The MP announced his resignation in a letter addressed to Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata following his suspension from the party’s central committee after the battering of his wife.

Mr Mwamba said he resigned so that he could concentrate on his businesses which had been affected because of his active involvement in politics.

The MP said he would reconsider his decision to resign as MP if the electorates in Kasama ask him to do when he visits them during the Kusefya Pa N’gwena traditional ceremony of the Bemba speaking people tomorrow.

He said he had received a lot of calls from Kasama electorates informing him to reconsider his decision to resign as MP.

Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation also reports that National Assembly Liason officer Chikomeni Banda said he had not received a letter from Mr Mwamba for resigning his parliamentary seat.

Earlier, Mr Sata temporarily relieved Mr Mwamba of his position as Party Chairperson for the Elections portofolio.

This followed the assault and wife battering charges levelled against him.
PF Secretary General Winter Kabimba confirmed the development.

Mr Mwamba popularly known as GBM is accused of having battered his wife Chama, on Sunday following a marital dispute.
Police yesterday recorded a warn a warn and caution statement from Mr Mwamba
There has been widespread condemnation of Mr Mwamba from a cross-section of society following the incident which left his wife with a cut on her forehead.

The Human Rights Commission who has called on the Zambia Police and the Inspector General in particular,to show that the behavior exhibited by the Kasama central Member of Parliament is not to be condoned and that penal consequences follow.

And the Law Association of Zambia has described the conduct of Kasama central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba who on Sunday battered his wife as unacceptable.

Those that have been sworn in today are Justices Justine Chashi, Isaac Kamwendo, Flavia Chishimba, Petronella Ngulube and Mugeni Mulenga as High Court Judges.

Out of the total of nine judges, two are for the Supreme Court while seven are High Court Judges.

The four judges that were sworn in yesterday are Justices Muyinda Wanki and Gregory Phiri as Supreme Court Judges while Gaundentia Salasini and Anessie Bobo were sworn in as High Court judges.

President Banda said at the swearing in ceremony today that government and the judiciary had a deliberate programme to ensure that women that are suitably qualified were appointed to perform such functions.

President Banda said he was well satisfied with the loyalty, integrity and the ability of the people he appointed to the positions of judges.

He urged them to work hard and according to the provisions of the constitution.

The judges swore and affirmed to be faithful and bear true allegiance to the President and to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Zambia as by law established.

They further swore to deliver justice in accordance with the constitution when discharging their duties.

Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Lusaka Province Minister, Charles Shawa were among other senior government officials that attended the swearing ceremony at State House today.

Labour Deputy Minister Simon Kachimba has warned Shoprite Zambia to desist from engaging workers on casual bases on the pretext of studying the country’s labour laws.

Mr. Kachimba said government will not allow the company to continue engaging workers as casuals and ripping from them while alleging to be waiting for guidance from the ministry.

He said government is concerned that the chain store has not implemented the agreement that was made despite assurance to do so.

Mr. Kachimba said this when he meet Shoprite Zambia management to follow up on issues which were agreed upon between the two parties. The issues agreed upon among others last year include casualisation and contracts.

He has since directed officials from his ministry and Shoprite management to quickly start working on the labour agreement and terms of contracts for workers.

“I call upon you (Shoprite management) to take the worker’s contract to my office on Monday and immediately start solving this problem of fixed term contract and casualisation. We need seriousness in the way we handle our issues because this will also avoid protests” he said.

He also asked the management to table the company’s Zambianisation report that was agreed upon to incorporate Zambians in senior management positions.

The Minister also toured Shoprite Manda Hill branch were some employees expressed dissatisfaction with their salaries and other conditions of service.

Ms. Tubesebo Musialela an Account Clerk said workers were made to work for long hours but were receiving little pay.

She said the chain store has ignored government advice to improve the conditions of service for workers despite repeated calls.

And Shoprite Zambia Acting General Manager, Charles Bota said the company has not resolved the issues of casualisation and fixed term contracts because it wanted guidance from the ministry.

He however said that Shoprite has clear laws on the treatment of workers such has discouraging the use of abusive language and any mistreatment of workers.

Mr. Bota who could not respond to many of the minister’s concerns however promised that the company would write to him once the General Manager comes from vacation.

Shoprite Zambia has over 1,000 casual workers countrywide.

Former Patriotic Front (PF) general secretary Edward Mumbi has said expelled Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo should not accuse President Banda of being tribal because late president Levy Mwanawasa was the one who had more relatives and friends in Cabinet.

Mr Mumbi said it was shameful that Mr Mpombo wants to challenge his expulsion at the convention and yet he dared the party to take action against him.

He said Mr Mpombo should not accuse President Banda of being tribal because it was alleged that late president Mwanawasa was the one who had more relatives and friends in Cabinet.

Mr Mumbi challenged Mr Mpombo to produce a list of President Banda’s relatives who were in Cabinet so that it could be compared with Dr Mwanawasa’s list.

“President Banda has made minor changes to the same Cabinet but the majority were still (late) president Mwanawasa’s contrary to Mr Mpombo’s assertion,” Mr Mumbi said.

He said Mr Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande should stop using late Dr Mwanawasa’s name because others who mentioned the late president were told to stop talking about the dead.

The two MPs should not talk about democracy because they adulterated the constitution so that they could succeed late president Mwanawasa.

“These people claiming to be relatives of the late president influenced him to adulterate some tenets of the constitution so that they could succeed him, Mpombo even claimed that (late) president Mwanawasa left instruments of power to him when he went to Egypt,” Mr Mumbi said.

Mr Mumbi said because of these reasons, Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande criticised Mr Banda.

But Mr Mpombo said it was out of principle that he challenged the expulsion to avoid leaving a bad precedent.

Mr Mpombo said he was waiting for instructions from his lawyer in Lusaka because he was at the farm in Ndola.

He maintained that he would beat the MMD should there be a by-election.
Mr Mpombo wondered why Mr Mumbi had become the spokesperson for MMD and Government.

[Times of Zambia]

Change Life Zambia executive director Father Frank Bwalya has warned First Lady Thandiwe Banda, that she risks being Zambia’s first former First Lady to be prosecuted.

Father Bwalya says if the money Mrs Banda was dishing out to women’s clubs in the northern and Luapula provinces is not accounted for, she will be prosecuted.

Father Bwalya says it is clear that the reason the first lady had gone to the two provinces was to campaign for her husband.

He says though it is not a problem for the first lady to campaign for President Banda, the gimmick used was wrong.

In an interview with QFM, Father Bwalya questioned Mrs. Banda’s failure to give money through NGOs for women’s support programme.

He said it is now clear that the first lady has become an MMD cadre from the way she has been questionably giving money to purported women’s clubs.

[QFM]

Kasama Central MP Geoffrey Mwamba has with immediate effect relinquished his parliamentary position.

Mr Mwamba said he has resigned to concentrate on his business.He claims that his business has been affected due to his involvement in politics.

Mr Mwamba however regretted quitting without consulting the people in his constituency. He said he will soon travel to Kasama to explain to the people the circumstances regarding his resignation.

Mr Mwamba thanked the people of Kasama for electing him as MP. This is contained in a resignation letter addressed to Patriotic Front-PF President Michael Sata.

He thanked Mr Sata for according him chance to serve in the PF as Chairperson for Elections and member of the central committee.

Earlier, Patriotic Front President Michael Sata temporarily relieved Mr Mwamba of his position as Party Chairperson for the Elections portofolio.

This followed the assault and wife battering charges levelled against him. PF Secretary General Winter Kabimba confirmed the development.

Mr Mwamba popularly known as GBM is accused of having battered his wife Chama, on Sunday following a marital dispute.

Police yesterday recorded a warn a warn and caution statement from Mr Mwamba

There has been widespread condemnation of Mr Mwamba from a cross-section of society following the incident which left his wife with a cut on her forehead.

The Human Rights Commission who has called on the Zambia Police and the Inspector General in particular,to show that the behavior exhibited by the Kasama central Member of Parliament is not to be condoned and that penal consequences follow.

And the Law Association of Zambia has described the conduct of Kasama central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba who on Sunday battered his wife as unacceptable.

LAZ, Convener of the women’s rights, Kondwa Chibiya says violence against women cannot and should not be condoned.

Mrs Chibiya said that LAZ is saddened by the report of such an act as it touches on the very core of the fight to end violence against women in Zambia.

Mrs. Chibiya said as Zambia is considering the creation of the gender based violence legislation, such reports were very disturbing.

She added that it is the hope of LAZ that the relevant law enforcement agency will take this matter seriously and ensure that the law takes its course.

Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata has called for an end to bickering in the PF/UPND pact using the press.

Speaking when he featured on the special edition of the Public’s Last Say on QFM today, Mr Sata said if there are weaknesses noticed in the PF/UPND pact, they should not be brought out using the media.

Mr Sata said he agrees with the concerns of the Zambian people on the pact.

He said there is also need to bring about discipline in the membership of both the PF and UPND by ensuring that no member of any of the two parties issue media statements about the pact anyhow.

Mr Sata added that there is need for the UPND and PF to reorganize themselves following their poor performances in the recent ward by-elections in which the MMD won most seats.

He note that the two parties did not do well in the local government ward elections hence the two parties need to reorganize instead of bickering.
that picking the pact’s presidential candidate today before the two parties reorganize will not help.

Meanwhile Mr Sata said he hates violence regardless of who is perpetuating it.

He said he could however not say much on the case in involving PF Kasama central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba who battered his wife on Sunday in order not jeopardize the investigations by the Police in the matter.

Mr Sata said it is for this reason that he has always condemned any acts of violence.

Yesterday Police recorded a warn and caution statement from Mr Mwamba for assaulting his wife, Chama following a domestic dispute.

[QFM]