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Government will this year construct a State Prison in Kalabo District in Southern Province at the total cost of K2.5 billion.
Western Province minister Sikwibele Mwapela told ZANIS in an interview in Mongu yesterday that government through the Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated K 2.5 billion for the construction of a prison in the district.
Mr. Mwapela said a total of K1 billion has since been released for the procurement of building materials.
The minister explained that government was constructing a state prison as a way of improving prison standards in the province and the country as a whole. He said the new prison will help to decongest the current structure which was too small to accommodate the current number of inmates.
Mr. Mwapela said last year during the rainy season, the prison was flooded forcing the prison’s authorities to ferry the inmates to Mongu state prison.He said land has already been secured from the traditional leadership in the district.
Meanwhile Mr. Mwapela who is also Kalabo Central Member of Parliament said an urban clinic is under construction in the district at a cost of K220million from the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
He said once completed, the urban clinic would improve the accessibility of quality health services in the area.
African Methodists Episcopal Church (AMEC) president bishop Paul Kawimbe says it is not fair for people to measure President Rhupia Banda level of development in his one year in office.
The clergyman said since President Banda took office in 2008, his administration has been following developmental plans and policies that had been laid down by late president Levy Mwanawasa’s administration.
Bishop Kawimbe said the period that President Banda has been in office is not long enough for the people to take stock of his achievements and therefore base their judgment of his performance on that.
The bishop was speaking to ZANIS in Kitwe in an interview yesterday.
He said it is difficult to determine the level of development in less than two years that he has served because he has been implementing programmes and plans that the previous administration had laid down.
Bishop Kawimbe added that government has scored visible levels of development in sectors such as education where schools have been built while the road infrastructure needs to be worked on.
He said even if there are reports of public resources being abused by some sectors, government is doing its best to accelerate developmental programmes aimed reducing poverty.
FORMER Copperbelt MMD chairperson, Terence Findlay has said some opposition party members on the Copperbelt are in a state of panic over his contributions and those of former president Frederick Chiluba to the advancement of the ruling party.
And MMD Copperbelt chairperson, Joseph Chilambwe has said the party in the province is united and behind President Rupiah Banda.
Mr Findlay said in an interview in Ndola yesterday that some opposition party members had become jittery because they realised that Dr Chiluba was a highly influential person.[quote]
He said there was no reason for anybody to get unsettled over his association with the former president because they were both loyal MMD members who were interested in seeing it progress.
“I am just a force to reckon with in the province and some people are just uncomfortable because there is nothing wrong I have done apart from accompanying Dr Chiluba to some of the places he visited during a private visit to the Copperbelt recently,” Mr Findlay said.
Dr Chiluba, through his spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba, said he was not involved in any activities which could divide the party on the Copperbelt.
“Dr Chiluba believes that the MMD is one family which should work as a team in rebuilding the ruling party.
“The former president has been persuading a number of people who had left the MMD for the opposition or felt sidelined to consider re-joining or becoming active members of the party and not forming parallel structures in the province,” Mr Mwamba said.
And Mr Chilambwe said Dr Chiluba was an innocent person and that it was some MMD members who had excuses or failed to do their work who were trying to use his name for their campaigns.
He said the provincial leadership was against the use of names of senior party members such as Dr Chiluba or President Rupiah Banda by those vying for positions at the MMD convention.
And some MMD members led by former provincial information and publicity secretary, Benson Tembo yesterday stormed Times offices in Ndola clad in party attire bearing portraits of President Banda, and former presidents Dr Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa.
They said there was no ban in the MMD on wearing attire bearing portraits of former presidents.
The group said the wearing of chitenges bearing portraits of past presidents was a sign of unity in the party.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Tembo said the portraits portrayed continuity with change.
Mr Tembo said President Banda was on the right track in building the national economy and his association with former heads of State was uniting the nation.
Some sections of the media, quoting sources on the Copperbelt, reported that Dr Chiluba had divided the party and caused the formation of parallel structures in the party during his recent visit to the province.
AUDITOR General Anna Chifungula has said most recommendations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have not been acted upon by relevant offices and have been outstanding for some time.
Ms Chifungula said in the 2008 report that most of the recommendations made before 2006, for instance, had either not been implemented or authorities had partially done so.
“In an effort to clear outstanding issues, PAC appointed a committee of officers from the Ministry of Finance, National Assembly and office of the Auditor General to deal exclusively with outstanding matters on a continuous basis.
“In this regard, in July 2009, the officers met to review the status of the outstanding issues. It was observed from their report that there had been little or no follow-up action,” she said.
Ms Chifungula said there was, therefore, need for controlling officers to promptly respond to the observations raised by the reports to implement recommendations of the PAC.
Other issues were the accounting irregularities at the Zambian High Commission in Lilongwe, Malawi, on the position on the Kabula Hill House from the report of the year ending December 31, 1995.
Ms Chifungula said the other unresolved issues were on whether K107 million had been recovered at the office of the district education board secretary in Chama District as recommended in the 2002 report.
From the financial year ending December 31, 2003, some outstanding issues were the revenue on the sale of Government pool houses, progress on the unaccounted for K49 million of the Ministry of Education in Luangwa, and whether the retirement documents in respect of K44 million for the ministry in Mongu had been traced.
Ms Chifungula said from the 2004 report, outstanding matters were on whether K1.3 billion had been recovered from the previous contractor for the construction of border facilities at Katima Mulilo.
Others are the irregularities in accounting of weigh bridge charges at Kafulafuta on the Kapiri-Mposhi-Ndola highway, and whether K446 million had been reimbursed as recommended in the 2005 report.
From the 2006 report, the follow up was on whether irregularities in accounting for the poverty reduction programme fund had been resolved.
VJ is back...President Banda introduces Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga to the people of Mwanachingwala area in Mazabuka
The ruling MMD in Mazabuka has encouraged President Rupiah Banda to continue holding meetings with chiefs in Southern Province to change the negative perception which people have about the ruling party.
MMD District Vice chairperson, Takawira Mahere told ZANIS in Mazabuka yesterday that President Banda’s meeting yesterday’s has confirmed how popular the MMD in the area.
Mr Mahere said the President’s visit to Mazabuka should be used as a pilot campaign programme on how to canvass and woo potential voters to vote for the ruling party in next year’s elections.
He said President Banda should continue visiting chiefs in the province because that is the only sure way of winning back the support that ruling party had lost to the opposition.
Meanwhile, Mr Mahere has commended President Banda for directing Commerce minister, Felix Mutati to address the concerns raised by the Mazabuka Business Association following an alleged unfair and biased awarding of contracts by Zambia Sugar Company to contractors.
He said the directive by the President has cheered the party because it has just demonstrated the commitment he has in promoting the growth of Small and medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs).
Mr Mahere said SMEs need the support of government if they are to improve and contribute to the growth of the country’s economy.
He said the MMD strongly supports the awarding of contracts to the members of the Mazabuka Business Association and not individuals.
Mr Mahere also commended Zambia Sugar Company for signing a contract with the business association to provide goods and services.
He however warned that the ruling party will not tolerate any individual that will interfere in the awarding of contracts by the company.
Sinazongwe District Councilors have dispelled the allegation that they have ditched United Party for National Development (UPND) because of their party President Hakainde Hichilema’s entering into a pact with Patriotic Front Party (PF).
Speaking on behalf of the Councilors, Partson Mangunje told Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) in Sinazongwe that no councilor has left the party.
Mr Mangunje who is also Nkanddabwe ward Councilor said the party has a strong foundation in the district and there was no way they could ditch it after working hard to earn the support from people.
He said the Councilors were ready to manhandle the person that issued the statement in one of the Daily papers claiming that all the 14 councilors were planning to leave the party because of its alliance with PF.
Mr Mangunje said the statement was wrong because among the 14 councilors in the district 12 were for UPND, one is an independent councilor while the other one belongs to the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).
The Nkanddabwe ward councilor disclosed that all the councilors in the district have already paid for their travel expenses to go to Lusaka for the launch of the UPND/PF PACT.
“How can people that have already paid the money to go and launch the PACT decide to leave the party with no apparent reason, the person who issued the statement wanted to cheat the public but we will not rest until we get him. That was just propaganda us we are intact,” Mr Mangunje said.
He said all the councilors were for UPND and they could not reverse their decisions.
The UPND Councilors on Sunday spend the whole day in Maamba Township to wait for their Member of Parliament to address them over the statement that was issued that all the UPND Councilors have rejected the PACT and Hichilema.
Rainford Kalaba’s protracted loan move to Egyptian side Zamalek has taken a new twist.
Kalaba is now being linked with another loan move to Zamalek’s sworn enemies Al Ahli.
Zamalek have signed Kalaba on a Euro 450,000.00 6-month deal from Portuguese club Sporting Braga.
Egyptian football website Filgoal disclosed today quoting Kalaba’s agent Ahmed Soweilam that Kalaba might join them if Zamalek do not meet his demands.
“Ahli have already reached an initial agreement with Kabala,” Soweilam is quoted by FilGoal.com
“The player will join the club on an extendable season-long loan should the deal go through.
“Kabala had some disagreements with Zamalek during the past weeks and tried to rescind his contract.
“He will start taking part in Ahli’s training this season if his Zamalek’s contract is terminated.”
Meanwhile, the site also quoted Zamalek sources who said Kalaba was due to arrive in cairo to start training before Friday.
“He will arrive at the club in 48 hours. He has so far showed respect towards his contract.We are aware of Kalaba’s whereabouts and intentions. He will be participating in Zamalek’s training soon,” The Zamalek source said to filgoal.com.
The Ex miners Welfare Trust Association ( EMWTA) has appointed Dr Chiluba as the patron of the association with immediate effect.
And the ex-miners has clarified Dr. Chiluba’s recent visit on the Copperbelt which had sparked a political debate.
Association president Mr Alik Phiri said his association has decide to engage Dr. Chiluba as its patron to ask government to assist them acquire the dump sites in Chingola, Mufulira, Kalulushi, Chililabombwe and Kitwe as directed by the late President Levy Mwanawasa.
Mr. Phiri said because of several challenges being faced by the ex-miners, the Association resolved to engage Dr.Chiluba as their patron to assist them in resolving their problems with government.
The EMWTA President said this in Kitwe today at a press briefing held at Lotus Inn.
He said it had been difficult to discuss the plight of former miners with ministers and working with the former president will make their lives ease.
The miners also intend to talk to the first republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda to intervene in their welfare as the two heads of state are trusted and experienced citizens.
‘‘The association is appealing to government to expedite the giving of dump site to miners because the demand is not new to the current leadership as the directive was issued at the time when president Banda was the vice president, now why the delay?’’ Mr Phiri asked.
The former miners were also complaining of poor state of roads, high cost of living and delay in issuing of farm land by government which they said have disadvantaged business prospects.
On Dr Chiluba’s recent visit to the Copperbelt, the EMWTA President said the visit was initiated by five former miners associations namely the Miner’s welfare trust ( M.W.T ), Copperbelt small scale of miners association (C.S.S.M.A ), Chintu Kulya association for the welfare of former miners in Zambia ( C.K.A.W.F.M.Z) and the Chingola small scale mining association (C.S.S.M.A).
Mr. Phiri maintained that the association invited the former president to the meeting to discuss the various challenges that have dogged former miners on the Copperbelt since it had proved difficult to access the office of President Banda to air their grievances.
He stated that at the meeting the issues which were highlighted were centered on welfare of ex miners and not political issues as reported by some sections of the media.
‘‘We want Dr Chiluba to be our conveyor belt between the government and the association because he can pass on our grievances easily to the office of the President,’’ Mr. Phiri said.
ZANIS
The National Revolutionary Party (NRP) will not go into an alliance with any political party which has not yet held its convention ahead of the 2011 tripartite elections.
Party President Cosmo Mumba told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that it was the wish of the party to see not more than three candidates contesting the Republican Presidency in the 2011 elections.
Mr Mumba said this would minimize the splitting of votes which he said has always disadvantaged the opposition parties.
He disclosed that his party has already started identifying Local and Parliamentary candidates for the 2011 tripartite elections in all the 150 constituencies.
He said so far, the party has picked a Mr. Charles Mwelwa for Mwense Constituency in Luapula Province adding that next week the party will be selecting a Parliamentary candidate for Kanyama Constituency in Lusaka province.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mumba has said his party is in a serious financial crisis and appealed to all party members to help raise funds in preparation for the tripartite elections.
And Mr Mumba has appealed to All People’s Congress Party president Kenny Ngondo, UPND member Clive Chirwa and National Democratic Focus (NDF) president Benny Mwila to join his party so that they could form a formidable force which would be able to liberate Zambia from the shackles of poverty.
In another development, Mr. Mumba has hailed President Rupiah Banda on government’s initiative to build houses for police officers.
He said it is important that this project is extended to all provinces and districts in the country so that accommodation problems faced by Police officers are minimized.
“When police officers are living in poor sanitary conditions, it breeds corruption which is rampant in the police service”, said Mr Mumba.
He lamented that police officers are doing a noble job for the country and as such, need to be looked after very well.
Government has called for constructive collaboration with the church to help nurture a culture of respect and progressive dialogue for the benefit of everyone.
Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minster, Angela Cifire said there is need for a co-ordinated partnership between government and the church to enhance human development and improve people’s welfare.
She said government has created a good environment for the existence of the church through the declaration of the country as a Christian nation. She said the church should use this opportunity to create an environment of love and unity in people, through their messages.
Ms. Cifire said this in Lusaka last evening when she launched the Oasis of Worship International Church founded by Prophet Felix Siame.
Prophet Siame is running a Christian ministry and a Bible School in South Africa but he has now come to Zambia to establish his ministry and equip people with the word of God.
She said the church and government have a common responsibility of ensuring that all citizens benefit from the human and natural resources the country is endowed with.
“Government and the church have a common responsibility to use the country’s rich natural resources for the benefit of all people. This calls for the need of the two parties to improve their working relationship in order to bring social justice and the improvement of the people’s welfare as a whole,” she said
Ms. Cifire has also urged the church to devise teachings that will educate society to be responsible towards the community.
And speaking at the same launch, Citadel of Life Bishop, Andrew Phiri cautioned his fellow pastors to guard against the love of money, pride, and adultery in order for them to remain strong in ministry.
Bishop Phiri said many clergymen have failed in the Christian ministry because of the love of money, and engaging themselves in sexual relationships with their members.
And in his speech, Prophet Siame said there was need to develop true worship in spirit and in truth as commanded by God. He said he has come to Zambia to serve the country after a revelation from God for him to establish a ministry in his own country.
As Zambia braces for the 2011 general elections, President Rupiah Banda has decided to trot around the country to seek the help of chiefs in his bid for re-election without making any effort whatsoever to address the needs and expectations of the common people.
President Banda needs to stop taking advantage of chiefs by using them in his political campaigns because they are likely to abuse the absolute traditional authority they wield by imposing their political views and choices on their subjects; and because chiefs are, ideally, supposed to be impartial leaders of all the people in their chiefdoms regardless of the political affiliations of their subjects.
Moreover, engaging traditional leaders to support the MMD in elections is likely to frustrate efforts aimed at creating a level playing field for all political contestants, since they (the traditional leaders) have a faithful following in their areas of jurisdiction. We would do well to address allegations of election-rigging, vote-buying, intimidation of voters, and access to public resources by the ruling political party without opening up other avenues for unfair political advantage.
In this endeavor, the MMD should stop consulting chiefs in the process of picking candidates for elective positions because it is likely to cause confusion if other political parties also decide to consult the same chiefs in picking their candidates.
Also, public assistance to chieftains should be removed from the office of the Republican president and placed under the aegis of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs in order to forestall any suspicions that assistance to chiefs is designed to woo their support for the ruling political party during elections.
If President Banda continues to use chiefs in his scheme to retain the presidency, he is likely to bring about disunity in chiefdoms among chiefs and their subjects who may have divergent political affiliations. This may eventually undermine the legitimacy of chieftains. Chiefs across Zambia need to emulate their North-Western Province counterparts, who decided not to involve themselves in any political rallies or campaigns for the Solwezi Central parliamentary by-election held on November 19, 2009.
Another issue that is of particular concern relates to some of the statements President Banda has thus far made on the campaign trail. For example, he has accused leaders in the PF-UPND pact of having no respect for chiefs. Such an accusation is unfounded, and it is both childish and irresponsible for a public official to try to pit traditional leaders against any other members of Zambian society.[quote]
Also, he has accused opposition-led councils of stealing money from people that is collected through property rates and levies. But if this is actually true, why haven’t the councils been charged with theft of public funds?
Moreover, he has alleged that the PF-UPND pact is a coalition of snakes with two heads that will never rule Zambia since the Constitution only allows for one Head of State. I am not aware of anyone in the PF-UPND pact who has said that the pact wished to have two Heads of State if it secured the people’s mandate to form government.
Besides, he has advised parents to educate their children, and urged pupils to be disciplined in order to succeed in their studies. This reminds me of a contentious statement made by the previous administration that Zambians should not think of having children if they cannot afford to finance their children’s education. And, by the way, the majority of children in Zambia today are already disciplined; what they really need are educational policies designed to provide educational opportunities for all children and adults by investing massively in teachers and educational facilities, abolishing Grades 7 and 9 elimination examinations, providing for low-interest educational grants and merit-based scholarships, and so forth.
Further, he has claimed that the people in Luapula Province have encouraged him to continue with “the good policies” the MMD is implementing. What good policies is the MMD implementing in Luapula Province or elsewhere in Zambia that will make education, healthcare, food, shelter, and other necessities of life readily accessible to all living Zambians?
And why on Earth would a country’s president be advocating for mass defections of citizens from opposition political parties to his party? Is this a scheme designed to create a UNIP-style one-party state?
I personally expect the Republican president to take the lead in engaging in issue-based politics. He needs to spent time telling the people what his administration is doing to address the catalogue of problems currently facing the country—such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, disadvantaged children, crime, corruption, and moral decay.
President Banda and his ministers should realize that meaningful socio-economic development will not come to Zambia like manna from heaven; it will need to be adequately planned for and diligently pursued. And they should not expect such development to be attained in an economy where the labour force is composed of large numbers of sickly, illiterate and starving citizens.
If he continues to be stubborn and arrogant, and to consider dissent and criticism as insults, he will end up being the worst Republican president Zambia has ever had—leaving no legacy at all! Dr. Kenneth D. Kaunda, for example, is credited with having presided over a government that provided free healthcare for all, free education for all, and as having secured the existing harmony among Zambia’s tribal groupings, as well as played a pivotal role in our beloved country’s struggle for independence.
Dr. Frederick T.J. Chiluba is credited with having spearheaded Zambia’s transition to multi-party democracy, and the adoption of a more liberalized economic system. While the late Levy P. Mwanawasa is credited with having introduced free healthcare for rural dwellers, provided for free education up to Grade 7, and embarked on a vicious fight against corruption.
We anxiously wait to see the kind of legacy President Rupiah Banda and his administration will leave behind.
Independent Luena Member of Parliament Charles Milupi says it will be suicidal for Zambia to go to the general elections under the current electoral laws.
Zambia is scheduled to hold its next presidential, parliamentary and local government elections next year.
Mr Milupi who has since formed a new party called Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD)said the current electoral act No.12 of 2006 and the electoral code of conduct could not to guarantee free, transparent,and credible elections.
He says the current laws leave room for manipulation hence the need to revisit them before the elections.
Mr. Milupi says if the national does not have a new constitution before next year elections, the electoral act should be looked at.
He further wonders why government has saddenly decided to appoint electoral commission of Zambia commissioner from one province.
Mr Milupi has since called on Zambians to ensure that they pressure government to put in place electoral laws that would guarantee a free and fair election.
QFM
Police in Mazabuka district have arrested a security guard after he rammed a taxi he was driving into Barclays Bank building yesterday.
Police and Armaguard Security guards manning the bank confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mazabuka.
They said the security guard, who works for ROMA Security Company, lost control of the car at the notorious Shoprite corner and hit into the bank building. They said alert police officers immediately arrested the guard to investigate the motive behind the crash.
But Armaguard security guards told ZANIS that the arrested security guard, who was guarding at TOTAL filling station, allegedly got the vehicle registration number ABR 4569 from the owner without permission.
One of the Armaguard security guards at the bank, Janet N’gandu explained that the arrested guard, who was driving at a fast speed, allegedly failed to negotiate a corner at the notorious Shoprite junction in the central business district.
Ms N’gandu said bank management has since been informed although by press time no one was available for a comment.
And a Taxi driver, who had parked the vehicle at TOTAL, Kecious Mapu said he did not allow the security guard to drive the car. Mr. Mapu said police should also investigate if the guard has a valid driver’s licence.
RB singing with ZANAMA women as Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima looks on
President Rupiah Banda has assured farmers that fertilizers and other agricultural inputs for the next farming season will delivered early and in large quantities in order to boost food production in the country.
President Banda said the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government was committed to ensuring that agriculture becomes the mainstay of Zambia’s economy.
Addressing a public meeting on arrival at Chief Mwanachingwala’s palace in Mazabuka district today, President Banda said fertilizer and seeds will next farming season be given to farmers in good quantities throughout the country.
He said government will also ensure that it buys off the agriculture produce from farmers because this was a sure way of empowering them economically.
The President, who was received by Chief Mwanachingwala, Southern province minister Daniel Munkombwe, senior government and MMD officials at the palace, also said the creation of the ministry of Livestock was meant to improve the livestock sector in the country.
President Banda is accompanied to Mazabuka by Livestock minister Bradford Machila, Commerce minister Felix Mutati and Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga.
He is in Mazabuka at the invitation of chief Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people of that district.
President Banda reiterated that the MMD was in a pact with the people of Zambia and not two or more political parties coming together.
He said the MMD government has achieved a lot economic gains since he became president.
He said it was now up to the Zambians to judge government’s performance based on what has been achieved so far.
The President told the public meeting that he will always talk to potential voters regardless of their political affiliations in order to garner more support for the ruling party.
President Banda said the MMD was the only strong party because it has stable structures throughout the country.
And during the same meeting, President Banda welcomed over 100 cadres who earlier had left the MMD to join the opposition parties but have rejoined the ruling party.
He said it was pleasing to see so many people rejoining the ruling party, a demonstration of the confidence they have in the MMD.
One of the defectors, a Ms Chibilika, told the gathering that she and others have returned to the ruling party because they have realized that the opposition political parties have nothing to offer.
Meanwhile, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe warned that anybody who will attempt to challenge President Banda for presidency will be suffocated by the convention pressure.
Mr. Munkombwe said no MMD member vying for the party presidency will be physically harassed at the convention but pressure will be too much for them to handle at the convention.
He said President Banda was the only credible candidate who will ensure victory for the MMD in the 2011 parliamentary and presidential elections.
