GOVERNMENT says it is disappointed with United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema and his Patriotic Front counterpart Michael Sata for allegedly politicising the conviction of The Post editor-in-chief Fred M’membe by a Lusaka Magistrate Court.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said opposition leaders should learn to respect the decisions of the Judiciary.

He said in Lusaka yesterday that he is disappointed that Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata are ignorantly accusing Government of having influenced the conviction of M’membe on contempt charges.

[pullquote]Gen. Shikapwasha said the same courts that acquitted The Post news editor Chansa Kabwela convicted M’membe and wondered why Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata did not accuse Government of influencing the case.[/pullquote]

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said the Judiciary is independent and Government has nothing to do with the conviction and sentencing of M’membe to four months imprisonment with hard labour.Monday, June 7, 2010
“I am really disappointed with the ignorance of Mr Hakainde Hichilema, Mr Sata and other opposition leaders because they should know that the work of the Judiciary is independent from Government,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said the process and outcome of the contempt of court offence that was committed by M’membe was done according to the law.

“So, Government has got nothing to do with him (M’membe) committing an offence. We should allow for the process of the law to take its course,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the same courts that acquitted The Post news editor Chansa Kabwela convicted M’membe and wondered why Mr Hichilema and Mr Sata did not accuse Government of influencing the case.

The minister said the judiciary is independent and made the decision to acquit Ms Kabwela just like it did with the conviction and subsequent sentencing of M’membe.
[pullquote]
Gen. Shikapwasha also said the international media cannot order the courts of law on how they should make decisions especially that they do not belong to Zambia.[/pullquote]

“So, let us leave the Judiciary to do its own work. People should not politicise operations of the Judiciary,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha also said the international media cannot order the courts of law on how they should make decisions especially that they do not belong to Zambia.

The minister said the international media should respect the laws of Zambia because they do not segregate and that any citizen who commits a crime is liable to face the law and M’membe is no exception.

He said those exhibiting ignorance about the conviction of M’membe should take time to study the judgement for them to understand and stop commenting on the matter ignorantly.

[Zambia Daily mail]

The Citizen’s forum has called for the reviewing of laws surrounding the contempt of court in Zambia.

Citizen’s forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda says that lots of innocent Zambians have continued to be unfairly convicted because of this law.

Mr. Kabanda cited the media as one of the many victims that suffer at the hands of the Zambian contempt of court law. He said that the media in Zambia operate under very difficult conditions which if certain laws are not reviewed will make them go to prison on a daily basis.

He said certain laws need to be reviewed to favor the operation of the media unlike what is happening at the moment.

Mr. Kabanda has also added to calls for the President to have his powers reviewed in order to reduce the interference in the judiciary.

He was speaking last evening on Monday Nite live
And Mr. Kabanda says that it will be impossible for the Electoral commission of Zambia to achieve its number of 2.5 million voters as registered voters without addressing challenging issues.

Commenting on the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s announcement that the voter registration exercise will commence on the 21st of June 2010, Mr. Kabanda stated that the poor road network will be one of the major challenges that will hinder the progress of the voter registration exercise.

[ QFM]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema to first reverse the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation (RAMCOZ) before he can start talking about the sale of 75 percent Zamtel shares to Lap Green Networks of Libya.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, told journalists at Lusaka City Airport yesterday that Mr Hichilema’s plans to reverse the privatisation of Zamtel and Zanaco if he is elected as President are uncalled for.

“I want to challenge him first of all even before people consider him; let him reverse the process of privatisation and liquidation that he did at RAMCOZ and many other companies including Lima Bank,” he said.

Lt.Gen. Shikapwasha said as a result of the privatisation and liquidation of RAMCOZ, the people of Luanshya have suffered a lot.

Lt.Gen Shikapwasha assured the nation that the security of the country will not be jeopardised following the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel to a foreign firm.

He said all security issues were looked into before a decision was made to sale majority shares in the company to a foreign company.

“Zambians must not worry that the sell of Zamtel will prove to be a security risk. All these issues were looked into and all those who use the facility, including the defence forces, will still be able to operate normally without any fear of any privileged information ending up elsewhere,” Lt.Gen Shikapwasha said.

Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei said the sale of Zamtel will continue to benefit Zambians both in dividends and taxes.

He said being a parastatal, the company was not remitting any taxes but that the new owners will begin doing so as soon as they begin to make profits.

“I cannot tell how much money we will collect from the new investors but when they start operating, we will look at the profits; then we will start taxing them,” he said.

And Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) president Mwilola Imakando says the sale of Zamtel makes economic sense and that the company must now be ready to compete with other players in the sector.

Dr Imakando said in a separate interview that Zamtel has been sold at a late hour when it is unable to offer services efficiently.

He said the major concern before was the moratorium of not allowing new companies to come on the scene.
He said, however, the sale of 75 percent shares in Zamtel will allow the company to build up muscle and make it ready to compete effectively.

He said having a competitor will improve the operations of the company, which has been unable to make any returns on the investment that has been built over the years.

Government has sold 75 percent shares to Libya’s Lap Green Networks.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

The PF-UPND pact has boasted that the launch of the pact last Saturday has overcome regional and tribal politics in Zambia, of which former president Fredrick Chiluba was the alleged architect.

And the PF-UPND pact has observed that Dr Chiluba is under threat because he knows that President Rupiah Banda, the only person who is shielding him from all his ill dealings whilst President, is slowly losing ground.

In an interview with QFM, PF-UPND co-spokesperson Charles Kakoma said Dr Chiluba and president Banda are talking the way they are talking about the relevance of the pact because they are panicking.

Mr Kakoma stressed that the coming together of the UPND and PF has countered regional and tribal politics.

Mr Kokoma who is also Zambezi west Member of Parliament accused Dr Chiluba of creating strides of regional politics through his malicious and questionable campaigns for President Rupiah Banda.

And Mr Kakoma has maintained that there is no urgency of announcing who will be the Pact’s presidential candidate because the date of the general elections has not been announced.

He said the pact is aware that the MMD wants the presidential candidate to be named so that they can direct their energies to de-campaigning him.
He stressed that the pact will not fall into the MMD’s cheap traps.
[Q FM]

Convicted Post Newspapers Editor-in Chief Fred M’membe has been granted bail pending appeal worthy K20 million Kwacha in his own recognizance by a Lusaka Magistrate court with two working sureties.

His lawyer Remmy Mainza told journalists at the Lusaka Magistrate Complex this afternoon that M’membe has been granted a free bail by Magistrate David Simusamba. This means Mr. M’membe will not have to pay the money unless he defaults bail conditions.

The bail which was supposed to be signed this morning was delayed until after 15:00 hrs, because his lawyers were told to make some amendments to the notice of appeal which was presented earlier to Senior Resident Magistrate David Simusamba.

And speaking to journalists after he was released, Mr M’membe,who was clad in a pair of jeans, a pair of canvas, a checked shirt and a black cap said he does not understand what the alleged corrupt government of President Rupiah Banda has achieved by his conviction.

Mr M’membe said the Post Newspapers will continue operating as before, adding that his spirit remains the same and shall never be crashed.

M’membe further said that there is a great need to improve the judicial system in the country. He said the judicial system is not operating the way it ought to be.

Meanwhile, M’membe has appealed to authorities to look into the plight of prisoners whose situation he has described as ‘Worse than That of Dogs and Chickens’ in people’s homes.

M’membe has also thanked all those who turned up at the court today to give him moral support, mostly women clad in opposition UPND chitenge materials and T-shirts who sang songs of solidarity.

The Post Editor-in-Chief was last Friday sentenced to four months imprisonment after being convicted for contempt of court arising from an article by US based Zambian professor of law Muna Ndulo titled “the Chansa Kabwela trial,a Comedy of errors”.
[ QFM ]

The National Restoration Party (NAREP) today launched its manifesto and promised to reduce the number of cabinet ministers from the current 23 to 12 in order to minimize spending on ministers.

Interim President Elias Chipimo Junior says when he forms government he will reduce cabinet ministers to minimize government spending on ministers.

Mr Chipimo said government is spending too much resources on cabinet ministers and their deputies.

He further said that NAREP has a vision of achieving a broader ownership of the economy by giving opportunities to everyone to own and run various industries.

He noted further that ownership of the economy can only be made possible if dependency on mines and imported oil is stopped.

Mr Chipimo said in this vein, if given a chance to form government he would ensure that the country starts to use bio-fuels to create jobs for Zambians who will be forced to go into farming to produce the bio-fuels.

He said that his party’s vision and Manifesto is spelling out how the country will develop using what he called a new philosophy known as “ a just was” which he said is better than capitalism and socialism.

Mr Chipimo said his vision will combine technology with agriculture to transform the rural landscape into an oasis of activity and innovation which he said will turn Zambia into a food basket for the whole continent.

He observed that government has good policies which have not been implemented and he would ensure they are implemented.

Mr. Chipimo however pointed out that the launch of the PF/UPND pact will not shake his party as it has a stronger foundation on which it was founded. He added that his party’s vision was to restore the hope of Zambians.

ZANIS