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ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE/ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE/ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE
3 September 1996
A COMPLIMENTARY FIRST EDITION
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ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE is written by Zambian journalists in Zambia and brings you the news from their point of view. It is assembled and edited by South Africa Contact, the former anti-apartheid movement in Denmark, publishers of i'Afrika, a quarterly magazine concentrating on Southern Africa.
ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE joins MALAWI NEWS ONLINE in providing up to date news from our established network of journalists in Southern Africa. These newsletters will be followed, in the very near future, by individual news updates from other countries in the region.
ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE is brought to you through a co-operation
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In this issue:
Feature:
ZAMBIANS SEEMING LACK OF EUPHORIA ABOUT UP-COMING ELECTIONS
1. MOB JUSTICE TO CRIMINALS ON THE INCREASE
2. POLITICIANS DIFFER ON SALE OF ZCCM
3.1 VOTERS CARD FURORE...
3.2. ....VOTERS CARDS ANOMALIES
4. KAUNDA TOLD TO STAY OUT OF POLITICS
5. SEX WORKERS REFORM
6. SANCTIONS AGAINST BURUNDI HURTING ZAMBIA
7. GRAVE-THIEVES SELL CLOTHING STRIPPED FROM
BODIES
8 GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS K30 MILLION
9 SPORTS - SOCCER TEAM STEPS UP TRAINING
10 SPORTS - TOP RALLY ACE GUNS FOR FIFTH AFRICAN
TITLE
Feature: ZAMBIANS SEEMING LACK OF EUPHORIA ABOUT UP-COMING ELECTIONS
The euphoria that characterised Zambia's presidential and parliamentary elections five years ago is noticeably absent this time, with less than two months before the polls.
Stealing the lime-light is the treason and murder trial of eight members of the main opposition political party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP). Political rallies, which had been gaining in frenzy and frequency, are fizzling out and in their place an air of uncertainty about the holding of elections is creeping in.
Ex-president, Kenneth Kaunda's insistence on contesting the presidency despite being barred constitutionally, is causing anxiety among some politicians who see this as a recipe for conflict that could disrupt the elections. "Whether they (MMD) like it or not, I am standing. No one is going to stop me," says Dr Kaunda, UNIP leader. The recently passed constitution bars Dr Kaunda from contesting the presidency because one of the qualifications for the position is that both parents of a candidate must be Zambians. Kaunda's parents were Malawians who migrated to Zambia.
"As far as we are concerned, Dr Kaunda is our candidate," says the UNIP's deputy publicity secretary, Pickson Chitambala." UNIP, which reigned for 27 years before being defeated by the MMD in the 1991 multi-party elections, has since adopted a "no KK, no elections" stance. (Dr Kaunda is commonly refereed to as KK).
Suggestions by some opposition parties to accept the fact that Dr Kaunda is out of the race for presidency and switch their votes to their candidates, has been met with vehemence. The Zambia Democratic Congress (ZDC), generally regarded as the third strongest party in the country after the MMD and UNIP, has been calling on UNIP supporters to back the ZDC candidate Dean Mung'omba, but with little success. Mung'omba, a former minister in the MMD government, says that Dr Kaunda and UNIP members should realise their leader's time is up, that it is time to forge ahead.
Kaunda's main efforts, after a country wide campaign, are mostly focused on punching holes in the MMD government's performance over the last five years of rule under former trade unionist, Frederick Chiluba. Kaunda always attends the treason trial.
The main thrust of the criticism in recent months has been on the passing of the consitution, allegedly without regard to the views of others, and on the appointment of an Israeli company, Nikuv, to update the voters register. UNIP and other major opposition parties, including ZDC and the National Party (NP), doubt the impartiality of Nikuv. They believe it was chosen to rig the elections saying that Nikuv operates under the Israeli intelligence organisation, Mossad. UNIP is contesting the appointment of Nikuv in court and, in order not to give credence to the organisation, Dr Kaunda has not registered as a voter.
UNIP and the ZDC have also tried to force government to relent on some constitution issues, especially those on elections, by making trips to neighbouring countries to persuade their governments to put political pressure on Zambia. Dr Kaunda is generally better received in countries in the region - Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa - than President Chiluba because of the support Zambia gave to liberation movements when Dr Kaunda was in office. However, the MMD has countered this move by sending its own delegations around the region to assure these neighbours that there is no crisis in Zambia. President Chiluba says that the decision to restrict presidential qualifications was the will of the people and that this was not targeted at Dr Kaunda. He points out that at the time submissions were being made for a review of the constitution, Dr Kaunda had retired from politics. Zambia, however, still remains uncertain about prospects for peaceful elections given several acts of violence, especially between UNIP and MMD supporters, in some by-elections since 1991.
Several non-governmental organisations and the church in Zambia argue that only dialogue, especially between President Chiluba and Dr Kaunda, can ease the tension. The two have agreed to meet, with the announcement coming from South Africa, after a meeting between President Chiluba and the South African leader, Nelson Mandela. The issue of the 'Zambian Crisis' was to have been brought up at a regional heads of state summit meeting in Lesotho but Mr Mandela requested that the matter be discussed behind closed doors.
As the politicians battle for attention, the electorate is - for now - generally paying more attention to the treason and murder trial of the eight men, included being Kaunda's deputy, Chief Inyambo Yetta, and press advisor, Muhabi Lungu. After three weeks of the trial, however, the prosecution has yet to produce concrete proof to link the eight to a spate of bomb blasts, one of which resulted in the death of a bomb disposal expert, Ordon Banda. The defence team includes all of UNIP's major lawyers (Professor Patrick Mvunga, Mr Sebestian Zulu and Mrs Mwangala Zaloumis) and other prominent lawyers. Their general line of defence has been that the bombs were planted by security men, to implicate their clients.
The next two weeks are bound to produce renewed political excitement as the major political parties are scheduled to officially launch their election campaigns. During this period, Chiluba and Kaunda are expected to meet, but yet again the treason trial is likely to steal the lime-light.
Articles:
1. MOB JUSTICE TO CRIMINALS ON THE INCREASE
THE Zambian police have a double dilemma. On one hand, it is getting more difficult to contain criminals and on the other, members of the public are increasingly taking the law in their own hands, dissatisfied with the pace of police investigations and their inability to curb crime. Mob justice, previously generally moderate, has now taken on grave proportions with suspects facing the risk of being killed if caught. In recent weeks, ten suspects have been stoned and burnt to death by angry mobs, mostly in the high density townships of Lusaka. Police appeals to exercise restraint have gone unheeded. Residents question the logic of staying calm when they are frequently attacked by gangs of robbers, their property stolen, and sometimes their wives and daughters raped.
Neither have the courts made things easier for the police. Recently a court commissioner ordered the release of suspected car thieves because the prosecutors were taking too long in bringing them to court. On release, two of the suspects reportedly stole cars and went on the run. "Why should we leave such people in the hands of the police," asks a resident of Chibolya, one of the most crime prone townships of Lusaka. The police concern is that some of the suspects could be innocent, as it turned out in one case when two young men believed to be thieves were almost burnt to death. They survived with severe burn wounds to plead their innocence.
Early this year, another spate of mob justice hit the country, especially Lusaka and the tourist capital Livingstone, after children started disappearing. Some of the children were later found, horribly mutilated. These murders were believed to be ritual killings. Angry mobs again took their justice, beating to death some suspects who the police say were innocent. This ended only when the police arrested and had several men convicted.
2. POLITICIANS DIFFER ON SALE OF ZCCM
While increasing numbers of foreign countries are showing interest in buying the giant mining conglomerate, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, political parties are still haggling over the rationale behind selling it. The ruling MMD has stuck to its privatisation promise to have the company sold off as an entity, but some opposition parties are calling for caution. Finance Minister Ronald Penza says the conglomerate, which generates about 90% of Zambia's foreign income, has to be sold as planned within two years as government should no longer play a part in business.
The Zambia Privatisation Agency (ZPA), says that all is on course and that about 10 major international companies have shown interest in investing, including Anglo Vaal, Anglo American Corporation, Gencor Mines, Noranda, Phelps Dodge, Cyprus Amax, African Minerals Corporation and Straits Resources. The companies have sent experts to assess investment prospects.
Tenders close February 28, 1997. The ZPA is still silent on the number of bids submitted but its executive director, Valentine Chitalu, says the response is encouraging. UNIP, the main opposition party, is opposed to "rushing" through the selling of the ZCCM and states that should the party return to power after presidential and parliamentary elections later this year, it will halt the sale. Another opposition party, the Zambia Democratic Congress, states that while it is not opposed to the sell of the conglomerate, the company should be broken up into separate firms to avoid a monopoly.
3.1 VOTERS CARD FURORE
Glaring errors in the registration of voters has prompted some local election monitoring groups and some opposition political parties to call for either the use of national identity cards or use of the old voters register. The Zambia Independent Monitoring Team (ZIMT) and the Foundation for Democracy (FODEP) have expressed concerns over the numerous mistakes in the updated voters register, suggesting the national identity cards be used instead in the voting process.
ZIMT president, Alfred Zulu, says that many Zambians could be deprived of the right to vote because of mistakes in the register, and the situation made worse as not every eligible voter may have registered. Some observers note that use of national identity cards could result in non-Zambians participating in the elections as the document is easily obtainable. The MMD also says UNIP's suggestion of using voters register from 1989 would deprive thousands of Zambians not registered then, of the chance to vote. 3.2. ....VOTERS CARDS ANOMALIES
Thousands of people have been left off the voters register, in an exercise being carried out by Nikuv a company from Israel - and held in suspicion by some opposition parties. But Nikuv project leader, Gershom Korda, says that the essence of voters collecting their cards long before the elections is to verify the data available and make appropriate corrections before polling day. NIKUV, the computer company engaged by the government to up-date the voters register, has announced that over 40,000 people have been omitted from lists in the latest round of data verification. Korda confirmed that 40,992 people had been left out but promised that the anomaly would be rectified. He also assured critics and sceptics of the company that the exercise was being carried out efficiently and would be completed on time. He allayed fears of vote-rigging and invited all interested persons to visit the computer centre to verify data.
4. KAUNDA TOLD TO STAY OUT OF POLITICS
Former president Kenneth Kaunda should forget about trying to get back to the country's leadership because there is nothing he can do now that he failed to do during his 27 years of rule, according to the Zambian government. Vice-president, Godfrey Miyanda, said Dr Kaunda should withdraw into the background, play the role of advisor for all politicians in Zambia, including President Frederick Chiluba. He said it was about time the 72-year-old Kaunda realised that his era was past and allowed the younger generation to chart Zambia's political course.
Dr Kaunda has repeatedly said that his decision to come out of retirement was out of concern over "younger men" of the MMD government allegedly failing to run the country properly. He said he had wished to play the advisory role soon after his retirement but this did not come off because his advice was never sought. However, Gen. Miyanda notes that even with the apparent sour relations between the two, it is possible that Dr Kaunda could give advice to President Chiluba. Should he return to power, Dr Kaunda promises to serve for only as long as it would take to "hand over to young and honest men".
5. SEX WORKERS REFORM
A handful of reformed prostitutes have drawn the attention of the nation, including President Chiluba, because of their remarkable reformation from hardcore sex workers to positively productive members of society. Women who confess to having had countless sex partners as a means of earning income, are today earning a living in a less risky manner, through a pilot project initiated by an expert in AIDS and HIV.
Some of the former sex workers now may be carrying the AIDS virus but they are determined to live positive lives. The project, named Tasinta (meaning we have changed), provides counselling and training in various skills, one of them being tailoring. Project director, Professor Dr Nkandu Luo, the only Zambian female professor, says she was compelled to start the project in order to provide a positive contribution to the fight against AIDS. It is hoped, with projects like Tansita, that the spread of AIDS will at least be reduced.
Although there are only about a dozen people in the project, Professor Luo frequently ventures out to counsel those still in the trade. She says initially the task was difficult but now with the help of those who have reformed, the burden is less heavy, although there still is a lot to be done. President Chiluba, pleased with the initiative, recently toured the project and said such a creative approach to national problems would help develop Zambia. The problem of prostitution, blamed on harsh economic hurdles, is, however, still a major source of concern for the government, especially because of the AIDS pandemic.
6. SANCTIONS AGAINST BURUNDI HURTING ZAMBIA
The argument that sanctions against countries do not always directly hurt only the people who are supposed to feel the pinch, is turning out to be true for Zambia, which has joined other countries in the region in imposing a trade embargo against Burundi. Although Zambia does not share a common border with Burundi, the decision to join other countries in imposing sanctions is hurting that country as much as it is hurting Zambia. Most hit by the trade sanctions are two major Zambian companies - the Zambia Sugar Company and the Chilanga Cement Company, both of which export thousands of tonnes of their respective products to Burundi.
Depending on the length of the sanctions, the ZSC could lose about US$3 million through loss of business in exports to Burundi, whose military regime countries in the region are opposing. David Covell, managing director of the company says, however, the loss in business is only about one-seventh of the company's total exports which stand at 69,000 tonnes per year, about 9,000 tonnes of which are sold to Burundi. Already the flow has stopped and the company is now concentrating on shipping the product to other markets in the region - Zaire, Tanzania and Kenya, countries that have also joined in the imposition of sanctions.
Zambia would still have had a problem in exporting the product even if it did not also impose sanctions. The exports have to pass through Tanzania or Rwanda, both of which have closed their common borders with Burundi.
7. GRAVE-THIEVES SELL CLOTHING STRIPPED FROM BODIES
A confession by three men in Ndola, a town in the Copperbelt Province, that they exhumed bodies and stripped them of their clothes which they later sold has sent a chill around the country.
A majority of Zambians depend on second-hand attire for their clothing and the thought that they probably have bought clothes stripped from exhumed bodies has frightened many. The revelation has also caused a slump in the trading of second-hand clothes most of which is imported from Europe, the United States and Canada.
"People are not buying from me as much as they did before that story about selling clothes from the dead. People are now scared," says Martin Matoka a trader in Lusaka. His concern is confirmed by a Lusaka resident, Harold Mweene, who says although buying new clothes is extremely expensive, he will have no choice but to abandon buying second hand clothes.
The grave-thieves confessed to the thefts and to having been in the 'business' for several months and saying that they did it in order to earn a living.
8 GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS K30 MILLION
AFTER extensive public criticism, the government has withdrawn its decision to give each of 158 members of parliament, 30 million kwacha (US$28,000 )gratuity at the end of the current term.
President Chiluba said his government was "a listening government" and could therefore not insist on giving the gratuity against the peoples' wishes. The withdrawal of the decision has been widely welcomed although some opposition parties think it merely a political gimmick to earn a measure of popularity before the up-coming elections. The MPs will now receive a gratuity calculated on the much lower 1 963 pre-independence rates.
9 SPORTS - SOCCER TEAM STEPS UP TRAINING
THE national soccer team has stepped up training for up-coming Africa and World Cup engagements but with uncertainty about the availability of the team's foreign-based players. Danish coach Roald Poulsen has been drilling home-based players on a three-day per week schedule but keeping his fingers crossed about the arrival of professional players, including the inspirational captain, Kalusha Bwalya, who plays for Club America in Mexico.
Kalusha has indicated that he would only be available for World Cup qualifying matches. Zambia plays Mozambique in an Africa Cup qualifying match next month and takes on Congo in a World Cup qualifier in November. Key defender, Harrison Chongo, who plays in Saudi Arabia, has also said that he would no longer be available for national team assignments. The pressure on Poulsen could, however, be eased by reports that a former top national team mid-fielder, Charles Musonda, has recovered sufficiently from a long injury and could be available for national duties. There is currently a growing demand that the Football Association of Zambia, ensure that Musonda be made available to Poulsen to be considered for the national team. Musonda, after about two years of inactivity, is back at top Belgian side, Anderlecht.
10 SPORTS - TOP RALLY ACE GUNS FOR FIFTH AFRICAN TITLE
ZAMBIA'S top motor rally driver, Satwant Singh, is headed for an unprecedented fifth African title, with an eight-point leads in the chase for the championship. Singh, popularly known as 'The Flying Sikh', leads the standings with 50 points and needs to only finish in a respectable position in Kenyan Equator and the South African PSC rallies to clinch the title. His nearest rival is Azar Anwar of Kenya who has 42 points but Singh is confident of withstanding the pressure and bagging the title again. Three other drivers chasing the title are South Africa's Peter Lansdell (24 points), and Kenyans Sammy Aslam and Asd Anwar on 20 and 15 points respectively. Satwant first won the championship in 1988, repeating the feat in 1989, 1991 and 1993.
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From: AfricaNN@inform-bbs.dk (Africa_news Network)
Subject: ZAMBIA NEWS ONLINE - COMPLIMENTARY FIRST EDITION
Date: 04 Sep 1996 10:35:14 GMT Message-Id: <1262342045.9142375@inform-bbs.dk>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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