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Mulungushi University Vice-Chancellor Oliver Saasa (R)
NEWLY-appointed Mulungushi University Vice-Chancellor Oliver Saasa has said opposition leaders condemning President Rupiah Banda’s trips abroad should be ignored.
Professor Saasa said the Government had a duty to work for the people and should not allow itself to be disturbed by criticism that lacks value.
He said the people condemning the president’s trips abroad understood well the value of such trips but that they condemn them for unknown agendas.
Patriotic Front president Michael Sata, United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema and some civil society organisations aligned to the opposition have condemned President Banda’s trips abroad claiming that they are costly.
Prof Saasa said the Government should only act if it was convinced that the size of a delegation was large and needed to be trimmed.
He said trips abroad should be weighed on the basis of the value they brought to the economy and Zambia’s obligation to the international community and individual states.
“The Government is there to work and not to defend itself all the time. There will always be people to condemn Government for everything but at the same time there will always be those who will support, so the Government should not be affected.
“The Government should forget about what these critics are saying. They speak about small things which do not even warrant commenting on. Even the chief Government spokesperson must learn to ignore them,” Prof Saasa said.
He, however, said the fact that opposition leaders and individuals were freely criticising the Government showed Zambia had matured democratically and there was freedom of expression.
The Absa Group Limited (Absa) Headquarters
AMALGAMATED Bank of South Africa (ABSA) Capital, Africa strategist Ridfle Markus has predicted that Zambia will lose investment if Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata emerges victorious in next year’s elections.
Speaking to journalists at Lusaka’s Hotel Inter-Continental on Tuesday evening, Mr Markus said going by Mr Sata’s statements in the media, it was clear that investors would shun Zambia if the opposition leader ascended to power.
“If the statements that have been coming out in the media are anything to go by, then investments in Zambia will reduce because investors will be scared to come to this country,” Mr Markus said.
He said so far, President Rupiah Banda had managed to maintain economic stability as well as ensuring that a favourable investment climate prevailed to attract more foreign investment.
“During the time of (late Levy) Mwanawasa it was stable and (Mr) Banda has also maintained stability but Mr Sata’s statements are scaring and they may have an impact on investment,” Mr Markus said.
As a result of the stability as well as measures to attract more foreign investors, he said Zambia’s foreign direct investment had been impressive.
Mr Markus also predicted that as the elections date drew closer, more investors would leave or be scared to come to Zambia because of the uncertainties that would surround the outcome of the polls.
He said such uncertainties often times affected the markets and it was clear that even in Zambia, a similar situation would prevail.
“When governments go to full elections uncertainties are always there and it is not good for the markets.
“As for Zambia all I can say is that it’s going to be a good race,” Mr Markus said.
In 2008, Kalusha Bwalya swept to power via a landslide thanks to power of grassroots affiliates.
Today that same “Tea Party” constituency is now positioning itself as prime voice for those scared to voice their opinion on football matters and voiceless in Zambian football.
That “Tea Party” is leading an October 16 petition drive to call for an emergency meeting to dissolve Kalusha’s executive over his alleged involvement in transfer dealings and concerns over player selection at junior level.
For those who don’t know, the 16-team Super Division block’s clout as a major voice in the game is as redundant as it was during the 2008 Faz polls with the exception of maybe two clubs.
On Tuesday, Faz slapped three lengthy bans of three key Tea Party voices starting on October 1, 2010.
Nkosi Warriors chairman Keith Mwewa and Medicial Stars boss Alex Mambwe were handed three year bans from football affairs while a third Albert Sichondwe from Pemba United has been handed a two year ban for bringing the game into disrepute.
Their bans means the trio voices’ will absent from the 2012 Faz elections as Kalusha consolidates his grip on Power and silences dissenting voices whom he calls enemies to the development of Zambian football.
However, a fourth member of that Tea Party Albert Hamatowe of Monze United has jumped ship allegedly after “reconciling” with the powers at Football House.
Long-time nemesis Simataa Simataa too has been given a two weeks to defend himself for attacking the Faz disciplinary committee.
It will be interesting to see whether Timothy Nyirenda the chairman of Kummawa Stars who has openly supported and campaigned for the petition in Eastern province will come to the fore after the culling of senior members of the “Tea Party”.
Meanwhile, how Kalusha will deal with his very own Faz executive committee member Pivoty Simwanza also adds to the drama.
Simwanza defended the Tea Party petition and has publically challenged the Faz president to personally discipline him citing that his boss has no constitutional right to directly do so.
We could be in for a long hot October as Faz version of democracy and the power of the growing grassroots voice resilience is tested in the summer of discontent.
CAF have handed Zanaco coach Wedson Nyirenda a heavy fine on top of a four match ban.
Nyirenda has been fined US$ 5000 and is currently serving the second game of his four-match ban.
The Zanaco coach was banned following his first half send-off by Malian referee Osman Sidebe against Tunisian side CS Sfaxien in their Confederation Cup Group B match on September 11 at Nkoloma Stadium.
Zanaco won that match 1-0.
Nyirenda recently said referees in CAF club games this season have conspired against Zanaco both at home and away.
Nyirenda will watch his side take on Group B leaders FUS Rabat of Morocco from the terraces on Saturday in their penultimate Group B match at Nkoloma.
Zanaco are third in Group B on 4 points from 4 games, five points behind leader FUS and three less than second placed Sfaxien.
Linos Makwaza has described as tough Nkana’s 1-1 derby draw away to archrivals Power Dynamos at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe today in a Super Division Week 25 game.
“It was a tough game,” Makwaza said after the match at Arthur Davies. ” It was a difficult match because Power are a good side but we put up a spirited fight.”
The draw was the first between the two teams since August, 2004 when they played out to a scoreless match at the same venue.
Meanwhile, in an entertaining derby game that had its fair share of crowd trouble, Power took the lead in the 27th minute through midfielder Simon Bwalya.
Nkana equalized four minutes before half time through Victor Mwansa.
The two sides stay in the same position on the table with 4th placed Power moving to 39 points while Nkana in 5th place trail their archrivals by four points.
And in the other Week 25 games played today, Zesco opened up a two-point lead at the top of the Super Division table on 46 points after beat fellow title contenders Nchanga Rangers 1-0 at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola.
John Chingandu scored the winner a minute from fulltime after Rangers earlier missed a penalty.
Rangers slip from second to third and exchange places with Green buffaloes who defeated hosts Konkola Blades 3-0 at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe.
Edward Musebo scored a brace for Buffaloes with goals in the 4th and 41 minutes while Brian Chilando made it 33-0 14 minutes before the end of the game.
In Kabwe, Manfred Chabinga was a happy man today after his Kabwe Warriors side recorded its biggest win under his watch when they moved into the top 8 after a 3-1 win over Red Arrows at Railway Grounds to ease the pressure on his status as coach.
Goals from Steven Kabamba, Vias Mwendalubi and Elson Mkandawire handed Warriors the three points.
Football Association of Zambia president Kalusha Bwalya and his vice Emmanuel Munaile during the FA's annual general meeting in Lusaka
FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya has said he has got constitutional powers to punish erring executive members and he will not condone indiscipline in the association. Reiterating his earlier pronouncement that he will crack the whip on anyone found wanting among the FAZ executive members, Kalusha said in an interview from South Africa yesterday that in any establishment, there was an institutional code of ethics that had to be followed.
He was reacting to FAZ committee member, Pivoty Simwanza who said on Monday that Kalusha had no constitutional powers to suspend anybody in the executive and accused him of making unilateral decisions on important FAZ matters. But Kalusha, who expressed surprise at Simwanza’s claims, said FAZ was not an animal farm where members could do and say anything. As head of FAZ, he had the authority to ensure that football was properly administered countrywide and that discipline prevailed.
He advised Simwanza to follow the right channels when airing his grievances and not use the media. “I am actually very surprised that he (Simwanza) actually said that. If he was in the last executive meeting, he would have a clear understanding of issues because most of those things he is accusing me of, were discussed. We have executive meetings on a quarterly basis. All the contracts we have achieved as FAZ, I actually discussed with the executive. Soon, there is the MTN deal coming and they are all aware about it.
He said he took exception to an executive committee member to take the game into disrepute and it was good Simwanza came out in the open.
“That is why I am saying enough is enough. Now I will crack the whip. It’s not my nature, but I am forced to. I have always been disciplined on and off the pitch.
“There are rules and regulations guided by a constitution, disciplinary code (like in FIFA’s case), or an ethics code. FAZ is not a jungle where there are no rules. There has to be discipline and recognition of authority in any establishment.
[pullquote]“People should differentiate between Kalusha the player and Kalusha the administrator. As a leader, I have to ensure that football is administered properly because as a player, I was disciplined on and off the pitch, and as an administrator I have to ensure that football is properly administered,” Kalusha said.[/pullquote]
“We can’t always be talking; that is a wrong culture. This is not a zoo or an animal farm where there are no rules and regulations. If people attack me personally, I have the right to respond. You can’t go on insulting the board chairman. “People should differentiate between Kalusha the player and Kalusha the administrator. As a leader, I have to ensure that football is administered properly because as a player, I was disciplined on and off the pitch, and as an administrator I have to ensure that football is properly administered,” Kalusha said.
The FAZ president said the association was lucky to have a Republican President like Rupiah Banda who had the passion for football and had gone out of his way to woo sponsors to football.
Kalusha said since he started heading FAZ, the association has recorded surplus and sponsorship has increased compared to any past executive because the corporate world heeded the fundraising initiative by President Banda and the business community has confidence in Kalusha because of his good reputation.
He said during his tenure as FAZ president, the association has stopped begging money from Government, only for senior national team assignments because there are huge amounts involved when bringing in professional players.
He said he always consulted FAZ executive members on any sponsorship agreements, saying if Simwanza was in the last executive meeting he would understand most of the issues he is accusing Kalusha of.He said most of the sponsorship contracts only required the signature of the association president, vice- president, treasurer or association general secretary because he was chief executive officer of Football House, to sign and not each and every member of FAZ.
[pullquote]Kalusha said he did not have to live in Zambia to manage football because even the FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter does not stay in Zurich, where the world soccer governing body’s headquarters is;[/pullquote]
“My role is to see that money is coming in the association and to do that I have to negotiate. I do not get anything for signing. Football is a product that we have managed to sell, but he (Simwanza) should tell the nation when he ever got sponsorship for FAZ.
He said Simwanza like any other member of the executive, was privy to classified information relating to sponsorship at Football House and challenged the executive committee member to visit the secretariat and verify his information.
Kalusha said he did not have to live in Zambia to manage football because even the FIFA president Joseph Sepp Blatter does not stay in Zurich, where the world soccer governing body’s headquarters is; or the CAF president Issa Hayatou who is based in Cameroun when the headquarters is in Cairo, Egypt, but that the FAZ president was easily accessible via mobile phone or email for any serious matters.
President Banda, his grand son footballer Anthony (l) and vice president George Kunda before he left for Nigeria at Lusaka international airport
President Rupiah Banda has left for Nigeria where he has been invited as a special guest of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonanthan at that country’s 50th Independence anniversary.
President Banda was seen off at Lusaka International Airport at about 09 .28 hours by Vice President George Kunda, Works and Supply Minister Michael Mulongoti, Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja, Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao, Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice President Daniel Munkombwe, Defence Chiefs and other Senior government officials.
ZANIS reports that President Banda is accompanied by Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati and other senior Government officials.
Shortly before departure, President Banda told Journalists that the changes he made to his Government were meant to bring efficiency in the ministries.
Yesterday, President Banda reshuffled three Cabinet Ministers and made a new appointment at Permanent Secretary level.
Among those transferred is Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peter Daka to Ministry of Science , Technology and Vocational Training in the same capacity taking over from Dr Brian Chituwo who has been moved to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing .
The President also transferred Local Government Minister Dr Eustarckio Kazonga to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives as Minister while Zambia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Chriticles Mwansa was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training Ms Shery Thole is new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s republican president, Rupiah Banda has appointed Mr. Wisdom Nhekairo as new Commissioner-General of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
Mr. Nhekairo, who was until his appointment as ZRA Commissioner for Domestic Taxes, will take over from Mr. Chriticles Mwansa who has been moved to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training as Permanent Secretary.
President Banda appointed Mr. Nhekairo in exercise of powers vested in him under Section 19(1) of the ZRA Act, Chapter 321 of the Laws of Zambia.
The appointment of Mr. Nhekairo is with immediate effect.
[pullquote]He said the resident doctors will Wednesday hold a meeting with Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja. The President emphasised that a permanent solution to the issues affecting the doctors will be found through dialogue.[/pullquote]
Further, President Banda, in exercise of powers vested in him under the University Act Number 10 of 1999 and its Regulations, has appointed Lusaka-based Academician and Consultant Professor Oliver Saasa as Chancellor for Mulungushi University.
The appointment of Professor Saasa is with immediate effect.
And President Rupiah Banda says the stand off between government and the striking resident doctors will soon be resolved. President Banda says the resident doctors Tuesday held a meeting with Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao in a bid to address the matter.
He said the resident doctors will Wednesday hold a meeting with Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja. The President emphasised that a permanent solution to the issues affecting the doctors will be found through dialogue.
President Banda however, said he could not prejudice what the resident doctors and the Secretary to the Cabinet will discuss.
Meanwhile, the President said government remains committed to the constitution making process. He said the National Constitution Conference -NCC- has handed over its draft constitution to government and that the Ministry of Justice is taking necessary measures to move to the next step in the process.
The author of the book, It’s How We End That Matters: Leadership Lessons from an African President, Martin Kalungu-Banda is not new to Zambia. He has been a lecturer at UNZA, worked for BP Zambia, OXFAM and famously had a stint at State House from 2005 to 2008. At State House he served in an ambiguous role as President Mwanawasa’s leadership consultant or unpaid Chief of Staff as the case may be. The greater nation of Zambia got introduced to Martin Kalungu-Banda by President Mwanawasa himself who praised his effort of making personal sacrifices to try and help the top Zambian government workers improve their leadership. He is currently a leadership consultant and this book is his second. A third book is still in the works.
It’s How We End That Matters: Leadership Lessons from an African President is a book on both President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and Leadership. It is about 170 pages long with a whopping 17 chapters. Of course this sounds a little bit too much for a book with that much pages. But once you engage yourself with this book, it is difficult to put down and you would understand why it would have so many chapters. Chapters range from the one that talk about Mwanawasa’s ascension to presidency, to his position on HIV/AIDS to elections.[pullquote]Mwanawasa is humanised in this book. He is presented to have been a very candid and honest person. He is presented as one who would freely discuss about beautiful Rwandan women and punctuate that thought with the reality of HIV/AIDS. He is presented to have been one who was rigid in his opinions but also quite flexible to say sorry when confronted with the need to do so. Martin Kalungu-Banda’s role in this unfolding story of Mwanawasa is also quite fascinating in this narrative.
[/pullquote]
The book combines humorous personal stories of Mr. Kalungu-Banda’s interaction with President Mwanawasa punctuated with leadership lessons. Kalungu-Banda is quite honest and frank about his time at State House and offers a thoroughly optimistic and pragmatic view of President Mwanawasa’s personal qualities and leadership. He himself admits that he meant the book to be a positive one and not necessarily a critical one. While acknowledging that President Mwanawasa was indeed a man of profound weakness, such as a hot temper, Kalungu-Banda quickly assures the reader that he concentrates on Dr. Mwanawasa’s strengths since focussing on people’s strengths is more inspiring than focussing on their weaknesses.
Reading the book gives you the sense that it is indeed two books in one: one on the personal story of President Mwanawasa and another on leadership principles. As such, it is this rare quality that makes the book unique and a must read. You can actually remove the story of Mwanawasa and you would still have a great book on leadership, and conversely you can subtract the leadership principles punctuated through the “food for thought” sections of each chapter and still have a great book on the life of President Mwanawasa. Additionally, in this book, Kalungu-Banda takes routine issues that happened while he served at State House, such as Mwanawasa’s interactions with his visitors, Mwanawasa’s interface with his personal staff, and indeed his interaction with his wife and children and derives great principles for all kinds of leadership political or otherwise. Mwanawasa is humanised in this book. He is presented to have been a very candid and honest person. He is presented as one who would freely discuss about beautiful Rwandan women and punctuate that thought with the reality of HIV/AIDS. He is presented to have been one who was rigid in his opinions but also quite flexible to say sorry when confronted with the need to do so. Martin Kalungu-Banda’s role in this unfolding story of Mwanawasa is also quite fascinating in this narrative. Beginning from the time Kalungu-Banda marshalled enough courage to make his first call to State House to the time the Zambian government disowned him and to the subsequent reunion he had with President Mwanawasa, the book is as much about Mwanawasa as it is about the author himself.
Kalungu-Banda’s book is a second book, and definitely not the last one, on the expanding Mwanawasan biographies. The first one, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa: an incentive for posterity, was authored by journalist Amos Malupenga. For his part, in being so optimistic about Mwanawasa, Kalungu-Banda misses to give the fascinatingly political side of the Mwanawasa phenomena—which unsurprisingly brought the negative as well as positive sides of Mwanawasa. It would have been good to have at least a section in the book address the Mwanawasa political strategy. This could include issues like his choice of cabinet in general and his intriguing choices of Vice-Presidents. Mwanawasa had four vice-presidents in seven years. Kalungu-Banda’s book while mentioning the cabinet in general terms it does not address any of Mwanawasa’s vice-presidents at all. While Kalungu-Banda’s omission of the political aspect of Mwanawasa’s leadership is quite obvious I think there are several lessons we could have learnt about Mwanawasa’s leadership from that end as well.
From the title itself, it is certain that Kalungu-Banda intended an international audience for this book. The title itself does not mention Mwanawasa by name. This is understandable since very few people in Europe and America could identify or even know who Mwanawasa was. But the fact that the title does not contain the name of Mwanawasa is equally an anomaly, especially for a book that is supposed to be a biography of sorts. At about US$10 from www.amazon.com, this book is quite reasonably priced and should be a must read for all that want to hear an optimistic view of an African president. Except in this case, this African president is not an eccentric kleptomaniac but a man of integrity and sober manners—Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. He was according to Kalungu-Banda, a courageous, kind, family-loving, and hospitable African gentleman who indeed as the title suggests, “Ended well”. I highly recommend this book for those seeking to understand Mwanawasa and those needing original insights into how they can maximise their leadership.
Patriotic Front (PF) President Micael Sata had an Interview with Voice of America (VOA) presenter Clottey where he answered questions ranging from young people, the PACT and calls for him to quit politics. Click on the play button to listen.
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) has it all to make a good President. Just like Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Anderson Mazoka and Dean Mung’omba, three Presidents that Zambia never had.
Owing to various circumstances, they never made it to Plot One. Without discussing what those circumstances are, one hopes HH does not fall into one of those situations.
Hearing HH speak, one can tell that he has it all. He clearly has a vision of where this country should go, he knows the mistakes that have been made and how to correct them. He may not get fair coverage in certain media houses, public and private, but he is certainly a person who is liked even by those who may not necessarily vote for him. If you bring the three presidential front-runners, HH, Michael Sata and Rupiah Banda, to a debate, he will definitely outshine both of them.
From one, you may get generalizations on how to solve the economic situation of our country, from the other, you will probably get comedy, but from HH, you will get the real deal.
Clearly, HH is the envy of most people, and rightly so. He has had a successful career with a short period of time. Others try to link him to the privatization of the mines to dent his image, but he was just doing what all of us would have done in his position.
Still, in politics, there is what is called timing. And the entry of HH on the political front may have been wrong timing. The way he succeeded Mazoka will always haunt him. But that he can sort out. It’s a mistake he made, and his name was dented.
However, his current mistiming in politics is his joining the Pact. He risks his image being dented again. They will pollute his name to an extent were people will start believing all the lies his enemies will be preaching, all the signs are there to see right now. It has always been said that birds of the same feathers fly together, what do we have here….I personal don’t know.
HH should leave the Pact and start preparing for 2016. Like it or not, the UPND-PF Pact died the day it was born. Here is a case where two parties, deeply polarized, decide to go to bed together. The purpose is to solely remove the MMD from government. The justification for them is that people want change. Maybe!
Still, it has now emerged that their respective members are not entirely in agreement going by the recent statements that we have been witnessing in the media. The desperation for power made Hakainde Hichilema and Michael Sata to forgo all the fundamentals that go with such an arrangement.
For a long time, Sata had campaigned on tribal lines. He thought he could win a national election using tribal blocks. Well, he nearly did when he made former President Frederick Chiluba and Levy’s corruption fight as issues in 2006. He campaigned that the corruption fight was targeted at Bemba’s.
But after he lost to Rupiah Banda in the Presidential by-election in 2008, he realized that there was no way he was going to win an election if he does not court the support of other tribes, which in the past, he had disparaged, hence his decision to go into a Pact with the UPND. It is all for selfish reasons and narrow interests. If it was not, they would have revised their policies to meet each other half-way. But upto now, we do not know what the Pact stands for other than avoiding dividing the opposition vote in an election.
Unfortunately, HH did not see this.
Now that it has emerged that there is little sincerity on the part of their partner, it is time he changed tact. Although they refuse to accept, it is a fact that the UPND is the junior partner in the Pact. So naturally, if the so-called Pact was to win an election, the UPND is likely to be given the Vice Presidency and a few Ministerial positions. Whether they can influence policy in this scenario is doubtful
The thinking though would be that Sata will only rule for a term and then give it to HH on a platter. But knowing Sata, and how sweet power is, that is unlikely to happen. In case you have forgotten, it would not hurt to refresh the memory.
The Sata we are talking about is the same who presided over the expulsion of more than 22 Cabinet Ministers and senior members of the MMD at the height of the third term debate. Reason, he wanted to clear his own path for the presidency in the MMD. Unfortunately, he did not know that he was dealing with a political engineer in Chiluba who dribbled him at his own game by bringing in an outsider, Levy Mwanawasa.
Well, and from the time he formed the PF, he has had four secretary-generals, all of whom he has differed with the exception of Guy Scot, whom he promoted to the position of party vice president. Well, and in the PF, there is no democracy, everything starts and ends with Sata. He appoints and disappoints any time he feels like it. Well, GBM discovered this recently when he was relieved of his party duties by Sata without affording him an opportunity to be heard. No matter how ghastly GBM efforts on his wife were, he should still have been afforded an opportunity to be heard by a disciplinary committee before he could be suspended. That is what is called justice. But it seems Sata is yet to come across that term in his 73 years on earth. He was the prosecutor, jury and judge in the GBM case.
And this is the person HH wants to go to bed with. Hell no, the King Cobra is too dangerous.
HH has to pull-out and start building for the 2016 elections. After all, he is young, educated, articulate, rich, handsome, and has time on his side.
The UPND as a party has a lot of quality in its rank and file in comparative terms with the PF. Sata on the other hand, has differed with all fairly intelligent and independent members of his party such as Dr Peter Machungwa, Joseph Kasongo, Faustine Sinyangwe, Elizabeth Chitika and Rev Sampa Bredt among others.
HH may be thinking that it will be difficult to undo the party’s tribal tag and thus spread its support beyond the Southern province. But if there is one thing late party president Anderson Mazoka proved, it is the fact that it is possible to give the party a national character. Sata as the MMD national secretary then tried to label the UPND tribal, but Mazoka proved him otherwise, balancing his national management committee with persons like Patrick Chisanga, Bob Sichinga, Love Mtesa, Sakwiba Sikota and Ben Tetamashimba among others.
HH should seriously start building the party nationally now with an eye on the 2016 general elections. Otherwise, if he is depending on the Pact to take him to plot one, he will be very disappointed. You cannot certainly trust Sata on this one. Before he realizes it, the UPND would have been obliterated from local politics by the King Cobra’s machinations. He will never be treated as an equal in the pact by the PF.
Energy and Water Development Minster Kenneth Konga
Energy Minister Kenneth Konga says government has made adequate arrangements to avoid fuel shortages during the routine shut down of Indeni petroleum refinery.
Mr Konga said the country has enough fuel to last the period of the shut down.
He was speaking after a tour of storage facilities on the Copperbelt, ahead of the shut down of Indeni on October 1.
Mr Konga also called on Zambians not to panic during the shut down.
As of yesterday the country had 43.4 million litres of petrol and 7.1 million litres of Kerosene.
He said said this amount of petrol would last 55 days, while Kerosene would last 59 days.
Mr Konga also said the country has 75 million litres of diesel which will last 47 days.
The Minister said there is another consignment of 17 million litres of petrol and 19 million litres of diesel in transit from Dar es Salaam.
Indeni is scheduled for a 45 day shut down which will start this Friday
[ZNBC ]
Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti
MMD chairperson for elections Mike Mulongoti says the crumbling of the UPND/ PF Pact has led to the ruling party gaining ground in Lusaka and other urban areas which were the strongholds for the opposition in the past.
And Patriotic Front (PF) Matero Member of Parliament (MP) Faustina Sinyangwe has said Zambians should not waste their time to vote for the UPND-PF Pact because it was like a divided house that could not stand firm and deliver the desired fruits to its children.
Mr Mulongoti said most people had lost confidence in the two opposition parties and have pledged to rally behind MMD in the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections and the forthcoming by-election in Chilanga.
“Lusaka is no longer a stronghold of the opposition as they have managed to de-campaign themselves through the Pact which just exists in name.
“The MMD has managed to reform and that people have seen the works that the ruling party is doing while the opposition are just offering lips service,” Mr Mulongoti said.
He said the party would win the two vacant seats during the forth coming parliamentary by-elections in Chilanga and Mpulungu.
[pullquote]“Lusaka is no longer a stronghold of the opposition as they have managed to de-campaign themselves through the Pact which just exists in name.
“The MMD has managed to reform and that people have seen the works that the ruling party is doing while the opposition are just offering lips service,” Mr Mulongoti said.[/pullquote]
He said the MMD was currently searching for candidates for the two vacant seats and that silent campaigns were going on.
Mrs Sinyangwe said the quarrelling over positions that had rocked the pact would worsen, if they formed Government.
“So Zambians should not waste their time to elect a Government that would spend most of the time fighting for positions, instead of improving people’s lives,” Mrs Sinyangwe said.
Mrs Sinyangwe was commenting on the deepening wrangles in the UPND-PF Pact, said the wrangles that had rocked the pact was a clear indication that some individuals were only interested in positions and not service delivery.
She said the calibre of some MPs left much to be desired and the challenge was on the Zambians to raise the standards of politics in the country by electing into public office individuals with good calibre.
“If we became serious and start looking at the calibre of people we elect into public offices, we can raise the standards of politics in our country, but the problem is that we want to vote to fix certain individuals or just for the sake of change like some people are saying now that they want change.
Even if it is change, we should not change
for the worst,” she said.
And former PF chairperson for mobilisation of the Committee of Founders pressure group Mubanga Chileshe, who was last year beaten and assaulted for opposing the formation of the pact, said he had been vindicated going by what is happening to the pact now.
Times of Zambia
Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa
National Assembly Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has said he is not aware that the uniforms for the Zambia Police Service have changed.
Mr. Mwanamwambwa said if this was so, Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs would have to table it in Parliament to have the uniform gazzetted as well as other defence forces like the Zambia Army, Zambia National Services (ZNS), Zambia Airforce (ZAF), Prisons and Zambia Wildlife Aauthority (ZAWA).
Mr. Mwanamwambwa also said the uniforms for the rest of the defence forces should change.
ZANIS reports that the Speaker said this in Parliament in response to a point of order raised by one of the opposition Member of Parliament who asked if it was in order for the Minister of Home affairs to keep quiet and not inform the House that Uniforms for the Zambia Police Service have changed to blue from the current green and khaki colours.
“There is no obligation on that but if the line Ministry wants to sort out the uniform then the public should be informed. But if a Police Officer is in blue uniform manning a check point it requires gazetting in this House. Let Zambia Army, ZNS, ZAF, Prisons, and ZAWA also try to catch up….,” the Speaker said.
And the Speaker cautioned MPs against using ‘unnecessary titles’ and using unpalatable language during parliamentary debates.
In cautioning Mazabuka Central UPND MP, Garry Nkombo who addressed himself as ‘Professor’, Mr. Mwanamwambwa said Mr. Nkombo is not known as a Professor.
“There is no professor Nkombo in this House and secondly cynicism is not allowed in Parliament,” warned Mr. Mwanamwambwa.
Mr. Nkombo later withdrew the ‘Professor title’ but told the House that he was known by that title in his home village where he comes from.
“Mr. Speaker, Sir I withdraw my Professor title from this Parliament and replace it with Mister (Mr.),” Mr. Nkombo said.
The MMD says National Executive Committee (NEC) Interviewing Team will this weekend sit in Mpulungu district in the Northern Province where its preferred candidate will be named.
MMD Elections Chairman Mike Mulongoti says it has received applicants from its members with intentions to contest the Mpulungu Parliamentary seat.
Mr. Mulongoti told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the party was satisfied with the favourable response it was receiving from both the people and those wishing to contest on ruling party ticket.
“As a party, we are naming our candidate to contest the Mpulungu parliamentary seat this coming weekend. Our NEC Team will be travelling to Mpulungu to name our preferred candidate and we are happy with the response the MMD is receiving from the applicants,” he said.
And Mr. Mulongoti has disclosed that the ruling party will soon name its candidate to contest the Chilanga Parliamentary seat.
He explained that the MMD started the naming process very late and attributed the delay to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) declaring the seat as vacant very late.
And Mr. Mulongoti has dispelled media reports that MMD Northern Province Chairman Grievous Sikasote has been requested by the party to step down to enable him contest the Mpulungu seat.
He however said the MMD is a democratic party that allowed divergent views from the people.
The ECZ has set October 28, this year as the date for Parliamentary by-elections for both Chilanga and Mpulungu seats respectively.
The Mpulungu seat fell vacant following the death of area MP Mr. Chibombamilimo while the Chilanga seat fell vacant after the expulsion of area MP and former Finance and National Planning Minister Ng’andu Magande from the ruling MMD party for gross indiscipline.
Mr. Chibombamilimo who died in India after an illness was Deputy Minister of Energy and water Development.
