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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!
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]
