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Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has charged that it is not surprising to note that the National Constitution Commission (NCC) did not produce the desired results despite huge amount of money used in the exercise.
TIZ president Rueben Lifuka said it was obvious that the country would not hold the 2011 general elections under the new constitution because core issues were abandoned in the constitution making process.
Mr. Lifuka noted that this is a reflection that government does not have any political will in the referendum.
He added that this should be a lesson enough for Zambians to realize government’s irregularities.
Mr. Lifuka said the 2011 elections would not be any different from the previous elections that were hampered by election petitions.
[ QFM ]
United Party for National Development (UPND)vice president Richard Kapita says those who boycotted the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) have been vindicated by the announcement that the new constitution will not be ready by 2011.
Mr Kapita has called on voters to punish the MMD in the 2011 elections for being wasteful with tax payers’ money.
He said those who were against the NCC have been proved right by government’s announcement that only provisions from the draft constitution that do not require going to the referendum will be enacted by 2011.
The UPND Vice presudent said Zambians should hold the MMD government responsible for assuring the nation that the new constitution will be ready by 2011.
[pullquote]”What government has done with its failure to enact a new constitution by 2011 to the people who supported the NCC including the UPND is to throw an “egg” in their faces,” Mr. Kapita said.
[/pullquote]
Mr . Kapita wondered what would be enacted if the constitution will not have the 50 percent plus 1 vote clause and other important provisions contained in the draft.
“What government has done with its failure to enact a new constitution by 2011 to the people who supported the NCC including the UPND is to throw an “egg” in their faces,” Mr. Kapita said.
Mr. Kapita, however, ruled out his party boycotting the 2011 elections on the basis of the constitution.
[ QFM ]
The Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has vowed to bar Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President, Leonard Hikaumba from contesting for a third term as he has over stayed.
MUZ Secretary General, Oswell Munyenyembe has accused Mr. Hikaumba of having become compromised and toothless.
He claimed that Mr. Hikaumba has not been paying attention to the plight of workers as witnessed during the time workers went on a country wide strike and were victimized by Government.
Mr. Munyenyembe said there is need for ZCTU to have a leader who would take government and other employers to task in the interest of uplifting the welfare of workers.
The union leader was speaking to Muvi TV News in Kitwe.
Fears are rising among Ndola residents over allegations that fruit eating bats which have infested Ndola’s Northrise area may carry rabies.
Millions of bats have infested Ndola targeting three houses and have been described as a nuisance because of constant noise and excreting indiscriminately in the affected houses.
The migratory bats are not indigenous to Zambia and are believed to have started finding a safe place in Northrise as far back as 1998.
Bats are mammals that give birth, breastfeed offsprings and have their head facedown when resting.
[ MUV TV ]
One of the blocks for hostels being erected at the University of Zambia Great East road campus
The University of Zambia (UNZA) main Campus in Lusaka requires over K300 billion to successfully complete infrastructure development.
And UNZA seeks to construct a language centre next year.
This came to light in Lusaka today when UNZA Deputy Vice Chancellor Wilson Mwenya led a group of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) drawn from different companies and financial institutions on a conducted inspection of the infrastructure at the campus.
ZANIS reports that Dr. Mwenya named some of the dilapidated buildings at the institution as the library and students’ hostels which require a face lift while the ‘abandoned’ Coja project needs to be completed.
Structures at the Coja project have since been abandoned by five named contractors following Zambia’s loss to host the All Africa Games where UNZA was to provide accommodation to the visiting delegates had Zambia hosted the games.
Dr. Mwenya said infrastructure was a major challenge as there was little attention accorded in this area and called for investment at the country’s largest and highest learning institution from both Government and the private sector.
He appealed to both the Government and the private sector to consider partnering with the institution in order to make learning more enjoyable and conducive.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor however, commended Government for the funds it was receiving as well as other cooperating partners like the Japanese Government through Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Barclays Bank that have come on board.
On plans to construct a language centre, he said the facility would be financed by both the Zambian and Japanese governments though he did not disclose how much the project would cost.
In response, Education Permanent Secretary Andrew Phiri appealed to the private sector to consider partnering with Government in infrastructure development.
Mr. Phiri said Government placed infrastructure development as number one priority and noted that that the State alone could not manage because resources were inadequate.
The PS said Government was in a hurry to invest in the education sector hence its plans to upgrade the University and other tertiary institutions which were earmarked for a facelift.
He also disclosed that over 100 basic and 47 high schools were being constructed in an effort to attain the 2015 Millennium Development Goal number-two.
Earlier, Acting Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa said Government through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) had invited the private sector to participate in enhancing national development.
Professor Lungwangwa said this could be achieved if the private sector as stakeholders became proactive by identifying projects to undertake like Barclays Bank had done by adopting one of the hostels at the University.
UNZA was opened in 1966 but its infrastructure is a source of concern to both various stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the K13 billion worth new students’ hostels at the campus were nearing completion.
UNZA Dean of Students Hector Chiboola disclosed that only K500 million was needed for putting final touches before the building could be commissioned before the end of this year.
The 60-space storey building being constructed by Hua Jiang, a Chinese firm would be handed over to the Government soon.
The MMD has castigated its Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo for criticising President Rupiah Banda over his international trips.
MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga says Mr. Mpompo as a former Defence Minister ought to understand and appreciate the functions and duties of the Head of State.
Mr. Mabenga who is also Lands Deputy Minister said President BANDA who assumed office in 2008 has a mammoth task to fulfill the promises Late President Mwanawasa made before next year’s tripartite elections.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka Friday, Mr. Mabenga said President Banda’s international trips have yielded a lot of economic benefits for the country.
And Mr. Mabenga said it is disappointing to hear people saying that the MMD leadership is celebrating the gains which were started by late President Mwanawasa.
He explained that there should be no comparisons between President Banda and the late President because there are all indebted to the MMD manifesto.
[ ZNBC ]
File:Some former freedom fighters following proceedings during Independence Day celebrations in Lusaka
United National Independent Party (UNIP), Livingstone District Vice Chairman, Martin Pelton has said the confusions in the UPND and PF Pact are a clear testimony that the opposition has failed to challenge Rupiah Banda.
Mr.Pelton 65, a veteran freedom fighter, said only UNIP managed to form a viable Pact with the African National Congress (ANC) Party in 1964.
He said the idea of opposition parties merging has lost meaning and most of the Pacts in modern politics are based on selfish motives.
“The only Pact that has worked was that of UNIP and ANC in 1964 and it was launched in London…It was formed for a purpose and the purpose was to get independence which we did unlike these Pacts we see where anyone is just trying to climb on top of the other,” he said.
Mr.Pelton said this in an interview with ZANIS yesterday.
Meanwhile Mr.Pelton is seeking refugee away from his home after escaping lynching from his son. Mr.Pelton told ZANIS in an interview that his son threatened to beat him up and kill him after he complained about a missing door flame frame in the house.[pullquote]The only Pact that has worked was that of UNIP and ANC in 1964 and it was launched in London…It was formed for a purpose and the purpose was to get independence which we did unlike these Pacts we see where anyone is just trying to climb on top of the other[/pullquote]
He said he has vowed not to go back home until the Police apprehend his ruthless son.The 65 year old veteran politician furthermore condemned the Police’s
attitude to work after a Police Officer at Dambwa Police reluctantly attended to his complaint.
He said the Police Officer named Lubinda could not respond favorably to the senior citizen’s complaint despite his life being endangered.
He further condemned the Police Officer for telling him to provide transport when the Government bought vehicles for the Police.
The visibly annoyed old man challenged the Police to be vigilant and protect lives of innocent people instead of leaving the criminals to rejoice at the expense peace.
Meanwhile Southern Province Police Commanding Officer,Lemmy Kajoba could not be contacted for a comment on whether the Police has failed to curb crime in the town as it was sports day for the security service.
But a Police Officer at Central Police who answered a 991 toll free line confirmed that Mr.Pelton’s son had not been arrested by press time.
United Party for National Development (UPND) has questioned Speaker of the Nassembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa’s decision to curtail debate in parliament over fake national registration cards allegedly given to 12,000 voters.
Mr. Mwanamwambwa cutailed debate on the ministerial statement by home affairs Minister Mkondo Lungu on the fake national registration card that has purportedly been used to register 12,000 fake voters.
UPND vice president Richard Kapita said Mwanamwambwa’s decision to stop Members of Parliament (MP) from asking follow up questions on the statement by the minister is unprecedented.
Mr. Kapita wondered what the MMD government in conjunction with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the speaker were trying to hide.
He added that information reaching his party is that the voters roll the ECZ used in the 2008 presidential elections has more than one million fake voters.
Mr Kapita wondered why the speaker of the national assembly could not allow questions from elected members of parliament who are representing the interests of the Zambians.
[ QFM ]
Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao
Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao has told Parliament that his ministry would recruit 1, 500 new health workers this month using the K13.6 billion from the K1 trillion 2011 budgetary allocation to fill the 3,000 vacancies in the ministry.
Mr Simbao told the House yesterday that the 2011 budget allocation to the Ministry of Health had been increased as compared to last year’s allocation given to the ministry.
He said the increase in the 2011 budgetary allocation would cushion the deficit which the Ministry experienced when donors withdrew their funding from Government last year.
Mr Simbao said this when he presented a policy statement to Parliament.
ZANIS reports that he assured the House that Government would no longer depend on extra funding from donors with the increased budgetary allocation from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning which boosted the allocation by 30 percent .
Mr Simbao stressed that the increased budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health signified the beginning of its economic independence.
The Minister noted that his ministry needed to work hard and to ensure that more health personnel in health respective centres were provided with drugs and medical equipment countrywide.
Mr. Simbao further told Parliament that out of the allocated budget, K14.3billion will be used in infrastructure development, K52 billion will be used for the recruitment of health personnel in the Ministry across the country.
He noted that 323 health posts were ready for commissioning by December this year adding that Government in the budget had added 123 health posts adding that the need for health posts was huge.
Mr. Simbao said President Rupiah Banda had since directed the Ministry to build health centres on every 5 kilometre and near a school in communities countrywide.
He told the House that it was Government and President Banda’s desire to take health services closer to people’s families and to reach 95 percent of Zambians in rural areas by 2015.
The Minister however, noted that Government would continue building hospitals in all the districts in the country adding that out of 31 hospitals, 22 hospitals would be first level class hospital.
[ ZANIS ]
Faz can breathe a sigh of relief as call-ups from the “rebel” 13 Super Division teams began to arrive in camp for Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup training camp.
Clubs had threatened a fortnight ago to embargo their players from joining the national team for next week’s Cecafa Cup outing in Tanzania until the Kalusha Bwalya-led executive had bowed to pressure to an emergency council meeting.
Players from Zesco United and Power Dynamos including Red Arrows are in camp at Garden House Hotel, Mumbwa Road in Lusaka.
The players are the Power midfield trio of Simon Bwalya, Kennedy Mudenda and Joseph Sitali.
Zesco has a quartet of call-ups namely defenders Billy Mwanza and Nyambe Mulenga, striker Jackson Mwanza and goalkeeper Jacob Banda.
Also in camp by lunchtime Friday was Jimmy Chisenga from Arrows and Norman Munthali from Konkola Blades plus Russian-based attacker Chisamba Lungu who was one of the first foreign-based players to arrive in camp.
In other news, Faz has postponed this year’s Barclays Cup final from his weekend to a yet to be announced date.
Faz is still bogged down in the trenches over their forthcoming emergency council meeting.
Faz communications officer Erick Mwanza told local media that the final will not take place this Saturday after it was rescheduled from November 13 to 20.
“The football fraternity should bear in mind that consultations may take a bit of time but it is gratifying to note the commitment of one of our biggest partners and sponsors in the game that is Barclays for their wonderful commitment to hosting this final, this year,” Mwanza told ZNBC.
“Obviously we just have to agree on the dates on which this tournament, this final, will be played. We are in contact of course with the clubs themselves and like I stated the key thing is to find a suitable calendar date and this week of the 20th is not possible.”
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has charged that it will be a mockery for government to allow the county to hold the 2011 elections under the current constitution, considering the huge resources invested in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).
FODEP president, Stanley Mhango said that electoral conflicts the country has witnessed in the past will never come to an end as long as the elections are held under the current constitution.
Mr. Mhango said the culture of violence and failure to accept election results the country has been witnessing will continue to haunt the good governance and democracy sector of this country as long as the current constitution remains in place.
He, however, FODEP welcomed the announcement by government to begin the process of enacting provisions in the NCC draft constitution that do require a referendum.
Mr. Mhango has also challenged government to give the nation a time frame for putting in place a new constitution.
[ QFM ]
MMD youths on the Copperbelt have described Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata as a bitter politician who has been unsettled by President Rupiah Banda’s sound record of development.
Provincial youth chairperson Evans Chibanda said in Mufulira yesterday that the opposition leader and other critics were desperate to incite public hate against Mr Banda because of the impressive reputation he had continued to carve for himself.
Mr Chibanda said Mr Sata was heaving with bitter feelings because President Banda had ignored the opposition leader’s pettiness and instead concentrated on national development.
Reacting to a statement by the PF leader in yesterday’s Post that President Banda was running a corrupt Government, Mr Chibanda said Mr Sata and other critics of Mr Banda had nothing to offer to the country.
He said their only preoccupation was to orchestrate hatred in the minds of the Zambian people against President Banda.
It was amazing that Mr Sata was piling accusations of corruption on President Banda’s Government when global players such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States of America had acknowledged Zambia’s steady progress in its fight against the vice.
He said the MMD Government had set a firm foundation for the country’s economic development and that some opposition leaders unsettled by the steady progress were clinging to desperate tactics to counter what the ruling party was doing.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the looting and setting ablaze of the Police Post in Lusaka’s Garden Township, last week.
Two of the 14 suspects are women while 4 are ex -convicts.
Lusaka Province Commanding Officer GREENWELL NGUNI says the 14 suspects have been charged with riotous behaviour, arson and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Mr NGUNI said an undisclosed number of items which were looted from the police post have also been recovered.
Meanwhile, police have recovered an assortment of stolen items from Chibolya, Garden and Misisi Townships.
Police Public Relations Officer NDANDULA SIAMANA said the items which include 16 television sets, five DVD machines and music systems were recovered following an operation which police carried out in the three townships, 3 days ago.
Six suspects have also been arrested in connection with the thefts.
[ ZNBC ]
Government has announced the commencement of the process of enacting the new republican constitution.
Vice president George Kunda announced during a media briefing in Lusaka today that cabinet has decided to publish in the government gazette the constitution of Zambia bill, 2010 and the constitution of Zambia amendment bill, 2010 as required under article 79 of the constitutional of Zambia.
Mr Kunda said it is the requirement of article 79 2 A of the constitution that a bill for the alteration of the constitution or the constitution of Zambia Act should be published in the gazette for at least thirty days before the first reading of the bill in the national assembly.
The vice president, who is also justice minister, explained that the enactment process of the provisions of the NCC draft constitution which do not require a referendum has since begun.
He said the draft bills referred would be available at government printers starting next week Monday 22nd November 2010.
Mr. Kunda added that the draft bills will be presented before the national assembly for enactment after the expiry of the thirty day period.
And Mr. Kunda has however expressed doubt that the full constitution will be ready before the general elections.
He said the referendum cannot be guaranteed next year because government is constrained financially.
The vice president said currently the country is going through the national census, which has gobbled billions of Kwacha, which will also be a similar case with the general elections.
[ QFM ]
