PATRIOTIC Front president, Michael Sata, has been challenged to prove that Government has refused to honour former President, Frederick Chiluba’s medical bills at University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Mr Sata was quoted by the press yesterday accusing Government of refusing to pay for Dr Chiluba’s medical tests at UTH.

On Thursday, Dr Chiluba collapsed at his Kabulonga home and is currently admitted to UTH where doctors have conducted various medical tests.

Chief Government spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government has never issued such orders or directives on the settling of medical bills for the former President.

“Government has never said that, because this is a delicate matter that should be handled with care and morality.

This matter borders on morality, because Dr Chiluba is still in hospital. For him to hear about such talks that have been attributed to the Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata, what is he going to think? I also got shocked when I heard Mr Sata’s attacks on Government that it has refused to pay Dr Chiluba’s hospital bills.

I am challenging Mr Sata to tell the nation where I said that Government would not pay Dr Chiluba’s bills.

The story is a total fabrication,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said the doctors at UTH were competent enough to advise Government on Dr Chiluba’s health.

He said Government would not take Mr Sata’s advice on Dr Chiluba’s health status.

“What this Government is saying is that it will follow what the medical experts attending to Dr Chiluba at UTH will advise,” he said.

The minister wondered how Government could have problems in clearing Dr Chiluba’s bills at UTH when in the past it had been paying for him whenever he attended treatment in South Africa.

He said President Mwanawasa’s Government was of laws and would not refuse to settle bills for the former President.

“Under the Zambian constitution, there is a provision for the former President’s entitlement and Dr Chiluba’s benefits are intact,” Mr Mulongoti said.

Dr Chiluba’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Mwamba, declined to comment on Mr Sata’s statement.

“I just heard from Mr Sata that there is something like Government not paying the bill so I can’t comment on the matter because we don’t know the official position of Government and I can’t act on rumours,” he said.

Mr Mwamba said Dr Chiluba was still in the admission ward and would continue receiving medication.

On whether Dr Chiluba would appear before a doctors’ ad hoc committee today to determine his fitness to stand trial as ordered by the Lusaka magistrates court, Mr Mwamba said UTH would advise accordingly.

Dr Chiluba is scheduled to appear before a team of medical experts that recommended for his evacuation to South Africa for the treatment of his heart condition last year in March.

President Levy Mwanawasa has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately withdraw the diplomatic passport that was issued to former State House Deputy Minister, Webby Chipili.

This follows media reports in one of weekend’s newspapers that Mr Chipili hascontinued using the diplomatic passport he was issued with when he was still at State House as Deputy Minister.

Mr. Chipili was quoted in the newspaper as saying he has continued to use the passport because the President still uses him for official duties.

According to a press statement signed by the President’s Special Assistant for Press
and Public Relations, John Musukuma made available to ZANIS this evening, the President has denied allegations that he still uses Mr. Chipili for official duties.

He said the President has not used Mr. Chipili since he left office at State House last year.

”The correct position is that Mr. Chipili should have surrendered the diplomatic passport upon ceasing to be Deputy Minister, State House,” Mr. Musukuma said in a statement.

Mwinilunga East Member of Parliament (MP) Stephen Katuuka has expressed concern over the shoddy works done by a named Construction company engaged to rehabilitate the road infrastructure in the area.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Katuuka said the T-5 Mwinilunga/Solwezi road  including feeder roads in Chiefs Kakoma and Chibwika’s
areas are all in a deplorable state.

Mr. Katuuka named the deplorable  feeder roads in his constituency as Kahona/Kanyaya, Lumwana/Kakoma and Kakoma/Kambimba which also connects to
neighboring Congo DR

The Mp mentioned other roads as  Chibwika/Kamapanda which goes to Angola.

The MP called for the thorough scrutinizing contractors  saying some of them are
bent on defrauding government out of colossal sums of money.

He appealed to government to engage genuine contractors in the rehabilitation of
roads to avoid spending money on the same roads.

Mr. Katuuka has since  requested  Ministry of Works and Supply to tell the named
contractor to re-do the road repairs saying a good road network enhances quick
delivery of goods and services to the market.

The Mp further appealed to government to rehabilitate the Solwezi/Mwinilunga road
which he said is in a state of disrepair adding that motorists traveling to
Mwinilunga district in  North Western province risked damaging their vehicles and
losing their lives.

 President Mwanawasa has directed the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to start purchasing maize  from farmers by next week .

And President Mwanawasa has expressed unhappiness at the pace at which  FRA is
proceeding with the crop marketing exercise.

President Mwanawasa  said  the delays by the Agency to commerce the maize purchasing exercise has subjected farmers to exploitation by briefcase businessmen.

The President has since asked  Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ben Kapita
to ensure that the FRA starts purchasing maize by  next week.

Mr. Mwanawasa  was speaking  at a public rally in Petauke , at Chief Nyanje headquarter grounds to drum up support for MMD candidate Fashion Phiri in the June 5
parliamentary  bye- elections.

Mr. Mwanawasa regretted that unscrupulous traders have taken advantage of the delay
to obtain maize from desperate farmers at unreasonable cheap prices.

”I’m not happy with the slow pace at which the FRA is progressing with the issue .
I therefore want it to start buying the grain as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Mwanawasa  added that government wants to make the crop marketing exercise more efficient  hence the allocation of K205 billion for the exercise this season.

And President Mwanawasa has disclosed that government has negotiated for US$7
million from the Chinese government for the  rehabilitation of silos (food storage
facilities) in all parts of the country.

Mr Mwanawasa pointed out that the rehabilitation exercise for the silos which is
scheduled to commerce towards the end of this year is meant to improve the maize
grain storage in the country.

He said government is determined to implement programmes that focus on improving
performance in the agriculture sector and enhance overall national food security.

Meanwhile President Mwanawasa has disclosed  that government has approved K600
million for addressing the livestock diseases in affected areas.

The President  said government has put in place deliberate measures to address
animal diseases such as the large grain borer , east coast fever, and lamp diseases
reported in some  parts of the country.

And President Mwanawasa has  cautioned the people of  Kapoche constituency not to
entertain politicians promising to give free fertilizers to farmers because such
promises are unattainable.

He wondered where such politicians would source funds from to implement such a
policy when government is  struggling to find resources for the 60 percent farming
input subsides given to farmers.

And in another development, President Mwanawasa  says MMD is ready to work with
people from opposition political parties who are  willing to work with the government of the day in order to improve the country’s economy.

He  said the ruling MMD is the only party that can provide quality leadership
required for national development.

Mr. Mwanawasa said this when he received 134 Forum for Democracy and Development
(FDD) members  who defected to join the ruling MMD.

The President  further advised the people of Petauke not to listen to lies  from opposition leaders.

Others contesting in the Kapoche bye-elections are FDD’s Charles Banda, Patrotic Front’s Mike Tembo, All People’s Congress Party’s Sara Zulu and Former Health
minister Levison Mumba who is standing on UNIP ticket.

The Kapoche seat fell vacant after the high court nullified the election of MMD’s
Nicholas Banda.

President Mwanawasa says he would not adopt a populist approach in addressing issues of national importance.

Mr Mwanawasa says he will work hard in order to promote national interest  and
develop the economy.

Mr Mwanawasa  said he has no intention  of adopting a leadership approach that would
give short term benefits and create long term economic misery to the people.

”I could very easily engage in populist behaviour by doing things that would make
you people happy today and sorry tomorrow,” he said.

Mr. Mwanawasa  further advised people to continue working hard in order to sustain
the economic achievements that the country has attained.

And President Mwanawasa has  thanked the people of Petauke for supporting him and
MMD government in last’s year general elections.

He said the support given to his administrations was due to the commitment shown by
the government through  improvements in the economy.

Mr. Mwanawasa however advised the people of Petauke not to listen to lies  from
opposition leaders.

He said some opposition leaders promise better living standards to the people, when
they failed to provide services when they were in the government.

He said he will personally not require so many years to start delivering better
services to the people saying 10 years is adequate to deliver services.

He told the meeting that  the second term of his office will be dedicated to  implementing developmental projects in order to fully achieve the vision of developing the country.

President Mwanawasa letter held a closed door meeting with traditional leaders.

The president was speaking on arrival at Petauke  boarding school grounds this morning.

President Mwanawasa  is in Petauke  to drum up support for  the MMD candidate,
Fashion Phiri in the June 5 Kapoche Parliamentary by elections.

First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda has implored United Party for National Development, UPND, president Hakainde Hichilema to carry on the vision of the party’s founder member the late Anderson Mazoka.

Dr. Kaunda described the late Mazoka as a great son, true Africanist and an internationalist who had a passion to serve the Zambian people.

Addressing hundreds of UPND party cardes, relatives and sympathisers at the burial
site and subsquent unveiling of Mazoka’s tombstone at Malenda farms, Dr. Kaunda said
he was sure that Hichilema would take the opposition party forward.

Dr. Kaunda commended the UPND for electing Hichilema as president for UPND.

And speaking earlier, UPND, president Hakainde Hichilema pledged to continue from
where the late Mazoka left.

Mr. Hichilema urged the people of Zambia to explore their talents beyond family
boundaries for the benefit of all Zambians.

Mr Hichilema described Mr. mazoka as a selfess, hardworking and a visionary politician who strived to better the welfare of Zambians.

The memorial of the late Mazoka was proceded by a church serivce at Cathedral of
Jesus the Child before proceeding to Ma-lenda where the opposition leader was burried.

First republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Finance Minister Peter Magande,
Zambia Development Conference, ZADECO, National Chairman Langtone Sichone, UPND Vice president Richard Kapita, serveral UPND Members of Parliament, MPs and patriotic Zambians attended the memorial service.

Mr. Mazoka died on May 24, 2006 in Morningside hospital in South Africa.