By Henry Kyambalesa
I wish to comment on the donation of various relief items worth US$100,000 to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID should be commended for making the donation, which includes blankets, tents, shovels, wheelbarrows, water containers, sanitary towels, and other essential items.
However, there is a need for donor countries and humanitarian organizations to be politically sensitive when making donations designed to assist needy members of Zambian society. They need to be aware of the potential for selective distribution of relief supplies to affected communities by the ruling political party with the intention of gaining political leverage in elections.
In this regard, donor countries and humanitarian organizations need to advocate for the creation, by the Zambian government, of a statutory and autonomous government agency that would perform its duties without any political meddling or manipulation by government officials designed to achieve partisan objectives.
The agency should also be responsible for providing assistance to the needy and, therefore, should incorporate the functions of the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme currently administered through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, and which includes the Social Cash Transfer Scheme.
Suggestively, the agency could be referred to as the “Welfare and Emergency Management Bureau,” and should be accountable to the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Community Development and Social Welfare. DMMU, which is currently vested in the Office of the Vice-President, is very likely to be abused by the MMD or future ruling political parties for partisan purposes.
Will keep receiving the items for good use
Mr Internet Party President, where do you get this idea that the MMD distributes AID in MMD strong holds. Go to Southern, Lusaka & copperbelt provinces and see for yourself how much government donated aid is in these areas. Stop misleading the people from your arm chair and come out in the open form a serious party and face us in the field ..2011 is not that far away. Meet us in the battle field than drop this poison on the unsuspecting immature and naive bloggers who don’t even vote, but like you just sit in tha chair and critise all day.
Mr Kyambalesa’s article does not read right. He has alluded to MMD distributing aid to selected areas for political gain. Should have given evidence. These are items for disaster alleviation. Disaster strikes any place and I recall GRZ giving aid to those affected. I dont agree that we need another autonomous agency. if there are shortcoming inthe Disaster Managemnt under VP then lets improve them. Our GRZ need to be well prepared for coming floods. use the donations to help the suffering.
Ignore him and stay steadfast with what you know better.Henry is too confused for public leadership.He is a disillusioned academic theorist.
This failed-fulbright-scholar called kyambalesa is just a prophet of doom. wat makes him think disasters only strike in MMD strongholds for im to suggest that those items may be usd for gaining political leveragee? what nonesense!
I endorse the statements below:
The goodness of the MMD is its ability to quickly adapt after successfully testing the ground. Few positive statements which have come from senior party officials of late indicate that the chasm has begun to narrow and the ice started to thaw.The recent defeats in the parliamentary by-elections in Kasama and Solwezi Central have provided enough fodder for the party leadership. In Kasama, the Patriotic Front (PF) was defending while Solwezi Central belonged to the MMD.
However, these victories should not be overly celebrated. The picture will not be the same in 2011.All the parties would be stretched and the choice of candidates and their appeal to the electorate will certainly be the deciding factor than party affiliations. Today, the Copperbelt has shifted to Solwezi. The North-Western Province has received massive investment, especially in mineral development and exploitation, to give MMD enough strength and leverage to romp to victory in any future elections.
Secondly, the PF/ United Party for National Development (UPND) pact is a loose alliance. Their prayer should be that the new Constitution, if at all it is adopted since PF is not represented in the National Constitution Conference (NCC), recognizes the need. It was different in the by-elections but the pact would find it hard in the absence of legal support to form a joint government as the current Constitution does not allow MPs to cross the floor.
The acting party president has evidently opened up the party on the path for reconciliation. It should not be left to him to bear the cross alone. But first there must be recognition that something has gone drastically wrong.What unites the party is more than what divides it. MMD can still be salvaged.
“….selective distribution of relief supplies to affected communities by the ruling political party with the intention of gaining political leverage in elections…”
MMD cadres, what makes you think you will be in power forever? And what makes you think the next party to form govt will not abuse this privilege? This is the kind of short-sightedness that is frightening about how we set up things in Zambia.
I think what the author is suggesting is the fact that things like disaster relief/response should be politically neutral, and for this agency to be under the VP is potentially political because the vice presidency is by design political. Sure, you might think the current VP is an angel, but what guarantees do you have about the next VP or party?!
MMD is not FOREVER!!
Yambayamba: The framers of the disaster management and positioning it in the VPs office were right to do that. The grz -not an agency- has a duty to look after disaster victims. This requires attention at the highest level- VP. You quoted the author as if what he said were facts. He did not even substatiate his claims in the article. I know there will always be abuse in the distribution of relief aid but its not as he says. For sure no party is forever!
I think the article makes plenty sense. Let an independent body distribute the donated goods.As it is, when George Kunda goes around distibuting blankets, villagers think its MMD thats why they keep voting MMD. This Kyambalesa man thinks at least, the rest of you just come to critisize and give no suggestions to the government.
Lovely blogger names, MMD CHIEF BOOTLICKER, MAPONDOYAMBUZI, Yaba!! Hahahaha!!
I rest my comment.
Good afternoon
I think that Kyambalesa is making an empty call accross the ocean. Thinking that donors will begin to form agencies to monitor how their relief aid is distributed because they are highly sceptical of the government is a bit too expectant. As far as I’m concerned, the USAID also has a local base which monitors the distribution of relief items. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Where is the evidence Mr. Kyambalesa?
#5, you are very right! There is nothing wrong with the office of the president having DMMU. Disasters will always be there and Kyambalesa should just perhaps talk about another institution to complement the efforts of the DMMU. If anything a government that’s out to gain political leverage as Kyambalesa puts it, will be much more proactve in responding to disasters in areas where they are less popular, so as as to gain the political leverage he is talking about.
I can’t believe all the negative bs and defensiveness against what is a basic article about good governance and the separation of the powers of state. Do we really need evidence of MMD abuse of state resources before the distribution of disaster aid is de-politicised? (Think: President Banda in Katete.)
The real issue I have is with the issue of foreign supplied donor aid. This money should not come from USAID, but from revenues collected from the mines. The GRZ can easily collect $1200 million a year from them, but instead selects to receive $600 million in ‘donor aid’. This is because of corruption. Do we really need more evidence?
MapondoyaMbuzi:
So does the govt have a duty to see to it that justice is dispensed fairly and equitably, but the judiciary is not under some political big-wig.
Delegating does not mean govt should be out of the loop. It is still govt’s duty to make sure these agencies are being run effectively and efficiently. In my opinion, that should be the extent of govt involvement in such things as disaster relief distributions.
No wonder we end up with constitutions in Africa that are written to suit the powers of the day. Let us try to imagine “humans” and not “angels” in charge, and that is what we should guard against in advance!! US and British constitutions have stood the test of time because of how futuristic and depersonalised they are!!!
REMEMEBER WE THE PEOPLE??!
MMD Chief Bootlicker, Inshimbi ni nshimbi, MapondoyaMbuzi, and Veteran … I have read the article a couple of times and have not seen anywhere in it where Kayambalesa has said that MMD distributes relief items for political purposes. May be you have low education. Check the following: “They need to be aware of the POTENTIAL for selective distribution of relief supplies to affected communities by the ruling political party with the intention of gaining political leverage in elections” and “DMMU … is VERY LIKELY to be abused by the MMD OR FUTURE RULING POLITICAL PARTIES for partisan purposes.” The article is very simple to understand. You need to get some fresh education. You are too ignorant to be commenting on blogs.
Nine Chale, your statement that Kayambalesa is suggesting that “donors will begin to form agencies to monitor how their relief aid is distributed” is a figment of your imagination; it is not what Kayambalesa is suggesting. You, including MMD Chief Bootlicker, Inshimbi ni nshimbi, MapondoyaMbuzi, and Veteran need to polish on your language comprehension skills before blogging. You seem to be too illiterate to be questioning what seems to be a non-partisan suggestion to the MMD government. If you were as normal as other neutral bloggers, you would be in the forefront advising the MMD to do what Kayambalesa is suggesting given suspicions in the past that MMD was bribing voters and taking temporary development projects to areas where elections were due.
I have not accused the MMD of any wrong doing in this article. And it is always a good idea to analyze any given article on its merits and demerits without attaching any disparaging words to the analysis.
Available information dated January 2002 shows that a pilot project carried out by Transparency International Zambia (TI Zambia) and 7 civic education and election monitoring NGOs (that is, SACCORD, COALITION 2001, ZCEA, AFRONET, AVAP, OYV, FODEP, CCJP, and UNZAAMO) found electoral corruption to have occurred between September 3 and 6, 2001 when 25 election monitors were placed in the field to monitor and record incidences of corruption occurring during the campaign period and on the actual election day for Kabwata by-election. [Continued …]
[Continued …] They expressed dismay at the findings which showed involvement of all political parties in one way or another in corrupt practices. The most common and according to levels of occurrence were beer buying to influence voters at 32.6%, distribution of letters to influence voters at 17.8%, promises of goods or services meant to influence voters at 17%, distribution of food stuffs to influence voters at 14.1%, buying of voter’s cards at 10.4%, distribution on money to influence voters at 5.9%, donation of money to influence voters at 1.5% and providing entertainment at 0.7%.
Their findings showed the level of involvement in corrupt practices as follows: the MMD had the highest at 65%, followed by FDD at 28.75% and UNIP at 6.25%.
Imfumu1:’Donors and aid agencies to be politically sensitive’. ‘there is pontential for selective distribution of relief’
My disagreement with the authors is his suggestion that because of this PERCEIVED pontential for abuse of donated items we must create another body. I say the DMMU is rightly placed. Abuses will always be there even under an agency. We can not create bodies based on suspicions. Don’t confuse what politicians give at campaign and DMMU relief distribution. DMMU take relief where it need
The suggestion made by Henry is good and should be embraced by MMD leaders in order to avoid any suspicions (by opposition political parties) of vote-buying in future. It is refreshing that we have some Zambians like Henry who think outside the box, although I doubt if MMD leaders are capable of making any institutional changes because they are not able to see beyond their noses. The suggestion, if it is looked at with an opn mind, is actually in the best interest of the MMD and future ruling political parties.
MapondoyaMbuzi … you sound confused. The Veep is a politician; allowing the holder to oversee the distribution of blankets, tents, shovels, wheelbarrows, water containers, sanitary towels, and other essential items to communities befallen by disasters is akin to allowing a lion to watch over a herd of buffalos. George Kunda was recently campaigning for MMD candidates in Solwezi and Southern Province, and distributing brown envelopes … open up your clogged brains.
We all applaud Henry’s efforts at offering ideas to make things better. If henry’s perceived pontential of abuse is based is on election monitors who saw people influencing voters with chibuku and other stuff then he does not persuade me that it warrants the creation of another body to distribute disaster relief aid. Henry also suggests that this same body could do some social welfare functions. Am not sure what agency we’ll end up with. there is social welfare services under MCDSS. why duplicate it.
MapondoyaMbuzi:
I still don’t get what exactly your point is!!! What is wrong with making the DMMU independent and immune from any undue political influences? You have lost me ‘Bululu’.
At the minimum, isn’t this in the best interest of any politician or political party to get themselves as far away as possible from any situation that has the potential to make them appear corrupt? Fair or not, perceptions in politics and governance do matter.
I see nothing wrong with Kyambalesa’s suggestion. Please convince us otherwise. So far, you have failed miserably. I am sorry to say!!
Confirms my concerns about Kyambalesa’s IQ. He is clearly stumbling on his own shoes.
I will be very surprised if a political party that is supported by individuals who cannot comprehend the content of an article that is only half a page long can win the 2011 presidential election — individuals who cannot even articulate their party’s short-term, medium-term and long-term agenda, if at all it has such an agenda!
Kanitundila … are you a Zambian or a muzungu? How many Zambians do you think know their IQs? Do you even know your IQ? The IQ test is culturally biased in favour of muzungus. You would probably score a .35 or less on the IQ test. Try not to use measurements of intelligence of others when you have probably never had an IQ test yourself. The author of this article probably lives in Solwezi from the looks of his name. I do not think he understands what IQ implies, since there are no IQ test centres in Solwezi or anywhere else in Zambia, I suppose. And what does IQ have to do with an individual’s capability to write a short article like the one above, anyway?