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Some 14 years after beating the demon of drugs and substance abuse, Kabelo Mabalane is taking it back to the streets.
The award-winning kwaito musician and actor will lead a community march in Eersterust, east of Pretoria, on Saturday.
“When I left rehab 14 years ago the first place I went to was Eersterust where I joined the community in action against drug abuse.
“The scourge has worsened and I’m going back to pick up where I left off,” he said.
Mabalane said the drugs have become worse with the proliferation of drugs such as nyaope.
A statement from the Eersterust Stakeholder Coalition released in February further coaxed Mabalane into action. In it, the community laid bare the hard and cold facts of their desperate situation.
me 14 years after beating the demon of drugs and substance abuse, Kabelo Mabalane is taking it back to the streets.
The award-winning kwaito musician and actor will lead a community march in Eersterust, east of Pretoria, on Saturday.
“When I left rehab 14 years ago the first place I went to was Eersterust where I joined the community in action against drug abuse.
“The scourge has worsened and I’m going back to pick up where I left off,” he said.
Mabalane said the drugs have become worse with the proliferation of drugs such as nyaope.
A statement from the Eersterust Stakeholder Coalition released in February further coaxed Mabalane into action. In it, the community laid bare the hard and cold facts of their desperate situation.
Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu Kanyata Manga II after being crowned at Mwenda ngombe during the installation ceremony . The ceremony was attended by president Edgar Lungu.
By Henry Kanyanta Sosala
Preamble
Many people on the copper-belt who hail from Chief Mumpolokoso’s chiefdom in Northern Province, including some other non-Bemba chiefs have constantly queried me as to why the Bemba Royal Establishment took such drastic measures of going so far as to dismiss Mubanga Albert Mumbi, Chileshe Yulaya Mumba (ex- Chief Chewe) and Grimson Mwila (ex-Chief Chimbuka) as Bemba chiefs.
Unity and competition are the cornerstones of the Bemba’s successful political system. Our unity lies in that the seventeen gazetted chiefs and fifteen non-gazetted sub-chiefs are linked to another, nor primarily through subordination, but through a complex and flexible kinship between chiefs and sub-chiefs themselves and then with a total allegiance to a common Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu.
Dr. Audrey wrote in Political System of the Bemba Tribe: ‘’Authority, power and prerogatives depend upon descent and kinship and all branches of the royal clan can claim connection with the original family of which a traditional Chitimukulu was head. The Chitimukulu is the oldest name of a royal chief. It is the name carried by the most senior members of the crocodile totem and as such it demands the most respect. The sway of the Chitimukulu is as much moral and spiritual as temporal. His temporal power too is the greatest of the chiefs. He lives in and rules Ulubemba, the stronghold of the tribe and all appointments of chiefs to help him hold the widening sphere of Bemba rule comes from him.’’
All those who want to destroy the Bemba chieftaincy and tribe aim to break up the unity and allegiance to Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu and create a weak Bemba multi-chiefdoms tribe that could easily be scrapped. The Chiluba administration gave motor vehicles to some subordinate Bemba chiefs so that they could sever their allegiance from Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu and thus weaken Bemba power and influence.
The Nkandu-Luo Cartel
The Michael Chilufya Sata’s reign was the darkest epoch in Bemba history because Bemba chieftaincy was at the brink of complete and total ruin. This was a time when the Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs publicly defamed, antagonized, humiliated and dishonoured me and Bashilubemba (the hereditary councilors).
That was the time I became a tourist centre for disgrace and a cabbage bag for the powers-that-were.
President Sata censured Honourable Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba for having visited me since there was a national policy drawn up after I was de-gazetted as Senior Chief Mwamba of the Bemba people by cabinet at the instigation of President Sata to ‘’totally hate and isolate me.’’
Honourable Mwamba being a member of the Bemba royal family failed to betray his tribe unlike Mubanga Albert Mumbi or Dr. Xaviour Chishimba for the sake of money and position. In fact before Honourable Mwamba had paid a courtesy call on me in Kasama, he even took a precaution measure by inviting two officers from the Office of the President to monitor our meeting. And yet President Sata rebuked him ‘’for failing to show collective responsibility on his part as a Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for the ruling party.’’ (The Post 24th December 2013).
The Micro-Biologist and Immunologist Professor Nkandu Luo suddenly became the expert in Bemba traditional affairs. President Sata stated: ‘’Professor Luo should have a better understanding of the Bemba succession process since she hails from the royal family.’’ (The Post 9th May 2013). (She is actually a Bisa and not from the Bemba royal family). In fact, the President was adamant that Professor Luo ‘’ had a better understanding of the Bemba succession process, which had been in existence for over 200 years than Bashilubemba.’’ And on the other hand, what was amazing was that when President Sata entered State House in 2011, Chileshe Yulaya Mumba, suddenly and automatically became the most senior Bemba royal family expert and champion.
On 21st June 2013,the Honourable Minister, misled Parliament ‘’…..we have a chief who was nominated without following a proper transfer system and was not initiated……….The withdrawal of Chief Mwamba from his position is based on the fact that he never served as Chief Nkolemfumu and also refused to be initiated traditionally…Mr. Speaker, Chief Mwamba refused to be initiated traditionally. Unsolicited, he went to Radio Mano to say he would not be initiated because that would conflict with his religious principles.’’
And to the contrary, W.V. Brelsford in Succession of Bemba Chiefs wrote: ‘’Another guiding line is that there is no sequence of chiefly names leading to the Paramountcy, only relationships and a new Paramount may step up from being Mwamba or Nkula or from being a man with no earlier post. The sequence of Chitimukulu, Mwamba, Nkolemfumu, Mpepo need not necessarily be a permanent order of names to the Paramountcy.’’
The greatest problem in Africa is that the ‘’educated’’ believe that they have acquired knowledge in all spheres of life. And to them ‘’education’’ is the master key that can open all doors of life. However, the truth is that you cannot think a traditional muddle clear: you have only to obey it clear. As Alexander Goldenweiser put it in his book, Anthropology: An Introduction to Primitive Culture: ‘’What the anthropologist really deals with, then, is not the past but the present…people in general, and primitive in particular, do not think or analyze their culture they live it. It never occurs to them to synthesize what they live or reduce it to a common denominator, as it were.’’ (ibid., p.43).
In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in customary matters you think yourself into cotton wool. The point is that in cultural norms, intellect or reason is not sufficient to explain strong elements of ritual nature. This is because ritual deals with objective realities and definite contents and demands. And in this respect, the mystical nature of chieftainship is an extraordinarily eclectic dissertation particularly valuable in that it allows western culture to view itself from the outside, thereby permitting the objectivity impossible for the ignoramuses puffed up with western accumulated book knowledge whose opinions and axioms are perverted.
W.V. Brelsford in ‘’Succession of Bemba Chiefs: A Guide for District Officers’’ wrote: ‘’The appointment of chiefs lies primarily with the Paramount-in-council, which is the Superior Native Authority.’’
In the Supreme Court Judgement No. 25 of 2008 between Chief Mpepo (Ackson Chilufya Mwamba), appellant and Senior Chief Mwamba (Paison Chilekwa Yambayamba), respondent reads on J18__ 623:’’In the case of the Bemba customary law of succession, it is generally agreed by the parties that a chief below Chitimukulu, it can be Senior Chief Mwamba, Senior Chief Nkula or indeed any other, is chosen or appointed by the Paramount Chief-in-council. When the choice of a Chitimukulu is an issue, the body mandated to make the appointment is known as Bashilubemba. The composition of the two bodies, including the necessary quorum for transaction of business, was not part of the evidence. Besides, what the evidence failed to establish is the role of Chandamukulu, the Queen Mother (including Mukukamfumu, the Queen for Chinsali side), in the selection process of Chitimukulu and the chiefs below Chitimukulu.’’
The greatest problem with Professor Nkandu Luo was her inconsistency or short memory because according to The Post newspaper of 1st May 2013, she was quoted as having said that it was Queen mother Chandamukulu who appoints Chitimukulu and she wondered what would happen since Chandamukulu had just died.
And to the contrary, she was again quoted in The Post of 3rd October 2013 as having said that it was Queen mother Ngoshe Mukote who appoints Chitimukulu. The already quoted Supreme Court’s judgement in part reads:’’…. Besides, what the evidence failed to establish is the role of Chandamukulu, the Queen Mother (including Mukukamfumu, the Queen for Chinsali side), in the selection process of Chitimukulu and the chiefs below Chitimukulu.’’
After meeting the members of Ngoshe Mukote family on 9th November 1924 who were claiming the Nkula throne, the colonial District Commissioner, H.G. Willis wrote to the Secretary for Native Affairs on 18th December 1924: ‘’..I agree that Ngoshe Mukote branch of the family has no good claim, they had been driven away many years before the Government came and to revive such claims is impossible.’’ One normally wonders how the Honourable Minister managed to decipher what was ‘’impossible’’ after one hundred years! The Supreme Court judges only mentioned ‘’…Mukukamfumu for Chinsali side,’’ because there was absolutely no evidence of any trace of the existence of Queen Ngoshe Mukote in Chinsali District since that lineage became extinct at about 1867. The two questions are: what are the sources from which the Minister obtained such false historic information. And second, who has since been appointing Chitimukulus for the past one hundred years? It would certainly be hard to find in the Zambian political history, a more tragic case study on abuse of positional power than the story in the case of Honourable Professor Nkandu Luo. It is really a question mark on her integrity that such a supposed prominent professional could be involved in deceit and falsehood.
And as already alluded to the Chiluba regime in its quest to destroy Bemba chieftaincy, ignored Chitimukulu-in-council as the only legitimate appointing authority of Bemba chiefs and recognized Mr. Paison Chilekwa Yambayamba as ‘’Senior Chief Mwamba’’ under Statutory Instrument 102 of 2000 dated 3rd October 2000. However, the Supreme Court Judgement No. 25 of 2008 between Chief Mpepo (also known as Ackson Chilufya Mwamba) Appellant And Senior Chief Mwamba (also known as Paison Chilekwa Yambayamba) respondent ruled that ‘’It was wrong for former President Chiluba to recognize the plaintiful as Senior Chief Mwamba because that was against the wishes and decision of the Paramount Chief-in-council and therefore a contravention of Section 3 of the Chiefs’ Act. It was pointed out that there was no dispute at trial that the appointing authority of chiefs subordinate to Chitimukulu was the Paramount Chief-in-council and not the President of Zambia or indeed the High Court of Zambia. In this view, the President should have referred the matter to the Paramount Chief-in-council for review and hence customary law was not followed.’’ (p. J 11- 616).
However, deliberately wielding his wild powers over the Bemba traditional system and the Supreme Court ruling, President Michael Sata gazetted Chileshe Yulaya Mumba as Chief Chewe (SI 126 of 2011 of 11th November 2011) and Grimson Mwila as Chimbuka(SI 24 of 2013 of 28th February 2013).
It’s here where one realizes the undeniable reality that the entire nation, including all institutions are held on the presidential hook! For example, the Attorney –General, who is supposed to be the government’s legal expert could do not advise the President about this terrible and shameless abuse of office. Why should the government’s legal advisor let the President misuse his Executive powers and sink so low as to interfere with a tribal arrangement that has been in existence for more than 200 years!
The family tree is of crucial importance as far as claims to the royal heritage is concerned. For example, the gospel of Matthew in the Bible begins with the genealogy f our Lord Jesus Christ. And by showing Christ as descended from King David, Matthew wants to explicate that Jesus is the royal heir to the throne. However, these PF cadres have no family trees in their files and Grimson Mwila had in fact merely written a letter to the President applying to be appointed a chief and President Sata wrote to the Clerk of the House of Chiefs to have him gazetted. And there was not even the slightest courtesy of notifying the Bemba Royal Establishment.
On the other hand, President Sata claimed that he had de-gazetted me on 8th May 2013 because I had not undergone initiation. But again and again Bashilubemba had been stating that: ‘’I could not go through the rituals because my superior had only gone through the process almost at the end of his life and after his demise the rituals could only be performed after the burial.’’
In Parliament on 21st June 2013, when in answer to Honourable Dr. Chituwo on the reasons for my de-gazetting, Honourable Luo said: ‘’ I should not create my own way of handling matters. According to the law that I am supposed to follow, the royal establishment chooses a chief who is initiated through customary tradition. In the Bemba tradition, when a person is selected to be a chief, that person has to go through the traditional rituals before he can be called a chief. He is also given what are called the instruments of power, and the instruments of power in the Bemba Chiefdom are called Babenye.’’
In A History of the Bemba, Andrew Roberts wrote: ‘’The senior Bakabilo are no mere servants of Chitimukulu, but are themselves the hereditary holders of historic titles, some as old as the Chitimukuluship itself. Since they are essential to the maintenance of chieftainship through their control of chiefly appointments and their responsibility for chiefly rituals, they are in a real sense the source of chiefly legitimacy.’’
Indeed, according to President Sata and Honourable Luo I was de-gazetted because I had not been initiated in accordance with Bemba customs. But the question is: Who performed the rituals on PF cadre Chiefs Chewe and Chimbuka to make them qualify to be gazetted as Bemba chiefs? If on the other hand, they had undergone through Bisa rituals how did they qualify to be gazetted as Bemba chiefs? Note what Andrew Roberts emphasized on, ‘’Bakabilo are in a real sense the source of chiefly legitimacy.’’
How true are Dr. Kaunda’s words on abuse of power: ‘’The attraction of power is that it extends the range of a man’s personality and allows him to fulfill himself through the personality of others. Power enables men to multiply the impact of their personalities on the world and other men. Hence it is often the source of pride and arrogance. People in power use the vast power at their disposal to mould the lives of the subjects to the point where they cease to be free persons and become, as it were, limbs and organs of their bodies; there will expressed through theirs and their voices speaking through their mouths. ’’
The Mubanga Albert Mumbi Saga
On the 26th February 2015, I was instructed by the Inchenje Council which comprise of Bashilubemba to invite Mubanga Albert Mumbi (the now ex-Chief Mumpolokoso) to attend Ilamfya Bemba Superior Council which was to be held on 16th March 2015 since there were very serious allegations which had been leveled against him. And in my letter dated 26th February 2015 which was delivered to him by two of our Bashilubemba, I stated:
It is alleged that in August 2014, you sent a motor vehicle to transport His Royal Highness Chief Chimbola to become Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu so as to replace Mr. Henry Kanyanta Sosala who had been appointed by Bashilubemba.
It is alleged that in August 2014 you applied to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to establish you own traditional ceremony known as ‘’Ukusefya Chishamwamba,’’ which meant breaking away from the unity of Bemba chieftainship and allegiance to Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu.
In that letter I emphasized that these were very serious allegations and I strongly advised that he needed to exculpate himself in person and I went further to advise that should he be unable to travel, then Bashilubemba would also accept his exculpation in writing. ‘’And failure to comply to both will mean that the Ilamfya Council members will table your issue and come up with their decision based on the information at hand.’’
Our two emissaries told the Ilamfya Council members that he told them to read the letter for him and after they refused then it was given to his retainer who told him the contents. And then he told Bashilubemba that the Ilamfya Council should be postponed to another day since
he also would be holding an important meeting with his village headmen on the same day.
Andrew Roberts wrote: ‘’Subordination is deeply ingrained in Bemba society, and it is not too much to say umucinshi (respect, deference, propriety) is one of those essentially untranslatable key words which characterize a whole society.’’
The Ilamfya Bemba Superior Council on 16th March 2015 was attended by 133 persons consisting of chiefs, sons of chiefs, Bashilubemba, citizens, government officials etc., resolved to dismiss Mubanga Albert Mumbi and others from being Bemba chiefs. However, the minutes we submitted to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs for the de-gazetting of the chiefs were not processed. And Albert Mumbi was heard boasting that he had been assured by Honourable Joseph Katema that ‘’the decision of Ilamfya is useless, you will remain a chief as long as you are gazette by us as government.’’
The Cartel’s Evil Strategy
The recent constituted Bisa nationalism pioneered by Professor Nkandu Luo had the strategic evil plan of transferring the Bemba paramountcy to Chileshe Yulaya Mumba, a man of common stock and therefore reduce the Bemba tribe to nothingness.
And this came from the horse’s mouth. Kingsley Kaswende reported on Yulaya Mumba, the PF-cadre Chief Chewe: ‘’..in making a claim for Chitimukuluship, Chief Chewe, for instance, seems to consider an alternative scenario in his case, ‘In fact we from Ichinga do not consider Chitimukulu from the miti clan as a royal. We can do without your Chitimukulu and the boundary will be east of the Chambeshi river. Nkula-chewe-Kaponge-we-Chinga. Chief Chewe will be the overall Paramount chief of Ichinga country’.’’ (Bulletin magazine Volume IV. Issue 3 April 2014). And furthermore, the government approved their traditional ceremony called, ‘’ukulambalala,’’ as opposed to the Bemba ‘’Ukusefya Pa Ngwena.’’
And on the other hand, Albert Mumbi, who was gazetted as Chief Tungati was transferred to act as Chief Mumpolokoso because the people rose against him was recruited by the Luo-cartel to make another division and another ceremony was approved called ‘’ukusefya Pa Chishamwamba.’’ He was promised to be promoted to a position of Senior Chief inspite of being on the lowest rung according to Bemba hierarchy. His task was to include Bemba chiefdoms of Mumpolokoso, Shibwalya Kapila, Tungati, Chipalo and Senior Chief Shimumbi to break away from the authority of Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu.
Let me give you the clear picture of the strategy: In Muchinga, Yulaya was to be the Paramount chief over Senior Chief Nkula, Chief Chikwanda, chief Mpepo, Chief Luchembe, Chief Mukwikile, Chief Mubanga and Chief Nkweto. ( Mr. Geoffrey Ng’andu the current Chief Mukwikile was to be deployed in the diplomatic service in order to create an opening for Yulaya’s appointee, but he was only to serve for a period of one year and to be recalled and that could have been the end of his story).
And this meant that Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu was supposed to remain only with Senior Chief Mwamba, chief Nkolemfumu, Chief Makasa, Chief Chimbola, and Chief Munkonge. And the so-called ‘’Senior Chief Mumpolokoso’’ had one time travelled to appoint Chief Chimbola as Chitimukulu.
The Power of Dismissals
And the dismissals were based on issues that were raised during the March 1975 Davidson Nyambe Muttendengo Commission. President Kaunda was at variance with Senior Chief Nkula (alias Dickson Mutale Chitabanta) of Chinsali District. Senior Chief Nkula grew up together with President Kaunda during their childhood at Chinsali. In the opinion of many people, Senior Chief Nkula stuck to traditional values which required President Kaunda to pay a courtesy call on him and not vice versa. Besides, the chief knew in detail the background of President Kaunda’s parents who came from Malawi. On the other hand, in an exhibition of power, President Kaunda suspended Senior Chief Nkula for being disloyal to him.
Article 96 states: The overwhelming view in the evidence received by the Commission was that unless the suspended chief is stripped of his office by the Paramount Chief and the Bakabilo in consultation with other Bemba chiefs, he retains it, whatever action Government may take.’’ And article 97 states: ‘’It is clear from the evidence received that Mr. Dickson Mutale chitabanta has not ceased to hold the office of Senior Chief Nkula and that he will continue to be so until and unless the Paramount Chief and the Bakabilo in consultation with all Bemba chiefs decide otherwise.’’
On the other hand, Part XII of the amended Constitution states in section 174 (1): ‘’The institution of chieftaincy and traditional institutions are guaranteed and shall exist in accordance with culture, custom and traditions of the people to whom they apply.’’ (2) Parliament shall not enact legislation which (a) ‘’confer on a person or authority the right to recognize or withdraw the recognition of a chief.’’; or (b) derogates from the honour and dignity of the institution of chieftaincy.’’
J13 __618 of the Supreme Court judgement reads: ‘’Alluding to the case of Ignatius Muhau Vs Attorney General and National Airports Corporation, a case founded on the principle of judicial review and where it stated that the court cannot enquire into the merits or demerits of the decision made by a body with the power to make decision. Professor Mvunga, S,C., submitted that the decision of Bashilubemba would not be attacked on any ground of illegality, impropriety or unreasonableness in the Wednesbury sense……’’
An ancient scholar, Eliphaz said, ‘’God upsets the plans of the crafty, so that nothing they try seems to succeed. He traps the wise in their own schemes and what they thought would succeed, doesn’t.’’ (Job 5: 12, 13). And the great physicist, Albert Einstein once said, ‘’God doesn’t play dice.’’
Epilogue
It is amazing that the three Bemba-speaking Republican Presidents I.e., President Kaunda, President Chiluba and President Sata have each frantically attempted to disintegrate Bemba chieftaincy. On the other hand, there was only due respect from President Patrick Mwanawasa and President Rupiah Banda. And in addition we did not face problems with Honourable Inonge Wina, a traditionalist, when she served as the first Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. Whereas it was hell with Honourable Nkandu Luo and we are currently facing the same hell fire from Honourable Joseph Katema who are both Bemba-speaking. And that it is widely believed in the Bemba royal circles that: in the relay race of hatred for the Bemba chiefs, Honourable Nkandu Luo has passed on the baton to Honourable Joseph Katema.
The question is why? And indeed there are various reasons since each individual has had personal reasons for their deep hatred for the Bemba chieftaintcy and which boils to the hatred of the Bemba people! And three dismissed chiefs are now boasting that the government would still keep them on the pay-roll and to-date the accountant at the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs has not yet received instructions from the relevant authorities to delete them from the payroll!
It is just amazing how Chileshe Yulaya Mumba and Grimson Mwila suddenly came on the scene from nowhere and began to masquerade as genuine senior royal family members in the Ngoshe Mukote lineage and with no royal family trees and the government began to offer them senior positions in Bemba chieftaincy and appointing them on Boards. It was in March 2015 when the Ilamfya Bemba Supreme Council passed the resolution to dismiss the three and nothing had since been done and it’s only the amended constitution that has come to our rescue. This was deliberately done to make it abundantly clear especially to me that I am not in the least wanted in the ‘’system.’’
Of course there would be vehement denials but judging from the aforesaid, but do not reality on the ground fall entirely within the passage from Atkins Court forms, 2nd ed., Vol. 25, which states that, ‘’……..the scope of the defense of justification does not depend upon the way in which the plaintiff pleads his case, but on the meaning or meanings which words or actions are capable of bearing.’’
Mopani Smelter in Mufulira
Glencore plans to invest over $1.1 billion in Zambia to sink three shafts with new technology that will extend mine life by over 25 years.
“We firmly believe that we shall be able to overcome the challenges that we face today as a company and become profitable and operationally-efficient,” Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) said in a statement.
It said the investments would be made between now and 2018 and it was expected that Mopani would be turned into a world-class mining operation by 2023.
Glencore said it was fully committed to Mopani and had invested over $3 billion in upgrading infrastructure and in major capital expansion programmes since 2000.
Mopani Copper Mines in November last year laid off more than 4,000 workers after a fall in metal prices.
The UPND has said that the country’s economy is fundamentally broken and needs steady hands to fix it.
And UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said more people will join the opposition party as they have seen that it is the only viable alternative to the ruling PF.
Speaking when he featured on Radio Phonix’s Let the People Talk Mr Hichilema blamed the current economic challenges that the country is going through to the over borrowing of the PF government.
He said the PF had borrowed over 9billion US Dollars in just 5 years 2billion more than what UNIP borrowed in over 2 and half decades that they were in power.
He said the challenges are not just related to the high cost of living for families but the entire country was living on borrowed money “kaloba” he said escalated under the leadership of President Lungu.
“The country is challenged, it’s not just challenged in terms of high food prices, in terms of electricity shortage, it is not only challenged in terms of us we living on kaloba, the PF government especially under Lungu has borrowed over 9.75 billion US dollars in 4 years more than UNIP did in 27 years.
“When we are challenged economically, like I said before this country’s economy is fundamentally broken, I say so because I understand economics and I understand finances, now when the social fabric of society is broken what does it mean? Unemployment for collage graduates, marketeers cannot feed their families business which she used to then you need to talk about these things as a people,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Hichilema said he will be meeting more people who will be joining the party from other political parties.
He said the endorsement of DF President Miles Sampa and many others who have already endorsed his candidature was just but the beginning of a political storm taking place in the country.
He said the UPND was growing at faster rate and that people were tired of the poor leadership being offered by the PF government.
He added that the challenges in the mining sector were among the many issues that people were pointing to as examples of how the PF leadership has failed the nation.
He explained that crying over commodity prices was not why the PF was put in office but that it was put there to find solutions to challenges when the country faced them as opposed to blaming everything on external factors.
He said for the 11 years there was a boom in the prices of copper something he said was an opportunity for the country to diversify the economy as commodity prices are recycle which any government should know.
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE MOVEMENT FOR MULTI PARTY DEMOCRACY (MMD) AT THE INTER PARTY DIALOGUE ON ESCALATING POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Mission Statement
The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) wishes to put it on record that we are committed to Zero Tolerance on Electoral Violence and all its off shoots of thuggery, insults, unpalatable language, politics of name calling and character maligning.
We are victims of political violence in the recent past which left our party secretariat badly damaged. We all can speak with a measure of knowledge about the ills of this vice. Violence represents for the most part, if not always a failure to reason intelligently, reasonably, and respectfully. Violence is a desperate act which happens when we are not sure about our chances in the competition. Violence is arrogance caused by a crisis of estimation in terms of our true stature/profile
1. On our part, the president of the MMD with his National Executive Committee has repeatedly called for civil engagement in politics. We have on several occasions and at different fore made public statements to condemn politically related and motivated violence
2. There is no one who can deny the fact that an unprecedented level of violence has been unleashed into our politics. The scenes are frightening; they are disturbing and indeed worrying. Our children are being made to witness these horrors. The youth are being encouraged to accept that, their place in the political process is that of being vehicles of violence. Society at large is being forced into accepting that this culture will be part of the political process for Zambia.
The answers to this problem are within this room today. They are not out there somewhere. We are all commanders of our cadres. If we talk honestly and openly, we in the MMD have no that we shall not just experience a de-escalation of violence but will certainly eradicate it.
Among us, are leaders of the two political parties who have been at the center of the recent spate of violence namely the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND)? From you fellow leaders, more is expected. You need to send clear messages to your cadres that you detested political violence. You have to speak firmly about how you will not support those who practice violence. You must tone down on your public posturing with those “militarized” youths in Military attire.
It is our hope that this indaba will achieve on its main objective. Going forward we propose these deliverables.
1. A professional Police Service that will uphold the rule of law in maintaining public order without bias to the ruling party.
2. As we get closer to elections, we call on all candidates and representatives of political parties to refrain from the use of language or actions that risk inciting violence.
3. The electoral code of conduct must be respected by all participants.
4. A commitment be signed by us all to pledge our zero tolerance to violence and a communiqué be generated and read by the conveners
If this Indaba does not achieve the above, we will have wasted the ecclesiastical efforts and time of our esteemed bishops who have spearheaded this Indaba
We are convinced that, delivering a free, fair, safe and credible election is important to Zambia’s democracy and international reputation in light of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation.
The Zambia National Women Team has launched preparations for the final qualifying round of the 2016 African Women Championship against the Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Shepolopolo travels to Zimbabwe for the first leg on April 9 in Harare before the Lusaka return on a date to be confirmed.
Coach Albert Kachinga’s 23-member squad set up camp in Lusaka last week on Thursday.
Kachinga has returned faith in the players that helped Zambia to advance to the final qualifying round after eliminating Namibia 5-3 over two legs.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe reached the final round after seeing off Tanzania’s Twiga Stars with a 3-2 aggregate win in the previous round.
Overall winners between Zambia and Zimbabwe will join hosts Cameroon for the final tournament to be played from November 19 to December 3 later this year.
Dr Guy Scott
FORMER vice president Guy Scott has revealed his involvement in the deregistered Democratic Front (DF) led by Miles Sampa.
Dr. Scott revealed that the DF, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Party for National Development (UPND), was intended serve as a cushion for PF MPs who would not be adopted by the ruling party.
Speaking during an interview broadcast by Millennium Radio yesterday, Dr. Scott said the party may have to find a new name following its deregistration.
He also said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s statement that he was ‘the most stupid white man on Earth’ had no impact on him and that he was not bitter about it.
He said his political party was DF and has since denied endorsing Mr Hichilema on Monday but that he only declared his support for the UPND.
“I never used the word endorse, I said our party; this new party which is called DF at the moment now has to be called something else and because of all this kafwafwa, we will work with the UPND” Dr. Scott said.
He said most of the loyalist and founder members of parliament under the PF were being pushed out of Parliamentary Constituencies to be replaced with those from the opposition MMD.
“We are working together with UPND and one of the reasons we did that is that many of the loyalists , the old founders of PF are being pushed out of parliament,” he said.
He said he was aware of a scheme by PF top leadership to oust him out of Lusaka Central Constituency by pushing for Commerce Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe to stand under the PF.
He however said even if she was to be the one adopted under the PF ticket, there was no guarantee that she would win because other parties would field candidates capable of beating her.
“We have been told unofficially that I must quit Lusaka Central and give it to Margaret Mwanakatwe who is MMD. So MMD is invading PF. I just do not want to find PF MPs on the street and having to do their own negotiations one by one with UPND or whoever, I want to make a safety net for them.
“I have no choice if the central committee decides or the president decides that it goes to Mwanakatwe on PF ticket, then that’s what will happen. It doesn’t mean somebody else won’t come along from UPND or rainbow or DF.
Someone else may come along and beat her. I mean, that is what is happening. When you start chopping up that party, that is just the kind of thing that befalls you,” he said. And Dr Scott said Mr Hichilema’s words against him were simply politicking and that he was not bitter about it. “As for someone calling me ‘the most stupid white man’, so what? That’s politics; if you had someone at school who called you the most stupid brown man he ever met, are you still bitter about it, ninkani zandale (that politicking) and it has no impact at all,” he said.
In 2013, Mr Hichilema referred to Dr Scott then Vice President as the most stupid white man he had ever seen for campaigning in a by-election in Lukulu west when the campaign period had ended.
After an exciting new year release, the multifaceted rapper/singer Rosah is back with a new EP offering; ‘To The Hungry Soul‘, March 29 2016.
“This project sent me on a journey inward to further define my sound, which I am discovering is more of a feeling than a sound,” says Rosah. Spoken word meets Hip-Hop and Soul on this four track compilation — featuring, first time, all original piano compositions. When asked about her inspiration she had this to add, “I drew a lot of inspiration from memories of singing with my family every night before bed, growing up; that’s where I learned to love the power of music and the heart of family – with both, you get to be yourself while continually discovering who you are.”
This digital release is currently streaming and available for download. Audiences have described her music as “a wave of power and mellow nostalgic charm” – take a listen at this location
Leaders of 18 political parties who met yesterday from 1430 hours to 22 hours agreed to end political violence through their leadership structures.
The leaders expressed concern on the unfair application of the Public Order Act by the Zambia Police Service.
The leaders also agreed to end the use of perceived military regalia alongside pangas ahead of the general elections.
They also called on each other to refrain from the use of hate speech and offensive language especially against each other.
They recommended to hold a follow up meeting before the elections as a way of keeping the momentum created through the indaba.
FDD President Edith Nawakwi was happy with the resolutions and promised to support the implementation agreed upon in the meeting.
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema also expressed happiness and vowed to ensure that all political parties abide by the agreed demands to end political violence.
And President Edgar Lungu described the meeting as candid and acknowledged the need to implement the resolution for the benefit of all citizens in the country.
President Lungu thanked the organisers for bringing political leaders under one roof.
Below is the full Communique
COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED FOLLOWING A MEETING WITH POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS CONVENED BY THE THREE CHURCH MOTHER BODIES AT THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS IN LUSAKA
The 18 political party presidents met today on the 29th day of March, 2016 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka to discuss the issue of political violence as Zambia prepares for the August 11, 2016 elections, facilitated by the three Church Mother bodies namely Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) unanimously affirm the following over and above all other interests:
Committed to ending political violence through various political leadership structures as a way of addressing the issue starting from the party structures and amongst political parties.
Concerned with the unfair application of the Public Order Act by the Zambia Police in targeting political party supporters negatively.
Agreed to end the use of perceived military regalia alongside machetes and pangas as they have played a role towards fanning violence and therefore political party hereby commit to curb their use so as to eliminate fear and intimidation.
Agreed to use existing leadership structures in various political parties to encourage members to desist from violent acts, thus strengthening a culture of political dialogue and tolerance within and amongst political parties.
Agreed to depoliticise the markets, bus stations and other public places in the country in order to allow for all Zambian to enjoy their use freely.
Aware that the media has contributed to the polarisation of political parties through its conduct, and we recommend initiation of a platform for dialogue to encourage positivity and inclusive coverage of all political parties.
Agreed that the political party leaders refrain from the use of hate speech and offensive language especially against each other to avoid political violence. Leaders of political parties believe that there is need for interactive platforms to meet as political leaders to establish healthy relationships.
Recommend that political party leaders agree to hold a follow-up meeting before the elections as a way of keeping the momentum created in addressing political violence through this meeting called by the Church.
In view of the above we the political party leaders present shall endeavour to advocate for a violent free political environment ahead of this year’s elections as a way of expressing our political tolerance for the development of the country.
Happy Easter everyone, I hope you had a great long weekend and you are all fully rested. I hope you took advantage of the hot weather and lit up the barbecue (or braai); and most importantly I hope you remembered what the holiday was truly about; and you gave thanks to The Lord for his grave sacrifice.
My weekend was filled with barbecues and get togethers, seeing family and friends and doing a lot of eating. One of the recipes that I absolutely love is this stickyBBQ chicken. Though this recipe is a bit late and would have been ideal for before the Easter weekend, it is one of those gems that you can use whenever you decide to get the barbecue out. I am a huge fan of chicken and I pretty much eat all things chicken; so it was only fair to share this delicious, sticky and utterly scrumptious BBQ chicken recipe with you all. Now, the marinade on this is great because it can be adapted to any meat including, ribs, pork or beef – so the next time you are having a braai, try this out, it is guaranteed to go down a treat with everyone.
Cooking and prep: 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
1 can of cola/coke
8 tbsp tomato ketchup
8 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp of salt
Method
Prepare your BBQ stand and fire.
Now make your BBQ sauce; place your saucepan on a high heat and pour in your cola, add your ketchup, brown sugar, sweet chilli sauce, paprika and salt, and mix well.
Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is a lot thicker and sticky enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Dip each piece of chicken into the BBQ sauce. Using a spoon, tongs or a spatula, place each piece onto the BBQ stand and barbecue until cooked through, after about 20 minutes.
You can throw on some lightly toasted sesame seeds or chopped spring onions to garnish. (Toast your sesame seeds by lightly frying them in a pan until slightly browned).
Serving
These will go down a treat with a lovely coleslaw or fresh cherry tomato salad. They also go down well on their own as a snack, or an appetiser. Sit back, relax and enjoy this light and easy meal with a nice cool beverage.
Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.
You can find her work onwww.kantakakes.com. Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.
The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has dismissed reports suggesting that there is an oxygen crisis at the institution following the switching off of the oxygen plant.
UTH Public relations Manager Mwenya Mulenga explains that the hospital is getting oxygen supplies from the local vendors which is being supplied to all the patients in need.
Mr. Mulenga however, disclosed that the institution is spending between K80, 000 and K100,000 a week on the procurement of oxygen.
He says the oxygen plant has been switched off to facilitate maintenance and servicing, adding that money has already been set aside for these works.
Mr. Mulenga states that the hospital management is hopeful that the works on the oxygen plant will be completed soon so that the plant can be switched on.
Chingola has become the latest town to be hit with critical shortages of mealie-meal as residents scrambled for the commodity on Monday.
The continuous scarcity of mealie meal has angered a lot of Chingola residents who have described the situation as unacceptable.
Residents were queuing up from as early as 08:00 on Monday at the Pick ‘n’ Pay town centre branch with the hope of buying a bag of mealie meal.
The residents talked to blamed the authorities for not being strict enough on those who are smuggling the commodity.
“I think this just show how weak our President is because he has the power to stop those taking the mealie meal outside the country, but he is not exercising that authority”, said one of the residents.
Others expressed concern that the PF government was taking the country back to the UNIP era when queuing up for commodities was the order of the day.
“It is saddening to see and experience what our parents and grandparents used to go through at this time and age when the world has developed. This country has enough maize to cater for everyone but it is like these people are more interested in making huge profits by selling the mealie meal to the neighbouring countries,” complained another resident.
And the residents have since urged the government to put up strong measures in order to curb and regulate the movement of mealie meal.
“We are seeing tracks loaded with mealie meal going towards the border, how can you decide to feed your neighbours when your people are starving, if they have failed let them say so because we cannot continue to leave like this,” said another resident.
The residents further said that if they manage to purchase the mealie meal at pick and pay they would only spend something like K75 to K80 for a 25 Kg bag of breakfast, but when it goes in the hands of other traders it costs much higher.
And Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo said the pandemonium which was at Pick n’ Pay yesterday was uncalled for.
Mr Tembo said the mealie meal short was artificial because Chingola receives the commodity in large quantities.
“What happens is that several times the commodity comes in the afternoon and the owners sells a bit with a promise of selling the rest the following day. But when residents go to buy the following morning they find mealie meal smuggled out.
“As a party in the district we are very concerned but we are meeting the District Commissioner Mary Chibesa today to put our heads together with a view of finding lasting solution,” he said.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has labelled those that continue to accuse him of having personally benefited from the privatisation exercise as big fools.
Mr Hichilema stated that he played no part in the privatisation of the mines which took place during the MMD administration.
He said the privatisation story is part of the propaganda that his political enemies have continued to peddle describing it as a broken record.
Mr Hichilema said records are there to show that he did not privatise any mine in Zambia including Luanshya Copper Mines.
The UPND leader was speaking when he featured on Tuesday’s edition of Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk.
He was responding to a question from Bowman Lusambo who called into the station to challenge Mr Hichilema over his role in the privatisation exercise.
“One must be a fool to believe that I privatised Zambian mines, infact one must be a very big fool to buy that story. I didn’t have anything to do in the sale of the mines. I was not in government. It was in fact Lusambo’s MMD that sold the mines, I had nothing to do with that,” Mr Hichilema reacted.
He explained that he was only engaged to help Binani Group of Companies to find a strategy of liquidating the debt it had with ZANACO.
“Everybody knows the story of Binani. They approached us, long before they had bought the Mines in Luanshya, they were having problems paying off a huge debt they had with ZANACO, remember ZANACO was a wholly owned Zambian bank and we acted as advisers in offsetting that debt by evaluating their asset portfolio,” Mr Hichilema said.
“If a client consults a lawyer and the lawyer acts on that advice from the lawyer, regardless of the outcome, are you going to blame the lawyer? You must be a very big fool to do that. What we offered was professional advice because that is what we were trained to do.”
Mr Hichilema advised Zambians such as Mr Lusambo to go back to school and read.
“This is the problem we are having in this country with people like Lusambo. He doesn’t understand because he cannot read and understand but we sympathise with him because he is hungry and he needs to feed his stomach. Lusambo is just a moron,” he said.
We have noted with keen interest the defection of Dr Guy Scott and Mr Miles Sampa to the UPND and we wish to state that no one will stand in their enjoyment of freedom of expression and association. In fact, their departure is good riddance for a party which is in the cleansing process with a view to remaining with genuine PF believers.
However, I have difficulties keeping quiet on the many unfounded claims against the party they claim to have formed with late President Michael Chilufya Sata.
I will firstly address Mr Hichilema’s claims that President Lungu has failed to unite the country and address the economic slow-down which he claims has made the country less attractive to investment.
As a party, we are discouraged that a man in the name of Mr Hichilema should claim to be well schooled in economics but take the lead in misleading Zambians purely to achieve well calculated political machinations sorely designed to win him votes in August this year.
Mr Hichilema aught to know that the world is experiencing the economic slow-down and every country has been affected. Zambia, as a country, does not enjoy economic independence from the rest of the world arising from the growth of economic integration which interconnects and exposes every economic life of our country to the outside pressure. However, it must be noted that efforts to address these challenges by the current government led by President Edgar Chagwa Lungu cannot change things within a short space of time.
I am worried that Mr Hichilema, despite having such an understanding of issues chooses to select words so that he can isolate Zambians from their government to soothe his hunger for power. This deliberate distortion of information is a political crime aimed at seeking presidential office using deceit.
As such, we take strong exception to the accusations that President Lungu is responsible for the underperforming world economic developments that have affected Zambians. We are not very disappointed as PF because we did expect any level of honesty from Mr Hichilema who has centered his political life on rampant lies motivated by selfish hunger for presidency.
We are calling on Zambians to ignore Mr Hichilema’s call for change of leadership based on his lies. I desire to advise that Mr Hichilema will change nothing in this country even if he became president. Zambians must take pleasure in seeing that the man is taking advantage of the economic slow-down to cheat people but we believe that this level of politics is very mischievous and draconian to say the least.
His language bears some undertones of a man bent on taking advantage of weak processes like he did during the privatization of the mines sorely to wield financial benefits without regard for the poor.
Mr Hichilema was also quoted as saying that President Lungu would lose this year’s elections and be sent back where he came from.
This is gross disrespect for the Head of State who is doing everything to unite the country and change its fortunes under difficult conditions. I wish to inform Mr Hichilema that President Lungu is going nowhere and would win the elections with a resounding victory without a rerun. The Zambian voters have witnessed large volumes of infrastructure developments and youth empowerment programmes which are maturing slowly and will not be cheated into voting out a performing government.
Zambians are being warned against auctioning this country to ‘billionaires’ because they do not have genuine interest of the country but are merely driven by financial interests to propel them into the ladder of the next generation world tycoons.
I also took note of the cheap insinuations by Dr Scott and Mr Sampa when they defected. I must admit that I do not have any right to condemn them for defecting but will certainly not let them cheat and hallucinate without checking them.
Firstly, I find it extremely cheap to learn that the only reason Dr Scott resigned from PF is that PF has been joined by Dr Michael Kaingu who tore Mr Sata’s speech in parliament. I also find it strange that his resignation was influenced by Hon Dora Siliya and former President Rupiah Banda who have rendered support to PF. If indeed Dr Scott believed in the ideals of PF and cared for the party, he would have supported the stretches of unity that President Lungu is promoting in the country by working with leaders of other parties.
I find it strange that Dr Scott has left PF because he did not want new members. Politics is about numbers, change and transformation which Dr Scott ought to know.
Dr Scott must admit that he could not just fit into the progressive leadership of President Lungu that is based on promoting unity as opposed to drawing lines of division amongst the political players. PF may have fought the MMD in government but that is part of political processes but President Lungu realizes that unity is key after forming government. That is what the President is doing.
And Mr Sampa claimed that there is tribalism in PF. That is really laughable indeed and shows that the man had no issues to raise against PF. As the ruling party, we have demonstrated that PF is truly national in composition, performance and reach. It is hard for a genuine leader to make a comparison on which party is more tribal between PF and UPND.
Lastly, Mr Sampa’s statement on the closure of CBU and the University of Zambia is merely empty politics since he is aware that the process towards reopening the two universities has already been made public. The universities will reopen as planned depending on how the managements will respond on the measures announced by the Minister of Higher Education. There is no responsible government which will keep the institutions open even when people and property are being harmed as a result of riots.
So in my final analysis, I want to remind Guy Scott that Hichilema referred to him as the last stupid colonial white man. It should be in the interest of Dr Scott to be reminded that Mr Hichilema described him as Muzungu opusa meaning stupid whiteman while calling him Guy Scotchikala (meaning ox-drawn machine).
Further, Mr Hichilema is on record as having referred to Rainbow Party leader Winter Kabimba as ‘Kamimba’ while former Commerce Minister Bob Sichinga was called a dullest accountant who does not know how to make money; he cannot survive without being in government.
We are surprised that the same men can today choose to describe Mr Hichilema as hope for Zambia with such bad language. It is clear to us a new page in Zambian politics has been opened where Mr Hichilema’s fools are now following him and he must be celebrating for a good reason.
Let me state here that PF will not stand on the way of the few misguided politicians such as Miles Sampa and Dr Scott who have decided to change camps purely for selfish reasons but it must be noted that we will not sit idle and watch them promote these mechanized lies to our people. Zambians must watch closely who is genuine and who is not as they make decisions on who to vote for in the August 11, 2016 presidential and general elections.
Paul Moonga
NINE people have been hospitalised in Sinazongwe district after they were bitten by a stray dog during the Easter weekend.
The nine who were rushed to the hospital after the incident are still receiving treatment at Maamba District hospital.
Sinazongwe District Commissioner Protasio Mulenga said the incident happened on Saturday when the stray dog started attacking and biting members of the public and left them with deep wounds.
Mr Mulenga said the matter was taken to the veterinary department who have since acted and killed the dog.
“On Saturday nine people were bitten by a stray dog in Maamba’s central business district, but the veterinary department have intervened and the dog has been killed. I want to appeal to members of the public that they should be free as the dog was killed on Sunday,”he said.
He said government was going to pay all the medical treatment for the dog bites for the victims as the affected could not afford.
Meanwhile some parts of Sinanzongwe district have been cut off from Maamba following the collapse of the two bridges one between Maamba Central Business District and the Food Reserve Agency shed and another bridge which borders Namafulo and Mweemba road.
Mr Mulenga said his office has notified the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) over the collapse of the two bridges.
“We are experiencing too much rain here which has left some of the bridges collapsing in some parts of the district and some parts of the districts are now cut off.
“But we just hope that this water will fill up the Kariba dam,” he said.
