The Private Sector Development Association (PSDA) has predicted that the proposed increase in electricity tariffs by ZESCO will have negative effects on the cost of production and consequently the cost of doing business in the country.

ZESCO has applied to the Energy Regulation Board to effect a 30 % tariff hike by July this year as a way of remaining cost effective and competitive in the region.

PSDA Chairperson Yusuf Dodia said this is because electricity is one of the key drivers in productive activities of various economic sectors in the country.

Mr. Dodia told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that this is why a slight change in electricity tariffs means a rise in the cost of various products which in turn affects the cost of doing business.

He noted that the proposed 30 percent electricity tariff increase will also make it difficult for the country to attract more private sector investments hence retarding national development. He explained that all investors be it in the manufacturing, mining or tourism sectors want to invest in a country whose cost of production is fair in order for them to make a profit.

Mr. Dodia stated that with high electricity tariffs, it all economic activities in the country will be affected and consequently disadvantage investors.

He said government should, therefore, always strive at ensuring that the cost of production in key economic sectors remains fair as a way of attracting more investments.

Mr. Dodia pointed that there is need for Zambia as a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to compete favorably with other countries in the region by balancing its trade through lowering the cost of production.

He, however, noted that with the just proposed tariff adjustment, the country may not be able to produce quality goods and export to other countries.

He further advised ZESCO to consider contracting loans to invest in infrastructure and improve its current supply and distribution of power if it is to be cost effective and attract investors in the energy sector.
[Q FM]

Bishop John Mambo has observed that the type of politics being practiced by politicians in the country has caused people with fresh minds to shun politics.

Bishop Mambo said the current political environment in the country is saturated with insults making it impossible for fresh minds to join politics. He said Zambian politicians have adopted a culture of insults as the best way to participate in politics.He said if this trend of politics of insults continues, Zambian politics will become meaningless.

Bishop Mambo told QFM in an interview that politicians should concentrate on issue-based politics if Zambia is to develop. He said that politicians should refrain from politics of insults if they are to succeed in governing the country.

He called on politicians to tone down their language in order to make the political environment in the country more conducive.

Bishop Mambo said that Zambia has a lot of knowledgeable citizens who would want to join politics, but are being scared away by the vulgar language being used on the political scene.
[Q FM]

SOME church and civil society organisation have condemned donors and political parties that want to champion the exclusion of the Christian Nation clause in the Constitution opting for a secular state that will promote homosexuality and gay rights.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director Bishop Paul Mususu said it would be wrong for political parties and non governmental organisations to promote values that were alien to Zambian society for the sake of money.

Bishop Mususu was reacting to reports that some donors were funding some opposition political parties to support a secular State that would promote homosexuality.

“It is not proper for us to get rid of what we have cherished over the years. We shall be sinking so low if we allow things like homosexuality and pornography in the name of freedom of expression,” Bishop Mususu said.

He said Zambia should retain the Christian nation clause in the new constitution but it should not be included as a legal requirement.

[pullquote]“It is not proper for us to get rid of what we have cherished over the years. We shall be sinking so low if we allow things like homosexuality and pornography in the name of freedom of expression,” Bishop Mususu said.[/pullquote]

“We should maintain the clause in our preamble so that we do not exclude other religions,” he said.

He said it would be wrong for organisations to champion immorality just because donors are funding them.

“In fact, civil society organisations should promote our culture as a country and strengthen our values. We must not support wrong things just because we are getting a dollar or people are supporting our project,” he said.

And the Independent Churches of Zambia board Chairperson Reverend David Masupa said political parties that would receive the funds to promote the Secular state would be de-campaigning themselves.

“There is no way the opposition political parties will be using the secular clause to campaign. Christians are in the majority and they will just be de-campaigning themselves,” he said.

Rev Masupa said the National Constitutional Conference unanimously adopted the Christian nation clause and that it would be wrong for some organisation to reverse the decision.

He said it is commonplace for countries to adopt a religion in the constitution. He said Zambia is predominately a Christian nation.

[Times of Zambia]

President Rupiah Banda says he will not allow International Financial Institutions to connive with the opposition political parties to under-mine his administration.

President Banda urged Patriotic Front (PF) against hoodwinking the Netherlands Institute for Democracy (NID) to fund it.

Under the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) provisions, political parties are free to apply for funding from the NID.

Mr. Banda said the state will institute investigations to ascertain whether is it true the NID has opened an account to fund the PF to advance its campaigns.

Mr. Banda stated that he is aware of the NID operations in Zambia but expressed regret that such a clandestine activity was happening between NID and the political parties.

President Banda was responding to questions from Journalists at the Lusaka international Airport, shortly before his departure for Tanzania where he has gone to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa.

Mr. Banda is accompanied to Tanzania by Education Minister Dora Siliya, Finance Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe and other senior government officials.

The presidential plane carrying Mr. Banda left the Lusaka International Airport at exactly 14:00 hours local time.

President Banda was seen off by Defense Minister Kalombo Mwansa, Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani, Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Joshua Kanganja and other senior government and MMD officials.

Meanwhile, President Banda says Zambia will learn a lot from the World Economic Forum on Africa being held in neighbouring Tanzania.

He hinted that at the Forum, there are over 1,000 potential investors of which Zambia is likely to woo some who maybe interested to invest in the country.

He said this would help address the country’s economic hardships the country is currently facing.

Mr. Banda said he is also going to learn how other countries in the region were handling problems affecting them.

President Banda will be among other African leaders who have been invited to participate in the World Economic Forum sessions.

The theme for this year’s Forum is; “Re-thinking Africa’s Growth Strategy.”

Top on the forum’s agenda are issues pertaining to higher education for Africa, unlocking Africa’s growth potential, a new vision for Africa’s agriculture and China-Africa partnership for growth among others

QFM

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda was yesterday discharged from Johannesburg’s Morningside Clinic and is now recuperating at a hotel.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Leslie Mbula said in a statement that Mr Kunda was discharged around 14:30 hours and is due to go for review on Friday.

“We expect that after the review on Friday, the Vice-President will fly back home the following day,” Mr Mbula said.

Mr Mbula and staff from the high commission saw the Vice-President off to the hotel where he is lodged.

[ Zambia Daily Mail]

MMD Lusaka Province chairperson, William Banda has warned of stern action against Change Life Zambia executive director, Frank Bwalya if he tries to extend his Red Card Campaign to Lusaka.

Mr Banda, who declared Lusaka as a ‘no-go area’ for Father Bwalya, said the Red Card Campaign was a recipe to stirring anarchy in the country.

He said Fr Bwalya was a mature person who should not entice innocent citizens to flash against the Government at the expense of national peace.

Mr Banda, who was speaking yesterday in Chibolya Township during a party mobilisation meeting, said the MMD would not entertain Fr Bwalya’s move and would flash him out of the city.

“Nobody should blame us for the action we shall take against Fr Bwalya if he comes to distribute his red cards in Lusaka. We shall make sure we also flash him out like he is flashing against the Government,” Mr Banda said.

He said MMD would not entertain continued insults by the Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata, United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Hakainde Hichilema and Forum for Democracy and Development president Edith Nawakwi on President Rupiah Banda.

[pullquote]“Nobody should blame us for the action we shall take against Fr Bwalya if he comes to distribute his red cards in Lusaka. We shall make sure we also flash him out like he is flashing against the Government,” Mr Banda said.[/pullquote]

He called on party cadres to ensure that all those who insulted President Banda were dealt with.

Mr Banda said people were tired of reading articles insulting President Banda in some sections of the media and his party had declared game-over against those attacking the president.

He challenged Kanyama Member of Parliament Jerry Chanda to explain to the residents why drainages and roads in the area were not rehabilitated when the Government had released the money and machinery for repair works.

Mr Banda, however, said he was happy that Lusaka, that was a base for the PF/UPND Pact, had become a peaceful land for MMD considering huge numbers of cadres defecting.

One of the defectors Rhoda Muchimba, who was PF Kanyama Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Ward 11 chairperson, said she and other defectors had seen no future plans for PF and MMD was the only productive party with effective policies.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has declared a protest against violence and criminal activities perpetrated during the nominations and by-elections in Milanzi and Mufumbwe.

In a press release made available to Q fm last evening, ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna said the Commission will be taking necessary steps to find a possible solution to the problem. He said it is saddening those 45-years after independence the country is still degenerating into political anarchy.

Mr Akufuna said the quest for democracy paved with violence cannot be accepted in the country. He said those who were involved in violence and criminal conduct seriously undermined the Electoral Commission’s voter education programmes. He, however, commended the Zambia Police Service for taking firm a stance against violence.

And United States Embassy Charge d’affairs Michael Kaplovsky has said that the violence that was recorded in Mufumbwe had the potential to influence the vote outcome.

Featuring on Monday Night Live last evening, Mr. Kalosvky said that Zambia is a peaceful country and that Zambians should maintain that. He says that Zambians should learn something from the political violence that has been recorded in other countries.

He added that Zambians should not use violence to win elections.
[Q FM]

President Rupiah Banda today leaves for Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa.

Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa will act as President during the absence of both Mr Banda and Vice-President George Kunda.

Special assistant to the President for Press and public relations Dickson Jere said in a statement yesterday that Dr Mwansa would act because Mr Kunda is also out of the country for medical review.

In a statement, Mr Jere said the President would be among other African leaders who had been invited to participate in the World Economic Forum sessions. The theme of this year’s forum is ‘Rethinking Africa’s growth strategy’.

According to Mr Jere, the forum will discuss issues pertaining to higher education for Africa, unlocking Africa’s growth potential, a new vision for Africa’s agriculture and the China-Africa partnership for growth.

President Banda will meet some investors at the forum who are interested in investing in Africa. He will be accompanied to Dar-es-Salaam by Education Minister Dora Siliya, Deputy Minister for Finance and National Planning Chileshe Kapwepwe and other senior Government officials.

The President and his delegation will return to Lusaka after scheduled business in Tanzania.

[Times of Zambia]

CHIEF Mumena of the Kaonde people in North-Western Province has said it is inhuman for the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) to hold a victory procession after winning the Mufumbwe parliamentary seat when many people were injured and others died.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma, however, said there was nothing wrong in celebrating victory after beating MMD who had held the seat for more than 20 years.

Chief Mumena said if the political party was there for the people of Mufumbwe, it would not have celebrated its victory, but it would have sympathised with those who were injured and mourned with those who had lost their loved ones because of the incidence that took place in the area.

Chief Mumena said in an interview in Solwezi yesterday that the violence which rocked the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election was an indication that some politicians were so desperate for power that they were capable of mobilising thugs to shed the blood of innocent people to get what they wanted.

Chief Mumena condemned the behaviour of some politicians who were campaigning in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election for promoting violence in the area by transporting thugs from outside Mufumbwe to engage in various forms of violence.

He said the politicians who transported thugs to Mufumbwe from other parts of Zambia should be ashamed, apologise and resign from their positions because they were not fit to be leaders of the people.

“I condemn the behaviour of some politicians who went to campaign in Mufumbwe, especially those who were transporting political mercenaries to go and shed blood in the area. This is a failure of political agenda in Zambia and it is being driven by failed politicians who have run out of ideas of what multi-party politics is all about.

“If these politicians really care about the people, they would not have celebrated the victory because there was nothing to celebrate about. You don’t celebrate violence, injuries or deaths,” Chief Mumena said.

He said the royal establishment in the area would now reorganise itself and ensure that the violence that took place in Mufumbwe did not recur because people wanted peace and development in the area.

He said North-Western Province would now be a no-go area for politicians who wanted to fuel violence and set the nation ablaze because of their desperation for power.

He said he was shocked that the members of Parliament (MPs) in the area had remained silent on the violence that rocked the by-election when they were expected to air their condemnation.

Mr Kakoma said cadres used their initiative to come up with a mock coffin to show that MMD was dead in Mufumbwe and that there was nothing wrong in celebrating victory after beating MMD who had held the seat for more than 20 years.

He said his party condemned the violence in Mufumbwe and denied that UPND cadres abducted a police officer.

“We strongly condemn the violence that took place in Mufumbwe and we were not involved in the transporting of youths from other parts of the country to Mufumbwe.

‘‘On celebrating victory, I must say there is nothing wrong in celebrating the victory after beating MMD who have been holding the seat for the last 20 years,” Mr Kakoma said.
[Times of Zambia ]