The Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini says the House will proceed to table the Constitution Amendment Bill No. 10 of 2019 despite the matter being before the Constitutional Court.

Responding to a letter from Simeza Sangwa and Associates, who asked the House to halt proceedings given that the matter had been petitioned before the Constitutional Court, Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Kapumba stated that the debates would continue on account of the doctrine of exclusive cognizance which provided that the House enjoyed exclusive and unfettered jurisdiction in the conduct of its internal proceedings.

Mrs Kapumba stated that the Speaker had elected to exercise his discretion to allow consideration of Bill 10 by the House.

Government has dismissed and condemned allegations made in the Wall street Journal in an article entitled “Huawei Technicians helped African Governments to spy on Political opponents.

Chief Government spokesperson Dora Siliya says the Government of Zambia is a government of laws and cannot under any circumstances engage in illegal interception of Communications of its Citizens.

Ms Siliya said ZICTA is a lawful regulator of the ICT Sector whose functions do not extend to illegalities alleged in the said article.

“The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) is a lawful regulator of the ICT sector whose functions do not extend to the illegalities alleged in the said article. ZICTA operates under authority of the Zambian constitution, which explicitly guarantees our citizens the right to primacy of the personal conversations, data and information,” she said.

She said ZICTA operates under Authority of the Zambian Constitution which explicitly guarantees citizens the right to privacy of their personal conversations, data and information.

Ms. Siliya said the allegations are unfounded and malicious and has urged the public to ignore them and focus on things that are much more productive.

She said government will continue to safeguard the right to privacy and will on the other hand work through ZICTA to police against criminals in financial crimes, child abuse and threats to national security.

Ms Siliya said the Data Center will also continue to work towards making Zambia a smart nation by 2030 in order to enhance service delivery.

The Government has dismissed and condemned in the strongest terms the allegations that it used Huawei Technicians to spy on political opponents.

Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Dora Siliya in a statement issued to the media on Friday evening said the allegations by the Wall Street Journal in an article entitled, “Huawei Technicians Helped African Government Spy on Political Opponents” is false.

Hon Siliya said the Government of the Republic of Zambia is a government of laws and cannot, under any circumstances, engage in illegal interception of communications of its citizens.

Hon Siliya, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, stated that the allegations are unfounded and malicious.

She urged the public to ignore these allegations and focus on things that are much more productive.

The Chief Government Spokesperson further stated that the government will continue to safeguard the right to privacy and will on the other hand work, through ZICTA, to police against criminals in financial crimes, child abuse and threat to national security.

She indicated that the Data Center will also continue to work towards making Zambia a Smart nation by 2030 in order to enhance service delivery.

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has arrived in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, ahead of the the 39th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government whose proposed theme is, ‘a conducive business environment for inclusive and sustainable industrial development, increased intra-regional trade and job creation.’

President Lungu joins 14 other Heads of State and Government including Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique, Andry Nirina Rajoelina, President of Madagascar, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, Hage Gottfried Geingob, President of Namibia and Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of Botswana.

The Presidential Plane touched down, Friday, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar-es-Salaam at around 13:37 hours local time and the Head of State was received by Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture Hon Japhet Hasunga, MP.

On hand to receive the President was also Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Joseph Malanji, MP and and Zambia’s High Commissioner to Tanzania Benson Chali.

And during the summit, President Lungu is expected to present a report to mark the handover of the Chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation to the Republic of Zimbabwe.

United party for National Development (UPND) secretary general Steven Katuka has said that the party has welcomed the appointment of Mr.Patrick Nshindamo as the new Chief Elections Officer at the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ)

In a statement released to the media, UPND said that, vaving known and interacted with Mr.Nshindamo at various civil society engagements, the party is very optimistic that he will deliver in his new mandate.

UPND further said that the party remained optimistic that his character and experience as an advocate of good governance will turn around the fortunes of the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) in regaining public confidence.

The UPND has since advised the new Elections Chief to take a holistic approach to matters of elections in the country and regain public confidence in an organization that remains the pinnacle of our country’s democracy and its values.

The party said that Mr.Nshindamo’s appointment comes at the time when the organization needs to retain it’s credibility which has eroded in the recent past in the eyes of the political players and the general public.

The party concluded by asking the new CEO to hit the ground running in terms of elections management,voter registration and retention of public confidence

The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has said that it has put in place modalities to print and clear the backlog of over 150,000 Driving Licence cardsby the end of September 2019.

The Agency, assured the General Public and all Driving Licence applicants holding Temporal Driving Licences, that the RTSA has enough stock to clear the backlog and guarantees stability and continuity in the production of cards on “print on demand” basis.

Accrding to the statement issued to the media, all Driving Licence applicants are advised to visit any RTSA station and have their Driving Licence card printed upon presenting the original copy of the Temporal Driving Licence or a police report in the absence of the original print of the Temporal Driving Licence.

The Agency further said that all RTSA stations will remain open on Saturdays from 08:00 hours to 13:00 hours, until the backlog of unprinted Driving Licence cards is cleared.

“From the foregoing, the General Public and all Driving Licence applicants holding Temporal Driving Licences, should not panic thinking that the Agency may run out of materials for printing Driving Licence cards”

The Statement concluded by saying : “Going forward, the RTSA wishes to re-assure the public that modalities have been put in place to ensure that all Driving Licences cards are produced on “print on demand” basis and the public will constantly be updated on the progress being made in clearing the backlog.”

Lunte Member of Parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya has challenged the United Party National Development to publicize their manifesto to enable Zambians appreciate what they stand for.

Mr Kafwaya accused the opposition party of lacking ideologies and are not ready to govern the country.

The Transport and Communications Minister said the PF government will not waste time listening to people that do not have any plan for the country.

“The UPND have called us insane for being PF and supporting President Edgar Lungu. How do you listen to people that call you mad?, Mr Kafwaya said.

He also challenged the UPND to go to the convention and change the Leadership of the party.

Mr Kafwaya said the failure by the party to change its leadership is an insult to founders of the party who embraced intra party democracy.

Meanwhile Mr Kafwaya said the PF presents hope for the Zambian people.

He said the PF has delivered development to the people of Zambia since it came into power and will deliver more development if given the mandate again in 2021.