PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he will not succumb to external pressure to force him to exercise his prerogative of mercy on the 22 incarcerated treason suspects for allegedly advocating the secession of Barotseland from the rest of the country.

President Banda explained that as Head of State he could do that but without pressure from anyone not even the Catholic Bishops.

Mr. Banda stated that he had sought audience with the Catholic clergy but he regretted that they opted to rush to the press when they had dialogue and discussed the matter at length with them.

Mr. Banda was speaking to Journalists at the Lusaka City Airport shortly before his departure for Isoka, Northern Province where he is expected to officially commission the upgrading of the 393-kilometre Isoka-Muyombe-Chama-Lundazi road.

The Bishops contended that the suspects in custody must be accorded their rights as provided for in the constitution and other related legislation and appealed to the Republican President to use his prerogative to release them.

And President Banda is happy with the assurance by the Litunga that Western province will remain part of Zambia contrary to calls for its secession by some Lozi people.

Mr. Banda noted that key people in his government hailed from Western province and he thanked the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) through the Litunga for working with the Government of the Day.

Asked on the forthcoming MMD national convention, President Banda said MMD members were free to contest any position of their choice.

Mr. Banda said it is the delegates to decide who they want to elect as their leader and those aspiring for party positions should be ready to be rejected by the people.

President Banda, however, advised aspirants for various positions at the convention against being personal but instead strive at service delivery.

He was commenting on MMD chairman for elections Mike Mulongoti and others who had declared their intentions to stand for the position of party vice president.

While in Isoka district, President Banda will commission the Isoka-Muyombe-Chama-Lundazi road that provides a direct link to Lusaka from the Eastern to Western and Southern provinces and connects the Eastern, Northern and Copperbelt provinces.

President Banda and his delegation are expected to return to Lusaka after completing his one-day working visit in Isoka district.

QFM

Government says the 419 thousand kwacha minimum wage was arrived at after thorough consultations with various stakeholders including employers and employees.

Labour Minister Austin Liato says it is sad that people especially from the opposition have continued to criticize the increment saying it is too small to meet the daily needs of an ordinary Zambian citizen.

Mr. Liato said the minimum wage was a product of government and workers because this was done after wide consultations with relevant stakeholders.

Mr. Liato told the Zambia News and Information Service -ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka, Thursday that it was premature for anyone to use the minimum wage to gain cheap political mileage.

The Labour Minister also stated that government took into account all companies who are providing employment to many Zambians before arriving at the minimum wage.

He said government could not have gone beyond the K419 000 agreed minimum wages as it could have disadvantaged some small companies.

Mr. Liato said government’s aim was to strike a balance between workers and their employers.
[ ZNBC ]

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) committee for party modernization has called on the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde to step down.

Committee chairperson Chiwele Maimisa says Mr. Kabonde’s failed to take appropriate action against PF leader Michael Sata who allegedly was a ring leader in the abduction and assault case in which four party cadres have been convicted by the magistrate court.

Mr. Maimisa alleged that the Inspector General of Police selectively chose to arrest the cadres and let Mr. Sata who he says was a master minder to go scot free.

He says if Mr. Kabonde does not step aside, his committee will march to State House in protest and ask Republican President Rupiah Banda to retire the IG.

Mr. Maimisa added that the police should not be seen to be selective in enforcing the law adding that this is a danger to the country’s security.

And Mr. Maimisa has also questioned the statement that Mr. Kabonde is reported to have made when he appeared before the parliamentary committee on security that the operations of the police have on many times been disturbed by politicians.

He says his committee is giving the IG up to Tuesday next week to reveal to the Zambians the politicians who interfere with the operations of the police as the statement raises more questions than answers.

[ QFM ]

The United Party for National Development (UPND) in north-western Province has said its leader Hakainde Hichilema is the right person to stand as the pact’s presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.

Provincial party trustee Smart Kaholo told QFM that the people of north-western have endorsed Mr. Hichilema as the right candidate to contest the presidential election on the UPND-PF pact ticket.

Mr. Kaholo added that time has come for the country to have a new breed of young visionary leaders.

He says Zambians do not need recycled leaders especially those that have the UNIP mentality.

Mr. Kaholo asaid old politicians including PF leader Michael Sata should leave the political arena to the younger generation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kaholo has said the ruling MMD has lost its significance in north-western province because it has failed to deliver development to the people.

He bemoaned the lack of quality radio and television services in the province adding that the government has not shown political will in improving the broadcast services in the province.
[ QFM ]

President Rupiah Banda has thanked the Litunga for stating that Zambia is one country and that there should be NO violence over the Barotse Agreement of 1964.

Mr. Banda says he is happy that the Litunga through the Barotse Royal Establishment stated that the Barotseland is part of Zambia.

He explained that it has always been government’s position that the Barotseland is part of Zambia and that ZAMBIANS are one.

Mr. Banda told journalists shortly before he left for Northern Province that every Zambian should embrace peace.

He will be in Isoka to commission road works on the Isoka-Muyombe-Chama-Lundazi road.

Meanwhile, President Banda said he will not be pressured to release those charged with treason over the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

He said as a Republican President he will make a decision on the matter when it is necessary.

[ZNBC]

Acting MMD national secretary Chembe Nyangu has said party members aspiring for various National Executive Committee (NEC) positions should not unfairly attack fellow aspirants in their campaigns because they risk being barred from attending the national convention.

He said in an interview yesterday that aspiring candidates should base their campaigns on tangible issues and avoid malice.

Mr. Nyangu also said MMD members should carefully read the party constitution to establish their eligibility to vie for any NEC position.

“It is important for delegates to be fair and target the right people in their campaigns for NEC positions.

“It will not help for members of one family to start trading insults with each other using the media,” he said.

Mr. Nyangu said it was important for all the delegates and aspiring candidates to read the MMD constitution and the electoral regulations of 1999, which among other things state that members not in good standing with the party were not eligible to attend the national convention.

He said none of the members with right credentials and in good standing with the party would be blocked from attending the national convention to be held from April 5 to 7 at Mulungushi University in Kabwe.
Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka has declared that he would contest the position of national youth chairperson.

National trustee Evelyn Mwanawasa has said she would defend her position, and declared her support for President Banda for party president.

[ Times of Zambia ]

A HUMAN rights and governance consultant has advised former prime minister in the UNIP government Malimba Masheke to apologise to the people of Western Province for the area’s underdevelopment, arguing that it would be a travesty of reason to accuse the current administration of being responsible for the situation in the area.

Reacting to a statement by some concerned citizens presented by General Masheke on the recent happenings in Western Province, Mbinji Mufalo said it was unfortunate that the Barotseland Agreement was being used for political competitiveness.

“The issues I seek to share with you were evoked by sentiments recently expressed by Gen Masheke and maybe shared by his peers on the incarcerated individuals from Western Province, and that little attention has been paid to Western Province and that it is the poorest region in Zambia,” he said.

Mr Mufalo, who is a lecturer at the University of Zambia, said to argue that a president who had been in office for a period of slightly more than two years was responsible for the unacceptable and undesirable situation in some regions of Zambia was a travesty of reason.

He said while it could be acknowledged that there was poverty in Western Province, the situation was similar to other rural provinces of the country.

“The obtaining concerns and contentions on the Barotse question should serve to provide us a premise for interrogating our governance modes. There should be nothing partisan about the Barotse question,” he said.

Mr Mufalo attributed the current situation on the failures of the past leadership.

“I here ague that eminent persons like Gen Masheke and his peers should be honourable enough and say to the people of Zambia that we the political and governance elite have failed the people of Zambia and indeed rural provinces like Western Province over time and we apologise, other than evoking anti-Government sentiments,” he said.

He said he was happy that the Government was putting in place development frameworks to redress the under-development in rural Zambia.

He said Zambians should challenge people like Gen Masheke on what they did when they were in office.

Mr Mufalo said Gen Masheke and concerned parties should show leadership by advocating for broader consultative means of engaging the Barotse question.

[ Times of Zambia ]