Smoke, mirrors in Mugabe’s call for United Nations reform

NO ONE can ever begrudge former African Union (AU) chairperson President Robert Mugabe his gift of the gab which was in evidence last week as he spoke so eloquently about the long overdue reform of the United Nations (UN) Security Council which sadly continues to be dominated by just five world powers, long after the Second World War which ended in 1945.

HERBERT MOYO

The Security Council was established in October 1945, a month after the second World War ended, and has United States of America, Britain, China, France and Russia as permanent members.

The five countries enjoy the power of veto which determines the course of action and direction of the UN excluding the 54 member states of the AU and other countries.

The UN Security Council which according to political analyst and academic Eldred Masunungure continues to “represent and serve the interests of the victors long after the end of the Second World War” is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, according to the body’s website. It also “takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression.”

The body has largely remained unreformed since its formation, although it also has 10 elected members.

However, it smacks of the greatest hypocrisy and posturing for Mugabe to demand reforms at a global stage when right on his doorstep and for close to four decades, he has presided over a repressive government which has turned a deaf ear to persistent calls for the kind of reforms which would establish and deepen democracy in Zimbabwe.

There was in fact nothing out of the ordinary in Mugabe denouncing the current anachronistic structure of the UN Security Council, which many view as a victors club.

Many progressive people have called for similar reforms.

“In all fairness, the demands for UN reforms are valid and they have not been coming from Africa alone but also from emerging powers like Brazil, India and Indonesia. Here in Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are some of the countries that want seats on the council,” Masunungure said.

Another analyst Maxwell Saungweme concurred with Masunungure, adding that “the President (Mugabe) was spot on in demanding reforms. The UN needs reforms. He made very sensible arguments on Africa being bullied and also not having veto power in the Security Council and not having meaningful representation. Africa also needs to have a voice and be respected.”

Addressing delegates at the AU summit, Mugabe spoke in the typical fashion of most demagogues — Nazi German chancellor Adolf Hitler included — taking his spellbound audience of fellow African leaders on an emotional roller-coaster with a speech that expertly blended together all the classic elements of fiery rhetoric, humour and pathos to question and castigate the continued exclusion of African countries from decision-making in the world’s most powerful institution.

“We pay lots of money to go there and attend the General Assembly and make speeches, go back home: year in year out. But the bosses in the Security Council say you shall never have the powers that we have as permanent members. Reform the Security Council. How can only a handful of people (dominate the Security Council)” Mugabe thundered rhetorically with the kind of fury which demagogues like Hitler employed to whip their audiences into frenzied anger against specific targets.

But Mugabe’s anger is the same kind of anger that opposition parties and ordinary Zimbabweans have had over the past 36 years as his Zanu PF government has persistently refused to implement a comprehensive range of media, electoral and security sector reforms that are consistent with the established norms of democracy.

Even as Mugabe drank in the adulations of his peers at the AU, Zimbabwe remains in a state of paralysis without any meaningful effort towards re-aligning the country’s laws to conform to the national constitution three years after it was passed during the tenure of the inclusive government.

Zimbabwe is still crying out for security sector reform, especially as it is common cause that the involvement of securocrats in the country’s elections to ensure Mugabe’s victory has consistently eroded the credibility of the outcome.

From 1985 to the last one in 2013, elections have consistently lacked credibility and have been denounced as such by international, regional and continental bodies including the UN, AU and Sadc as happened with the 2008 elections where MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round before pulling out of the run-off citing violence and intimidation of his supporters. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) needs to be run independently without influence from the executive. The electoral body needs to be freed of security forces. The security sector needs to abide by constitutional provisions and refrain from making speeches suggesting that they could stage a coup if Mugabe loses elections as they did in 2002.

In addition, the Mugabe regime has continued to shackle the media, particularly the state broadcaster which has been run as an extension of Zanu PF’s propaganda department, denying voices to the opposition and the citizenry.

There has to be much more than the cosmetic changes which have seen few individuals connected to Zanu PF receiving radio licences to give the impression that the airwaves are finally being opened up to conform with constitutional requirements.

As another analyst Alex Magaisa succinctly put it, “it would be nice, if his words corresponded with reality in his own backyard.

Trouble is the Mugabe who struts on the international stage is rather different from the Mugabe at home.”

As a teacher, he would no doubt have read William Shakespeare as evidenced by the strong echoes of the latter’s villain Shylock in the play The Merchant of Venice.

“Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is,” asked Shylock.

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that,” Shylock continued in what should go down as one of the greatest speeches denouncing anti-Semitism.

Quite like Shylock, Mugabe also employed the race card ranting, “there is only America and the Europeans — those who say they are white-skinned”. Needless to say that this is not an entirely accurate description of the UN Security Council which also includes Mugabe’s favoured nation, China. (ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT)

EU proposals will force multinationals to disclose tax arrangements

Exclusive: Large US firms such as Google and Amazon will be required to disclose tax bills in Europe under draft legislation from European commission

The commission was heavily criticised last month when it proposed that corporations report only to national tax authorities in Europe without making the information public. Photograph: Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images

Simon Marks and Ian Traynor

US multinationals such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will be forced to publicly disclose their earnings and tax bills in Europe, under legislation being drafted by the EU executive.

The European commission is to table legislation in early April aimed at making the world’s largest multinational corporations open their tax arrangements with EU governments to full public scrutiny.

According to three senior EU officials familiar with the proposals, initial conclusions from an ongoing impact assessment have found in favour of obliging large corporations to reveal their profits and the tax they pay in every country in which they operate within the EU.

The commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is said to be in favour of the initiative. A consensus has formed around making the rules apply to the world’s biggest conglomerates, including those from the US, the officials said.

Eurocrats “are currently finalising the impact assessment work. It’s likely there will be some form of legislative initiative announced for the beginning of April … for public country-by-country reporting,” said a source.

“It will likely target the large multinationals, all multinationals and not just EU ones,” said a second source. The impact assessment had “really swayed opinion” inside the commission in favour of public reporting.

Public country-by-country reporting is seen as important because without it large companies are more able to make secretive deals with governments on where and how they declare their profits.

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The commission was heavily criticised last month when it proposed that corporations report only to national tax authorities in Europe without making the information public.

The new draft is to be presented on 12 April. Tax legislation in the EU requires the agreement of all 28 governments. However, the sources said the new rules would be effected by amending one of two existing directives, meaning they can be passed by a qualified majority, or 16 of the 28.

Outrage over how the multinationals minimise their tax liabilities in Europe erupted in 2014 because of the so-called Luxleaks revelations, media exposure of how hundreds of global companies including Pepsi, Ikea and FedEx had secured secret sweetheart tax deals with Luxembourg, allowing them to save billions of euros in taxes.

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Juncker was Luxembourg’s finance minister and prime minister between 1995 and 2009.

The competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has already found Starbucks in the Netherlands and Fiat in Luxembourg culpable of tax avoidance and ordered them to pay €30m (23m) each in unpaid taxes. Last month she also ordered 35 multinationals in Belgium to pay €700m in dodged taxes. Similar investigations are ongoing into Apple in Ireland and Amazon in Luxembourg.

The revenue threshold for companies ordered to report their earnings and taxes publicly has not yet been agreed. However, officials said the new rules will apply only to all “large” global multinationals, meaning US companies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook will fall under its scope.

This will anger Washington, which is already on the warpath over what it perceives as partial targeting of the big US digital companies by the EU.

Robert Stack, the US Treasury’s deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, said last month he is concerned about the “basic fairness” of investigations of US companies and their tax affairs in Europe. Meanwhile the commission has said it will consider adding Google’s heavily criticised £130m tax deal with the UK to its lengthy list of inquiries.

Margrethe Vestager: the woman prepared to take Google to task over tax

Tove Maria Ryding, tax justice coordinator for the European Network on Debt and Development , a group of 46 NGOs fighting for a fairer global financial system, said that if the commission chooses to limit public reporting to large companies – those with more than €750m in annual turnover – then 85% of the world’s multinationals would be unaffected.

“That would obviously be a very big problem,” she said. “If you want to have a situation where small and medium-sized enterprises who don’t use these tax structures can compete, then we can’t leave 85% of the multinationals with very obvious loopholes that mean that they can avoid taxation.”

John Christensen, executive director of Tax Justice Network, an activist group whose aim is to expose the systematic abuse of the international tax system, applauded the plans to make the multinationals reveal profits and taxes paid in each country where they do business.

“For a very long time big companies have been saying their tax affairs are a matter of competitive confidentiality,” he said. “We think it is incredibly important as a matter of principle that this information is made public.”

The impact assessment is said to have dismissed corporate complaints about commercial competitiveness being damaged by public disclosure.

In late January, the commission launched an anti-tax-avoidance package that contained a series of legislative proposals aimed at preventing aggressive tax planning through measures such as limiting the amount of interest companies are entitled to deduct from their annual profits and making country-by-country reporting obligatory between the EU’s tax administrations. Campaign groups criticized the proposals for not going far enough.

DUNIA YAAGIZWA KUMALIZA UKEKETAJI 2030

WATENDAJI wakuu wa mashirika mawili makubwa ya Umoja wa Mataifa ya Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa linaloshughulikia Idadi ya Watu Duniani (UNFPA) na Shirika la Kimataifa la Kuhudumia watoto (UNICEF) wametoa wito kwa dunia kujipanga vyema kumaliza kabisa tatizo la ukeketaji (FGM) ifikapo mwaka 2030.

Katika kauli zao walizotoa katika taarifa ya pamoja iliyotolewa na ofisi ya Mratibu wa Mashirika ya Umoja wa Mataifa mjini Dar es salaam watendaji hao Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa UNFPA Dk. BabatundeOsotimehin, na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa UNCEF, Anthony Lake, wamesema ipo haja ya dunia kuadhimisha siku hiyo kwa kulenga kuwa na kiwango sifuri katika vitendo vya ukeketaji.

Mashirika hayo ya Umoja wa Mataifa yamesema kwamba ukeketaji ni vitendo vya kikatili vinavyowanyima wanawake haki yao ya msingi na kuwazuia kuchanua inavyostahili kama wanawake.

Viongozi hao wamesema kwamba vitendo vya ukeketaji vimesambaa duniani kote kuanzia Afrika, Mashariki ya Kati ambako imekuwa kama vitu vya kawaida vikiathiri pia familia katika nchi za Asia Australia, Ulaya, Amerika ya Kaskazini na Kusini.

Wamesema kwamba kama hatua zisipochukuliwa kutokomeza ukeketaji idadi ya mabinti na wanawake wanaoweza kuingizwa katika mkumbo huo itakuwa inaongezeka ikiwapeleka katika mzunguko ule ule wa kushamirisha ukeketaji na kurejesha nyuma maendeleo ya wanawake na binadamu kwa ujumla kama familia.

“ Ili kuhami utu wa mwanamke, tunahitaji kuchukua hatua sasa na kuwajibika kama dunia kutokomeza ukeketaji. “ ilisema sehemu ya taarifa ya viongozi hao kwa vyombo vya habari.

Septemba mwaka jana katika mkutano wa kutengeneza mpango wa kimataifa wa maendeleo endelevu, nchi 193 zilikubaliana kuhakikisha kwamba ukeketaji unakuw aumetokomezwa ifikapo mwaka 2030.

Taarifa hiyo imesema kwamba ili kufanikiwa wananchi wanatakiwa kushawishi familia nyingi duniani hapa kuachana na tabia ya ukeketaji.

“Tunahitaji kufanyakazi na idadi kubwa ya wataalamu wa tiba katika jamii zetu – wakiwemo waganga wa jadi na wataalamu wa kisasa wa matibabu, tukiwashawishi wakatae kutoa huduma ya ukeketaji.” Ilisema taarifa hiyo.

Aidha taarifa hiyo hiyo imetaka wanawake waliofanyiwa ukeketaji kusaidiwa huduma mbalimbali zikiwamo za kisaikolojia na nyingine zinazostahili ili kuwapunguzia maumivu waliyoyapata na wanayoendelea kuyapata kutokana na kukeketwa.

KAMPUNI YA MAWASILIANO YA TIGO YAHAMASISHA WATANZANIA KUJALI AFYA ZAO

Katika ni Robert Paul ambae ni Meneja Masoko ya Kampuni ya Mawasiliano ya TIGO Kanda ya Ziwa, akizungumza katika zoezi la Utoaji bure wa huduma mbalimbali za Afya ikiwemo upimaji wa Magonjwa ya Moyo, Utoaji wa Matibabu kwenye majeraha(Vidonda) pamoja na Uchangiaji damu lililofanyika juzi jumamosi katika Uwanja wa Furahisha Jijini Mwanza.

"Tigo tumeamua kushiriki zoezi hili ili kuonyesha mfano katika jamii namna tunavyojumuika na Watanzania katika shughuli za Kijamii, hivyo kupitia fursa hii ningependa kuwaasa Watanzania kuwa na desturi ya kupima afya zao mara kwa mara ikiwemo kupima shinikizo la damu, saratani lakini kubwa zaidi kuwa na moyo wa kujitolea kuchangia damu ili kuwasaidia wenye uhitaji wa damu. Alisema Paul.

Nae Cassim Aziz (Kushoto) ambae ni Meneja Masoko wa Tigo Mkoani Mwanza, alizishauri taasisi pamoja na makampuni mbalimbali nchini kuwa na desturi ya kushiriki katika shughuli za kijamii hususani kuhamasisha watanzania kupima afya zao mara kwa mara ili kuepuka athari za kiafya zinazoweza kuzuilika.

Zoezi hilo liliandaliwa na Umoja wa Wanafunzi waliosoma Chuo cha Udaktari Hubert Kairuki cha Jijini Dar es salaam wanaofanya kazi katika Mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa ikiwa ni sehemu ya kuenzi Miaka 17 tangu mwasisi wa chuo hicho afariki dunia (Februa 06,1999) ikiwa ni miaka miwili baada ya kuanzisha chuo hicho.

Dkt.Emmanuel Chacha ambae ni Mkurugenzi wa Hospital ya CJ Jijini Mwanza akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo ya upimaji wa afya bure ambapo Hospital ya CF ilikuwa miongoni mwa wadau waliofanikisha shughulio hiyo.

Mwenye Kinasa Sauti ni Dkt.Francis Tegete ambae ni Mwenyekiti wa Umoja wa Wanafunzi waliosoma Chuo cha Hubert Kariuki wanaofanya kazi katika Mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa, akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo.

Profesa Paschalis Rugarabamu ambae ni Mlezi wa Umoja wa Wanafunzi waliosoma Chuo cha Hubert Kariuki wanaofanya kazi katika Mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa, akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo.

Picha ya Pamoja ya wa Umoja wa Wanafunzi waliosoma Chuo cha Hubert Kariuki wanaofanya kazi katika Mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa, akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo.

Wadau waliofanikisha zoezi la Upimaji afya bure wakiwa katika Picha ya Pamoja ya wa Umoja wa Wanafunzi waliosoma Chuo cha Hubert Kariuki wanaofanya kazi katika Mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa, akizungumza katika shughuli hiyo.

Kampuni ya Mawasiliano Tigo ikiendelea na Utoaji wa Huduma zake za Simu kwa wateja

Mmoja wa Wateja wa Kampuni ya Mawasiliano Tigo akipatiwa huduma na wahudumu wa Kampuni hiyo.

Wanafunzi na Wananchi mbalimbali walijitokeza kupima bure afya zao

Zoezi la Upimaji na utoaji huduma za afya bure likiwa linaendelea

Bank ya Damu salama Kanda ya Ziwa ikiendelea na zoezi la ukusanyaji damu kutoka kwa wananchi waliokuwa wanajitolea damu.

Katikati ni Alfredy Chibuae ambae ni Kaimu Mkurugenzi wa Taaisi ya Tanzania Rural Health Movement akifuatilia utoaji wa huduma unavyoendelea. Taasisi hiyo inashughulika na utoaji wa huduma za afya bure kwa watu wasiojiweza hususani watoto wanaoishi katika mazingira hatarishi (mitaani) pamoja na utoaji wa huduma za dharura ikiwemo wale wanaopata ajali. Taasisi hiyo inapatikana Bugando Jijini Mwanza.

Imeandaliwa na George Binagi-GB Pazzo wa Binagi Media Group

ASKARI WALIOFARIKI MSAFARA WA RAIS MAGUFULI WAAGWA SINGIDA

Askari watatu wa Jeshi la Polisi mkoani Singida, waliofariki dunia wakiwa kwenye msafara wa rais Dkt. John Pombe Magufuli baada ya gari lao walilokuwa wakisafiria kupasuka tairi la nyuma na dereva kushindwa kulimudu wakitokea Singida kuelekea Dodoma wameagwa jana. Zifuatazo ni picha za tukio hilo la kuaga miili ya askari hao.

Kamanda wa jeshi la polisi mkoa wa Singida, ACP Thobias Sedoyeka, akitoa salamu za pole kutoka kwa Mkuu wa jeshi la polisi nchini, Ernest Mangu na polisi mkoa wa Singida kwa familia za askari polisi watatu waliofariki dunia wakati wakiwa kwenye msafara wa rais Dk.Magufuli jana kutoka Singida Dodoma.

Kamanda wa Jeshi la polisi mkoa wa Manyara, ACP Camilius Wambura, akitoa salamu za pole kwa familia na jeshi la polisi mkoa wa Singida, kwa kufiwa na askari polisi watatu waliokuwa kwenye msafara wa rais Dk.Magufuli wakitokea Singida kuelekea Dodoma juzi.

Mkuu wa mkoa wa Singida,D k.Parseko Kone, akitoa salamu za pole kwa familia na jeshi la polisi mkoa wa Singida, kwa kufiwa na askari 3 kwenye ajali iliyotokea Isuna kwenye msafara wa rais Dk.Magufuli uliokuwa ukitokea Singida kuelekea Dodoma juzi.

Askari polisi mkoa wa Singida,wakiwa wamebeba jeneza lililokuwa na mwili wa Insp.Miraji mwigelo Kindamba,Insp.Kindamba ni moja kati ya askari 3 waliofariki juzi kwenye ajali iliyotokewa kwenye msafara wa Dk. Magufuli uliokuwa ukitokea Singida kwenda Dodoma.

Baadhi ya mamia ya waombolezaji wa msiba mkubwa wa askari polisi watatu waliofariki juzi wakiongoza msafara wa rais Dk.Magufuli kutoka Singida kwenda Dodoma.(Picha zote na Nathaniel Limu)

MAGAZETI YA LEO JUMATATU