RSA: DA Leader Mmusi Maimane letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa – “Urgent Appeal for Full Transparency on the Extent of our Country’s Energy Crisis” (22.03.2019)

Brexit: Working Document – European Council (Article 50) meeting (21 March 2019) – Draft conclusion (21.03.2019)

Brexit: TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady letter to Prime Minister Theresa May (21.03.2019)

Kenya: Thirdway Alliance – State of the Nation: Is the Starvation Experienced in 12 Counties Really Caused by Drought and Famine, Or is in Fact Caused by Failed Leadership and Theft of Public Money? (21.03.2019)

Brexit: Theresa May’s Lackluster Presser!

I agree. I am on your side. It is now time for MPs to decide” – Theresa May, 20th March 2019

The end of the saga is supposed to be on the 29th March 2019. Nothing is keeping up to phase, as the Prime Minister is scrambling for more time to push down the throats of the Members in Parliament, the Withdrawal Agreement, which they have already voted down twice. Alas, she still wants to buy time. This after using two years negotiating a terrible deal and a abysmal legacy of her time in office.

What we can say today, is that Prime Minster Theresa May went total Jose Mourinho, blaming the captain, the club, the sports director, the referee and the even the grass. The wind, the ball and the possible rain-fall. That is what she did today. This will not be on better the terms between her or the Parliament itself. The European Commission leaders have already told that they will not accept an extension, unless it is prospects of a deal accepted by the Parliament. Alas, that is not the case at this moment. Because, the deal are so terrible, not the Tories nor the Opposition wants to eat it. It is not edible, still in her pride. The PM is blaming them for voting it down, twice today.

So far Parliament has done everything possible to avoid making a choice. All MPs have been willing to say is what they do not want” – Theresa May (today).

Calling it politics and in-fighting, when her party and her secretaries haven’t delivered a single outstanding offer, other than empty promises and pledges since the revoking of article 50 and securing the pastures of a non-member state in the European Union. They have just been dandy and walking softly in Brussels, while talking pleasant in London. That is just what they have done.

Now, the PM looks tired, late and on overtime already, with no where to hide or go. The Parliament are not accepting it. The Speaker have spoken too. The rules of engagement is really showing there is little room for success. Clearly, sleepwalking to “No-Deal” and WTO rules, which would be costly, squeezing the economy and the imports, also harden the border movement will be the possible future. But that is something the Tories doesn’t want to tell or say.

Other than, well we can manage that too. You’ll see, it is all scaremongering and nonsense, saying it will be damaging. Nah, it is just hearsay, even if Calais and others has shown signs of the new protocol of export and importing through our ports. Well, that will not hurt us all.

So, instead of showing some finesse and that she had resolved anything. The PM just blamed everyone else. Not taking blame or seeing what she has done wrong herself. Instead, blaming the MPs and looking foolish again.

If, the Brexit could become more abysmal, more disgraceful or more distasteful. This was it, where the culprit, the leader, the one whose supposed to lead and fix it. Has given up and trying to still sell a tragic deal, on the sake of her ego and pride. Not for the betterment of the United Kingdom. Just to save her own skin. It looks unwise, it looks dumb.

Time to show some flex and character. Instead, it was more blame-game. Peace.

Brexit: Prime Minister Theresa May letter to President of European Council Donald Tusk (20.03.2019)

Turkana Drought: State Officials knew about the drought, but didn’t act!

Today is a day of warning, where the government, the local government and its authorities haven’t been prepared or cared for it. In its ignorance, the citizens of Turkana and its draught is happening, because their representatives and the state haven’t prepared for the shortfall of food nor water in the region. Even if there was waning signs months ago.

This is not just made up that Governor Josphat Nanok of Turkana County, CEO of NDMA James Odur, CS of Ministry of Devolution and ASALs Eugene Wamwalwa and so on. Can put the blame on everything else, but not on the intial inaction of their own government post. Even if that is true, because the FEWS warned about this in August/December 2018, because of lack of rain. Still, the government kept pumping like there was no tomorrow. Did nothing about it or didn’t handle it all. Since, who would make a fuzz anyway, right?

FEWS Network Warning Des. 2018:

“Performance of the October to December short rains was highly mixed across Kenya, leading to below-average crop performance and inadequate replenishment of rangeland resources in rainfall-deficit areas. In many pastoral and southeastern marginal agricultural areas, rainfall was below 85 percent of normal, while rainfall in the rest of the country was above average. Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are likely to persist in most pastoral and marginal agricultural areas through May, and an increase in the number of poor households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) is expected in localized areas of Turkana, Wajir, and Garissa by February” (FEWS Net, 31.12.2018).

Kenyan Government response:

“The National Government has provided total of Kshs. 1,351,196,000 for response during the period of February, March and April 2019 as follows: Food and safety net Kshs. 601,196,000. Support to household irrigation water storage program (excavation of small water pans) Kshs. 600,000,000. Support to water trucking, maintenance and rehabilitation of boreholes Kshs. 150,000,000. Water trucking by NDMA in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Marsabit and Tana River and maintenance of water points in selected areas. Hunger Safety Net Programme cash transfers by NDMA in Turkana, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit” (…) “Nevertheless, the below-average short rains have slightly increased the food insecure population from 655,800 in August 2018 to current number of 1,111,500, with the top 12 counties having a total of 865,300 food insecure people” (Government of Kenya – ‘BRIEF ON CURRENT DROUGHT AND FOOD SECURITY SITUATION IN ASAL COUNTIES, MARCH 2019’ 15.03.2019).

What is sad is the amount of people starving in a midst of draught, in region, where the state could have acted more swiftly and with more manpower. Because, they knew perfectly well that this was happening. This is in a region where Tullow Oil Company plans to drill oil with over 300 oil wells. Meaning, there is money and resources, which should lead to progress and development. So, that the region and county isn’t as impoverish as it is. However, there seems to be little or none of the seeds of the oil to go to needed projects or facilities to help out the locals.

Instead, the international oil companies, which reached an agreement last year in 2018. Have had the ability to drill for oil and the leaders have been pocketing money. While the state and the local county officials haven’t secure the public. That is what is the initial bargain in all of this. The public officials have been busy eating and now the public aren’t even getting bread-crumbs of the spoils. That’s what is even more sad about this situation. Knowing the region had hopes for the oil adventure and now seeing a drought, which brings even more despair.

Lochikar Basin haven’t brought anything to the local community, other than foreign investors pumping out their valuable resources, while the deal between Tullow and Government remains secret. As well, as the scarcity of water and other needed components of life, continue to run rampant in a region, which should have gotten some of the spoils of the wealth that is created there. Instead, the government cartels and public officials, who does not want to associate with the demise of the people in the drought, eat that up.

This could have been avoided, the state could have acted and the Turkana with their Oil should have had the resources to cope with it and be able to buy the needed imports of food and water. Alas, someone else is eating that, as long as the oil trucks are driving to Mombasa and the public see less or little of trade of it all.

While the sun is burning, little or no rain, while they await for a handout, when the government could have footed the bill, by the earnings of the oil alone. Peace.

Burundi: Even the unemployed is getting taxed for 2020 elections!

You know that the CNDD-FDD and President Pierre Nkurunziza is hungry for money and for “contributions” from the citizens. When the state uses all means to strike at their citizens and their pockets to prepare for the Elections in 2020. This have started in other fields, where the salaries of the government employees have been deducted and also students are forced to pay.

On the 14th March 2019, the honourable Pascal Barandagiye, the Minister of Patriotic Training and Home Affairs have stated from now on, that the unemployed or the “Citoyens non-salaries” should be commissioned with an Ad-Hoc Provincial Charge as their Contribution to 2020. This should be secured by the Commission, whose in charge of collecting the funds and also be tracked by the governors of the Provinces, that shall report of the collections to the Ministry.

The ever loyal minister is clearly sending yet another signal. That even the ones without an official job, without proper work or earning money. Have to push blood out of stone. So, that the President and his party can have a lavish lifestyle and secure all the funds needed for an up-coming elections. This is just a continuation of what they are doing to the public.

If the state isn’t intimidating, limiting the public space and also controlling all paths of life. They are now ensuring more taxation and bleeding the citizens pockets for the up-coming elections. Like there is tomorrow.

It is really special, that the Ministry and Minister are proposing and actually wants to tax the ones whose has no job. They are thinking these people are having funds and valuable assets, which can give added funds for the state. That is the initial idea behind it, because the non-working still have to cough up funds like the bayliffs are coming on their door and expecting to get court ordered funds paid in full. That is what the state is doing here.

This is clearly a sign, that the matters of the state are more important, than the well-being of the public. Just like the orders of collecting funds from students, if they didn’t comply, they could get suspended or kicked out of school. That is why this is the next level in sense.

That if you have no job, no work or no current occupation. The state can still collect supposed taxes for the elections of 2020. That is what it does. That is what the proud patriotic ministry is doing to its citizens. Just a full fledged paternalistic over-stretching big-brother with a big-man with a to huge ego on the top. Who just got to get your change, even when you got no balance. Peace.

Opinion: Mayday! May-Day!

GOVERNMENT DEFEAT: The House of Commons has again rejected the Government’s #BrexitDeal in the second #MeaningfulVote. The Commons voted 391 to 242 – a majority of 149. #BrexitVote” (UK House of Commons, 12.03.2019).

The Tories and Prime Minister Theresa May have for the second time lost in the House of Commons, this being on the vote to get the Parliament to accept the Withdrawal Agreement before announced leaving date, which up in about two weeks. There is mere days before the United Kingdom is leaving as a Member State and becoming Non-Member. This should have been better prepared by the government, as the HM Government had two years preparing it. However, they botched it and not been thorough about it.

That is really evident, as the Tories has lost twice with their Withdrawal Agreement vote in the House of Commons. They have been voted down on amendments and lost to the Opposition with striking numbers like today. It is like PM May likes to be humiliated in Parliament. That she enjoys looking weak and wobbling into the future. Because, the strong and steady it haven’t been with her at the helm. That also because he head-hunted Brexiteers into the cabinet, but not thinking they would have the capacity or will to configure the pledges in the Referendum of late.

The Brexiteers like David Davis, Boris Johnson and others didn’t deliver in the roles, they just acted like Secretaries, but was smug and arrogant without dropping any sort of transparent work or proof of negotiations that mattered with Brussels. Only empty pledges and promises. That now the public should see after two years. Since the road to No-Deal is seemingly soon the only way, as the HM Government rather save face, than save the Kingdom. Rather create a depression and recession, create inflation and lack of imports, just so they can rule another minute. That is what the Tories are leading the Nation too. Because of their empty headed pride of an Empire, that is long gone and is only a faded memory.

That is why this is the news today. Another loss, another defeat and no jurisdiction or any directions concerning Brexit. Which is special concerning the limited time to fix it. But also the two years of work since announcing the notification of issuing the Article 50. They still haven’t configured or figured out how to deal with it. Except for issuing statements, saying they will fix it all and await more confidence statements from the EU. Without having anything but deadlock and lack of skills to pursuit anything meaningful.

Whatever misgivings the Tories and the HM Government does have, is that they never talked about or even considered the EU26 or the protocol of the EU, which have to held accountable. As an another sovereign and legal entity over its territory, which will not toyed around by another outsider. Just like the Brexiteers wanted to hand-pick and cherry-pick the coolest parts of the Union, while not being a Member State.

What history should now learn them, that is not how it works and it has all, but backfired. That is why there is a deadlock and steady road to crisis filled No-Deal. A backstabbing own economy, just to become a Third-Country with WTO rules, ensure the public is severely paying the price for gamble of leaving the Union and its rules, regulations and its trade union. They are surely selling each other short, while paying the price doing so. But hey that is what they wanted right?

The Tories, the Brexiteers are losing, not only the perks and the simplistic trade, but also the benefits and the Membership over a faulty towered inspired bureaucratic mumble jumbo, which cannot be accepted by anyone. That is why the Tories and PM May has lost again.

It is May-Day May-Day, the warnings been there. The Brexit have been limping, nearly moving towards anything of pride or joy. Just another loss and another humiliating day for her reign. Prime Minister Theresa May seems to be without anchor or without a guiding star leading her way to redemption.

It is a Mayday, May-Day, read all about it. Yet another default miss. Yet another Penalty Shot failing to hit between the posts. Just another defeat, no guts and no glory. That is the story. Peace.

Brexit: Legal Opinion on Joint Instrument and Unilateral Declaration concerning the Withdrawal Agreement (12.03.2019)