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Law Association of Zambia president, Stephen Lungu has described as unfair and unfortunate, second republican President, Fredrick Chiluba’s reaction following the conviction of his former minister of finance Dr. Katele Kalumba.
Dr. Chiluba is quoted as having said that all the corruption allegations against him and his former officials were a political witch-hunt in which the courts were simply being used to achieve political mileage by his enemies.
Mr. Lungu said it is highly regrettable that Dr.Chiluba could go ahead and make such comments over a case whose result was of so much importance to the development of the nation.
He explains that while the case had taken a lot of time to conclude, there was no witch hunt that would have been engaged in.
Mr. Lungu said there is need for every Zambian to show respect to the judiciary because it is mandated to make such decisions.
He noted that it was unfair for the former President to have uttered such remarks especially that he was also part to the formulations of such judicial procedures and systems.
Mr. Lungu has since cautioned Dr. Chiluba to be careful with the statements he issues because they have the potential to erode public confidence in the judiciary.
[ QFM ]
Vice president George Kunda yesterday said the United Party for National Development (UPND) is disintegrating and the MMD will continue hammering on the weakened structures of the opposition party to gain more members.
And former Patriotic Front (PF) Southern Province co-cordinator Opper Hamiyanze has said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s desperation for power has killed his party.
Mr Kunda said the UPND had started losing grip of its structures in Southern Province.
Mr Kunda, who was speaking on arrival at Livingstone International Airport said the UPND was rapidly losing its members to the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD), which was recently formed by former Luena Member of Parliament Charles Milupi.
“The UPND is losing grip in Southern Province. We shall continue pounding on the structures of the UPND in the province. They are now losing their members to the new political party for Mr Charles Milupi.
“But the MMD is growing even stronger and are gaining more members on the Copperbelt going by the recent resignation of senior members of the Patriotic Front,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kunda has said the Government will not lift the suspension slapped on Livingstone City Council (LCC) until all matters that led to the suspension are resolved.
Mr Kunda said the city of Livingstone was cherished by the MMD Government and it would ensure the local authority in the tourist capital was well run.
[pullquote]“The UPND is losing grip in Southern Province. We shall continue pounding on the structures of the UPND in the province. They are now losing their members to the new political party for Mr Charles Milupi.
“But the MMD is growing even stronger and are gaining more members on the Copperbelt going by the recent resignation of senior members of the Patriotic Front,” he said.[/pullquote]
“In this vein the Livingstone City Council, which was suspended a few months ago will remain suspended until further notice,” he said.
The Government suspended LCC because of its alleged involvement in acts of indiscipline, which had put the Ministry of Local Government and Housing into disrepute.
Mr Kunda said the administrator who had been appointed to run the affairs of the council was doing a good job.
“We need Livingstone council to be a role model because of its tourism potential,” he said.
Mr Kunda was in Livingstone to grace the 27th plenary assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
Southern Province MMD provincial secretary Emmanuel Siamweela commended Government’s policies aimed at improving agriculture in Zambia.
“The fertiliser support programme has yielded a lot of results and even members in MMD are increasing. We have since set goals and formed clubs to also access these inputs,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Patriotic Front (PF) Southern province co-coordinator Opper Hamiyanze has said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s desperation for power has killed his party.
Reacting to President Banda’s revelation that he had information that Mr Hichilema had accepted to be vice-president under the UPND-PF Pact, Mr Hamiyanze said the entire UPND was disappointed with him.
The Chamber of Mines in Zambia (CMZ) has backed Government’s stance not to reintroduce the windfall tax in the mining industry.
CMZ general manager Fred Bantubonse said in an interview yesterday that Vice-President George Kunda’s statement at the just-ended Copperbelt Mining, Agriculture and Commercial Show (CMACS) that the Government had no intentions of bringing back the tax was correct and commendable.
Mr Bantubonse said the windfall tax was not in the best interest of either Government or mine companies.
Zambia needs taxes that guarantee benefits for both Government and investors and not ones that choked the much-needed investment.
The introduction of the windfall taxes in 2008 proved problematic, as mining houses were expected to pay way beyond the 47 per cent effective tax rate as stipulated.
“Mining companies did some calculations and discovered they would be paying over 80 per cent and this was confirmed by an independent study by Price-Waterhouse Coopers,” he said.
No investors would realistically want to pay such rates however big their investment in the mines.
Mr Bantubonse said despite having the tax withdrawn soon after being put into effect, there still remained the variable tax, which was introduced at the same time.
“So in a way, we still have windfall tax in effect because the variable tax is still in place,” he said.
[pullquote]“Mining companies did some calculations and discovered they would be paying over 80 per cent and this was confirmed by an independent study by Price-Waterhouse Coopers,” he said.[/pullquote]
There was a fear that taxing mines based on the profits they made could scare away investment.
“For any tax to be acceptable, it must allow investment to grow and business to be sustained,” he said.
Mr Bantubonse said only then could companies pay taxes, provide jobs and ensure that it was a win-win situation for both country and investors.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Chief governmment Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha
Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has described as a fabrication, reports the Chief Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people wants to burn sugar cane fields belonging to Zambia Sugar.
Gen Shikapwasha said there was no need for Zambia Sugar to report Chief Mwanachingwala to the police over allegations that he threatened to burn sugar cane fields for the company.
He said yesterday in a statement that the reported threats were stretched beyond the context.
Contrary to the allegations, the chief’s guidance during the meeting called by concerned contractors and suppliers in Mazabuka recently was one of progress and not retrogressive.
“It was about advancing the interests of both Zambia Sugar and the residents of Mazabuka in deriving maximum benefits from this important investment in their midst,” he said.
Gen Shikapwasha said the chief’s remarks were about Zambia Sugar spreading business opportunities to all contractors and suppliers in the district as part of its social responsibility.
The Government found as unnecessary, the decision by Zambia Sugar Plc to report Chief Mwachingwala of the Tonga people of Mazabuka for his alleged threats to burn the company’s cane fields as reported in some sections of the media.
Dr Katele Kalumba walking to his prison cells after he was jailed by a Lusaka magistrate CourtFORMER President Frederick Chiluba says he cannot celebrate the conviction of MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba and three others because they are his friends.
And Dr Chiluba has questioned why former Ministry of Health permanent secretary Simon Miti chartered a faulty plane when he (Dr Chiluba) was evacuated to South Africa for treatment.
Dr Chiluba said he is saddened about the conviction of Dr Kalumba and others because they were his right-hand officials during his tenure of office.
He said it is immoral for some people, who include Kafulafuta member of Parliament George Mpombo and Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata, to mock him over the matter by asking him to celebrate the conviction of Dr Kalumba.
Dr Chiluba said this in an interview with journalists after attending a church service at the Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) in Matero yesterday.
He said contrary to the insinuations, he is not happy or celebrating over the conviction of Dr Kalumba and others because they are his comrades.
“Whether Mr Mpombo or other people commented or not over this matter, I cannot be happy, neither can I smile or dance over the conviction because those were my friends.
“They were not my key advisors but were my comrades and right-hand men and we worked together,” he said.
Dr Chiluba, however, said as a democrat, he is not in the habit of interfering with the work of the courts of law.
He said he cannot argue the case because of security reasons.
“Dr Kalumba and others are my friends and we worked together but now that they have been found in this situation, I do not want to argue the case for security reasons,” he said.
Last week, Mr Sata challenged Dr Chiluba to celebrate the conviction of Dr Kalumba just as he celebrated his acquittal.
Dr Kalumba, who is former Minister of Finance, and three others were last week jailed five years with hard labour for corrupt practices.
Those jailed are former Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda and former defunct Access Financial Services Limited directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu.
Dr Kalumba and the three others have, however, been released from prison after the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court granted them K500 million bail each in their own recognisance.
Meanwhile, Dr Chiluba has questioned why Dr Miti chartered a faulty plane when he was evacuated to South Africa for treatment.
Dr Chiluba asked the question during a church service when he gave a testimony of his life and heart problem.
Dr.Simon MitiHe alleged that Dr Miti hired a plane used for pest control.
He said the plane, which Dr Miti claimed was a medical airbus, had no toilet or bed.
Dr Chiluba said he does not understand the logic by Dr Miti to have hired an old plane for an emergency, adding that the flight took four hours as opposed to the usual two hours from Lusaka to South Africa.
“Thank God that my wife and I are still alive…it does not make sense to hire an old plane for a person whose heart is running at 12 percent instead of the normal 70-100 percent.
“The little old plane hired by Dr Miti was faulty because barely 30 minutes after departure, one engine blew off and everyone on the plane, including the pilots, started panicking but I was calm because I prayed to God,” Dr Chiluba said.
He said after the plane developed a fault, the nurse on board panicked and confessed that the plane was not a medical airbus.
“I wondered why the plane, which looked like a wheelbarrow was chartered for me but I think this was another attempt by the devil to weaken me. I thank God we arrived safely,” he said.
Dr Chiluba said he is not accusing anyone of attempting to take his life but was questioning the logic of hiring a ‘finished plane’ to evacuate him to South Africa.
He said he has experienced God’s love and goodness as He has seen him through his heart problem.
“It is now five years when the doctors told me I had a heart problem which is incurable and that I was going to die.
“My heart condition was deteriorating everyday and I spent sleepless nights because I had to be in a sitting position because if I had to sleep on the bed, I would have died. But my wife and I prayed even without faith sometimes because we wanted God to hear and he did. That’s why I am still alive,” he said.
Dr Chiluba thanked the church and other members of the public who prayed for his healing.
BRAZILIAN boxer Duda Yankovich wants a rematch with Esther Phiri for the Women International Boxing Association (WIBA) light-welterweight belt.
Yankovich said she is not satisfied with her performance after losing on unanimous points on Saturday night at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
She said the rematch should be held in a month’s time in Brazil because her sponsors are ready to stage the bout.
Yankovich, who was out of action for a year following a broken nose, said her performance was disappointing because she has not fully recovered.
The former WIBA light-welterweight champion lost the fight 100-99, 100-95 and 100-91 to succumb to her second consecutive defeat in her 13-fight career.
“Esther is physically fit and I think she is a good boxer. She is, however, technically poor…her trainer should work on that for Esther to fight acclaimed boxers,” Yankovich said.
Esther said the performance against Yankovich has given her confidence after a draw against Terri Blair of the United States of America in December last year.
“I am very happy to win the new world title because I heard a lot about Yankovich. This win has also proved critics wrong who doubted my future in boxing.
“Boxing is not about body make-up, but you need to be intelligent to win,” Esther said.
On the rematch, Esther said she will first consult her trainer Anthony Mwamba.
She is considering hanging up her gloves but will only do that at an appropriate time.
African Boxing Union (ABU) bantamweight champion Kennedy Kanyanta said he is ready for a rematch against Kenya’s Twalibu Mubiru.
Mubiru, who lost to Kanyanta in the third round after a technical knockout, has demanded a rematch after labelling William Sekeleti as an unprofessional referee.
Kanyanta defended Sekeleti’s decision to stop the fight insisting that if he had not done so, Mubiru would have been seriously hurt.
Patriotic front PF Chifubu Member of Parliament, Benson Bwalya has died. Mr Bwalya is reported to have died in the early hours of this morning in Chililabombwe.
PF spokesperson, Given Lubinda confirmed the death of Mr Bwalya to QFM this afternoon but could however not state what caused his death.
Mr. Lubinda who is also Kabwata Member of Parliament expressed sadness at the death of Member of Parliament who he described as humble.
He said Mr.Bwalya was a gullible and quite man who could not allow anyone to push him around. Mr Lubinda added that the late MP had never engaged in any verbal attacks on the Party leadership and that he will be missed for his credibility.
And PF leader Michael Sata said Mr. Bwalya’s death has left a very big gap in the party.
And Luapula Member of Parliament, Peter Machungwa described Mr. Bwalya as a principled man who never bowed down to pressure even if it was from the top party leadership.
He said his contribution to the works of the National Constitution Conference NCC will be highly treasured and held in high esteem.
An unidentified man scratches his backside as he collects left over foods during the Africa Freedom Day celebrations in Lusaka
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Education minister Dora Siliya and her counterpart from Lands Peter Daka follow proceedings at the Africa Freedom day celebrations
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Sports minister Kenneth Chipungu folds his trousers during Africa Freedom day celebrations
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Dr Dan Pule and his wife walk away with a meal at the Africa Freedom Day celebrations in Lusaka
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An Egyptian artiste prepares for a show during African Freedom Day in Lusaka
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Gate crushers searching for left over food after the African Freedom Day reception in Lusaka
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An unidentified man walks away with food and drinks during the reception at the Africa Freedom Day celebrations in Lusaka
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Zambia Army brass band packing their instruments after playing at the Africa freedom Day celebrations in Lusaka
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Duniya Banda, President Rupiah Banda's daughter smiles during Africa Freedom day celebrations in Lusaka
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Some dancers and members of the Zambia Army brass band queue for a meal after performing at the Africa Freedom Day
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A woman carrying a packs of left over food wrapped in her chitenje material after the Africa Freedom Day celebrations in Lusaka.
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Education minister Dora Siliya with Japanese Ambassador to Zambia Hideto Mitamura during the receiving of XVD video conferencing technology in Lusaka
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Zambians Jane Katulu and Chisenga Kunda were crowned Mr and Miss Africa during Africa Freedom day celebrations in Rostov Russia, during African freedom day by Chisenga Fungai Kunda
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Angela Nyirenda walks on Kwacha bank notes thrown at her when she performed at the Africa Freedom day celebrations in Lusaka
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Dr Katele Kalumba and Faustin Kabwe bundled in a police car after their sentencing to jail by a Lusaka magistrate Court
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Dr Katele Kalumba walking to his prison cells after he was jailed by a Lusaka magistrate Court
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Former Tourism minister Dr Patrick Kalifungwa captured at Pamodzi hotel. He is now a lecturer at Cavendish University in Lusaka
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Road Transport and Safety Agency director Fredrick Mwalusaka inspects uncollected drivers' licenses in mongu
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Stella Chibanda leaves the Lusaka magistrate Court after she was slapped with a suspended jail sentence for corruption by a Lusaka magistrate Court
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Vice president George Kunda during the e-learning conference in Lusaka
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy ,MMD, National Chairman Michael Mabenga has said that the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, will follow the party constitution to decide Dr. Kalumba’s fate in the party this week.
Mr Mabenga told QFM in a telephone interview that the party constitution is clear on the matter and that the decision of the party will be based on the constitution.
Mr Mabenga disclosed that the National Executive Committee will this week meet to discuss the way forward following Dr. Kalumba’s conviction.
Dr Kalumba together with six his co-accused were convicted by a Lusaka Magistrate court last week in a long running corruption trial.
Meanwhile, convicted MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba has declined to state whether or not he will step-down as the ruling party’s chief executive officer. Asked in an interview with QFM this morning whether he intends to step-down from his position following his conviction by a Lusaka Magistrate court last week on corruption charges, Dr Kalumba said he has restrained himself from issuing statements to the media.
Dr. Kalumba who is also Chiengi Member of Parliament said he could not say anything on the matter because he has chosen to remain quite.
The Former finance minister sentenced to 5-years imprisonment with hard labour for corruption last week said he will not respond to the media until further notice.
Two gay men jailed in Malawi but later pardoned by the country’s President Bingu wa Mutharika have been released from prison, say reports.
Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga had been given 14-year jail terms for “gross indecency and unnatural acts” after celebrating their engagement.
They were pardoned during a visit by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
But a government minister told the BBC the men could be re-arrested if they continued their relationship.
The case sparked international condemnation and a debate about homosexuality in the country.
Monjeza, 26, and Chimbalanga, 20, were released from prison on Saturday evening, hours after Mr Mutharika announced their pardon.
Gift Trapence, director of the campaign group Centre for the Development of the People (Cedep) which had been supporting the couple, said they had been taken separately to their home villages.
“The prison authorities told them they had been given instruction from above that they should take them to their respective homes,” he told the AFP news agency.
Mr Trapence said they had been “warmly welcomed by their respective relatives” when they arrived home.
‘No change’
[pullquote]”We have our own rules and laws which we are following, and our own constitution. Our constitution is not the same as your constitution,” she said in her BBC interview.[/pullquote]
But Patricia Kaliati, Malawi’s Minister of Gender and Children, said Monjeza and Chimbalanga’s release did not mean they could continue their relationship.
“It doesn’t mean that now they are free people, they can keep doing whatever you keep doing,” she said.
Malawi map
Ms Kaliati said they could be rearrested if they “continue doing that”.
The men’s lawyer said they were unlikely to be treated in the same way if they were arrested again.
“The pardon only applies to the offence under which they were convicted. If, for example, they go back and the state is of the view that they have recommited the offence, the pardon will not apply,” said Mauya Msuku.
Monjeza and Chimbalanga were arrested in December last year, a day after they celebrated their engagement and had been in custody ever since.
They were convicted of engaging in gay sex under a law dating back to colonial rule by Britain and sentenced to 14 years with hard labour.
Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa said their actions went “against the order of nature”.
But on Saturday, Mr Mutharika said he was pardoning the pair on humanitarian grounds.
“In all aspects of reasoning, in all aspects of human understanding, these two gay boys were wrong – totally wrong,” he said.
“However, now that they have been sentenced, I as the president of this country have the powers to pronounce on them and therefore, I have decided that with effect from today, they are pardoned and they will be released.”
His comments came after a meeting with UN chief Mr Ban, who praised the decision as courageous.
But Ms Kaliati insisted that the president had not bowed to international pressure in releasing the men.
She said Malawi would not now reconsider its laws against homosexuality.
“We have our own rules and laws which we are following, and our own constitution. Our constitution is not the same as your constitution,” she said in her BBC interview.
Many of Britain’s former colonies have similar laws outlawing homosexuality – India overturned it last year.
In Uganda, MPs are debating whether to strengthen the laws to include the death penalty for some gay people – a move which has infuriated Western governments and human rights campaigners.
[ BBC ]
ELECTORAL Commission of Zambia Chairperson, Justice Florence Mumba
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says all is set for the voter registration exercise scheduled to commence next month.
ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna said preparations for the exercise were progressing well and that the Commission was ready to kick start the exercise.
Mr Akufuna told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka on Monday that all logistics have been put in place to ensure that the exercise is conducted in a free and conducive atmosphere.
He said the Chairperson of the Commission Justice Florence Mumba will soon announce the date in which the exercise will begin.
The ECZ Public Relations Manager has since appealed to politicians not to derail the process by politicising the exercise but to work with the Commission to ensure everything goes well.
The ECZ is this June expected to kick start the voter registration exercise in readiness for the 2011 tripartite elections.
Meanwhile, four political parties have appealed to Zambians who are 18 years old and above to register as voters when the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) starts the voters’ registration exercise to prepare for the 2011 tripartite elections.
The United Party for National Development (UPND), United National Independence Party (UNIP) and the National Revolution Party (NRP) told ZANIS in Lusaka that all Zambians who are eligible to vote should register as voters in order for them to exercise their democratic right.
UPND Views
UPND deputy spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa said the process of registering voters was of paramount importance to the country hence the need for Zambians to take it seriously. Mr. Mweetwa said the UPND has already started sensitising its members to take advantage of the voters’ registration exercise and register so that they take part in the general elections.
He said voting was one effective way of expressing one’s feelings about the governance of the country hence the need for Zambians to register for next year’s elections.
He has meanwhile, called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to ensure that awareness campaigns about the exercise to the electorate were intensified. Mr. Mweetwa also urged the ECZ to involve influential people when advertising the exercise on national television, radio and other forms of media.
“I would also like to encourage the ECZ to sensitise the electorate by picking on people that capture the attention of the public when advertising the registration of voters’ exercise,” he said. He proposed that the ECZ should involve leaders of major political parties in the country to appeal to Zambians to register as voters through the national television and other media. Mr. Mweetwa further proposed that the ECZ should increase the voters’ registration centres in all the districts in the country, especially in rural areas to enable more people register.
UNIP Views
And United National Independence Party (UNIP) Vice President, Njekwa Anamela called on Zambians to register as voters in order for them to help determine the country’s political leadership in next year’s election. Mr. Anamela, who is also Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) spokesperson, said youths who have just reached 18 years should not miss but register as voters because they were important in the governance of the country. He further prodded the ECZ to involve all political parties and civil society organisations in sensitising their members countrywide.He has also appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly the Department of National Registration to accelerate the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) in order to enable youths register as voters when the exercise begins in the next few days.
NRP Views
National Revolution Party (NRP) president, Cosmo Mumba said young people should take the governance of Zambia seriously by registering as voters next month. Dr. Mumba said youths should stop their physical violence during elections but be proactive through their decisions in the ballot. He suggested that for the sensitisation exercise to progress smoothly and effectively, the ECZ should provide financial resources to all political parties so that they can educate their members about the voters’ registration exercise. He said churches should also get involved in sensitising their members to register as voters because an election is a national programme that affects everyone. Dr. Mumba said public places should also be flooded with adverts concerning the voters’ registration exercise.
[pullquote]“Can the ECZ come out clean on the matter and tell us how it will address those concerns. All stakeholders must be satisfied, there must be mutual consensus right from the start up to the end to ensure that the outcome of the election is not disputed,” he said[/pullquote]
PF Views
The opposition Patriotic Front (PF) has urged the ECZ and Government to ensure that all stakeholders in the voters’ registration exercise are satisfied with measures aimed at avoiding disputes after elections next year. PF spokesperson, Given Lubinda said the ECZ should identify and remove from the voters’ roll, names of people who registered as voters before the 2006 general elections but have since died. Mr. Lubinda said this is in order to allay any possible suspicion that there will be ghost voters in the 2011 presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. He said Government and the ECZ should explain how the issue of ghost voters will be avoided in the election.
He said the ECZ should also explain to Zambians how it will handle voters that have since moved from the areas where they voted last time to other places. Mr. Lubinda said this is to ensure that there is no duplication of voters and dual registration in the voters’ roll. “Let ECZ come up with a system that is devoid of duplication of voters register before we continue with the updating the voters register,” he said. He said mere updating of the voters’ register is not full proof but is still open to rigging of elections hence the need to convince all stakeholders that the election will be transparent from the very beginning of process of registering voters
“Can the ECZ come out clean on the matter and tell us how it will address those concerns. All stakeholders must be satisfied, there must be mutual consensus right from the start up to the end to ensure that the outcome of the election is not disputed,” he said. Mr. Lubinda, who is also Kabwata PF Member of Parliament, said the ECZ should devise a system that will ensure that no political party cries foul in the 2011 tripartite election.
[pullquote]The Commission, which is targeting to register about 6.4 million voters this year, has since commenced conducting workshops for people that will take part in the exercise.[/pullquote]
But ECZ Public Relations Manager, Chris Akufuna, said the process of removing the names of the deceased people from the register has already been discussed with political parties and other stakeholders.
FODEP Views
On the same issue, Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president, Stanley Mhango, urged political parties to mobilise their party structures around the country and use them to carry out awareness campaigns about the voters’ registration exercise.
Mr. Mhango said political parties and Zambians in general should take advantage of the exercise and should not politicise it in anyway because it was their civic responsibility to register as voters. He said the voters’ registration was an opportunity for all Zambians to participate in giving the direction to which Zambia should go after the 2011 elections. He urged the ECZ to be responsive and take seriously all the concerns that will be raised by stakeholders that include political parties, civil society organisations and the media before, during and after the exercise. Mr. Mhango observed that transparency was critical in the administration of the electoral process in Zambia.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set June as the month to start updating the voters’ register and registering new voters in readiness for the 2011 general elections. The Commission, which is targeting to register about 6.4 million voters this year, has since commenced conducting workshops for people that will take part in the exercise.
Patrotic Front Matero Member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe
Matero Member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe has disclosed that she does not intend to remain a member of the Patriotic Front party.
In interview with QFM Ms. Sinyangwe said that she has only resisted from having Parliament declare the Matero seat vacant because she does not want to leave the people in her constituency handicapped.
When queried on which party she was considering joining Ms. Sinyangwe said that she would join any party apart from UPND because it holds a pact with PF. She accused the PF leader Michael Sata of introducing dictatorship tendencies into the Party.
She lamented that she is tired of the dictatorship of the PF leadership and that she does not ever wish to stay in the party.
And Ms. Sinyangwe has said that she has the full support in her constituency and that the people of Matero would re-elect her in 2011 regardless of the party that will adopt her.
[ Q FM]
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema
The United Party for national Development UPND has described as disgusting and shameful the unremorseful attitude by Movement for Muilty Party for Democracy (MMD) National Secretary Katele Kalumba after his conviction by the Magistrate courts last week.
Party President Hakainde Hichilema who could not hide his displeasure said that the attitude that followed the chanting of the MMD Slogan after his slogan means a lot.
Mr Hichilema said this at a news conference organized by the Press freedom committee of the Post.
” it is so hurting that a person who has amassed public wealth instead of being remorseful to the Zambians should go ahead to chant MMD slogans outside the courts as if to tell the Zambians that the MMD would rescue him,” Mr Hichilema said.
He charged that Zambians were tired and watching what is going on stressing that Dr Kalumba and his co-convicts should not further attempt to ridicule the Zambians.
The UPND leader also advised Zambians to avoid another mistake to vote into office a Government that harbored thieves in its key financial positions.
And UPND President says that the UPN/PF pact is a serious business.
Mr. Hichilema who was responding to a concern on how the two parties would merge what he termed as brilliant ideas into one manifesto with that of the PF and that the parties have differences but that their common interests was to save the Zambians.
He likened the pact to a family of members of different characters said that the party is currently holding successful meetings under the umbrella of a joint national council to try and work out a way to merge the ideas of the parties into one manifesto.
[ QFM ]
Former Republican President Dr Fredrick Chiluba
Former President Frederick Chiluba says he cannot celebrate the conviction of MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba and three others because they are his friends.
And Dr Chiluba has questioned why former Ministry of Health permanent secretary Simon Miti chartered a faulty plane when he (Dr Chiluba) was evacuated to South Africa for treatment.
Dr Chiluba said he is saddened about the conviction of Dr Kalumba and others because they were his right-hand officials during his tenure of office.
He said it is immoral for some people, who include Kafulafuta member of Parliament George Mpombo and Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata, to mock him over the matter by asking him to celebrate the conviction of Dr Kalumba.
Dr Chiluba said this in an interview with journalists after attending a church service at the Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BIGOCA) in Matero yesterday.
He said contrary to the insinuations, he is not happy or celebrating over the conviction of Dr Kalumba and others because they are his comrades.
“Whether Mr Mpombo or other people commented or not over this matter, I cannot be happy, neither can I smile or dance over the conviction because those were my friends.
“They were not my key advisors but were my comrades and right-hand men and we worked together,” he said.
Dr Chiluba, however, said as a democrat, he is not in the habit of interfering with the work of the courts of law.
[pullquote]“Whether Mr Mpombo or other people commented or not over this matter, I cannot be happy, neither can I smile or dance over the conviction because those were my friends.”[/pullquote]
He said he cannot argue the case because of security reasons.
“Dr Kalumba and others are my friends and we worked together but now that they have been found in this situation, I do not want to argue the case for security reasons,” he said.
Last week, Mr Sata challenged Dr Chiluba to celebrate the conviction of Dr Kalumba just as he celebrated his acquittal.
Dr Kalumba, who is former Minister of Finance, and three others were last week jailed five years with hard labour for corrupt practices.
Those jailed are former Ministry of Finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda and former defunct Access Financial Services Limited directors Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu.
Dr Kalumba and the three others have, however, been released from prison after the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court granted them K500 million bail each in their own recognisance.
Meanwhile, Dr Chiluba has questioned why Dr Miti chartered a faulty plane when he was evacuated to South Africa for treatment.
Dr Chiluba asked the question during a church service when he gave a testimony of his life and heart problem.
He alleged that Dr Miti hired a plane used for pest control.
He said the plane, which Dr Miti claimed was a medical airbus, had no toilet or bed.
Dr Chiluba said he does not understand the logic by Dr Miti to have hired an old plane for an emergency, adding that the flight took four hours as opposed to the usual two hours from Lusaka to South Africa.
“Thank God that my wife and I are still alive…it does not make sense to hire an old plane for a person whose heart is running at 12 percent instead of the normal 70-100 percent.
“The little old plane hired by Dr Miti was faulty because barely 30 minutes after departure, one engine blew off and everyone on the plane, including the pilots, started panicking but I was calm because I prayed to God,” Dr Chiluba said.
He said after the plane developed a fault, the nurse on board panicked and confessed that the plane was not a medical airbus.
“I wondered why the plane, which looked like a wheelbarrow was chartered for me but I think this was another attempt by the devil to weaken me. I thank God we arrived safely,” he said.
Dr Chiluba said he is not accusing anyone of attempting to take his life but was questioning the logic of hiring a ‘finished plane’ to evacuate him to South Africa.
He said he has experienced God’s love and goodness as He has seen him through his heart problem.
“It is now five years when the doctors told me I had a heart problem which is incurable and that I was going to die.
“My heart condition was deterioting everyday and I spent sleepless nights because I had to be in a sitting position because if I had to sleep on the bed, I would have died. But my wife and I prayed even without faith sometimes because we wanted God to hear and he did. That’s why I am still alive,” he said.
Dr Chiluba thanked the church and other members of the public who prayed for his healing.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]