Veteran diplomat and parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga yesterday said foreign diplomats in Zambia have breached the Vienna convention by airing concerns about donor aid utilisation in a manner that had the potential to set Government against its own citizens.
Appearing on a ‘Governance and You’ programme that is sponsored by the Press Association of Zambia and the Ministry of Justice governance secretariat on ZNBC Radio 2, Mr Mwaanga said the donors had the right to complain about issues but not through the media.
Mr Mwaanga, who was trained in diplomatic studies at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom, said diplomatic channels were spelt out in the African Union Charter and the United Nations Charter which govern relations between states.
He said Zambia was a sovereign State and must not be interfered with by any other State in the name of airing advise on development matters.
Mr Mwaanga said the contact point for diplomats was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and not the media.
He said Britain at one time demanded that a Zambian diplomat who had criticised that country’s government be recalled and Zambia had to oblige.
Mr Mwaanga said he had been a diplomat for many years and was certain that many foreign envoys in Zambia were getting things wrong.
Mr Mwaanga, who served as Foreign Affairs minister and permanent representative to the United Nations said there was no need for any donor to pull out because President Rupiah Banda stated the facts when he told donors to stop black mailing Government.
“To pull out for what reason, because the president said Zambia is a sovereign State? The president said the obvious,” Mr Mwaanga said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwaanga also said people raising concerns that the president had too much power were wrong and have not followed the transformation in the powers of the president.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Mr Mwaanga, the question should not be about procedures, rather it is about accountability. Donors provide aid to Zambians, and not to the government. If the government is not transparent in its activities, and has control over the media, how do you expect donors to communicate to Zambians the reasons for witholding the aid that they provide. Yes they can use diplomatic channels, but your government is incapable of even admitting that you have messed up the management of aid provided for Zambians? Donors were being told that they were not needed by your president last week, and within 7 days the minister of health is pleading for help from those same people who are not needed! Get the story right and learn to be humble.
The officials from this government continue to be stubborn and ignore advice. This Convention was is not there to protect thieving politicians. The defensiveness that is being exhibited here is hideous to say the least. Other than hiding behind Conventions that are not applicable in this case, the people in government must MOVE QUICKLY to address the concerns. You can not talk your way out of this if people are dying of curable diseases because some officials are building an expensive mansion in the outskirts of Lusaka. Go to work.
Mr Mwaanga..with all due respect your colleagues are pilfering the money!!!..Surely your Oxford education equips you to realise that…yet you do nothing!!!
I am surprised Mwaanga was trained at Oxford University, the best university ever and comes up with such interpretation of what the donors said or did not say. People out of Oxford University depending on how long he was there. His course must have just lasted one day or a week so Mwaanga should not say he was trained at oxford. If I can get the message right all Donors want is accountability of the funds that zambia is getting as this money is their respective countries tax payers money. RB rightly said he did not want donors money so donors should not give this government the money period. RB has mismanaged the government it is now showing he is a leader who can not rule. Instead he has decided to embrace corrupt practices. What do you expect, getting advise from Chiluba. Blame y
How I wish he can talk about his past drug dealings and how he managed to get off the hook while others, poor citzens like Ms. Daka in Singapore, Emmanuel in Malaysia just to mention a few, are facing the noose. :((
I think he can be a very good advisor in that area. 😕
Kansi ba mudala ba na yenda ku skulu ka. But why not just find the right words to use and appologise in a subtle way instead of trying to challenge all the time. Zambians need that money and think of the masses before thinking of yourselves. This mentatlity of just supporting RB without thinking is very bad.
i thought the donor community wanted a confirmation as to whether you really don not need aid so that they can redirect their countries’ taxpayers money to nationas that really need that cash.since the government has declared that we are now a fully mature state and can stand on our own even without donor funds.”who said we need help?”going by this statement.This matter can be solved diplomatically.Therefore i think the government should dialogue with the donor community and solve this issue emicably otherwise its the innocent citizens who will suffer in the end.rather than being antagonistic
no need of politiking with the donors.Never insult the crocodile before crossing the river.tit for tat never solve problems.It takes a man to say sorry and a p……… to run away.You don’t have to bite the finger that feeds you.In this great future you can’t forget your past.Apology is not an offense.
YES WHO NEEDS THEIR MONEY ANY WAY . WE ARE A NATION AND WE SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN FOR A RIDE. WHAT IS THEIR MONEY ANY WAY. THEY GOT ALL THAT MONEY FROM US WHEN THEY COLONIZED US AND SO THEY ARE PAYING BACK AND THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY . TO HELL WITH YOU DONORS. WE DON’T NEED YOU AND YOUR MONEY.
GO RB GO RB
VIVA VJ
VIVA CHILUBA
Ras, when did Sweden or Norway colonise you?
#9 ras
No mate,its not your money,its tax payers money from their countries.If you dont want their money stop begging,simple as that
And which Varsity did you VJ go to?
How I wish he could have quoted the the Convention that has been breached in this case,someone educate me please; Are these Donors interfering with how we run our internal affairs or they are asking for accountability of their own money that we go to beg.Im really at pains to get to grips with these outbursts
Imwe Ba Vj surely with your said education you should advice RB to humble himself thatn being arrogant biting the finger that feed his corrupt govt. Donors are not just complaining for nothing ….:o:o:oIs it not embrassing that that The ministry of health is even returning the money it steal.Shame on you people who steal public funds and let the poeple die of poverty. Ifimitwe… ba fi coulour:o:o:o:o
Mwaanga says donors are airing concerns about donor aid utilisation in a manner that had the potential to set Government against its own citizens. I thought it was the citizens who can be set aginist the government by holding them accountable.
Otherwise it seems the donors have exhausted all other available channels of raising aid utilisation to no available. The press is always available as the last resort.
#9 please remind me when we were colonised by the USA?
This is laughable. VJ and Oxford University in one sentence. VJ be truthful. You attended a two week crash course in international relations with other participants from former British colonies paid for by British govt. This crash course was held at Oxford University in July when the normal students where on their annual break. It was more like a summer school. You were given a certificate of attendance. Stop bigging yourself up you unashamed drug trafficker. The quality of your works can be deduced from the two st.u.pid books you wrote. What was all that about telling people the number of women you screwed and their nationalities? Did we really need to be told that your fridge was packed with all sorts of drinks? VJ you are a cheap imbecile! Diplomat? You must be joking!
#17 :d Thanks I was also wondering why we needed to know that
VJ your friend have farms, iwe bu crook fye lyone. We shall make sure you are finished for supporting theft.
Ras poor thinking. How are you gonna manage to sustain your sovereignty as a nation if you can’t even repair your roads, let alone provide drugs to the sick with your own money as a nation? It is such blind thinking that led to the suffering of many Zimbabweans.
said diplomatic channels were spelt out in the African Union Charter and the United Nations Charter which govern relations between states.
Well if there are breaches then there is no need for PF cadres on this blog to attack Mr. Mwaanga just for the sake of attacking the same way Mr. Sata comments and criticizes everything just for the sake of commenting and criticizing.
Donors have every right to ask for accountability on how their funds are being used. No one is doubting that fact. It is their money and they have every right to ask how it is being used. However proper channels must be used. This is why we have a Ministry of Home Affairs.
DEAD-AID,DEAD-AID,DEADAID.Problems with most Zambians the reading CULTURE IS DEAD.Even if MWAANGA is telling the truth who cares when most of the people have either not read or stopped reading after writing their examines. DAMBWISO MOYO HAS written a BOOK- DEADAID. PLEASE READ IT.
There, however been cases where donor aid has been used as a form of blackmail to interfere with a nations internal affairs. Here is but an example,
“Britain will review its aid to Malawi if the Government refuses to free two gay men who were sentenced to 14 years’ hard labour this week.
Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary, came under pressure to begin withdrawing £19 million of British “budget support” for the Malawi.”
Source: Nyasatimes, May 22, 2010
This is basically asking Malawi to rubbish its own constitution. If that is not blackmail, I don’t know what is.
@ #22 HAAMBILWI-ABANA
That is a good book and I recommend it to everyone. It is a must read.
correction, should read “Ministry of Foreign affairs” on #21
……’US spends $32m on HIV/AIDS fight among Zambian soldiers’, By Moses Kuwema. Post Newspaper 01/07/10
Zambia does not need any aid and I see no reason for the US to spend so much money trying to combat this disease when our country has enough resources to handle the matter….nough said!
if donors give us they should not dictate how we govern this country. infact its these tuma small countries like sweden who give us little aid and want to talk to much. we can do without aid from tu scandinavian countries. look at how much aid russia, china gb usa japan have given us without much ado. sweden denmark holland go to hell. you know why you give us aid
All of you accusing Donner countries do not appreciate the efforts these countries are putting in so that you may eventually be self sustaining. All you see is evil. These whites have been trying to educate you blacks how to run your economies, but all you do is as soon as money is given to you, is to buy expensive vehicles for your bloated cabinet. You fail to denounce the Arabs who are actually the people, who perpetuated slavery in Africa. Apart from Dr. Livingstone, Stanley Morton and a couple others the Europeans never ventured in land but stayed on the coast where the Arabs delivered slaves for them. Even the Great Muhammad Ali does not understand that he is carrying a slave name because he like other blacks is blinded hatred for the Europeans.
50 years of Independence could have brought of positives to the continent but because of our failure to accept truth we have continued to blame whites. We are jealous of our better off neighbours all we do is accusing them of using juju to accumulate wealth. If we continue like this, the white will come back and take over. This time around they will not give you Independence, because you behave like a child in a candy shop.
Capitalist 23 – 25; Can you give an example of donors blackmailing Zambia? On the Malawian case, it was us the British Taxpayers who were incensed that our taxes were being used to support a regime that interferes in the private lives of consenting adults. The case was seen as a test of the morality of where aid money is spent. The world is very different now, with citizens around the world questioning their governments on why they have to spend tax monies in regimes that are ‘unethical’.
Charlie don’t bother with Mr Capitalist, you’ll never get sense (and you’ll be accused of being a PF cadre, kaponya, kabova etc.)
#30 first count how much you milked us in your NORTHERN RHODESIA of its resources unstopped and uncontrolled for hundreds of years and brain washed us thinking that your rich but only polluter of the enveronment(BP in mexico- USA).you are still so nosy even for these craps from your tables.WHY is britain depend so much on over-seas income upto now. Iam not impressed by your US THE BRITISH TAXPAYERS, WHEN the major part of your CAPITAL was stolen from ZAMBIA. PLEASE YOU DON’T NEED TO ANSWER TO THIS. This is only reminder if you did’ny know.
9
I agree with what you say Charlie Harper on how the world has changed. In the west the governed people actually PARTICIPATE in the running of their government. When something is wrong, corrective measures are taken IMMEDIATELY instead of waiting for the next election. That is why the British people applied pressure on their government to rectify the injustice in Malawi. Lets not forget Madonna had something to say too. The world has really changed now compared to the way we do business this side. Our politicians must adapt themselves to this new system.
I strongly believe that the president(as usual) was in a drunken stupor when said those remarks and Vj is merely trying to clean up the mess but what beats me is that the veep in his usual ‘mungulu’ echoed the same sentiments.What a country!!! God help us!!!
#32 The urge to respond is greater than your caution. The issue here is not about donors refusing to give aid to Zambians, rather its the incompetence and greed by government officials that is the issue. You can blame colonialism for as long as you want, but you should understand that Zambia has been independent now for over 45 years and this record is wearing thin. Colonialism is not responsible for the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars by government officials. Take responsibility and stop blaming people who come to help you. Britain gets foreign revenues because British companies invest all over the world. How many Zambian companies invest abroad and remit profits to Zambia? By the way, I am a disenfranchised Zambian.
“it was us the British Taxpayers who were incensed that our taxes were being used to support a regime that interferes in the private lives of consenting adults.”
It is not a matter of interfering with private lives of consenting adults, it is a matter of the constitution and the independence of the judiciary. Britain was pretty much asking Malawi to rubbish its own constitution and interfere with the judicial process. That in itself is unethical.
# 35 you can call your self ZAMBIAN WHAT? THANK you for admitting that you BRITONS exploited so much from Zambia and got the CAPITAL which you have invested in foreign countries.A THIEF IS THIEF EVEN IF HE INVEST THE STOLEN CASH.But he has no right to behave holier than thee. It is apity that you adeliberately being blind to the fact that THE BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIANS WERE HELPING THEMSELVES IN THE BRITISH TREASURY for fun project in Britain and these are not CIVIL SERVANTS like the ZAMBIAN CASE. THESE WERE YOUR “HOLY” politicians stealing. OTHERWISE I love you Charlie Harper.(oh! these whites they have even given you a SLAVE name!)
9
Some of you people are smoking too much chamba. The USA expressed their concerns about their taxpayers’ money being stolen from MoH. Now how is that suddenly jumping to Britain and colonialism and homos? Pliz guys atase
VJ stop blowing gramma about Geneva Conve, you are supporting thieves who want to steal from the poor zambians. Be honest with yourself or you want to tell how many children you have killed through your drug dealing.
Ras, Haambwli and Capitalist – Zambia is still at a point where it needs help from donors. Don’t get me wrong but I agree with Dambisa’s Dead-Aid book but Zambia is in the doldrums and it needs all the help it can get especially in the health sector to get back to its feet. The donors want accountability thats all nothing more.
Capitalist & 37 you seem to have missed the point here. In the first instance, I mentioned that I was a Zambian to bring an alternative point of view from your traditional ‘white person’. I do not subscribe to your view that whoever shows his penis first has the biggest, so your personal attacks are irrelevant and demonstrate your lack of analytical capacity. #38 you are right, maybe there should be an intellectual threshold on commenting on some national issues. I will leave you guys and promise never to join your blogs again. I do not need aid, and if my taxes are used by people with such antiquated views, maybe it is better that I petition my MP nad ask for aid to be withdrawn (yes, you can do that in a democracy). I can then support my immediate family and leave you to your devices.
Charlie, I think it is unfair that you are accusing me of attacking you when I never did such a thing. I challenge you to paste here how I attacked you. You clearly read what I wrote and deliberately accused me of attacking you. That is something I would expect from of bloggers but from you it is shocking. Prove I attacked you.
# 41 Charlie Harper, I said I love you.BUT what is penis big you are mentioning.Don’t lose your head my friend I was just making you THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX !
Hi Guys, My apologies. After a few too many glasses of wine, I did not read #37 correctly. Tried to have entry deleted within seconds of posting, but LT have not removed it. Anyway, all the more reason for me to keep away. Sorry!