By Kabela Sumba. BSc. Eng.

At the beginning of this year, carbon tax was introduced in our nation. I totally oppose this theft in broad daylight as it is highly exaggerated and just another ploy by governments to squeeze even more money out of the pockets of tax-paying individuals. In Zambia, government has been quick to implement this carbon tax; most of the people don’t know what carbon tax is, much less carbon or its compounds.

Some officials even say it has been introduced to deal with carbon emissions. Since when did man begin discharging carbon into the environment? Carbon? The first correction to be made is that it’s compounds of carbon (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide) being discharged and not the element itself. It is quite a challenge to begin to imagine how Zambian authorities can use this tax to reduce the effects of climate change. Human beings really think they can buy themselves out of decades of deforestation and massive factory emissions. It is very laughable.

This government efficiently thought up a method of collecting this tax, but plans have not been laid out as to how they will use this new resource. Will they patch up the sky? With pieces of ozone? Or will they use it to install a big air conditioner over the nation? And what about charcoal burners? Will they be taxed too? Personally I think the large manufacturers and the mines are the biggest polluters. They are the ones that should bear the larger chunk of this environmental debt.

It should be observed that in this nation, other areas of tax collection have not produced the results they purport to render, take for example “Musonko” (Road Tax). Every year billions of Kwacha (millions of dollars) are collected from car owners in form of tax which is meant to build and repair roads. If you were to drive to the Kitwe office of the Road Transport and Safety Authority today, I assure you will find that the road leading up to their office is not even maintained. Picture a slice of cheese in your mind, remove the yellow, paint it black and you have the road I am talking about.

Surely, if a government department fails to use road tax to fix roads, how can one possibly expect any other department to ‘mend’ the environment? The plain fact is that one feels the roughness of the road every time they make their way to this Road Transport Authority. Yes, everyone, including government-employed road tax collectors. If the potholes on that road are so evident and still nothing has been done about it, how can one start to believe that the government will mitigate the effects of a very gradual climate change, one so gradual you don’t even feel it. If there has been damage to the environment due to man’s activities, it is a mistake to think that money can solve this problem. Some things are just too big for man to accomplish. You can never make a pump big or strong enough to drain an ocean, or create a water tap large enough to flood the world.

At this point it should also be stated that there have been some serious errors made by some scientists computing figures. It comes as no surprise that while rushing to make the case for carbon tax and other green revenues, these scientists have, made tremendous mistakes such as switching the positions of a 35 and a 0 when compiling a report on the rate of melt of Himalayan glaciers: 2035 comes within a quarter of a decade while 2350 is 3 whole centuries away. It would not be paranoia on my part to suggest that the 2035 timeframe excited members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, because it made a very strong case for the green cause, a scenario bearing close resemblance to that of a prime minister using a 45 minute timeframe to force his case for war through a parliament. Environmentalists need to be careful with how they analyze such data. The information coming from such panels must be carefully scrutinized before it is disseminated to the public. Organizations and governments, while making their case, should be careful not to instill fear in the public; the consequences could be very grave.

Needless to say, I get this feeling that all governments will eventually endorse this tax. What a window of opportunity, it couldn’t have come at a better time for Zambian policy makers. In effect, the total money paid out in tax per car-owning family has risen. Wouldn’t one suggest tax has somehow gone up, regardless of what it is for? Carbon tax collection will prove to be a very innovative means of introducing some kind of tax into the economy, in the place of openly hiking taxes. Carbon tax is the going to be the greatest trick this devil of a government pulled in the 21st century.

—————————————————————————
Extract from the author’s article: Carbon Tax – The Greatest Trick The Devil Pulled In The 21st Century, And A Few Other Tweaks Zambia Needs To Move Forward

The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) says it is not aware of the Mazabuka commercial farmers who were forced to donate food stuffs and ferry people to Chief Mwanachingwala’s palace when President Banda visited the area recently.

Party spokesperson Dora Siliya says the party has better things to do than engage in activities that do not benefit the grassroots.

Ms. Siliya told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda had a wonderful visit to Chief Mwanachingwala’s palace.She said it was strange that some people would think that when huge crowds of people flock to welcome the head of state whenever he visits an area, then they are being forced to do so.

Ms Siliya was reacting to allegations by some commercial farmers in Mazabuka that they are always directed to contribute towards party activities when they have nothing to do with politics.

And Mazabuka Central UPND Member of Parliament Garry Nkombo has accused the ruling MMD of being irresponsible towards issues that affect their party.

Mr. Nkombo alleged that the MMD has continued to intimidate the white farmers and investors in Mazabuka forcing them to contribute towards MMD party activities.

Mr. Nkombo noted that Government has Ministry of Works and Supply which can repair vehicles adding that taking a government vehicle to a farmer for repair is unfair.

He has since appealed to the MMD and President Banda’s government to take responsibility of issues that affect the party and the government as a whole.

ZANIS

Parliament yesterday heard that Government has no intentions of legalizing street vending in the country.

Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka said government has no intentions of legalizing street vending because the trend is illegal and makes cities look dirty.

Mr. Muteteka said this in response to a question from Chilubi Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) Obby Chisala who wanted to know whether government intends to legalize street vending following the global recession which has affected many families.

Mr. Muteteka said legalizing street vending would allow many marketeers to move from designated markets to the streets adding that this is what the government does not want to see happen.

Meanwhile, Mr. Muteteka has disclosed that 11,000 marketeers have applied for stands at the New Soweto Market.

He, however, said the number of applications does not correspond with the number of stands at the New Soweto Market adding that the demand for stands at the new market is very high.

Mr. Muteteka said he did not have the amounts as to how much each trader will be paying for a stand at the market.

Mr. Muteteka also advised the opposition Political Parties to stop politicizing the allocation of stands at the New Soweto Market.

He said government shall ensure that the allocation of stands at the market is done in a more fair and objective manner.

Mr. Muteteka said once the allocation of stands at the New Soweto Market is not properly done, his Ministry will always intervene to restore order.

ZANIS

Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has agreed to appear before the Bemba Royal Council after he was summoned for allegedly issuing disparaging remarks against Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba speaking people in Northern Province.

Speaking during a live Bemba programme on Radio Mano in Kasama today, Mr. Sata revealed that he would soon make himself available to the Shi-Lubemba’s traditional council to answer charges of allegedly attacking Paramount Chief Chitimukulu in public.

He claimed that he had not refused to appear before the Chitimukulu but wanted procedure to be followed in summoning him.

Mr. Sata said he has a lot of respect for Paramount Chief Chitimukulu, whom he regards as his relative and would therefore, not do anything to jeopardize their relationship.

And Mr. Sata has continued to remain silent over his alleged traditional marriage to Archbishop of Lusaka Telesphor Mpundu’s sister, Patronella.

Speaking during the same programme, Mr. Sata said he would not be drawn into discussing his relationship with Archbishop Mpundu’s sister.

Mr. Sata refused to respond to a text message from a listener who wanted him to explain his alleged traditional marriage to the Archbishop’s sister.

He argued that he would not respond to the ‘so-called marriage’ issue because only MMD cadres were asking questions bordering on his personal life.

Recently, former president Frederick Chiluba revealed that Mr. Sata had a traditional marriage with Archbishop Mpundu’s sister, Patronella.

Dr. Chiluba revealed that Mr. Sata has two children with the same woman, who is an employee of the Bank of Zambia in Ndola and the PF leader acknowledged the revelation.

Archbishop Mpundu earlier this week also admitted that Mr. Sata had fathered two children with his sister outside wedlock but could not state the relationship between the two.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sata has said he was ready to be challenged for the position of PF president at the party’s general assembly to be held later this year.

Mr. Sata has since urged those willing to challenge him to declare their interests now, adding that his party had started holding primary elections at lower organs.

He said all but one of the positions in the party would be contested for at the general assembly to be attended by 6, 500 delegates.

Mr. Sata explained that the post of Secretary General would not be elective but instead the party president would choose the person to take up the position.

He said the move was aimed at ensuring that the party leader worked with someone whom he or she understands well.

In another development, Mr. Sata has revealed that a technical committee would soon meet and advise the PF-UPND pact on which candidates to contest the parliamentary by-elections in Eastern and Northwestern Provinces following the deaths of incumbent Members of Parliament.

He said the committee would also weigh the strengths of each party in the particular constituencies where elections would be held before adopting an aspiring candidate to contest the by-election.

Mr. Sata further expressed confidence that the PF-UPND pact would scoop the forthcoming parliamentary by-elections in the two provinces claiming that it was strong on the ground.

ZANIS

Mr. Kapungwe said it was unfortunate that many children, who could have been kept by relatives of their deceased parents, ended up without any care because Zambians had abandoned the extended family system. He said this after donating K1 million (US $210) to a children headed household of Nakoli compound in Kabwe.

Mr. Kapungwe said while government was doing what it could within its means to help out such families, it was important that many other people and organizations, took it up to assist such situations.

John Phiri 19, is looking after his brother and sister, Abel 13 and Anna 11, who are in grade five (5) and two (2) at Danford Chilwa school where he is also doing his ninth grade.

He is providing for their education, meals and paying rentals. Phiri said the three were double orphans, who were struggling to make ends meet, as they depended on selling fritters.

He thanked Mr. Kapungwe for the donation, saying the money would go a long way in assisting them meet some of his family’s needs.
Phiri said he was planning to spend the money to build a house of their own since there was already a plot, adding that he would make bricks and only hire a bricklayer while spend some of the money on roofing materials.

He also commended Jesus Cares Ministry, which he said was doing a lot in assisting the family especially in the education field.

ZANIS