The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), in Livingstone has retained the Maramba Ward seat after its candidate emerged victorious in yesterday’s by election.

UPND candidate Evans Sakala got 578 votes, while his closest rival Florence Samasumo of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), got 465 votes and National Restoration Party ( NRP ) representative Brian Siamuluwa got 19 votes.

Returning Officer Peter Madubeko announced the results at Maramba Community Hall on Monday, adding that a total of 1070 votes were cast, of which four (4), were rejected. During the campaign period, Mr Sakala pledged to address sanitation challenges within the ward.

The by – election was preceded by peaceful campaigns from all the political parties contesting for the seat. The Maramba Ward seat fell vacant after UPND Councillor Moses Simbaya resigned in September 2020. Mr. Simbaya said he had been offered a scholarship to further his education abroad.

And the Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has scooped the Kaimbwe ward seat in the just ended local government by-election in Kasempa district of North-western province.

PF’s Keagan Shimikila polled 356 against his closest rival Innocent Kakona of UPND who got 228 out of 602 total vote cast with nine rejected votes.

Mr Shimikila said the people of Kaimbwe and the province at large have realised that they made a mistake in 2016 by voting for the opposition UPND.

“People have realized that in 2016 they made a mistake by voting for the opposition and now they have made the right decision by voting for the ruling party,” Mr Shimikila added.

Stating that the ward had been lagging behind in terms of development under the councilor from the opposition UPND party, Mr Shimikila urged the residents of Kamibwe ward to work with him for development to come to the ward.

Meanwhile , Patriotic Front campaign Manager Davies Kanyakula disclosed that the ruling party will rescue the people of Kaimbwe from under development. Mr Kanyakula further disclosed that winning the first election of 2021 is a sign of confidence that people still have in the ruling party.

” We have won the first election in 2021,come the general elections we are actually going to carry the day,” he added.

Mr Kanyakula assured the party that in the forthcoming general elections the party will scoop more seats at all levels.

The Kaimbwe seat fell vacant after the area councilor of UPND Thompson Changamuka resigned and was being contested for by PF candidate Keagan Shimikila and UPND candidate Innocent Kakona.

Kaimbwe has 1,550 total number of registered voters.

And in in Lumezi District, the  ruling Patriotic Front has scooped the Kamimba ward Local Government by-election.  PF candidate Blaston Ngoma polled 1,691 votes while his closest counterpart, Mvula Timeyo of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) , polled 559 votes.  National Restoration Party’s (NAREP) Phiri Davies got a paltry 194 votes. Returning officer for Kamimba ward Micheal Ngulube declared Mr Ngoma as the duly elected councillor for the ward at about 23:15 hours yesterday.

“I therefore declare that I have, in accordance with the law, ascertained the results of the poll in the said ward and have been given to Ngoma Blaston of Patriotic Front 1, 691, Mvula Timeyo of the United Party for National Development 599 votes,” he said.

And speaking after the declaration, Lumezi District’s Patriotic Front Chairperson Clement Mwale said  people of Kamimba ward have elected a candidate who will continue to spearhead development in the area.

“I am happy that we put up a good fight and most importantly that people have voted for us because it is the development that is fighting for us, we are not fighting using our hands but people can see the development which PF has done over the past nine years, so it’s the development which is speaking for us,” he said.

Mr Mwale, who is also Lumezi District Council Chairperson, assured members of the public that the Local authority will cooperate with the duly elected councillor so that the area receives its fair allocation of development from constituency development funds.

A total number of 2,484 votes were cast out of the 3,524 registered voters while 40 ballots were rejected and declared invalid.

The Kamimba ward seat was declared vacant by the Electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ) on 10th December 2020 after the death councillor Nasauka Banda who died in a road traffic accident in October last year.

The Patriotic Front Copperbelt Mobilisation Committee says it will this year conduct more of door to door campaigns as opposed to holding huge rallies.

This is in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

PF Copperbelt Mobilisation Chairperson Bowman Lusambo says the committee will employ door to door tactics because they have more advantages to sell the ruling party’s manifesto.

Mr. Lusambo, who is also Kabushi Member of Parliament, told ZNBC News that the ruling party does not want to endanger the people of the Copperbelt at rallies but will engage voters one on one in their houses.

He adds that during the door to door campaigns, the PF Copperbelt Mobilisation Committee will explain all the developmental projects government is implementing in the region.

Mr. Lusambo said the people of the Copperbelt have witnessed the massive development in the region and they will rally behind President Edgar Lungu during the general election.

The Socialist Party has promised that the first law the Party, once elected into government, will pass is the repeal of the public order Act.

In a statement by the party president Fred M’membe, the party said that the Act will not be replaced by any other Act, adding that there will simply be no public order Act or any such other laws and that the constitution has enough protections for public order.

Below is the full statement

SP in government will repeal the public order Act

The first law the Socialist Party in government will pass is the repeal of the public order Act.

And there’s no going back on this. There will be no but…

It will not be replaced by any other Act. There will simply be no public order Act or any such other laws. The Constitution has enough protections for public order. We don’t need any other additional laws. We have seen how from the colonial authorities successive governments of this country have abused the public order Act. The worst one being this current regime of the Patriotic Front and Mr Edgar Lungu.

And we don’t want to be part of such injustices and abuses. We believe that the freedom of peaceful assembly enables individuals to express themselves as part of a collective, including by engaging in public marches, protests, pickets and demonstrations. Assemblies can be platforms to advocate for change and for people to raise awareness about the issues that matter to them, whether it relates to human rights or otherwise. Assemblies often also have symbolic importance, such as in commemorating particular events or marking significant anniversaries.

The Socialist Party in government will have an obligation to ensure that the right to freedom of assembly is fully protected, including when those who assemble protest against its policies and challenge it. The Socialist Party in government will not interfere with the right to peaceful assembly simply because it disagrees with the protesters’ views, and will ensure that the right is enjoyed equally by all groups, without discrimination on any ground.

Effective protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly will not weaken the Socialist Party’s government; we believe that it will actually strengthen it. It helps foster a culture of open democracy, enables non-violent participation in public affairs, and invigorates discussions on important issues. Public assemblies also help to promote good governance by providing opportunities for the public to hold to account people and organisations with power.

As I have consistently stated, we believe that the exercise of power must be a constant practice of self limitation and modesty. The Socialist Party does not fear criticism because we are socialists, the truth is on our side, and the basic masses, the workers and peasants, are on our side. We have the Marxist-Leninist weapon of criticism and self-criticism. We can get rid of a bad style and keep the good.

Conscientious practice of self-criticism is still another hallmark distinguishing our Party from all other political parties. As we say, dust will accumulate if a room is not cleaned regularly, our faces will get dirty if they are not washed regularly. Our comrades’ minds and our Party’s work may also collect dust, and also need sweeping and washing. The proverb “Running water is never stale and a door-hinge is never worm-eaten” means that constant motion prevents the inroads of germs and other organisms. To check up regularly on our work and in the process develop a democratic style of work, to fear neither criticism nor self-criticism, and to apply such good popular maxims as “Say all you know and say it without reserve”, “Blame not the speaker but be warned by his words” and “Correct mistakes if you have committed them and guard against them if you have not” – this is the only effective way to prevent all kinds of political dust and germs from contaminating the minds of our comrades and the body of our Party.

If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticized, because we serve the people. Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. If he is right, we will correct them. If what he proposes will benefit the people, we will act upon it.

As we Zambian socialists, who base all our actions on the highest interests of the broadest masses of the Zambian people and who are fully convinced of the justice of our cause, never balk at any personal sacrifice and are ready at all times to give our lives for the cause, can we be reluctant to discard any idea, viewpoint, opinion or method which is not suited to the needs of the people? Can we be willing to allow political dust and germs to dirty our clean faces or eat into our healthy organisms?
At this time of the year in 1898 over 10,000 young Ngonis laid down their lives in our interests, defending our land and minerals from that bandit Cecil John Rhodes and his companies, and our hearts are filled with pain as we the living think of them – can there be any personal interest, then, that we would not sacrifice or any error that we would not discard?
We must constantly criticize our shortcomings, just as we should wash our faces or sweep the floor every day to remove the dirt and keep them clean.

It is hard for any political party or person to avoid mistakes, but we should make as few as possible. Once a mistake is made, we should correct it, and the more quickly and thoroughly the better.

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party

Patriotic Front Media Director Sunday Chanda is dismayed that UPND leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema has continued to mock and disparage expert advice from security wings.

Mr Chanda in a statement said it is worrisome that Mr Hichilema has continued to trivialize the issue concerning the selling of the presidential Gulf stream even when Military experts have explained that the Zambia Air force (ZAF) Gulf Stream G-650 is a military asset mandated to transport the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces and cannot be sold.

He said this is supported in line with other services performed by ZAF established pursuant to article 192 of the Constitution as read with section four of the Defence Act Chapter 106 of the laws of Zambia and clearly evident that this has been in force since Zambia’s independence in 1964,

He said it is unfortunate therefore that Mr. Hichilema has chosen to trivialise the expert military explanation and remains insistent on selling a prime military asset.

“When there is clear and unambiguous guidance from highly trained military aviation experts that have clearly and categorically explained that a national military asset- the jet used by the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the Republic of Zambia cannot be sold because it is a classified military equipment, and this would be contrary to Section 227 of the Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia and Section 49 sub-section one of the Defence Act, the UPND leader chooses to mock military experts,” Mr Chanda said.

“Even when it is explained that this particular military asset is expected to be in service not less than two decades as was the case with the Challenger 604-Jet acquired in 1991, Mr Hakainde Hichilema of UPND chooses to trivialize security matters by insisting on selling a prime item of the Air force and aviation security” he added.

Mr Chanda wondered where Mr Hichilema’s insatiable appetite to sell national assets coming, from adding that he should perhaps tell Zambians whether he has found a ready buyer and who that is.