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The Movement for Multiparty Democracy MMD is scouting for over 6 billion Kwacha to hold its National convention and elections of its leaders at lower organ level.
Party National Chairman Michael Mabenga told QFM in an interview that the party could not afford to luxuriously spend party resources as it has a budget to meet before the convention.
He said this is the reasons that have caused the delay in holding the National convention.
Mr Mabenga said the money required for the party to hold the convention is colossal.
And Mr Mbenga noted that no National Executive Committee Member has been paid to endorse president Rupiah Banda as the sole candidate of the party for the 2011 elections.
He said the decision to endorse President Banda as the sole candidate at both the national convention and the 2011 Presidential elections is entirely dependent on the members of the Party themselves through their provincial leaders.
Mr Mabenga, however, stated that anyone is free to challenge president Rupiah Banda at the convention.
[ QFM ]
President Banda points at a tree where a monkey passed water on him before he addressed a press briefing at State
President Rupiah Banda has said the partial sale of Zamtel to a Libyan company is irreversible because it has been done legally.
The president said United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema is exhibiting ignorance by saying the sale will be revoked.
Mr Banda said the sale of Zamtel to Lap Green Network was binding on the Zambian Government as it had been done within the law and there was no way of reversing the process.
He said Mr Hichilema was exhibiting lack of political and legal understanding by asserting that he would reverse the privatisation of Zamtel if he comes into power.
Lap GreenN, which had bought 75 per cent shares in Zamtel at US$257 million, would have long paid the money to Zambians and investment would have taken place, which would render the process irreversible.
On arrival from Mfuwe where he went for a three-day working holiday, President Banda wondered where the money to pay Lap GreenN of Libya would come from especially that everything had been done within the requirements of the law.
President Banda said Mr Hichilema was merely exposing his failure to understand politics and wondered where he was getting the muscle to condemn a process that had been widely accepted by the workers and stakeholders.
“Where will he get the money to pay those Libyans? He does not understand politics. Most of the privatisation in this country was done by Mr Hichilema and we have not reversed what he did,” President Banda told journalists in an interview.
Government at the weekend concluded the sale of Zamtel to Lap Green N of Libya. Finance Minister Situmbeko Muskotwane said Zamtel had become a drain on the treasury as it was making losses.
And Mr Banda dismissed sentiments by Mr Hichilema that the ruling party was shaken by the launch of the Patriotic Front and UPND (PF/UPND) Pact going by the huge support his Government continues to enjoy.
Mr Banda said huge crowds of people welcome him wherever he goes, citing Mfuwe where he was well received during his three-day working holiday.
“Do I look like I am shaken? Even last year they launched the pact and now we thought they would announce their leader. I don’t understand what they launched,” the president said.
The president was reacting to sentiment by Mr Hichilema on ‘Let the People Talk’ programme on Radio Phoenix on Tuesday that the MMD had been shaken by the launch of the pact last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Mr Banda has said The Post newspaper editor-in-chief, Fred M’membe should not kill himself to put the Government on a black spot in view of his continued attacks on the Government over his contempt case.
Mr Banda said Mr M’membe’s problems were with the courts that cited him for contempt and had nothing to do with the Government.
The life of Mr M’membe could not be said to be in danger on account of his court appearances over an offence committed in court.
The president said he was not a man-hunter and that Mr M’membe’s allegations were far from the truth.
Mr Banda also said he sympathised with Health Deputy Minister Solomon Musonda who shot and wounded a PF cadre identified as Jackson Musaka last month.
President Banda said the matter would be left in the hands of the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to resolve.
The president said he would not take any action against Dr Musonda to allow the law enforcement agencies to deal with the matter professionally.
“I feel sorry for him. He is a very professional man but I will leave the matter with the police and the DPP,” Mr Banda said.
The president also called for more investment in the vast game reserves, forests and national parks in the countryside.
Mr Banda said he was taken to areas in the Northern parts of Luangwa National Park and discovered that massive forests were under-invested which must be changed.
He said there was so much potential for huge investments in the valley areas around Luangwa National ?ark.
Vice-President George Kunda, Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu, State House Minister Ronald Mukuma, Agriculture Minister Peter Daka welcomed the president on arrival at City Airport.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Government has revealed that the country’s domestic debt stock currently stands at $1.93 billion (K10 trillion ).
Principal economist of domestic debt under the investment and debt management department at the ministry of finance and national planning, William Kabwe said government is rolling over the domestic debt and has decided to only engage into further borrowing to manage the already matured domestic debts.
Mr. Kabwe however said that government is well aware of the fact that domestic borrowing is on the increase and should be effectively managed because it is dangerous for the economy.
He said government has already began working on the reduction of the Treasury bill restricting the debt management office at the ministry to bring it to appreciable international standards.
But a report on domestic debt management in Zambia by AFRODAD in conjunction with the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction has divulged that government has failed to put in place adequate legal frameworks that are all encompassing to forge for efficient domestic debt management.
Presenting the report for validation in Lusaka this morning, to the civil society, the private sector and some government officials, CSPR Programmes Manager, William Chilufya,called on government to urgently implement the national domestic debt management strategy.
Government has challenged United Party for National Development UPND president Haikainde Hichilema to explain what happened to the hundreds of millions of dollars that went missing when he engineered the privatization of RAMCOZ and other parastatals.
Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha in an interview with QFM said Mr Hichilema should not try to come out clean on the sale of RAMCOZ but explain the criteria and procedures used to sell off the mine which subsequently resulted in the suffering of the ex-workers of the company.
He said Government has all the information with regards the manner in which Mr Hichilema handled the privatization of parastatals.
Leutenant General Shikapwasha expressed shock that the UPND leader is now condemning and attacking Government on what he described as a well calculated move to the sell Zamtel.
He said Mr Hichilema should not mislead the Zambian people on Government’s decision to sale Zamtel because it is in the interest of the nation.
And General Shikapwasha has dared Mr Hichilema to tell the Zambian people how he acquired the house that he is currently leaving in situated in Kabulonga residential area.
President Banda greets Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde
President Rupiah Banda has dismissed as untrue allegations by Post Newspapers Editor In Chief Fred Mmembe that the state is plotting to eliminate him.
President Banda says he has nothing personal against Mr. Mmembe.
He told Journalists in Lusaka Thursday afternoon, that Mr. Mmembe ‘s problems do not relate to him but the Judiciary.
The President was speaking to Journalists shortly upon arrival from Mfuwe where had gone for a three day working visit.
Mr. Banda said Mr. Mmembe should not kill himself and accuse the state of clearing him.
Mr Mmembe is quoted as telling First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda in a story published by the Post newspapers that President Banda’s Government wanted to eliminate him.
And Mr. Banda said he is sorry about an incident in Chitambo constituency where Health Deputy Minister Solomon Musonda shot and wounded a Patriotic Front cadre, Jack Musaka.
The President said the Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions should be left to handle the matter.
Dr Fredrick Chiluba
Second Republican president Frederick Chiluba has said the Patriotic Front (PF) and its supporters who are against his visits to Ndola are afraid he will expose the poor state of PF-run councils and bring it to the attention of the central Government.
Dr Chiluba said the PF must not panic each time he visits other provinces because he is still a free citizen of the country.
Dr Chiluba said in an interview in Ndola yesterday that the PF was worried that he was seeing for himself the damage they were causing to the councils under their control which they wanted to blame on the administration of President Rupiah Banda.
Dr Chiluba said he enjoyed freedom of movement and no one could stop him from seeing for himself what was happening in some areas.
“What I see, I can’t keep to myself, I will pass it on to the president,” he said.
Dr Chiluba said he was extremely pleased that on Tuesday when he toured Chifubu Township, people including PF cadres were expressing their anger over the poor state of the township directly under the leadership of the PF councilors.
“I totally agree with them that we need to change the current PF leadership at local government level and replace them with MMD. The PF has clearly failed to run the councils,” he said.
Dr Chiluba said it was unacceptable that Chifubu Market, which was one of the oldest in the city, still had no electricity and marketeers were forced to close as early as 18.00 hours.
[pullquote]“What I see, I can’t keep to myself, I will pass it on to the president,” he said.
Dr Chiluba said he was extremely pleased that on Tuesday when he toured Chifubu Township, people including PF cadres were expressing their anger over the poor state of the township directly under the leadership of the PF councilors.
“I totally agree with them that we need to change the current PF leadership at local government level and replace them with MMD. The PF has clearly failed to run the councils,” he said.[/pullquote]
He wondered where the PF councillors were using the K600 million constituency development fund if areas such as Chifubu had heaps of garbage and sanitation was lacking.
“I am in total consonance with them that we need change because the councillors there have clearly failed the people. Modern government is not about central government but about local government. PF councilors are responsible for areas like Chifubu and they must be held responsible for the poor state of the township,” he said.
He said when he left office, the CDF was only K30 million but it had since been raised to K600 million which was a lot of money that could be translated into tangible development projects.
Dr Chiluba said people in areas such as Chifubu appreciate his housing policy legacy hence the reason why their reception was warm when he visited the township.
He said Chifubu residents must agitate for repairs of the roads and electricity and hold their councillors responsible for failing to deliver on such services.
“Our people are not resentful or insane, they are nice law abiding citizens who respect their leaders,” he said.
Excited crowds followed Dr Chiluba when word went round that he was in Chifubu Township.
He visited the home of an elderly widow Lise Bwalya who said electricity had been disconnected as she was struggling to make a living.
And Dr Chiluba, through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, said PF should not remain constantly pre-occupied and obsessed with his movements to any part of the country.
“Dr Chiluba is a former head of state. He is not seeking any party or Government office. He will be engaged in non-partisan issues that he deems helps our people,” he said.
Mr Mwamba said while on the Copperbelt, residents with difficult and longstanding problems have requested Dr Chiluba’s intervention in many issues.
He said Wusakile residents, whose households share communal toilets that have been neglected and have not been serviced by the new sewerage company requested his intervention.
He said the former miners had also made Dr Chiluba their patron and he has coordinated the search for a solution with Government for their numerous problems ranging from failure to access title deeds, unpaid dues and other issues.
Dr Chiluba also visited former ZAFFICO houses in Kalulushi where residents want the houses sold to them as sitting tenants and former workers.
He said the residents had also requested for his intervention on many issues as the local councillors had paid a deaf ear to their plight.
The former president expressed surprise at the deliberately twisted media reports arising from his presence on the Copperbelt Province.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha makes a presentation on the state of Zambian media at the United Nations in New Y
Government has charged that first republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s reaction to the conviction and incarceration of Post Newspapers editor-in-chief Fred M’membe has exposed his short sightedness.
Chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says Dr Kaunda is short-sighted by trying to say that M’membe is an innocent soul. This was in reaction to a story in yesterday’s Post about Mr M’membe and Dr Kaunda’s conversation shortly after M’membe was released from prison on bail on Monday. The story quotes Dr Kaunda as saying the Post editor-in-chief is an innocent soul.
Lieutenant General Shikapwasha says the same man Dr. Kaunda is referring to as innocent had at one point accused him of being after his Life.
And Gen. Shikapwasha says government is surprised by Mr M’membe’s claims that President Rupiah Banda and former president Dr Fredrick Chiluba are after his life.
He said Mr M’membe is afraid of his own shadow and that his claims are baseless and not new to the government. He stressed that Mr. M’membe has accused all of Zambia’s four Presidents of wanting him dead.
He maintained that the government of President Rupiah Banda is not interested in anything that pertains to M’membe and that they have nothing to do with his case.
Gen. Shikapwasha has also accused Mr M’membe of making cheap and false allegations to divert the attention of the people from his conviction for contempt of court.
[QFM]
Some Lusaka residents during the launch of the UPND-PF pavt
By Elias Munshya wa Munshya
The most anticipated launch of the UPND/PF pact has finally materialized. The Pact members were mobilized in Lusaka to launch a pact that they feel would achieve the aspirations of removing the MMD from power. But as I show in this article—the launch of the UPND/PF pact, while being a major political milestone in the country, is much ado about nothing since this launch has not answered the most perennial questions the Pact leaders must answer.
First, the real issue with the Pact is not whether the grassroots in the two parties are united or not. That is not the issue. The main issue is about whom between Hichilema and Sata will be the presidential candidate in the 2011 elections. Regardless of how many rallies and launches the Pact goes through, if it does not address the presidency, its prospects for 2011 remain bleak. A Pact candidate matters since it may determine how Zambians will vote in 2011. While the respective spokespersons of the two parties have said that the candidate will be picked through a vote-they have not elaborated how. They are just assuming that he will be picked through democratic means.
Learning from history, no party has held truly democratic intra-party elections since Chiluba was elected MMD president in 1991. As such, I have no illusion to believe that there will be any meaningful democratic modalities to pick the Pact’s candidate. The two respective parties themselves have not held freely democratic elections within their parties, how then do they expect to exercise democracy when picking the candidate for 2011? All that is known, for now, is that both Sata and HH are candidates for the 2011 elections, and such an atmosphere is not helpful to convince innocent Zambians that there is a meaningful alliance.
Second, while it is true that mathematically the Pact may, taking the lead from the 2008 election, have more votes than the MMD—the political algebra just does not mean that they will have those votes come 2011. From the 2008 elections it is clear that a combination of the PF and the UPND votes comfortably beat the votes for the MMD. But that is where the faulty reasoning lies. The Pact may be assuming that people who voted for the two parties will vote for the Pact in 2011.
This assumption is fundamentally faulty since it does not take into account the complex reasons why people vote in the first place. To assume that the Pact will take all the provinces that the UPND and PF as individual parties took in 2008 is flawed. As above, let me reiterate the fact that the deciding factor in the next elections will be the Pact’s presidential candidate. If the Pact fields Sata, Southern voters will not vote for the Pact—it is as easy as that. Southern voters have expressed in clear terms that the Pact will only be supported if it fields HH.
On the other hand, if the Pact picked HH as its candidate—the MMD will exploit HH’s weakness as a regional candidate. This is the dilemma that the Pact faces. Either-way it is a bust for the Pact.
Third, the launch of the Pact is much ado about nothing since it fails to explain exactly what is being launched. To launch something, you need to have a plan. But the so called pact does not seem to have a plan in place. While they have a desire to remove the MMD from power, they lack a comprehensive plan of how they are going to do this, and they are assuming that by saying that they are a pact then they can easily boot out the MMD.
What Zambia needs is not a pact, in the lines of the UPND/PF pact. We have tried those before and it has never worked. If it is political unity the PF and the UPND needed then what they should have done is to dissolve themselves and then form one party; head for party elections; elect a president; and then launch themselves as such. But going by Saturday’s event, they are doing things backwards. And it is this backwardness that will come to haunt them latter in 2011. This Pact has no plan and it is just wasting innocent Zambians’ time.
Fourth, both HH and Sata are right in saying that the Pact is people driven and in fact they are cautioning the people to guard the pact very jealously so that it does not fail. I see that to be a serious anomaly. Since when did ordinary people matter to Zambian politicians? I have no delusion to believe that the pact will work simply because the people say so. In 1991, unity worked because the MMD had a plan and its leaders (Wina, Mulemba, Lewanika etc) selflessly supported Chiluba once he was elected as MMD president. Besides, Wina, Mulemba and Chiluba never declared their candidacy for the 1991 general elections; they instead waited until the MMD had elected one of them as its president.
From our political history, it is political leaders and not just the ordinary people that determine the Zambian political landscape. And regardless of how much ordinary Zambians want the Pact to succeed; if HH and Sata do not make it work, then it would not work. What HH and Sata need to understand is that the future of the Pact does not lie in Chiwempala, Chawama, or in Chama, but rather in Rhodes Park and Kabulonga where Sata and Hichilema live.
And if they do not agree right there in Kabulonga I do not see how the ordinary people in Milenge will make the Pact work. The fact that the Pact is people driven and not leadership driven is the very reason why it will fail come 2011. HH and Sata can do the people a great service, by agreeing on a clear plan of unity which should make them excuse themselves from 2011 candidacy until their Pact chooses a president to lead the Pact.
In the meantime, they are working from a wrong assumption that they are both presidential candidates until the Pact rejects one of them. How about if they worked from the assumption that none of them is a candidate for 2011 until the Pact decides on the candidate. But who am I to suggest anything to these politicians, they only do what they want to do and not what the people want!
asylum-seeker Raphael LunguCampaigners from a Norwich church have succeeded in preventing one of its members, an asylum-seeker and former policeman who blew the whistle on corruption in Zambia, from being deported back to the African country, where he feared for his future.
Zambian national Raphael Lungu (pictured right) fled to the UK in 2006 to claim asylum after whistle blowing against corruption in the Zambian police force. This resulted in not only his own life being put in danger, but in the assault of his parents and rape of his 11-year-old daughter.
As an ardent Christian who felt strongly that because of his faith he could not be involved in corrupt judicial practices, Raphael came into direct conflict over a period of time with fellow officers in the Zambian police force and eventually high ranking judges and government officials.
After intimidation and attacks on his family – including his daughter (now 15 years old) – he was advised to seek refuge elsewhere and not to return to Zambia. As he had visited the UK in his capacity as a second-hand car parts salesman and as a resident of the former British protectorate Northern Rhodesia (as Zambia then was), he came to the UK in 2006 to claim asylum.
On Tuesday (June 8), Raphael faced a third attempt at deportation back to Zambia. He resisted the first two attempts and during the second he was allegedly assaulted by an official from the UK Border Agency.
Due to the efforts of friends and campaigners from Norwich Central Baptist Church (NCNC), which Raphael attends, a last-minute injunction was granted to Raphael to stop his forcible removal to Zambia. He is now detained at the Colnbrook Immigration Centre near Heathrow Airport.
Campaign organiser, and NCBC member, Terry Smith, said: “Raphael resisted two earlier attempts to deport him. The second time he was badly beaten by the UK Border Agency guards. He was treated in hospital and left on crutches. The reason for the postponement of the third deportation attempt is new evidence from Zambia and the completion of an investigation by the police regarding the assault.”
It has been extremely difficult for Raphael to procure the relevant court papers to prove his actions against corruption and the UK Border Agency refused Raphael’s asylum claim because he did not have enough evidence to prove his claims.
Now, since the intervention of the Norwich church, lawyers in Zambia have gathered more evidence and sent it to the UK and campaigners say it is absolutely vital that this evidence is now considered. With the granting of the injunction there is now time for the authorities to do so
Terry said: “Since 2009, Raphael has attended NCBC and has become thoroughly integrated into the church family. Raphael is a part of our community and has been very popular and a regular attendee of prayer meetings and external social clubs such as badminton and dancing. He has been actively involved in assisting the elderly having waited on table at the weekly luncheon club.
“Outside of Norwich Central Baptist Church, he frequently attended evening dinners of the ‘Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship’ (FGBMFI) listening and networking with invited guest speakers and on some occasions, giving speeches of his own.
“Raphael is always good company and a joy to be with, and when you consider the torment he is going through, he must have great inner strength derived from his deep Christian faith,” said Terry. “We, as a church, are endeavouring to give Raphael as much support as possible and are praying for a positive result from all that is taking place on his behalf.”
Dr Anna Rowlands, a lecturer in theology at Cambridge University, first highlighted Raphael’s plight in her role as chaplain at the Oakington Immigration Centre in Cambridgeshire and got the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns on board.
New Norwich South MP, Simon Wright, has also now got involved and is making representations to the Home Secretary.
The 2010 season takes an annual three-week break starting this weekend until July 3 but not for Zanaco.
Zanaco will be very busy playing catch-up in their remaining three games in hand.
This Saturday, Zanaco face Green Buffaloes away at Edwin Imboela in a Week 4 match.
Thereafter, Zanaco return home where they will host on Nchanga Rangers at Sunset in Lusaka on June 19 in a Week 7 game.
Forest Rangers will later follow a week later also at Sunset on June 26 to wrap-up Zanaco’s series of unplayed matches.
Meanwhile, Zanaco beat plucky National Assembly 2-1 thanks to goals from defender Charles Siyingwa with a header in the 30th minute to see the home side go 1-0 into the break.
Zanaco had sure goal from striker Makundika Sakala disallowed dead on halftime but there was no doubting fellow strikers Winstone Kalengo’s 75th minute goal.
However, Assembly got their consolation in the extra time of the 90 minutes through former Young Arrows striker Kruger Mwansa.
Former President Frederick Chiluba’s spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba
Second Republican President Frederick Chiluba has dismissed reports that he received a hostile reception during his recent visit to the Copperbelt.
Dr. Chiluba said contrary to some negative media reports, he was received by a huge, excited and slogan chanting group of residents.
He said the group was much bigger yesterday when he made a stop over at Chifubu market on his way to his residence.
The former President said this in a statement released to ZNBC news by his Spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba in Lusaka.
Dr Chiluba is shocked that his private visits to the Copperbelt are being maliciously misconstrued and reported as political campaigns for the MMD.
He wondered why the Patriotic Front is now panicking over his trips to the Copperbelt when the MMD NEVER made an issue over similar trips when he supported the PF.
He explained that regular trips to the Copperbelt are necessary because his other home, farm and close relatives are there.
Government has announced major plans to construct infrastructure across various sectors of the economy through the Public Private Partnership arrangements.
Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the projects include roads, airports, border posts, farming blocks, power generation, transport and housing units.
Dr. Musokotwane said this during a media briefing in Lusaka, Wednesday.
He said in the road sector, government will engage private developers to construct a network of dual carriage roads spreading from Livingstone through Lusaka to Solwezi and the Coppebelt.
Dr. Musokotwane said construction of the Kitwe – Chingola dual carriage way from Ndola to Kasumbalesa will start in August.
He said other roads earmarked for dual carriage ways are Livingstone-Kafue, Lusaka-Chirundu, Kafulafuta – Luanshya turn off and Chingola-Solwezi-Mwinilunga-Jimbe road.
He said awarding of contracts for dual carriage roads will start next month while construction will commerce in November this year.
Dr Musokotwane said the construction of infrastructure at Kasumbalesa border post under the Build and Transfer Model is expected to be completed in December with commissioning scheduled for January 2011.
He said the project will save government about 13 million US dollars.
Other projects include the Lusaka International airport and the Nasanga farming block .
The Zambia Government has allowed farmers and traders to export the maize surplus of 1.1 million tonnes mainly in southern African after a good harvest, but farmers have urged more exports.
Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNUF) president Jervis Zimba told Reuters today that farmers also wanted the government to provide tax waivers on maize exports and other incentives to make exports cheaper.
He said they are looking at exporting somewhere around 1.3 million tonnes in order not to have serious carry-overs for the next crop. Zimba said proposals to subsidise exports would also allow excess maize to be removed from the local market and guarantee higher prices in the 2010/11 season, after the government kept this year’s prices flat at K65,000 per 50kg bag.
Zimba said maize output would drop if the government did not facilitate the export of the surplus through an export subsidy.
South Africa said in April that it had secured foreign markets to sell its surplus maize of about 4 million tonnes in the 2009/10 season to safeguard maize prices for local farmers.
[pullquote] Zimba said proposals to subsidise exports would also allow excess maize to be removed from the local market and guarantee higher prices in the 2010/11 season, after the government kept this year’s prices flat at K65,000 per 50kg bag.[/pullquote]
Zambia produced 2.7 million tonnes of white maize in 2009/2010, beating last season’s harvest of 1.9 million tonnes, to leave a surplus of 1.1 million, according to a government crop survey.
Zimba said Zambia’s food balance sheet showed that total maize required for human consumption was 1.3 million tonnes, 230,000 tonnes for industrial use and 200,000 for strategic reserves.
Zambia, Africa’s top copper producer, also relies on copper exports for about 63 percent of foreign exchange earnings.
It has in the previous seasons exported maize to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Angola.
Exporters said they will target exports to Zimbabwe, after it declared 11 percent of its maize a write-off due to a dry spell, and also to other neighboring countries.
Meanwile, Kenya and Sudan have expressed interest in importing maize from Zambia.
Agriculture Minister Peter Daka says ZAMBIA has the capacity to export Maize and other crops to neighbouring countries and the sub region.
Zambia this year has over three million tonnes of maize following a bumper harvest recorded this year and carry over stock from last year.
Mr Daka said this during a consultative workshop on the development of the Zambia National Rice Strategy in Lusaka on today.
The minister said Zambia could treble its rice production if it develops a strategic plan for the sector.
Zambia currently produces 42 thousand metric tones of rice annually.
Chief government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha visits a PF cadre who was shot by health deputy minister Solomon Musonda
Following the shooting of Mr Musaka by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr Solomon Musonda, the University of Zambia Student Union (UNZASU) demands that Dr Musonda RESIGNS on moral grounds to allow the law to take its course without government interference. UNZASU strongly condemns this growing trend of shooting unarmed citizens by police that is now spilling over to political and government leaders.
Justice delayed is justice denied, therefore, Dr Musonda must resign to allow quick, free and fair investigations given his grave offence.We further call upon political party leaders to stop perpetuating violence by inciting violence through their followers as such would not obtain if the leaders did not tolerate it.
UNZASU also calls upon His Excellency the Republican President Rupiah Bwezani Banda to take stiff disciplinary action on government officials as such acts are discrediting his leadership.We believe that the root cause of this growing political violence is because the leaders of these political parties involved allow it.
This act of violence if left unchecked will incite future violence among opposing political parties and their followers. It is therefore imperative that the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde look into this matter impartially and independently by opening an investigation into the shooting, as the Honorable Deputy Minister should not have gotten off with a mere warning. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Yours in students service,
Matongo, Otis (Mr) Secretary General UNZASU
Lunda, Mutinta (Mr) Publicity & Info Secretary UNZASU
