By Mingeli Palata

If there is one word that is not popular in today’s politics, its communism. Dear friends that word is so unpopular  that it’s not advisable to use it especially if you have intentions of being politically trendy. Communism is not the sexiest of words and if you mentioned it among western friends they would call you politically gay.  Okay, enough meandering, let me let it out; ‘I am pro communism’ but I find it fashionable to call myself a ‘contemporary Marxist’.

Yes communism is such an awful word to be associated with but like it or not Karl Marx has returned and today as I speak ‘Das Kapital’ is selling like hot cakes the world over due to a recently famous combination of words called the Global Economic Crisis or the Global Credit Crunch. By the way, the word ‘bailout’ has been voted the word of the year in the US and my rat eating neighbor from Chipata recently named his son Kledit-Klunch Mbewe!

Now for the average person reading this, this combination of mysterious words has resulted in to the record depreciation of the Kwacha and mine job loses throughout the country. Yet capitalist and economic pundits have had a hard time accepting this new reality but to spill it right in their face- Capitalism is fundamentally broken.

First the Great Depression which occurred in 1929 and now this; ‘The global economic crises’- a huge problem caused by the continuous failure to acknowledge the flaws of capitalism. Its simple, capitalism is all about free markets in which banks and financial institutions do what ever they like, they trade securities, bonds, stocks, mortgages  to whoever and when ever they want. It’s called the principle of demand and supply- all regulated by market forces. Sounds fair right? WRONG! This system makes society prone to one of mankind’s’ grievous curses, you guessed right; Greed.

It being a free system, market players borrow and borrow, and because the system is so interdependent, if a few people default- everybody including the poor miner in chingola is affected. Now with such an inevitable system in place, why on earth would a government leave everything to the market forces? Isn’t that irresponsible? Well I guess the capitalists were confident that the system was perfect, but one thing they forgot that man’s biggest threat is himself.

Now world over markets are in turmoil, big companies are closing, people can’t pay back their mortgages and my abused example of the Chingola miner is losing jobs.  Harold James, professor of History and international Affairs at Wildrow Winston School in the USA says in quote ‘in the face of the difficulties of the big automobile producers and smaller suppliers alike, many are demanding that, as part of the rescue package, THE STATE SHOULD COMPEL BANKS TO LEND.’

Now, does this ring a bell in your mind? Well if that is not enough, allow me to quote J. Bradford Delong, a professor of economics at University of California and a former US Treasury Secretary who suggested the following as a measure central banks should take to mitigate the impact of the Global economic crisis. ‘Central banks should try to keep the economy at near full employment by pushing asset prices up when unemployment threatens to rise.’

I don’t know about you but for me, one thing is clear, the world has now realized that the market cannot not be left to float on its own without state involvement visa vies protecting and directing its growth- sounds like moderate socialism doesn’t it?

The United National Independence Party (UNIP) has called for unity among Zambians in the wake of the global financial crisis in order to address its effects on the country.

And the once ruling party has also called on its membership to intensify mobilization in preparation for the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.

UNIP Vice President Njekwa Anamela made these remarks when he led party officials and other members on behalf of party president Tilyenji Kaunda at the card annual renewal exercise in Lusaka today.

Mr. Anamela said the current global financial recession calls for all stakeholders to unite and help government find solutions to the challenge.

He said the prevailing world financial credit crunch is a reality that has affected most countries including Zambia which can not be ignored.

And Mr. Anamela has urged members of the party to ensure that they remain united in order to play their role of providing checks and balances to the sitting government effectively.

He said there is need especially for communities to ensure the local leadership is kept in check on various developmental projects government is supposed to deliver.

And UNIP Provincial Chairperson Judith Muteri reiterated the need to mobilize party members across the country in order to strengthen the 49 year old political party.

She expressed confidence that the party will retain back the power in 2011 once members are well mobilized throughout the country.

ZANIS/CM/AM/ENDS

First Lady, Thandiwe Banda, has urged stakeholders in the health sector to join hands in working towards efforts of achieving improved service delivery in the country.

Mrs. Banda said stakeholders should actively be involved in programmes aimed at improving health facilities and access to services in rural areas.

Mrs. Banda was speaking when she donated an assortment of goods and One million kwacha cash to Kakumbi Rural Health Centre in Mfuwe yesterday.

The first lady said she was aware of the many problems that Kakumbi rural health centre is facing but was optimistic that government would work hard to address the problem.

Kakumbi Health Centre Sister-In-Charge Regina Banda, said the health facility was faced with a shortage of staff due to lack of adequate accommodation in the area.

And Mrs Banda also challenged women in Kefa Village of Chief Kakumbi’s area to venture in income generating activities for them to help reduce poverty in the communities.

She donated K2 million to Kefa Womens Club towards the project of caring for orphans and the elderly in the community.

At the same occasion, Kefa Village Headman, asked government to help the community engage in viable tourism activities for their livelihood.

ENDS/SJK/AM/ZANI

Government has called upon the church to offer a concentration of prayers so that the country continues to receive favour from God.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande says 2009 will be a very difficulty year not only for Zambia but the entire world due to the global financial recession and rising food prices.

Mr. Pande, who is also Kasempa Member of Parliament, says it is for this reason that Zambians must declare 2009 as a year for unity and cooperation so that the country offset the global crisis.

He says it is also for this reason that the country expects the spiritual leadership and the church to effectively communicate to God for the country to be delivered from the global crisis.

Mr. Pande was speaking in Kasempa last evening at the 2008 end of year party held at Kasempa Boys High.

He pointed out that the President and all political leaders are looking up to the church leaders for guidance but was quick to point out that the church should however not offer its guidance through the press,.

“We need spiritual guidance in 2009 from the church. State House and all government institutions are open to the church to walk in and advice us so that our country can be able to face the global challenge effectively,” he said.

Mr. Pande pointed out that Zambia is yet to feel the pinch of the global financial recession and rising food prices, but that government will not take it as a mere difficulty situation but as a challenge.

He observed that the love of God however can be seen in Zambia through the vast land which can be utilized for crop production so that the country can shield herself against the global crisis.

“The only way to fight the high food prices is to work hard and utilize the land which God has given us. Every one of us has a role to play during the global financial recession and the rising food prices,” he said.

Mr. Pande advised Zambians to be weary of some politicians bent on disturbing the peace in the country saying while Zambia is a Christian nation, the devil is working hard trying to cause confusion through some people.

He advised civil servants to work hard and implement government policies in whatever capacity and department they are in.

Mr. Pande further called upon Zambians to watch political leaders and civil servants and ensure that they earn their money through hard work.

And Evangelical Church in Zambia Reverend Lazalous Kayamba thanked God for the peace the country has continued to enjoy even after the death of President Levy Mwanawasa and the subsequent presidential election in October.

Rev. Kayamba observed that Zambians cried out to God during that difficulty period and God heard their prayers saying even now during this time of the global financial recession and rising food crisis the country should look to God.

Mr. Pande is in Kasempa District to conduct an end of year inspection of developmental projects in the area.

ENDS/CBM/AM/ZANIS

A diamond dealer in Mufulira district this morning woke up to a rude shock when was greeted by a live and beaded tortoise and black dove.

Copperbelt Police chief Antonneil Mutentwa confirmed the incident to ZANIS in an interview.

The police chief said the incident occurred around 7 hours when the local Police command received a phone call from Ronald Ross police post that two animals have delivered letters in brown envelopes at 7 Dongwe Avenue.

Mutentwa named the owner of the house as Richard Chilenge aged 36 years, a Data officer at the district health office.

He said in the letters the author is demanding to be paid K100 million within three days or failure to do so he (Chilenge) will face unknown action.

Mr. Mutentwa said according to Chilenge he had entered into a diamond deal with a friend he named Gerald Mwelwa to buy pieces of diamonds from North Western Province.

Chilenge told Police that he contributed K30 million to the deal while Mwelwa paid K25 million but later they were told that the diamonds were fake.

It was at this point that Mwelwa demanded his money back and was given K11 million as part payment.

Mr. Chilenge said he was shocked to find the charms at his house and the demand for K100 million.

And police at the district police command station had a rough time to disperse curious on lookers who wanted to have a glimpse of the charms.

ZANIS/PS/EML/ENDS/MM

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has stressed the call for government to pay particular attention to the justice delivery system and ensure every person facing trial in the courts is afforded a fair trial.

HRC Chairperson Pixie Yangailo said persons facing any kind of trial should have access to legal representation and quick dispensation of their cases.

Mrs. Yangailo told journalists in Lusaka yesterday that there were currently many people who are spending unacceptably long periods in jail awaiting trial.

She said there was need not to spare any efforts in strengthening existing institutions such as the Legal Aid Department (LAD) while exploring any other avenues that would ensure that justice is dispensed appropriately and expeditiously.

She has also called on the government to consider looking into the conditions of the prisons in the country, noting that Zambians prisons were very congested.

She noted that Zambian prisons were the third most congested prisons in Africa.

Mrs. Yangailo has since commended the Ministry of Home Affairs for acknowledging that the prisons were very congested.

She also acknowledged the improvements of transport for the prisoners and the introduction of the parole, the development she said would help de-congest the prisons.

She stated that the commission was opposed to the death penalty, saying the right to life must therefore be upheld at all costs and other demeaning ways of punishment should be resorted to.

The HRC Chairperson has also commended Zambian people for the peaceful manner in which they conducted themselves during the October 30, elections which led to having few instances of violence.

She has since urged the media to ensure that they stick to their ethics and not use the power to misinform and wreck havoc on those who, for one reason or another, did not like or support.

And Mrs. Yangailo also said job losses would have a negative impact on the ability of many people to enjoy human rights, especially social and economic rights.

ZANIS/AJN/KSH/ENDS

The Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) has advised government to next year allocate sufficient funds to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to enable the commission carry out continued voter registration process.

FODEP president Stanley Mhango said lack of a continuous registration of voters has increased voter apathy during elections in the country.

Mr. Mhango said if the current voter apathy in the country remains unchecked, there might be political instability.

He noted that continuous voters’ registration would enhance political leaders’ eligibility to government because they would be elected on merit.

He said there was need to encourage the majority of Zambians to take part in choosing their leaders through registering people as soon as they reach the voting age.

Mr. Mhango told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that many eligible voters were disfranchised due to the fact that they did not have voters’ registration cards.

He noted that there is need for the Ministry of Finance to increase the budget allocation to the ECZ for the exercise, adding that doing so would bring about development, good governance and democracy in the country.

Meanwhile, the FODEP president has called on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) to quickly conclude the constitution making process and deliver what it has for the public.

Mr. Mhango point out that people have being expecting a lot from the NCC especially on issues of improving their welfare in the country and those aimed at enhancing development through democracy.

He however, expressed optimism that through the various committees that have been sitting, the country will manage to come up with a constitution that will stand the test of time.

He has also commanded opposition political parties and government for having a smooth transition of government during the October 30, 2008 presidential elections.

He said a smooth transition of government was a foundation of achieving democracy and political stability in the country.

Mr. Mhango further challenged political parties in the country to hold internal party elections to choose leaders and over come all their intra party differences for the betterment of the country.

ZANIS/MM/KSH/ENDS/MM.

The year 2008 will stand out in our nation’s history as a year when our Nation suffered a terrible blow when we lost our our third president, Dr Levy Partick Mwanawasa, President Rupiah Banda has said.

In his end of year address to the nation both on national radio and Television, Mr Banda the year 2008 has been Zambia’s worst year after losing Dr Mwanawasa due to death on duty.

The President added that the tragedy was compounded by the global financial crisis which he said negatively affected Zambia.

” Zambia’s tragedy in 2008 was made worse by the global financial crisis which negatively affected our country through the collapse of copper prices and the domino effect that this has had on effect,”President Banda says in the speech.

He explains that the falling copper prices and the the unplanned expenses of the presidential by – elections had put severe strain on the country’s budget resulting on the negative impact on the economy.

The President however paid tribute to Zambian citizens for the peaceful manner they mourned the late Dr Mwanawasa.

On the national economy, Mr Banda said his administration had continued to pursue prudent fiscal and monetary policies to sustain macro-economic stability.

In the agriculture sector, Mr Banda said his administration continued to pursue policies aimed at ensuring household food and national security.

” The country produced enough to remain food secure.This food security is however now threatened by the global down turn with its impact on food prices and the cost of agricultural impact,” the President said.

On the coming year 2009, the Republican President said the coming year was one of great challenges predominantly on the global economic down turn.

The down turn has a number of set including the falling copper-prices, weakened Kwacha, rising inflation, reduced economic activities and the threatened job loses.

” When I discuss and bring these situations to the attention of Zambian, I am challenging us all to unite in purpose and have resilience and determination to face and rise above the challenges,” said the President.

He however said he was not a defeatist as being suggested in some quarters saying by telling Zambians the truth and to call on them to unite to overcome these difficulties did not mean he was a defeated.

” It is of course easier to take the populist route and pretend that all is well and that there are easy solutions,” President Banda said.

He said his administration is aware as all Zambians should be that the global economic crisis means the expected revenue from the mining sector will not materialise at all.

He however said government was also concerned with the plight of the unemployed and the low income of most citizens adding that this was why his administration is putting emphasis on programmes to fight poverty.

Among these programmes are the citizens economic empowerment commission (CEEC) he said has started to disburse funds to ensure that Zambians meaningfully participated in the economic activities.
ZANIS/MM/ENDS