Zimbabwe: The Republic is burning… Part II

Bulawayo Jan 2019

It is bad  that the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) since the Stay Away or Shutdown demonstrations has started using methods known by former President Robert Mugabe. All these methods have been seen before, the ZANU-PF has been known for it, but the supposed reforms of the President Mnangagwa is not appearing. Instead, the violence is persisting and the authorities are trying to keep it under-wraps with having a internet blockade and block Social Media. However, some information are coming through and the sinister acts are exposed. 

Today on the 19th January 2018, it has been utter chaos, anarchy and military in the streets. As the civilians have ceased their rights, as the soldiers have put up road-blocks, dispensations of barracks in the metropolitan areas and activists has been arrested. If they been successful in hiding, the authorities has in some respects even taken parents and loved ones of the high ranking activists. This has been reported. As well as rising numbers of people who are being shot, wounded and killed by the authorities. The numbers are rising and hard to verify. However, it is happening and shouldn’t be forgotten in it all.

Some people are claiming the Closeg Fraction, the one run by Gen. Constantino Chiwenga, the Vice-President and former Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) before the November 2017 coup d’etat. Now, today, there are speculation that Chiwenga is using the last few days to take more control under the pretext, that the President is away on Foreign Trips. So, that he can posses more power, as the Lacoste and President is away in Eastern Europe and smiling in Davos, Switzerland.

However, that are darkness on the horizon, as people are tortured, arrested and even killed. There are several high ranking leaders arrested within the last 2 days. Like Doug Mahiya (brother of Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe), Pastor Evan Mawarire (This Flag Movement) and Obert Masaraure the President of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), also unknown whereabouts of President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Peter Mutasa.

If, President Emmerson Mnangagwa thinks these moves are smart. As the people are suffering, not only the effects of the fuel prices, hyper-inflation and other measures. The rising prices of commodities, the state is clearly in pro-military dictatorship. Where the military has all say, there the civil liberties are taken away and the voices against it is detained. That seems evident by the last few days. That is why the road-blocks, soldiers in the streets and other measures showing that they mean business of it.

This could be a plan from Cosleg. The group of Chiwenga, who wants to prove a point because they know how successful the November 2017 coup d’Etat was. Now they want to overturn and control it even further, even as the state are acting with direct violence and killing civilians. Going house to house, beating people and showing all disregard for their duty to secure the peace, not create the peace for the territory. That is evident of the days after new fuel prices was put forward.

If the ZANU-PF, the President and VP, thinks this is the way to settle the score and make the International Community in lifting sanctions or even trying to get closer in general. As opening the Republic up for business or trust.

This is closing this and ensuring people to not trust the regime nor how they keep within the bounds of the rights for the citizens. That is the evidence, as the innocent citizens are suffering. Also, the public are taken hostage by a military dictatorship, who uses all force against them. Peace.

RDC: Declaration Politique de l’Union pour la Democratie et le Progress Social – UDPS/Tshisekedi – Relative au Communique de la Reuion Consultative de Haut Niveau de Chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernment sur la Situation en Republique Democratique du Congo (19.01.2019)

Sudan: University of Medical Sciences & Technology – Graduates’ Union – Statement (19.01.2019)

The 200 Shillings of Doom: Tumwebaze mixed messages concerning the Social Media Tax!

We knew that the statements of 2018, as the loyal ICT Minister Frank Tumwebaze hadn’t done his due diligence, as the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) issued a Social Media Tax last year after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance asking for the opportunity to tax this.

That has no been done over the last few months, but as the realization of the effects are coming. The forewarning of CSBAG and others wasn’t listen to. I wrote that it lacked due diligence of the tax in June 2018 and today. As I open Daily Monitor and seeing that Frankie Boy has changed his ways. He has opened his eyes and seeing what some of us saw all along. As the cost of content, the cost of using social media and that this has ensured that it is less viable. Since, its the elites who can use it, but the lower level civil servants cannot afford to be online. That was natural, that the 200 shillings per day would be taken directly of the plate and also evaporate funds for investment within the Republic. It is a negative tax, and therefore, naturally have reverse effect, than what the state promised when they levied it.

Tumwebaze statement in July 2018:

When Ministry of Finance is borrowing, we, the Parliament and civil society are grilling them for borrowing. But when we say this is a sector that has grown in the economy so let’s get a bit of it, let’s get Shs. 6,000 from every holder of a smartphone consuming OTTs, what production capacity will it stifle?” (…) “Is USD 1,4 too much for a citizen to contribute to tax yet you have money to buy a smartphone, minimumly at Shs. 300,000 that is data enabled, and you load bundles of over shs. 30,000? Logically it doesn’t make sense” (Frank Tumwebaze, 17.07.2018).

Tumwebaze statemetn in January 2019:

The committee chaired by Annet Nyakecho said Over The Top tax seems to negatively affect the consumption of ICT services and products. In response, ICT Minister, Mr Frank Tumwebaze admitted that the tax is has had adverse effects on the sector. He said they were “hoodwinked” by their counterparts in the Finance Ministry that the introduction of the tax on the basis that it would widen the country’s revenue base” (Ssebuliba, 2019).

ICT Minister Tumwebaze was so positive and thinking this was the future. This was how to widen the tax-base, but instead. It has as expected made the usage of Social Media expensive. Which means also there is lack of funds for the ones operating within the Social Media and making Online Businesses. This is both happening because of the hard hitting taxes on Social Media, but also the Mobile Money Tax. Both taxes has both the Mobile Money Industry and the ICT development, as they are both having less activity and less usage. Which is natural, when the costs are going up.

The ICT Minister should have known this before speaking so warm about it. Any tax are taking money out of the system. The 200 shillings of doom is clear. The state could have listen to the advice, but didn’t open the ears to it.

In June 30 2018, Daily Monitor reported this: “Civil society organisations have accused the government of trying to stifle debate online with this tax, while others like the Civil society Budget Advocacy group CSBAG, say the tax will have a negative impact on a business.” (Hinamundi, 2018).

So, if the ICT Minister Tumwebaze could have known and stopped this. They could have done the right thing and not continued this path. Instead they have hurt the industry, because they are all blindly following the orders of the President. That is what the state did and they levied the 200 shillings of doom, as it was anticipated by anyone else. Than, the authorities itself. Peace.

Reference:

Samuel Ssebuliba – ‘Parliament orders assessment on impact of social media tax’ 18.01.2019, link: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Parliament-orders-assessment-impact-social-media-tax/688334-4940312-rph8g3z/index.html

Collins Hinamundi – ‘How government will collect the new social media tax’ 30.07.2018, link: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/How-government-will-collect-new-social-media-tax/688334-4639596-juy8n3z/index.html

RDC: Greffe de Cour Constitutionnelle – Extrait de Role (19.01.2019)

Jubilee Party Press Statement on Ugenya and Embaksi South Constituencies By-Election (18.01.2019)

RDC: Lamuka – Appel de Martin Fayulu Madidi et de la Coalition Lamuka au peuple Congolais (18.01.2019)

Opinion: The State Minister for Teso Affairs have forgotten her role as a Minister by getting people arrested over nothing!

Until you put these things to right, you’re not entitled to boast of the justice meted out to thieves, for it’s a justice more specious than real or social desirable. You allow these people to be brought up in the worst possible way, and systematically corrupted from their earliest years. Finally, when they grow up and commit the crimes that they were obviously destined to commit, ever since they were children, you start punishing them. In other words, you create thieves, and then punish them for stealing.”Thomas More

We have this week been really introduced to the State Minister for Teso, Honourable Agnes Akiror Egunyu, who has made headlines for not having patience to wait in a queue inside a bank in Soroti. She is supposed to be busy help the Internally displaced in Teso, following up Presidential Pledges in the Region and other matters. However, for her it was more important to get people detained for making her stand in a tiny queue.

I will, first show the six key activities, that the State Minister is supposed to focus on, but she has apparently other motives in her work. As the quote of the Daily Monitor first and than New Vision follow-up. Seriously, it is a real mess, because the Teso Affairs isn’t that important to her.

Minister of Teso Affairs is supposed to do this: “1, Monitoring and coordinating the implementation of PRDP and other Government Programmes. 2, Coordinating/liaising and collaborating with other Government MDAs delivery of services. 3, Following up on the fulfilment of Presidential pledges. 4, Resettling former IDPs. 5, Promoting peace building and resolving conflicts. 6. Implementing special and specific affirmative interventions” (OPM – ‘Teso Affairs’).

A bank teller, who spoke to Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity, said Ms Akiror entered the bank and wanted to go past other clients straight to the teller. When the queueing clients complained, she got angry and called Mr Ogwal. Mr Ogwal told Daily Monitor that he was contacted by the minister for help on allegations that she had been attacked at the branch by two men as she made her transactions. “She called me like any other person for help. It is the reason I ordered the district police commander to rush to the bank where the arrests were made,” he said” (Muron & Emwamu, 2019).

Two customers of dfcu Bank’s Soroti branch who were arrested for allegedly disturbing the peace of the state minister for Teso affairs, Agnes Akiror Egunyu, in the bank hall have been charged and released on Police bond” (…) “In an interview with the New Vision, Akiror accused the duo for abusing her while she was making a transaction. “I found clients queuing in the bank without a teller in the counter to serve them. One teller accepted to help me after I pleaded for help, but those men started abusing me seriously,” Akiror said” (Opio, 2019).

She is really acting entitled with this action this week. Seemingly, the State Minister has forgotten her work, he play in society and that she is not above the ordinary people. The State Minister should have no issues waiting in a queue. That she got the two people arrested inside the Bank. Really shows her ways and how she has gotten corrupted by the Public Office she has. Instead of working for any of the key activities, because that is not to get people arrested for being customers inside a bank. Because that is what she did.

If she had been serious as a State Minister, we would have read reports where she took charge in the plenty of Presidential Pledges made in the Teso Regions. State Minister Akiror Egunyu did this to the citizens, which happened to be in the bank at the same time. Just so utter disgrace for her role in society and her natural entitlement.

She thinks she is that special now, that she can force herself first, as she is a Minister. That shows what is wrong in society, when the Police is called upon for this and detains them. Just because, they didn’t let her first in the queue. Peace.

Reference:

Emmanuel Opio – ‘Two arrested over insulting minister in bank hall’ 17.01.2019, link: https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1492780/arrested-insulting-minister-bank-hall

George Muron & Simon Peter Emwamu – ‘Bank clients arrested for ‘disturbing’ Teso minister’ 16.01.2019, link: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bank-clients-arrested-for–disturbing–Teso-minister/688334-4936798-mklyiiz/index.html

Burundi: Mouvement pour la Solidarite et la Democratie – Communique (18.01.2019)

UNHCR deplores forced refugee returns from Cameroon (18.01.2019)

An estimated 9,000 Nigerians fled across the border into Cameroon earlier in the week after militants attacked and ransacked the small border town of Rann in Nigeria’s Borno State.

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 18, 2019 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is extremely alarmed by reports of the forced return by Cameroon this week of several thousand refugees into violence-affected Borno State in northeast Nigeria. This follows the forced return of 267 Nigerian refugees on 16 January. They had crossed into Cameroon in 2014. We are gravely concerned for the safety and well-being of all these people.

An estimated 9,000 Nigerians fled across the border into Cameroon earlier in the week after militants attacked and ransacked the small border town of Rann in Nigeria’s Borno State. The militants went on a rampage by targeting military installations, civilians and humanitarian facilities. At least 14 people are reported killed.

“This action was totally unexpected and puts lives of thousands of refugees at risk,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “I am appealing to Cameroon to continue its open door and hospitable policy and practices and halt immediately any more returns and to ensure full compliance with its refugee protection obligations under its own national legislation, as well as international law.”

Cameroon is currently home to more than 370,000 refugees, including some 100,000 from Nigeria.