EFF Condemns Nzimande’s EFF Scapegoat on VBS Bank Funding to SACP (12.11.2018)

Opinion: Jubilee rocked by another Maize Scandal?

In this treacherous world

Nothing is the truth nor a lie.

Everything depends on the color

Of the crystal through which one sees it” – Pedro Calderón de la Barca

The Jubilee government have another level of corruptness over themselves. The President is brazen in his public fight with corruption, but the behavior of the government is corrupt as it possibly can be. The things of nature, is that it repeat itself. This time without government subsidizes like it was on the way to the Fresh Presidential Elections of 2017. When the maize was subsidized and the maize came from Mexico. Then rebranded and restocked as local produce.

Now, were in the middle of 2018 there was also extra attention to it, as the National Cereal and Produce Board had already bought imported maize to stock, while the locals had to get lesser pay while selling to the millers. As that has happen and the months has gone by, there are now reports. That the NCPB silos has destroyed 60% of its maize. That is imported maize that has already cost the taxpayers about ksh. 9 billion and now they have to import more. This is happening right in the 4 Quarter and before the festive seasons of Christmas Carols and jingle bells.

Clearly, this seems like a ploy, as the Deputy President William Ruto are promising farmers more money and another ksh. 2 billion to buy more stock. This is consequence of the importing of 4.4 million bags of maize. We can wonder who are earning fortunes on these games with the farmers and with the citizens needing to buy the maize flour, the UNGA. This is the staple food the government is making a mockery of.

This is meanest way of destroying confidence and also showing utter disgrace of office. As the NCPB and Ministry of Agriculture, the CS Mwangi Kiunjuri and Chairman Mutea Iringo. Both of them should come clean in this mess. It is evident there is something behind the curtain and someone is trying to fool someone. As the NCPB and CS Kiunjuri should spare no mind, explaining how they could buy rotting maize and toxic of it, while also struggling to pay local farmers. If not, there are something else going on.

As there other interests, than paying the farmers a fair price, as the imported ones from Uganda and Mexico is hitting the markets at a lower price. While the farmers struggle to sell their produce to the NCPB. This is all deliberate acts, as the millers and cartels are securing huge profits of the imported ones. While the local produce are wasted and destroyed. Now, even the foreign ones isn’t all good and suddenly destroyed. The utter chaos and the mismanagement is clear. Even as the NCPB are calling themselves “The Leaders in Grain Management”. When concerning Maize, they are not, unless they are following orders of cartels and from above.

This all seems weird, it all seems like a deliberate act of misconception to get higher prices, trick the citizens and get more profits for the millers and importers. Not to generate a better environment or even selling the staple food at a reasonable price. The Jubilee government have tried to trick the public before with UNGA. Therefore, I am skeptical about the beneficiary and the ones getting paid by this scheme. As the amounts of money and the toll on the economy, as the NCPB and Ministry should know better.

Clearly, another Maize scandal, but this government are rocking with scandals all the time. Peace.

Another Institution to fight Corruption: Rev. Lokodo didn’t plan the cost for it though!

Just like so many other things with the National Resistance Movement (NRM), they have giant plans and even laws to abide. As the Leadership Code Act Amendment of 2016, which stated that a Tribunal would be created and elected by the President and Public Service Commission. That Tribunal was supposed to follow up on the possible breaches of the Leadership code, have inquiries and collect reports of these within the government.

However, that has not happened, because the NRM, haven’t had the same wish for that or even tried to allocate funds for this They have anticipated that someone else is paying their tab. The Minister for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo wanted, as he was the sponsor of the amended code. However, he never considered the costs of making a Tribunal, meaning someone has to pay for the manpower and the elected people for this. That is bad leadership in itself. As the Ministry should have had the funds before the Parliament enacted the changes of the law. The Parliament should also know about these provisions and the possible outcome of amending the Leadership Code. However, they didn’t!

Government plans to spend a total of Shs117.7 billion to implement the new zero tolerance to corruption policy approved by Cabinet on Monday” (…) “Fr Lokodo said the European Union has so far given government Shs 3.1b to establish the Leadership Code tribunal. He said the tribunal should have been established shortly after the amendment of the Leadership Code Act last year, but did not take off because of lack of funds” (Draku & Wandera, 2018).

So, this isn’t only a story about the Government of Uganda has yet another body to fight corruption and doing it through the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity. As the Tribunal under Lokodo Ministry, will be a part of a collective of government institutions doing similar actions. This being Uganda Police Force, Public Procurement And Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Office of Attorney General (OAG) and Inspectorate of Government (IGG). All of these should be more than enough, as even the Judiciary and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) are an investigatory body. Certainly, knowing the NRM, they could be involved in the manners of these. Especially, if the person was a big-man in their view.

Therefore, this is yet another expert facility and another institution to fight the same thing. As the mushrooming of the state continues. This is bound by law and until the law is repealed, the Tribunal is bound to appear. Because, it is in law and was enacted.

What I wonder, what will the Tribunal do, that the Police, PPDA, OAG, IGG, The Judiciary and UPDF isn’t doing already and what results will differ from what they are doing today?

I don’t think any of these possible institutions will really fight the corruption. As the finalization and the orders of confirmation comes from upon high. The President and State House is deciding what is happening in the end. The biggest deals are happening their without public insights in the State House. Therefore, if the NRM wanted it to be real.

They have to change the pattern of the President and his State House. The cronies and the elites around the President has to keep things transparent and open. However, they are not doing so. Therefore, any of these institutions will not make a significant difference. Peace.

Reference:

Fraklin Draku & Derrick Wandera – ‘Government to spend Shs117b on fighting corruption’ 01.11.2018 link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-spend-Shs117b-fighting-corruption/688334-4831334-jswwdm/index.html

South Sudan: SPLM/A-IO letter to Maj. Gen. Matata Frank Alikana – “Subject: Suspension from your duties as Governor of Yei River State and constitution of an Investigation Commitee to investigate your involvement in an alleged illegal act” (21.10.2018)

DPP’s Press Statement on Investigations into Allegations of Mismanagement of Funds during the 2016 Rio Olympics Summer Games (13.10.2018)

Opinion: Nene Nhanhla has fallen – He is the first of plenty!

If President Cyril Ramaphosa thinks that this will let him of the hook. He is color blind to the efforts and the misuse of power, which was done in the time of Jacob Zuma. Zuma and his cabinet, many, plenty of the Ministers and Members of Parliament was connected with the Gupta’s. It wasn’t only Nene Nhanhla who visited frequently and had connections there. Therefore, the State Capture Inquiry and Commission will dig into more dirt, than the African National Congress (ANC) really wants to reveal. They might even stumble on the humble, even to the people the President doesn’t want to touch.

This because the Guptas and Zuma’s spoiling of the state, their grand corruption wasn’t minor efforts or limited to a few fellow parliamentarians and ministers, no it was on all levels from Local Government to the National Assembly. That is why, Ramaphosa should be worried about all the ones in the sphere of Gupta’s, as they were plenty and more big-shots will have to resign.

That Nene Nhanhla resigned earlier this morning today, but Tito Mboweni was called yesterday to be confirmed as the new Finance Minister. This shows again, just like in the Gupta inspired cabinet changes, there are something fishy going in the ANC. They are trying to play it out and make Nene the fall guy, but they are badly executing it, as their timeline doesn’t even make sense.

We can wonder what will happen to David “Des” Van Rooyen, Pravin Gordhan, Jeff Radebe, Jonas Mcebisi and Blade Nzimande. These are just a few brief people that could be under fire for the same reasons as Nene and their close relationship to the Gupta’s. As this wasn’t something that happen in the deep shadows in a thief’s den, but in the chambers of government and meetings at the compound of the Gupta’s at Saxxonworld in Johannesburg.

Therefore, we should expect more people coming forward, maybe even striking ones, that will also show their greed and will to loot for quick cash. Greed always brings the worst of people, no matter how noble they seem. The opportunity for easy money to pocket comes and when foreign investors gives way. They might have said “Yes”, especially when they looked up to Zuma and so no chance in hell of paying any costs of these money. Not like it looked like a possible investigation or summons for their actions.

However the tide changed and now the uncovering is happening. Nene is not last, neither the biggest. If they are really following the money and the power who gotten eaten by greed. They will cover more people, than Ramaphosa might want to let go. As his loyal comrades are wiped out and he will be let alone. Maybe he will even be implicated, as these cases usually spin-off in all circles, as the bounds of dirty money ends everywhere and on any plate.

Nene is not last, unless this is their fall-guy to wind the investigations down. Peace.

EFF Calls on Ramaphosa to Accept Nene’s Offer to Resign (09.10.2018)

Media Statement by Minister Nhlanhla Nene to Fellow South Africans (05.10.2018)

President Kenyatta promise more austerity measures!

The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta have today pushed for a lower VAT on Petroleum, not showing why it gets cuts in half, but still will charge the public more in taxes. While state is promising more cuts in all arms of government. This from a government that has borrowed more spent more and been more corrupt, than any other I can think off. The Jubilee government have a ten-fold of corruption scandals since its inception. Therefore, if the government would clear its yearly shortfall quickly, the embezzlement, frauds and tender scandals has to stop. Also, the open looting by the high-ranking officials and their cronies, which for some reasons skates by, while the funds are running short. That why it is further insult to injury of the public, that the Wealthy President and his rich cronies are asking for a sacrifice. How could he?

Here is his statement:

“Fellow Kenyans, I have spent the last few days listening to a wide cross-section of views. It is clear that you are all troubled by the effect of the rise in the prices of petroleum products, and its impact on the cost of living. I have heard and understood your concerns, which is why I have proposed, as part of my memorandum, to cut VAT on petroleum products by 50% — from 16% to 8%. Should Parliament accept this proposal, the price of super petrol will drop from KSh 127 to about KSh 118, and the price of diesel will drop from KSh 115 to about KSh 107. Just as business owners took the new VAT rate as an opportunity to increase the cost of goods and services, I expect them not to take advantage of weary citizens, and to lower their prices commensurately and without delay. But we still face a financing gap. This measure will not suffice to balance our budget, as required by law. Therefore I have also proposed wide-ranging cuts in spending as well as austerity measures across all arms of government. The cuts target less essential spending, such as hospitality, foreign and domestic travel, training and seminars, and similar categories. These budget cuts ask of us in government that we tighten our belts. It also ensures that the sacrifices made by tax-compliant Kenyans are matched by discipline from all of us in the public service” (Uhuru Kenyatta – ‘STATEMENT BY HE THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES, UHURU KENYATTA C.G.H., ON FINANCE BILL 2018/2019 ON 14TH SEPTEMBER, 2018’ (14.09.2018).

This here shows how he thinks and manoeuvre, instead of thinking directly how the elites, the cronies and the central leadership to pay for the shortfall, the added debt and growing corruption will cost the public and not them. The austerity and the lack of service providing, even salaries and lack of needed services will come with time. As the defaulting debt and the restructuring that is programmed through the IMF will hurt the communities.

Kenyatta knows this, but trying to deflect and finds ways to smoothing the hurt, but not initially changing the paradigm. The reality is that the state are struggling financially, have over-borrowed and secured massive debts, it now has to pay with interests, while also swiftly embezzled funds to the high-ranking elites, which are not paying for the short-fall, but the tab is put on the public instead. That is the insane reality and the swindle of the century.

There are usually two sides to ever story, and two side to every coin, but the man who has both created it the issue, are now trying to find ways to billing the debt on the public, without taking direct responsibility or going after the ones who created this in the first place. They are off the hook and off the books. While the public will be left with the costly back-payment and figuring out to pay it back. Day-by-day. Peace.