President Edgar Lungu has urged African leaders to emulate former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who was fearless in protecting the integrity of his country.

The Head of State said the current generation of leaders has a lot to learn from the late Mr. Mugabe and Zambia’s first Republican President Dr. Kaunda who was fearless in speaking the truth.

He said Leaders don’t need to be afraid of anyone including the West in speaking the truth which the late President Mugabe stood for.

President Lungu said Mr. Mugabe is a man most African leaders looked to in Africa as he was a voice of the continent at various forums including at the AU and UN.

Meanwhile, Former President Robert Mugabe’s remains are due to be returned to Zimbabwe on Wednesday and the government has confirmed that his funeral will take place over two days this coming weekend.

Mr. Mugabe died, aged 95, in a hospital in Singapore last week.

But now there seems to be some disagreement between the family and the government over where the man who led Zimbabwe for 37 years, from 1980 to 2017, should be laid to rest.

Some of his relatives want him to be buried in his rural homestead in the village of Kutama in Mashonaland West province, 80km (about 50 miles) west of the capital, Harare.

Most of Zimbabwe’s national heroes – those who fought against the white-minority rule – are buried at the Heroes’ Acre shrine just outside Harare.

Inside the gates of Mr. Mugabe’s rural home, now manned by just one security guard, a dozen mourners gathered on Sunday to pay their respects.

BBC reports that they sat in small groups, speaking in hushed voices.

Police in riot gear on Sunday patrolled the streets of Chawama Township in Lusaka in an effort to block opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema who was due to visit the area.

Mr Hichilema had announced that he was going to visit Chawama on Sunday to donate Genset at Chawama Clinic to mitigate the long hours of load shedding.

He was also scheduled to visit Misisi and Kuku compounds and later conclude his tour by interacting with locals in Jack Compound where loading shedding is reported to be at 12 hours per day.

But Sunday morning saw the heavy presence of police from Lime road to John Howard compound.

Some officers spoken to said they were merely carrying out their orders to block Mr. Hichilema and kick him out of Chawama.

And Mr. Hichilema says he sympathizes with the police officers.

“We understand there was a heavy police presence in the streets of Chawama constituency today. All this we are informed was in an effort to stop us from doing some charity work and blocking us from a planned tour of Chawama,” Mr. Hichilema wrote on Facebook.

He said the heavy presence of police officers in Chawama yesterday should be a daily routine to protect our citizens, as opposed to blocking one individual whose right of movement is guaranteed by the constitution.

“We fully sympathize with police officers for being abused in such a manner. When citizens notify the police to conduct a peaceful protest, hold a rally or any public event, the usual response is that there is not enough manpower. But here we are with the heavy police presence in the streets of Chawama mobilized at short notice for only one individual,” he said.

“As UPND when we take over the reins of power in 2021 from day one, we shall undertake to restore the rule of law and ensure all citizens regardless of political affiliation, enjoy all fundamental freedoms and basic rights as enshrined in our constitution. To the police, please remain there and other places to protect property and life in Chawama.”

United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichileam has urged the ruling patriotic Front (PF) Government to be humane for once and stop playing games with teachers who marked the 2018 Grade 9 and 12 examination papers by paying them their dues immediately.

In a statement released to the media, the UPND leader said that he was further saddened to learn that the 2019 July GCE exams remain unmarked because the PF has no money to feed teachers who are supposed to mark these papers.

Below is the full statement

PF MUST PAY TEACHERS THAT MARKED 2018 GRADE 9 AND 12 EXAMS.

We continue receiving reports of PF maladministration and incompetence in most government departments but nothing is more disturbing and scandalous than the information that our teachers who marked the 2018 Grade 9 and 12 final examinations have not been paid their dues, almost a year after they diligently carried out their duties.

We are further saddened to learn that the 2019 July GCE exams remain unmarked because the PF has no money to feed teachers who are supposed to mark these papers.

Any serious Government will treat the Education sector as a priority and critical area alongside Agriculture and Health, but because of corruption, incompetence, lack of proper planning and misplaced preferences, the PF hanker for globetrotting with large delegations in luxury jets, as more important than paying teachers, buying medical drugs for our people in hospitals and boosting agriculture in order to bring down prices of food especially mealie meal.

Civil servants in government ministries are working under very difficult circumstances because resources meant to help them run their departments smoothly are being diverted to reward PF politicians with huge traveling allowances for expensive and unnecessary foreign trips, and causing by-elections.

We urge the PF to be humane for once and stop playing games with our teachers who marked the 2018 Grade 9 and 12 examination papers by paying them their dues immediately. They will need them to mark the 2019 exams soon.

HH

President Edgar Lungu has said that he will not respond to insults from his political opponents, but that his focus would be on national leadership, adding that his government will continue to support the church in different ways to enable it to provide spiritual guidance and be a moral campus to the nation.

Addressing parishioners at St Andrew’s Apostle Parish in Rufunsa District today, the President said that one of the ways the government is helping support the church is through the establishment of the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs which is helping coordinate the church in the country.

President Lungu called on Christians to support the work of the church so that it can help meet the physical needs of the communities aside from spiritual guidance.

The president also urged the church in the country to come up with income-generating ventures to support its operations, help improve the welfare of the communities and reduce dependence on funds from foreign missionaries.

President Lungu urged the church to continue promoting social cohesion to ensure there is peace, unity, and love to enable co-existence stating that no tribe or political affiliation should divide the country.

And Parish Priest Christopher Nkole called on the government to develop regulations that will encourage decency in dressing and beer drinking in the district.

Fr Nkole also called on the government to set up an institution that will support the elderly in the district to enable them to get basic needs.

President Lungu later met the traditional leaders from Rufunsa district among them Chief Bunda Bunda the 10th, Chieftainess Shikabeta, and Chieftainess Mpanshya.

The President’s sentiments on insults were echoed by Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya who called for civility among political players in Zambia.

Ms. Siliya said that the politics of insults and hate should not be encouraged because Zambia is a Christian nation, adding that politicians seeking to be voted into office should instead endeavor to convince the electorate by explaining what development they intend to bring if given the mandate.

Ms. Siliya, who is also Petauke Member of Parliament, was speaking at Saint Thomas Anglican Church in Petauke District during the ordination of Bernard Phiri and Emmanuel Ngoma to diaconate.

And Anglican Diocese of Eastern Zambia Bishop William Muchombo appealed to politicians to respect the President. Bishop Muchombo said insulting the head of state does NOT win the confidence of the people.

He also condemned the prevailing xenophobic attacks that have occurred in South Africa. The clergyman said such acts are inhumane hence should be condemned.

The Ruling Patriotic Front Member of the Central Committee and MCC Provincial Chairman North Western Province Jackson Kungo has said that United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema sees everything with tribal lenses.

In a statement released to the Mr Kungu accused Mr Hichilema of leading a party that only gives opportunities to Tongas.

Below is the full statement

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HICHILEMA IS VERY INSENSITIVE TO THE XENOPHOBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA BECAUSE HE SEES EVERYTHING THROUGH TRIBAL LENSES

It is extremely shocking that Hakainde Hichilema has referred to political parties in Zambia as “tribes” and “ethnic groups” as reported in News Diggers of 5 Sep 2019 where he is quoted as having wildly alleged that “PF are xenophobic towards other tribes”. What “tribe” is PF and what “tribe” is UPND?

What is equally disturbing is that HH has taken issue with the Zambian Government for condemning the on-going xenophobia and black-on-black violence in South Africa. Hichilema clearly lacks wisdom.

Why does he choose to see everything through tribal lenses? It is because UPND has an exclusive quota system that says only a particular tribe can rule UPND so he thinks every other political party is tribally inclined like his.

At the time of the death of Mazoka, Hichilema was an unknown entity and he was not in any structure of UPND and definitely nowhere in the hierarchy of UPND, but ended up as leader of UPND because of the “Only a Tonga Must rule UPND” covenant within the party.

PF, on the other hand, gives every Zambian from every tribe an opportunity to aspire and contest for any position. After the death of the founding father late President Michael Sata – a Northerner (MHSRIP), Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu from Eastern Province contested intra-party elections and won.

Added to this, such as the national character of PF that the Chairman is from Northern Province, while the Vice President is from Western Province, and the Chairperson for women is from North-western and the Provincial Chairman overseeing Lusaka hails from Southern Province.

Hichilema’s reference to political parties as “tribes” should not come as a surprise, because that’s what tribalist like him do. They see politics and everything else through tribal lenses and they encourage bloc voting along the same tribal lines.

HH is just wrong for Zambia on so many levels!

He boasts about being knowledgeable, but he lacks wisdom.

We have a crisis on our hands and he is still drunk with the obsession to be President of Zambia at all costs!

Our brothers and sisters are dying in South Africa but Hichilema chooses to play politics. Why can’t he put politics aside and talk about sensible things? Why is he so cold and insensitive?

Why is everything desperately tribal and political for him? Why does he behave like a bloodthirsty hound sniffing around for opportunities to gain political mileage even in the face of the tragic black-on-black bloodbath in South Africa?

In the words of A.J Chai:

_“desperate people lose the thing that makes them human beings. They lose their heart. Anger and hate fill them so that they act like animals.”_

Where is the humanity in HH? Does he have any “Ubuntu”? Isnt it so ironic that he is so desperate to be understood that he forgets to be understanding?

Why is UPND and HH himself not taking a stand and why is he not condemning Xenophobia in South Africa? Could his associates be behind it?

How can a right-thinking person denounce the government for condemning xenophobia against Africans and Zambians of all tribes in South Africa?
“Banene”, being in opposition doesn’t mean just opposing everything for the sake of it. That is immoral and desperate opportunism.

HH may claim to be knowledgeable but Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand; and if you are filled with pride, you will have no room for wisdom.

Why doesn’t he look and learn from the opposition wisdom and maturity of Julius Malema in South Africa?

The politics of desperation of HH are tribal and very immature. His impulsiveness reactions and blind desperation create critical lapses in his judgment. It is this bitter desperation that has constantly been behind his poor decision making and knee jerk reactions.
This is why he has yielded poor outcomes through 5 Presidential Elections over the 13 years he has led UPND.

Is this the kind of tribal, immature, impulsive and insensitive person that can be trusted to lead this country?

Definitely not!

Jackson Kungo, MCC
Provincial Chairman
North Western Province.

Stakeholders have continued to make submissions on the Bill to amend the Constitution of Zambia as the Parliamentary Committee scrutinizing the Bill turned away the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC)

Centre for Young Leaders in Africa (CYLA) led United Party for National Development (UPND) in Mumbwa Jones Malunga a and Green Party Secretary General Daniel Sichilongo were grilled by both UPND and Patriotic Front (PF) and members of parliament over their support for a provision providing for coalition government.

But Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) President Andrew Ntewewe has defended the proposal for the formation of coalition government by referring the Committee to another Report of Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs chaired by UPND Choma Central Member of Parliament, Mr. Cornelius Mweetwa in which stakeholders had proposed the formation of the coalition government and the mixed member representation system, among others.

Meanwhile, the Zambia National Students Union (ZANASU) rejected the provision to reintroduce deputy ministers on the basis Government has no money to pay for deputy minister. ZANASU President Misheck Kakonde wondered where the money would come from since Government has repeatedly indicated it had no money to pay meal allowances to students from public universities and extend education loan scheme to private universities.

The majority of stakeholders have made submissions have overwhelmingly supported the retention of the Christian Nation clause in the preamble by deletion of the words, “multi religious” and introduction the mixed member electoral proportional representation system.

Other provisions which have been supported include the increase in the number of days for hearing and determining the election petition from 14 days to 30 days, the existence of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts as two separate courts, the election of mayors from among councillors, deletion of too much detail such as commissions from the Constitution and readmission of members of parliament into councils.

There has, however, been mixed feelings over entrenchment of Christian values in the Constitution, proroguing of the National Assembly as opposed to dissolution.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Friday turned away NGOCC representatives who copied the submissions by TI Zambia, word for word. Reacting to the news, ZANASU Vice President, Steven Kanyakula, has advised civil society organisation leaders to end the collusion where institutions submit multiple but similar thoughts in different jackets. 

Mr. Kanyakula observed that multiple submissions are a deception which has reduced the reform process to an activity of same stakeholders and elites as Parliament is not given an opportunity to hear from institutions that provide independent and original minds of their own.