A conglomerate of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has welcomed the London High Court Judgment on Second republican President Dr Frederick
Chiluba and President Mwanawasa’s call for a national Indaba on the constitution making process.
Speaking at a joint press briefing in Lusaka today, Committee of Citizens Director Gregory Chifire said the London High Court ruling on Dr Chiluba was an indication of true justice and a milestone in the national crusade against corruption.
Mr Chifire said the London High Court judgment on the second President by Judge Peter Smith is a clear demonstration to show that the days for plunderers are numbered and that many more people will follow the path of Dr Chiluba.
He advised government to suspend paying Dr Chiluba’s terminal benefits so that part of the stolen money can be recovered.
Mr Chifire further said that investigations should be launched to know how the money realized from the Privatisation exercise was spent on development programmes.
He also said that the resources recovered from plunderers be used to set up an
Education Trust Fund with a view to educating the large number of youths and street kids who are on the streets.
Forum for Leadership Search Executive Director Edwin Lifwekelo said his organisation supports the call by president Mwanawasa to hold a national indaba on the constitution making process in order to address the acrimonies surrounding the constitution making process.
Mr Lifwekelo said public participation through which people can exchange views and influence the review and drafting of a constitution process is central to the
acceptance of the republican constitution.
He noted that the national indaba will play a crucial role as it will help guard
against anti-democratic drafting of a constitution process.
Mr Lifwekelo said his organisation has supported the enactment of a new
constitution as it plays an ideological role by inculcating the values that the
society seeks to enshrine but that the right procedure be used in enactment a new constitution.
He further urged the civil society, trade unions, student bodies and the church to put pressure on government so that it can discontinue giving Dr Chiluba his benefits until he pays back the 85 percent of the money he defrauded the Zambian government.
Mr Lifwekelo also advised government to stop building Dr Chiluba’s house so that the exercise can be part of the recovery process of the money Dr Chiluba defrauded the Zambian government.
Meanwhile, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Vice President Sam Phiri blamed the civil society and government for being stubborn over the constitution making process.
Mr Phiri said both government and the civil society were creating unnecessary
political tension in the country by not agreeing on the constitution road map.
He noted that the civil society should discuss and agree to hold a national indaba
which he said will act as a surgeon for enacting a people driven constitution which can stand a taste of time.
And Operations Young Cheetah Movement Executive Director Mcloud Lunkoto appealed to government to involve youths in the constitution making process saying youths are a reservoir of the national human resource.
Mr Lunkoto also urged second republican president Dr Chiluba to disclose the sources of the funds that found their way into the Zamtroop coffers.
In my view the indaba over the road map will just be a talking shop. It will be just a worst of tax payers’ money. Most NGO’s in our country, sorry to say, thrive in a form of indaba known as workshop. To them it is their bread and butter as they get sitting allowances and other logistics from such indabas.
Considering that we are approaching the middle of the year, it is my view that the constitution making process should not be delayed any longer. The government should just go ahead and implement its version of the road map which, as we have been told, include the constituenty assembly (C.A). The indaba will therefore come at the stage of the C.A.
Looking at the conglomerate of the NGOs in this report, the Commitee of Citizens and the Forum for Leadership search reminds me of NOCE and ZIMT during the FJT era.
These NGO are useless and pest of our nation. When Mwanawasa is defeated by the pipo which he will be like Chiluba, and Kaunda.. These Stupid parasites, NGO will disappear as usual. Zedian are never worried about NGO which are for hire and represent Regimes which come and go
We want the anti corruption to visit the NGOs to find out whether the funds they get from donnors are well spent. what surprises me is that these guys drive expensive cars beyond their means & live in posh houses while the people they want to serve live on empty stomachs.where is the fairness and just society?
Indaba for these NGOs is just one way of getting allowances. for people to trust these NGOs they need to reach out especially in remote areas not always in urban Shame.I remember my cousin Banda from Chipata telling me working for NGOs mbuya, you are assured of living a happy life. When we met in Lusaka my mbuya was smartly dressed with VX Land cruise parked.The torn trousers and worn out shoes are yesterday. When he saw me he said mbuya NGOs the gold mine.NoWonder these stupid, uncultured and bush products (NGOs)just accept everything as long there is dosh to enrich themselves.Sort them out guys zambia is ours the future generation.Why did our parents fought chachacha?Self rule
I think that the indabas over the constitution are a serious waste of time. What Zambians need to do is mobilise themselves and sit along the great east road; they should not destroy anything but simply refuse to move until LPM agrees to a new constitution.
After 3 days LPM will not only consent to a new constitution but also will immediately convene a constituent assembly.
Lets try.
Even if the Indaba was held the resolutions thereof will never be implemented. How many times has Zambia taken this route? Many times! In four decades we’ve had 4 constitution review commissions/reports (or an attempt to change our constitution every 10 years!). We’ve launched into the fifth decade of independence and Zambia is at it again….new constitution. Are we in Zed this confused? I may be wrong, but this is unparalleled of any country I know.
As for NGOs, opportunism will not carry the day anymore. FTJ’s case has removed the veil from the eyes of Zambians. They can now see clearly. Therefore, anyone who has stolen from the masses must not only feel but bear the full burden of the law and the test of a prison cell……even if ‘it is normal to steal by mistake’ as some careless traditional leader retorted a few years back!
Truly Zambian that is the way to go.
Argentina did that.
we need to teach a lesson to these politicians who hv since commercialized politics.
these are servants and not masters. they should be driving landlovers 110 and not GX,Pajeros etc.
gvt vehicles being wasted over the weekends and nites.
why cant they take a leaf from UN vehicles and other
institutions?
Zambians let us work up.
tired and sick of complaining???
Truly Zambian that is the way to go.
Argentina did that.
we need to teach a lesson to these politicians who hv since commercialized politics.
these are servants and not masters. they should be driving landlovers 110 and not GX,Pajeros etc.
gvt vehicles being wasted over the weekends and nites.
why cant they take a leaf from UN vehicles and other
institutions?
Zambians let us woke up.
tired and sick of complaining???
Mr Edwin Lifwekelo has been has a a leader of a hungry NGO. Remember he was firstly MMD, then PF and later deserted because the struggle was too great for him. Don’t listen to him, he is a hungry man and a champion in politics of poverty.
No more talking shops
#7…look at Argentina now…would you want to be living there at the moment???
Lifwekelo is an FTJ product, he helped in the third term campaign.
On NGOs however, I believe its encouraging they drive good cars.You see as long as you are NOT using stolen money, its alright to drive a good personal or company car.
So #3 Banda, the wise man from the east, gave you good advice which I hope you followed from hence forth.
Okay
What is impressive about driving a nice car? lets not loose substance in our discussions. The directors of these NGO are already known to exhibit politcal view flip flopping, simply support the government that rules at the time. Sometimes I wonder why we refer to them as NGOs.Instead we should refer to them as PGOs. “Partial Government Opportunists”.
Since when was it the responsbility of every NGO to speak for the Zambian people. Sound like wings of political parties that only echo the sentiments of the payer of their bills. Please restrict yourselves to the true service of the people you claim to have created yourselves for. We have elected officials ruling and oppossition alike that we delegated as our representatives.
NGO have their place in morden governance and speaking as representatives of the people is certainly least in their appropriette list of funtions.Who do you think you guys are, political watch dogs? Please give us a break. Find some real jobs.
Loadist out!
I want to Constitution of Pakistani NGOs