Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) President Charles Milupi has been advised to stop cheating Zambians that the people of Western Province want a regime change next year.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, Chairman for Centre, Election and Good governance Gershom Musonda said Mr. Milupi had no presence outside Luena Constituency and that he had no authority to say that it was true that the people of Western Province wanted the MMD government out of power come next year.

Mr. Musonda charged that Mr. Milupi’s party was anchored on family members and extended family ties which he said had no blessings from the 73 tribes of this country.

He challenged Mr Milupi to stop making innuendos against the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) because the party had done a commendable job for the country as well as the people of Western Province.

Mr. Musonda cited some of the developmental projects that the MMD Government had implemented in Western Province as construction of schools, Clinics and other vital infrastructure.

He named schools being built under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda in the Province as Lukulu High School, Nalikwanda Technical High School and Nakanya High School at a cost of K26 billion each.

Others are Namusheshe and Lukalanga high Schools to a tune of 4.5 billion Kwacha as well as Lueti and Lwet Basic Schools in Kalabo and Luiwa National Park at a cost of 4 billion Kwacha each, respectively.

Mr. Musonda further said other Schools include Shioma and Mayukwayukwa Basic Schools in Shangaombo to a tune of K26 billion each.

He further outlined other schools which have received Government attention as Mwange Community which had been transformed into a full basic school with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and government amounting to K400 million.

And Mr. Musonda has urged the Catholic Church in Zambia to emulate Pope Benedict the 16th whom he said was working hard to resolve problems his Church was grappling with such as sexual abuse of Children and women.

ZANIS

Party Spokesperson, Charles Kakoma said the President’s quietness on the constitutional making process is a clear indication that government is not ready to budget for it in the national budget to be represented to parliament next month.

Mr Kakoma said President Rupiah Banda has no regard for people’s views on the constitutional making process, hence he would do anything to ensure that the wishes of the general public is not respected.

Meanwhile, Mr Kakoma said President Banda has remained quiet on the Poverty Reduction policy which is the number one goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said there is no way the country could reduce poverty if the head of State does not regard poverty reduction in his programmes of national development.

Mr Kakoma expressed disappointment that the President in his address to the national assembly did not say something on poverty reduction in the country.

He called on the President to state how he would fight poverty in his last tenure of office because Zambians would want to know government programmes in advance.
[ QFM ]

SOME unknown people last week on Wednesday shot at United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema’s house in suspicious circumstances whose motive has not yet been established.

Mr Hichilema, who confirmed the shooting incident at his house in Lusaka yesterday, however, declined to give further details as the police are investigating the matter.

“Yes, I can confirm that some people shot at my house but we can only talk after the police conclude investigations in the matter,” he said.

Asked whether he suspected that the shooting was targeted at him the opposition leader said, “ let’s talk after the investigations.”

He said a bullet cartridge was found in the yard.

And when contacted for a comment Lusaka police commanding officer Greenwell Ng’uni refused to comment on the matter referring all queries to the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde.

“I can’t comment on that matter, you speak to the IG to give you the details,” he said.
Sources close to the opposition leader told the Times yesterday that they suspect the shooting was aimed at Mr Hichilema.

“ The president’s driver Mr Mulongo was seated outside the house and he heard some strange sound of a gunshot and when they checked he found some gun-shoot holes in the wall,” narrated the source.

“It seems that they thought it was HH who was sitting outside. So we strongly feel that those people were up to no good. The matter was reported to woodlands police.”

[Times of Zambia]

Police have arrested and tortured United Party for National Development Chawama Constituency 2011 aspiring candidate, Morgan Muunda, for allegedly defaming President Rupiah Banda.

UPND Lusaka Province Youth Coordinator, Brian Hapunda, has disclosed this to QFM in an interview this afternoon.

Mr. Hapunda says police on Saturday night arrested and ubducted Mr. Muunda to kafue where they tortured him in the Kafue river, and threatened to kill him with a gun which they pointed on his anus.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hapunda has advised the arresting officer, a Mr. Daka of Chawama, to drop the alleged illegal charges against Mr. Muunda within 24 hours failure to which the UPND/PF youths will organise mass protests against the alleged illegal and unprofessional manner the police are operating in the contemporary.

He says it is unfortunate that the Police under President Rupiah Banda have introduced a double standard kind of law, one for the opposition and common citizens, while the other for the MMD and those in the corridors of power.

And Mr. Hapunda has challenged the police to arrest Copperbelt Province MMD Youth Treasurer, Chiko Chibale, who threatened to go to Western province with his thugs to manhandle Father Duffy for issuing a statement that the people in Western province want a change of government.

Mr. Hapunda also challenged the police to arrest Lusaka Province MMD Chairman, William Banda, who he says has on many occasions been threatening innocent citizens with violence.

He says if the police do not arrest the two mentioned MMD cadres, the UPND/PF youths will protest against its unprofessional operation.

THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has with immediate effect started implementing Uniform Petroleum Pricing (UPP) for diesel, petrol and kerosene, a policy that has seen fuel prices in rural areas being reduced.

And Energy Minister Kenneth Kaonga has said that the UPP, which will be implemented on cross-subsidisation, will contribute to stimulating economic development and raise the standards of living in rural areas.

At a press briefing held at the ERB offices in Lusaka yesterday, board vice chairperson Ida Nkhoma said the uniform pump prices are K7,639 for petrol, K6,999 for diesel and K5,008 for kerosene per litre.

Ms Nkhoma said the uniform petroleum prices will relate to petrol, diesel and kerosene only.

She said in light of this change, the cost Plus Pricing Model will continue to be used to determine the wholesale prices of refined petroleum products, while UPP will be applied on pump prices in order to cushion the rural and outlying areas against high fuel prices.

“The ERB will ensure that these changes are strictly adhered to by all retailers of petroleum products with immediate effect,” Ms Nkhoma said.

At a separate press briefing at his office in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Konga said that in order to cater for differences in the cost of delivering fuel between urban and rural areas, the UPP mechanism will spread additional costs of delivering fuel to rural areas among all fuel consumers.

“Government desires to ensure that rural areas have access to reliable and affordable petroleum products. As a result stimulation of economic development will rise in these areas and people’s standards of living will improve,” he said.

Mr Konga said consumers of petrol, diesel and kerosene closer to Indeni Oil Refinery in Ndola will pay slightly more than they did in the past so that rural consumers of petroleum products could reap from the benefits of uniform pricing.

He said this is the same principle that Zesco has been using for the pricing of electricity for consumers at different locations from power generation stations.
Mr Konga said high levels of poverty in rural areas prompted Government to implement the UPP.

He hopes that lower fuel prices in these areas will spur more economic activities among rural farmers, mining companies and cottage industries that have been negatively affected by the high fuel prices because of their being far from oil refinery.

Government expects that farmers in rural areas will cultivate more land and contribute to food security.

Mr Konga said the cost of fuel is influenced to a large extent by the distance from the refinery in Ndola to the point of consumption; hence pump prices varying across the country. This has deprived rural areas of the much-needed investment.

The minister said that to address this, the new National Energy Policy adopted by Government in 2008 to improve petroleum pricing in rural areas seeks to address the matter by setting up an incentive mechanism to mitigate high fuel prices in remote areas.

Mr Konga said the implementation of uniform petroleum pricing was a long sought national aspiration because other stakeholders have also emphasised the need for the National Energy Policy to address the issue.
He said oil marketing companies (OMCs) have been

consulted on how to implement the UPP to benefit the country, and expects all fuel consumers to support the noble programme.

Mr Konga said his ministry will address any teething problems that may occur during the early days of UPP implementation.

The current fuel prices for Kasama, which is the furthest point from the refinery, are K8,390 for petrol, K7, 639 for diesel and K5, 598 for kerosene.

In Ndola, which is closest to the refinery, the current prices are K7, 461 for petrol, K6,786 for diesel and K 4,798 for kerosene.

Consumers in Lusaka have been paying K 7,573 for petrol, K6, 898 for diesel and K4,893 for kerosene.
All consumers will now pay K7, 639 for petrol, K6, 999 for diesel and K5, 008 for kerosene per litre.

The Patriotic Front (PF) says the uniform fuel prices which government announced yesterday is an economic drawback to industries in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.

Party Youth Committee Secretary, Eric Chanda said the idea is welcome but government should have settled for a lower pump price as opposed to increasing fuel in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.

Mr Chanda said the MMD should realize that the country’s production and the economic industries are based in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.

He explained that the uniform fuel price which has been settled across the country has become like increasing the price of fuel in Lusaka and the Copperbelt.

Mr Chanda this would result in increasing the cost of production in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, making it difficult for industries in the two provinces to produce as expected.

He added that the costs in transport will also increase in Lusaka and the Copperbelt respectively.

He expressed doubt as to whether the MMD government understands the country’s economic indicators, adding that the country will not make any development strides with this kind of thinking by those in authority.
[QFM]