Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
THE Kafue Gorge hydro power station has increased power generation by 90 megawatts to meet the increasing demand for electricity in Zambia.
Kafue Gorge power acting station manager, Fidelis Mubiana said the power station had added 90 megawatts from its original 900-megawatt generation capacity to support power generation in the country.
Mr Mubiana was speaking when Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Gladys Kristafor toured the plant in Namalundu on Tuesday.
Mr Mubiana said Zesco had done major works at the power plant to ensure continuity of power generation, and the current power generation capacity would go beyond 20 years.
He said a Chinese contractor had sorted out rock movements at the dam which often disrupted power supply.
Mr Mubiana said Zesco was determined to reduce the load-shedding by increasing capacity at Kariba North Bank to about 360 megawatts while Itezhi-Tezhi power generation would be increased to 120 megawatts.
And Ms Kristafor described the power station as ‘‘amazing’’ with high technology.
“I am proud that Southern Province is powering the nation,” she said.
She called on all Zambians to conserve power to allow for equal distribution of electricity in the country.
Earlier, Ms Kristafor toured the Namalundu Gorge Hospital where all essential drugs were in stock.
Hospital medical officer-in-charge, Neroh Chilembo commended the Government for the support it had continued to offer to the hospital.
“The Government policy of restructuring the Ministry of Health has assisted us fil the staff gaps that had been in existence for a long time,” Dr Chilembo said.
The Government had assisted with the diagnostic needs of the hospitals like the theatre, X-ray and ultra-sound state-of-the-art machines. A new mortuary is also under construction.
He, however, said the hospital faced challenges of finances and accommodation.
And Ms Kristafor said the Governemnt was concerned about the health sector and was glad about the construction of the new mortuary and the presence of adequate drugs at the hospital.
Hakainde Hichilema( L) and Solwezi Central UPND MP Watson Lumba
ON May 4, 2005, the UPND held a Press briefing to announce the name of their adopted candidate for the by-elections on June 9,, 2005 for Kalulushi on the Copperbelt and Mapatizya in Kalomo, Southern Province.
The UPND adopted Ackson Sejani as candidate for Mapatizya. Sejani was a former minister of Local Government in the Frederick Chiluba government.
At this conference, Mr Sejani announced that he had declared what he termed as a ‘’Jihad Political War’’. He alleged that the war was directed against the MMD’s “electoral corruption and rigging”.
During the subsequent political campaigns, Mr Sejani’s campaign team organised a ‘militia’ that attacked government vehicles, impounded food supply convoys, held meetings without permits and harassed government ministers and caused wanton mayhem against the MMD camp.
Southern Province Minister, then Alice Simango, was forced to transfer certain police officers accusing them of failing to prevent attacks against Government ministers, citizens and MMD members from the UPND.
The PF also appeared to adopt the strategy in Kalulushi where its cadres went to disrupt an MMD rally in Chambishi, which resulted in violent clashes. Mr Sejani proceeded to win this election.
This model is now popularly known as the “Mapatizya Formula” in the UPND. It involves the disregard of the law and the taking of the law in their own hands.
The formula also promotes anarchy to ‘’correct and prevent rigging.’’ It also encourages cadres to resort to violent methods every time they suspect electoral malpractice and unfair campaign methods. It also encourages officials to disregard the authority of the police, or ECZ officials who are deemed to be part of the ‘’rigging infrastructure’’.
On June 16, 2005, Civil Society Groupings led by FODEP president then Sam Mulafulafu condemned the elections as not being free and fair owing to the high level of intimidation, violence and corruption.
He stated that the elections defied, violated and breached Regulation 51, and Section 18 of the Electoral Act, Cap 13 of the Laws of Zambia. He also feared that the level of violence would impact negatively the upcoming 2006 General Elections.
The Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections
Clearly the scenario of the Mapatizya and Kalulushi by-elections replayed itself in the Milanzi and Mufumbwe by-elections.
When Hakainde Hichilema took over the UPND from the late Anderson Kambela Mazoka, he attempted to bring clean and issue based politics. He also tried to shed off the tribal tag that his party wore for many years.
However the electoral losses he suffered in the 2006 and 2008 contests seemed to have so deeply impacted on him that he has abandoned the very principles that made him attract admiration.
Hichilema now displays crude conduct and his speeches are characterised by threats of violence, and foul language.
It is therefore not surprising that to win the Mufumbwe seat, UPND had to resort to a discredited template – the Mapatizya Formula.
Since entering into an electoral alliance and joining forces with the Patriotic Front (PF), Mr Hichilema seems to have surpassed everyone in many ways.
Mr Hichilema’s language is more crude and foul, his conduct more thuggish and his ambitions for leadership more diseased, and he has passionately embraced whole heartedly, his partners’ worst traits that repel many important stakeholders.
This new HH, is a concern to many that thought the electoral Pact entered into between the UPND and the PF would succeed and provide credible leadership as HH was deemed to be the moderate and educated one who would balance out Mr Sata’s eccentrics and his tendencies for violence, crude language, and his lack of education.
Donors hoped that the properly structured UPND and its well enunciated leadership and policies would complement the haphazard, personalised and informal outfit of the PF to form an acceptable platform that can dislodge the MMD from power and be a counterforce against its leader Rupiah Banda.
However the radical transformation that HH has undertaken is frightening many stakeholders as where there was one political monster, there are two, where there was isolated non-issue based debates, they are multiplied and where Mr Sata attacked his political opponents, there are a barrage and torrid of insults sprayed against a wide array of political opponents by HH.
HH has also abandoned moderate and rational officials preferring the counsel of minds like his research assistants.
Many wondered what had brought the two leaders, Sata and Hichilema as they appeared to be opposites in policies and conduct. But the new HH has helped cement the Pact with this common ground. A common ground of insults and violence.
The Mufumbwe Violence
It is therefore not surprising that Mr Hichilema and his National Management Committee decided to adopt the so called Mapatizya Formula as the method of winning the Mufumbwe by-election.
The Mufumbwe by-election was very important to the UPND to prove their own analysis that claim that voters are likely to revert to the 2001 voting patterns with UPND regaining its strength. They think that the UPND has regained the so called ‘’Mazoka’s Provinces’’ and to prepare for the possible split with the PF, UPND has to be seen to have capacity to win the forthcoming 2011 General Elections alone.
Therefore to give credence to this flawed analysis, it was important that Mufumbwe was won- at all cost.
In this election, Mr Hichilema copied the campaign tactics of Mr Sata and chose to camp in Mufumbwe during the entire campaign period.
The UPND transported known violent cadres from Lusaka and the Copperbelt and formed ‘’crack squads’’ to ‘’match the William Banda Militia’’.
When the campaigns were underway, the MMD campaign teams were joined by cadres from Lusaka and the Copperbelt. Due to the critical shortage of accommodation, the MMD cadres found themselves boarding and lodging at a school.
In line with the Mapatizya Formula, the UPND camp, when it learnt of this, decided to ransack and attack the MMD camp claiming that their presence at the school violated electoral laws as the school would be a polling station on election day.
The UPND cadres chose a period when most cadres had accompanied their leaders to political campaigns, attacked the camp, stole cadres food supplies, blankets and beer.
Upon return, the MMD cadres found their colleagues beaten and their supplies stolen. They were riled. They planned and later staged a retaliatory attack that saw Member of Parliament and UPND vice-president Richard Kapita injured in the ensuing clashes.
The press reports especially from the private media were skewed shifting the blame to the MMD and the Police.
The UPND leadership led by Mr Hichilema himself played innocent victim and stormed the police station demanding Justice.
From then on, the violence escalated between the two camps turning a peaceful quiet and serene rural district of Mufumbwe into a place of violence, running battles and all sorts of mayhem.
The violence culminated into a violent abduction and brutal beating of a police constable Elijah Chiluba on polling day, who was abducted by a group led by UPND Solwezi MP, Watson Lumba. The officer who is accused of being a former MMD cadre was treated to the Mapatizya Formula guidelines that are ‘’intended to protect the will of the people and prevent electoral malpractice.’’
The Mufumbwe Results And Why The Dispute
Following the death of deputy minister Nasim Hamir, a new by-election poll was called for the Chitambo seat in Serenje for 9th August 2009.
The MMD picked Solomon Musonda while the PF/UPND picked Mutale Chanda as its candidates.
During the heated campaigns that followed with Mr Sata claiming that he would beat the MMD, Vice-President George Kunda made a startling allegation few days before the poll.
Mr Kunda alleged that polling officials, who are mostly teachers were attempting to manipulate the poll in favour of the PF.
This allegation surprised many as allegations of rigging have always come from the opposition. Many wondered how the opposition could rig an election. The allegation by Mr Kunda was therefore dismissed with contempt with his opponents describing the MMD as a desperate party that was about to lose the election and creating excuses for their impending loss.
The condemnation also came from union leaders who demanded an apology from Mr Kunda as they found his allegations against professional colleagues of fraud and vote tampering totally unfounded and unfair.
But Mr Kunda’s alarm bells seemed to have worked as fraud was prevented and the MMD proceeded to retain the seat with Solomon Musonda beating the PF candidate with 3,149 votes against 1,803 votes.
Therefore the allegation by the MMD that Mufumbwe seat was stolen from them by the UPND might appear incredulous and is likely to receive similar skepticism as Mr Kunda’s allegations in the Chitambo election.
The ECZ and Allegations of Election Rigging
The opposition have always raised allegations of tampering of results accusing the MMD of colluding with the ECZ to ‘‘rig’’ elections.
ECZ does not have enough staff to conduct successful elections. The body therefore depends on temporary staff it employs to conduct elections.
Teachers, who have usually conducted polls on behalf of the ECZ have been found suitable as they are sufficiently educated and are government employees that can be relied upon to carry-out such exercises since they are sworn and bound by similar oaths of secrecy in their jobs.
Teachers have been part of the election process since 1991. Recent attempts and proposals by the ECZ to employ outsiders to conduct national elections were met with stiff resistance by stakeholders as everyone trusted and proffered the judgment of teachers and feared that employing unknown outsiders such as school leavers to conduct an election ‘’could be manipulated by the Intelligence’’. Teachers are found across the country and even in the remotest parts of the country. Their credentials are verifiable and are of known abodes.
Teachers Rigging Elections
Many acknowledge that the MMD has suffered so many defections and break-aways that some senior members who participated in certain activities, such as Mr Sejani (former MMD Chairman for Elections), ‘’take’’ the secrets to the opposition and either, help prevent voter manipulation, tampering and fraud or use the infrastructure to ‘’rig’’ the elections for themselves or their candidates.
It is for this reason that the allegation by MMD Campaign manager in Mufumbwe by-election, Daniel Kalenga that the UPND connived and engaged polling agents to manipulate the election is not misplaced and should be taken seriously.
Mr Kalenga states that the MMD clearly won the election and have verifiable and corroborative evidence that certain teachers who were polling agents manipulated results against the party.
National Secretary, Dr. Katele Kalumba has also announced that the MMD has overwhelming evidence that the UPND were engaged in electoral malpractice through selected agents the party seemed to have infiltrated! He has since announced that the MMD will petition the results.
Mr Kalenga gave the example of Kampushi Polling Station where MMD scored 212 but during the tallying of votes, electoral officials reflected only 112 votes. He accuses the officials of deliberately under-counting by over 100 votes. He also gave another example of Kabipupu polling station which has only 56 registered voters but recorded a voter turnout of over 200!
Mr Kalenga also complained that ballot boxes were brought in without mandatory seals. He also complained that the fraudulent result manipulation was widespread and appeared to have been replicated in other stations.
The MMD have also not escaped any blame. The UPND have accused the MMD of vote-buying and bribery alleging that the MMD was paying up to K200,000 to individual potential voters.
Now, the allegation against the MMD is the known and constant allegations in elections. But the UPND is accused of not bribery, but the systematic fraudulent manipulation of results. The party is accused of participating in institutional rigging of the election!
Many fear that the allegations against the UPND might backfire against the MMD whose moral authority will be taken away since it has always parried allegations of rigging as fantasy.
Conclusion
Whatever the case, the Mufumbwe by-election has revealed dark activities in elections. Elections are managed by the ECZ and it should be responsible for this mess. How can outsiders infiltrate the conduct of elections in this manner? The integrity of the ECZ and its officials is at stake.
The insistence by many that the Mufumbwe seat should not be petitioned since it will be a can of worms and might reveal the very electoral tricks used in elections in the past, is nonsense.
It is imperative that our elections are conducted in a free and fair manner. We also need to expunge from the process fraud and malpractices as the so called tricks can be used against any candidates and subvert the will of the people-which is the highest crime as clearly demonstrated in Mufumbwe.
The violence as adopted by the UPND in their policy of the Mapatizya Formula is a danger to national security. The UPND should be made to abandon and own up this criminal method of electioneering as it could be a recipe for break-down of peace and order in the 2011 Elections.
The ECZ through its spokesperson, Cris Akufuna, have condemned the violence and promised to take unknown punitive actions against the erring party.
The police have since arrested UPND MP, Watson Lumba charging him with offences of abduction and assaulting a police officer.
Mr Hichilema as a national leader has a bound responsibility to promote peace and not chaos, to exercise restraint and not promote anarchy. It is criminal for him to seek recourse using violent means. The adoption of the Mapatizya Formula to counter legitimate claims of electoral malpractices reflects him as desperate and keen to go to criminal extents to wrestle power from the MMD.
Father Frank Bwalya listening to proceedings during Bishop Mpundu's press briefing in Lusaka
MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga has refused to comment on Lusaka province Chairman William Banda’s threats on Change Life Zambia Executive Director Fr. Frank Bwalya.
And MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba has advised the MMD Lusaka province chairman to leave Fr. Bwalya alone.
On Monday, MMD Lusaka Province chairperson, William Banda warned Fr. Bwalya of stern action if he tries to extend his Red Card Campaign to Lusaka.
Mr. Mabenga refused to comment and expressed ignorance about Mr. Banda’s threats on Fr. Bwalya. He refused to comment and instead turned on the Journalist interviewing him accusing him of fabricating the story.
But MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba has advised Mr. Banda to leave Fr. Bwalya alone. He said the MMD will not waste political capital on a campaign that is not going anywhere.
Speaking to QFM in an interview,Dr Kalumba said Fr. Bwalya is free to express himself in whichever way he feels like as long as he does not break the law.
Dr. Kalumba has further advised other members of the party to avoid making Fr. Bwalya too superior. He said Fr. Bwalya is too excited with what he describes as the red joker campaign which has no value.
[Q FM]
Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua has died at his presidential villa following a long battle with a heart ailment.
Nigerian TV interrupted normal programming to announce the news in a brief statement early on Thursday.
The announcer said: “The president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, died a few hours ago at the presidential villa.
Reports said Mr Yar’Adua died between 21.00 (20.00 GMT) and 22.00 (21.00 GMT) on Wednesday in the capital, Abuja.
Under the constitution, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, in charge since February, is to be sworn in as leader.
But this does cause difficulties because there is a convention that this was the turn of the Nigerian Muslims from the north to control Nigeria and Goodluck Jonathan is from the south.
He will be taking over during the turn of the Nigerian northerners, the Muslims, to control Nigeria.
Mr. Yar’Adua, 58, came to power in 2007 promising many reforms. Analysts say he made the most progress in tackling unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Recently,there has been considerable unrest in the central state of Jos with clashes between Muslims and Christians, and people put this down partly at least to the fact that there was not a firm hand at the centre of power.
Mr Yar’Adua will be buried in a Muslim ceremony later on Thursday in his home state of Katsina, in the north of the country.
A spokesman for Mr. Jonathan said the acting president received the news with “shock and sadness”.
PF Leader Michael Sata left OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has vowed he will contest the 2011 election and continue to vie for the presidency even if he loses next year’s polls.
Mr Sata said he did not mind how many times he lost and cited some presidents whom he claimed had lost up to nine times before being elected.
Speaking during a live programme, ‘Facce the Media’ on Radio Phoenix yesterday, Mr Sata said there were no limits on how many times someone could contest elections.
Mr Sata said there were several other presidents in other countries such as Senegal and the United States of America who made more than several attempts but still managed to become president.
Mr Sata dared Government to even call for an impromptu general election today because the PF was ready.
He said Zambians were not interested about who would be the 2011 presidential candidates between the PF and the United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact but the concern was from the ruling MMD.
He said the PF and the UPND were different parties working together based on a common understanding and should not be mistaken to be one political party.
Mr Sata said the UPND and the PF had different constitutions and manifestos that did not have many contradictions in them.
“The PF and the UPND have different doctrines but we have agreed to work together. We are working well with Mr Hakainde Hichilema,” he said.
He said Zambians were not interested about who would be the 2011 presidential candidates between the PF and the United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact but the concern was from the ruling MMD.
However, Mr Sata came under attack from some callers who accused him of having attempted to promote his wife to higher position at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) when he was health minister.
A caller Mr Kaunda said Mr Sata tried to promote his wife but the attempts failed because of some interventions.
Mr Sata, however, denied the allegations and claimed that his wife was too qualified and that there were other doctors at UTH such as Dr Tackson Lambart who were equally adequate.
Another caller Chishimba Kabwe said although Mr Sata was hard working, some people were skeptical of him that he would not relinquish power looking at how he had dominated the PF presidency.
And UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said there was nothing wrong with Mr Sata stating that he would run for the 2011 elections.
He said all pact members were free to declare intentions to contest elections and at any level.
“For now there is no presidential pact. The candidate is unknown,” he said.
Mr Kakoma, however, said the pact was working at modalities on how the selection process for the candidates at presidential, parliamentary and local Government would be done.
[ Times of Zambia ]
United Party for National Development (UPND) has declared the Mufumbwe election as free and fair.
But MMD has said its decision to petition the Mufumbwe elections had sent shivers to opposition parties as that would expose their wrong doings.
Speaking during a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said the petition by the ruling party would undermine the office of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
He said ECZ conducted the polls in a free and fair manner and argued that the violence should be separated from the election outcome.
MMD Spokesperson Dora Siliya has said the MMD did not believe in violence because it was a democratic party but believes that the best way of airing complaints was through petitioning in the courts of law.
“As a party we have made up our mind to petition the Mufumbwe elections so that we establish the truth.
We know that our decision has sent shivers because our opponents are worried of the outcome,” he said.
[ Times of Zambia ]
FLASHBACK:New Revolution Party leader Cozmo Mumba kneels before vice president George Kunda
The National Revolution Party NRP president Cosmo Mumba has demanded to know the condition of vice president George Kunda who is receiving treatment in South Africa.
Mr Mumba said the fact that the vice president has been using tax payer’s money to receive treatment in South Africa, Zambians deserved to know his condition.
He said as a national leader, Zambians deserved to know the condition of their vice president and how their tax payers money was being utilized on his treatment.
Mr Mumba said it is saddening that government has decided to hide the condition of the vice president when it is tax payers’ money being spent on his medical bills.
He added that President Rupiah Banda should relieve the Vice President of his duties on medical grounds if necessary. He said political life was very demanding and that one needed to be in good health for them to discharge their duties effectively.
The vice president left the country for South Africa on Wednesday 21st April 2010.
United Party for National Development (UPND) Spokesperson has alleged that the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) government diverted the May salary for civil servants to Mufumbwe and Milanzi by-election.
Charles Kakoma told Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) on Wednesday that he had information that civil servants would get their salary on 15th May because government diverted for by-elections.
Mr. Kakoma said the situation has resulted into starvation among civil servants.
He said despite diverting their money to Mufumbwe by-election, the MMD lost the seat that it previously held to the UPND/PF pact.
However, Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said the civil servants salaries have been delayed because the accountants failed to do their job on time adding that it was not true that they would get their salaries on 15th May.
The sweeping changes and departures at Zesco United seem have brought breathe of freash air to the club as the former Super Division champions won their third successive league victory.
Changes to the club management and bench a fortnight ago on the bench have seen Zesco enjoy a new breathe of new life with three out of three wins
And after 1-0 wins over Green Buffaloes and Lusaka Dynamos, Zesco this afternoon stepped up another gear to defeat visiting Choma Eagles 3-1 at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola.
Clifford Chipalo put Zesco ahead in the 7th minutes before Enock Sakala made it 2-0 on the half hour mark to score his four goal of the season.
Choma’s got on the score sheet in predictable fashion through Aubrey Zulu who scored his third goal of the season for the Southern Provinces’ sole representatives in the Super Division.
John Chingangu completed Zesco’s rout of Choma to move from 7th to third, level on 13 points with second placed Nkana who beat them to the number two spot on goal difference.
The win also means Zesco remain unbeaten from seven league games played this season with leaders Nchanga Rangers who have played a game more also undefeated in the Super Division in 2010 and are on 15 points.
Energy and Water Development Minster Kenneth Konga
President RUPIAH BANDA has constituted a committee of ministers to look at the restructuring of ZESCO.
Energy Minister KENNETH KONGA disclosed this at a media breakfast organised by the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) in Lusaka today.
Mr KONGA said the committee is currently sitting and consulting all stakeholders on the restructuring of ZESCO.
He said Government has also commissioned a study to look at the most effective and cheapest option of importing crude into the country.
Mr KONGA said some of the options include modernising Indeni refinery, constructing a new refinery or using the TAZAMA pipeline.
And Speaking at the same function, Communications and Transport minister GEOFFREY LUNGWANGWA announced that government is conducting feasibility studies on the construction of new rail lines.
Professor LUNGWANGWA said government intends to construct a rail line from Kafue to Zimbabwe and another from Solwezi through Kasempa to Namibia’s Walvis Bay.
He said government intends to construct another rail line from Chipata in the Eastern province to Serenje in Central province.
Professor LUNGWANGWA said government will soon advertise for tenders for the construction of the rail lines.
Maamba Collieries (MCL) Chief Executive Officer has said NAVA Bharat ventures (NBV) will revive the operations of the company which had been grounded for many years and contribute to the development of the country.
MCL Chief Executive Officer Dipesh Dipu said in his first address to the miners at the company’s offices in Maamba Township that a thermal plant for generating power using coal would be built in less than three years.
Mr. Dipu said the Power project would be producing 300 mega watts of power and more associated local business would be supported.
“We need to look beyond the horizon and see the lives of people of our country being lit up by coal we produce and power we generate,” Mr Dipu said.
He told the miners that the power project would be the first of its kind in Zambia and a lot of people were expected to be visiting MCL.
Mr. Dipu disclosed that a new Coal Processing Plant (CPP) would be built to replace the old plant and the Rope Way will be worked on to improve the transportation of coal to Masuku.
“Mamba is going to change, we have to work hard to ensure that we are part of the history and benefit from the wealth we are going to create,” Mr Dipu said.
The MCl Chief Executive Officer said the new CPP would be environmentally friendly as less effluent would be discharged in the streams.
Mr. Dipu noted that the new CPP would be using less water and will have the mechanism to recycle the water which will be even safe for drinking.
He told the workers who have gone for more than five months without getting a salary that the company was working on a modality to find out how much they were owed so that they would be paid.
Mr. Dipu assured them that they would be paid their April salary before the end of this Friday.
On social responsibility, Mr Dipu explained that he would ensure that the profit the company will be making was ploughed back to the community in various sectors.
“Mamba is going to change, we have to work hard to ensure that we are part of the history and benefit from the wealth we are going to create,” Mr Dipu said.
Two weeks ago MCL was privatized to NAVA Bharat ventures which now owns 65 percent shares while government will have 35 percent.
MCL has been having serious operational problems as a result of having out dated equipment, liabilities, and lack of capital to revamp its operations.
NAVA Bharat Ventures’ taking over the operation of the mine has cheered the miners who have been facing financial problems to address basic needs for their families.
The travel of Lance Mate’s family to Russia has finally been facilitated for them to help forensics identify the body of the deceased.
Last month, MUVI Television aired a video footage showing the body of Mate who was a Zambian student being fished out of a lake.
The Zambian, who had been missing for six months and discovered during the Easter holiday, has since been identified as Lance Mate.
He is alleged to have been killed in racial crimes in that country.
But the Russian Ambassador to Zambia, Boris Malakhov has since distanced his country from allegations of escalating racial violence claiming that most of the cases involving neo-racists in his country have been dealt with.
Mate’s father Mushambila Mate has confirmed the trip to Russia of Mate’s brother and sister.
He said the trip has been arranged by the Zambian government.
Mr. Mushambila has, however, repeated his concerns over lack of assistance from the Russian government.
And Acting Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya also confirmed the development to journalists in Lusaka today.
Ms Siliya said government is doing everything possible to make sure that the family of Mate could finally identify his body.
Meanwhile, Kanyama Compound Residents in Lusaka have been gathering at the Mate family house to mourn their neighbor’s son.
A check by MUVI TV News found a number of neighbors gathered outside Mate’s family house.
One of the mourners Jennipher Mwanza complained that there was no food to feed the mourners.
Mrs. Mwanza complained that government had not come to the aid of the Mate family despite them having meager finances to host a prolonged funeral.
[ Muvi TV ]
“The RUINS“ University of Zambia student residence
PRESS STATEMENT by UNZASU
UNZASU wishes to distance itself from the newly introduced payment policy as well as the newly increased tuition fees on returning students’. To this effect we are calling on Government to have the aforementioned withdrawn with immediate effect. On 23 rd April, 2010 management released a memo notifying the students’ populace on the new payment structure which demanded that the 50% two installments payment schedule had been nullified and that a 75% initial installment had been enforced in the first semester and full payment of tuition fees (100%) would be introduced for the second semester.
In addition management has revised the tuition fees by 25% for returning students’ in all categories; Art, science and Medicine based programmes. The new increment has also come at a time when most of our students’ have left the institution and are not aware of the new changes. With the introduction of the on-line system of registration last academic year the majority of students’ will not be able to meet these highly commercial fees as the 2010/2011 Academic year begins on 13th June this year. Our rejection of these policies is based on the following premises;
1. The historical attachment which this institution has with society and the underlying principal on which it was built as the major public university in our nation will be highly defeated by the introduction of these highly commercial fees. Given that the majority of the Zambian population is underprivileged higher education will be highly restricted to a minority few who can afford. This will only strengthen the existing elite strata where only 2% of Zambians have had access to quality university education since independence.
2. The increment is not in line with the social economic dictates in the country. 44% of enrolment at the University of Zambia is self sponsored students and majority of who are civil servants and solely depend on their meager salary to meet the cost of the tuition fees with the exception of accommodation, other non tuition fees and daily expenses. While we acknowledge the 15% increment in the average K1, 200,000 which civil servants get, it does not correlate with the 25% increment imposed by UNZA management. Of the 56% of students sponsored by Government, 75% are fully sponsored and the rest are on partial sponsorship respectively. The latter of this number mostly come from civil service homes where the same difficulties are faced.
3. The new payment policy and increased fees are not in line with Government national goals such as Education for All, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 2030 which envisage an educated population as the driving force in uplifting Zambia from its poverty mire. Currently the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) has adopted the degree clause for all constitutional office bearers. Given that, should this only be a preserve for those who can afford or the elite?
4. We are also aware that the increased fees did not pass through the standard procedure of University Senate and Council approval before implementation. We are reliably informed that this was a Government directive to shift the burden of their failure or lack of intent to adequately fund this institution on the already oppressed, marginalized, underprivileged poor Zambians. This clearly demonstrates;
i. The misplacement of Government priority on education.
ii. The failure to recognize that Universities in this time and era promote economic growth as well as a tangible productive human resource.
It can be noted therefore that society has created a hierarchy of oppression which stems from the apex of authority and trickles down to the common Zambian. We need to realize that it is high time Government became accountable to the people and promoted the good of all. The neglect of investment toward university education is a draw back on this nation, which is in dire need of professionals. Therefore any policy which does not promote access of all to education should not be promoted.
The Human Rights Commission has called on the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the police investigate all cases of violence in Mufumbwe and prosecute all the instigators.
Human Rights Commission Chairperson Pixie Yangailo in a statement that the Inspector General should ensure that the Zambia Police is well prepared to provide security during all elections so that people are comfortable to attend polling stations and cast their votes.
She said this should particularly be a priority during the 2011 general elections.
Mrs. Yangailo said the commission is concerned about the culture of violence during elections that seems to be taking root in Zambia.
She noted that violence in the electoral process is an affront to the fundamental right of the people to freely choose their representatives, and also a serious threat to the right to life, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly.
Mrs Yangailo said political violence threatens the tenets of a democratic society.
She stated that what transpired during the recent by-election in Mufumbwe should be condemned by all well-meaning Zambians.
The Chairperson said the culture of violence that is being witnessed is threatening the peace and stability that the country has enjoyed since independence and sowing seeds of instability in the nation.
Mrs. Yangailo called on government and political parties to demonstrate leadership and ensure that unruly elements are not give room to destroy the good name of the country and allow the country’s political process to degenerate to levels seen in other countries.
[ QM ]
Zambia on Tuesday played their first training match since coming into camp but lost 2-1 to zanaco at Sunset stadiun in Lusaka.
And it was George Lwandamina’s side took the lead against Zanaco through Power Dynamos midfielders Luka Lungu.
Zanaco rallied to win courtesy of goals from Allen Mukuka and Mathews Macha in the 53rd and 85th minutes respectively.
ZESCO UNITED FACE CHOMA EAGLES
Zesco United host Choma Eagles on Wednesday in a rescheduled Super Division Week 2 math at the Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola.
A win for undefeated Zesco will see them move into joint second place on the table within two points of Nchanga Rangers who ae also unbeaten in the league this season.
Zesco have played six games and are on 10 points in 7th position with two matches in hand coming into their midweek clash against 12 placed Choma who are two points behiond their hosts.
