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European Union (EU) head of delegation to Zambia, Derek Fee
The European Union has called for the rethink of the Zambian political process.
EU Head of Delegation in Zambiasays politicians in Zambia should concentrate their minds on the issues which affect the daily lives of Zambian citizens.
Speaking during the commemoration of the European Union day in Lusaka this afternoon, Dr Fee says it would be naive to think that elections are not about personalities but that those personalities who present themselves as leaders of the people should do so by rational argument and not through defamation.
He points out that the recent elections in Mufumbwe and Milanzi have shown a side of the Zambia political process which is not conducive to the solution of the problems which beset the Zambian people.
And Dr Fee says the EU is very concerned at the conclusions of the National Constitutional Conference on issues such as the death penalty, women’s rights and the rights of the child.
He says the NCC was an opportunity for Zambia to consolidate its well deserved reputation at global level as a human rights champion by making constitutional changes which would have responded to the latest thinking on human rights.
Dr Fee adds that the Zambian society is evolving, and that denying the rights of women and children will not be consistent with Zambia’s economic ambitions.
He states that debate by the NCC on the issue of the death penalty was particularly strident and worrying.
And officiated at the same function, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale called on the European Union to take good note of the well intended position on the death penalty or any other issue that have a bearing on cordial relations and cooperation.
Government has warned Patriotic Front (PF) to rescind its decision to ferry over 200 cadres to Luapula province to attend the developmental conference slated for May 15-16 in Mansa which will be graced by former president Fredrick Chiluba.
Acting Chief Government Spokesperson Mike Mulongoti says Government will not allow Patriotic Front (PF) to ferry cadres to Luapula province because their aim is to create confusion at the conference that Dr Fredrick Chluba will hold.
Mr .Mulongoti urged PF to organize its own conference if it wanted to discuss developmental issues as opposed to creating commotion at the forthcoming conference that has been organized for a good cause.
Mr Mulongoti said the PF youths will have themselves to blame if they decide to go to Mansa.
He pointed out that it is such violent and ill motivated activities that are causing violence on the political scene in the country.
He wondered what the PF was up to by embarking on such a move stressing that Dr Chiluba is on a mission to garner support for the MMD and that if the PF wanted a forum to campaign for its leaders they should arrange for a separate one.
The conference in Mansa has been organized by the chiefs and some members of Parliament in Luapula Province to discuss development issues pertaining to the province.
[ QFM ]
FLASHBACK: Police escort PF and UPND youths during the youth day match past.
The Patriotic Front intends to ferry more than 200 youths from Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces to attend the developmental meeting in Mansa in Luapula province expected to be graced by second republican president Dr Fredrick Chiluba, from the 15th to the 16 of May 2010.
PF national secretary Erick Chanda has told QFM in Lusaka today that he believes that youths are partners in development and that PF youths have what he describes as excellent developmental ideas.
He says the PF youths will not sit back and watch former president Chiluba take his alleged dirty and corrupt ideas to the people of Luapula province.
[pullquote]He says the PF youths will not sit back and watch former president Chiluba take his alleged dirty and corrupt ideas to the people of Luapula province.[/pullquote]
Mr Chanda says the PF youths are prompted to take their developmental ideas to Luapula to ensure the people of that province are not denied access to good development.
He has since appealed to the police in Luapula not to provoke the PF youths but work professionally to with maximum diplomacy to ensure there is no violence in Mansa.
Asked whether the PF youths have been invited to the developmental meeting and why youths are being ferried from other provinces instead of using PF youths from Luapula ,Mr Chanda says being a meeting that will be discussing development in Luapula province,he sees no reason why they should be denied entry to the meeting.
The meeting will also be attended by Chiefs from the province and Members of Parliament.
FLASHBACK: Chiluba meeting Steven Manjata at Lusaka international airport.
SECOND Republican president Frederick Chiluba has said stakeholders in Luapula Province have a duty to discuss development issues affecting the province and confirmed that he will officiate at a meeting to be held on May 15 and 16.
And Luapula Royal Foundation chairperson Chief Chisunka has welcomed the convening of the meeting.
Speaking through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, Dr Chiluba said provincial stakeholders had a duty to discuss development issues affecting the province.
The former president dispelled assertions that it was a political meeting.
“The stakeholders of the meeting have every right and duty to convene a meeting especially that this is a development meeting,” he said.
It was important for members of Parliament (MP) and traditional leaders in the province to discuss development issues affecting the province.
“The MPs are responsible for the management of Constituency Development Funds and the traditional rulers are the custodians of land,” he said.
In an interview from Mansa yesterday Chief Chisunka also said the meeting would discuss development issues.
“The people who are coming to the meeting are our subjects so there is no way we can chase them. In fact, they are welcome,” he said.
The traditional ruler also refuted assertions that the meeting has been convened to launch President Rupiah Banda’s campaign in the province.
“Even the opposition are welcome to discuss with the traditional rulers,” he said.
And Mr Mwansa Mbulakulima who is Chembe MP and co-coordinator of the meeting said in an interview yesterday that preparations for the meeting were well on course.
Both Mbulakulima and his co-coordinator Kawambwa MP Elizabeth Chitika refuted reports that the meeting would be used to launch President Banda’s campaign in the province.
According to information obtained by the Times, the chiefs will start arriving in Mansa on Friday May 14.
THE Government is putting in place strategies to develop the waterways transportation to link many of the neighbouring countries, Communication and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa has said.
Professor Lungwangwa said in Lusaka yesterday that Government would like to open up most of the lakes and rivers that are shared by other countries as a means of transportation across borders with such countries.
He said the waterways were cardinal for the promotion of trans-boundary transport systems to enhance cross border trade and cooperation.
The Government was in the process of procuring dredging machinery to re-enforce the manual efforts of clearing canals in an effort to promote water transport.
“We are facilitating international trade in the joint development and use trans-boundary infrastructure by engaging our neighbouring states,” he said.
Prof Lungwangwa said one of he major projects being considered was the Shire-Zambezi Waterways Development Programme, which links Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.
“We want to work on the Zambezi-Shire with the governments of Malawi, Mozambique to make the Zambezi River navigable.
“We are also thinking of connecting waterway with Angola, but we have all these lakes and rivers that we want to work on so that they become navigable,” he said.
The Government was also engaging with neighbouring countries connected to Zambia through the different development corridors such as Nacala Development Corridor, the Beira Corridor, Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lumbumbashi Corridor, Mtwara Corridor and North South Corridor.
The Government feels that another corridor should be developed to link Zambia and Angola to facilitate for infrastructure development to open up Zambia to the ports of that country.
Prof Lungwangwa said Zambia would benefit immensely by linking information, communication and technology (ICT) infrastructure with the regional infrastructure.
That is why Zambia was actively participating in the development of the undersea sub-continental infrastructure development on the eastern coast under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
WORKS and Supply Permanent Secretary Watson Ng’ambi has said the fuel levy, which is a more reliable source for road projects, should be increased to enable the Road Development Agency (RDA) carry out more works.
Speaking yesterday when he appeared before the parliamentary estimates committee, Mr Ng’ambi said his ministry through RDA, wanted the fuel levy increased because it was a more reliable source of finances as compared to donors and other sources.
He said to assure consistent finances for road works, the fuel levy should be increased because it was directly used on road projects.
“The fuel levy charge should be increased in order to boost funding to the road sector because it is a reliable and dedicated source of funding,” Mr Ng’ambi told the committee chaired by Bweengwa MP Highvie Hamududu (UPND).
Mr Ng’ambi said while the fuel levy would be increased, the excise duty should be reduced so that there was a less impact on the pump price.
Of all the funds the ministry received in the first quarter of the year much of it was from fuel levy.
Out of the K1.3 billion quarterly target collection, the ministry collected K1.06 billion and that some capital projects had been undertaken while some of them were still on-going.
Mr Ng’ambi also agreed with Chongwe Member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo (MMD) that all ministries should carry out construction works through the Ministry of Works and Supply to avoid shoddy works.
The decision by donor countries to suspend funding to the road sector had affected RDA programmes on roadworks.
He said the freezing of donor funding was unexpected and had come at a time when there was an increase in road projects and the earlier the difference was resolved, the better.
Responding to Mbabala MP Emmanuel Hachipuka (UPND) who wanted to know what the stand-off with donors was about, RDA director Erasmus Chilundika said most donors had said they would suspend funding until queries in the auditor general’s report were sorted out.
Mr Chilundika said measures had been put in place to rectify the anomalies because the agency valued the office of the auditor general.
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will review the Electoral Code of Conduct (ECC) before the 2011 general elections to strengthen adherence to the code by various stakeholders during polls.
ECZ public relations manager Cris Akufuna said the commission would review the ECC in consultation with political parties and civil society organisations.
“We shall get suggestions from both political parties and civil society organisations on what should be reviewed in the ECC. The approach will be similar to that we took in 2006,” he said.
He cited the Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP), which had identified specific areas that need to be reviewed in the code of conduct.
Mr Akufuna said the commission would be taking necessary steps to find a possible solution to the increasing levels of political violence as witnessed in the Mufumbwe by elections.
On Monday, the ECZ protested the violence that was witnessed in the Mufumbwe by-elections.
Mr Akufuna, however, said it was important that all stakeholders complied with the provisions of the code that they pledged to uphold.
“The code provides for duties of all stakeholders.
“It is incumbent upon all these stakeholders to ensure that the code is complied with,” he said.
Currently, the commission has ensured that candidates and political parties signed a declaration form (ECC1) that they would comply with the provisions of the code.
Mr Akufuna said the code in section 1 (2) provides that the commission and police shall enforce the code of conduct and shall promote conditions conducive to the observance of the code.
He said matters that bordered on violence and criminality were supposed to be dealt with by the police and not the commission.
All complaints arising during elections and campaigns should be channeled to the conflict management committees.
Mr Akufuna could not comment on the complaint by the MMD that the UPND had connived with some election agents in Mufumbwe to under-count the results of the ruling party because it would be prejudicial.
Bishop Joshua Banda(L) and Bishop Joe Imakando (R)
NORTHMEAD Assemblies of God Bishop Joshua Banda has advised the donor community to channel their funds to development programmes rather than supporting practises such as homosexuality that are alien to the Zambian society.
And Bishop Joe Imakando of Bread of Life Church International said homosexuals and lesbians had no room in society because Zambia had been declared a Christian nation.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday Bishop Banda said it was unacceptable for some donor agencies to be considering funding such acts, which were of little benefit to the majority of Zambians.
He condemned the decision by some donor countries such as the Swedish government coming out in the open and supporting such acts, which were against the traditional values of the country.
He questioned the motive behind the offering of support to lesbians and gays.
And Bishop Imakando in a separate interview said the issue of homosexuality had been discussed several times and it was clear Zambians were not in support of such practises.
He said the Church would continue to speak out on such matters to ensure that such acts were not given room in Zambia.
Recently, the Swedish government said it would support various groups of people fighting for their rights including lesbians, gays, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTIs).
Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Marie Andersson de Frutos said it was important that rights of people under the universal human rights declaration were respected and that judging people based on their sexual orientation was not the best way to treat people.
UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma (R) and Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba (l)
The Patriotic Front/United Party for National Development pact has charged that the planned formation of a pact between the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and the United National Independence Party (UNIP) will have no impact on the opposition pact.
UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma told Q fm in a telephone interview that there is no pact in the country at the moment that can undermine the PF/UPND pact.
Mr. Kakoma said the MMD should not be misled by the last pact between UPND and UNIP which they managed to defeat in the 2006 presidential elections. He said the pact did not work out because UNIP is no longer a party to rely on in forming pacts with and hoping to win an election.
Mr Kakoma said UNIP is no longer a factor in the country’s politics but that it is simply popular in some parts of the Eastern province.
He said any other party that wishes to form a pact with UNIP hoping to undermine the PF/UPND pact can go ahead as such is of no relevance to the PF/UPND pact.
Mr Kakoma described UNIP as a dead party, adding that president Banda is misplacing his hopes if he thinks that forming a pact with UNIP will have an impact on the PF/UPND pact.
(Q FM)
Lands Minister Gladys Lundwe
Lands Minister Gladys Lundwe has warned people who are in the habit of allocating illegal land through the councils that they risk being prosecuted once they were found.
Ms. Lundwe said when he addressed councilors in Sinazongwe District during her tour of Land Development Fund (LDF) that Councils should educate people that were involved in illegal allocation of land to follow the right procedures.
She pointed out that Councils that failed to comply with the prescribed guidelines would result in the withdrawal of their agency to the Ministry of Lands.
The Minister observed that some councils were charging exorbitant fees to the applicants for land which included land application fee and service charge which is disadvantaging many Zambians.
“Therefore, my impression is that councils are selling land to applicants which should not be the case as agents of the Ministry,” Ms Lundwe said.
Ms. Lundwe expressed concern that councils were not servicing the land after collecting huge sums of money from applicants.
She disclosed that government through her ministry has disbursed 26 billion to 51 councils for the past four years for land development.
[pullquote]“Therefore, my impression is that councils are selling land to applicants which should not be the case as agents of the Ministry,” Ms Lundwe said.[/pullquote]
Ms. Lundwe said government values the LDF which is targeted at developing the country through councils by way of opening up virgin land for economic development.
She urged the councils benefiting from LDF to use them prudently for the benefit of Zambians to own land adding that councils that would misuse the funds will never benefit from it and individuals involved will be prosecuted.
Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete commended government for allocating K130 million for Land development to the district.
Mr. Pelete said the opening up new land for development would improve the tourism potential in the district since it was situated along lake kariba.
Sinazongwe District Council Chairperson Benard Kalata said the council would ensure that the money was put to good use for the benefit of people.
Chief Sinazongwe’s representative Louis Maanje said at the same function that Local people should be empowered in acquiring land because the current fees that the councils was charging were too high.
Mr. Maanje appealed to the Ministry of Land to find ways of assisting local people to acquire land at an affordable price.
A woman rejoices after receiving books from Luangeni Member of Parliament Angela Cifire in eastern province
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A community school in eastern province
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A cameraman captures President Rupiah Banda before he left for Tanzania to attend the World Economic Forum.
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Bodyguards leave the Presidential Challenger plane after President Rupiah Banda boarded before he left for Tanzania to attend the World Economic Forum
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Acting vice president...Defence minister Kalombo Mwansa greets service chief and senior cabinet ministers after President Banda left for Tanzania. Mwansa is acting vice president for ailing George Kunda
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Chief executive officers from the Zambian private sector during the recent breakfast meeting in Lusaka
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ICDL Media Breakfast Audience
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Dora Siliya during the AfriConnect/VVoB ICDL Media Breakfast
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Dora Siliya during the recent AfriConnect/VVoB ICDL Media Breakfast
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Keep Nyimba clean
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Energy minister Kenneth Konga pokes his eyes during the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast meeting in Lusaka
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First Lady Thandiwe Banda with Standard Chartered bank managing director Mizinga Melu at State House
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Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha in deep thought as he follows proceedings at the United Nations in New York
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Information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha makes a presentation on the state of Zambian media at the United Nations in New York
Zanaco will be without three key payers for their Orange CAF Champions League 2nd round, return leg match against Entente Setif of Algeria on Saturday at Nkoloma stadium on Saturday.
Defender Thomas Nyirenda, midfielder Trinity Chalanshi and striker Winston Kalengo will all be unavailable due to suspension in Zanaco’s must-win match against Setif which they trail 1-0 from the first leg.
“(Winston) Kalengo two yellow cards, Trinity (Chalanshi) two yellow cards and Thomas (Nyirenda) also two yellow cards,” Nyirenda said after Thursday afternoons’ training session at Sunset stadium.
“Otherwise we have mitigated measures over their unavalabilitity.”
With three key players unavailable, Zanaco coach will have to turn to Nchanga Rangers midfielder George Chilufya in that defensive midfield role and who has not played a single match due to injury since the start of the 2010 campaign.
Meanwhile, Setif arrived on Thursday afternoon with assistant coach Madoui Kheireddine saying that Setif was ready and enjoyed an advantage over Zanaco.
“We are also confident because we have players of great experience at this level and playing for Algeria,” Kheireddine said.
Fr Frank Bwalya
Change Life Zambia (CFZ) Executive Director Father Frank Bwalya has reported MMD Lusaka province chairperson William Banda to the police for threatening violence against him.
This follows threats issued by Mr Banda on Monday this week during a meeting he addressed in Kanyama that he would sort out Fr Bwalya if he tried to extend his red card campaign to Lusaka.
Fr Bwalya disclosed on Thursday that he reported Mr Banda to Lusaka central police this afternoon.
The Father said he took Mr Banda’s threats seriously considering the violence that transpired in Mufumbwe bye-election.
Fr Bwalya hoped that police could arrest Mr Banda and allow the law to take its course.
He said police have since asked him to go back on Monday at 14:00hrs to find out the way forwards.
The Father added that if people threatening violence were not dealt with by the law, they would continue to instill fear in innocent citizens from exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms.
Fr Bwalya said MMD provincial chairperson’s threats would not deter him to continue with his red card campaign.
He also noted that Mr Banda’s threats have boosted the launch of the red card campaign in Lusaka.
[QFM ]
Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA) President Ludwig Sondashi says the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is toothless and will never conduct free and fair elections in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka today , Dr.Sondashi said the commission has a lot of influence from the republican President to be able to conduct free and fair elections.
He said despite credible people being appointed to run the commission, the whole system would never produce free and fair elections in the country.
The FDA president noted that government should restructure ECZ to allow the country to hold future elections in a credible environment.
Dr Sondashi who was a former Works and Supply Minister in the late Levy Mwanawasa regime has also attributed the violence that took place during the Mufumbwe by-election to the inconsistencies in the operations of ECZ.
He said government and Zambians were failing to get his advice he has been offering.
Dr Sondashi pointed out that lot of issues in the country has gone wrong adding that it is a pity that he was never understood.
[ QFM ]
The MMD’s loss in Mufumbwe is a bitter pill to swallow for them. This is in fact evidenced by their refusal to concede defeat. However, it is a thesis of this article to show that while the Mufumbwe loss was a huge shock to the MMD there are tangible steps that the MMD can take in order to avert further disaster.
First the MMD must swiftly concede defeat in Mufumbwe. It does not make sense that the ruling party, with the privileges of incumbency should be petitioning an election result of this nature. Petitioning this election may go to show that the MMD is not in control of the structures of government at all. Additionally, it has the potential to show that they are bitter losers. The best that they should do is to concede defeat learn, from their mistakes and move on. The accusations of violence are neither here nor there. Zambia has seen more violent campaigns such as the Mapatizya by-election. And petitioning the results based on the notion of UPND’s use of violence is a serious misnomer whose political consequence is too fatal for the MMD.
Secondly, the MMD should check their choice of parliamentary candidates in the by-elections. For their candidate in Mufumbwe, they retrieved Mulondwe Muzungu who had been contesting elections since the Kaunda era. The question should be, didn’t the MMD have younger and fresher candidates they could have adopted? The optics of the by-election campaigns spoke for themselves—here is Banda over 70 years old, campaigning for his age-mate. Now contrast that with a young looking Hichilema campaigning for youthful Kamondo. It is clear that the optics did not work well for the MMD’s campaigns in Mufumbwe. A younger candidate could have helped them.
[pullquote] If Katele is acquitted of corruption by the courts Rupiah would be in order to consider him for the Vice-Presidency. Besides Katele, whose wife is Lozi, may provide the necessary connection to Barotseland as well. Barotse is undoubtedly a critical constituency in the coming elections.[/pullquote]
Thirdly, the MMD will need to shuffle both the cabinet and the MMD decks. I am sure that there will be a cabinet reshuffle soon and George Kunda is likely to be replaced. Such a move is necessary if the MMD are to turn around their political fortunes. Kunda has not proved to be politically helpful to Banda. What Banda needs going into the 2011 elections, is a Vice-President who is politically savvy. As such, he will do well to consider having George Mpombo, or Katele Kalumba as the Vice-President. Mpombo will help Banda stem the loss of “kwi Lamba”, and his politically outspokenness can be a good match for HH and Sata. Katele also provides a good relief for Banda. No one in MMD politics can beat Katele’s political acumen. Katele is a fighter, whose political shrewdness combined with some comedic elements proves potent for political maneuvering. Considering the corruption allegations he was facing, Katele had zero chances of bouncing back into Mwanawasa’s arms. But there was Katele, in Kabwe, beating VJ Mwaanga to scoop the Chief Executive Job. If Katele is acquitted of corruption by the courts Rupiah would be in order to consider him for the Vice-Presidency. Besides Katele, whose wife is Lozi, may provide the necessary connection to Barotseland as well. Barotse is undoubtedly a critical constituency in the coming elections.
Conversely, the man Rupiah Banda should not even consider for Vice-Presidency is Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa. He lacks political popularity, and his grim temperament is demonstrated by his decision to take a civil action suit against a Dry Cleaning company for messing up his suit a few years ago. A whole Minister of Home Affairs, at that time, wasting lots of money, and precious time to sue a company because it had messed up his suit! I wonder what Kalombo would do as acting President if something like that happened again. If another company messes up his suit again he will send them a battalion, I am sure. And questions still remain, why did he litigate? Was it to prove a point, or to claim compensation? On the other hand, it may be too unfair to judge Kalombo’s character from this incidence alone, but coming from a man who does not make lots of political clamor—this incidence may be the only thing we can judge him by.
Fourthly, the MMD should re-think their Hichilema strategy. HH is likely to be the Kingmaker in the next elections. It is my opinion that the UPND and PF pact is not likely to materialize, and thereby split the electoral vote to Sata’s favor. Contrary to what many political commentators suppose, I am of the opinion that the MMD does actually have a better chance retaining the presidency fighting a Pact than they do fighting HH and Sata separately. With Rupiah, Hichilema, and Sata all vying for the presidency, an election that has all the three as candidates is likely to go Sata’s way due to the simple “ first past the post” rule. If we are to use 2008 elections as a way to predict forthcoming trends then the MMD is in deep trouble with the rise of HH. Here is the arithmetic, from 2008 election results Banda had 718,359 votes, while Sata had 683,150, and HH had 353,018. Banda beat Sata by only 35,209 votes.
And as such, if HH continues to eat into Banda’s support base in Northwestern Province, and assuming that all else remains equal, HH would obliterate Banda’s 35,000 vote advantage. And thereby create a huge benefit for the PF which is unsurprisingly holding its support in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Northern Province with the exception of Luapula. The MMD should therefore, try to speak with the UPND and persuade HH into forming a pact with them or even consider him for future Presidency. Honestly if MMD went and got RB from the farms, they can surely acquire HH. There will be more in the UPND who would feel more welcome with Banda’s MMD than with Sata’s PF. The overtures towards HH should begin now. HH and Banda could bury their insulting differences and make an alliance to prevent one Michael Sata from ruling the country. All those claiming that HH and the UPND are violent; choose forget Chawama—when Michael Sata was unleashed. With Sata in State House, the whole Zambia will unquestionably become a Mufumbwe disaster!
