Kabushi Parliamentary aspirant on the PF ticket Bowman Lusambo says he intends to change the face of Kabushi constituency within 3 months with the help of the private sector once elected.

Mr Lusambo said if elected as MP for the constituency he will use his connections to source funds from private partners who wants to see Kabushi develop and become the cleanest constituency in Copperbelt.

He said as an MP it will be his responsibility to lobby for funds to develop the area and that development should not only come from government but that there are also private partners who are willing to partner with government in ensuring that the lives of people are better.

He noted that some of the things that MPs are failing to do can be done even by MPs themselves if they had a heart to serve the people.

He called on political leaders to ensure that they help government in its quest to deliver development by coming up with initiatives that can supplement its efforts.

And Mr Lusambo said he left MMD on principal and that he has chosen to support PF because of the leadership qualities of President Lungu.

He said Mr Lungu has shown that he is able to embrace everyone and that he is implementing developmental projects which he needs to complete.

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Acting Party Spokesperson Reverend Reuben Sambo has advised suspended MMD National Secretary to be better organized and structured in the manner he is making statements on important party issues to avoid misleading the public. He said Mr. Mbulakulima has been an experienced and very senior member of the party and could have found a better way of finding out the information he wanted rather than choose a Mansa hotel, far away from Lusaka where the information is, to announce that he had written a letter to National Treasurer Elizabeth Chitika demanding her to account for all party monies allegedly because there has been reckless and extravagant expenditure by some senior officers.

Responding to a statement issued by Mr. Mbulakulima and carried in the Daily nation Newspaper of 4th April, 2016, Reverend Sambo said the impression created in the statement was mischievous because the letter in question, dated 25th January, 2016, was a regular and normal internal memo to the National Treasurer for her to give a report after the two Copperbelt and one Eastern Province mobilization tours. On such occasions funds are in the care of the National Treasurer for safe keeping and accountability.

In the particular case referred to, Mr Mbulakulima had not travelled to the Copperbelt and Eastern Province and we believed he was merely seeking clarification and not make it an agenda item at a dubious ‘mobilization tour’ at a hotel in Mansa. We believe Mr. Mbulakulima may have some anxieties about his Luapula Milenge seat and therefore deliberately chose Mansa as the venue for the strange speech.

Reconciliation and accounting of party funds after any party program is a regular undertaking by Mrs Chitika as part of her duties as clearly stated in the Party Constitution. These include inter alia, receipting and immediate banking of all party funds received, disbursements and reconciliation of all monies used on party programs, keeping and maintaining books of accounts, vouchers, financial documents, the power to inspect the Party bank accounts and books and report findings thereof to the National Executive Committee not to the National Secretary as Mr. Mbulakulima was.

The party is therefore very concerned by the impression created in the article attributed to Mr. Mbulakulima suggesting that he was asking her to account for all party monies received by the party which is misleading and deliberately intended to create an impression that there was questionable use of funds in the MMD generally.

The party is very disappointed that Mr. Mbulakulima who was National Treasurer before he became National Secretary and knew exactly how stringent handling of party funds is in the MMD, could issue such an irresponsible, malicious and deliberately misleading statement. Mr. Mbulakulima is well aware that in the MMD the National Treasurer does not generate any party programs and is simply a custodian of party funds and facilitator of party programs mooted by the National Secretary in consultation with the party president and the NEC.

It may be of interest to those who may wish to know that in the entire life of the MMD there has never been a period when funds have been handled as transparently and as prudently as is the case since Dr. Nevers Mumba took office. It is worth noting that this has been an issue with many members who have left the party who had been used to reckless access to party funds anyhow for flimsy reasons.

Reverend Sambo said the hallmark of Dr. Mumba’s leadership has been transparency in the handling of party funds and hands over any money he raises for the party immediately upon return. He said anyone could challenge him if there were any former National Secretaries in MMD who had any opportunity to know how funds were raised, used, how cars, party regalia etc were bought. This was always a tightly kept secret.

Reverend Sambo has asked all those questioning Dr. Mumba’s integrity in handling funds why nobody in MMD raised a finger to assist in paying the K400 million (un-rebased) penalty to the Registrar of Societies when the party was slapped with imminent de-registration in 2013 and yet Dr. Mumba managed to settle this money personally within days of the deadline and has never asked for a refund from the party. He said Dr. Mumba does not receive any allowance or salary from the MMD but instead is the chief funder of the party.

He personally funds all his foreign trips to source for funds for the party and has never asked for assistance from the party whatsoever.

The party has drawn the conclusion that this group of Mutati, Mbulakulima and others have reached a dead-end in trying to find fault with Dr. Mumba’s leadership and are now bent on being malicious to alienate Dr. Mumba from his supporters and funders.

As a party, we would like to challenge Mr. Mbulakulima to instead disclose the source and expenditure of party funds they are using on their alleged ‘MMD nation-wide mobilization’ with expelled former Lunte MP Felix Mutati. Why are they using former president Mr. Rupiah Banda’s regalia? Is it fair to conclude that perhaps he is the founder of their programs? Can we conclude that he is in fact the funder of the destabilization in the MMD?

If so, Mr. Mbulakulima and his colleagues need to offer a reasonable and plausible explanation since they are going in the name of the MMD and supposedly using MMD funds. If mishandled, this has potential to result in serious implications on Mr. Banda in light of the Supreme Court ruling of 18 November 2014.

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has scoffed at a statement by the Patriotic Front (PF) suggesting that it’s vice-president for political affairs Canisius Banda is in need of a financial bailout.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said in an interview yesterday that Dr Banda was financially stable as evidenced by the recent migration into his ‘own house’.

Dr Banda was evicted from a rented house in Lusaka’s Presidential Housing Initiative (PHI) area last week on grounds that he owed the landlord undisclosed amounts of money.

PF member of the central committee Paul Moonga wondered why UPND president Hakainde Hichilema could not come to the aid of Dr Banda following his eviction.

But Mr Kakoma said Dr Banda was on record as having cleared the air on the ‘purported’ eviction, saying the opposition leader had shifted into an abode of his own.

“Dr Banda has already issued a statement on that matter. Did he say he needs any financial bailout? He moved into his own house, he was not evicted, that’s what he said,” Mr Kakoma said.

Dr Banda is also on record accusing the PF of trying to woo him by offering him accommodation and a new vehicle.

THE Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Zambia has launched the construction works of the US$355 million Mazyopa-Bombay drainage project in Lusaka.

This is under the United States (US)-funded Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage Project (LWSSD).

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz said the works were a culmination of the hard work realised through a strong partnership between the US and the Zambian governments.

Mr Schultz said the works were intended to expand access to water and improve the reliability of water supply, sanitation and drainage services in Lusaka.

He was speaking yesterday during the ground-breaking ceremony for works on the Bombay drainage in Lusaka’s Garden Township.

“What we are launching today will focus on increasing the capacity of the Bombay drainage in order to safely manage the excess rain water flow and protect Mazyopa Township from improved drainage initiatives upstream,” Mr Schultz said.

He said the drainage being constructed would safeguard the community’s health as it would help diminish rubbish build-up and reduce standing water.

Local Government and Housing Minister Stephen Kampyongo commended the US government for the $355 million grant to the Zambian Government to support the implementation of the LWSSD.
Mr Kampyongo said the LWSSD was aimed at expanding access to improve the reliability of water supply and sanitation in communities.

“On behalf of Government, I want to reassure the expectant residents and the American government that we will continue to provide all the necessary support required to implement the project on time,” he said.

Mr Kampyongo urged the Lusaka City Council to ensure that the drainage infrastructure was maintained and protected.

He also urged Lusaka residents to desist from disposing of litter in the drainage as they were direct beneficiaries of the project.

Lunte MP Felix Mutati says the country should not surrender to political violence as it is detrimental to development and that resorting to violence is an indication that people have failed to debate and have reached the near end of reason.

He said people should be able to debate issues as viciously as possible without reaching physical differentiation because Zambia is a democracy and people are entitled to having different political views.

He said despite the many intra-party differences within his party MMD has continued to hold peaceful meetings because they all believe that violence does not build but only destroys.

“For us as MMD peace is in our DNA, we have not had any incident that has generated violence at the level we are seeing today. We continue to preach peace at every meeting that we have and explain that violence does not build, what builds is debating over issues, debate as viciously as you can but physical differentiation means that you have reached the near end of reasoning and we should not be traped in that as a country we have not surrendered that we can’t reason, in MMD will never surrendered,” he said.

On the continued character assignation among political opponents and violence despite the peace indaba held recently Mr Mutati said there is need to put up mechanisms within political parties which would spell out the action to be taken against members perpetrating violence.

“Just like many things that we have decided upon as a country including the peace indaba that was there were we go wrong as a country is to translate those credible resolutions into implementation, into something that is going change the behavior particularly of cadres.

“There is got to mechanism within political parties. How are they going to ensure that they pass directive directions to their political cadres that there will be no pangas, they will be no military regalia. We need to be seen to have some actions, political parties needs to be seen that they have gone back to their cadres holding meetings and sessions teaching them that this is what we decided on, if don’t follow these instructions then you are out,” he said.

He said there is need for a punishment process for aligning members within parties as just talking about the scourge has now started sounding like a broken record.

“There has to be a punishment process, a correction process within the political parties themselves. Sometimes words just bounce off in these Zambian communities. What we are yet to see is the action, the implementation and the section flame work for those that go against, what should be the punishment that will be build Zambia. The leaders that sat in there should lead by example,” he said.

The US Government has given Zambia through the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) US$3.8 million towards the holding of credible elections on August 11th.

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz says this substantial contribution is aimed at ensuring the voice of the electorate is heard.

Mr. Schultz says a portion of this contribution will go towards preparations for the referendum which will be held alongside the general election.

And Mr. Schultz has encouraged political players to start implementing resolutions of last week’s Indaba in order for the country hold peaceful and credible elections.

He says the Indaba was a great initiative which all political players must appreciate by implementing what was resolved.

And visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs Todd Haskell says the US Government is expecting Zambia to hold peaceful elections free from any negative forms such as violence

Veteran Politician Sikota Wina has commended President Edgar Lungu for working at addressing the plight of former freedom fighters in the country.

Mr. Wina says the Government has shown that it has a heart for the fore-fathers and mothers who fought for the country’s independence.

He has called on former freedom fighters to rally behind President Lungu’s leadership saying the Head of State has exhibited true leadership qualities since he assumed the presidency last year.

Mr. Wina was speaking in Kasama when he introduced the newly formed United Freedom Fighters of Zambia Independence Association to former freedom fighters in the District.

And Kasama District Commissioner Kelly Kashiwa thanked Mr. Wina for encouraging former freedom fighters in the area to work with the government.