
SADC: Statemnent by the SADC Chairperson, His Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, on the Political and Socio-Economic Situation in Zimbabwe (11.02.2019)





“Regime change is the better word it is a regime change agenda, which is not new …which has been a phenomenon visiting Zimbabwe throughout the last 18 years” – Emmerson Mnangagwa, (10.02.2019)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa at France24 TV Interview on the 10th February 2019 is now showing the true capacity, the ability and the spin, that the President is busy doing. That Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is busy trying to change the narrative is natural. That the President want to spin and control the news is also natural. Still, that doesn’t make his stories true.
That the President, who knows perfectly well, what the army and police has done. A President that did the crackdown on the civil societies, the opposition and civilians as a result of the shutdown. The brutality and atrocities, where the amounts of dead, amounts of people shot, detained and even harassed, the rapes and whatnots has shown the sinister side of the ZANU-PF reign. However, he wants to act like it is cool and dandy, that the men and woman, who fears the authorities, are supposed to post-up at the Police Station and deliver evidence of the brutality and if they don’t. then it doesn’t count. That is initially, what the President said in his interview.
“This is where the army is directly and purposely killing people we would want to see evidence we see all this in social media. But we would want to see evidence where the 17 people were killed. Where were they buried” – Mnangagwa, 10.02.2019
It is like he is saying, the dead isn’t deceased, since it isn’t recorded. The dead, the ones who is buried, he doesn’t have faith in it. Just like he claims the rapes are staged woman who play for the NGOs and the Foreign Media, Social Media to be paraded. That is the Executive, that is the Head of State, that is the man, people are supposed to look up to is saying. The man that is supposed to shelter and secure the rights of these people. Instead the digs their grave, spit on their weak bodies and says he needs proof. That is the sort of President Mnangagwa is.
It is just sickening, how somebody can try to spin these tragedies and these actions against civilians. Certainly, he would not recall or recollect those acts. As he was busy flying in Eastern Europe, before returning home before his scheduled Davos trip. However, it still appeared, the stories and videos have been leaked. The show of aggression in midst of a media blackout, have shown the sinister acts of ZANU-PF. Even if the President tries to overshadow and look smart.
Instead, he looks like a man, who tries to play smart to Foreign Media, but falls flat. As he serves propaganda, dances on the dead bodies and the ones hurt by the crackdown and grins, as if it was nothing to begin with. That is how it look. That is what it seems and it’s beautiful.
No, it’s ugly and despicable. Mnangagwa are maybe able to fool the naïve, the ones who is not bright and the ones who eat the whole Kool-Aid. The ones who is not lost in the PFee will see past this, as we remembered the reports, the videos and the leaked stories. They are not fairy tales, but sad stories of today’s bleak reality. Peace.






“One of the leading causes of obesity is the misbelief that, when it comes to juice, ‘100%’ means ‘sugar-free.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana
In the Philippines, there been a long tradition of Pork Barrel or specific payout for government projects for Representatives in the Lower House, the House of Representatives and the senators in the Senate. Because this week has been hectic in touch with tradition. There are back and fourth. There is no end in sight for this rodeo. I will show pieces of it, because, I cannot make sense of it.
If there is, then there is, if its not, its not. However, after the recent week action in the headlines and following the wires. I got nothing. Because, even I am unsure. It is hard to know if there is Pork Barrel within the ratified Budget for 2019, which was ratified on Friday on the 8th February 2019.
Let me show some statements that isn’t coherent, reporting that is not backing each other. From various of sources. Since I feel this is important, because there is lack of consistent messaging, therefore, the truth might surface later. However this is what I have by today.
GMA Reported: “Senators took exception to allegations by House appropriations chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. that they will get P3 billion each in pork allocation in the 2019 budget. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, in a text message, said the accusation of P3 billion per senator as pork “is a slur against the Senate.”” (Amita Legaspi – ‘ No P3-B pork in 2019 budget, senators insist’ (08.02.2019) link: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/684334/no-p3-b-pork-in-2019-budget-senators-insist/story/).
CNN Philippines Reported: “He was referring to the funds that current House committee on appropriations chair Rolando Andaya said were illegal insertions made by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno — a charge Diokno has repeatedly denied. Lacson said that around P51 billion of the controversial P75 billion funds have been distributed to all members of the House of Representatives in P20 million chunks. “Of this amount, 20 billion pesos was distributed equally among the almost 300 congressmen, which translates into P60 million per congressman plus additional allocations to those close to the leadership of the House of Representatives. These are all embodied in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the House version transmitted to the Senate,” Lacson said” (CNN Philippines Staff – ‘Lacson: New House leadership continued pork barrel mess’ 08.02.2019, link: http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/02/08/lacson-andaya-arroyo-pork-barrel-2019-budget.html).
Manilla Standard Reporting: “In total, the Senate proposed some P25.4 billion in adjustments while the House introduced P20.65 billion in realignments or a total of P46.35 billion under the DPWH where legislators can identify specific projects. Andaya confirmed that each congressman will get P160 million in itemized projects” (Maricel Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta – ‘Congress approves budget’ 09.02.2019, link: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/article/287358).
Sen. Franklin M. Drilon Press Release: “The minority leader also denied reports that senators will get P3 billion in pork allocation, including a province in the Visayas getting more than P3 billion. He called the allegation “grossly unfair”” (Franklin M. Drilon – ‘Drilon says no to 2019 national budget’ 08.02.2019, link:http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0208_drilon1.asp).
Sen. Leila M. de Lima Press Release: “Kudos to my colleagues in the Minority bloc – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros and Kiko Pangilinan – and, of course, to Sen. Ping Lacson, for their rejection of the pork-laden 2019 budget” (Sen. Leila M. de Lima – ‘Sen. Leila M. de Lima on her colleagues’ rejection of the pork-laden 2019 budget’ 09.02.2019, link: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0209_delima3.asp).
We are clearly seeing mixed messages, but both sides of this. Where the allocated funds are seen as differently. Therefore, we will see if these allocated funds are for the Pork Barrel or not. Since, the various explanation for these funds are really special. They are showing something and how to interpret the budget itself.
If one side is lying, than they are receiving funds and telling porkies. I am not sure, because if it is, they have tried to be sophisticated, but somewhere the funds leaked out. Someone spoke out and then the ones loyal to the President and the Government calling it “offensive”. Which makes it all weird. Since, why should people lie about special pay-outs, wouldn’t that be a happy-day to see your bank-account to be pregnant?
The Pork Barrels are there maybe or maybe not. By this report and these statements, it could be anything. Certainly porky porkies and even slices of pork chop from those Pork Barrels. Peace.

An Ethiopian military helicopter registration Number UNO 379P with 23 passengers on board has crashed today at around 1310H inside the compound of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) killing three of its crew members.
The MI-8 helicopter was on routine operation carrying Ethiopian troops on rotation from Kadugli to Abyei when it crashed. Ten passengers were injured with three in critical condition. The three who are in critical condition have been conveyed to Kadugli en route to Addis Ababa while those not in critical condition are being stabilized at the UNISFA Level II hospital in Abyei.
The immediate cause of the crash is not yet known. UNISFA’s acting Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Gebre Adhana Woldezgu said, “We are investigating the incident.” “We are deeply saddened by what happened this afternoon. We are extending our condolences to the families of those who died in the crash,” Major General Woldezgu said.
General Gebre Adhana Woldezgu commended UNISFA personnel who responded promptly to the crash by assisting to evacuate passengers from the helicopter, stressing that the casualty figures could have been much higher. “This show of solidarity reflects the spirit of peacekeeping and must be applauded”, General Woldezgu said.
The helicopter flew from Kadugli for the Mission’s regular troop rotation. UNISFA’s sole troop contributing country Ethiopia is currently rotating its soldiers from Kadugli to different sites in the Abyei area.
Ethiopia has around 4,500 personnel on the ground to support UNISFA’s efforts of ensuring peace and security in Abyei.




The Opposition Leader Tendu Lissu has been a sore thumb for the Tanzanian President, a long time. That is well-known. As there was even assassination attempt on the 7th September 2017, as he has since been the to the hospital for. Lissu is an MP for t he party of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Swahili for Party for Democracy and Progress.
We know he is hitting a nerve, as the Parliament and Speaker of the Parliament, because his absence from Parliament because of treatment abroad for the wounds, that has been caused in the assassination attempt. They are not even accepting the bills from the hospital or saying, that the MP has not notified, so they know where he is.
But apparently, they should know, as he was on the same TV show with the Tanzanian Ambassador in the United States on the Voice of America (VOA) with Shaka Ssali. Therefore, the saying of no knowledge is just giving way and being difficult.
This is all petty politics. They are attacking him, because Tundu is a vocal dissident. Something, the President Joseph Magufuli and his CCM cannot manage at this point of time. Everyone is supposed to follow the party line of the President and smile at his brilliance.
Lissu is hit for everything. I have read so many comments, that he should shut-up and be of kinder words. While the CCM can do whatever they want, the opposition parties are supposed to be gentle and soft spoken. They are not supposed to retaliate, even as their space are closing in and the oppressive attitude is continuing from the authorities.
I’m sure if any of the Opposition Parties took POWER and did the same thing to CCM, as it has done to ACT Wazelendo and CHADEMA. The people and leaders of CCM would call Lissu all sort of names, also the same to Zitto Kabwe. The President are using his powers, the CCM are wilfully pushing them to the brink. They are taking the little space away, that they already have.
Now, that they even want to cut away the livelihood of Lissu. Not only with the new laws tell how they are supposed to function as parties, who is not even allowed to hold rallies, meeting or press conferences. Therefore, the next level, is just showing that the words of Lissu matters. Because, the authorities and the Parliament are striking back at him.
If the CCM and Magufuli will look good for the world. They would not limit the space of the freedom of speech, liberty of dissidents and control of the political sphere. As of today, the CCM are limiting it and assaulting it, in favour of controlling it by any means. Right now, the victim and the one hit by this is Lissu. It could be a neighbour tomorrow. Peace.