OASIS Forum/CGC petitions parliament over constitution making process

1. LusakaTimes please keep up the good work…!

2. The people of Zambia are represented by the same parliamentarians who also happen to MMD in majority. Do these thugs dream sreiously think parliamentarians will dance to their songs and curve in against their collective ideal on the road map? I beat you that is another wastage of ignorant people’s time and endangering their lives in demos that wil yield Zero results. Levy is busy signing treaties and memorandum of understandings with other Governments. Instead of getting bussy mitigating poverty among the power with received money from Donors, these NGOs find it prudent to spend on buying chibuku to confuse the poor in demos. Its time some of these NGOs were systematically squieezed and choked untill they form tuntemba parties. That Demo is immaterial and void of achievable goals.

3. MWANAWASA OPENS CANCER HOSPITAL

   PRESIDENT Mwanawasa yesterday officially opened Zambia’s first-ever National Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, marking a new era that will save the country millions of Kwacha it spends on specialist treatment abroad.The President said due to lack of facilities, Government had been spending about K50 million to sponsor a single cancer patient for treatment to Zimbabwe and South Africa.The cancer hospital cost K33.9 billion to put up.“The savings made through this initiative will be reallocated and invested in key health interventions such as maternal and child health services that will save more lives,” Mr Mwanawasa said.He said as the Zambian population continued to grow, cancer cases had also recorded an increase to an estimated 3,000 new cases in a million people annually.Of these, 60 to 66 per cent would benefit from the local radiotherapy treatment that had now been possible with the establishment of the National Cancer Diseases Hospital.And according to projections by the National Cancer Registry, as at 2005, Zambia had more than 10,000 cases of cancer that required radiotherapy.The President said because of limited budgetary allocations for sending cancer patients for treatment abroad, Government was unable to cater for every patient who required treatment.“For instance, of the total 5,000 cases that required radiotherapy abroad between 1995 and 2004, only 350,000 received treatment. The rest were left to endure the pain while the disease ravaged their bodies relentlessly until they died,” Mr Mwanawasa said.Cancer, cardiac and renal illnesses were the most common diseases that were treated abroad. Of these ailments, cancer accounted for about 90 per cent of the patients.Mr Mwanawasa said it was therefore a milestone for Government to make treatment of cancer locally available.Now that Zambians had access to radiation treatment of cancer, public awareness of the killer disease and its treatment should be part of the central goals of health education.National programmes for cancer control, sound policies and projects would be required in supporting radiotherapy to effectively address the needs of the country on cancer therapy.The President said there were huge investments in training staff that would run the hospital. To complement this, adequate radiation safety and protection programmes would have to be established to coordinate safe application of the latest nuclear development in the country.Mr Mwanawasa said the equipment installed was of high standards as it was comparable to that in various developed countries in the world.Government and funding agencies intended to turn the centre into a regional facility of excellence for radiotherapy treatment of cancer.The equipment would require stringent measures to operate at full capacity throughout its lifespan.Mr Mwanawasa urged staff at the centre to ensure that a system for preventive and corrective maintenance of the equipment was introduced and strictly adhered to.He also said it would be irresponsible for the cancer centre staff to leave Zambia for greener pastures in foreign countries after Government had invested huge sums of funds in training them.Although the centre was an autonomous institution, it would require collaboration with the University Teaching Hospital to effectively manage treatment of the disease. The hospital is situated within the UTH grounds.And Minister of Health, Dr Brian Chituwo, said the establishment of the cancer centre was testimony of the importance Government attached to ensuring better health service delivery in the country.Dr Chituwo said the coming of a cancer hospital meant that the country was now well complemented with the curative component of cancer health care.And in a vote of thanks, Ms Violet Bwalya of the Break Through Cancer Trust,commended Government for having listened to the cries of people who suffered from the disease.Ms Bwalya, a cancer patient, said the establishment of the special hospital would not only reduce Government’s costs but those of the patients as well.She said before the coming of the centre, it was very painful for patients to be treated abroad as they left their families back home and missed local foodstuffs. (See a special feature on the new hospital in the Sunday Mail on July 22.)

4. Its so heartbreaking to see how we antangonise ourselves even in the things that are straight forward.I ‘ve always wondered really whether its leadership that we lack or education.Taking the argument form both sides of this debate leaves me perplexed because the focus is slowly shifting to trivial matters.Emotins are taking center stage over reasoning and objectivity and for one to have latter qualities education and leadership is a neccessity.the NGOs and the gov both are claiming to be representin the pipo but basing on what?I believe Ngos share the blame of lacking integrit eg how do u take the pettition which you claim to be neutral to a political figure inthis case Given lubinda, do these ngos know how that is going to be interpretted?How about the other side also collet the pettions which they are capeble of buying then what do u archieve.Now i don’t know if that is rocket science.There should be some educated, level headed objective pipo that can provide answers

5. Once again these pseudo-political parties (or is it forums)are misplacing priorities and making this whole thing a farce and very boring.Can we stop bickering so much about the mode of adoption but once again focus on the content to be incorporated or deleted from the current constitution.Half of those demonstrators do not even know what provisions the electorate have problems with.The demo hoped to petition MP’s to give up their power to legislate??? Not in a million years!!!I found More More Mores'(3) copy and paste article more stimulating!

6. First of all we should know what we want and devise a way to get to whant we want.Thats is elementary.We have one hurdle in arriving at the CA ie how do we get the power that we gave to a legislative body and give that to one temporlary body?OASIS forum have a point but if thier point is going to be presented on a gabbage lid then it will stink.Lets not forget that if ther is anyone who screwed us its ourselves.We are in this together unless we dialog we will stay screwed.Please look up that word dialog before u go out there and do a deservice to the word.I want to trust OASIS but something tells me they are not clean maybe thats why the catholic bishops are relactant to endorse them.Maybe its an extended arm of PF or has become.If the cc is going to do what the CA is suppose to do then where is the problem.Zed deserve better and we ve done it before.While this is going on pipo still do not have clean water,drugs,housing the list goes on.

7. The Original Pundit (5),
   I am back but with much disappointment after witnessing the strategyless NGOs in demos. Its sad that a noble cause has been hijaccked by political vultures under cover of NGOs.Which level headed citizen will have the conscious of alligning himself with that thuggery. Instead of being strategic and building winning critical mass, they are shifting the cause into thuggery. There is no critical mass to justify or win hearts of this thuggery before our peace loving people. Little do they know that those Demos leaves no distinction on citizens betwwen the infamous UNZA lumpen that always fail on its mission and this demo approach.At the end of it should they go violent, it will be their side taking counts of casaulties at the hands of the Kamfinsa boys and Red barrattes Mushili boys stationed around cities.Its embarrassing that even the few educated among them resort to fruitless strategies. It gives MMD a more appreciated human heart in the face of violence.

8. Fact(7),the political vultures are cornered and are hoping for public sympathy to enshrine their existence in our society as quasi political organisations.The Daily Mail reports their disappointment at not being consulted over the proposed regulatory legislation!!All good things like a book…come to an end!!I personally appreciate their role in civil society but their stances are often confrontational.They always expect their demands to take precedence and have yet to learn the “give and take” strategy of lobbyists or pressure groups.Some of these so-called NGO’s comprise of the best brains in the country but when they get together they want to be dictatorial to the powers that be.Any right thinking government (LPM and Co. in this case) would take steps to curb the expanding influence of a potentially dangerous grouping.These NGO’s have brought this upon themselves because of their arrogance and lack of tactile diplomacy.

9. These NGOs we see around have an Evil power behind them aimed at destabilising our country. Why are they demonstrating over which mode to adopt the so called new constitution when they don’t even know the content. So these NGOs have been formed specifically for the constitution. Something is wrong somewhere.

10. I believe in the patriotic and peaceful Zambian. Its these citizens that will never let them realise their dream for anarchy irrespective of the matching orders they are taking from their sponsors. Good riddance the purging process has began.KK says ” in timeliness, we acted with decissiveness and authority yet with patriotism.

11. Pakistan’s top judge reinstated
    Pakistan’s top court has reinstated the country’s chief justice in a move being seen as a serious blow to the authority of President Pervez Musharraf.Iftikhar Chaudhry was suspended by the president four months ago amid claims of corruption, but has since become a focus of opposition to Gen Musharraf.Gen Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, is facing mounting criticism of his rule and a wave of bombings.The government says it will respect the court’s decision.Critics of the president say the suspension was an attempt to undermine the judiciary’s independence in an election year.The Supreme Court judges ruled by 10 votes to three to quash all charges against Mr Chaudhry, calling his suspension “illegal”.

12. Democrat#11Dont bring terrorist here on the blog we kniw this already

13. I just fail to appreciate the argument that the NGOs are pushing for a CA because of the allowances. However, K500,000 per day per participant is going to break our bank. Our legal friends should help end this poignant impasse by outlining the alternative methods with associated costs and let the people decide whats feasible though not necessarily the most desirable. The govt claims the CA the NGOs are demanding will gobble K700 billion, not a small amount by any stretch of the imagination, but infact quite conservative going by the cost of the CRC itself.
    I dont think many people will agree that we are going to spend 700 billion only because we cant trust elected MPs to enact our views in the CRC-and still pay them gratuity. Doesnt make any sense to me.

14. We need to adopt this constitution through the CA. If it is the sitting allowance that is creating anxiety, why can’t it be readjusted downwards? K200,000 per sitting from K500,000 will be within the realms of integrity. Let us be focussed so that we come up with a constitution that will stand a test of time.

15. #14 Nkhataboy, as much as we need this constitution its only allowances thing at stake. The intergrity and meaningful parliament is also going to be questioned. There is a risk of high jacking the whole thing worse popi will fight over who will take part and who should appoint CA commissioner. I would suggest that KK. PLM and FTJ be members of CA without pay because they have benefited from the economy of the Zambia. Its time now start paying back. If they real love this nation then we can have a constitution which will last years and protect every citizen. The problem with the Mungomba CRC it made suggestions which are unthinkable like a foreigner can stand for president after having lived in Zambia for 10 years. Nkhataboy you are in Europe can you verify which govt has allowed such a thing to happen.

16. I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.

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