The opposition Patriotic Front ( PF ) says it is grateful to its pact partner United Party for National Development (UPND) for helping the party to become popular in Southern province.

And at the same launch, 30 MMD members defected to PF citing corruption and other irregularities in the MMD, as reason for their defection.

PF Provincial chairman Joseph Akafumba said today that the cordial relationship with the pact partner UPND has helped his party to grow in the province.

“ PF ‘s popularity in the province has grown massively, now. We ( PF ) have become a major talk of the day in the province, “ Mr. Akufuna said .

The provincial chairman said this at the launch of PF campaigns in the province yesterday in, Mbabala constituency in Choma .

He claimed the MMD has failed the people of Zambia lamentably especially in Southern province hence the need for them to join the PF.

He cited the recent burning down of people ‘s houses in Macha Chiefdom of Choma district and the shooting of miners at column coal mine in Sinazongwe District were the major indicators of government ‘s failure to protect its people.

He accused government of siding with foreigners.

He explained that the journey to change Zambia, which has began in Mbabala constituency, will spread to other districts in the province.

The PF provincial chairman further charged that there is need for the people to vote the MMD out, accusing government of being corrupt and visionless.

Mr. Akafumba also pointed out that the MMD is deceiving people by claiming things they did not initiate adding that it is high time people should say bye to it.

He advised people of Mbabala not to be deceived by the tarring of Choma Namwala road stating that is a duty of any government of the day to develop the country.

Mr. Akafumba said the PF has been always ready to address the challenges facing people hence the need to give it chance in this year s tripartite elections.

The PF provincial chairman said president Banda is spending much time commissioning small projects insteady of addressing serious challenges the country is facing.

He also refuted claims made by some people that PF is tribal and has challenged those claiming to came out in open .

And at the same launch, 30 MMD members defected to PF citing corruption and other irregularities in the MMD.

“We have been neglected by MMD hence the reason why we have decided to join PF because it seem to be focused,” they said.

Among those who claimed to have defected include Maxwell Muchimba who is former MMD Kabimba ward chairman,George Sikabanze former MMD Kabimba youth chairman and senior MMD member in Mbabala constituency Stanley Moyo .

ZANIS

Aspiring Mulobezi Constituency Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) Member of Parliament (MP) Mangenda Mubukwanu has accused incumbent MP Michael Mabenga of having neglected the people of Sesheke district in Western Province.

Mr. Mubukwanu alleged that there are no drugs and inadequate personnel in schools and health Centers while the road and rail infrastructures have collapsed.

Mr. Mubukwanu says it is the duty of the parliamentarian to facilitate and bring development closer to the people.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Mubukwanu urged the Sesheke electorates to give him a chance if they are see development on their door steps.

The aspiring MP charged that the people of Sesheke district have rejected Mr. Mabenga whom he described as better placed both as MMD National Chairman and Lands Deputy Minister to answer to the challenges faced by the people of Mulobezi.

“Mr. Mabenga has neglected the people of Mulobezi area and they have no representative in the National Assembly to initiate developmental projects for them.

“ He ( Mr. Mabenga ) is well placed both at ruling party level in MMD as well as holding the portfolio of Deputy Minister in Government,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr. Mabenga over the matter failed as his mobile phone was not reachable.

However, the ADD aspiring candidate lamented that the Mulobezi community was in dire need of development to come closer at their door steps unlike the current case.

He disclosed that this time around, Mr. Mubukwanu would give Mr. Mabenga a good run ahead of the parliamentary elections should the opposition ADD adopt the aspiring MP.

Mr. Mubukwanu claimed that once adopted, he would sink more bole holes so that people could access clean drinking water, improve the agriculture sector by mechanising the crop and animal husbandry through the utilization of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as opposed to misappropriating the Fund which the incumbent MP was a ‘charged for corruption involving K30 million CDF’.

Mr. Mubukwanu further claimed that he would revive the Kataba rail sleepers which was allegedly uprooted for unknown reasons by the MMD Government as well as recapitalise the Mulobezi saw mills industry to create more jobs to the local people.

“Mr. Mabenga in his capacity as MMD National Chairman and Lands Deputy Minister, Sesheke district in particular and Western province as a whole could have been developed by people like him but he is busy trotting cheating President Rupiah Banda that the people have salt when the people do not have it,” said angry looking Mubukwanu.

The ADD aspiring lawmaker appealed to republican President Mr. Banda to scrutinise the people around him and those eating with him than wait to be embarrassed by the 2011 polls results.

ZANIS

Three government documents have surfaced linking Patriotic Front Leaders Michael Sata to the abrogation of the Barotse Agreement of 1964 and de-recognizing of the Litunga as paramount chief of the Lozi people.

The documents are alleged to have been written by eight full cabinet ministers in the former second Republican President Dr. Chiluba’s administration on behalf of the government.

A committee is said to have been constituted to negotiate with the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE ) representatives on the agreement.

Mr. Sata, who was then Minister of Local government and housing, was among the eight Ministers who recommended to government that based on the enquiry the Barotse land agreement was stale and no longer legal as it was overtaken by event.

Former Patriotic Front ( PF ) Secretary General Edward Mumbi revealed the development to journalists during a briefing in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mumbi availed to the official documents, one of which was written in 1992 when the eight ministers met a delegation led by the Ngambela and members the BRE.

The second document revealed that it was written in 1993 and bared recommendations of the findings to Government and a letter which was written in 1996 requesting then President Chiluba to derecognize the Litunga as paramount chief.

Mr. Mumbi explained that Mr. Sata’s committee of eight full cabinet Ministers slowed government’s attention to the Barotse Land Agreement and was further killed by a letter dated 18th August 1993 which said that the inquiry showed that no judicial process was commenced by the BRE or any other party aggrieved by the proposed amendments in reasonable time.

Mr. Mumbi wondered how Mr. Sata can now claim to support the agreement when he was among the eight Ministers who recommended that the agreement be disbanded as it was stale.

The former PF secretary general challenged Mr. Sata to explain to the Lozi people and all Zambian how the agreement he considered illegal has turned to be legal now that he is not in government.

He urged the people of Western province to seek an explanation from Mr. Sata to task for skimming to dethrone the Litunga in January 1996 by writing a letter to President Chiluba so that the Litunga’s Chieftainship recognition be dropped which Chiluba refused.

Mr. Mumbi has since warned Zambians to be cautious of the PF leader who he described as a popularist politician and danger to the country as he is not decent and honest.

He said will do anything including risking his life to enter state house and asked Mr. Sata to leave issues such as the Barotse agreement to intellectuals and decent people to debate.

He noted that President Banda and his vice President was not in government at the time of the agreement but are trying hard to dialogue over the issue which he said should be commended and supported.

ZANIS

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has expressed concern that the ruling MMD has allowed Mufumbwe MMD parliamentary losing candidate, Mulondwe ’s son Kajilo to get involved in the preparatory campaigns ahead of the pending by-election in the area.

The organisation’s Acting Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi says in a statement to ZANIS , today, that Kajilo’s active engagement in the Mufumbwe campaigns will have serious repercussions as it will generate a lot of anxiety among stakeholders.

Mr Chipenzi says in the statement that Kajilo’s activities in the previous Mufumbwe by-election, which UPND’s Elliot Kamondo won, were inimical to the promotion of free and fair electoral process.

“ We would like to strongly urge the MMD to desist from using such characters in the campaigns because it has the potential of being a source of conflict. In the case of Kajilo, his involvement might ignite old memories among the electorate and could lead to people rising against each other,” says the FODEP chief.

Lusaka High Court Judge in Charge Philip Musonda on December 15, 2010, declared as null and void the election of opposition UPND member of parliament Eliot Kamondo.

Judge Musonda ruled in line with losing MMD candidate Mulondwe Muzungu who submitted that the atmosphere in Mufumbwe was not conducive for a free and fare election as a result of violent campaigns.

The Judge said there was overwhelming evidence from both the defendants and petitioners indicating that electorates in the constituency voted under volatile conditions.

However, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has described as unfair the nullification of Mufumbwe member of parliament Eliot Kamondo’s election by the Lusaka High Court.

The organisation has for this reason appealed to MMD to use people who respect and upholds human rights and the country’s laws in their campaigns rather than using people with dented background.

FODEP, he adds, is very uncomfortable with Kajilo’s involvement in Mufumbwe by-election campaigns for fear of igniting the electoral violence that ensued in the last election. It has also urged the MMD to advise Kajilo to take a background role in these campaigns.

The civil organisation says it is also concerned with political parties’ failure to observe the provisions of law regarding the official campaign period.

“ We have observed with regret that the aspiring parties to contest Mufumbwe and Mporokoso have already started their campaigns despite the case being in court and Electoral Commission of Zambia not yet officially announced the date of the two by-elections respectively, “ says Mr Chipenzi.

He reasons that there is need to review the electoral Act so that the provisions regarding the official campaign period are strengthened and penalties spelt out against political parties that kick-start their campaigns before the Commission announces the campaign period.

ZANIS

National Restoration Party (NAREP ) president Elias Chipimo Junior has urged the national leadership to seriously guide the debate on the Barotseland Agreement ( BRE ) which threatens the sovereignty of the nation.

Speaking to Journalists during a briefing at NAREP headquarters in Lusaka today, Mr Chipimo said it is sad that the nation has witnessed the increased anxiety and unrest in the Western Province over the now famous BRE Agreement of 1964.

Mr Chipimo stated that the reason why the BRE Agreement has become contentious was no doubt a reflection of lack of national leadership. He said had there been leadership the BRE issue would never have escalated to the levels it come to now.

The NAREP leader told reporters that it was a pity that the BRE Agreement is not widely circulated and understood, the resulting debate would certainly be more informed and perhaps less heated.

He said NAREP believes that the central idea behind the Barotseland Agreement, if handled correctly, could be extended to all major traditional authorities as a way of directly involving them in the governance of the country’s vast and culturally diverse nation.

He added that such an approach may offer a better chance of addressing our most pressing development challenges while also promoting and preserving the positive aspect of our unique culture in the country.

Mr Chipimo disclosed that Zambians have had no chance to read the Agreement, making it easy for every politicians of every shade to jump onto the bandwagon of opportunism in a bid to claim the hearts of the people of Western Province.

“it will be useful to provide a little background information on the origin of the Barotseland Agreement. This will enable to set the stage for explaining why NAREP believes force should never be applied in trying to quell the voices of those raising concern about its implementation,” said Mr. Chipimo.

[pullquote]Mr Chipimo disclosed that Zambians have had no chance to read the Agreement, making it easy for every politicians of every shade to jump onto the bandwagon of opportunism in a bid to claim the hearts of the people of Western Province.[/pullquote]

He said it was for this reason why NAREP believes that there must be a clear economic plan that incorporates rural communities as an integral part of overall economic development .

The BRE in its submissions to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) draft constitution, demanded the acknowledgment of some provisions in the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 in the new constitution.

BRE Senior Induna Ingangwana, who was flanked by Indunas Mukwakwa representing Senanga district, Ilubonda of Limulunga Royal Village and Induna Malenga representing Kaoma district, made the submissions to NCC Chairman, Chifumu Banda, during the conference’s session in Lusaka, last year.

In the submissions signed by the acting Ngambela, Litia Walubita, the BRE noted that the draft constitution did not consider the provisions of the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

The BRE proposed in the submissions that Articles of the constitution which define Zambia as a unitary state should acknowledge the Barotseland Agreement to be the instrument by which the unitary state is constituted.

The BRE said Part II of the Draft Constitution 2010 was not inclusive and proposed that Articles 4 (2), (3) and (5) be recast.

It proposed that the text of Article 4 (2), which establishes Zambia as a unitary, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural democratic state, should be changed to reflect the origins of the unitary state.

The Establishment has disassociated itself from people calling for the succession of the Western Province from the rest of Zambia.

BRE Spokesperson Oliver Saasa yesterday said  the establishment was  not in support of the succession.  Professor Saasa  also condemned people that have resorted to violence, to champion their cause.

[pullquote]Mr Chipimo  said  that although he does not support violence as a means of achieving what the people of Western Province are advocating for in the Barotseland Agreement , he  lamented that it was also not good to squeeze those fighting for the Agreement in the corner by way of suppressing their views.[/pullquote]

Professor Saasa who is also Induna Kaluwe said  the BRE was  also not part of a group calling itself “Concerned citizens” who were planning to have a public meeting on January 14 in Limulunga.

And the NAREP President further said that is was paramount that traditional leaders in the country be central to the planning and implementation of all local development programs in the country.

Mr Chipimo  said  that although he does not support violence as a means of achieving what the people of Western Province are advocating for in the Barotseland Agreement , he  lamented that it was also not good to squeeze those fighting for the Agreement in the corner by way of suppressing their views.

Mr. Chipimo contended that the Barotseland Agreement is a document that forms an important part of our history and that it cannot be simply wished away just like that.

ZANIS

Mine workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) President Radford Mbulu has tendered an apology to Republican President Rupiah Banda unreservedly for his language he used to Labour Minister Austin Liato.

Mr. Mbulu on December 31st, last year is quoted in the press where he made derogatory remarks against the minister.

The MUZ chief made the apology in Kitwe today to President Banda as the appointing authority at a press briefing.

Mr. Mbulu admitted that the utterances used against the Labour and Social security Minister Mr. Liato were regrettable.

He said he realized that Mr. Liato carries a lot of responsibilities in the welfare of the people in the country.

He said Government and his Union were key players to political and economical dispensation of the country and the Minister had a vital role to play in the labour sector and bargaining negotiations for improved conditions of service.

Mr. Mbulu also appreciated President Banda and Mr. Liato hence for them to forgive him as he had realized the embarrassment he caused to the Head of State as appointing authority.

He expressed hope that upon tendering his apology to Government of the day, he will restore the professional and personal relationship that existed in the trio.

Meanwhile, Miners in Mufulira have called for the immediate resignation of Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) president Rayford Mbulu to ensure that an eligible person is ushered into the office.

The miners have also argued that Mr. Mbulu cannot effectively represent them because he is no longer an employee of any mining company as such he does not share their interests and cannot advocate for anything good for them.

According to a statement released to ZANIS in Mufulira today signed by Mr. Wisdom Ngwira, the general secretary for a newly formed miners union called United Mine Workers Union of Zambia (UMUZ), the miners have complained that Mr Mbulu has already failed to improve the plight of the miners and would be happy to have him step down on moral grounds.

Mr. Ngwira said the miners have since urged Mr. Mbulu to step down from his position to pave way for a legitimate person.

Meanwhile Mr. Ngwira has said Mr. Mbulu’s apology to government yesterday was not genuine but at act meant to protect his position.

Recently Labour Minister Austin Liato directed the MUZ president to resign from his position because he was not an employee of any mining company in Zambian as required for one to be a MUZ leader.

On the other hand Mr. Mbulu on Thursday tendered in his apology to Mr. Liato for his outburst over his job termination by Chambishi Metals Plc and his disqualification in the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) presidency contest.

ZANIS