Supreme court judge Elizabeth Muyovwe has died. Justice Muyovwe aged 64, was admitted at Maina Soko military hospital died this morning at 06:30 hours.

Judiciary Spokesperson Slavain Kalumba confirmed the demise of Justice Muyovwe.

Her father was the late Mainza Chona (1930 to 2001), one-time Vice President of the Republic of Zambia (1970 to 1973).

In 1979, she graduated from the University of Zambia, School of Law, with a Bachelor of Laws.

She was admitted to Zambia Bar in 1981.

She worked for the Zambian Ministry of Legal Affairs, as a State Attorney and as an Assistant Senior Legal Aid Counsel.

She then was hired by Lima Bank Limited, as a Senior Legal Officer, serving there from 1988 until 1991.

She concurrently served as a part-time research associate for “Women and Law in Southern Africa”, between 1989 and 1993.

She was the Vice Chairperson of the Lands Tribunal from 1996 until 1998, and served as the Director of the Legal Aid Clinic for Women between 1991 and 1998.

She lectured, on a part-time basis at the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE), from 1999 until 2003, lecturing in the area of domestic relations.

In 2002, Justice Elizabeth Muyovwe was appointed as an Alternate Judge of the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone.

After working as High Court Judge for many years, she was appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court Judge in 2010.

Economic and Equity Party (EPP) leader, Chilufya Tayali has said that there is no time for dialogue now as the country is looking at elections this year.

Responding to calls United Party for National Development(UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema for Dialogue, Mr. Tayali said that the UPND leader is calling for dialogue because he has realized that he faces a big defeat in the August elections.

Mr. Tayali said that it is fear of losing elections that has motivated Mr. Hichilema to call for dialogue at this stage, adding that in 2016 and 2017, Mr. Hichilam rebuffed calls for dialogue despite a lot of people begging him to do so and that this is just a distress call from the UPND leader.

Last week Mr. Hichilema called for a sincere dialogue with emphasis that the church leads the process. In his letter to the Three Church Mother Bodies (Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Council of Churches in Zambia and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia), Mr Hichilema stated that the nation only had the church to turn to for counsel and guidance in times such as these, indicating that Zambia is at cross roads; for the first time after a decade of strong economic growth resulting in lack of employment opportunities especially among the young people who to a large extent have been exposed to anti-social vices.

The UPND leader also stated that the poor state of the economy has been exacerbated by stifling national debt which needs to be addressed seriously.

He further indicated that Zambia was supposed to have been building on the accolade of being an oasis of peace for the role the nation played in the liberation of neighbouring countries but bemoaned the nation’s steadily sliding into a nation of perpetual strife.

He further indicated that hate speech, psychological and physical violence have reached unprecedented levels for a country that was once held in high esteem for upholding democratic tenets.

Mr Hichilema cited the selective application of the law, especially the Public Order Act as one issue which has heavily contributed to the nation’s decline in good governance standing.

“My Lord Bishops, these are but just a few selected threats facing our country and require the collective participation of all citizens in finding solutions. We will turn to you, our spiritual leaders to lead us into an open and honest discussion to resolving these challenges of our time. Our trust in you is based on your tested leadership that saw us usher in the Multiparty democracy in 1991, facilitating the peaceful transfer of power in 2011 and your continued efforts at fostering dialogue among political parties,” reads part of the letter.

“My Lord Bishops, as we have consistently put it, we have always been and are committed to genuine dialogue, led by the Three Church Mother Bodies (Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops – ZCCB, Council of Churches in Zambia – CCZ, and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia – EFZ). This is because we believe that we all have a responsibility to leave this country better than we found it. We desire a Zambia, where all live in peace, harmony and love, irrespective of any divide.”

Mr Hichilema’s letter dated 28th January 2021, has been copied to the Principal Private Secretary at State House, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the Chief Justice and the Human Rights Commission.

Others copied to include, the Minister of Religious and National Guidance, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) President.

Minister of Energy Mathew Nkhuwa, is disappointed with Puma Oil marketing company for failure to stock enough petrol at its filling stations.

Mr. Nkhuwa says in spite of having 70 years’ experience in the energy sector, the company is failing to order fuel in a timely manner, so as to cushion consumers against shortages.

The Energy Minister has noted that Puma’s performance on the market was being surpassed by companies such as Mount Meru, which he said is a new player on the market.

ZANIS reports that Mr Nkhuwa said this when he arrived in Livingstone today, to check on fuel stock levels after the government put up measures to curb the fuel shortages the city and other districts experienced in the last few weeks.

“Puma management seem not to know what they are doing. The situation is disappointing since we need them especially during times when we are experiencing fuel shortages as a country,” he said.

He said he was impressed with the fuel stock levels at all the filling stations except for Puma.

Mr. Nkhuwa noted that most filling stations had enough stocks to last up to six days.

“Oil marketing companies have reserves for their filling stations, while the country has reserves to last up to 10 days, although the ideal situation would be 15 days,” the Minister explained.

He said the fuel shortage was caused by oil marketing companies not ordering fuel due to high landing fees for Zambia.

“So upon realizing that, Government did consultations, and afterwards, we removed excise duty on diesel, reduced petrol from K2.7 to K2.64 and zero rated the Value added tax so that the end user would not get affected. That is why the end user is still buying fuel at the same price,” Mr. Nkhuwa said.

He further assured the nation that a fuel hike was unlikely at the moment.

“We would have increased the price of fuel but we realize that if we increase the price of fuel, everything else will sky rocket in terms of pricing. Government, through President Edgar Lungu, wants to ensure the people of Zambia get the benefit of everything we are doing,” he said.

Mr. Nkuwa however, said the government had no control over the two major factors that led to fuel increase.

He cited the two factors as the kwacha to dollar rate and the international oil prices.

“So when international oil prices go up, it becomes very difficult; the kwacha has been devalued by about 51 percent and a barrel of crude oil was going at about US$40 the last time we increased, now it is about US$53. These are the factors, and there is nothing much we can do about them,” he said.

Earlier, Mr. Nkhuwa paid a courtesy call on Livingstone District Commissioner Pascalina Musokotwane at her office who informed the minister that the fuel situation had stabilized.

Ms Musokotwane however, said the district was adversely affected by the COVID19 pandemic.

While in Southern Province, Mr. Nkhuwa is scheduled to check on fuel stock levels at filling stations along the line of rail.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Elections Chairperson, Garry Nkombo has said that the party has engaged independent individuals to oversee the elections at the UPND General Assembly.

CISCA president Judith Mulenga will chair the process and will be assisted by Judith Mulenga and Macdonald Chipenzi of GEARS and that these are not UPND but had been asked to run the UPND elections.

Mr Nkombo said that the National Management Committee (NMC) extraordinary meeting held at the UPND secretariat yesterday resolved that all party positions (including that of the party president) were open for contestation.

“The UPND has engaged independent individuals from civil society to help us run this affair which will help us achieve the transparency that we are looking for. We have appointed Judith Mulenga from CiSCA to chair the Election Commission. She will be assisted by Pamela Chisanga, a governance activist, and MacDonald Chipenzi from GEARS. We wish to appeal to our members not to brand these individuals as UPND because we were tasked to engage independent persons,” he said.

The General Conference is in line with Article 60 of the Republican Constitution as well as Article 52 and 60 of the UPND Constitution. During the same event, a number of UPND members also filed their nomination papers for the National Management Committee (NMC).

“There has to be one nominating province supported by 5 other provinces for the presidential position,” said Mr Hichilema’s Election Agent, Chirundu MP, Douglas Syakalima shortly after Muchinga Province Chairman, Rev. Matthews Chilekwa, nominated Mr Hichilema. Mr Hichilema’s nomination by Northern Province was seconded by Eastern Province and Luapula Province.

The 10 provincial chairmen who were on hand to witness the filing in, have since endorsed the candidature of Mr Hichilema as the party’s preferred presidential candidate for the forthcoming intra-party elections.

Dean of the 10 provinces, Central Province Chairperson, Anthony Chifita stated that all the provinces support HH’s candidature.

“We, the undersigned, in supporting the nominations by the nominating province (Muchinga) and the 5 supporting provinces, do hereby support and endorse the candidature of Mr Hakainde Hichilema for both the forthcoming UPND General Conference as well as the presidential candidate for the forthcoming August 12th general elections,” he said.

Nominations opened yesterday at 16 hours and scheduled to close at 12 hours on 6th February 2021. The process has since attracted 83 nominations for NMC
Copperbelt chairperson for Elisha Matambo told the gathering that the presence of all the ten provincial chairperson shows that he is the only Presidential candidate.
Mr. Matambo said President Hichilema has suffered at the hands of the PF government for the sake of making life better for all Zambians.

He warned PF that UPND will not allow any fake tricks of arrests, intimidation, violence from PF because this time the Party is more than ready to protect President Hichilema the only leader with the heart to save the people of Zambia from the Jews of the corrupt regime. He said PF should know that Presidency comes from God through the people of Zambia.

And Opposition UPND President has successfully filed his nomination to recontest his position as Party President for the forthcoming UPND General Conference slated for February 14th, 2021. Mr. Hakainde Hichilema filed his nomination at the party Secretariat at about 15:30 hours. The filing of his nomination was witnessed by Provincial chairpersons from all the ten provinces littered across the country.

Lusaka province chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta said there is no other person who has come to challenge the candidature of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema. He said the province is looking forward to begin the campaigns and ensure that President Hichilema wins the Presidential elections.

The requirement for the nomination of the President is that one province nominates a seconded by the five. The nominating province are Muchinga province represented by Rev. Matthews Chilekwa chairman for Muchinga province. UPND Chairperson for elections Garry Nkombo approved the nomination of Hichilema as 2021 UPND Presidential candidate. He said this time is defining moment for the opposition party.

He said the persons that intend to contest the position of the Party President the UPND has appointed independent commissioners to run the elections from the civil society election to conduct transparency, those interested party will not take advantage of the process.

The nominations were opened yesterday at 16 hours and will close on 6the February 2021 after which the Commission will close. From yesterday 83 nominations for the position of NMC and now others will file nomination for the position of president.