Politics

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, to focus on development, transparency in 2023

Published

2 years ago

December 21, 2022

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that the country will dedicate 2023 to accelerating development through transparency.

President Hichilema made the position known while addressing the media at State House in Lusaka Tuesday stressing that the government will ensure that past mistakes of misuse of public resources are corrected by taking measures to address the challenges which cause declines in the economy.

‘’All arms of government such as the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary will be involved in ensuring prudent procurement of government resources. “said President Hichilema added.

‘’The agenda was to clean up contracts that were meant to take away money from the citizens which can be directed to the improvement of the education sector and keeping the children in school by providing free education to them,’ he said.

The president also hinted at commitment towards improving stakeholder participation and legal reforms to consider are the removal of the defamation of the President Act in order to allow citizens to exercise their freedom of expression.

Zambia is one of several African countries under financial stress. The South African country opted to bow out of a $42.5 million Eurobond repayment in 2020 and is seeking $8.4 billion of debt relief from 2022 to 2025.

The country currently seeks a present value of $6.3 billion debt reduction or 49% of the external debt being restructured.

Related Topics:Featured Hakainde Hichilema Zambia

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.