President Rupiah Banda has castigated opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema for inciting the donor community to with-hold funding to Zambia.
Mr. Hichilema is allegedly inciting the donor community to withhold their support because the fight against corruption is being mishandled.
The President Banda said it was important for the opposition leader to realize that Zambia is faced with a lot of challenges which require support from donors.
He cited challenges in areas of road infrastructure, education and health as some of those requiring assistance.
Mr. Banda expressed regret that Mr. Hichilema, who is also co-leader of the PF/UPND pact, can incite donors not to release funds to Zambia forgetting that he was still under the leadership of the MMD government.
The President said Mr. Hichilema lost elections and he would lose the forth-coming 2011 presidential elections because his behaviour showed that he has nothing to offer to the Zambian people.
Mr. Banda advised the UPND leader to think twice than inciting donors and unnecessarily criticize government even when it was delivering services to the people.
“Mr. Hichilema should know that he is under the control of the ruling MMD and whether he likes it or not, inciting donors to rise against my government entails that the UPND will also suffer. Zambia needs funds to address and fix the infrastructure in this country,” he said.
The Head of State was speaking this morning, shortly before departure for Katete where he is scheduled to attend the Kulamba ceremony at Paramount Chief Gawa Undi’s palace.
And President Banda has advised diplomats accredited to Zambia against issuing bad statements.
President Banda said the Zambian government will have an audience with the US Government to iron out issues adding that diplomats should use the proper channels of communication.
Mr. Banda’s statement comes following US Ambassador to Zambia Donald Booth’s that donors were not satisfied with the manner Zambia was fighting corruption, especially the acquittal of former second Republican President Dr. Frederick Chiluba.
Meanwhile, President Banda has said Mozambican President Amando Guebuza who was expected to attend the Kulamba ceremony, will be represented by his Education Minister.
Mr. Banda said his Malawian counterpart Dr. Bingu Wa-Mutharika has confirmed his attendance at the ceremony.
The President was seen off at the Lusaka City Airport by Vice President George Kunda, Cabinet Ministers, senior government and MMD party officials.
ZANIS
When money is not used properly the donors must withhold their finances. The donors should not appear to praise a govt which is not performing. HH is right and RB is wrong.
True to the point Zambians have no respect for taxpayers money. if i were the donor i wouldnt give out my money to some one i know is not accountable ,if money cannot be used for the intended work why give it out.. besides it is not good to always be receiving you always remain a slave to the giver we must stop it;
Why give taxpayers money to a corrupt govt. The European politicians have a duty to their taxpayers to ensure that the money is used properly. Not enough is being done to fight corruption. The thieving former president is walking the streets with his flashy suits and stolen money from MOH has not been recovered. I think the focus must be on restoring the fight against corruption and recovering ALL stolen monies than attacking HH who is simply echoing the sentiments of the international community. The sad thing is that only few people like HH are standing up against this circus we call a government.
RB thinks that when someone loses elections then they should not speak against his govt, he has wrong mentality.He was bribing voters by buying maize at a higher price towards elections last year but this year the govt has failed to buy any maize through the corrupt FRA. He is even told civil servants to get free fertilisers but this year they will be giving 4 bags of ferlilisers instead of 8 per farmer. I can not wait for next general elections because Bwezani with the MMD have become big headed at the expense of developing the country. They are sending their cadres to assault journalists who have not done anything at all. He has taken us backwards and the country is laughing stock at regional and world level. Fuel is cheaper in Zimbabwe than in Zambia, why?
What is this ‘Ichilema’ yapping about???
Donors please do not give them. HH is right. Ba LT your site has come up as one of the unsafe sites. I have just been warned that this site carries a virus!
When Chiluba was acquitted I knew that something like this would happen. Does RB know about the Internet? HH doesnt have to incite anything the donors have already done their research and the worst is yet to come. This is just the beginning already Kapwepwe is complaining that the IMF is not releasing the funds. This is a modern world now and besides RB knows how the US feels about Mugabe and yet RB is busy doing chi mbuya with Mugabe.
” The President Banda said it was important for the opposition leader to realize that Zambia is faced with a lot of challenges which require support from donors. ”
Zambia would not need donors it this president had the spine to tax the mines.
And then this gem…
” “Mr. Hichilema should know that he is under the control of the ruling MMD and whether he likes it or not, inciting donors to rise against my government entails that the UPND will also suffer. Zambia needs funds to address and fix the infrastructure in this country,” he said. ”
Hakainde Hichilema is ‘under the control of the ruling MMD’? Perhaps a civics lesson for president Banda is in order. Political parties are not part of a patronage network. Unless there has been a secret pact between the MMD and UPND that no one has heard of yet.
These politicians must even be ASHAMED of themselves,for always talking about donors..donors…donors..when are we as nation going to grow up and be able to stand on our own.Please enough of begging.Zambia as a nation has developed a CULTURE of begging,it´s a SHAME.
RB you are not doing enough in fight against corruption.why are you thinking backwards?what a sleeping president.you are such a disgrace RB
SCRIPTURE,
” Zambia as a nation has developed a CULTURE of begging,it´s a SHAME. ”
It is not even a culture of begging. It is that ‘donor aid’ is safe. Taxing the mines is ‘dangerous’, because there might be reprisals, not only from these foreign corporations but from their governments. They are taking the road of least resistance, so their stay in power won’t be interrupted by anything. Of course in the process, they leave hundreds of millions of dollars uncollected as taxes, hospitals go unfunded, infrastructure declines. And they have the elitist economic philosophy to back them up – neoliberalism. They don’t care about the masses of people, that they are dying in hospitals because there aren’t enough doctors or surgeons, while they send themselves off to South Africa.
MrK… point taken.It just makes me so sad to see the levels of poverty in Zambia,whilst the fat cats cast a blind eye on the general population.Somebody someday has to be answerable to some high and divine powers.
This president is so dull!! He doesnt want donors to speak about how THEIR money is being MISUSED? What an a.s.s-hole!! It is their taxpayer’s money and they have every right to comment on how it is spent. If you dont like it, dont take it!! It’s that simple. I have never been so ashamed to be a Zambian!!
Chenda Bwamba,
” It is their taxpayer’s money and they have every right to comment on how it is spent. If you dont like it, dont take it!! It’s that simple. I have never been so ashamed to be a Zambian!! ”
No need to go that far. 🙂
I take issue that donor aid is their tax payers money – it is our money. It is our money being sent back to us. In 2004, the foreign mining companies took $4,000 million of OUR copper and cobalt out of the country, of which $2,400 million is pure profit. That same year, these same western mines paid $6 million in taxes! That same year, Zambia received $600 million in ‘donor aid’.
The west is not rich because they give their money away. Zambia is poor because it gives it’s natural resources away.
This has to end.
#15 Note that the donor countries are not the ones that took the copper/cobalt you are moaning about. Your attitude of entitlement amuses me. These donor countries have no duty to help us. the only reason they do is purely humanitarian. These countries look at health, education, human dignity etc as human rights and not as luxuries or for only politically people as our government does. So please stop whining and see who the real suckers are.
zoona our president is dull and very ignorant!
Proper dictatorship coming to zambia. Donors should really take a tough stance otherwise they are giving these i.di.ots the support to suppress our people and lead our country into absolute poverty.
Developed nations don’t even talk about development, they just do it whenever neccessary and wherever possible. In zambia, lo! It’s the national anthem, our leaders talk about it everyday with no action.
Anyway, the harder they come, the harder they fall!
Ama Zambians salapukeni twapapata. People rarely complain because of fear. mwalikwatisha umwenso.
What a passive nation we are.
buka labwenu.
whatever RB is saying is right in the sense that what hh is saying right cause RB and his govt are really doing what hh said. RB is trying to protect himself from the truth so that they can benefit more. donours use your brains and follow up whatever donours you gave and see if the where destributed the way they are supposed to.
Funding a corrupt gov’t, No Ways. You don’t actually need any special instrument to see that RB’s brain has lost contact with his mouth it’s been years that the two synchronized. If a man sins because of the devils’ deception, its bad, but if a man sins because of self deception, its worse. STOP cheating yourself RB. F@@lz paradise, we are tired.
Donors involvement shld be limited. In this particular instance I do not think HH can show that Bwezani is misusing funds or whatever other mis. I think donors have been given a place that has gone so far as to destroy Zambian in particular. This HH should be very familiar with the dictates of the donor community. I would have thought a man his stature would be engaged in a fight to as much as possible urge donors to stay away from our issues. There is not a problem that we can’t address. Much of the suffering that we are experiencing can be directly attributed to donor influence.The solution to the Zambian problems, regardless what it is, is a Zambian by Zambian solution. These HH politics type I detest. The same goes for Mmembe. Zambia will one day rise to the challenge. (1991)
Ba HH may be we should just issue all the donors with a green NRC. No, ba dala I disagree. We should not allow them to meddle in our affairs. Lets continue the dialogue and putting pressure on issues of good governance. We shall get it right one day. Do not relent. HH if you do not end up becoming Hof S,you should atleast be remembered as the man who never gave those in goverment space to manuever on matters of governance. Attempt to distinguish yourself from people like the Mbikusitas, Mumbas and others alike whose interest in politics is there own livelihood which I suppose is least among your objectives given your level of wealth am made to understand. I urge you to continue the good fight of country first & pursuing all the noble courses that am confident are very clear in your mind.
# 2 what type of picture is that ?
It is really suprising the way RB is coming out. We keep saying zambia has no money this and that forgetting that when donors release funds only few individuals become beneficiaries. Just look at ministers gratuity, monies spent on NCC and I ready the other day that the sitting has been extend by 10 months. Evacuations for the so called specialist treatment. It’s only here in Africa where the term exists. Dont these politicians feel ashamed to go to SA for treatment because here hospitals are ill equipped. Stupid i.d.i.o.t. RB’s endless trips, the guy is a tourist of the millenium. Thandiwe keeps receiving a salary from ministry of education when in the actual fact stopped teaching in 2006.
Goo HH. Where is other position presidents! Miyanda always appears a week before presidential nominations
Where are other opposition parties!
National interest first before self. HH is up to no good, we need donor funds to sort various problems in health, education etc. Funds freeze is biting Chainama College of Health Sciences has not opened. HH seems to be running of ideas, the poor who are voters are ones going to suffer, RB and his GRZ officials will not feel the freeze, they will ensure the lito that will left in the treasury is used by them first even in terms medical treatment they can still be evacuated to RSA. HH an opposition should be urging donors to stop funding us coz of fight on corruption. This fight will never be won in a day on ten years for as long as Zambia exists and pipo are being born and dying this thing will be there forever. This corruption we talk about in Zambia is world over ZED 1st SELF 2nd ABASH HH
Other opposition must also wake up rather than leaving everything in the hands of HH and Sata, but time for elections they resurface to split votes ALAS!!!!!
Where is our independence then; if we can heavily depend on Donors?? Only EMPTY TINS who have no ideas on how to raise their own revenue and account for it will blame HH, but brilliant individuals find sense in what Hichilema said!!!
What independence to talk about, the British, French etc are still determining the direction and pace of economic development. They need us that is why the give us aid. We attained political independence but you cant eat independence these days but economic independence is the battle with have to win with these greedy donors. They took away our best human capital as slaves, then plundered our resources and they are still and now they are taking away our best brains. Its like sub saharan is a door mat.
Be prepared for crippling sanctions. Chiluba is now doing his best to behave like Mugabe – insulting the British at every opportunity. By extension, his new best friend Rupiah Banda will also be judged to be colluding. The entire European Union will retalliate. Remember the last days of the Chiluba government. Zambia was bankrupt! People have already forgotten that it was Mwanawasa who helped restore the country’s reputation and finances.
If there was anyone inciting donor countries to withhold their support for Zambia it is Rupiah Banda himself for his corruption, interference of the judiciary, dictatorship and rotten governance. Why should he try to blame Hichilema for his mess. It was a huge mistake by whoever imposed this clown on the Zambian people. Zambia is going nowhere as long as we have this visionless president.
Without donor money MMD is dead. If your brother is misapplying and misusing money, you can ask the provider to stop giving him the money and channel it to where it can be used properly.
HH should give a call to Morgan Tsivangirai. He may teach him a few lessons. Once donors stop funding projects, they take a very long time to start again. Morgan is now globe trotting looking for aid but nothing is forthcoming. Margaret Thatcher opposed sanctions against apartheid South Africa and she was right. South Africa would have had to build from the scratch had real sanctions been applied. Look at Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba. Sanctions never hurt the people in power but the poor people. HH is rich and he does not depend on donors, but that is not the case with the majority of Zambians. KK’s govt. was removed from power by the vox populi. HH must convince the Zambians that he is the man of the moment and Zambians are not fools, they will take him on.
Observer (#16),
” Your attitude of entitlement amuses me. These donor countries have no duty to help us. ”
You are still missing my point. This is not charity we are talking about, but a shell game. $4,000 million goes out, $0,600 million comes back in as ‘donor aid’.
The second they stop sending $600 million, the government is forced to seek another line of income, which is… TAXING THE MINES.
That is what ‘donor aid’ is there to prevent from happening. We get donor aid, so we won’t tax the mines.
And entitlement – of course the people of Zambia are entitled to the national resources of their country. We are absolutely entitled to that.