IT IS DARKEST BEFORE DAWN – THE BUILDING OF A BETTER ZAMBIA
By Dr. Martin Mushumba
Good morning fellow citizens of this beautiful republic🙏🏽
We take note of the tough times being experienced in our economy. His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema did not hide the fact that we were going through difficult times when he mentioned that even him was aware of this situation. He mentioned this publicly as he addressed our citizens in Mandevu Constituency.
The cost of living is a menace to all of us. Suffice to mention that we all buy from the same shops. We all eat the same food. We all share our gains and losses.
However, we are comforted by the fact that there are several recovery strategies in place as outlined by the government. There are strategies on mealie meal price stabilisation and also fuel prices stabilisation. These are lasting solutions that will bring down the prices of mealie-meal and lower the cost of living in the country.
We are all frustrated because some of these good strategies are not achievable in a day. These are not strategies that will just massage the problem and come back to haunt us in a few months’ time. Your government has gone for strategies that represent the long-term solutions to our current problem. We all know that even if it can be relieving for a minute, covering oneself with the palm when one has diarrhoea does not provide a sustainable solution to send one into celebration. Therefore, it is worth enduring the pain as we all await the sustainable benefits of the long term strategies.
Without a doubt, it is clear to all of us that it hasn’t been easy to recover from a collapsed economy and still manage to provide for social programmes such as health, agriculture, free education, and social support schemes such as Social Cash Transfer, in the manner the New Dawn Government has been able to.
Colleagues, notwithstanding the inherited economic challenges such as high inflation, unstable currency exchange rate, and unsustainable debt burden, many other public services have had to be provided to keep the country going.
Colleagues, in the midst of depleted financial resources, your new government still managed to build roads, build bridges, build schools and health centres, pay retirees, pay contractors, buy drugs for hospitals, and also employ thousands of our brothers and sisters in the civil service. Your government still had to electrify the rural areas, invest in power generation to end loadshedding and support families hit by various disasters around the country.
Colleagues, even with depleted coffers, your government had to consistently provide funding to grant aided government institutions and ensure that it pays salaries to public service workers on time. Your government had to still mobilise resources to fight corruption and support the decentralisation policy in order to ensure that you get value for your money.
Besides, even in the face of depleted financial resources, your government still managed to increase CDF and ensure that it was fully disbursed to all constituencies in order to accelerate development across the country.
Colleagues, it doesn’t end there! Your government also has had to service the huge debt burden inherited from the Patriotic Front (PF) regime.
Countrymen and women, it is important to be alive to the fact that the New Dawn Government has proved itself against very difficult times. It has shown its resilience by demonstrating that it can actually rise over and above such a challenging transition. Your government has passed the test as it had successfully assumed responsibilities of revamping the depleted public coffers, meeting public demand for services, and servicing debt obligations created by the PF regime.
Those who have lived long enough are aware that such recovery times are always difficult. Experience will remind all of us that in the attempted recovery phase of the MMD of President Frederick J.T. Chiluba, the citizens were asked to make sacrifices by tightening their belts as the economy was harsh. This period was characterised by job losses and privatisation of the public enterprises in order to downsize the public service as a way of reducing the cost of running government. Citizens had to contend with the new norm of paying for health and education services.
Similarly, the MMD recovery phase of President Levy. P. Mwanawasa that culminated in debt cancellation was equally not an easy one. The citizens had to endure long spells of employment and wage free. The contractors had to suffer as government expenditure constricted. Several taxes were introduced, and many subsidies were abolished to reduce government expenditure.
Colleagues, we are not preachermen to borrow from the Holy Bible in order to remind ourselves how the children of Israel had to endure the difficult times on their historic journey to the promised land.
Dear countrymen and women, we are not in evangelism for us to compare President Hichilema to Moses as he faces the blame from the Zambians during the transition period in which he is leading them out of the economic mess of the PF.
Nonetheless, we shall put it plain and simple: it is darkest before dawn!
PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA VISITS MATERO CONSTITUENCY
As part of our celebration marking two years in office as the UPND New Dawn Government, we continued our activism in the communities. Today, we visited Matero Constituency to engage in candid discussions with our people about their concerns regarding matters affecting our country.
We assured them, and through them, all Zambian citizens, that we have been diligently working to rebuild a nation that had experienced a complete social and economic collapse. Among our achievements, was the restoration of the rule of law, providing free education from primary to secondary school, introducing meal allowances for students in public universities, and enhancing and decentralising the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Further, we have facilitated substantial employment opportunities in the healthcare, education, and defense sectors and will continue on the same trajectory.
Having accomplished all of this within just two years in office, our current priority is to address the high cost of mealie meal by optimizing the value chain, thereby encouraging farmers to increase maize production and lower mealie meal prices. This we are determined to do.
We also made various donations to the Matero Aftercare Residents Centre and emphasised the importance of close collaboration between the Facility’s management and the Ministries of Community Development and Youth and Sports to ensure the well-being of its residents.
Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia
A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that not inviting Nigeria to join BRICS sends a strong signal that South Africa is an enemy of Nigeria.
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South Africa hosted the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg where six countries were invited to join the economic bloc.
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who also Chairs BRICS said the bloc decided to invite six countries – Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join the group by January 2024.
Nigeria, the biggest economy in the continent was snubbed.
Although the country was not invited to join BRICS, Vice President Kashim Shettima was at the summit to explore opportunities for the country.
The debate over expanding the bloc which comprises, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was top of the agenda at the three-day summit.
Akinyemi said on Arise Tv, “What has played out in the summit in South Africa is what some of us had anticipated as far back as 1987. I was a minister at that time. I warned Nigeria that the anti-apartheid struggle was basically over and Nigeria would have to redefine its foreign policy and know that there are going to be competitors. Nigeria didn’t listen to me at that time.
“That was when I proposed the concert of medium powers. You know BRICS is a variation of the concept of medium powers. Nigerians rejected my proposal even though foreign countries that we invited accepted that proposal. If Nigeria had embraced and pursued that policy, we would be the one in fact determining the fate of South Africa. Not South Africa Determining our fate.
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Aug 26, 2023 “What played out in South Africa, let me call a spade a spade, South Africa has simply shown itself as an enemy of Nigeria that is determined at all cost to checkmate Nigeria wherever it gets the opportunity to do so whether it is the xenophobic attack on our people there. South Africa thinks ahead. It already has its eyes on the election to the Security Council of the United Nations.”
When the VP returned from the summit, he was faced with critic after Nigeria missed the list of the invited countries despite South Africa being the Chair of BRICS.
But Shettima said, “So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat that believes in consensus building,” he told Channels Television on the sideline of the BRICS Summit which was held in South Africa.
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“There are so many variables that need to be taken into cognizance. We have to evaluate so many tendencies and issues that require engagements with the economic advisory council, the Federal Executive Council, and even the National Assembly before an informed decision towards joining the BRICS would be taken.” he added.
The former Foreign Affairs Minister claimed that South Africa sees Nigeria as a threat and uses every opportunity to checkmate the country.
He said not being invited gives Nigeria the chance to form its bloc that would neither align to the West nor East which the G7 and the BRICS represents respectively.
He said, “Now it (South Africa) has BRICS, it has two of the superpowers on its side and it tends to use that to checkmate Nigeria and yet this is the time we are saying we should be closing down embassies. Our Embassies are badly financed. South Africa continues to open embassies. Continues to provide funds for it. We are the ones who have become our own enemies.
“What has played out in the BRICS invitations, even though is a setback for us, it provides us with an opportunity. The opportunity is that there are more states outside BRICS now than there are in BRICS.”
The head of Sudan’s army General Abdel Fattah Burhan has issued a stark warning expressing concerns that the country is at risk of disintegration if the ongoing conflict remains unresolved.
Sudan descended into chaos following months of escalating tensions between the military, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, under the command of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. This tension erupted into open fighting on April 15.
Speaking to the country’s police force in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, General Burhan stated, “We are facing a war, and if it is not resolved quickly, Sudan will be fragmented.”
General Burhan’s recent remarks echo those he made during his visit to Egypt on Tuesday (Aug. 29), marking his first trip abroad since the conflict began. During this visit, he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to discuss strategies for ending the ongoing strife. However, no specific details regarding potential initiatives or terms were disclosed.
In a separate address on Monday, General Burhan firmly rejected any possibility of reconciliation with the Rapid Support Forces. He appealed to the rebels to relinquish their weapons, emphasising that they had been deceived and misled. He characterised the conflict as manufactured to benefit specific individuals, built on falsehoods, and predicted its imminent end.
The nearly five-month-long conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, into an urban battlefield, with neither side gaining control of the city. In the western Darfur region, previously the site of a genocidal campaign in the early 2000s, the conflict has evolved into ethnic violence. The Rapid Support Forces and allied Arab militias have been targeting non-Arab communities, such as the Masalit, who have organised self-defense groups. Unfortunately, these groups have suffered the most casualties.
According to the U.N. human rights office, the conflict is estimated to have claimed the lives of at least 4,000 people. However, activists and medical professionals on the ground believe the actual toll is significantly higher. The conflict has also resulted in the displacement of more than 4.6 million people, as reported by the U.N. migration agency. This includes over 3.6 million people who have sought refuge in safer areas within Sudan and more than 1 million who have crossed into neighboring countries.
Uganda and Rwanda this week retired long serving military generals in what security analysts have said is a purge done with one eye on the future, to remove the larger-than-life powerful officers from active service and allow internal harmony within the forces, unencumbered by the awkward presence of historical army chiefs.
In the retirements, two names stood out: both in the rank of four-star general. Gen Kale Kayihura and Gen James Kabarebe of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and Rwanda Defence Forces respectively have served the regimes in their countries, but also courted controversy that caused their fallout with the leadership.
Kayihura was sacked as Inspector General of Police in 2018 and the government slapped him with charges related to capital offences. He was later sanctioned by the US government for rights violations during his time as police chief.
Kabarebe was removed from his powerful defence ministry docket in 2018, too, for what sources at the time said was part of the normalisation of relations between Uganda and Rwanda. He had had repeated outbursts with Kampala.
The two Generals defended the regimes in Kampala and Kigali. At one time, President Yoweri Museveni described Gen Kayihura as a good cadre of the ruling party, in praise of the former IGP who was quick to deploy security to break up opposition protests in the capital.
With 10 UPDF colleagues, Gen Kayihura took his bow before Museveni at State House Entebbe on August 31, just two days after the military court in Kampala freed him. Prosecutors dropped all charges he had been facing since 2018.
Others who retired in Uganda include Lt Gen James Nakibus Lakara, Maj Gen Samuel Wasswa Mutesasira, Maj Gen Joseph Arocha and Maj Gen David Wakaalo, Brig Gen Austine Kasatwooki Kamanyire, Brig Gen Stephen Oluka, Brig Gen Frank Katende Kyambadde, Brig Gen Emmanuel Kwihangana, Brig Gen Wilson Muhabuzi and Brig Gen Ham Atwooki Kaija.
“Don’t regard this retirement as becoming redundant now, no, not at all! This is like a mutation, from one form of service to another one and that is why we had to hold on retirement until we had solved the problem of package, and I can assure you that what you are going with is considerable,” Museveni told the retiring army chief.
“That is why last year I permitted the retirement of generals and that is why for a long time we do not permit the retirement of casualties at Mubende. We said they should stay until we give them a good retirement package to make sure that their lives in the villages is good. Now this package that you have got is really good,” he said.
Across the border in Rwanda, Gen Kabarebe’s name led on the list of 12 officers who retired from RDF, the Rwanda Defence Forces.
They included Gen Fred Ibingira, Lt Gen Charles Kayonga, Lt Gen Frank Mushuyo Kamanzi, Maj Gen Martin Nzaramba, Maj Gen Eric Murokore, Maj Gen Augustin Turagara, Maj Gen Charles Karamba, Maj Gen Albert Murasira, Brig Gen Chris Murari, Brig Gen Didace Ndahiro and Brig Gen Emmanuel Ndahiro.
For Rwanda, the retirement of generals who include historical figures comes days after President Paul Kagame reshuffled top military chiefs to herald what is being linked to a transition in 2024.
Kayihura and Kabarebe executed sensitive security missions and dominated their military scene for decades, leading state agencies for decades but also crossed paths when they headed troops that were deployed in the sick man of the Great Lakes Region, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kayihura was the Operational Commander of the UPDF forces in Ituri Province of the DRC in the late 1990s to early 2000s, while Kabarebe was active in both the first and the Second Congo wars as a commanding officer.
‘This Cannot Continue as Is’ – ANC Meeting with Zanu PF to Address High Numbers of Zimbabweans Moving to South Africa
South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), plans to hold discussions with ZANU PF and other former liberation movements in Africa soon. The main topic on the agenda will be the significant number of Zimbabweans living in South Africa.
Tragic Fire Prompts Urgent Action: ANC to Meet ZANU PF Over Zimbabwean Migration
This discussion was prompted by a tragic fire that engulfed a building in Johannesburg on the early morning of August 31, 2023. As of now, 76 people have lost their lives in this devastating incident, with the majority of victims being foreign nationals.
Obed Bapela, the Deputy Chairperson of the ANC International Relations Sub-committee, emphasized that while Zimbabwe faces sanctions, other factors have aggravated the country’s economic crisis. He expressed concern about the substantial emigration of Zimbabwean citizens to South Africa, stressing that this issue should be of concern to the Zimbabwean government.
“So the conversation we are having and as the Secretary General of the ANC Fikile Mbalula once said partic;ularly with Zimbabwe is that there are so many of their citizens in South Africa and sympathy to them because the sanctions that have been imposed on them had also contributed to their economic crisis but there are other issues that a country ought to take stock on. Once you see all your citizens all leaving and coming, going into another country in big numbers as is the case you ought to worry as leadership of that country as to why are my people deserting and all leaving. Besides the sanctions, the economic crisis, we also are now the recipients of these people who are all over as Secretary General Mbalula said they are all over, every where and this kind of situation we ought to engage,” Bapela said.
Taking Action to Find Solutions Bapela further explained that they will convene a meeting with ZANU PF and other former liberation movements in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the issue of Zimbabweans migrating to South Africa. They believe that the current trend of such large-scale migration cannot continue without addressing its underlying causes.
“We have a meeting of the former liveration movements in SADC or Southern Africa and one of the agenda is going to be this particular matter. This meeting is forthcoming, we are still working on the dates themselves and we just really have to have a commonness around it as former liberation movements and a shared perspective as FRELIMO, as ZANU PF, as SWAPO, as ANC and particularly the two countries Mozambique and Zimbabwe where we really ought to say this cannot continue as is,” Bapela emphasised.
ANC International Relations Sub-committee Deputy Chairperson Obed Bapela tells @XoliMngambi that there'll be a meeting with Africa's former liberation movements and one of the items on the agenda will be the high number of Zimbabweans in SA.
General Brice Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s new strongman since the overthrow of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, has threatened contractors involved in corruption, which is endemic in this country, and demanded that they show “patriotism” and “commitment” to the “development of the country”.
Recent audits have shown that “companies have overcharged and the services will revisit these investigations so that this overcharging reverts to the State”, he declared in a firm tone and with a dark look in his eyes before more than 200 Gabonese business leaders “summoned” to the Presidency of the Republic on Thursday, in a speech broadcast in its entirety on Friday on the state television channels.
At the same time, the state television channels were showing a loop of images showing one of the sons of the deposed president, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, and other former young senior members of the presidential cabinet arrested on Thursday, the day of the putsch, in front of trunks, suitcases and bags filled with billions of CFA francs that had apparently been seized from their homes.
Mr Bongo Valentin and the six former senior officials from the office of the President and his all-powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) who were arrested are accused by the military of “massive misappropriation of public funds”, “falsification of the signature of the President of the Republic” and “high treason”.
Mr Bongo’s opposition and civil society regularly accused contractors close to the government of practising massive “overbilling” in their contracts with the state, in return for kickbacks paid to senior government officials.
General Oligui, head of the presidential guard, who is due to be sworn in as “president of the transition” on Monday, thundered: “It is difficult to perceive, at this stage, your commitment and your patriotism when it comes to the development expected (by the country) by our compatriots”.”I am speaking the truth to you, which should enable each and every one of you to truly question yourselves”, he said, adding: “This is a situation that, for me, cannot continue, and I will not tolerate it”.
“I encourage you to change your paradigm and to ensure that, in the face of the power that I now embody, I am faced with responsible companies, not companies that are created according to the interests and situations of the moment, with the plan of over-invoicing that we all know about and enrichment as has been noted”, he added.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) has added to the chorus of condemnation on Zimbabwe’s just-ended election which saw incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa declared winner with a 52,6 percent vote.
In a pastoral statement Thursday, ZCBC-CCJPZ chairman, Right Rev. Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro also called for an audit of the August 23 election saying this is one of the ways that could restore public confidence in the country’s poll process.
The Roman Catholic clergy cited the myriad irregularities that marred the period leading up to the Zimbabwe vote and the subsequent chaos that characterised balloting as some of the factors that brought the poll into “disrepute”.
They listed inordinate balloting delays in some places across the country, inadequate lighting facilities in some polling stations and the disenfranchisement of some voters who failed to find their names on the voter’s roll.
ZCBC said in some areas in the country, there were groups of individuals who mounted so-called exit poll survey desks near the polling stations while displaying logos of a political party.
This was in apparent reference to Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ), the infamous Zanu PF affiliated group that was brazenly granted a handle in the running of the country’s poll outside the constitution.
In some instances, ZCBC said, there were displays of campaign material on the road leading to polling stations and distribution of campaign regalia to voters within polling stations.
The clerics said in some communities, it was noted that there was distribution of material discouraging people to go and vote.
Added Nyandoro, “In reflection on the above-mentioned challenges, as ZCBC, we encourage ZEC to give an account to the nation about the delays and procurement of voting material and the missing names on the voters’ roll.
“The opening of the polling centres during the night may surely bring to question the preparedness of ZEC for the just-ended election.
“An audit of the whole exercise may give relief to the electorate to whom ZEC is answerable.
“This may help the nation to be satisfied by our electoral process.”
The bishops urged parties aggrieved by the presidential poll results to follow legal channels to register their misgivings.
They also called on spokespersons of political parties to refrain from issuing inflammatory statements in response to concerns raised by opponents and observer groups.
“As ZCBC, we totally discourage hate speech by some members of political parties,” Nyandoro said.
“Actions that restrain and disrupt other political parties’ gathering violate the right to association as enshrined in Section 58 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) 2013.
“Let us shun barbaric actions that are contrary to the Christian ethos and national values as stated in the Preamble of our national Constitution.
“Violent actions paint a negative picture of the whole election process.
“We call for respect to our International Mission Observers and let their objective assessment of the elections help us as a nation to correct ourselves and move on.
“Their input should enrich us and act as the light of Christ showing the nation, where corrections are needed.
“We therefore advocate for peace and condemn all forms of actions that may disrupt the post- election peaceful environment.
“The ZCBC continuously calls for peace and tolerance during this post-election period for a continued growth of our beloved nation.”
A Historian, Adam Abdul Aziz has described African Leaders as a bunch of jokers who have not done much to liberate their citizens from economic hardship which is the root cause of coup d’étate in Africa.
According to him, the only way African leaders can stop the rising cases of insurrection is to gain economic independence from the West and other superpowers and make life comfortable for the citizenry.
Speaking on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV on the back of the recent coup in Gabon which is the latest in the wave of coups in some African countries, Adam Abdul Aziz said the only way Africa can gain economic independence is the implementation of its own currency.
He added that Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) can start by implementing the ECO currency.
“We are about 1.5 billion people in Africa, but we are the only people who don’t have a common currency. The Ghana Cedi is not a currency, if your currency depends on another country then you have no currency.
“The whites have made sure there’s no Common currency in Africa. The first step is that we should give ECOWAS leaders a 24 month ultimatum to implement the ECO currency and establish an ECOWAS Central Bank.
“If they can’t implement it, all of them should resign because they were ready to send troops to Niger to fight. Now, we are no longer going to use bombs and gun, just pen and paper. Implement the ECO currency or resign.
“African leaders are a bunch of jokers, how can you say you are taking 30 years to implement the use of a currency that is going to take your people out of poverty.
“We allow a small country like France to bully 16 countries (ECOWAS) from implementing such a policy that will lift the over 400 million people out of poverty. I mean, our leaders can’t do this but they can organize soldiers to want to go and attack Niger junta leaders.
“The solution to all these coup d’états is economic independence, we really need economic independence. If we had an ECOWAS Central Bank, Ghana will not have to go to ECOWAS for $3billion. I see our leaders to be jokers and at the same time cowards.”
PRESIDENT-ELECT Emmerson Mnangagwa has threatened to jail Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters who attempt to bring chaos into the country.
CCC leader Nelson Chamisa and his party have been disputing the results of the recent election.
Addressing scores of delegates and party supporters at the commissioning of the Sabi Star Lithium Floatation Plant in Buhera, Mnangagwa, who garnered 52,6% of the vote against Chamisa’s 44%, said he would not be deterred by the “noise” from the opposition party members.
“We will not stop our development plans and programmes because of the noise from some little boys. They will continue making noise, but we shall continue to move on,” he said.
Mnangagwa will be inaugurated for a second term on Monday. “But I warn anybody who may want to be nonsensical and bring chaos in this country, we are ready to deal with any chaos. Whoever will preach hate speech shall be responsible for their hate speech. Our prisons are not full. We want peace, we want unity,” Mnangagwa said.
The CCC has accused Zanu PF of rigging the elections and has demanded a rerun, emboldened by observer mission reports that the election fell short of regional and international benchmarks..
The United Nations has since raised concern over the shambolic disputed general elections held last week.
Florencia Soto Niño-Martínez, associate spokesperson for the secretary-general, recently said the UN chief was following developments in Zimbabwe.
“He is concerned about the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation and threats of violence, harassment and coercion. The secretary-general calls on political leaders and their supporters to reject all forms of violence, threats of violence, or incitement to violence, and to ensure that human rights and the rule of law are fully respected,” he said.
He added, “The secretary-general calls on political actors to peacefully settle any disputes through established legal and institutional channels and urges the competent authorities to resolve any disputes in a fair, expeditious, and transparent manner to ensure that the results are a true reflection of the will of the people.”
The Southern African Development Community last week said the Zimbabwean elections failed to meet regional and international standards on the holding of free, fair and credible polls.
Responding to Mnangagwa’s warning yesterday, CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said: “We are considering approaching the Constitutional Court in respect of these utterances. As a de facto President, Mr. Mnangagwa is compelled by the constitution to uphold peace, protect the constituency and any failure to do so may warrant an impeachment.
“In addition to the fact that he lost the elections, Mr. Mnangagwa’s utterances show that he is unfit to govern.”-newsday
…. these actions will backfire one day, warns Dr M’membe
Chilanga, Friday, September 1, 2023 ( Smart Eagles)
Leader of the opposition Socialist Party (SP) Dr Fred M’membe has castigated the police over their conduct in relation to the arrest of his Patriots for Economic Progress -PEP president Sean E. Tembo.
Speaking when he paid him a visit at Balmoral Police Station in Chilanga, Dr M’membe said the police have become a punishing unit.
He wondered what the intention for taking Mr Tembo to Chilanga without notifying anyone was.
“To take Mr Sean Tembo all the way from service Headquarter to here, to a cell where there is nobody other than himself, a cell that is not occupied by anybody, what is the purpose? One day, these actions will backfire. One day, someone will die in their hands and they will have difficulties explaining,” he warned.
“Our simple advice is let them desist from this conduct. They can arrest people in a better way. There are better ways, there are right ways to do things.”
He said it is difficult to understand the behavior or the conduct of the police.
“Why should the police lie to the lawyers of the suspect? Telling them they are taking him from Force Headquarters to Kabwata? In between, they bring him here, far away, without notifying anybody. Until this morning, nobody knew where he was. The policies increasing in being used to punish…. It is not the job of the police to punish. Punishment should only be done by courts of law, when someone has been convicted,” he said.
“Where is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty? We have warned that the attempt to use the police to fix political opponents will not work. It will not solve any problem; it will actually create more problems.”
He further elaborated that the conduct will compound “whatever little problems we have and then make them bigger and bigger.”
He stressed the need for citizens to be arrested in a more humane way if they commit a crime.
“Get him prosecuted and if he is acquitted, that is it. If he is convicted, let the law take its course. Mr Sean Tembo was arrested last year, detained for so many days. To date, none of those issues have been taken to court. Ambassador Mwamba here was arrested, abducted, treated in the most barbaric way, assaulted actually, to date, he has never been taken to court,” he said.
“I am in a similar situation. I was arrested amidst drama. To date, there is no record that has been taken to court to get me prosecuted. We were supposed to be in Serenje on Monday. The police have phoned my lawyers today that they are not ready. What is the problem? Why arrested people if you have not investigated? The police are supposed to investigate and then take action. And even when they are arresting you, they are telling you we have investigated and we have found that you have committed a crime or you are suspected to have committed a crime, and we are charging you.”
HH HAS REALISED HOW SWEET POWER IS HENCE ASKING FOR ANOTHER TERM – MUNDUBILE.
….Says a leader who performs well during the first term in office doesn’t need to plead for another term.
Lusaka-Friday, 1st September 2023
LEADER of Opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile says President Hakainde Hichilema must have realised how sweet power is hence asking for another term.
While addressing Mpulungu ward residents in Mandevu constituency recently, President Hichilema asked citizens to give his administration another term in office to see the work it would do.
The President said by the time his party clocked 10 years in office, Zambians would not only be eating nshima whenever they wanted, but they would also enjoy affordable rice, potatoes and other forms of nutrition.
But in an interview, Wednesday, Mundubile said the President’s plea for another term showed that he had failed to deliver on his campaign promises and wanted more time.
“The term ‘power is sweet’ goes without saying… however, there are two things, besides power being sweet, he has also realised that he said a lot of things that were not practical and he is now scared of his own shadow because the truth is donning upon him that Zambians cannot believe him anymore and that everything that he said has turned out not to be true. Yes, power is sweet and you can see how he is harassing citizens, he is revenging for whatever treatment he went through. He is in and out of planes flying to every meeting even where an ambassador can go,” he said.
“For me, it’s more of realisation that he didn’t tell the Zambians the truth and if he had performed, he would simply say ‘I know, I don’t even need to ask, I know you will give me another term based on what I have done’. But for him to start pleading now, it is a constructive admission of failure within the period that he was given”.
Mundubile said a leader who performs well during the first term in office doesn’t need to plead for another term.
“Political power resides in the people and the people give the party power to govern in exchange for development, protection, the rule of law and the rest. So, that is the social contract that exists between a voter and the person they are voting into power.
So, the very most important vote is the first vote that you get. The first chance you are given to govern. The second term should come naturally. If you have governed the people in accordance to what you promised, you may not score 100 percent but certainly when you are averaging 65 percent, delivering around 75 percent of your promises, then certainly without much ado, without much effort, the people are likely to give you a second chance regardless of what the political opponents would say,” said Mundubile.
“What becomes difficult is if within the time and the chance that you were given, the first term you failed to perform, then it becomes a battle because then the people are saying, ‘you did not fulfil your part of the bargain and so why should we continue with you, why should you continue governing us’? So, in the case of the UPND, you can already see desperation on the part of the President because very early in the day, he is asking for a second term. He wants to give an excuse that he needs more time to deliver on the promises”.
Kasanda weeps! …Claims DEC officers tried to extort $10 million from him
ESPIONAGE-accused businessman Shadreck Kasanda yesterday put up what many say was a brilliant theatrical performance complete with tears as he accused Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers of torturing him on demands that he gives them money.
The gold dealer told a crowded court room that after being picked from the court holding cell on Wednesday afternoon, DEC officers took him to an FNB ATM and told him to give them $5 million failure to which they would add a charge of aggravated robbery to the cases he was facing.
Kasanda made the claims after taking the stand as the court tried to establish the identity of the officers that had taken him from the court premises on Wednesday leading to him to miss a hearing.
He explained to the court presided over by chief resident magistrate Davies Chibwili that whilst at the holding cells, he asked one of his relatives who had gone to offer him support to give him Vaseline as his lips were dry.
Further, Kasanda explained that while he was waiting for the lubricant, DEC officer in charge of operations at the Court premises Lydia Chisanga called him to her office and told him he was needed by paramilitary officers at the Command Centre.
“She escorted me to the bus and there was no paramilitary officer but only DEC officers. It was Isaac Daka, Sydney Mukelabai, Marvin Kanganja, and Anderson Mbhawe. In the bus we were only five of us I was driven to FNB Bank at the ATM in Kabulonga,” Kasanda claimed.
“They told me there was money in my account and I must give them US$5 million or else they would charge me with armed robbery. They said they talked to my co-accused the 10 of them to speak against me. They beat me up and took me to the command centre. I was put in a room where I was alone and they told someone to watch me.”
Kasanda said whilst at the command centre he had he kept mute until his lawyers joined him.
“I refused to say anything and requested for counsel Nkhula Botha to come because the torture was too much,” said Kasanda whilst shedding tears insincerely.
“I was forced to say if I don’t give them (DEC officers) US$10 million dollars me and my co-accused will not go anywhere or else they would add more charges. Everything changed when the lawyers arrived. I was dragged back to prison there after and I was told to talk to my co-accused to make up my mind.”
Before Kasanda took the stand during a contempt hearing in which Magistrate Davies Chibwili ordered Chisanga to appear before him and explain why she should not be cited for contempt, for allowing her juniors to take Kasanda when he was supposed to appear before court, she said Kasanda had been taken by paramilitary officers.
Chisanga who is a senior investigations officer at DEC explained that Kasanda was picked up by paramilitary officers who did not identify themselves.
“I reported for duty yesterday (Wednesday) at 13:00 hours and I proceeded to Lusaka Central correctional facility to pick up the accused I signed for them and brought them to Court. Whilst at the holding cells I saw a group of six paramilitary officers they told me they were instructed to pick up Shadreck Kasanda,” Chisanga said.
She explained that the paramilitary officers wanted to enter the holding cells but she stopped them because they were armed and would end up causing commotion.
“I called Kasanda to my office and told him he was wanted at the command center and the police had come to pick him up. He asked me why but I didn’t respond because I didn’t know anything he requested that he goes with his lawyers,” Chisanga said.
“I came to call the lawyers and afterwards I only saw Kasanda being picked up by the officers. I asked Mr Mukelebai to follow where he was being taken because I signed for Kasanda at remand.”
She said the officers were clad in their regalia and they did not identify themselves neither did they avail her with a warrant.
“I was aware he was to appear in Court at 14:00 hours. After some time I was told he was at the command centre by the officers I told to accompany him. I asked the accused where he was taken and he said he was taken by the officers at the command centre,” Chisanga said.
Asked by Kasanda’s lawyer Makebi Zulu, about who authorised her to hand over Kasanda to the paramilitary officers, Chisanga denied having abetted the paramilitary officers.
At this point State advocate Gracilia Mulenga raised a concern that Zulu was dealing with merits of the contempt proceedings yet the aim of summoning Chisanga was to establish who picked Kasanda.
“I thought the reason for these proceeding was to establish the identity of who picked up the accused person it’s like we are already dealing with the contempt,” Mulenga said.
However magistrate Chibwili overruled the objection on reasons that Zulu was helping him to establish who picked up Kasanda.
“He’s (Zulu) assisting me to establish who took the accused when he was supposed to appear before Court. Like I said yesterday that these are not formal contempt of court proceedings, I will use whatever means to try and get to know who picked the accused when he was supposed to appear before Court. Up to now we have not established who took the accused,” magistrate Chibwili said.
Chisanga further explained that; “I didn’t hand him (Kasanda) over they (paramilitary officers) had guns I stopped them because I didn’t want them to cause commotion, I did not assist them or hand him over, the police opened for them they have keys to the cells.”
Magistrate Chibwili indicated that he will declare whether or not contempt of court was committed on Friday September 1, 2023 at 10:00 hours.
HICHILEMA MUST HALT GOVT WAGE THEFT Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his corrupt, far-right UPND puppet regime must urgently attend to the incidences of wage theft for local government or council workers.
The recent clash where Lusaka City Council workers were kept for four months without pay confirms the magnitude of wage theft and its consequences for the affected workers and their families.
This government must not take advantage of the scarcity of well-paying jobs in the country today and deliberately resort to the exploitation of workers such as we are witnessing in our local government system. Sadly, all this is happening as the politicians serving in this government are earning exorbitant salaries while trying to cheat their way out by citing the economy as the main contributor to their inability to pay workers a decent wage on time.
This cannot be allowed to continue. Workers’ rights cannot continue to be violated with no decisive state intervention. It’s the duty of Mr Hichilema and his government to protect the interests of council workers countrywide and ensure that a decent wage is paid on time, especially under the trying economic circumstances that this very government has subjected our people to.
We cannot have a situation where wages and benefits are never remitted on time. Most of these workers have gone for many months without receiving their monthly salaries yet are expected to report for work as if everything is normal. Non-payment of wages is a very serious problem and this government should not be self-satisfied about tackling this issue. A lot is at stake and there is no room for laxity. Mr Hichilema and his corrupt puppet regime should know that failure to remit monthly wages contributes to the disintegration of the family system due to high poverty levels, leading to starvation and squalor. Let them know that wage theft is impoverishing many workers and making once decent families resort to formulating desperate coping strategies to make ends meet, which in the long-run ends up destroying families irretrievably.
Further, wage theft is largely responsible for the social crisis many families face in the country today, particularly as it takes away dignity and self-respect from the workers. Without doubt, inability to support the family brings shame, humiliation and in extreme cases depression or even death. And so, this government must attend to the plight of the suffering majority of the workers of this country.
Let Mr Hichilema and his league immediately sort out the broken-down governance and industrial relations structures in this government. If they don’t, local government and other exploited workers in this country, whose rights are being violated by this UPND government should not worry, because their dignity and respect through better and timely pay will be returned in the Socialist society, which is coming. You cannot have a society where council workers are ever in suspense and not able to predict their payday. A living wage and predictable payday must become a reality for all the workers of Zambia! One bad term doesn’t deserve another, aleya!
´We need Clarity over BRICS from Govt of Zambia´ …says Amb. Anthony Mukwita
1st Sept. 2023
Amb. Anthony Mukwita, an international relations pundit, and published author has challenged Zambian journalists to ask ´uncomfortable questions´ on whether Zambia under President Hakainde Hichilema has applied for membership under the rising BRICS club in an interview televised on KBNtv.
“We are happy that President Hichilema represented us well as a country at the BRICS heads of state summit now BRICS+Six,” Ambassador Mukwita said, “what we need now is clarity from the government, our journalists should ask uncomfortable questions now on whether Zambia has applied to become a member of the growing political economic group or not.”
Ambassador Mukwita, an international relations scholar, a published author and former newspaper editor in chief said Zambia would gain rather than lose by joining the fast-rising international group sooner rather than later.
“More than 60 countries have applied to join BRICS including heavy-weights such as Indonesia and the most populous nation in Africa Nigeria (more than 213mln people),” Ambassador Mukwita said, “what does Zambia lose by applying to be a member (maybe shes already applied?) because it simply gives us options for better economic deals instead of putting all our eggs in one western basket.”
Ambassador Mukwita said the holy grail of international economic and political relations is always to ´engage and talk to everyone´ instead of publicly choosing sides.
He gave an example of Chinese economic reformist leader Deng (1904-97) who opened China to the western world and business and said, “to me the colour of the cat doesn’t matter as long as it catches mice.” Its about results not western or eastern centric.
A published author of a new book entitled “China in Africa the Zambia story”, Ambassador Mukwita implored Zambia to learn from a nation like China that removed more than 100 million from poverty in under thirty years and start ´talking to everybody and not take sides. ´
During the interview Ambassador Mukwita hailed the entry of two more African countries into the BRICS+Six namely Egypt and Ethiopia that now join Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran in the ever-growing club of emerging markets on the globe and refuses to slow down.
“The BRICS+Six are now responsible for 40 pc of the global population and 30 pc of the globes GDP,” Ambassador Mukwita said, “I am not saying Zambia quits the 75-year-old dominance of the US led IMF and World Bank…just talk to everyone is all.”
Ambassador Mukwita also beseeched Zambians to cherish the undisrupted peace and stability Zambia has enjoyed for close to 59 years.
“The peace we continue to enjoy from independence to date must be cherished because like a broken glass it’s hard to put back once lost,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
The former envoy also questioned stark discriminatory facts such as an IMF boss is always European while a World Bank boss is forever America adding that BRICS+Six aims to cure this.
Ambassador Mukwita conversely abhorred the rise of military coups in West Africa with Gabon and Niger falling on the gun recently he said is a sign of the times that anti France dominance is fledgling due to growing poverty in their foreign colonies whose people remain trapped in abject poverty as their wealth makes the lives of former colonisers better.
The full interview is available of KVBtv channel 279 and the stations Facebook page while Ambassador Mukwita´s new book is available locally in Bookworld, Grey Matter, Amazon and Takealot.
Ambassador Mukwita concluded the interview with a clarion call to Zambian journalists to ask the Hichilema government to state their BRICS+Six position that remains elusive.
Mukwita also urged them to put up articles that must state the pros and cons of being a BRICS+Six-member nation, as well as being an IMF and World Bank member or both.
STATE AGREES TO PAY K32 MILLION COMPENSATION TO UPND CADRES
THE State has agreed to pay five UPND sympathizers more than K32million for malicious detention and prosecution on allegations of treason in 2017.
This comes barely a month after the State consented to pay another group of 10 UPND cadres who were accused of burning Lusaka City Market in 2017, will be compensated K1 million each by the State for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
In the latest case involving K32million, a consent judgement, the plaintiffs will also be paid K1 million as costs for the lawsuit against the State.
This is according to a consent order signed by both parties in the case, the petitioners’ lawyers ZS Legal Practitioners and the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“The plaintiffs will receive a payment of K6,400,000.00 each, as full and final settlement of all their claims in this matter,” the consent order which is yet to be endorsed by Lusaka High Court Judge Pixie Yangailo who handled the case, reads in part.
The plaintiffs to be paid are Hamusonde Hamaleka, Pretorius Haloba, Wallace Chakawa, Lasting Mulilanduba Muleya Hachinda.
President Hakainde Hichilema was part of the plaintiffs but discontinued the case but indicated that he will renew it after he leaves office as President of Zambia.
The plaintiffs had sued the State seeking compensation for unlawful prosecution. They wanted the Lusaka High Court to compel the state to indemnify them damages equivalent in value to the money and personal belongings lost when they were apprehended at the Community House in New Kasama in 2017.
The six were falsely imprisoned on allegations that they committed treason when the President’s convoy allegedly failed to give way to his predecessor Edgar Lungu’s motorcade on the Mongu-Limulunga road in April 2017.
The five, Hamusonde Hamaleka, Pretorius Haloba, Wallace Chakawa, Laston Mulilanduba and Muleya Hachinda have however entered a consent judgement with the Attorney General who is the defendant in the matter.
The court later allowed five UPND members to enter consent judgment with the state in a matter in which they are seeking damages for unlawful prosecution.
The consent judgement read that “by consent of the parties through their respective advocates, it is hereby adjudged as follows; that the defendant herein wholly admits liability in respect of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth plaintiffs and that the matter be and is hereby referred to the Deputy Registrar for assessment of damages for false imprisonment, damages for assault and battery, damages for malicious prosecution, compensatory damages equivalent in value to the monies and personal belongings the second to sixth plaintiffs lost when they were apprehended by the police officers at the home of the first plaintiff (Mr Hakainde Hichilema),” reads the consent.
Mr. Sean Tembo’s arrest and subsequent disappearance from his lawyers, friends, and family in what his Party described as an “abduction” speaks to President Hakainde Hichilema’s new modus operandi amidst his failed leadership. As prices of everything continue to go “Forward,” President HH regrets not dancing the dununa reverse. The clever economist has failed to reverse the economic trend of anything in the nation; leading to untold suffering. President Hichilema knows this, but what can he do aside from watching from the sidelines? Another NAPSA partial withdrawal? Another IMF Loan? Kaya!
Lie and lie and lie. But poor Zambians are tired of waking up and finding out that prices are up while their salaries remain static. As people boo HH and his cronies across the nation, his rage is directed at those who speak out–opposition leaders the most. Not long ago, HH enjoyed being worshiped, but now he is being cursed across the nation–Satan has more honor than President Hichilema to most Zambians. HH has to come to terms with this reality. Worse still, his opponents keep taunting him– but who taunts a monster without suffering its rage?
You may not like Sean Tembo, but the guy knows how to get on President Hichilema’s skin. He makes him look like a fool. But Tembo doesn’t know one thing, HH has adopted Paul Kagame’s evil tactics–torment your opponents to death while maintaining good relationships with the United States through AFRICOM. The violation of human rights or good governance is secondary to US military interests—hence how Hichilema treats the opposition leaders won’t affect his reputation to the US and its allies. This tactic works wonders–the United States becomes toothless. The US interests are more important than the broken bones or soulless body of Sean Tembo or Fred M’membe. So as long as the AFRICOM is established, HH can do whatever he wants to his opponents and the US will turn a blind eye. This is the new political reality in Zambian politics. The opposition needs to develop new tactics to resist Hichilema’s dictatorship–the old ones won’t work. Only mass uprisings that threaten US interests in Zambia are likely to force the United States to switch camps than the arrest of one political leader. Kagame has killed as many politicians as possible, but he remains the darling of the US.
The most threatening Kagame tactic is breaking your opponents in private, and leaving them to die in public. Nobody knows what they are doing to Mr. Tembo aside from President Hichilema and his boys. If he is poisoned, or infected with something while in police hands, nobody will know. This is how Kagame has managed to eliminate his opponents. So the arrest of Sean Tambo didn’t happen without Hichilema’s knowledge–he is involved. Of course, he will soon speak out and condemn the abduction. He will also blame the police involved; even threaten some firings. This is now his tactic. Yet the damage would have been done to Sean Tembo.
Another Kagame tactic is deceiving religious leadership into believing you respect them. Like Kagame, HH has managed to meet with all important religious leaders–he has pacified them into believing that he means good. The truth is, he borrowed this trick from his business buddy Paul Kagame–the murderous dictator who has killed every person who has attempted to stand up to him while remaining the darling of religious leaders. This makes it hard for them to speak up when people’s rights are abused. I don’t want to sound alarmist–it is the truth. HH has no heart. A person with ubuntu wouldn’t have his opponents undergo what he claims he underwent under the PF administration. HH is a monster who will kill anyone who will stand in his way. The man wanted power so much that he was ready to perform any ritual directed by Seer 1. What would stop him from killing to remain in power? Sean Tembo is not the last–things will simply get worse. Only people with elephant skins should be prepared to take on this monster.
FEARLESS KAMPYONGO STORMS THE ILLEGAL KASUNGA NJELA GOLD MINE
…. addresses over 5, 000 illegal gold miners, traders and gold buyers on the need to legalize their businesses
Shiwang’andu District… Thursday August 31, 2023 (SMART EAGLES)
Determine to find out what is happening at the Kasunga Njela gold mine in Shiwang’andu District, area Member of Parliament Hon Stephen Kampyongo today stormed the mining site to understand what is taking place at the gold mine.
Hon Kampyongo, who was in the company of Shiwang’andu Council Chairperson Simon Sampa Bwali, navigated through the Kasunga Njela mines to go and witness what has been happening at the gold mine site.
Hon Kampyongo and his crew walked for almost an hour to the mining fields from the place where the vehicles where parked.
Just after crossing the Kanchibiya stream, Hon Kampyongo was greeted by a full fledged market where over a thousand market shifts have been erected to save the illegal miners and gold buyers.
The former Home Affairs Minister proceeded to check on the gold pits and interacted with the miners who complained of being harrassed by foreigners specifically Tanzanians as well as low prices for gold mined from the site.
Later on, Hon Kampyongo addressed over 5, 000 illegal gold miners, traders and gold buyers and encouraged them to form corporatives so that they can start to do business genuinely.
“I have come in peace and don’t think that I am your enemy. I engaged His Royal Highness Chief Mukwikile and informed him of my intention to tour this site. This is because I want the people of Zambia to benefit from this natural resource,” he said.
“This mineral resource is in my constituency and I should make sure that the due process is followed. That’s why I am encouraging all of you to form corporatives so that you legalize your businesses. This will also help you from the perceived harassment from foreigners. Please ensure that you corporate with the leadership put in place here as this will help you whilst you are here doing mining activities.”
He said he was aware that a lot of the people have left their houses to go on site to support their lives.
“I know all of you here have crossed these mountains to come and see how you will sustain your lives. There is serious hunger in the country and as a lawmaker, I can’t say leave this place. But we need to do the needful. You need to have documents so that you do these mining activities legally,” he said.
The illegal gold mine was opened in July this year with over five thousand illegal miners, traders and gold buyers flocking the place.
Hon Kampyongo later toured Kapisha Rural Health Center to check on needy areas.
THE ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER TO ABOLISH OR KEEP FISP
It is very important to understand what we want to achieve with FISP. This requires looking at two critical components of the intended purpose and assessing whether they achieve it or not.
Before proceeding with the initial intended objectives, we need to pose this question: is FISP aimed at increasing crop production or is it a poverty alleviation programme, such as social cash transfer, to support vulnerable peasant farmers and their families to ensure food security?
The FISP guidelines, which also mention that farmers should graduate after three years of being on the programme to medium-scale farmers, indicate that the programme was intended to enhance crop production and facilitate the progression of farmers from peasantry to small-scale, then medium-scale, and finally to commercial farming.
Let’s assess the practicality of its intended objective. If a farmer receives six bags of fertiliser per year at K1,000 per bag, then the assistance at a monthly average is K500 per month. With this level of support for direct input only – ignoring all other production costs and personal responsibilities – is it practical that such support can graduate a farmer from peasantry to commercial farming? Unless a miracle happens the farmer will permanently remain in the peasantry category. This explains why farmers have remained on the programme for prolonged periods beyond three years. If FISP was intended to grow crop production then it was ill structured and should be canned.
However, a positive unintended consequence of FISP is that it provides government support to peasant farmers who comprise the biggest segment of our maize production, but cannot afford fertiliser due to its high cost. Effectively, peasant farmers plant crops for their own consumption and sell the excess production to commercial players in order to generate income to sustain their livelihoods, including paying school fees and medical bills and meeting family needs. These farmers don’t qualify for commercial loans because they aren’t creditworthy. So, in a nutshell, with unintended consequences FISP is actually a social protection programme and not a crop production growth strategy. It should be classified in the same category as social cash transfer.
So before we say scrap or keep FISP, we need to understand these dynamics. And most importantly, before farmers are removed for being on the programme for more than three years, we need to understand that given the meagre support of six bags a year, it is impractical for peasant farmers to graduate to higher categories, including commercial levels, because the support received is insignificant. If anything, this is a segment which has a low crop yield per acre because at its best it is an ox driven, rain fed method of agriculture, and at its worst a hoe and rain fed method of crop production. If the support is removed it will just increase poverty levels in rural areas.
In conclusion, FISP should be maintained as a social protection programme. If scrapped, food security for our vulnerable peasant farmers will be compromised. What the government should do is clean up the FISP database and ensure the correct, vulnerable people are kept on the programme.
With regard to enhancing food production, it is necessary to come up with a totally new strategy driven by enabling policies. Most importantly, credit support should be readily available at affordable interest rates. Technical support and access to mechanised farming should be at the centre of this initiative, including irrigation rather than rain-fed methods.
EX CBU UNION PRESIDENT REINSTATED 5 DAYS AFTER HIS EXPULSION.
The Copperbelt University Student Union (COBUSU) President, Castro Mulilo has been reinstated 5 days after his Expulsion from the university.
The former President was expelled on grounds that he announced cancellation of classes to the student populace 2 two months ago when the institution lost two students in a road traffic accident. After appealing, Castro Mulilo claimed that the early cancellation of classes was due to pressure he received from students who wanted to protest to boycott classes and later management approved class cancellation. The expulsion of Mr. Castro Mulilo has however been lifted by Professor Paul Chisale the acting Vice Chancellor after he carefully analyzed the case and later realized that the young leader didn’t commit any offence as cancellation of classes was later approved by management for a good purpose to prevent students from protesting and allow them to mourn the death of their fellow ones peacefully.
The reinstatement of the former President has brought joy among CBU students and many other students across the Nation after seemingly that their voices have been heard. Mr Mulilo who is a final year student doing Transport and Logistics has however missed 3 exam papers as he received his expulsion letter a day before starting to writing his final year examinations. I have learnt many lessons in this short period of my expulsion and going forward I will be careful and accurate when making decisions both in my leadership skills and personal life, He said.
Castro Mulilo has also thanked CBU management for considering his appeal positively and everyone who voiced out to claim that his expulsion was unfair. However, he has reiterated that he has suffered emotional and mental distress in the last 5 days from the time he received his Expulsion letter, and that he will need some time to get back to his books.
Castro Mulilo has become the first Union President and student to be Expelled and reinstated within 5 days in the history of Zambia.
The United States government has warned Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF regime against attacking the Southern African Development Community (SADC) representatives who discredited as not free and fair, the harmonised general elections held last week.
Zimbabwe held elections on 23 and 24 August which resulted in the incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa winning under controversial circumstances with 52,6% against main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa’s 44%.
CCC, however, rejected the result accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of rigging massively in favour of Zanu-PF and Mnangagwa.
International observers including SADC contended that the plebiscite was not free and fair owing to a number of irregularities surrounding it.
Some of the anomalies articulated by SADC represented by Nevers Mumba include, keeping the final voters roll secret, opening polling stations late especially in opposition strongholds like Harare and Bulawayo, ignoring delimitation boundaries and allowing Zanu-PF aligned shadowy organisation Forever Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ) to intimidate voters.
In response to SADC, Zanu-PF through its spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa accused Mumba of interfering with Zimbabwean laws.
“Mr Nevers Mumba from Zambia, we call you to order. Don’t delve into the laws of Zimbabwe. If you have issues, tell your relevant institutions to take it up with the SADC secretariat,” he said.
Mumba was also accused of fronting western regime change agenda.
Commenting on the Zimbabwean situation, Matthew Miller, the US State Department’s spokesman urged the southern african country to resolve the conflict peacefully.
The US is also engaging SADC over the issue.
“The United States is engaging regional leaders to share our concerns, including what this means for the international community’s nascent efforts to reengage the Zimbabwean government.
“There is much at stake for the people of Zimbabwe and the region.
“We urge all Zimbabweans to remain peaceful and pursue grievances through established legal channels,” Miller said in a statement.
Miller added: “….. threats directed against members of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission are dangerous, and we call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to cease these inflammatory and unacceptable attacks.
“These actions belie President Mnangagwa’s repeated pledges to respect rule of law, transparency, and accountability,” said the department.
Yet another coup in Africa – just five weeks after Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum was taken hostage by the troops of his own presidential guard, Gabon’s Ali Bongo also finds himself detained in his own residence.
A sudden statement on national television in the early hours of Wednesday, to declare Mr Bongo the winner of last Sunday’s election, was followed within minutes by a second surprise broadcast, as a clutch of soldiers announced the seizure of power in the former French colony.
Later in the day, as footage of celebrating crowds emerged – after the new junta had lifted the internet shutdown imposed by Mr Bongo’s regime on the eve of the polls and maintained the shutdown throughout an opaque vote “count” – the deposed head of state appeared in an online video sent from his place of confinement.
Looking bewildered, he appealed – in English – for friends outside to “make noise”, in apparent hope that external pressure might reverse the shock turn of events, a prospect that seems remote.
But even if Mr Bongo himself was caught unprepared by the coup, perhaps Africa and the world should not have been.
The 26 July overthrow of Mr Bazoum in Niger gave ample warning that West and Central Africa’s “coup-epidemic” had not run its course.
In January last year, it had been the turn of Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to be deposed by soldiers – whose leader was then himself dethroned by lower ranking counterparts on 30 September, just eight months later.
And before that, 2021 had brought two coups in West Africa. In May, Col Assimi Goïta, already author of a previous military takeover in Mali, had staged a second putsch to reassert his own power.
Then in September Guinea’s special forces fought their way into the Sékhoutouréyah palace in Conakry to take President Alpha Condé into custody.
And we should not forget Chad where, following the April 2021 death in battle of long-time strongman Idriss Déby Itno, a military council stepped in to ensure the succession of his son and, thus, the continuation of the regime.
What on earth is happening in West and Central Africa – and in former French colonies in particular?
Six years ago the departure into exile of the electorally-defeated Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh left every country in West Africa under multi-party constitutional rule.
In the centre of the continent some authoritarian regimes survived, but the era of military takeovers seemed long past.
Yet the past three years have seen seven coups in five countries – plus the strong-armed military assumption of power in Chad.
There are common factors that have, at the very least, created conditions in which soldiers have felt they can step in with relative impunity, and often with the support of a large slice of the urban population, especially frustrated young people.
Across much of West and Central Africa, younger citizens have become widely disenchanted with the traditional political class, even with those who have been legitimately elected to office.
Such disillusionment is fuelled by a raft of issues – a shortage of jobs and even informal economic opportunities for both graduates and those less educated, perceived high levels of corruption and privilege among the elite, as well as resentment at the persistent influence of France in the many countries where it is the former colonial power.
But there is also deep resentment at the way many civilian rulers manipulate electoral processes or constitutional rule to prolong their hold on power. The scrapping of presidential term limits – after controversial amendments to constitutions – is a source of especially sore feelings.
And such abuses also undermine the moral authority of bodies such as the African Union – or the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), often labelled an “incumbent presidents’ club” – in seeking to force coup leaders to restore elected civilian rule.
The Central African regional bloc to which Gabon belongs does not even have serious pretentions to establish or sustain governance standards across member states.
But while all these factors create a climate in which soldiers have felt increasingly emboldened about seizing power, claiming to offer a “fresh start”, each coup has also been driven by specific national or narrow local motivations – and the takeover in Gabon is no exception.
Many Gabonese were sceptical about Mr Bongo’s decision to stand for a third term. He first came to power in elections 14 years ago following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had monopolised the presidency for more than 40 years.
There were also serious doubts about his capacity to provide effective leadership, as he had suffered from a stroke in October 2018.
The deposed president’s rule did see serious efforts to modernise the government machine, diversify the economy and tackle social inequality; and he earned international plaudits for proactive and innovative efforts to protect Gabon’s rainforests and rich biodiversity. There were some concessions to the political opposition.
But the reform momentum faded gradually, while the regime proved ultimately unwilling to expose itself to serious electoral challenge.
Indeed, from the outset Mr Bongo’s legitimacy and political standing was undermined by the opaque conduct of the election that brought him to power in 2009. Many people thought that André Mba Obame, his main electoral rival, had probably been the real winner.
And when he stood for re-election in 2016, in a tight race against former foreign minister Jean Ping, he only clinched a narrow victory when official results from Haut Ogooué region, the Bongo family’s political fiefdom, came in, recording an unbelievably huge number of votes for him. Yet the polling station records of these supposed votes were destroyed before they could be checked.
In the latest election, Mr Bongo was declared the winner with 64% of the vote. He did not allow any international observers to monitor the poll, and the opposition rejected the result as fraudulent.
The military finally stepped in, saying the election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon”
Many Gabonese have welcomed the coup, but it does raise fears about the future of democracy in many countries in West and Central Africa.
Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.
SOUTH Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has affirmed its ideological standing with Zanu-PF as the two liberation movements share the same views towards building an alternative multi-polar world, which is against imperialist exploitation fronted by opposition outfits such as the Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
ANC secretary-general Cde Fikile Mbalula said this while addressing an ANC gathering in the neighbouring country. He said the ANC was wary of some political forces that did not want to see his party associating with Zimbabwe’s ruling party.
Cde Mbalula’s sentiments come at a time when Zimbabwe has just emerged from holding harmonised elections last week in which President Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF emerged victorious with the opposition rejecting poll outcome claiming rigging which has become the norm.
“We might have problems with Zanu-PF but in Zimbabwe, you must know what is progressive and our ally is Zanu-PF but reactionaries do not want us to say that,” he said. “Nelson Chamisa and his allies are not our allies. They don’t speak our language. They are not with us in this new world agenda of the alternative multi-polar world we want to build, they’re not with us.
“They’re with the neo-liberals, and the liberal agenda in the world,” said Cde Mbalula.
He said the ANC does not subscribe to the ideals of the opposition in Zimbabwe.
“We are anti-imperialists. So, any political party that perpetuates the entrenchment of neo-colonialism and imperialism is not our ally. Our allies can be committing blunders, including the former liberation movements, but they remain our allies,” said Cde Mbalula.
South Africa is part of the BRICS bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India and China, a body of superpowers who want to change the world economic order previously in the hands of Western countries.
While Western countries are known for meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign nations, the BRICS bloc favours non-interference in domestic politics.
Countries under BRICS have congratulated President Mnangagwa and Zimbabweans for holding peaceful elections but the West led by the United States of America, has chosen to criticise the electoral process.
The Government has also castigated former Vice-President of Zambia Dr Nevers Mumba who led the Sadc Election Observer Mission for overstepping his mandate by producing an adverse report while undermining Zimbabwean institutions.
Dr Mumba failed to declare his personal interests before taking the position of the head of the Sadc Election Observer Mission and his feelings were made clear when he presented the preliminary report that did not reflect the region’s position.
His views were seen as part of the coveted plan to force regime change in the country through discrediting the country’s polls. However, regional countries have since endorsed Zimbabwe’s election in a clear departure from Dr Mumba’s report.
Meanwhile, Cde Mbalula said it was normal that the ANC government is facing criticism from other political parties as this is the price of governing.
He said his party has laid the foundation for the development of South Africa hence it should not lose grip on power as it will be difficult to regain it.
“You know if we were to lose power comrades, we will never come back easily because the development and boom of this economy is coming. And those who will win will look like they’re nice guys who understand where this country is going yet it would have been due to the work done by the ANC,” said Cde Mbalula.
“It’s easy for anyone to open their mouths and criticise and that’s what you suffer as an incumbent. Your task as an incumbent is to stay true to what you’re supposed to do.
“That’s why, as I conclude, we must never be tolerant to people who are deployed but not doing the right things.”- chronicle
Rwanda President, Paul Kagame, who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), on Wednesday, approved the retirement of 95 military generals and senior officers as well as 930 junior soldiers.
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Top on the list of retirees is General James Kabarebe, the country’s former Minister of Defence and Chief of Defense Staff.
Those affected were disclosed in a statement published on the Rwanda Defense Force’s official website on Wednesday.
The announcement came amid recent military coups in Niger Republic and Gabon.
Until his retirement, General Kabarebe served as the special advisor to the president on security.
Local media reports that some of those retired had attained the retirement age of 65 while others were indicted in some misconduct.
“The president has also approved the retirement of 83 senior officers, 06 junior officers and 86 senior NCOS, 678 end of contract and 160 medical discharges,” the statement partly read.
Prior to their retirement, the Ugandan president promoted a number of lieutenant colonels to the rank of colonels and brigade commanders.
Although the statement did not categorically state the reasons behind the retirement of over 600 military officers, the president had in previous weeks addressed opinion leaders on the need to keep the country united.
“Our history has been an example of how destructive division can be. We have also seen that it is our unity that has led to our country’s transformation. We have people who lost their family members, others who have family members who are perpetrators, everyone has suffered the consequences of division. The only solution to this is unity. We cannot accept to return to the destructive practice of division. That would be self destruction.” President Kagame said.
Reacting to the development, some users on X (formerly Twitter) claimed it was a coup prevention strategy while others commended the soldiers for serving the nation for over three decades.
Their tweets are below:
Heroes and legends. We are grateful for your service and sacrifice 🙏🏾 http://t.co/86eeu89ytx
Your service will always be remembered, Rwandan youth was inspired a lot to grow under your mentorship and serving with professionalism, integrity and high level of discipline of RDF staff.
We wish you the best and the young generation is ready to learn and carry on to build a… http://t.co/gW6FCRHfT9
No Blood Transfusion For Watch Tower – Court By Dickson Jere
An octogenarian man was a staunch Jehovah’s Witness. He, therefore, gave written instructions (Durable Power of Attorney of Health Care) that he should never ever be given blood transfusion when sick. In his ailing stage – he suffered from prostate cancer. And so when he was taken at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), his vows remained intact and his family informed the doctors that blood transfusion was a big NO!
Dr Francis Manda was a renowned and celebrated Zambian urologist. He so happened to have been the one treating the sick old man. In his professional assessment, only blood transfusion could have saved the life of the old man. Against the written instructions of the patient and his family, Dr Manda carried out the blood transfusion based on his professional decision. And as fate would have it, the patient died in 2007.
The family of the deceased – in 2008 – sued Dr Manda, UTH and Attorney General on the grounds that the blood transfusion was done against the will of the patient as well as his religious beliefs. Bible verses were quoted to buttress the point. The family demanded for damages and compensation for assault and battery inflicted on the patient.
The High Court threw out the case on the basis that the right claim should have been made under the Constitution through a petition.
Unhappy with the decision, the family climbed the judicial ladder and filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal assailing the lower Court decision.
A panel of three Judges had to decide on this unique case. “As a primary matter, all patients have constitutional right to determine what shall and shall not be done them,” the Judges held.
“This right extends to any treatment that may save the patient’s life. That includes blood transfusions which are particularly important in circumstances involving Jehovah’s Witness patients,” the Court ruled.
The Judges observed that this right in other countries is called “self-determination” and is recognized as a right of patients to refuse certain treatment even when faced with life-threatening illness.
“Consent to treatment is widely regarded as the cornerstone of doctor-patient relationship,” the Judges said, adding that exceptions exist where patient is pregnant, of unsound mind or not competent to give consent.
The Judges found that the doctor is liable if he interferes with the body of the patient without consent and therefore Dr Manda, UTH and Attorney General were liable in tort.
“We opine that the 1st Respondent (Dr Manda) by disregarding the Appellant (patient) wishes, violated the Appellant right over his body,” the Court ruled and awarded the family K300,000 in damages.
Case Citation – Brenda Kachasu (suing as Administrator of the Estate of the late Paul Kachasu) v Mwelwa Manda (sued as Administrator of the Estate of the late Dr Francis Manda) and others – Appeal No. 136 of 2021 and judgement delivered on 30th August, 2023.
This is a very important case for hospitals as well as medical facilities in Zambia and Doctors as it gives guidance on how to deal with Jehovah’s Witnesses who are patients. It also provides an insight that patients have a right to refuse treatment even when faced with life threatening illnesses.
RISING FUEL PUMP PRICES TO INCREASE THE COST OF BUSINESS
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Kingford Kalobi | FZICA|FCCA |
Fuel is a significant cost driver of production. The average increase of 15% by ERB is too high for our economy, which is struggling with cost push inflation and a weakening local currency (ZMW).
This will increase the cost of business for all sectors, though the manufacturing and transport sectors are likely to be hard hit.
The effects of rising fuel prices are easy to feel when you are filling up at the gas station. For businesses, especially SMEs, they have to make a series of decisions, sometimes difficult, to make up for those costs and maintain operations.
General rise in prices – Ripple effect
When companies have done everything they can to cut overhead costs, eventually they will face market pressure to pass that burden onto customers by increasing prices. We usually see this immediately in the transport sector. By tomorrow we expect to hear increase in bus fares for both local and inter city travels.
Logistics and transport
Especially for companies with vendors and suppliers transporting goods or delivering services that are essential to daily operations, rising gas prices increase the cost of doing business. As fuel prices increase, vendors and suppliers will tend to spike the price of their products and delivery so they can offset their transportation costs. Food prices are essentially affected in the same fashion. This, in turn, raises the ‘Cost of family food basket’. You will appreciate that fuel and household inflation expectations are closely correlated.
Further, rising fuel prices can ultimately bring an economic recovery to a halt, which will often affect the job market. Companies may put off hiring if they are concerned about the health of the economy, and this might also cause them to evaluate how consumer spending decline leads to less sales.
Allow me to end by pushing a rather unpopular correlation between fuel price hikes and the recent hike in the Monetary Policy. Isn’t it a coincidence that barely a few weeks ago that BOZ announced an increase in the monetary policy that we now have a hike in fuel pump prices by 15%. If you ask me the increase in the two economic variables makes it extremely hard for businesses to thrive.
THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM MUKOBEKO MAXIMUM PRISON BY ROY MUDENDA
By Phillip Chirwa
July 1, 1973 promised to be an ordinary day at Kabwe’s Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, but the stillness of day that hung over the prison was suddenly broken when three inmates staged one of the most dramatic escapes in Zambia’s history.
Never before had any gang of criminals been so daring as to break through the huge, well secured gates of this prison facility, but that day it happened and when it did, there was left behind a trail of blood and a stunned nation.
The man at the center of this was then, Zambia’s most notorious criminal, Roy Mudenda and two Zairean (Congolese) accomplices, Alexander Kabongo and Denionne Kamunga. At the time of the escape, Mudenda was serving a 20 year prison sentence for aggravated robbery. His two accomplices were serving 13 and 20 years respectively for similar offences.
While working inside the prison under the supervision of prison warder Ackson Chingobe, the trio suddenly turned on the warder and stabbed him in the left pelvis, rendering him unconscious.Another prison warder who heard the scuffle and came to the aid of Mr Chingobe found the convicts struggling to unlock the prison’s main gate, tried to overpower one of the convicts but was shot in his left arm. Outside the prison gate, the three killers found a prison Land-Rover with a driver inside and ordered him out at gunpoint. They seized the vehicle at gun point and drove off. 32kms on the Ndola Road where police had mounted a routine road block, the bandits forced their way past a policeman who later gave chase in a private car and overtook them. When the bandits spotted the policemen, they panicked and the Land-rover overturned but they fled into the bush still armed.
Nothing was heard of the fugitives until July 5 when it was reported that they had attacked a Kapiri Mponshi couple and robbed them of over K100 (a substantial amount of money in those days) and some clothes.
Central Division police chief, Mr John Chongo dispatched more police reinforcements to Kapiri and surrounding areas to help search for the fugitives. Mr Chongo also requested for paramilitary platoons from Lusaka to help in the search of the criminals. Two of the bandits, Kabongo and Kamunga were eventually cornered the following day near the house they had robbed. When President Kaunda heard of the news of the capture of the two Zairean bandits, he congratulated and highly commended the police chief, paramilitary and other units for their devotion and efficiency. However, Roy Mudenda who plied his trade by engaging in armed robbery, burglary, murder, and rape of women was still at large. Over time, Roy Mudenda had “James Bond” type skirmishes with Police and indeed managed to evade arrest on several occasions.
When he was finally nabbed, he was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. He was hanged at Mukobeko Maximum Prison.The nation breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement his death. At least for that period!
LUSAKA- President Hakainde Hichilema has donated K100 thousand each to NIPA and Evelyn Hone College respectively to improve their welfare and hostels.
President Hichilema has also accepted invitations to feature on Hone FM radio and grace the NIPA graduation ceremony.
The Head of State said the donation is meant to kick start fundraising towards Evelyn Hone College library expansion, and other projects at both colleges.
President Hichilema was speaking at NIPA this morning.
He also called on students to take education seriously because it is a good inheritance and that they should not wait for an inheritance of cash.
“I want to encourage you to study and be entrepreneurs and utilize opportunities under the ministry of small and medium enterprise such as CEEC, This is because we believe you can be entrepreneurs even in the CDF we have put a window for loans,” he said.
And President Hichilema said cash is a wasting assert and that it can go but education is the best inheritance that will stay with the students.
The Head of State has also called on the students not to concentrate on white color jobs but engage themselves in entrepreneurship for their livelihood.
He also said free education is here to stay saying and that in Mansa a 55 year old who dropped out of school in her twenties has gone back to school because of free education.
The President also said that the students are overflowing classrooms because of the fantastic policy of free education brought about by the New Dawn Administration.
And the President Hichilema has also commended students and management at Evelyn Hone College and National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) for running the institutions smoothly.
President Hichilema says the two institutions are operating smoothly because students and management are united.
The President also encouraged the students to work hard and concentrate on their studies.
POLICE IG VISITS ZAMBIA CORRECTION SERVICES OFFICES IN KABWE
August 31, 2023
INSPECTOR General of Police Graphel Musamba today paid a courtesy call on the Zambia Correctional Service Commissioner General Fredrick Chilukuta at his office in Kabwe, Central Province.
The Police Chief also took time to interact with senior officers of ZCS at their Headquarters.
Mr. Musamba who likened the relationship existing between the Zambia Police Service and the Zambia Correctional Service to that of brother and sister, said the Police can not function properly without the Correctional Service.
He said the relationship dates way back since the establishment of the Zambia Police.
“The two institutions can not function without the other, Mr. Musamba echoed.
He said the Farming and Industrial Development in the Correctional Service through the enhancement of technology is massive and should be commended by all well meaning citizens.
The Police Inspector General thanked his counterpart for according him a wonderful reception while in Kabwe.
And Commissioner General Fredrick Chilukuta said the Police and Correctional Service officers should be more united and exist like conjoined twins.
“We meet at common fronts Inspector General and so we expect our officers to be more united like Siamese twins,” he said.
He said Correctional Service has ventured into massive Farming and Industrial Development in order to cushion the government in many spheres including the upkeep of inmates in Correctional facilities throughout the country.
He thanked the Police Chief for taking time to visit him adding that such interactions should be enhanced.
The Inspector General of Police was taken on a conducted tour of the Milling Plant and Mukuyu Farms located in Kabwe District.
Brice Oligui Nguema he is the head of the Presidential Guard of Gabon, the forces most loyal to the President of the Republic and responsible for his security. Cousin first degree of Ali Bongo and in turn the son of officers, Nguema trained at the military academy in Meknes, Morocco, and rapidly advanced in his career: in a short time he would become one of the aides in the field of ex-president Omar Bongo, Ali’s father, remaining in his entourage until his death in 2009.
The first relations with Omar’s successor are not, however, idyllic: that year the ambitious Nguema is “sent” abroad, where Ali Bongo appoints him military attache first at the Gabonese embassy in Morocco, then in that of Senegal.
It will take almost ten years to reinstate him in high-level security functions at home: returning in 2018 after the stroke suffered by the president while he was in Saudi Arabia, Nguema is then first appointed to the intelligence service of the Presidential Guard, then promoted for two years later as director of the same military corps in place of General Grégoire Kouna, another cousin of the president.
As head of the Presidential Guard, Nguema was charged with strengthening Gabon’s internal security systems and managing their equipment.
It was he who received, last July 21, the delivery of four reconnaissance armored vehicles sold by France, material already ordered in 2020 to strengthen the forces of the armed corps but whose release had been delayed by Paris on the one hand due to the alleged difficulty for Libreville to settle the bill in its entirety, on the other hand due to the French fear that the vehicles could be involved in operations to repress any protests linked to the elections of 26 August.
Reluctance promptly disappeared, analysts observe, after the payment of 52 million dollars made at the end of June by the Gabonese government for the purchase of an Airbus C295 for military transport. Cheered on by hundreds of soldiers in Libreville who today cheered “President Oligui”, the officer seems to be weighing the possibility at the moment. “I still don’t declare myself”, he said in an interview with “Le Monde”, underlining that the force action was necessary against a president who “did not have the right to exercise a third mandate”, but holding back on his proclamation to “new strong man” of the country. “We need a consensus, we will make proposals and decide who will lead the transition,” he declared.
For Nguema, the important thing is to “take things into your own hands”. “It is known that there is discontent in Gabon and in addition there is the president’s illness. Everyone talks about it, but no one takes responsibility for it,” he said, explaining that this is why “the army decided to do it”.
If Nguema is not cited in the Ali Bongo family’s so-called “illicit gains” case – more than 33 apartments and private villas purchased in France, worth over 150 million euros – Brice Oligui is not above suspicion of personal enrichment.
According to the US anti-corruption organization Occrp (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project), between 2015 and 2018 the officer bought in cash and without a mortgage three properties in the suburbs of Washington for a total amount of over one million of dollars. According to the survey, Nguema chose to purchase them in “middle- and working-class neighborhoods in the Maryland suburbs of Hyattsville and Silver Spring.” The property alone in Silver Spring, the third most populous place in Maryland, would have cost 447 thousand dollars.
Army officers who seized power in a coup in Gabon on Wednesday have named General Brice Oligui Nguema as the country’s transitional leader.
Gen Nguema was earlier carried triumphantly through the streets of the capital Libreville by his troops.
The deposed President, Ali Bongo, has appeared in a video at his home, calling on his “friends all over the world” to “make noise” on his behalf.
The former French colony is one of Africa’s major oil producers.
Mr Bongo’s overthrow ended his family’s 55-year hold on power in the Central African state.
Army officers appeared on TV in the early hours of Wednesday to say they had taken power.
They said they had annulled the results of Saturday’s election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner but which the opposition said was fraudulent.
The officers also said they had arrested one of Mr Bongo’s sons for treason.
Within hours, generals met to discuss who would lead the transition and agreed by a unanimous vote to appoint Gen Nguema, former head of the presidential guard.
Gen Nguema told France’s Le Monde newspaper that Gabonese people had had enough of Ali Bongo’s rule, and that he should not have run for a third term.
“Everyone talks about this but no one takes responsibility,” he said. “So the army decided to turn the page.”
Crowds in Libreville and elsewhere celebrated the army’s declaration.
But the coup was condemned by the UN, the African Union and France, which had close ties to the Bongo family.
The US state department urged Gabon’s military to “preserve civilian rule” and urged “those responsible to release and ensure the safety of members of government”. The UK condemned the “unconstitutional military takeover” of power.
There has long been simmering resentment of the Bongo family – it ruled Gabon for almost 56 years – and there has been public discontent over broader issues such as the cost of living.
“At first I was scared, but then I felt joy,” a resident of Libreville, who requested anonymity, told the BBC. “I was scared because of the realisation that I am living through a coup, but the joy is because we’ve been waiting for so long for this regime to be overthrown.”
Gabon coup: The basics
Where is Gabon? It’s a country rich in oil and minerals on the west coast of Central Africa, with a population of just 2.4 million.
Who is Ali Bongo? He was declared the winner of Saturday’s disputed elections and has been president since 2009. Before that, his father was in power for 41 years.
Why was there a coup? The army do not accept the election results and say they took power to keep the peace.
Gen Nguema, 48, was absent from the first three statements read out by senior army officers on national television to announce the coup.
But he was named transitional leader soon after, and was carried through the streets in jubilant scenes.
He was aide-de-camp to the ousted leader’s father, Omar Bongo, who ruled for almost 42 years until his death in 2009.
A former close colleague told AFP news agency that Gen Nguema had been extremely close to Omar Bongo, serving him from 2005 until his death in a Spanish hospital.
Under Ali Bongo he first worked as a military attache at Gabon’s embassies in Morocco and Senegal.
But in 2018 he was made intelligence chief under the elite republican guard – Gabon’s most powerful army unit – replacing Ali Bongo’s half-brother Frederic Bongo, before getting promoted to general.
As in previous general elections in Gabon, there were serious concerns about the process in Saturday’s vote.
Main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa complained that many polling stations had lacked ballot papers bearing his name, while the coalition he represented said the names of some of those who had withdrawn from the presidential race had still been on the ballot sheet.
Both of Mr Bongo’s previous wins were disputed as fraudulent by opponents. This time, controversial changes were made to voting papers just weeks before election day.
In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside.
The following year, a failed coup attempt saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison. BBC News
The Russian government of President Vladimir Putin has shared its views on the current coup in Gabon, a central African country.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, described Gabon as a friendly country.
But she warned against the deterioration of the situation.
“On August 30, a group of Gabonese military personnel announced that it had seized power in the country.
“Moscow views with concern reports on the sharp deterioration of the internal situation in this friendly African country,” she said.
Earlier, the Gabonese junta announced Wednesday morning on national television that they had overthrown President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
The junta said its move was in response to the “ irresponsible, unpredictable governance, which results in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion risking leading the country to chaos ”.
Gabon coup comes days after the military ousted the government of Niger Republic headed by President Mohamed Bazoum, a West African country.
Recall that Russia’s foreign affairs minister, Sergey Lavrov, had leveraged the situation to accuse the West of being the reason for the successive coups in Africa.
He claimed on August 24 that the West’s exploration of Africa’s mineral resources has not brought economic progression to the continent.
“We must see the true causes of these government coups. What did Africa get from working with the West? As I have explained just now in detail, the African continent does not get any added value. All the West wants are its resources.
“We have had a different approach ever since the Soviet era. We sought to lay the foundation for industrial development and promote education and healthcare.
“The government coups, as they call them, already happened in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso. I may not be aware of all the details, but when a social group, in this case, the military, sees that the way their national leaders built their relations with the West to their satisfaction does not help address the issues people in these countries face, they cannot look the other way,” Lavrov said.
However the United States believes that “Russia must take demonstrable steps to show it is willing to be a responsible global actor, starting with a cessation of efforts to interfere in democratic processes.”
THE ‘GOLD SCAM’ COURT CASE, NOW ESPIONAGE, HAS TAKEN ANOTHER TWIST
This time, one of the 11 accused, businessman Shaderick Kasanda, has told the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court that some Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers demanded US$10million.
He said the officers had also taken him to a bank in Kabulonga and asked him to give them K5million failure to which they would slap him with an aggravated robbery charge on top of Espionage that he is already charged with.
Mr Kasanda also informed the court that the officers told him that if he and his 10-co-accused, who include six Egyptians, fail to release the US$10million, they would rot in jail.
He was giving evidence is a case he and 10 others are charged with Espionage following their arrest by DEC during the thwarted gold scam at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) which saw confiscation of some metals initially thought to be gold, private jet and US$5million.
But on Wednesday, Kasanda was missing before court while all the accused were present, prompting the court to issue summons against the persons believed to have been in the custody of the accused.
When the case resumed before Lusaka chief resident magistrate Davies Chibwili, one of the defence lawyers, Makebi Zulu, asked DEC senior investigations officer Lydia Chisanga to explain what happened at the holding cell on Wednesday where Kasanda was before he was picked up.
Ms Chisanga explained that a group of seven paramilitary officers went to the holding cell and informed her that they had been instructed to pickup Kasanda but that when they wanted to go inot the cells, she stopped them because they were armed.
But she explained that they insisted and picked him up and led him into a bus around the Lusaka Magistrate’s ground.
At this point, Mr Zulu asked if she was that Kasanda was under warrant and was to appear in court at 14:00 on that day.
In response, Ms Chisanga said ‘Yes’.
She further said that after sometime, some officers alerted her that Kasanda had been taken to the command centre.
Mr Zulu then asked Ms Chisanga as to whose authority she handed over his client to the ‘paramilitary’ officers, to which she responded that she never handed him over but that “they picked him”.
At this point, Mr Zulu asked Kasanda to give his side of the story to which he explained that contrary to the testimony by Ms Chisanga, he was actually picked up by five DEC officers who dragged him from the holding cell into a bus.
“She [Ms Chisanga] was present when I was being dragged to the bus and there was no paramilitary officer. There were only DEC officers,” he narrated.
Kasanda said that Ms Chisanga earlier called him and told him that his relatives wanted to see him before leading him to the bus where he was picked from.
Kasanda said the DEC officers on the bus were Sydney Mukulebai, a Mr Anderson, Isaac Daka and Marvin Kanganja
He said that he was driven to FNB [bank] in Kabulonga so that he can withdraw K5million and give the DEC officers failure to which they would charge him with armed robbery.
Kasanda said that he refused before he was driver back to the command centre while he was being dragged and beaten.
“I was put in a room at the command centre where I was alone. I refused to talk and asked for my lawyer to come because the torture was too much,” he said.
He said, while trying hard not to cry, that he was told that the US$10million was not given to the officers, he and others would rot in jail.
The court heard that Kasanda’s lawyers later arrived at the command centre and the accused was later taken back to Chimbokaila(Lusaka Central Correctional Facility].
THE UPND’s ORGANISED LOOTING OF PUBLIC FUNDS CONTINUES
According to the News Diggers newspaper, Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha, previously a losing UPND parliamentary candidate for Kabwe Central constituency, has agreed to pay Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s treason co-accused K6.4 million each.
The paper reports that “FIVE UPND supporters have entered into a consent judgement with the State for them to be paid K6,400,000 each as full and final settlement in a matter in which they are seeking damages for unlawful prosecution.
According to a consent order, which is yet to be endorsed by the court, the parties have also agreed that the Attorney General shall pay the sum of K1,000,000 as costs. The five UPND members include Hamusonde Hamaleka, Pretorius Haloba, Wallace Chakawa, Laston Mulilanduba and Muleya Hachinda.
“By consent of the parties through their respective advocates, it is hereby ordered as follows: That the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth plaintiffs will receive a payment of K6,400,000.00 each, as full and final settlement of …”
This is nothing but organised looting of public resources. Yes, the accused spent four months in prison on a bogus but non-bailable treason charge before they were released on a nolle.
Mumbi Phiri spent a year in prison on a bogus but non-bailable murder charge before she was released on a nolle. Would the Attorney General easily agree to pay Mumbi Phiri even a fraction of the K6.4m amount if she sued the State today?
In October 2022, I raised an alarm at this trend of paying UPND members huge sums of taxpayers’ money without the Attorney General putting up a defence. Below is the article l wrote on this page nearly a year ago and which was subsequently published by Lusaka Times on October 10, 2022. It is unchanged and perhaps is more relevant now than it was at the time of its publication.
ORGANISED LOOTING OF STATE RESOURCES: WHY IS AG EAGER TO AWARD HUGE MONETARY DAMAGES TO UPND MEMBERS?
By Fred M’membe, President of the Socialist Party
In March 2022, 15 UPND cadres who were accused of burning Lusaka’s City Market took the State to court demanding K8 million in compensation for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. In May, a UPND cadre who was accused of attempting to assassinate former President Lungu sued the State demanding compensation for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution amounting to K5 million.
In August this year, four UPND cadres sued the State in the Lusaka High Court seeking damages for false imprisonment under the PF on a charge of possession of offensive materials and weapons. This month, October, 22 UPND members, who were arrested for unlawful assembly in April last year, have sued the State in the Lusaka High Court demanding special damages for unlawful detention.
There are other suits too numerous to mention but the ending has usually been the same: consent judgements between the suing parties and the Attorney General followed by the payment of huge sums of money from the treasury to those who had sued.
Why is Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha, who himself has known ties to the UPND, eager to award huge monetary damages through consent judgements to UPND members in all cases where such members, represented by UPND-aligned lawyers, have sued the state for malicious imprisonment unlawful detention or wrongful prosecution that occurred under the PF? Isn’t this a form of organised looting of state resources? What is preventing the Attorney General from defending the public interest by way of allowing these cases to proceed to trial where the petitioners’ claims can be put to the test or challenged? How does the public even know with certainty that these claimants exist and that they are not hired people masquerading as UPND cadres who are being used to reward party cadres or mobilise financial resources for the party?
Where is the new dawn they keep singing about? How different is this organised banditry from what the PF did with Lewis Mosho over the Shoprite case? Those who have followed these cases may note that so many have been filed, but usually only one at a time. A new one is only started after the existing case has been disposed of via a consent order. To our knowledge, not a single one of these cases has ever gone to trial. Why? Is the UPND indirectly fundraising for the party or “empowering” its cadres using state resources?
There is a wider lesson here: the cost of appointing party loyalists to key government positions, the same thing that happened under the PF. The only difference is that the PF were more transparent about this practice. The UPND is doing the same but make it appear like they are hiring non-partisan professionals who are apolitical or not UPND-aligned. This is merely a smokescreen. Like the PS without portfolio Patrick Mucheleka at the Cabinet Office, Levy Ngoma, the Special Assitant to the President for Political Affairs, holds a position in the UPND leadership. How can these civil servants be expected to rise above their party interests in cases where these are threatened? Is it surprising that Levy, alongside the Home Affairs PS Josephs Akafumba, was implicated in a telephone scandal in a matter that involved the interests of the UPND as a party and which had nothing to do with the public interest?
And even when the public complained about Levy’s conduct and abuse of state resources to advance the interests of the UPND, nothing happened to him because he was, as he said in the leaked audio, acting in furtherance of the interests of the ruling party and on the instructions of his principal. (And by the way, how far have the police gone with the investigations into the leaked audio scandal? It has been nearly ten months now! Or is the Inspector General of Police waiting for members of the public to share their findings on the case before Mr Lemmy Kajoba can claim credit and praise himself?)
The issue we raise of appointing party functionaries to important government positions that require independent-minded professionals is not a small matter. It is an important issue that is likely to assume even greater significance when appointments to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the leadership of both the civil service and the Electoral Commission of Zambia are made. Those in doubt that party functionaries will likely be appointed to these positions should wait for the long-delayed but the imminent announcement of the new DPP, ECZ CEO, ECZ chairperson and deputy chairperson and Secretary to Cabinet.
When one looks at positions such as Special Assistant to the President for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Solicitor General, ACC Director General and even Speaker of the National Assembly, one will realise that these public positions are all filled with individuals who are linked to the UPND, and possibly members. How can these be expected to retain fair or independent judgement and defend the public interest in matters that involve or affect UPND members? Can these officials really rise above their possible partisan interest and allegiance to the UPND since its potential loss of power would denote their own removal from these positions?
One just has to listen to the Minister of Justice whenever he speaks on issues of public interest that affect his party. He sounds like a UPND Secretary General! Can the current ACC Director General sanction the investigation of Maurice Jangulo’s company in relation to the procurement of fertiliser when Maurice has strong ties to the appointing authority, with whom the DG has very close client-patron ties stemming from their time in opposition? Is it any wonder that the ACC has never found any single case of corruption in this government? We know of the corruption involving some of the presidential aides at State House. If the ACC does not know, then they are simply not up to the challenge. If they know, how come they have not summoned those involved for interrogation? The only time the ACC should be taken seriously is when they start to touch members of the inner circle of this government. Look at the contradictions coming from the Attorney General’s office on the honeybee scandal. Why isn’t the ACC getting involved in this matter? Isn’t it because some of the culprits involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations pertaining to honeybee are their colleagues at State House, even though some praise singers will falsely claim that it is actually State House that blocked the payment to honeybee?
Some of these officials we have mentioned above run law firms that are still doing business with the government. Like their principal, who has not only refused to publicly reveal his assets and declarations in the spirit of transparency but made it clear that his businesses are still doing business with the government, they don’t see any conflict of interest in their dealings. Take the current cases, for example. Those suing the State for malicious or wrongful prosecution are UPND cadres. Those representing the litigants are lawyers connected to the UPND. Those who have the responsibility to put up a fight on behalf of the State and in defence of public interest are connected to the UPND. Those deciding the huge amounts to be awarded to the petitioners are officials connected to the UPND. Doesn’t a consent order in this case benefit everyone involved: the cadres, the lawyers, the officials, and indeed the party, if some of these resources end up there? We are not saying those suing have no case. We are asking a simple question: can these officials really vigorously defend public interest against the ruling party members making the claims, even if these cases go to trial?
Zambia, we have been duped! These people in power today are not who they claim to be. They say one thing in private and another in public. They are wolves in sheep’s skins. The other problem is that many in civil society have been co-opted. With the exception of one or two people such as Brebner Changala, John Sangwa and Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu, those from civil society who held to account or criticised the excesses of the previous administration are now serving in government bodies. With food in their mouth, they can no longer speak. Whenever they speak, it is to lead the choir of praise in such sycophantic fashion that they end up doing a disservice to those they support. Since they are incapable of embarrassment, one can only be embarrassed on their behalf. It is sad to see people with previously illustrious careers in civil society reduced to the role of praise singers.
The same problem of co-optation is noted in relation to Zambia’s public intellectuals. This group was instrumental in promoting progress and to political change prior to the 2021 election. By intellectuals, we do not mean those who display their educational attainments for anyone to see. We mean men and women attached to a university who have acquired a certain level of education that enables them to produce, disseminate, and apply new knowledge to the analysis or resolution of the problems of society. Intellectuals who use this specialist knowledge to comment on public issues in their areas of specialisation through mass platforms such as newspapers, television, or radio stations are called public intellectuals. Those who merely confine themselves to teaching and research in a university are called academics.
In many societies, especially those that place a premium on thinking, public intellectuals are role models. Since intellectuals play powerful legitimising roles, their criticism of the government has implications for the standing of the government in the eyes of the public. In Zambia, intellectuals have been frustrated by poor conditions of service, and their expertise has generally remained unsolicited and often underutilised. This may explain the extreme penchant, among our intellectual elite, for opportunism and willingness to be silenced in return for an appointment on a government board. So, when a few stand out and condemn injustices, that is worth celebrating.
Before August 12, 2021, there were several intellectuals who risked their careers and even lives to express outrage against the many wrongs that were happening under the previous government. There was Dr Grieve Chelwa, from the University of Cape Town, whose opposition to the economic reform measures sponsored by the IMF and World Bank was conveniently ignored and often frustrated. There were others like Ms Felicity Kayumba, Dr O’Brien Kaaba and Dr Pamela Sambo found in the School of Law at UNZA whose constant criticism of the judiciary and the executive were thought to be a matter of principle, not sheer opportunism. One or two, such as Dr Julius Kapempwa and Dr Cleopas Sambo from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, provided illuminating insights that raised public awareness and fed greater understanding of the government’s policy failures.
And who can forget the courageous voice of Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa who was subjected to threats on his life, faced the threat of prosecution for sedition and was disowned by his employer, the University of Zambia, over his critical writings in both print and on online media? There was also Dr Munyonzwe Hamalengwa at Zambia Open university and Professor Muna Ndulo in the United States of America, who never missed an opportunity to criticise the government, especially on matters that touch on human rights and the violation of the law. Even UNZALARU, the body of lecturers and researchers at UNZA, recovered its voice and appeared to regain its lost credibility on matters of public interest, such as Bill 10.
Which of these intellectuals who stuck their necks out to challenge undemocratic practices and confront human rights violations have continued with the same spirit or zeal of holding the government to power today? Except for one or two such as Dr Chelwa and Dr Sishuwa who continue to identify with the suffering of the people and have remained generally critical of the same things they condemned under PF, the intellectuals who previously spoke truth to power have become willing collaborators in the wrongs of the UPND. The record is there in the public domain for all to see. Today, most of these intellectuals have joined the incriminating silence of those who cannot speak with food in their mouths because they are enjoying the perks that come with serving on several government bodies, though they will go to great lengths to convince unsuspecting victims that it’s not about the money, or that the money is actually very little.
Other intellectuals are now deathly silent and simply looking away when wrongs occur because of a certain allegiance to the party in power, one that has anointed itself with the sanctity of a religious faith. If some of the wrongs occurring in this government had happened under the previous administration, these intellectuals would have been in the forefront of speaking out against such vices. Can anyone imagine these academics keeping quiet under President Lungu if ordinary people were jailed for insulting the president, or PF cadres took turns to sue the state for malicious or wrongful prosecution under the MMD and the Attorney General rushed to reach a minimum of K500, 000 settlement with each of them and even more money paid to their PF aligned lawyers?
Those who yesterday were in the front seat of condemning wrongs and injustices whenever they occurred are the ones who are today giving legitimacy to and rationalising the wrongs and injustices of the UPND. Some within group even say, “things are not yet as bad as they were under PF”, as if the PF wrongs are now the threshold we must reach before raising our voice against injustices. Others shamelessly say, “there is no county or government that is immune from wrong doers!” How can people lose their self-respect and dignity this way? Anyway, as former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki once said, empty stomachs can be good or bad teachers. The problem with our African intellectuals is that they too have stomachs, in addition to their excellent brains.
President Hichilema’s Catalogue of Failures: A Disastrous Two Years in Office
Lusaka…… 31st August 2023
It is with great concern that we address the disappointing and undeniable record of failure that has characterized President Hakainde Hichilema’s two years in office. Despite the grand promises made during his 2021 campaign, the reality on the ground paints a starkly different picture of his leadership.
The UPND Government’ tenure has been marked by a litany of broken pledges and unfulfilled commitments. The people of Zambia were promised a new era of prosperity, transparency, and accountability. However, what they have experienced is a series of setbacks and disappointments that have eroded their faith in the government.
From economic mismanagement to a lack of coherent policy implementation, the failures are glaring. Basic services remain unaddressed, the economy is struggling, and corruption continues to plague the system. It is distressing to witness a leader who, instead of delivering on his promises, appears to be more interested in securing an extended stay in power.
President Hichilema’s audacity in requesting a decade-long extension of his term is not only concerning but also raises questions about his commitment to democratic principles. This request disregards the importance of checks and balances, and it undermines the very foundation of a healthy democratic society.
Zambians deserve better than a leader who offers empty rhetoric and false hope. The catalogue of failures that President Hichilema has amassed within his first two years is a stark reminder that his leadership is steering the nation towards a perilous path.
As concerned citizens, we implore the UPND Government to reflect on their track record and the disillusionment they have sowed among the Zambian populace. It is not enough to simply acknowledge mistakes; meaningful action and accountability are necessary to rectify the damage caused by this administration’s missteps.
In conclusion, we call upon President Hichilema to demonstrate genuine leadership by addressing the urgent needs of the people, fulfilling the promises he made, and respecting the principles of democracy. The citizens of Zambia deserve a government that uplifts them, a leader who prioritizes their welfare, and a future that is characterized by progress, not broken pledges.
THE Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has been informed that some progress has been made in trying to locate fugitive Kaizer Zulu.
It has been learnt that the fugitive former Special Assistant to the President for political affairs has been calling one of his sureties, Mulenga Fube, through mobile phone.
Mr Fube, who is Chilubi lawmaker told Lusaka senior resident magistrate Silvia Munyinya that he has been in contact with Kaizer on several occasions via mobile phone.
“The accused has called me for four times, including last evening,” Mr Fube said.
He testified yesterday when the case came up for return of bench warrant issued against Kaizer, who has been on the run since June.
In this matter, he is charged with two counts of failing to appear before the nearest immigration officer and failing to surrender a diplomatic passport.
Kaizer denied the allegations but was later found with a case to answer and placed him on his defense which he should have opened in June this year before he stopped appearing in court.
But the accused has been on the run and an and arrest warrant hangs on his head.
His sureties, Lumezi lawmaker Munir and Mr Fube were later ordered to look for him and present him a court.
When the case resumed yesterday, state prosecutor Frederick Nsama told the court that the bench warrant had not been executed against Kaizer.
Mr Fube then explained that the accused contacted him four times, including Tuesday evening.
” I have communicated to the arresting officer, who indicated that he had made follow-ups.
“There are other factors that have to do with securing the accused, but for security reasons, I would not like to devulge them in an open court. If you can find it within yourself to summon the matter in chambers,” Mr Fube said.
And Lumezi MP Munir Zulu, who is also a surety, explained that pogress had been made in trying to locate the accused.
But he asked that the sureties meets the court in chambers so that they can make some request.
” The request will make it easier for us to locate the accused,” Mr Zulu said.
The sureties then went into chambers with the magistrate and later emerged.
The magistrate then gave the sureties more time to find the accused before adjourning the matter to September 22, 2023.
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba DECLINE RECOGNITION OF NEW FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO ZAMBIA
….Amb. Mwamba writes to President Hichilema to refuse recognition of the new proposed ambassador as he is being investigated for drug trafficking and money laundering charges…..
Former Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba has written to President Hakainde Hichilema requesting him to consider withholding recognition of the proposed new French Ambassador to Zambia.
Mr. Mwamba disclosed that he had learnt that the french media has been discussing a Mr. Jean Maffart, the nominee appointed as French Ambassador to Zambia and the serious criminal allegations he is currently facing.
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France has submitted Mr. Jean Maffart and his curriculum vitae to the Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation proposing Mr. Maffart as new Ambassador.
Mr. Maffart has been proposed to replace and take-over from the outgoing Ambassador, His Excellency, François Goldblatt, whose tour of duty came to an end recently.
But Mr. Mwamba stated that he was alerted by rwports in the french media about the unsuitability of Mr. Maffart as an ambassador.
The french media has revealed that Mr. Maffart is being investigated for serious charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
Mr. Mwamba stated that Mr. Maffart, who is in a civil partnership with another man, is also known to throw lavish gay parties.
He said that the french media has extensively been discussing a person nominated as new Ambassador to Zambia and Special Representative of the French Government to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Mt. Mwamba stated that the French media and other credible reports have characterised the nominee as a disgraceful public servant and suspected criminal.
Mr. Maffart, is the current Director of the European and International Affairs in the French Ministry of Interior Affairs.
Mr. Mwamba said Zambia was not a dumping ground for rogue diplomatsand stated that it was clear that the nominee was not suitable to hold such an office and may not be accredited because of Zambia’s national values and principles, and because of the country’s cultural, traditional and religious sensitivities.
Mr. Mwamba has requested President Hichilema to consider withholding recognition and accreditation of Mr. Maffart as French’s Ambassador to Zambia.
He said the Government of the Republic of France may be requested to submit a suitable replacement who will be fit to hold such an office.
Army officers who seized power in a coup in Gabon on Wednesday have named General Brice Oligui Nguema as the country’s transitional leader.
Gen Nguema was earlier carried triumphally through the streets of the capital Libreville by his troops.
The deposed President, Ali Bongo, has appeared in a video at his home, calling on his “friends all over the world” to “make noise” on his behalf.
The former French colony is one of Africa’s major oil producers.
Mr Bongo’s overthrow ended his family’s 55-year hold on power in the Central African state.
Army officers appeared on TV in the early hours of Wednesday to say they had taken power.
They said they had annulled the results of Saturday’s election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner but which the opposition said was fraudulent.
The officers also said they had arrested one of Mr Bongo’s sons for treason.
Within hours, generals met to discuss who would lead the transition and agreed by a unanimous vote to appoint Gen Nguema, former head of the presidential guard.
Gen Nguema told France’s Le Monde newspaper that Gabonese people had had enough of Ali Bongo’s rule, and that he should not have run for a third term.
“Everyone talks about this but no one takes responsibility,” he said. “So the army decided to turn the page.”
Crowds in Libreville and elsewhere celebrated the army’s declaration.
But the coup was condemned by the UN, the African Union and France, which had close ties to the Bongo family.
The US state department urged Gabon’s military to “preserve civilian rule” and urged “those responsible to release and ensure the safety of members of government”. The UK condemned the “unconstitutional military takeover” of power.
There has long been simmering resentment of the Bongo family – it ruled Gabon for almost 56 years – and there has been public discontent over broader issues such as the cost of living.
“At first I was scared, but then I felt joy,” a resident of Libreville, who requested anonymity, told the BBC. “I was scared because of the realisation that I am living through a coup, but the joy is because we’ve been waiting for so long for this regime to be overthrown.”
Gen Nguema, 48, was absent from the first three statements read out by senior army officers on national television to announce the coup.
But he was named transitional leader soon after, and was carried through the streets in jubilant scenes.
He was aide-de-camp to the ousted leader’s father, Omar Bongo, who ruled for almost 42 years until his death in 2009.
A former close colleague told AFP news agency that Gen Nguema had been extremely close to Omar Bongo, serving him from 2005 until his death in a Spanish hospital.
Under Ali Bongo he first worked as a military attache at Gabon’s embassies in Morocco and Senegal.
But in 2018 he was made intelligence chief under the elite republican guard – Gabon’s most powerful army unit – replacing Ali Bongo’s half-brother Frederic Bongo, before getting promoted to general.
As in previous general elections in Gabon, there were serious concerns about the process in Saturday’s vote.
Main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa complained that many polling stations had lacked ballot papers bearing his name, while the coalition he represented said the names of some of those who had withdrawn from the presidential race had still been on the ballot sheet.
Both of Mr Bongo’s previous wins were disputed as fraudulent by opponents. This time, controversial changes were made to voting papers just weeks before election day.
In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside.
The following year, a failed coup attempt saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison.
HEROES OF OUR TIME:
KENNETH MADUMA aka ‘KEN DUMZ’
(Long post alert!!)
Pennipher S. Nyirenda
A few days ago, I had the privilege of visiting veteran broadcaster Kenneth Maduma. I was moved when Mrs. Maduma told me that every so often, he talks about people he worked with, and among those names are the likes of Doris Mulenga, and believe it or not, my name is among them!
It was lovely spending time with him and Mum Maduma, a moment I will treasure forever.
You see folks, I worked with one Kenneth Maduma at Radio Phoenix and ZNBC. Of course, before then, his voice was a huge part of my childhood largely because my mother has always loved radio and we’d listen to ZNBC news using her ‘two-band radio’ while sitting on a mpasa. To date, she has the same routine wherever she is in the house.
During my stint at Radio Phoenix, I felt extremely privileged when the new stories I had written were read by the one and only Kenneth Maduma.
The yo bally in me nicknamed him “Ken Dumz” and everyone joined in! (Billy Kazoka can attest).
When I joined ZNBC, Mr. Maduma was Director of Programmes and he supported the news team that I was part of. Beyond that, he consistently supported my career even when he was appointed to a diplomatic role.
To appreciate his role in my life, I had a table named after him at my wedding, and I was glad that he made it!
I celebrate you Ken Dumz and want to thank Mrs. Maduma for allowing me to spend time with the family.
MANDEVU CONSTITUENCY HUGE GATHERING IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF BALLY’S EFFORTS TO IMPROVING THEIR LIVES.
By Ruth Dante
The gathering by Mandevu Constituency residents yesterday clearly indicate their belief that President Hakainde Hichilema is addressing issues affecting them.
Recently, Ministry of Local Government and Rural development, handed over earth moving equipment valued at more than K3.9 million while co-operatives and clubs received more than K5 million.
Last year in December, Mandevu Constituency received K976.746,082 as disbursements to women, youth groups and Cooperatives.
The disbursements are a reason why Mandevu residents gathered in huge numbers to appreciate the efforts the President is making towards developing their constituency and their lives.
The gathering also indicate that the people of Mandevu fully acknowledge the fact President Hichilema is working so hard to improve their livelihood through national policies such as Free education policy and Community Development Fund.
There was ululation and noise during the President’s address, when he said that he was aware that the price of mealie meal was high and further explained what his government was doing to lower the price of mealie meal.
The President also used the occassion to assure the nation that his government was carefully resolving the issue on the high cost of mealie meal with steps already taking shape as he added that the increase in the price of white maize was meant to increase production by making it profitable.
He further told the cheering crowd that his government inherited a huge debt which had choked the country’s development agenda but was glad to note that much of it had been renegotiated towards social sectors.
The invitation made for the Area MP, all Councillors irrespective of their party affiliation to set aside politics and work towards developing the constituency through CDF clearly indicates a inclusive government.
The announcement by President Hichilema that his family has donated a borehole to the constituency is a commitment to improve people’s lives because water is life.
Through our his campaign during the time in opposition, President Hichilema has been consistent with his vision of making live better for the people of Zambia.
President Hichilema said his family would donate a boreholes each to all seven constituencies in Lusaka.
This is what attracts crowds because people know that he is a capable leader and remains committed to fulfilling his dream of making life better.
