the children of the president are not small presidents and the friends of the president are not co-presidents.

If they truly love this country, if they truly love their relative or friend who has become president, they should not be overbearing on him to do wrong things, to abuse his office or power. Their legitimate role is to protect him from wrongdoing, from being manipulated by criminals whom he may not realise are criminals out to do wrong using his authority or office.

But what we saw under Chiluba was the holding of the state captive by criminals of all shades, stripes or hues. The state became a tool for amassing wealth, for robbing the Zambian people and enriching themselves. This repeated itself under Rupiah. Rupiah's family and friends, and indeed himself, used the presidency to enrich themselves.

Even people like Andrew who were generally not greedy, not corrupt increasingly became tempted by power, by the opportunities offered by their closeness to State House, to the president to enrich themselves. It does not surprise us that Andrew is today being investigated here and there for corruption.

The advice Andrew is giving, although he did not strictly follow it himself, deserves to be heeded. Andrew is certainly not being honest about how badly his father and his brothers ran government and how they were corrupted to abuse state resources and government business to enrich themselves.

Andrew is not courageous and honest enough to talk about these things, to reveal and admit what they did. But Andrew knows what he is talking about and is to some extent right. Power corrupts and absolute power, they say, corrupts absolutely. We know of cases of good comrades who, little by little, fell into the clutches of very experienced and manipulative criminals in subtle ways.

And as we have stated before, one of the most important American contributions to democratic practice has been the development of a system of checks and balances to ensure that power, public office is not abused.

It is a system founded on the deeply-held belief that power is used well when its potential for abuse is curbed, and when those holding power are held as close to the people as possible. We should not allow Chiluba and members of his regime to get away with their crimes, their corruption.

Similarly, Rupiah and those who abused power with him should not go scot-free; they need to be called upon to account. No one should be allowed to get away with impunity. Of course, everything should be done within the confines of the law.

The rule of law should prevail above any expediencies of the moment. We are not the only ones in the world calling for accountability from those who have been entrusted with the governance of our country. Many African countries are prosecuting their former rulers who abused public resources and power. It is also being done in Asia and Latin America. Even the Europeans are doing it.

The French are prosecuting their former leaders who abused public office and resources. Can this be said to be retribution, vengeance, hatred or inability to coexist and tolerate each other? No. It is simply the rule of law taking its course, without placing anyone above it.

It is accountability in public affairs that is being safeguarded and practiced. Is this wrong? No. It is the way honest societies and honest people deal with each other, administer public affairs. Wrongdoers, corrupt elements need to be made to account for their wrongs, their corruption.

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Kabimba will soon realise the challenges that come with privileges of being close to a head of state - Andrew

Kabimba will soon realise the challenges that come with privileges of being close to a head of state - Andrew
By Kombe Chimpinde, Allan Mulenga and Christopher Miti
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:24 CAT

FORMER president Rupiah Banda's son, Andrew, says Wynter Kabimba will soon realise the challenges that come with privileges of being close to the head of state. Andrew said in an interview that Kabimba was not the supreme law to judge others and that Zambians should wait for relevant investigative wings to investigate Banda his family.

He was reacting to Kabimba's statement that there was nothing to remember Banda's regime for apart from the fact that he and his children ran a corrupt regime, inherited from Frederick Chiluba.

Kabimba's statement followed Andrew's recent remarks that the current government would be judged against what his father did in the three years of his rule.

"I also know that being secretary general of the party, there are certain privileges that Wynter enjoys. He went to India two months ago; who hosted him? Can he tell the public why he was visiting India and why he moved from Jaypee Vasant Continental Hotel to another hotel? Ask him who paid for that," Andrew said.

He said Kabimba was not the right person to comment on corruption.

Andrew said being a president's son, just like being secretary general of the ruling party, attracted a lot of privileges.

"I challenge Wynter to deny that he had been making appointments, fast-track appointments for businessmen in India on the phone, some of them by-passed the normal channels. These are the privileges he has as long as he does not abuse them," he said.

"If you go and ask Wynter or any of the President's children, those who are mature, you will be surprised how many people are approaching those people in big offices for favours. That is just Wynter, what about the son of the President? It's easy to point fingers at others."

Andrew, however, said he was one of those that respected the office of the president and that he could not speak for his other brothers, one of whom is in 'exile'.

He further said Kabimba cannot shut him up because he also has a stake in the affairs of the country.

Andrew said Zambia was for all its 13 million citizens and that he would not accept to be shut up by Kabimba.

He maintained that the government would be judged against what his father did in three years.

"They (PF) promised the people jobs, they promised the people a lot of things so let them deliver on their promises. Let's dialogue; there is no need for hatred. We have accepted that there is change but let the PF deliver on their promises," he said.

Andrew said he did not insult anyone when he issued his first statement on the performance of his father.

Andrew said the people of Zambia would salute the government if it delivered on its promises.

He said the fact was that his father was history and that there was no need for Kabimba to come out strongly on him and his family.

"My father is history, he is not in politics, that's the fact I don't dispute that but you cannot constantly come out strongly on this man and his family. I don't think this is the best way to go about it.

"Wynter must provide leadership, he is a leader. Let them (PF) build on what the other man (Banda) left. Nobody, even myself I am not perfect, I make mistakes, fine. You cannot be attacking the man always. I don't think we should approach politics like that, I don't believe that," said Andrew.


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Remove Rupiah's immunity - Mwewa

Remove Rupiah's immunity - Mwewa
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

RUPIAH Banda's immunity must be removed because it has become vivid that he ran a corrupt regime full of thieves, says Catholic priest Fr Augustine Mwewa.

In an interview yesterday, Fr Mwewa said the record must be set straight for posterity that corrupt leaders were made to face justice and that was the main reason why calls for the removal of former president Banda's immunity should not die out.

He said Banda ran the country as if it were a family business where his children and friends had a larger stake than any other person.

Fr Mwewa said calls to take Banda to court were not acts of vendetta but a deterrent to future leaders to stay away from corruption and manipulation of the poor.

He said the country would not develop if corrupt leaders that suddenly find themselves holding government power were allowed to loot resources and go scot-free without facing justice.

"It will be sad if Rupiah Banda will not be investigated. Look at developed countries like France; the immediate former president Nicolas Sarkozy's home and offices were raided by French police days after losing elections and they searched for evidence that he might have been involved in illegal political campaign financing and corrupt charges. We should respect the rule of law if we want Zambia to develop and no playing politics of appeasement," Fr Mwewa said.

He said many Zambians were living in poverty because of selfish leaders who stole the poor people's hard-earned money.

Fr Mwewa said the country saw worse plunder of national resources within three years of Banda's administration and it would be regrettable if his immunity would not be lifted.

He said Banda owed Zambians an explanation on the blatant theft of national resources that the country saw during his tenure as Republican president.

Fr Mwewa said it was distressing that while many children in rural areas had died of malnutrition and heavy disease burden; there were revelations of massive plunder of national resources under Banda's regime.

"Zambians must set a good precedence for the country by stopping disgruntled political leaders from abusing public funds. That's why investigating Rupiah is inevitable. This country has continued to lag behind because of thieves, and as long as we continue to tolerate corrupt activities in those holding very high positions in government, we will not see development," said Fr Mwewa.

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Farmers besiege FRA Kalomo office over payments

Farmers besiege FRA Kalomo office over payments
By Martin Mashekwa
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:20 CAT

IRATE farmers who were last week promised to be paid for the maize they supplied to the Food Reserve Agency yesterday protested at the FRA main offices in Kalomo demanding prompt payment of their money.

The farmers blocked the vehicles carrying security officers and district commissioner, Omar Munsanje and sought redress for their late payments which had lasted close to a year over the produce they sold to FRA.

The late payment of the farmers, despite the government having disbursed all the necessary funds for them to be cleared off, emanated from suspected fraudulent maize buying practices that had been committed by some satellite buyers engaged by the FRA in the district.

A combined team of government security officers has been investigating the alleged financial irregularities in the last maize marketing season in Kalomo.

Calm only returned when farmers were again assured that the committee that was investigating the suspected fraudulent practices was currently reviewing its report, promising farmers that they would get their dues by next Wednesday.

Spokesperson for the farmers Peter Mafwafwa however urged the government to be considerate and stick to its assurance because farmers had been patient for too long and that an abrogation of the promise might tempt farmers to take the law into their own hands.

By press time, all the farmers who had come to Kalomo town had obliged and returned to their respective places.

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People are disappointed with non-performing MPs, says Chama North UNIP candidate

People are disappointed with non-performing MPs, says Chama North UNIP candidate
By Christopher Miti, Edwin Mbulo and Moses Kuwema
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:21 CAT

UNIP candidate in the Chama North by-election Herbert Zimba says the low voter turnout which characterised most polling stations is a sign that people are disappointed with non-performing members of parliament.

And in Muchinga's Kanona polling station some voters stayed out because of marauding lions. In an interview after voting at about 09:10 hours, Zimba said a lot of people in Chama were disappointed with the previous members of parliament.

He said the people of Chama should not lose hope because he was ready to work together with them.

MMD's Yotam Mtayachalo who voted at about 08:05 hours said it was nice for him to vote for himself.

He said the polls were marred with apathy because people were harvesting.
Immediate past member of parliament Darious Mumba cast his vote at Chama Day High School at around 07:43 hours.

By press time, PF's January Zimba was checking in various polling stations on how people were voting.
Zimba said going by how he had campaigned, victory was certain.

Final results for the Chama North by-election are expected between 06:00 hours and 12 hours today.

In Livingstone, the voting started on a low note.

By 11:58, only 230 people out of 1,064 registered voters at Livingstone Day Basic School polling station had voted.

More voters were expected in the afternoon.

And Miriam Phiri Nalucha said the turnout at Victoria Hall was low and hoped it would pick up by afternoon.

PF candidate Joseph Akafumba had expressed confidence he would scoop the Livingstone seat after casting his vote.

The UPND fielded Reverend Howard Sikwela while Zhodwayo Soko, Steven Zulu and Joseph Mwanza contested as independent candidates.

Meanwhile, police on Wednesday night fired teargas to disperse suspected PF and UPND youths that had gathered along Lusaka Road and engaged in verbal skirmishes.

Livingstone electoral officer Vivian Chikoti called on the police to arrest anyone intent on causing anarchy.

"I want to strongly appeal to all players political parties to follow the electoral code of conduct and not act outside the rules and regulations. We want to have a free and fair election but when they start to act outside the box, the elections may not be free and fair," Chikoti said.

On a report by PF that UPND cadres were arrested in Dambwa after being found giving out money to voters, Chikoti said she had not received the report and promised to follow it up with the police.

Southern Province police commissioner Brenda Muntemba said the proximity of the command posts could have led to the confrontation between the UPND and the PF on Wednesday night.

"I will spend the night here and pray that we have a peaceful election. I'm putting my officers on the streets so that they can control the situation," she said.

In Serenje, a check at Kanona basic school, a polling station, which has about over 500 voters, yesterday revealed that only 234 voters had turned up as of 16:00 hours.

But the Zambia Wildlife Authority officials who did not want to be named described the reports as mere rumours.

However, the villagers said they saw the two beasts in the area.

Other polling stations in the area witnessed a low voter turnout.

In Chibale area, by 09:00 hours, very few people had turned up to vote at most polling stations which are far apart.

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Rate-rigging scandal won't affect us - BAZ

Rate-rigging scandal won't affect us - BAZ
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Fri 06 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

BANKERS Association of Zambia says the expanding rate-rigging scandal which led to the resignations of two senior Barclays executives will not affect the local operations.

And ratings agency Moody's has cut Barclays standalone bank financial strength to negative from stable, citing the resignations of senior executives - chief executive Bob Diamond and chief operating officer Jerry del Missier - in the wake of an interest rate-rigging scandal.

Barclays, the UK's second-largest bank by assets, was fined a record 290 million pounds on June 25 for rigging Libor.

Chairman Marcus Agius has also announced his intention to leave once successors are found.

Driven by the culture of greed that analysts and market watchers say has poisoned the entire financial industry, reprehensive Barclays traders in the UK colluded with others to manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), the rate that big banks say they borrow on from each other which underpins trillions of dollars in global contracts.

In addition to the manipulation by traders, which took place from 2005-2009, Barclays has also admitted to deliberately understating its submissions of Libor rates at the height of the 2008 financial crisis to make its balance sheet look stronger.

UK newspapers have highlighted e-mails disclosed in the case which show traders congratulating each other for fiddling figures with promises of bottles of champagne.

Libor is a benchmark interest rate for pricing trillions of dollars of conventional loans and sophisticated products such as swaps.

The bankers declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak for the company.

Libor is calculated by a survey of banks' daily estimates of how much it would cost them to borrow from one another for different time frames and in different currencies.

Because submissions are not based on real trades, the potential exists for the benchmark to be manipulated by traders.

Barclays which trades locally as Barclays Bank Zambia tried to manipulate the benchmark for profit, and to mask its difficulty in borrowing money during the credit crisis of 2000-2009.

The Barclays accord is the first in an investigation by regulators around the globe that has ensnared at least 12 banks, including Citigroup, HSBC Holdings, UBS, Credit Suisse Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

But BAZ chairperson Charity Lumpa said no bank can manipulate the lending system employed by the Bank of Zambia.

"Whereas Barclays Bank in the UK managed to manipulate the Libor rate, it is not something that any bank can do in Zambia," Lumpa said an emailed response to a query. "This is because the Central Bank sets the Monetary Policy Rate against which all banks set their lending rates. This is in itself provides assurance against any manipulation by the commercial banks."

BoZ only introduced a benchmark interest rate last April to replace the money-supply targeting that has since been its major policy lever.

Since the liberalisation of the economy in 1991, the country had largely the floatation system which analysts say weakened BoZ's ability to monitor and influence the way interbank lending rate was done as the financial markets lacked a credible and stable anchor for setting interest rates.


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(HERALD, SAPA) Farm attacks not racially motivated — Zuma

Farm attacks not racially motivated — Zuma
Friday, 06 July 2012 12:07

JOHANNESBURG — Farm attacks should be viewed within the context of the country’s high crime statistics, and not as racially motivated, President Jacob Zuma has told Beeld newspaper.

Many attacks took place on the farms of white commercial farmers, and had the appearance of being racially motivated, but this was not the case, Zuma told the newspaper in an interview on Tuesday.

He said that many murders took place in South Africa’s townships, and these were not always reported in the media.

The government rejected farm attacks and would attend to farmers’ concerns that the comprehensive rural safety plan was not getting off the ground. Asked why farm murders were not being made a priority crime, Zuma said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa had said in Parliament that farm attacks were just as much of a priority as any other crime.

The recent court case against the murderers of Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging leader Eugene Terreblanche had again shown that crime, rather than politics, was the driving factor behind the attacks, he said.

Praising the country’s commercial farmers, Zuma said: “Wherever I go, established farmers tell me that they’re prepared to act as mentors for emerging farmers.” — Sapa.

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(HERALD) Good Libyan days went with Gaddafi

Good Libyan days went with Gaddafi
Thursday, 05 July 2012 12:08

When bomb after bomb had mangled Libya both in infrastructure and the souls of the its people, some of whom had been so gullible to imperialism to the extent of inviting the war, strongman Maummar Gaddafi was eventually captured and brutally killed.

That marked the beginning of a new era. But, unbeknown to many Libyans, the good things the ordinary Libyan had enjoyed had gone into the grave with Gaddafi.
Ask any ordinary Libyan today and you will be told that if the clock could be rewound, no one would want that war repeated and Gaddafi, should have been a life president.

Yes, he might not have been a good or the best leader, he had many political problems. He had problems in maintaining friendships and principles. But still, he had done some good work for his country. So, I have decided to share some of his good things.

If you are thinking I am a Gaddafi supporter then you are wrong. I am not a Gaddafi supporter, neither I am like other people who are dancing because he is dead. I am just sharing some of the good things of Gaddafi and excluding the bad one. I know most of you are fed up of listening to all the bad things about him from the Western perspective.

Most of the people will argue about the facts of why Gaddafi did in a fatherly manner and those he did as a monster on another occasion but these facts about helping his people are arguably true.

Below is a brief of what Gaddafi’s contribution to the people of Libya, was.

All the newly weds people of Libya used to get about 50,000 dollars from Government to lead a very happy life.

Home was the basic right of every citizen of Libya. There was no electricity bill in Libya. Electricity was free in Libya. No interest loan for the people of Libya according to law. Gaddafi was against interest since interest is forbidden in Islam. Gaddafi had increased the literacy rate from 25 percent to 83 percent. Education expenses in Government universities are free in Libya.

Medical expenses in Government hospitals were free in Libya. The price of the petrol was 0.14 cents in Libya. Yes we all know Libya has good petroleum resources. But the price seems to be too low. Isn’t it?

When Libyan citizen wanted to buy a car, Government subsidised 50 percent of the price of the car. The 50 percent sounds great!

A huge loaf of bread used to cost only 15 cents in Libya. How much does in cost throughout the world, including in Europe?

The GDP per capita of Libya was very high. Over 15 000 US dollars. Purchasing power was very high compared to the GDP.

The economy of Libya was improving rapidly. In 2010 it had 10 percent growth.

It has not external debts. It also has the reserves amount of 150+ billion dollars.
Unemployment fees of US$700 per month were given from the government until the person finds a job.

A Libyan mother used to get 5 000 US dollars for giving birth to a child. What more would you need from a Government?

I sound very controversial here but the facts on the ground are bare for every sane person to see.

According to Libyan politician, Mahmoud Jibril, after the West left the country in the lurch after it got access to the countries oil reserves.

The so-called Western “friends” of Tripoli are not concerned about the fact that the military campaign provoked by their actions, led to numerous deaths among civilians.

According Jibril the West also ignore other facts that the fall of the Gaddafi regime became the downfall of Libya itself.

As a result, Libya currently falls apart into isolated areas, striving for autonomy, every chief wanting to run a state. Thus, there is a strong possibility of new criminal pseudo-states emerging that just might follow the path of Somalia and other problem African states.

Paul Kreig Roberts, a leading analyst of international affairs with the US Republican Party, says Washington “took out” Gaddafi and means to repeat the same scenario in Syria because Americans believe that it’s a way to force China out of the Mediterranean region.

It is also an attempt to cut China off from African energy resources (the same way Washington and London denied China access to their resources in the late 30s of the 20th century).

In addition Roberts declares that the liquidation of Gaddafi was a punishment for his refusal to join the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the superior military outfit meant to spearhead US exploitation of resources in Africa, but disguised as peace mongers.

Western military intervention of Libya caused political, social and moral decadence not only in this country but throughout the region. After the events that followed the “Arab Spring” weapons from Libya flooded the black market, making a military coup in Mali possible. For almost certain, those weapons fell into the hands of radical groups operating in Africa, including the Bako Herem.

Many people would want to talk about how much he served his inner circle and his own ego but the current situation in Libya is far off worse than it was during Gaddafi’s era.

Today they are crying for everything from peace to service delivery. The goodies from the dear leader are gone, women are bearing the brunt. Men are running scared. Guns are all over the place. Bomb, bombs, bombs are exploding in every street. Gaddafi went with everything good for the ordinary Libyan.

* Professor Mattiah Mustafa is a Tunisian political scientist. He writes for DayAfrica.com

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(HERALD) US ambassador Charles Ray regrets hard-line stance on Zimbabwe

US ambassador Charles Ray regrets hard-line stance on Zimbabwe
Thursday, 05 July 2012 17:10
Bulawayo Bureau

THE United States regrets its hard-line stance against Zimbabwe and is keen on mending the relations, out-going US Ambassador Mr Charles Ray has said.

Speaking at a farewell Press briefing in Bulawayo on Tuesday, Mr Ray, who is left with 19 days in the country, said he has enjoyed his three-year stay in Zimbabwe.
In a rare change of attitude, Mr Ray showered praises on Zimbabweans, saying the country had a lot of potential for economic growth despite the challenges it was going through. He condemned negative international media reports on Zimbabwe saying such reports were responsible for repelling international investors.

“Reflecting on my nearly three years in Zimbabwe, I remain cautiously optimistic,” Mr Ray said.

“The long-term future of this country is bright, due in large part to the overwhelmingly energetic, dedicated and intelligent young people, who make up the majority of Zimbabwean population.”

Zimbabweans, said Mr Ray, have the sovereign right to determine their destiny and the choice to choose the leaders they want in a voting process without any outside interference. He admitted that his country erred in adopting a radical stance against Zimbabwe adding concerted efforts were needed to try and build bridges between Harare and Washington for mutual benefit.

“When I arrived in Zimbabwe I sought to change the nature of conversation between the US and Zimbabwe. For 10 years, we were just yelling and hurling insults at each other and we never really had a substantive conversation about anything. We were complaining about some behaviour and they were calling us regime change neo-imperialists,” said Mr Ray.

[That's not namecalling, that is simply observing and relaying the facts as they are. -MrK]


The US Ambassador urged Zimbabweans to bury their differences and have a unity of purpose in order to achieve meaningful development. He said he had learnt a lot from the inclusive Government.

“Despite political differences the unity Government emphasises the need for leaders to make decisions that will benefit their people and the importance of creating a sense of oneness for the sake of building the country.

“We should bridge the artificial divisions that have been created between and among people, the born frees and the born befores, the Matabeleland residents and the Harareans. These divisions keep people apart and have built a form of intolerance that makes it difficult for people to reach to people they do not know and to trust them,” said Mr Ray.

The US envoy said his country’s model of democracy was not applicable to all countries adding there was no need for his country to seek to enforce its political principles on other countries. He said Zimbabweans alone should choose a way of reconciling the past mistakes. Asked about the attitude of US companies towards investing in Zimbabwe, Mr Ray — whose country’s sanctions law penalises US companies that invest in Zimbabwe — said most companies do not have adequate information about the country’s economic potential.

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(NEWZIMBABWE) Gono is 'immature': Kasukuwere

Gono is 'immature': Kasukuwere
05/07/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporters

EMPOWERMENT Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has hit back at central bank governor Gideon Gono, reminding him that “discharging national responsibilities requires maturity and sober reasoning” as the row over the ownership of foreign banks continues.

Kasukuwere, who is attending a youth ministers’ conference in South Korea, said the country’s indigenisation law, which requires all foreign firms to transfer at least 51 percent of their Zimbabwe operations to locals, would be implemented “come rain come sunshine”.

He was responding to Gono’s statement Wednesday when the RBZ chief said a notice issued by Kasukuwere ordering foreign banks to comply with the law within a year was null and void.

Said Gono: “I will soon be consulting with and obtaining further guidance from President Mugabe on the latest moves by the Minister in relation to the sector that I superintend, the Banking Sector, and his instructions will be final in the manner in which we will proceed.

“Until such guidance is received from the President, we regard the regulations as gazetted as devoid of detail and rationality as they are contradictory in many respects with existing laws in the country.”

But writing on his Facebook Wall, Kasukuwere said he did not need to engage Gono over implementation of the indigenisation programme.

“We are engaged with the shareholders not regulators. The two are very different, a regulator is not a shareholder. The law is for shareholders to comply and then we can discuss with others,” he said.

Kasukuwere also dismissed Gono’s jibe that he was not a “fit and proper person” to deal with banks having been involved with the failed Genesis Bank saying: “I know some would have wanted to be doing this task, but let’s not turn it into unwarranted personal attacks.

“Discharging national responsibilities require maturity and sober reasoning. We will not fall for the attacks; but will continue to be guided by the rule of law and the necessary transformation of key institutions.

“Shareholders have been in touch with us and we are pleased with the progress to date and we will continue with the respectful engagement. I am sure that, at the right time, we will approach all other relevant authorities and get their views.”

After forcing compliance in Mining, Kasukuwere has now trained his focus on the country’s financial services sector, sparking a public spat with Gono and Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who argue that his abrasive approach could distabilise a key economic sector.

British banks, Barclays and Standard Chartered as well as Stanbic, which is owned by South Africa’s Standard Group, dominate the sector and have been accused of undermining economic recovery by not lending to black-owned businesses.

Gono has proposed an alternative empowerment policy, arguing the current equity-based approach would not benefit the poor.

But Kasukuwere said there was no going back, insisting: “There is an Act of Parliament; Chapter 14:33. It guides our work; so it’s not a personal crusade but rather national legislation.

“Let’s not sink low and make it personal, it’s about our country.”

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