PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said co-operating partners should not blackmail the Government by withholding donor support as a way of resolving challenges faced in various sectors of the economy.
The president said he would not allow diplomats who present credentials to him to continue holding Government to ransom using threats to withhold funding because Zambia was a sovereign State.
On arrival yesterday at the Lusaka International Airport from Namibia where he had gone for a State visit, the president said donors themselves choose areas they would like to fund and the Government never forced them.
The president said donors did not have the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the country and urged Zambians to stop rejoicing in their conduct.
President Banda said Government was grateful for the assistance it received from foreign donors but they needed to understand their limits and respect Zambians.
“Do not rejoice in things like that. We should not allow donors to feel that they can interfere in the internal affairs. This is a free country. This is a sovereign country,” President Banda said.
Mr Banda said donors were at liberty to select areas they would like to help Zambia in but the help must not be accompanied by attempts to interfere with the governance of the country.
“They themselves chose to come and help in the road sector, in the health sector. We are very grateful for what they have helped us with but they should not interfere,” he said.
Mr Banda arrived around 13:00 hours and was welcomed by Vice-President George Kunda, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peter Daka, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga, Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti and Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa.
Also present were service chiefs, Government and other officials.
The president was accompanied to Namibia by Government Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga and First Lady Thandiwe Banda.
[Times of Zambia]
Yes we are a free country but what freedom is there when people are not benefiting from the fruits of independence. Note that these donors are responding to genuine concerns in the manner that government does its business. Corruption, stealing money meant for the sick, muzzling the press, wrong priorities are the order of the day. Donors are helpless to ensure that their money reaches the intended target except to withhold the funds or work with NGOs.
It is also immature to state that the donors help has not been requested for. My advice to the government is to work on good governance like what Mwanawasa was doing by cleaning up the running of the government. It was not long ago that the Zambian government was being praised for its efforts to fight corruption or have we forgotten…
We are not a free country. Instead we are in some kind of Orwellian Animal Farm, where those in power are more equal and freer than others. The only time our leaders listen is when donor funds, which they routinely steal, are cut. People like Shrek issue reckless statements knowing that even if all hospitals were closed down, he and his friends and family would still be alright. After all only South African hospitals are good enough for these demagogues.
Reminds me of young lady Dr.Moyo’s Book….Well the thing is these are not donors but come here in Donor skins…they are agents of destruction to ensure poor countries remain poor and under their control for the Raw Materials.Ever heard of Donors ever-ever-ever- been in China?What do you call a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. An *****, dolt, or dullard. Thats what they are.
Number 1 and 2, you nailed it. Number 3 sorry but you have your understanding of neo-colonialism all tangled up. Perhaps you are buying into the rhetoric. The Global Fund prides itself in funding organisations that achieve at least 85% of the goals set when applying or seeking funding. It would make sense if the politicians accusing donors of interfering with our soveriegnity would be more specific in their claims. Rather, they take to biting the hand that feeds us because they have fed themselves with a huge portion of our pie leaving us to starve. We wouldn’t need this aid if these people did not insisist on acting like colonizers. Come on Mr. President, please address the nation with a better defence than that.
You ask for donations, after you have chewed their money, you say you are a soveriegn state. Next week on a plane to the donors to beg for help, when it comes, you f………..n chew it and call them names. Sh…’
For once I agree with RB – but the simple way to stop donor interferance is ” do not get their money!”
It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Nation can utter such kind of words. Its like he knows that he will not go through in the next election such that he doesnt care about what goes on in the country.He has benefited a lot from these same funds. his cabinet is the worst on this planet.
It’s a big blunder on the part of the President to make such a careless comment/suggestion(s). Can RB be reminded that even the motor bikes on his motorcade were donated? Look at the Water Sector for example, from 1993 to-date (NORAD, GTZ, DANIDA, Irish-Aid, EU, USA-AID, UN e.t.c) have been supporting this country. Look around the country, GRZ wings and public institution and point out what have been bought or projects being done from GRZ’s own monies from the time you took over office, most likely NONE. Learn to appreciate the good spirit on nationals where these monies have been coming from. Learn to say THANK YOU and SORRY mr president.
I’m worried for the future of our country with such uttterances from RB coz started the same way and look how Zimbabwe is now. What’ wrog with getting rid of corruption.
#4 …Okay so you say I dont understand anything? Thats fine with me but unfortunately for you, you cant change my perception of the Donors. When you come to know them from my stand point, please remember to give me a call just to tell me you were wrong and I was right…lets not get exited about this whole issue…All that RB has done is to Kick the Dog..chapwa.
If donors stop fund?ng our health sector, RB and MMD pol?t?c?ans wont feel the p?nch coz they always fly to SA even for s?mple coughs. The best ?s to apprec?ate ?nstead of ?nsult?ng helpers by cla?m?ng we never asked for that help. RB ?s an old man and may not care so much about tomorow.
RB you shud have respect for donors. The so called budget cant even be there minus donors. Majority of ministries survive because of donors what are you talking about. Most of the vehicle ministries are from the donors and you use the same donor vehicles during elections because they are private plate numbers you think we dont know. You want people who are on ARVS to die whilst you take your own people to south africa like George kunda, shikapwasha, VJ the list is endless. Wake up zambians vote wisely next year.
moron for a president….
What a very irresponsible comment especially coming from a worthless ceremonial President who has absolutely no vision for Zambia. After arriving from having his knee massaged in a private clinic in SA using donor money, he has the audacity to talk that rubbish. Had it not been for the donors, Zambai would have been worse off.
Zambia Twasebana. Dear political ancestors pray for us to the Supreme ruler (Lesa, Mulungu, Allah,Jah…). What did we do to deserve this shame? Oh no! Remember us to the Supreme Being.
@ Mwamoneni, my brother or sister, certainly wouldn’t say you do not know anything, wouldn’t insult you like that for no reason. But I certainly would urge you to revisit your argument. What you are talking about are two different things. ‘Dead Aid’ as Dr. Moyo can be defined as dead one end because it encourages a culture of dependence does not give nations incentive to dig themselves out of their holes. On the other end some nations ‘lend or give’ aid as a way to ensure continued benefit from the nation’s resources. RB’s vague statements want to claim the latter, forgetting that the organisations he attacks are a million times more transparent than his government and are improving the quality of life of Zambians while demanding only that these funds are not abused by those in…
those in power. Of course the timing of the action on their part has a negative impact on the country’s elections but surely he does not expect hand outs without a demand that they be used responsibly? Would you give your spouse money for food and clothes for the family and be okay if this money was spent on luxuries that only benefitted your spouse? Simple analogy I know but that is essentialy the selfish way in which government acts when funds from donors are misappropriated.
Iwe chi RB All that the donors are asking for is transparency in the way their tax payers money is used. This is not interference. It is called accountability. Donor AID is not about helping RB and his clan. It is meant for the poor people under your misrule. You are a very s.t.u.p.id old man. How many Zambians are on donor funded ARVS today? Isnt it 100s of thousands? What do you think will happen to these poor souls if donor Aid was withheld? Are you going to treat them with the s.t.u.pi.d concotions from your fake Chipata farm? Just whose interests are you serving you m.o.r.on? Stop Stealing their Aid money..that is all they are asking from you….Cisilu!
every donor is allowed to discuss the use of the money. Logical that the abuse of money given throught donations is questioned. If RB thinks thats not appropriate.. better stop receiving donations.
Ofcourse donors shouldnt get involved in internal affairs but definitely they should be able to question the use of the money they donate. If govt wants to stop that its merely an indication of more abuse of funds.
Zambia fact of the day
If Zambia had converted all the aid it received since 1960 to investment
and all of that investment to growth, it would have had a per capita GDP of about $20,000 by the early 1990s. Instead, Zambia’s per capita GDP in the early 1990s was lower than it had been in 1960, hovering under $500.
That is Bill Easterly, courtesy of Mahalanobis. And did I mention that fifty years ago, South Korea had about the same standard of living?