by Mingeli Palata

Even as you start to read this article, President Banda may be seated in his office gazing at Zambia’s hottest bill, wondering whether to append his signature to it or not. How I wish he could take time to learn what his masters/employers feel about the proposed 15% salary increment to constitutional office bearers. More so because the laws of this land have it that public office bearers are servants of the people, yes, us the people, you reading this article and me. As such, we the people naturally should have a say when our servants or workers seek a pay rise, not so?

We have taken time to listen to your argument for the pay rise and we see little sense in it. This so because of a number of reasons – the first being that we have given you a job, but you failed lamentably even after saving your necks from job losses the last three times we reviewed your performance.We had hoped that you would improve, but you have let us down. We have given you the opportunity, the resources and we have even volunteered to help you make ours a better country, but you have failed us dearly for 17 years. We, in fact, find it rather provocative that you have the audacity to ask us your employers for a pay rise when you have failed to deliver.

More than 70% percent of Zambians are living in abject poverty. Poverty according to the United Nations is living under a dollar a day. A dollar is about K4000 and is nothing near what we need to feed our families. A Pamela (rationed mealie meal), which we survive on used to be K500.00 a few months ago about is now K1, 200.00. We need at least two of these to survive. The cost of food is going up with each new day. The clinics are far off, are too few and don’t even have the staff and medicines needed to help our ailing children, brothers and sisters. We all can’t afford private clinics and the mere thought of Morningside Clinic is too far fetched.

You have also failed us on the educational bit, dear sirs and madams, 44 years after independence our beloved country only has two universities. Not enough to carter for the huge demand out here. Year after year, we are producing legions of ill prepared school leavers into mass unemployment. Higher education is only available for the elite few, whereas the vast majority cannot afford the expenses that come with private and other public colleges. Our smaller children sit on bricks and their teachers have no chalk. The teachers are unmotivated and our children are uninspired. No hope for a good future; just shattered dreams.

Ours is a country where its better to be foreign than to be Zambian.The laws, attitudes and culture favors others. The best deals in government are given to foreigners, the best resources, the best land, the tax system and the work culture favors others apart from our the children of this land.

We have no ownership of this country. How many Zambians own a building along ‘Freedomway’ Road? How many Zambians own a mine? Why is it that tax cuts are only given to foreigners and not us?

You have failed us. You don’t need an increase. If anything you need a decrease. You need to be fired.

It is strange that when the rest of the world is in an economic crisis, when copper prices are low, when farmers can’t afford farming implements, when mealie meal prices are at their highest, when UNZA students don’t know whether they will complete this semester or not… You come and say you want a pay rise. Ironic!

Kindly rescind your intentions, dear sirs and madams, unless the pay rise will be across board; policemen, teachers, nurses, doctors, carpenters, plumbers, traders, marketers, marketers, the army, servicemen and women. Only then can you justify your pay rise.Otherwise your pay rise will be an act of gross injustice, irresponsibility and selfishness.

Besides, President Banda stands to gain a lot of mileage if he chooses not to assent to the bill; he needs some good PR right now. Don’t you think?

Source of data for the tables include- Times of Zambia,Daily Mail and Parliamentary Bill Memo

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Assuming all allowances are collected ,the total income per annum  based on exchange rate of $1 = K 4600 and R1 = K460

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NATIONAL Democratic Focus (NDF) president, Ben Mwila yesterday told a Lusaka magistrate’s court that he gave second Republican president Frederick Chiluba’s wife, Regina, US$100,000 for her business.

Mr Mwila told Principal Resident Magistrate, Charles Kafunda that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money for her business to buy property.

He was testifying in the case in which Mrs Chiluba has been charged for being in possession of property suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully acquired.

Mr Mwila told the court that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money without security and that there was no agreement signed.

He testified that it was not the first time he was lending out money to individuals and informed the court that he also had dealings with the late Baldwin Nkumbula, among others.

In cross-examination by state prosecutor Dennis Simwinga, Mr Mwila admitted that he wanted the court to believe that he gave Mrs Chiluba the money without any security.

He said it was not his business to know the property that Mrs Chiluba wanted to acquire and that they agreed that he would take security once the property was registered.

Mr Mwila said he knew Mrs Chiluba in the political arena and that she was one of the most dependable political cadres and that was how they built a relationship.

He admitted that he would regret it if she was sent to jail and that nobody would be happy with that.

The defence has since closed its case and judgment in the matter has been set for March 3 next year.

[Times of Zambia]

Government says economic hardships coupled with unclean environment are among the causes that contribute to high disease prevalence among children in the country.

Central Province Permanent Secretary, Danny Lumbama, said government is concerned with the serious threat that diseases in infants have to national economic development, hence its tireless efforts in the provision of health services targeting under five children at health centers across the country.

He was speaking at the launch of the Child Health Week campaign in Kabwe today.

He government through child health week, campaigns have managed to scale down infant mortality rate and improved the health of children in the country.

Mr  Lumbama, however, indicated that government has implemented various strategies in collaboration with partners to ensure the continued survival of the Zambian child.

Speaking, earlier Acting District Director of health, Beatrice Kafulubiti, noted that child health week is a very important week for all children.

Dr Kafulubiti said during child health week, children under the age of five, will receive deworming medication, Vitamin A supplementation and have the growth monitored.

She explained that children from the age of Six months to 59 months will be given Vitamin A supplements and those from 12 months to 59 months will be given De-worming medication

Community development minister Michael kaingu was conferred the Degree of a Masters of Business administration MBA, Tourism Development and management with distinctions in accounting for Decision making managerial finance.

The Management College of South Africa (MANCOSA) graduation ceremony was held at intercontinental hotel in Lusaka, Sunday.

MANCOSA managing Director Professor  Hussen Rasool  said lack of control in management levels has caused the  global financial Crisis hence the challenge is to  remain contributing to the economic development.

Professor Rasool noted that risk management polices in the banking system are responsible for the  currentfinancial global crisis and has also created the in balances in the countries in African.

Speaking at the ceremony Education minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa says tertiary education plays an important role in the development of the nation.

Professor Lungwangwa said  the education level enables students to to be in outreach programmes that help develop the country.

Prof. Lungwangwa said there is need therefore to invest more in education in order for the country to achieve the vision 2030 adding that it was through education that the country can truly reduce poverty.

The minister noted that there was also need to re-orient the values and attitudes for students that will effectively educate them on apprenticeship that will help create jobs and wealth creation in the country.

The Media in Zambia has strongly rejected calls by some Members of Parliament to regulate the media by a statutory code.

The Five media bodies have since called upon government and progressive Members of Parliament to condemn and reject the call for the media to be regulated by a statutory code.

In a joint communiqué delivered in Lusaka today, the Media Institute of Southern Africa-MISA Zambia Chapter, the Press Association of Zambia-PAZA, Zambia Union of Journalists-ZUJ, the Media Council of Zambia-MECOZ and the Press Freedom Committee of the Post Newspapers said calls to regulate the media by a statutory code were made with emotions and should not be accepted.

Reading the Communique at a Press briefing MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson Henry Kabwe advised the Parliamentarians to allow the media regulate itself through MECOZ saying emotions should not be allowed to wash down the democracy that the country is enjoying.

Mr. Kabwe called upon the Parliamentarians to focus their attention on the Freedom of Information Bill and the Zambia National Broadcasting Act.

Speaking earlier, Transparency International Zambia -TIZ Executive Officer Goodwell Lungu said calls to regulate the media through a statutory code are highly misplaced and should be withdrawn.

Mr. Lungu noted that it is unwarranted for Parliamentarians to start calling for media regulation at a time the people needed information for development.

Meanwhile, Forum for Democratic Process-FODEP President Stanley Mhango said the media has been a significant contributor to Zambia’s electoral process.

In a speech read on his behalf by FODEP Information Officer Macdonald Chipenzi, Mr. Mhango said a free media was vital in the promotion of democratic tenets.

And MECOZ Chairperson Sister Rose Nyondo noted that none of the media could however stand head high to claim they performed professionally during the just ended Presidential elections.

It’s the year 1969, President Kenneth Kaunda summons Chief Justice James Skinner to explain a judgment passed by Justice Evans that the President did not agree with.

“I am satisfied that Justice Evans has acted on the principles of Justice,” Skinner said. “It is one of the functions of the judiciary to criticize the action of the executive or its individual servants whenever the need arises. If that right is denied then the courts would no longer effectively carry out their duties.”

The interchange between President Kaunda and the Chief Justice Skinner was followed by organized and widespread demonstrations against the judiciary throughout Zambia. An attack was then made on the High Court in Lusaka by the Zambia Youth Service, a uniformed force of the Republic.

The building was broken into, in consequence of which members of the judiciary had to barricade themselves in chambers. The demonstrations that were held throughout the country lead to several magistrate court buildings being  broken into. Posters grossly abusive to members of the judiciary were carried by the demonstrators and offensive statements concerning Chief Justice Skinner and Mr. Justice Evans were made by officials of UNIP.

This outburst however, shocked President Kaunda. This was the scene of events in September 1969 that lead Chief Justice James Skinner, to resign. He had been legal advisor to UNIP and a close friend of Kenneth Kaunda. He had been highly influential in helping to steer the country towards independence. He was the only white minister in Zambia’s first government when he held the justice portfolio.

In his letter of resignation, he stated that the abuse to which he was subjected by UNIP officials must have affected the confidence of “the common man” in him as chief justice and in a judiciary headed by him. Confidence in the judiciary was a delicate bloom in Africa, he wrote, “and I am not going to risk destroying it in Zambia”. He felt that if the rule of law was to prosper in Zambia, ordinary Zambians must have confidence in the judiciary, only then would full democracy be brought about .

Skinner was adamant that the independence of the judiciary was necessary to preserve democracy and the rule of law, and thus resigned. He was unwilling to work in a system that betrayed these principles although, President Kaunda condemned the violence that had occurred. He later apologized for what had happened and invited Skinner to resume his duties, Skinner declined. President Kaunda was caught between his respect for an independent Judiciary and the nationalist outrage of Zambian citizens over the Portuguese who had been bombing Zambian villages in order to hit the anti-Portuguese guerrillas.

Skinner believed that the anti-white riots of 1969 stemmed from the atmosphere created by the early years of white minority rule in Rhodesia and the bombing of Zambia by Portuguese planes from neighboring Angola.

He however remained on good terms with President Kaunda after his resignation.
He had been  appointed to the position of Chief justice in March 1969 and  resigned in September of the same year after this clash with President Kenneth Kaunda over the freeing of the two Portuguese soldiers who had been sentenced to two years imprisonment for illegally entering Zambia.

The two men were freed by another high court judge-an Englishman, Justice Evans who referred to the cases as trivial. Skinner had supported his colleagues decision and in the ensuing demonstrations, anti white demonstrators ransacked the high court in Lusaka.

Who was James Skinner? Born in Clonmel, Republic of Ireland in 1923, James Skinner came from a legal family with strong nationalist views. His grandfather was a solicitor; and his father the County Registrar for Tipperary. Skinner was educated at a Jesuit school, Clongowes Wood College, where he first developed his skill at debating. He went on to read law at Trinity College, Dublin where he was a member of the debating and historical societies.

After graduating he was called to the Irish Bar by King’s Inns in 1946 and practiced as a barrister on the Leinster Circuit. In 1950 he married the daughter of a German schoolteacher and was called to the English bar (Gray’s Inn).

In 1951, in response to a newspaper advertisement he moved with his wife to Northern Rhodesia where he joined a practice which became Wasserberger, Flemming and Skinner.

The Nationalist movement was beginning to gather momentum and, as a radical from an Irish Nationalist background, he found himself defending Northern Rhodesians (Zambians) who were being prosecuted by the British. He said “I did not like the social or racial atmosphere at that time and I reacted against it”. Mr. Skinner was one of the first white men to join Dr.Kaunda’s United National Independence Party when it was formed in 1960. He became the party’s legal advisor and deputy director of elections. Mr Skinner became a Zambian citizen by registration.

He was ostracized by many whites. Friends cold shouldered him, acquaintances ignored him and strangers insulted him.

In 1962 he risked a jail term by refusing to register for potential National Service under the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Defense Act, stating the Federal Army was a terror force used to oppress the majority of Northern Rhodesia’s citizens.

He stood for parliament in the same year but lost for lack of European support in the very complex voting system of the time. Undeterred he continued to campaign for UNIP and two years later he won Lusaka East on the basis of “one man one vote”  beating his African opponent by a handsome margin. He was the only white man to be returned by electors who were all African.

He was a private secretary in the pre- independence government of Northern Rhodesia and became Zambia’s first Minister of Justice when independence came in 1964.

He was involved in top level policy making decisions and played a major role in drawing up Zambia’s constitution.

He wrote UNIP’s judicial policy a cornerstone, of which was that Zambia would have an independent judiciary. At the time he clarified in a letter in the Leader  that  “Independence” implies freedom from interference by the Executive or Legislative”. A principle he fought to uphold for Zambia when he later resigned as Chief Justice.

He was a firm believer in nationalizing the judiciary and had pressed Mr Mainza Chona, who became independent Zambia’s first minister of justice, to complete his legal studies.
He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel for Northern Rhodesia in 1964 and remained a key figure in UNIP, helping draft the nation’s constitution.

He was minister of justice from October 1964-January 1965. Attorney General from January 1965 – March 1969, in addition Minister of legal affairs January1967 – December 1968. Chief Justice from March 1969- September 1969.

On his return from Zambia, he practiced at the Irish Bar before being appointed Chief Justice of Malawi in 1970, a position he held for 15 years.
During the presidency of the dictatorial Hastings Banda he managed to ensure the stability and independence of the judiciary.

He returned to England in 1985. In 1986 he took up a further high judicial office in the UK as a Social Security Commissioner, a post equivalent to that of a high Court Judge, where he heard appeals on points of law relating to Social Security. He underwent a triple heart bypass operation during this period. This did not, however, dissuade him from continuing his professional career until he was 72, the statutory retirement age for judges.

Outside of work, Skinner was a prolific reader, particularly of history and Irish Affairs.  He is survived by his wife and by his three sons and two daughters.

James John Skinner QC was born on 24 July 1923.  He died on 21 October 2008 aged 85.

Choma Mayor Geoffrey Makaya has urged civic leaders not to allow partisan politics to derail development programmes.

Closing a UNICEF workshop on Water and Sanitation for the southern province Artisan Association at Choma hotel yesterday, mayor Makaya said there is danger to involve politics in development programmes.

He said council should rise above partisan politics and work to attain development in their respective wards.

Mr Makaya said tension between development agents such as technocrats and councillors over whose is superior in spearheading development is unnecessary and counter-productive.

He said politics should not interfere with the work of other stakeholders in the development process of the wards.

Mayor Makaya urged members of the Artisan association not to use the knowledge gained from the workshop to exploit communities out of the hard earned resources.

He said the work of artisan calls for sacrifice in addressing water and sanitation problems in rural communities.

He urged the artisans to fully implement the village level operation and maintenance of water points so that communities can have access to safe and clean water.

And Southern Province WASHE (Water Sanitation and Health) monitoring officer Leonard Mukosha said though the job on artisans was not rewarding enough, they played a crucial role in the maintenance of hand pumps and latrine construction in rural areas.

Mr Mukosha urged the artisans to continue sacrificing in maintaining hand pumps for the benefit of their respective communities.

ZANIS/CM/ENDS/MM