The Lusaka High Court has nullified the decision of the Labour Commissioner to terminate the Recognition Agreement between the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers’ Union and the school Management.

The Court has also directed UNZA Management to forthwith comply with the provisions of the Recognition Agreement.

It has further ordered the losing parties to meet the legal costs incurred by the Union in prosecuting the matter.

This was in a case in which the Union had sued the Attorney General, in a representative capacity for the Labour Commissioner, and the University of Zambia Council.

UNZALARU General Secretary Kelvin Mambwe says in effect, the Court’s judgement means that the Union will revert to the pre-existing status quo, where it remains the legally recognized bargaining entity for University Lecturers and Researchers.

In a statement, Dr Mambwe says this is an important victory of which the Union is proud of without reservation or any feeling of conceit.

“I can’t withhold the excitement I have for winning the case against the abolishment of UNZALARU in the Lusaka High Court. It is gratifying to know that we still have decent judges in our judicial system,” Dr Mambwe said.

The institutional autonomy of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must not be confused with institutional omni-righteousness so as to insulate them from any fair criticism by anybody, including the Head of State, says Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

During a media briefing this morning addressed by YALI President Andrew Ntewewe this morning, the organisation agreed with President Lungu that selective crusade against corruption focused on President Lungu’s lieutenants is targeted at the President himself and his ability to hold the PF together ahead of 2021 elections and in good light with the voting public.

“The President would have been putting his head in the sand if he failed to point out that the anticorruption focus on his appointees is deliberately meant to create and achieve a narrative that he himself is surrounded by and runs a corrupt administration, which the Zambian people must resent next year,” says Mr Ntewewe.

Mr Ntewewe cited the example of the case of Dr. Chitalu Chilufya where he said the ACC has violated its own law which require that witnesses who testify are protected against disciplinary proceedings.

“In the case of Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, the Anti-Corruption Commission has, in disregard of ongoing court proceedings and legal protection accorded to any witness who testify in court, suspended a State witness who testified in a manner the Acting Director-General and her Commission did not approve of. The question is why,” he said.

YALI has since called on the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Court to cite the Acting Director General for contempt of court and asked the Law Association of Zambia to discipline the Acting Director General for professional misconduct.

Mr Ntewewe also cited incidences when former Minister Chishimba Kambwili, Minister Chitotela, and Secretary to Cabinet Simon Miti, among other persons wo are the inner circle to the President, had been targets for corruption allegations in the recent past.

“We all know how much Chishimba Kambwili was said to have been corrupt while he served in President Lungu’s administration. Due to public pressure and perception created, President Lungu had no option but to relieve Mr. Kambwili of his ministerial position,” noted Ntewewe.

He said that now that Dr. Kambwili has moved to the other political side and singing the anticorruption song against his former colleagues in Government, he is no longer being seen in the same light as the man who was said to be corrupt.

“Suddenly, Mr. Kambwili is slowly being seen and embraced as a clean man in the eyes of his former accusers,” he said.

Yaliy has further said the politics associated with the corruption crusade has now been reduced to is trivialize what infrastructure agenda and the leadership being provided by President Lungu.

“It is now common knowledge that whenever President Lungu’s administration initiates any developmental project such as good roads for our people to move on, or construction of health posts so our people can have easy access to health facilities, or procurement of various services which are meant to support the welfare of Zambians, there is always a counter narrative created by those opposed to Government and his party, decrying corruption as one of the political tactics. The ultimate aim of putting this corruption tag on those appointed and entrusted by President to help him discharge executive functions is to discredit the President and the infrastructure agenda. As the YALI, we reiterate that Zambia cannot dilute the anti-corruption crusade to mere partisan politics,” said Ntewewe.

The Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has adopted former Law Association of Zambia President, George Chisanga as its parliamentary candidate for Lukashya Constituency in Kasama district, Northern Province.

PF Secretary GeneralDavies Mwila announced the development.

He also said the Central Committee has also adopted Mr. Kabaso Kampampi as its parliamentary candidate for Mwansabombwe Constituency in Luapula Province.

The seats fell vacant following the demise of area members of Parliament, Hon. Rodgers Mwewa(Mwansabombwe) and Hon. Mwenya Munkonge(Lukashya).

Below is the full statement by Mr. Davies Mwila.

STATEMENT BY PATRIOTIC FRONT SECRETARY GENERAL, HON. DAVIES MWILA, ON THE RESOLUTIONS OF CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY, 18TH AUGUST 2020, LUSAKA

Members of the Central Committee

Party Officials

Members of the Press

Yesterday, Tuesday, 18th August 2020, the Central Committee of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) held a meeting which was chaired by His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

The meeting of the Central Committee was held under strict adherence to the Public Health Regulations and Guidelines concerning COVID-19, which included; masking up, frequent handwashing and hand sanitizing, as well as observing social distancing.

Members of the Press, allow me to communicate the following major decisions taken and issues discussed, by the PF Central Committee on Tuesday, 18th August, 2020:

1. ALL PARTY STRUCTURES, MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL CITIZENRY, SHOULD CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE STRICT ADHERENCE TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES.

The Central Committee was very concerned by the increasing levels of complacency, indifference and misinformation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this had led to increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections and related deaths in our own communities countrywide. Based on global and local scientific evidence and facts, COVID-19 remains highly infectious, can be fatal, and is still with us.

The Central Committee believes that the country still has a window of opportunity to avoid a COVID-19 carnage by ensuring individual and collective responsibility, through strict adherence to stipulated guidelines and regulations. For this reason, the Central Committee is calling on all party members and citizens in general, to actively promote strict adherence to COVID-19 preventative measures, and the penalties of not adhering to COVID-19 preventative guidelines and regulations.

2. INVOLVEMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING POLITICAL PARTIES, IN NRC REGISTRATION PROCESS:

The ruling Patriotic Front is informed by “a people-driven governance” philosophy as a means of accelerating and delivering national development, which reflects both the will and aspirations of the Zambian people.

This is the reason why the PF attaches great importance to all efforts aimed at enhancing and expediting popular participation of all citizens in the governance process. However, this is not exclusively PF’s responsibility, but the responsibility of all stakeholders, including political parties.

For this reason, the Central Committee of the PF has called on the active involvement of all stakeholders, including political parties such as Patriotic Front, in National Registration Card (NRC) registration process.

The PF believes that by doing so, Zambia’s democracy will be deepened and strengthened.

3. ADOPTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS IN LUKASHYA AND MWANSABOMBWE CONSTITUENCIES IN NORTHERN AND LUAPULA PROVINCES:

Following the untimely and tragic passing of our late Comrades, namely; Hon Rodgers Mwewa and Hon Mwenya Munkonge, the Mwansabombwe and Lukashya seats fell vacant.

In view of this, the Central Committee of the ruling Patriotic Front has adopted the following:

i. For Mwansabombwe Constituency: The adopted candidate is Kabaso Kampampi.

ii. For Lukashya Constituency: The adopted candidate is Mr. George Chisanga.

Our promise to our late comrades in Mwansabombwe and Lukashya Constituencies, namely late Hon. Rodgers Mwewa and late Hon Mwenya Munkonge, was that we shall shall carry on the good work which they started.

Building on the good works of our departed comrades, the PF is certain to win both seats because the people shall choose people-centred development, peace, love and national unity, which only the Patriotic Front under His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, continue to offer. On the other hand, our people in Lukashya and Mwansabombwe constituencies will choose to rise above and reject the alternative being offered by the Opposition, namely: bitterness, falsehoods and tribalism!

The Central Committee further reiterated that; as political parties start to mobilize for these future by-elections, the focus should be on development-focused (issue-based) campaigns, totally free from all forms of violence. The Central Committee reaffirmed its position that it will not shield any form of criminality. Therefore, the Central Committee is calling on all members of the Party to embrace peace, maximum restraint and exemplary behavior.

4. PATRIOTIC FRONT – ZAMBIA’S OASIS OF PEACE, INCLUSIVENESS, DEMOCRACY AND A PEOPLE-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA.

As you may already be aware;

“The Vision of the Patriotic Front is to make Zambia more industrious, prosperous, peaceful, stable, united, democratic, and inclusive society, under the motto of One Zambia, One Nation”.

In this regard, the Central Committee of the Patriotic Front emphasized that:
Peace, Stability, Unity and Democracy form our foundation and pillar as a Party. For this reason, the Patriotic Front has zero tolerance to all forms of violent conduct and speech.

Based on this, the Central Committee has encouraged all Party Structures and members, to continue working towards enhancing good governance and promoting a stable political environment because, these are vital to achieving development – without leaving anyone behind.

As I conclude, allow me leave you with the words of our Republic President, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, which he said during his inauguration speech on Tuesday, 13th September, 2016, at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka:

“Let us hold each other’s hand and move forward together. We can jointly, and whilst holding hands together, climb even the highest mountain without being daunted by its summit”.

Therefore, let this unity of purpose, faith and focus help us to accelerate our individual and collective efforts aimed at making Zambia;

“More industrious, prosperous, peaceful, stable, united, democratic, and inclusive society, under the motto of One Zambia, One Nation”.

Thank you, and God bless you all!

The Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection Minister Jonas Chanda has warned that people that have encroached on land reserved for water development risk facing the full wrath of the law. The Minister sounded the caution when he visited some areas in Ndola of the Copperbelt Province.

In an area called Minsundu where Kafubu Water and Sanitation Company has one of its water treatment plants, it was discovered that unscrupulous people had built illegal structures. This illegality is despite there being a court order that ruled that all those that had obtained plots around the treatment plant vacate the premises.

“We are a country of laws. As His Excellency President Lungu has stated time without number, we shall not condone lawlessness regardless who are the perpetrators. What kind of nation are we becoming if people can fail to respect a court ruling?” wondered the Bwana Mukubwa Constituency Parliamentarian.

Ndola Town Clerk, Wisdom Bwalya informed the Minister that the City Council was doing everything to ensure that people do not illegally allocate themselves land.

And in the Hillcrest area near Peter Singogo, it was discovered that someone had earmarked the area for construction of a filling station and a shopping mall. However, the area is a recharge zone and a tributary for the Kafue River.

“There is no way we can allow contamination of such an important water body for whatever reason. I am directing Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Water Resources Development, WARMA, ZEMA and Kafubu Water and the Local Authority to see to it that the proposed construction should not take place and measures to that effect be submitted to my office by Friday 21st August,” Dr Chanda said.

“If indeed a title was given for this place, I will work very closely the Minister of Land to ensure that the said title is revoked. There are so many other areas more suitable for that kind of investment,” stated Dr Chanda

With the population growing, the demand for land has been on the rise. However, it important that water development is not endangered.

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) Mandevu aspiring candidate Ross Josphat Kasikili says party leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema will prioritize job creation and youth empowerment to mitigate poverty levels in the country once he forms government next year.

Speaking when he addressed the party’s Chaisa Ward 20 leaders in Mandevu constituency this today, Mr Kasikili said as a social worker he will also lobby for better service delivery for the people of Mandevu using various empowerment initiatives available.

“You are the people who keep the party alive on the ground. You know the problems that we have here in Chaisa. We have no running water and we have no flushable toilets. Chainda has no roads, even those that we have are typical shanty roads that run through the doors of people’s homes. People are not able to have food because they do not have jobs,” said Mr Kasikili.

Mr Kasikili emphasized the importance of people from the wards in the growth of the party saying these are directly linked with the voters on the ground.
Mr Kasikili told the party leadership at the ward that they should be proud of belonging to a party that is tribally balanced adding that the party president Mr Hichilema embraces everyone regardless of their tribe, region or ethnic grouping.

“UPND is not a tribal party. It is a party for everyone regardless of one’s tribe. HH has sent us to encourage you our members at ward level that he wants to replace unemployment with jobs; poverty with a good life because here in Mandevu, one of the biggest challenges that we have is unemployment among our youths,” he said.

He said, once elected, Mr Hichilema will prioritise employment and agriculture so that Zambian citizens could live a better life.

“We should go out and preach the message why we need Mr Hichilema. It is because he is the hope for a better future for Zambians. He will sort out the issue of unemployment by creating state-run farms which will in turn create jobs for Zambians. He will concentrate on strengthen agriculture so that we can grow enough food for consumption and export the surplus.

Mr Kasikili told the gathering that with or without him being adopted to contest the Mandevu parliamentary seat on behalf of the party, he will always put the interest of the party and its President Mr Hichilema above self-interest.