RDC: Banque Centrale du Congo – Comite de Politique Monetaire – Communique (17.06.2020)

On Bad Black: Rev. Lokodo will you work for free? No, I didn’t so.

Bad Black aka Shanitah Namuyimbwa have hit a nerve again. This time she has pushed the Minster of the State for Integrity and Ethics Reverend Simon Lokodo to comment on her reasoning for getting money for her work with a COVID-19 advert for the Ministry of Health.

What is really strange, Reverend Lokodo? Are you saying you want to work for free as well? As you are a public official and civil servant? Do you want to work without a salary, emoluments and other allowances for playing your part as a Minister and a Member of Parliament.

As a man of both state and faith? Don’t you think contract workers, working on commission for certain short-term projects and such? Is that what your saying to the likes of Bad Black who did a gig?

So, your gig work, your sudden showing up with nonsense comments. Should that be done for free too? We haven’t seen or heard from you in a year or two Mr. Minister. It is like dolphins and scarecrows are more common in Kampotholo, than seeing your face in a newspaper. You are so far into oblivion. We had forgotten you where there. In this regard, the milk cartoon person with a someone gone missing was soon issued to you.

I’m wonder if the Minister himself knows the Leadership Code Act of 1992 section 14(i)?

It states:

14. General conduct prejudicial to the interests of the State.

not—

(1) Without derogating from any other written law, a leader shall

(j) do or direct to be done in abuse of his or her office any act prejudicial to the rights of any person or obtain an unfair advantage over his or her subordinates, including abuse of the rights of members of the opposite sex, through, among other acts, the use of coercion, threat or harassment” (Leadership Code Act, 1992).

Because the statement from the supposed honourable minister today was this:

If she continues threatening the government, we shall lock her up for days as a punishment” (…) “We can appreciate her for a good job but she should not forcefully demand the money” (Lokodo, 17.06.2020).

I also want to remind the honourable Minister of the Employment Act of 1977 section 31:

Nothing in this Act shall render illegal any agreement or contract with an employee for giving him or her, as a remuneration for his or her services, in addition to money wages, food, a dwelling place or such other allowances or privileges as may be customary in the trade or occupation concerned; except that—

only such allowances or privileges may be given under this section as are appropriate for the personal use and benefit of the employee and his or her family; and

the value attributable to the allowances or privileges shall not exceed the cost to the employer of providing them” (Employment Act, 1977).

This act itself states that other wages are allowed and that a person working should get remuneration for the work rendered. That is what Bad Black has done with her ad for the Ministry of Health. Because why else should she has said what she did and on that format at that given time?

She is usually doing something else. To be frank, she’s a whole other kind than the typical models or socialites doing. Everyone cannot sell air-time like Sheila Gashumba. Bad Black needs other revenue streams, but this time she had gotten promise a pay-off for her services to the Ministry of Health. Those should be rendered. It shouldn’t be that hard, but maybe they are not able to pop-it off?

Well, the Minister should know the laws. He should understand the plight of people not paid for their work. Bad Black is maybe not the ordinary citizens, but when she works she should get paid. That is what everyone expects when they put work in. No matter how small or how little. What matters is that you ticked in and did your job. That should the Reverend Lokodo know, but apparently that is to much for to know. So maybe he can live on a prayer and hope the blessings from the sky will save him? Peace.

Tchad: Communique No. 62 du Ministere de la Sante Publique (17.06.2020)

South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC): Statement on the currenting situation of violence in the Country (17.06.2020)

South Sudan: Ministry of Health – Update on COVID-19 response (17.06.2020)

Zimbabwe: Dollar Dollar Bill Y’all!

Cash rules everything around me

CREAM, get the money

Dollar dollar bill, y’all” – Method Man on Wu Tang Clan’s – ‘C.R.E.A.M’ (1994)

I don’t know and I cannot count how many currency and monetary reforms that been since the launch of the New Dispensation from the Mnangagwa Government. What I do know? There’s been plenty and countless of initiatives in concern with the currency. Which was made to stabilize and supposed to ensure a steady rate in the inflation. However, that ship has sailed, as the rates are over double-digit and its not getting better.

The Zimbabwe government has stopped and reopened opportunities to have foreign currencies in trading. Today is not different. Just like a year ago in June they ceased to trade with United States Dollars. Today they are returning through bank action and able to show prices in Zimbabwe Dollars and US Dollars in the shops.

The return of this imminent. As the value of the Zimbabwe Dollars are depleting, the inflation is out whack. The money is getting devalued and destroyed. The state knows, the Reserve Bank knows this and the people know it too. This is not new, but the normal mockery of financial stimulus and fiscal responsibility, which causes this damage on a regular.

There is no trust in either the Ministry of Finance nor the Reserve Bank. All institutions are running a shit-show and hoping to trade insults to save their lives. They are all just pinning on duck and hoping it doesn’t quack. It is like an endless circle of Bond-Notes, RTGS-Dollar, Zimbabwe Dollar Notes and unattainable monetary polices in concern with the US Dollars.

In June 2019, the President proclaimed this: Except that if you want to transact in any shop, if you want to buy your tea and milk in dollar or euro, then you must go to bureau du change” (Mnangagwa, 25.06.2020).

Now a year later the opportunity to use US Dollars is back and the promise of “normalcy” is a far-cry from reality. As the state, the institutions and the men behind the monetary policies cannot figure out the trick of the trade. They don’t have the ability nor the slightest idea on how to stable the economy nor ensure any trust in the currency they are printing. It is like a gift of misgivings and lack of integrity.

The whole state could fix this, the men behind this could really try to do something. They should first quit their day-jobs, because they are not up for it. These people have tried and tried. Done so much work for nothing. They have been jibber-jabbing for so long without any luck.

So since nothing is working. We can all just put on the old classic Wu Tang Clan joint ‘C.R.E.A.M’ and sing: “Cash Rules Everything Around Me/Cream, get the money/Dollar Dollar Bill, Y’all”. Peace.

Zimbabwe: Ministry of Finance and Economic Development – Press Statement – Payment of Civil Service COVID-19 Allowances and Salary Review (17.06.2020)

Mali: Communique No. 107 du Ministere de la Sante et des Affaires Sociales sur le Suvi des Actions de Prevention et de Riposte Face a la Maladie a Coronavirus (17.06.2020)

Uganda: Ministry of Health – Update on the COVID-19 Outbreak in Uganda (17.06.2020)

South Sudan: Ministry of Presidential Affairs – Press Statement (17.06.2020)