ELECTION 2021 We have two choices:
Believe the lies of international NGOs or ILY Wednesday The future independence of Zambia
THESTILL word have amnesty faint mem- is ories defined of that as distant an official af- ternoon pardon for in people Mufulira’s who have Central been convicted Street in for the political late 1950s. offences. I was For a little example kid guerrillas when Mr. would Harry be Mwaanga amnestied Nkumbula and allowed came to back return from to civilian England; life he at was the received end of by an armed a large political crowd as struggle. he rode in a
convertible. The synonyms People marched include pardon, alongside reprieve, the motorcade release, discharge, and they were liberty, singing freedom, to the absolution, praise of the forgiveness, Old Lion. dispensation, remission, indulgence and clemency.
There is an organisation in the world which specialises in handling issues related to amnesty for political prisoners in countries where political conflicts have led to repression and imprisonment. This organisation is known as Amnesty International and has offices in Zambia. Amnesty International Independence was founded in 1961 by Peter Benenson a British Lawyer. It was originally his intention to launch an appeal in Britain with the aim
of obtaining an amnesty for
prisoners of conscience all
over the world.
It has over the years grown
out of Britain and opened offices all over the world and diversified its objectives to include other things and they describe their expanded objectives as follows: “Our purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied. With these values at our heart, we have stopped torture, freed prisoners, prevented executions and saved homes.”
Early this week, Amnesty International released a report which stated that Zambians were living under repression and that people in this country had been arrested and denied their right to freedom of speech.
I searched around to check if there were any prisoners of conscience in this country or if any people had been imprisoned for political offences and I could not find a single prisoner who matched the description of prisoners of conscience as defined by Amnesty International.
But my search found that some Zambians have been denied justice and fairness by the actions of certain political leaders.
The Zambians that have suffered injustice and unfairness unfortunately include myself as the lead plaintiff in the pension matter involving British Petroleum and its former workers in Zambia.
The BP Zambia pension scheme is administered by Anglo American related companies Benefits Consulting Services Limited and African Life Financial Services.
The two companies administer and manage the Anglo American Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Fund.
The BP Zambia Pension dispute started in 1999 and the affected employees took the matter to court in July 2002. The Zambian courts have found in favour of the former employees and have ordered both BP Zambia now Puma Energy to pay the retirees in accordance with the rules.
The Supreme Court of Zambia conclusively ruled and ordered settlement in 2014.
Puma Energy, formerly BP Zambia and Benefits Consulting Services Limited have since 2014 been fighting to subvert the ruling of the Supreme Court.
The two companies have in the last seven years falsified the pension records, their lawyers have used dirty tricks and corruption to distort court records, and their lawyers have told lies before judges to derail the computation of the benefits due.
UPND’s Presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema is a shareholder in both African Life Financial Services and Benefits Consulting Services Limited. The Saturnia Regna Pension Trust Fund that holds the funds that were mismanaged by the two companies is a very much British entity.
Similarly, the company that caused the problem British Petroleum is a British entity and the company which bought the shares of BP Zambia Plc, Puma Energy Ireland is a British entity. The amount that the five British entities owe the Zambian entities is massive and it will pay them to have a Zambian accomplice as a president of the country.
The five British entities would be happy to see the Zambian laws desecrated so that they do not pay their liabilities. It therefore pays them to support an accomplice and they will use sophisticated means to influence the voters in his favour.
Under the circumstances, a British sponsored NGO would be the best entity to use. That is how Amnesty International has found it imperative to release a damning report about Zambia.
The trouble is that even if the representative of Amnesty International tells lies, he cannot be arrested or charged with any offence because such NGOs are unfairly protected by international conventions. Amnesty International were given a report about the injustice and unfairness that has been exacted on former workers of BP Zam- bia by Puma Energy Zambia, Anglo American and Benefits Consulting Services Limited. Amnesty Zambia have never even confirmed receipt of the complaint.
Fellow Zambian voters, we must be very alert to the manoeuvres of multinational companies to recolonise our country and continue with the massive exploitation of our natural resources.
We should take a leaf from the Kenyan voters. During the immediate past Kenyan General Elections, the International Criminal Court issued an indictment for Uhuru Kenyatta. The then presidential candidate was summoned to go for trial to The Hague to face trumped up charges of crimes against humanity.
The Kenyan voters resoundingly rejected the manoeuvres of multinational monopoly capital to influence them into voting for a candidate preferred by imperialist organisations. They voted for Uhuru Kenyatta.
Zambians should be aware that all these so-called international NGOs are funded by multinational imperialist companies and western governments. Their objective is to ensure the continuation of the colonial project through the installation of surrogates and accomplices into positions of influence.
This country has no political prisoners, it is not under repression; Amnesty International are desperately campaigning for their preferred candidate.
We should not listen to the lies or opinions of any foreign organisations. When we vote on August 12, 2021, we will be determining the future of our country not the fate of any individual’s political career.
Yes, that is the choice before us: to believe the Amnesty International lies or to choose the continued independence of our country.