“I will not attend EU-Africa Summit, if Mugabe is barred from attending” – Levy

1. We know you are chairman of SADC,but I dont think you are that power to make any inpact on that summit.It will be a good saving anyway.We need that money you waste on those trips for other developmental projects.

2. Thanx Mr President.You are a true African brother. I know we are passing through a rough time. Brown wont sooth our pain by barring our President to attend the EU summit. Pliz let Bob attend the summit for humanity’s sake.Zimbabweans need support from all over the world.I hope other fellow African leaders will follow Mr Mwanawasa’s decision. God bless Africa.

3. This is being selfish…!

4. The impact can only be felt if at least the whole of southern africa does not attend in solidarity with bob. I think a mini summit should be held by souther african leaders so that the way foward can be maped out so that if we boycott it can make even a small impact. But it would be a good serving anyway because we send 30 heart patients to morning side for treatment.

5. Who cares, LPM just apologise to Mugabe. Sikatana was right when he told Mugabe you suffer memory lapses, you are not a team players and no one trusts you in SADC anyway!

6. Ba #1 , Levy is just setting the ball in motion. If SADC leaders stand with Mugabe the EU will be forced to to think its position on ZIM. It doesnt mean LPM has the power to dictate the terms but its the right step in the right direction.

7. #3 Cyber-USA
   Mwaice Cyber kabili kupwilikisha sentence pakuti twayishiba umowalosha pakulanda ati “being self” te?

   #2 Wemugoregore

   Uleti twalisekelamo pasele Bob atukile chuchu ni his own bedroom te? We zedianz, were also insulted by that war VETERAN. Anyway, issues on Zim-zim Chuchu must be mute or stick to his stance of being in alliance with the west and not ifi bayamba bu flip-flop. Ala ba Presdo bensu balimbe ma principles mwandini ka. Look at George Mpanga, the man is still dwelling in endeavours of wrong and still wowing pipo to support him and that makes him great. Nomba the all things look like kwati ba Chuchu balepapatila friendship kuli Bob te?

8. Its tym Zambia moved on.LPM Kuzionesa,how long r we goin try play hero with our troubled neighbors @ the expence of development in Zed.Levy thinks if he does not attend thinks EU will care

9. #7 Socayared
   The blocking groups are there for one thing; that is trading and there is always one beneficiary country from all these block trading systems. In East Africa is Kenya, ECOWAS is Nigeria and under SADC is RSA. So ba chuchu being chairman of SADC is only good for his CV. Anyway who cares whether SADC boycotts or not?

10. #6 Socayared

    The blocking groups are there for one thing; that is trading and there is always one beneficiary country from all these block trading systems. In East Africa is Kenya, ECOWAS is Nigeria and under SADC is RSA. So ba chuchu being chairman of SADC is only good for his CV. Anyway who cares whether SADC boycotts or not?

11. This is political myopia at its worst.To support Mugabe at this stage is tantamount to endorsing his repression of political opponents ,and suicidal economic policies.The latter have seen the once breadbasket of southern Africa reduced to the verge of starvation and bankrupcy.Mugabes anti west rantings reek of paranoia.Zimbabwes current woes rest firmly on Mugabes rather wealthy shoulders.The time to blame ex-colonial governments is over.

12. The EU should cut off AID to all those insisting on Mugabe’s attendance.

13. Let mugabe deal with his problems and relationships with the outside world. Wasnt it 2 days ago that the same Mugabe thug asked Chuchu who the heck he thought he was? Mwanawasa please stop fighting other peoples battles. Zambians elected you to represent them. Mugabe was never on your election ticket. If at all he was, may be you forgot to tell us. Who the EU invite to their gatherings has nothing to do with you. The EU should cut off Aid to Zambia since you seem to be in the same boat with the Zimbabwean fossil of homorhodesianus.We helped Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and south Africa to get their freedom. And indeed they are noe free to screw up their countries. And I dont think they need our help to do so. Let us concentrate on our own problems now! Better still just stay were you’ve gone. We dont need you here! You may be of help to the joke that not so long ago you called the sinking titanic! Chuchu what has changed within such a short time?

14. Please dont use the Zambian presidency to fight other peoples battles. if you want to fight for Zimbabwe apply for zezuru citizenship, Joker

15. Ya!Umu fyashi uyu kwena.He always leave me with so much to think about. Is he really sane?

16. #14 Mbulawa

    We’re poor coz of external politics of KK engaged in. Look at Botswana; they had Seretse Khama, Ketumile Masile and now Festus Mugae as presdo. All these guys have had nothing to do external politics and their concern focused on country’s economical growth. Nomba ifwe ba presdo bensu they want to make a name to outsiders at the expense of Zedians, ala bwafya. We pumped a lot of cash in RSA, Zim-zim, Namibia, Angola, Botswana and Mozambique for their liberations and we got nothing for the job well done. They can’t even give edu scholarships to Zedians and what more should we pump in Zim-zim? Let Bob and his pipo clean up their mess. By the way Chuchu seems to be antilog waba Sata, so nishi ba Sata baba against Bob this time te?

17. I am in seventh heaven by this announcement by LPM to support comrade Robert Mugabe all the way. Viva LPM and abash Mundia Sikatana. Our camaraderie with our Zimbabwean brethrens was forged a long time ago from the days of Herbert Chitepo and Josiah Tongogara and this relationship should continue. Those of you ignorant people insulting Mugabe, can you please tell us just one name of a Black African who owns a Cobalt mine or at least 20 hectares of land outside the African Continent? Just one name please will prove that this world has justice.

18. I have see all the negative sentiment regarding LPMs position on the EU-AU summit.Can you guys clearly articulate your points instead of ukula sabaila. Sadc is trying to become a voice for southern africa which we need whether you agree with it or not. There is power in numbers. As much as Thabo and SADC are doing their part in mediating the negotiations with Bob and MDC. Some one has to put pressure on the EU to soften their in humane sunctions. If SADC stands together, The EU will back down. Remember ” Divide and rule will only…tear us apart” from another Bob. Running away or trying to isolate Bob is not the solution. just like i have condemned the OASIS on their cute and run way of dealing with issues. We dont want to let the EU deal with ZIM like its their colony. We have to show solidality and determination as africans to try and resolve the ZIM question. Politics is a give and take game. Bob has given up something, EU should give up something.

19. Ba Levy nabo balaimonapo fimo, nolufumo lwabo who would even notice his absence. I agree with ba JOSE LPM ni flip flop. The bootlicking cadres have ballooned his ego so much, he thinks everyone can ‘mulyata’ before him. He’s just making himself look stupid.

20. There goes Levy sucking up like a little Bi$%#. Whats wrong with this man…So what if Mugabe doesn’t attend. He needs to deal with his issues in Zim. and Levy should concentrate on making Zed a better place…Levy you disgust me !

21. No matter how much you speak bemba, you will remain poor if DON’T respect land. Most bloggers here are poor because they don’t respect land issues.

22. I have been an ardent sympathizer of Robert Mugabe and constantly referred people to the Lancaster Agreement over the years. On this one, President Mwanawasa is wrong and should reconsider his position. For years, Zambia, through KK sacrificed for our neighbouring countries in the name of liberation struggle and see were it landed us in terms of the economy. In these times of ‘building the economy’ and following the launching of the Mazabuka Sugar expansion project, LPM should attend the EU-Africa Summit to lobby for an increased quota in Sugar exports to the EU.

    It appears LPM is so content and much ‘in love’ with Chinese investment only and will find any lame excuses to avoid meeting and enticing potential investors from Europe? It’s time to put our economy first. LPM should find his own spare time for making up on his differences with Mugabe.

23. BaLevy ala mulicikopo sana,RGM is abusing his own people and you call that solidarity?The people of Zim are sufferring because of one stupid ***** who thinks he own the lives of 13m people.If anything Gordon Brown should just send an army of M5 or Mi5 to thump the stupid ***** RGM.I was watching on tele a while a go, how his militias are trying to eliminate any anti RGM from MDC.We must appreciate that selfishness in leadership in Africa is what has stalled development.If RGM has no eyes to see that his ZCBC and Mwaiseni only have shelves and tils then he needs that herbs man who helped Beatrice Mwala get acquited.

24. I think Levy has been mis quoted on this issue. What he actaully meant was that If Mugabe wont be barred from the Summit He will not attend. Because the men just had a quarrel in last month.

    Ask levy to clarify and i have no doubt that this is what he meant.

25. LPM is chairman of SADC. He is making a good decision but should have asked all members of SADC to boycott instead of personalizing the issue.

    Bajoze and the group, didn’t you use to read Jelita and Mulenga? please use English in your postings. We all went to school to learn english so we can have a common language for effective communication.

26. Liberalisation of the Economy

    The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

    EDITORIAL
    20 September 2007
    Posted to the web 20 September 2007
    Ndola

    FOR a very long time now, the cry of many Zambians has been the absence of deliberate government policies that guarantee that locals are afforded equal opportunities to compete and partner with multilateral firms in business ventures.

    With the hasty liberalisation of the Zambian economy in the early 1990s, which saw an unprecedented proliferation of foreign firms setting up businesses and the privatisation of most of the Parastatal stock, the average working Zambian was condemned to the street through massive job losses that consigned the bulk of the productive workforce into squalid oblivion.

    What emerged from that scenario was a new cadre of the Zambian working class which was forced into casual jobs with no semblance of job security and when the foreign bosses were through with the workers, conveniently folding up their companies to later emerge in another different name, there was no recourse to the law for any reasonable pension or gratuity package for the poor worker.

    The offshoots of such state of affairs – poverty, hunger disease and streetism among others have left an indelible mark on the Zambian population which, coupled with urbanisation, has left the nation reeling in a state of social economic malaise whose effects the current Government is now grappling with.

    With great impunity, some of these so called investors simply ignored the Zambian labour laws and continued to spew more and more trained and experienced personnel into deeper desperation on the streets, literally reducing them to beggars.

    The situation has been much the same in the peri-urban and rural areas where after the acquisition of prime land by investors for development as farm land and industry, the locals that were either displaced or forced as farm labourers did not benefit in any reasonable manner from the land which is for all intents and purpose their birth right.

    It is therefore right for President Levy Mwanawasa, who during the week commissioned a multi-billion kwacha Zambia sugar Plc land expansion programme in Mazabuka, to warn management there to never leave out the natives and locals but to involve them and deliberately allow them access to businesses opportunities that will arise out of this mammoth project.

    Already there have been numerous allegations and complaints in the new mining areas and Nakambala itself about how managements there have systematically ostracized the locals from involvement in vulture businesses but instead opted for their kith and kin abroad to supply even the minutest of spare parts.

27. #26 VETERAN the imposter.Nabakwambukisha ichipumputu?

28. Levy is misguided on this one, EU is not Britain alone, Countries like Germany matter more nowadays.
    One thing,I credit Levy for making decisions which a few can agree with while others don’t, it was never the same when FTJ was around. His were all poor decisions.

29. GOVERNMENT DISCARDS THE ELDERLY

    20 September 2007

    Lusaka
    Zambia’s elderly population are faced with a double jeopardy: they are either shunned by communities as witchcraft practitioners or, with little or no understanding of the disease, are burdened with caring for HIV/AIDS orphans, says a non-governmental organisation concerned with their wellbeing.
    “Our elderly people are facing a very big problem in Zambia; it is either they are abandoned by the community and their relatives on allegations of practising witchcraft, or they are forced to look after their grandchildren, whose parents die of AIDS without leaving anything for these old people, who become [surrogate] parents,” Rosemary Sichimba, president of the Senior Citizens Association of Zambia, told IRIN.

    About one in five Zambians, or 1.6 million of the 10 million population, are infected with HIV/AIDS, many in the productive age group of 18 to 45. According to the government’s Central Statistical Office, about 500,000 people are aged 65 years or older, but independent analysts claim this is a conservative estimate, as it is difficult to ascertain the actual number of elderly people living in rural areas.
    “We might have up to 800,000 old people in Zambia, but we are afraid such a number may soon be reduced by HIV/AIDS because the elderly are not taught any specialised skills or given protective clothes to help prevent them from contracting HIV as caregivers and traditional birth attendants,” said Sichimba, whose organisation fights for the upliftment of the elderly.
    “Since old people are often very caring, they do not even bother to avoid coming into contact with the blood of the [HIV/AIDS] infected, which is sad, because if such a person is infected, falls sick and goes to the hospital, she won’t be tested for HIV. The doctor will assume she is not sexually active and just say, ‘it is old age’,” she said.
    The senior citizens organisation is calling on the government to introduce more elderly-friendly voluntary counselling and testing [VCT] services, which are generally youth orientated and administered by the young, who often shun the aged. Contrary to popular perception, “some of our colleagues are still sexually active”, Sichimba commented.
    Burdened by loss
    Modester Kalonde, 79, who lives in the capital, Lusaka, cares for her 8-month-old grandchild, who began displaying illnesses associated with HIV/AIDS at four months old.
    I now have to be at home all the time, or most of the time. I cannot go to church, attend funerals or even visit my friends because I have to be with her [the daughter] and also look after her child, who is my grandchild
    “I now have to be at home all the time, or most of the time. I cannot go to church, attend funerals or even visit my friends because I have to be with her [the daughter] and also look after her child, who is my grandchild – I only go out briefly when some Good Samaritans visit us,” Kalonde told IRIN. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society provides shelter and supportive services to older persons and others in need.
    “I don’t know what to do, because my other two children are still in the village [outside of Lusaka]; I just came to visit. At the clinic, the doctor told me to take her [daughter] for injections every day, but I have no money because she has spent everything she had on buying medicine and food.”
    Despite being a signatory to several international conventions on the elderly – including the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, which calls on governments to recognise the rights of older people – Zambia has no legislated policies for the aged.
    Community development minister Catherine Namugala said government was in the process of formulating a policy on the aged that would outline key intervention measures, including a policy on HIV/AIDS and the elderly.
    “We are doing everything possible to ensure that the policy comes into effect by December this year [2007] or early next year, so that we can be properly guided as a nation in dealing with issues affecting the aged. At the moment, we are just offering support under our Social Welfare Department to a number of institutions taking care of the vulnerable citizens, most of whom are the elderly,” she told IRIN.
    No retirement for most
    The retirement age in Zambia is set at 55 years, and the average monthly pension for a retired public servant is about US$10, but it only applies to people who have worked in the formal sector. About 400,000 people are employed in the formal sector, both public and private.
    Rental for a three-bedroom house in Lusaka’s medium-cost residential accommodation ranges from $180 to $300 a month, with many landlords demanding a deposit of between three and six months’ rent. There is no pension arrangement for people who have not worked in the formal economy.
    Government has introduced a free medical scheme for people aged 65 years and older, but Andrea Masiye, 70, a practising lawyer, dismissed this because “only consultation is free in essence; there are no drugs and we are all told to buy our own medicines after prescription”.
    “Many of us are forced to work for a lifetime because there is no policy to take care of the aged. Otherwise, we would all have to end up in hospices after being abandoned by communities, and this is what has led to the overcrowding of hospices because government simply can’t take care of its own senior citizens,” Masiye said.
    Most old people here have either lost their relatives to HIV/AIDS or have been abandoned by their communities. There is a need to restore the dignity of the old people
    Judith Bozek, a sister-in-charge at Cheshire Divine Providence, a faith-based institution looking after orphans and elderly homeless people in Lusaka, told IRIN: “We are overwhelmed by the high numbers of people coming here.
    “Most old people here have either lost all their relatives to HIV/AIDS or have been abandoned by the communities. There is a need to restore the dignity of the old people by empowering them with some reasonable income, so that even when looking after their infected relatives they will not strain so much,” she said.
    “Other countries have the universal cash transfer policy, which entitles the elderly to some disposable income, and I think the same should be done in Zambia to end these problems that the elderly are facing.”

30. RUSSIA REVERTS TO ’COLD WAR ERA’ TACTICS

    The Bear awakes once more.
    Russia is flexing it’s muscles by restarting cold war patrols. President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is resuming it’s Soviet-era tactic of sending it’s bomber aircraft on long-range flights.
    Mr Putin said this move, which hasn’t been used in 15 years, was due to security threats posed by other military powers. 14 bombers took off from Russian airfields on Friday. Last week Russian bombers flew within a few hundred miles of the US pacific island of Guam. A few days ago strategic bombers had also began flying exercises over the North Pole.
    “We have decided to restore flights by Russian strategic aviation on a permenant basis. In 1992 Russia unilaterally ended flights by it’s strategic aircraft to distant military patrol areas. Unfortunaly, our example was not followed by everyone [reference to the US having training missions close to Russia in the Pacific] Flights by other countries’ strategic aircraft continue and this creates certain problems for ensuring the security of the Russian federation” – Russian president Vladimir Putin
    In Washington the US response was:
    “We certainly are not in the kind of posture we were with what used to be the Soviet Union. If Russia feels as though they want to take some of these old aircraft out of mothballs and get them flying again, that’s their decision” – State department spokesman Sean McCormack
    The reason why Russia halted it’s aviation patrols fifteen years ago was because it simply couldn’t afford the fuel, due to the power of the Soviet Union breaking down and the West taking advantage of this.
    NATO fighters were said to be shadowing these Russian bombers in Friday. Itar-Tass (Russian news station) quoted air force spokesman Alexander Brobyshevsky as saying:
    “At present, several pairs of Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft are in the air over the atlantic and pacific oceans, which are accompanied by NATO planes. NATO said it was ‘aware of the flights but had no comment on whether NATO planes were in attendance’.
    Last week Russian bombers were so close to US fighter pilots who were scrambled to track them, they could smile at them, a Russian general commented:
    Only last month Norway and Britain scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian Tupolev 95 aircraft bound for Scotland. Also recently Russian bombers have also flown close to US airspace near Alaska.
    New Face Russia
    This is all the programme for new Russia. After a traumatic fifteen years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has been demoted to the role of a minor power in the world’s political game. The Russia of the ’90s was economically and militarily very weak, with Chechan terrorists wreaking havoc all the way up to 2004. The fall of the Soviet Union hurt Russian pride, one day a world super-power…to nothing. This was a hard transition for most of the Russian populace. But that was yesterday.
    Today, Russia is basically rolling in oil, gas and money. Russia is no longer afraid of NATO after being refused entry to Belgrade in the Balkan crisis in 1998/1999. Russia has joined the Shanghai Corporation Organisation where 6 nations have come together to counter NATO in Asia.
    Russia has also become a very stubborn ally. Over the Litvenko affair, Russia expelled four British diplomats and refused to release any anti-terrorism information to the UK. The Russians have also claimed land in the North Pole said to be very rich in oil. Canada and Norway have both stepped up their military readiness in the North Pole, with the Canadians deliberating over whether to build a military base there. Russia also said that they were pointing their missiles at European targets after the US built missile defense systems in Eastern Europe.
    This is all a new powerful Russia which is making the West nervous. It’s late allegiance with China and other Asian countries has been seen as hostility by the EU and the US. Russia has also been known to stop it’s oil/gas supplies to Europe, in Feb 1999 Lithuania asked Moscow why Russian oil companies stopped crude oil shipments to Lithuania’s only oil refinery causing it to be shut down and a couple of years ago stopped gas supplies to Eastern Europe during a bitter argument between some Eastern European countries and Russia. Russia also is known to stretch it’s arm like it did back in the Cold War and Moscow is suspected of killing many Russian ex-pats who criticise Putin’s administration. Russia was also accused of poisoning the Ukrainian pro-West candidate in the Ukrainian elections, almost killing him (though he survived and went on to win the election).

31. The picture showing George Mpombo kneeling before “King” levy on the Post front online page is truly a sad sight. That is some serious hero worshiping that is why ‘King’ levy feels like he is a mini god of Zambia. Imagine that is your parent kneeling like that.
    I don’t like the Post’s propaganda but that picture is a classic. It tells a lot about the excessive powers that the Presidency enjoys and the hero worshipping involved in cabinet. How can a person kneeling like that ever disagree on principle with the President? I can’t see that happening, most of those in cabinet are nothing but rubber stamps of anything that the President comes up with including wrong policies.
    They say a picture says a thousand words, that picture has said a million words. Let us work hard to ensure that Presidential powers are clipped through a people driven constitution otherwise the hero worshipping culture will never end!!

32. SADC won’t attend EU/AU summit without Mugabe – Levy

33. Whaaaaat`s wroooong with you people?Whhhhy dooo you always condemn me when I am acting in good faith?After Mugabe told me off,I listened because he spoke the truth.

34. Zambian,
    Not watering your surprise, Presidents in Africa and Zambia in particular from KK to Levy are approached like that in closed proximity. I know you have never had access to Presidents and life in plots until the Post in an era of freedom starts to capture such incidences. Years back screening exercises were for prevention of such reports. I’m witness of Sata, Miyanda, Ben Mwiinga, Silwamba, Kayope, Mandandi, Kalumba, Nawakwi, Shamukayumbwa Shamujaye, Hambayi, Nsuluka,Chungu, Machungwa and many others leaved doing that doing private communication .That is very common among Luapulan folks in Government. Sata is major calprit from time in memorial. Have you forgotten the Kumulu Lesa panshi ni Kaunda was Sata’s sycophancy creed.He did the same with Chiluba and openly persecuted anyone that did not exercise that tradition.Bwafya!

35. all those against mugabe and president mwanawasa’s decision not to attend should go to portugal …and attend …i strongly support mwanawasa …zimbabwe is our sister country…
    look at how america and britain work ..america went to war ,so did britain …bravo mwanawasa…
    white power shiiiiit arent gonna work /…m’ther fuccccckersss…

    they want to recolonise zimbabwe in the name of human rights abuse and stufff…
    ian smith still live in zimbabwe and was never sent to jail but the Eu dont say nothing…

36. Mwinsho!.. why does this bother you when this doesnt bother Mugabe himself. Mwinsho you should know that Mugabe has ruled his country with sanctions along side so to him this doesnt make any difference. Dont forget that our national budget is 75% donor funded so be mindful of the consequences of this decission you are about to make webo Mwinsho!. Pano chindo chaisa muli webo ino pindi kanshi Mwinsho?!

37. I think staying away is not the best solution Mwinsho. The best you can do is to pull your socks knee high and girdle your belt tight so that you can go and stand firmly before the EU and convice them that Zimbabawe needs the attention of EU and not to be sidelined. This I think is what any man who is made of any intellectual material should do. I feel Mwinsho you have this mandatte especially that you are now in the Chair of SADC. How is that Mwinsho…? Abashi corwardice!!! Viva bravity!

38. Gordon Brown should never be allowed to hold the African Leadership at ransom. If he cannot meet Mugabe then let him stay away because he’s then of no use to the resolution of Zimbabwe’s problems. Levy is right and he should use his SADC Chairmanship to show the World the important role SADC Countries have in every effort aimed at resolving Zimbabwe’s problems. In short, he should be listened to. Otherwise:”Keep your Britain, and I will keep my Zimbabwe!”.

39. SADC won’t attend EU/AU summit without Mugabe – Levy
    By Brighton Phiri: Thursday September 20, 2007 [21:01]
    [ Print Article | Email Article | Previous Page | Archives | Homepage ]
    SOUTHERN Africa Development Community (SADC) countries will boycott the forthcoming European Union (EU)/African Union (AU) summit if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is not allowed to attend, President Mwanawasa declared yesterday.

    Speaking before departure for New York, where he was scheduled to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, President Mwanawasa said blocking President Mugabe from attending the EU/AU summit scheduled for Lisbon, Portugal in December, would not help resolve the problems in Zimbabwe.

    “So if Great Britain will not attend the Portugal summit because President Mugabe will be there that is very unfortunate as far as this region is concerned.

    And I must say that in that case, the EU/AU summit hangs in the balance. I don’t know how some of us will be prepared to go to Portugal without President Mugabe,” President Mwanawasa said.

    “I will not go to Portugal if Mugabe is not allowed. That is not to say I agree and I am happy with the situation in Zimbabwe. But I feel that there is need to continue dialoguing with our colleagues in Zimbabwe. If Robert Mugabe is not allowed, then the whole basis of dialogue is removed. As far as I concerned, that includes even failing to go.”

    President Mwanawasa said it was important for British Prime minister Gordon Brown to meet President Mugabe in the interest of dialogue in order to find a lasting solution to Zimbabwwe’s crisis.

    “As SADC chairperson and also as Zambian President, I have always said that dialogue is important to resolve any problem. You cannot resolve problems unless you discuss and meet the person whom you perceive as the wrong doer,” he said. “From that premise it is very clear that those with a born to chew with President Mugabe have to agree to meet him. If they don’t agree to meet him then the solution will not be found.”

    President Mwanawasa disclosed that he would hold meetings with members of the private sector and other heads of state while in New York.

    President Mwanawasa said he would seize the opportunity to woo some investors to Zambia.

    “In addition to the UN General Assembly, there will be several meetings which I will attend. I look forward to these meetings because I have the chance to meet the private sector, to woo investors to Zambia,” President Mwanawasa said.

    “I will also be meeting with the Clinton Global Foundation. I will also hold some meetings with my fellow heads of state during which we will discuss matters of mutual interest.”

    On former foreign affairs minister Mundia Sikatana’s statement that he was not interested to hold on to the position of nominated member of parliament and that he was fit, President Mwanawasa said he was convinced that Sikatana was not fit to serve in government before taking his decision.

    “I did what I did because I was convinced of what I said. I am glad to learn from Sikatana’s statement that he is fit…fit indeed to contest as Republican president. But during the time of my discussion with him, I had explained to him in great detail the basis of my contention that he was not well,” President Mwanawasa said.

    “Mundia is a great friend of mine. It pained me that I had to ask him to leave. As you know I have nominated him as MP twice.”

    President Mwanawasa was accompanied by foreign affairs minister Kabinga Pande, science and technology minister Peter Daka, agriculture minister Ben Kapita and several other senior government officials.

    According to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report yesterday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said he would boycott a summit of European and African leaders if President Mugabe attends the event.

    According to the BBC report, Prime Minister Brown said President Mugabe’s presence at the conference in Portugal would divert attention from important issues such as poverty, climate change and health.

    Prime Minister Brown told the Independent newspaper that President Mugabe had an EU travel ban for a reason – “the abuse of his own people”.

    The European Union-African Union summit will take place in Lisbon in December.
    Prime Minister Brown described the EU/AU summit as a “serious opportunity” to forge stronger partnerships between Africa and the EU.

    “I believe President Mugabe’s presence would undermine the summit, divert attention from the important issues that need to be resolved,” he said. “In those circumstances, my attendance would not be appropriate.”

    Prime Minister Brown said Britain had a responsibility to the people of Zimbabwe, who find themselves in an “appalling and tragic” situation.

    Quoting a senior source in the Portuguese government, the BBC report stated that no invitation had yet been sent to President Mugabe.

    The BBC’s Europe editor, Mark Mardell, said he understood diplomats were being “very active in trying to find a compromise”.

    “This could involve inviting another Zimbabwean representative, such as a junior member of the government or a civil servant, so that Mr Brown could attend,” he said.
    Portugal, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is keen to invite every African leader for the summit on 8 and 9 December.

    However, the Portuguese may let the African Union decide which leaders should attend.
    BBC world affairs correspondent Allan Little said criticism from Britain, the old colonial power, was a double-edged sword, because in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, this could be portrayed as an attempt to re-assert the interests of the white minority.

    In order to allow President Mugabe to attend the conference, EU member states would have to convene before the summit and agree to lift the travel ban currently imposed on him.

    But Prime Minister Brown is urging EU leaders to keep it in place.

    “There is no freedom in Zimbabwe: no freedom of association; no freedom of the press,” said Prime Minister Brown, who was chancellor in 2004 when Jack Straw, foreign secretary at the time, was pictured shaking hands with the Zimbabwean leader at the UN.

40. Zimbabwe needs support
    By Editor: Thursday September 20, 2007 [21:00]
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    It is time for the British government to rethink its position on Zimbabwe.

    It is very clear that the British policy of trying to isolate the Zimbabwean government of Robert Mugabe is bound to fail. There is growing support for Zimbabwe in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

    The British government should realise that their attempts to isolate and strangulate Zimbabwe have no support in SADC. The leaders of this region have not forgotten that those who are today championing the economic and political isolation of Zimbabwe never did so, or were very reluctant to do so, when Ian Smith was in charge of a criminal, brutal and racist white minority regime in that country.

    The British government and its friends used to argue that sanctions don’t work, that they end up only hurting the same people they are intended to serve. They even had similar arguments in their defence or support of the criminal apartheid regime in South Africa.

    The leaders of SADC understand this very well. And probably that is why they are opposed to the political and economic isolation of Zimbabwe and are calling for the removal of sanctions against this country.

    No one can deny that there are issues of governance in Zimbabwe that need to be resolved so that national unity and stability is increased in that country. But from the behaviour of the British government towards Zimbabwe, it is clear to us that the problem here is not primarily that of democracy or human rights.

    If lack of democracy or human rights were a preamble to political and economic isolation, many countries would today be shunned by Britain and its key allies. The problem lies elsewhere and governance issues – despite being legitimate – seem to be used as a pretext. The true reasons seem to lie elsewhere – probably in the land question.

    If our European friends are truly interested in finding a solution to the current economic crisis and other problems going on in Zimbabwe, they should mull over things and listen to what the SADC leaders are saying and consider their feelings and the positions they have taken.

    If they don’t do so, the ending of this whole issue will not be nice, it will start to look like a struggle between Britain and the SADC region and other African countries who are supporting Zimbabwe. This can be avoided by Britain allowing the SADC initiatives in Zimbabwe a chance to be implemented. The leaders of SADC have taken certain initiatives that they consider right and legitimate to try and address the Zimbabwe’s problems.

    The SADC leaders recognise that Zimbabwe needs both economic and political assistance from all progressive countries of the world. This is so because there is no way a country that has been so weakened by sanctions and internal political divisions can solve all its economic and political problems by itself.

    There is no way a country plagued by so many problems and difficulties, a country that has been so undermined and weakened, can overcome by itself all the challenges and difficulties Zimbabwe is facing today. Zimbabwe needs help and support and not further isolation and strangulation.

    The problems in Zimbabwe cannot be solved by blackmail and bullying. Now the British government is not only trying to blackmail Zimbabwe but the whole of Africa. But as it can be seen, many African countries will refuse to be blackmailed by the British government over Zimbabwe. And the SADC countries are today saying they will boycott the forthcoming European Union (EU), and African Union (AU) summit in Portugal if Mugabe is not allowed to attend.

    We agree with President Levy Mwanawasa’s position that blocking Mugabe from attending the EU/AU summit will not help solve the problems in Zimbabwe. It is immoral for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to declare that he will stay away from this summit if Mugabe attends. And the SADC leaders are saying if Mugabe is not allowed to attend, they too will not attend.

    This is a serious stand-off that shouldn’t be allowed to continue. It is tantamount to Britain telling the AU to boycott or isolate Zimbabwe. But from the conduct of SADC leaders, it is clear that this will not happen – they will not work to isolate Zimbabwe. For the SADC countries who stood together to fight colonialism, this is really a question of honour.

    Which SADC country can today agree to support Zimbabwe’s isolation at the insistence of a country which not very long ago was their coloniser or supported racist or apartheid regimes in our region? If that happened, would such a country and its political leadership retain any measure of credibility with the people of our region?

    It is time the British government started to respect the positions being taken on Zimbabwe by SADC leaders. They should learn to listen to others and not only to themselves. Our countries may be poor but that doesn’t mean our political leaders are also poor in the brains. They are capable of coming up with solutions to the Zimbabwean crisis.

    Brown wants the entire African continent to subscribe to his government’s position on Zimbabwe but he is not prepared to listen and adopt the position that is supported by 14 SADC governments. Even simple democracy shows that there is something wrong with Brown’s approach to the Zimbabwean crisis.

    We welcome the position taken by SADC in solidarity with Zimbabwe because that country’s problems can only be solved by a rational and intelligent engagement. And the best time for a negotiated settlement in Zimbabwe is now.

    We say this because the starting point for developing a framework within which to approach some large questions in the negotiating process is to answer the question: why should we negotiate or dialogue? There is need to dialogue because as a result of its escalating economic crisis, the Zimbabwean government is no longer able to continue ruling the country in the old way and is genuinely seeking some break with the past.

    At the same time those who, like the British government, are seeking a regime change in Zimbabwe are clearly not dealing with a defeated regime and the question of removing Mugabe and Zanu-PF from power cannot be realistically posed.

    For the past five years or so, the British government and their friends had their say. It is now time for the leaders of SADC to have their day. There is growing impatience with the British government’s approach to the Zimbabwean crisis. Zimbabwe needs support.

41. i dont understand why most african people like to hero whoshiop a white man just because they are bootlickers…black brothers please lets have some understanding of the situation on the ground in zimbabwe ..and the fact of how those sanction have been slappedd on zimbabwe …i know mugabe locked up some white farms and thats the reason they are saying that they are human rights abuse …but when its a black man nobody gives a damn issue about it..
    mugabe and his compatriots are the heros of the freddom strugle of thewhite man rule…now they have even influenced china to fllow the suit…remember zambia was in sanction too..
    i hate to say all that but the fac is that….
    white man always wannna be on top of the hill when he knows better that its not always …

42. Let Mwanawasa use his discretion as SADC Chairman to tell other SADC members to boycot this meeting in Lisbon.

43. Levy is right, let Mugabe attend the EU meeting so that they themselves can tell Mugabe what they think about him. They should not stop him from attending as that only shows that they cannot face him. Levy, you are right , let Mugabe’s enemies stand up and speak in his face. Are they afraid of Mugabe?

44. Levy has never been more right than now. Bravo Levy, Bravo Mugabe and Bravo SADC

45. Please, leave Mpombo alone. There are 11.5 million people in the person he is kneeling before. His kneeling means he is kneeling before me and you for having voted to employ LPM to be the president.
    Otherwise in as far as Zimbabwe is concerned, we have no choice but to get involved in that we are the chair of Sadc this time around. No man is an Island. Your controversial arguments do not hold any water at this time because if we can fail to unite at regional level then we will not reach the intended super goal of uniting Africa (AU).

46. #34Thank you for your response. Yes I have heard that there is that culture of worshipping whoever is the President and it all started with Kaunda as far as Zambia is concerned. I have heard of situations were a politician in the chiluba and kaunda (and now levy) admins would kneel down in their own homes upon learning that the person they are speaking to on the phone is the President (chiluba or kaunda). One other thing, if you Mr. Senior Citizen have witnessed the people you mentioned in your post kneeling before the President, chances are you have also done it before. It is also a bit unfair for you to say this useless culture is common among Luapulan folks in Gov’t. Was it not just a few weeks ago that the Post again showed Mulyata who is Lozi (I think) from Mongu kneeling down before ‘King’ levy? No wonder these presidents are hated with a passion when they are no longer presidents. Just like Kaunda and chiluba, if ‘king’ levy continues on this path, he will have a bad retirement.

47. #45
    It is people like you that continue to perpetuate such useless cultures of over kneeling before your fellow man and age mate just because he is the president. I know in our Zambian cultures we are supposed to kneel before our elders but not the Mulyata or Mpombo style of kneeling. Mpombo’s kneeling is not for you and me but for himself and also to sustain the culture of kneeling before the President. The only reason a full grown up man would kneel like that before his own age mate is because of poverty.

    On Zim, ‘king’ levy as the chairman of SADC should tell the EU that if they don’t allow mugabe to attend, all western companies operating within the SADC region will be nationalised, you will see the British prime minister personally going to zim to beg for mugabe to join them for the summit. That’s how we should deal with the west.

48. Who will be on the losing side? is it the EU or is it SADC? Who is the beggar between the two blocks? We all know the answers to these questions so we can change the topic and move on with life

49. LPM just stay home , your presence will have no effect on the summit. The EU wont care much if Zambia and Zim boycotted.There isnt much investment or influence from these countries.Pressure can only be felt if South Africa,Egypt,Nigeria,Kenya decided to boycott.So dont be too big for your shoes.Africa needs the EU than they need Africa

50. SADC countries will attend except 4 Levy(Zambia) & MUGI(Zim) & you will see who will look foolish

51. Mwe muntu mwe, ala sure Chuchu is sick and he is not even fit to be the Chairman of ZADC. How do you give chipumputu boy chairmanship of a very important organisation like SADC. Iam he had an attach of Chipumputu when he was saying those things at the airport. Few weeks ago Chuchu was comparing Mugabe’s Zim to a sinking titanic. Pls mwikateniko alaya ne panga presdo wa zed.

52. Dont be cheated pipo like #49 Chikumbo who dont know the truth about dependency of EU on SADC. EU know very well without SADC countries they are doomed thats why they hold on to them. DR Congo, Zambia, Angola, Nambia, South Africa supply the west with minerals, SA, Zimbabwe supply wine, Tobacco, Botswana is number offer of beef and gold for the EU. Tanzania for tourism and transport enroute the Indian ocean thru red sea. Maritius for tourims, Madgascar for bananas and other fruits. The EU know quite well a lose grip of southern African countries will a blow to their economies. Most eu states have no minerals so the depend on Africa. What has egypt to offer to the eu after from being a strategic country in case of war. The most important country outside the SADC is Nigeria because of its oil. The west must not misfire the kind of rule of the past has room in the modern trade setup and foreign policies soon will starting having no more effects because countries can have alternatives

53. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH OUR PRESIDENT LEVY MWANAWASA, BECAUSE THERE IS NOWHERE ON EARTH WHERE A PROBLEM WAS SOLVED WITHOUT DIALOGUE WITH THE PARTIES CONCERNED.

    THE ISSUE AT HAND NEED TO BE SOLVED OTHERWISE THE REPERCUSION WILL AFFECT THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. MR. MUGABE HAS TO ATTEND THE SUMMIT FOR UNITY AND PEACE TO PREVAIL IN THE ENTIRE AFRICA. MR. BROWN PLEASE THINK TWICE ON THIS ONE.

54. #47 You are right on. I could believe what I saw, Mpombo kneeling before Mwanawasa as though he was his father and funny enough Levy does not tell him to remain seated, and at the sametime Levy seems to be enjoying the whole comedy, OK. As for the Magabe issue it seems Mugabe has pumped fear into Levy, after he telling off in front all the SADC leaders. For sure Mugabe has ruined Zimbabwe and only a fool can think otherwise. The fact is he must step down and give way to another person, he has been in power for too long. If he can not step down then let him declare Zimbabwe a Kingdom. I know what the whites did, but if SA that sufferred more than Zimbabwe has foundout to live together with these f**k**g white egos, then why not Zimbabwe. By the way who is helping Zimbabwe now not many African countries are doing so. To hell with Mugabe, long live Zed at least we can vote for a new President every 5 years. 2 terms only I am proud to be a Zambian, we are better off, imagine life in Zim

55. #53 Why did Mugabe walk out of the SADC meeting when Levy wanted the issue of Zimbabwe discussed? Do you have an answer to that. He did not want dialog did he. Let us not support an African because he and we are African. Support has to be deserved. Mugabe the ***** has to be treated the way he has treated his people, he does care about his own people

56. And what makes u think Mugabe wont walk out of the EU-Africa meeting when the time to discuss Zim issue comes. We all know that Mugabe does not want to reason with others, he is living in the world of his own, thats why he walked out of Chuchu’s chaired meeting and gave him a piece of his mind.

57. very good Easy. I didn’t even bother to answer #49 he is too thick.

58. #54/55 Ba Justice, Ku Denmark mwaya sana come home and see for yourself what has killed the ZIM pipo. Are you were that tobacco has been burned in most European countries. All these are deliberate moves to undermine the economy of ZIM They have been producig tobacco as one of generating forex. Is this what you call over staying in power. Be reasonable. SA has the same problem of land soon you will that coming up. Are you married ba Justice, when are you divorcing because you are ruining your family. Dont devert attention the real issues at stake. Godorn Brown can as well stay away from EU/AU summit. The president of European union has already said that we should invite Mugabe for the meeting because its very important. The british they know they are guilty of wat has happened to ZIM. They are directly involved and they cannot run away. So Britain should stay aware if they want they are not the only country on earth. Why should the same pipo cotinue giving problems to the earth?

59. #53 AS FAR AS MUGABE IS CONCERN THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN ZIM AND DOES NOT WANT ANYONE TO DISCUSS ZIM BECOZ HE THINKS EVERYTHING IS OKEY WITH ZIM AND ITS PIPO. HOW SELFFISH THE MAN IS. CHUCHU U ARE WASTING UR TIME AND UR REMAINING LITTLE ENERGY, TO HELP HIM. OTHERWISE UR CHIPUMPUTU WILL RESURRECT AGAIN IF YOU KEEP TALKING TO MUGABE.

60. Blogger are you aware of what is at stake in December when the EU/Africa meeting. EU is pressing for signing of European Partnership Agreement. The deadline was set for July 2007 but most Africa countries have refused until the G8 honours their promises from 2005. Pipo like Brown know very well Mugabe is very influence they can talk and convince everyone not sign these agreements because they are biased. Zambian dont be cheated once these agreements are signed Kumana, pele fwe, Nada Africa will be economically enslaved for the next 100 years to come. Reflect on the agreements made in the 70s and see how managing they are to Africa. What have we profited with our abandant resources.

61. Easy mwaiche take it easy, i have been home many times and I know what is going on, infact I plan to come and settle there. The whole of my family are that side. What do you mean by naya sana, I am just saying things the way they are, that is all. I know the truth pains, but facts are facts. You ask if I am married, I was married for 12 years and I have a daughter at 16 who is doing fine,that aside. Mr. Easy are you telling me that Zimbabwe is the only country in the world that porduces tobacco? Of course unless you were born yesterday Magabe has overstayed in power whether you like or not, everyone except you knows that fact. By the way my concerned is the welfareof the people of Zimbabwe I do not care about Magabe cause he gets everything. The saying goes “When elefants fight it is the grass that suffers” This is what is taking place i Zimbabwe. Do u think the oppsition in Zim are stupid that they do not support Magabe. I will and I have always said what I mean

62. ‘Law weak for ICT’
    By NANCY MWAPE

    THE Communication Authority of Zambia (CAZ) says current legal and regulatory framework governing the telecommunication sector is inadequate to prosecute offenders in the industry.

    CAZ director for legal and enforcement, Judith Tembo, said the authority had started prosecuting offenders of the law and was currently dealing with two cases.

    Ms Tembo, speaking at a public awareness discussion on CAZ licensing procedures and legal framework held at British Council on Wednesday evening, said the present regulatory framework was drawn without a clear sector policy, lacked clear direction on stakeholder roles and responsibilities.

    She said the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) policy and drafted ICT Bill were designated to support development of adequate and effective sector legislation and regulatory framework.

    She cited insufficient enforcement powers in interconnections, pricing of telecommunication services, and access to essential facilities and sharing of infrastructure as some of the shortcoming in the current law.

    “The current law has ineffective penalties, a fine of K3.6 million as maximum or six years imprisonment with no minimum,” she said.

    She also called for a sound facilitation progress to be made in making ICT a real contributor growth in Zambia and other stakeholders.

    Ms Tembo said the ICT Bill will strengthen CAZ enforcement powers, provide meaningful penalties and discretionary powers in cases of admission of guilt and responsibilities.

    She added that CAZ was formed to supervise and promote provision of telecommunication to expand the telecommunication services through out the country, promote interest of consumers and maintain competition in the sector.

    Ms Tembo pointed out approvals of radio transmitting sites, mobile stations or ships and allocations of frequencies for radio as some of the CAZ functions.

    And CAZ director for economic regulation, Susan Mulikita, said CAZ was preparing itself to move in line with the drafted ICT bill.

    Mrs Mulikita said the drafted bill has undergone various stages of public consultation.

63. Councils receive fire tenders
    By REBECCA CHILESHE

    THE British government has donated 30 fire tenders to selected councils in the country.

    The British have also donated 50 fire hydrants to Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company.

    The donations were received by Minister of Local Government and Housing, Sylvia Masebo, at the Lusaka Fire Brigade premises in Lusaka yesterday.

    Ms Masebo said when she received the donation that it was disappointing that more than 40 years after independence, none of the local authorities were fully established with all amenities.

    She said the gesture by the British government was timely as it was done at a time when the Southern African region was thinking of enhancing safety during the 2010 World Cup to be staged by South Africa and the All Africa Games in Zambia in 2011.

    “I am happy to mention that government has decided to revive two fire brigades that closed up due to lack of fire fighting equipment,” she said.

    “The British government has also created an avenue for the creation of new fire brigades in districts that had none.”

    Ms Masebo said 16 new fire brigades had been created, bringing the total to 32, from the 14, which were operational, and the other two revived.

    She said the destruction left by fire negated efforts of government in poverty reduction.

    “A good example is the recent Shoprite fire in Lusaka along Cairo road, and the most recent one at Chilanga Cement construction site,” Ms Masebo said.

    She thanked the British government for its support to the fire-fighting sector in the country.

    Ms Masebo recalled that British Petroleum (BP) in 2001 made a donation of assorted power protection clothing to the Office of the Vice President.

    She revealed that government earlier this year released

    K150 million to the Lusaka City Council to install fire hydrants, which were uprooted during the rehabilitation of the Great East Road.

    The donated fire hydrants would be handed over to LWSC for installation along the Great East Road and other strategic points within the city.

    “It is my sincere hope that the life and property of citizens and investors in this country will be secured against fire by improving fire security in the country,” she said.

    British High Commissioner Alistair Harrison hoped that the donation would help minimise some of the challenges faced by fire brigades in the country.

    He said the relationship between Zambia and Britain remained as though the two countries were “tied with an umbilical cord.”

    Mr Harrison hailed the fire fighters in the country for their dedication and courage towards their duties despite working under challenging conditions.

64. Ba Easy nomba muletipo shani pa C& P #62,63? Inga oxygen bushe nayo tufwile twalomba ama donors?

65. #16 Justice, to me you dont understand the cause of the problems of ZIM. Opposition in a country is health but only in ZIM because the one faction MDC has betrayed its own country by accepting bribes. Can you imagine what the Australian govt has done to children of ZIM studying there. Is this health because of a stupid opposition leader. Yes the fact is pipo are suffering in ZIM, yes because of political envirnoment but how did it come about. The same happened to Zambia during KK era and what was the end result. You brought in a runatic who destoryed the economy with 10 years. Hospitals have no medicine and staff. My bro I just lost a bro at UTH so we dont this to spread to the whole region. I know these are painful words and that is the reality. When are you going to have soldarity of what is black and turn it in good. Always waiting from the whiteman to bring you bread on the basket. This is wrong! Britian is wrong in handling of the ZIM issue.

66. All countries in this world depend on each other and it has been like that all the way from our History. No country is an island; this is the reason why Mugabe should cooperate with others. Even at places of work you need to cooperate with the other workers in order for things to run smoothly. We all know Mugabe was at logger heads with Mandela over the situation in Zimbabwe. Human rights have to be observed by everyone and this includes Mugabe and his brutal police force. Mugabe is a problem and must not be supported by anyone who believes in democracy, until he starts to observe human rights. About the land issue, why did Magabe wait to bring up the issue until Zimbabwe had sunk? The man knows why he is clinging to power; we saw this in Zambia when someone wanted a third term, Mugabe and his lieutenants have plundered Zimbabwe, abused human rights therefore the world can not sit and watch. By the way some Zimbabweans have been give land, but they do not have implements at all and….

67. Iwe Easy who tells you that in a contract if one fails to honor it you should vent your anger on your family? That is backwardness and shallow thinking.Mugabe should be eliminated at all costs and let people with 21st century vision carry on whle pursuing the Leister square agreement, not ama rubbish aya kucusha abantu bakeyele, kids walk 4 days to find work in RSA and risks their lives crossing Limpompo river, in your eyes you think that is righteous?

68. #67 Pelete, You are for Brown, ZANU-PF should go. Is this not what is at stake? I wonder how it will happen because the shonas are the majority in ZIM. Iam not saying Mugabe should not go what I dont want is the treatment that Britain is enfringing on the ZIM pipo. Mugabe never brought in sanctions to ZIM.

69. #65 the cause of the problems in Zimbabwe is Mugabe and his Govt and not anyone else. They are the ones that took over from Ian Smith, and therefore it was them who were entrusted with the responsibility of building Zimbabwe for the betterment of its people. At the time Mugabe took over he had seen what had happened to Zambia, therefore he a yardstick from which to draw the way forward, but instead Mugabe did like Kaunda, he got rid of Nkomo and turned Zimbabwe into a one party state and from that time Mugabe has taken ruling of Zimbabwe as his own prerogative. Most of his actions have been unjustifiable and an insult to human rights. He has compiled the Zimbabwean brothers and sisters to live the way he wants. No that things are hot he wants to shift the blame on others. he should step down and let someone else with the the people of Zim at his heart take over that is all.

70. #67 Pelete hear, hear, hear Good contribution

71. Easy sorry about this with your brother. I have lost 2 sisters and a brother too

72. EASY: Mugabe ordered the beating of white farmers, he should have just told them he did not want them in Zimbabwe and that they should leave in such and such a time. If you do not want your wife do you order you relatives to beat her? Just tell her in a nice way, Ba na Musonda kwena twaikala sana, nomba kwena ine ichi temwiko nachipwa, bushe teti mwa yako kumbi, nshi lemifwaya pantu na naka naimwe mwe, mu njeleleko bati efishinka.

73. #64 Pelete, I compare it with Town planing. Lacking of coordination between bodies involved in regulating such is the issue as the the chairman puts. How can pass a law without training pipo to enforce it. You know very well Pelete that neither UNZA nor CBU has intectual property law courses. I dont know how many are trained in this area. A word of advice once a new issue comes up like ICT Bill it was time to have invloved the educators and law enforcers, Lawyers by training them. A law passed has the bases of our existing laws. So it easy to train learned personal in the area of ICT thru seminars workshops, yet introducing the courses at various institute of learn. Teamwork is the key word here. You cannot say you want to win a game but you decide not to have defenders, just allow the goalkeeper to play for 45 minutes and then leave the goal post open. I court in rape case. Migastrate Mpundu said GRZ should train Psyc and criminalogist enable judges under demerse such cases.

74. Ba Easy bakamba muletushako uku blogging, ala nechipela inkula cine chilatusha. Bushe ni nshitanshi mupanga abana?

75. #72 Justice, what can you do if she refuses? Though white farmers refused to get ZIM citizenship. What is France doing with immigrants there? Even Denmark you know it yourself how difficult it for a resident without danish citizenship. Where is Ian Smith? Do you know that Zimbabwe has whites who are in parliament? Just like in Zambia we have pipo like Simon, Garry, Patel etc. Those whites were very arrogant they thought Britain will come to their rescue. They were give term frame to sell the land and rebuy it. 20 Years is enough.

76. Ba Easy na Ba Justice,AU has failed to heal Mugabe of his apparitions,SADC is equally scared to call a spade a spade, why not use the same strategy Idi Amin was subjected to?Or the Kabila stylo for Mobutu? Cos Mugabe is just a copy cat of these evil men.Prostitutes now are recyling female condoms cos they are very expensive,must we wait to see things go that way for the sake of Mugabe and his 136 cohorts who have better living styles than 13m people? He must bite the bullet if anything

77. #74 Anonymous you are it again.

78. #76 Pelete advocating for blood shed is not good. Idi Amin and Uganda has not seen peace uptodate, so please dont encourage violence. DR Congo is the same 100 die everyday. They work for food not a salary yet the west are busy mining the minerals. Is this what you want. Dont bring war to Southern Africa we had had enough of it. This is what the waste want so that they continue selling their arms.

79. #75 Then I leave. As for Denmark you do not need citzenship for things to be OK. I do not have and will never change my Zambian citzenship for anything. Jobs are there for those who are willing. There are many Zed people in jobs etc, but there are some stupid ones who have chosen to cling to Social Help. We have muslims in the Danish parliament including a woman who goes around with that headgear. One of the muslim guys Nasar Kadar is the lead of party called “Ny Alliance”. Things have changed here in Denmark after the introduction of the EU. As for France it is too much cause most of them are illegal immigrants being smuggled in fro Morocco, however I feel France must accept them as they accept footballers, almost the whole National Team of France is African. Nomba Ba shikulu ba Mugabe Bafwile fye ukufuma po, twana ka

80. EASY: If you tell your feel to leave how can she refuse when it is not her house?

81. Correction:

    EASY: If you tell your wife to leave how can she refuse when it is not her house?

82. Do you know that Ivory Coast was once a peace haven? What drives people to such vices is extremes, Mugabe has gone to extremes he has employed militias in the compounds who are killing innocent people, they have stopped beating their victims now they kill, dont you think a fire ball is about to erupt if all channels of sanity are not achieved at the earliest?Mugabe is used to blood shed and doesnt give a damn about it, do you remember the 20,000 people he killed in 1980?
    Ine nanaka nankwe Mugabe, he has even sorted out the man of God ,his grace Nchube the only man who never feared RGM, so the voiceless have no way out.I dont support violence but I feel eneough is enough, KK had two military coup attempts and that was a political indicator that something was going amiss

83. Point 79 sentence “Then I leave” was a mistake.

84. #81 this is a point over the land issue that has spark this problem. From Indepence of ZIM the whites were told to intergrate like what KK did they refused. They were told to sell the land and rebuy according tot the 1979 agreement Britain instead messed up. Prior to 2000 ZANU-PF asked them the same they refused and asked him who he is to tell them give back the land. justice do you have land in Denmark or a personal house or you are rentng?

85. The problem here is that the Lords of Westminster own alot of the land Mugabe grabbed.They have influenced the British govt. to squeeze Bob so that the next chap coming in can return the land to them!!Why is it the Americans show little interest in the Zim problems, when it presents them an opportunity to establish a satellite state to counter Chinese regional dominance ?? Global politics are at play here and unfortunately our Zim brothers and sisters are suffering becoz of it !!

86. I read news everyday I have never seen a story claiming to say lives has been lost in Zimbabwe in numbers. The only story you can refer to is the 1980s issue you have mentioned and the 12 March 2007 incident. Why is the EU not talking about the DR Congo anymore after they have managed to take control of that country and its resources. Dont you think that the ZIM crisis are connected to the DR Congo war. Its not only land my dear bro. Ncube has to be shut up becuase he was becoming dangerous to the region he no different from Morgan who a traitor and the real culprit for the sufferng of ZIM pipo. How can you campaign for sanctions for your own country. Power hungry *****.

87. Ba Original P, every colonial master has the prerogative of being a referee in the affairs of its former colonies,look at how France interferes when their former colonies are in trouble,UK intervened in Serria Leone and now there is peace,Its just in order that they look at the interest of 13m not one man whose life can expire anytime from natural causes or heart attack from viagra

88. #85 TOP the lords are the ones you are right. I heard one a few months ago complaining about global warming and GENTEC foods for him these are no problems Africans can consume them because they are hungry continent. So we want to come to ZIM and do his farming. Abash!!!!

89. #64 Pelete, I compare it with Town planing. Lacking of coordination between bodies involved in regulating such is the issue as the the chairman puts. How can pass a law without training pipo to enforce it. You know very well Pelete that neither UNZA nor CBU has intectual property law courses. I dont know how many are trained in this area. A word of advice once a new issue comes up like ICT Bill it was time to have invloved the educators and law enforcers, Lawyers by training them. A law passed has the bases of our existing laws. So it easy to train learned personal in the area of ICT thru seminars workshops, yet introducing the courses at various institute of learn. Teamwork is the key word here. You cannot say you want to win a game but you decide not to have defenders, just allow the goalkeeper to play for 45 minutes and then leave the goal post open. court in rape case.

90. Ba Pelete(82), his grace, Archie Ncube was/is a sex pest who should have been “sorted out” anyway !!Religious leaders often think they are beyond reproach and reprimand.They also get confused with the numbers that fill their churches and look to their flock as potential voters.Ask Nevers Mumba who found out during his presidential bid that large congregations are not a guaranteed pool of political support.When you move from the safety of the pulpit to the political arena you should expect to follow the arena rule..which is..” the rule here is that there are no rules !!”

91. #90 hahahahahahaha ala naya ku Lunch cawama sana, PK alimbile ati twise kuli Yesu nao alikwete Salome in his BaPastor?

92. Ba Pelete(87),the same applies to France…..powerful figures in France have economic/financial interests in their former colonies acquired during colonisation.These people influence their govts to “intervene” and use the cover of “concern” when they are merely safeguarding their wealth!!Sierra Leone,Ba Pelete, had illegal diamonds floating about without control, which was affecting Hatton Garden and Amsterdam diamond merchants.They had to stop the illegal flow of the stones…control the supply to keep prices up !! Don’t trust these chaps thinking they have genuine concern for us….they are serving their own interests first. Another one for you Ba Pelete: Afghanistan…75% of cocaine coming into the UK is from there that is why you have the British fighting that battle…it is not that they love Afghan people !!!

93. Guys read the article very well and understand what Chuchu is saying. Don’t just take the heading and start discussing. Chuchu said that it is important that leaders that have perceived Mr.Mugabe of any wrong doing engage him in dialogue and resolve the issues.“It is clear that those who have a bone to chew with Mugabe should meet him. It will be a waste of time to travel to Portugal if Mugabe is not invited,” he said. Then if Mr Brown is not scared of Bob he must attend the meeting and face him. These whites they always say about human rights, but they’re the ones who are abusing them on daily bases. Ian Smith is not touched because he is white. And you my black brothers you are always supporting these white guys because they give you money and food. Even if you are poor you have the power dialogue with the mzungus. Don’t be a yes Bwana yes bwana. Black and proud

94. Mr Easy you strike me like a person who bases his arguments on theory rather than practical.You sound like a typical politician , Headless and full of contradiction.You are unbelievable to say the least.By the way you sound Zimbabwean and a staunch Mugabe Fan

95. Ba Kangwamsukuma(93),Brown would never risk a public confrontation with Bob !!The rules of international diplomacy prevent him from taking the risk.Bob as you know, would use the opportunity to say things the “whites” don’t wanna hear.Inviting him to such a public meeting risks some home truths coming out and any politician/diplomat with half a brain wouldn’t allow it !! Being a “yes bwana” is a means to an end and a strategy to build your own capacity to one day tell “bwana” to jump in a lake !!

96. Ladies and Gentlemen weather you like it or not Mugabe’s policies have destroyed Zim. Isolation is one of the ways to bring change to Zim. It worked for RSA and Namibia and it will work for Zimbabbwe.Lets be real we dont need Mugabe.Blind loyalty will take us to the grave.Zambia has sacrificed so much for our neighbours we dont need to do it anymore.Afterall the same pipo we assisted treat us like junk in their countries.We are harassed in Zim, SA so why sould we suffer for Bob.LPM must go for the EU summit without Mugabe.Mugabe is an old bastard who need not drag us into the dungeon.We dont need him

97. TBoz(96), we all need Bob…….we need him to put in motion a peaceful transition from his rule to the next!! Civil war in Zim will spill over into Zed and then…….!!!

98. On the Levy-Bob issue, I & some others argued earlier that Levy was wrong in the way he handled the Zim issue at the SADC summit in Lska. We said that Levy should apologise to Bob because the Zim land issue can only be resolved by wise dialogue. This time Levy has got the message & he is right in his stand on the EU-African summit. We all condemn the shedding of innocent blood the Mugabe regime made when they got back their ancestors land. But Mugabe is not against whites otherwise Ian Smith would not be in Zim. In fact, Zim still has more whites than Zambia. Brown should look at countries like Sudan & Eriteria where hundrends of Christians have suffered & died for their faith. He should boycott the leaders of these countries. For Zim, their MDC leader is a sell out. Bloggers, get a full video from SBS TV in Australia & you’ll agree with me that Mugabe has been very good to Tsangarai who wanted him to be removed from power through a bloody take over. MDC needs a new leader.

99. Listen guys, politics aside, Mugabe’s days of glory are over! Just listen to his agenda – Who would ever want to recolonise Zimbabwe again? The problem we have currently is that in our region, we have the baboons for presidents with blind loyalty to this tin pot dictator. What will Mwanawasa and his cohorts achieve by missing out on this opportunity where their begging bowls will be filled money for development? Guys, days of hero-worshiping are long gone, the issue at hand now are eradication of poverty caused by bad governance in our region. Do not support good-for-nothing leaders whose basic agenda is personal enrichment. Look at how bad policies have led to so many crises in Africa, and follishly we support our so-called liberation struggle heroes, the time for such nonsense is gone! Lets look at development and self sustaining our livelihoods. Who knows, maybe Mwanawasa has no clue as to what to expect at this summit? So, hide under the guise of patriotism. Ubupuba.

100. Easy, take it easy. What do they say about empty tins making the loudest noise?

101. Ba Old Munshumfwa(99), We all agree Bobs’ days are numbered.I take you to task on the following: 1.who are the baboons you have in this region?? 2.are you insinuating every “percieved” opportunity to beg must never be missed?? 3.which leader has personal enrichment as his basic agenda ??4. supporting liberation struggles is foolish ??

     To be honest Ba Old Mushumfwa, you have missed the mark not by a mile but by a generation!! You talk of development and self sustenance and yet you highlight a “missed opportunity” to present our begging bowls ???!!!”

     I’m sorry comrade, but your contribution needs either further clarification in case i have misunderstood, or the likely thing is you are commenting on things without in-depth analysis and understanding.Please do not think i’m insulting you but i am rather perplexed at your reasoning and argument!!

102. No human should be worshipped whether it be Bob or Levy having Mpombo kneeling before him. Only God & God alone deserves our heartfelt worship. Yes, we need development & erradcation of poverty. But we will not come out of poverty by begging from the West or having the West dictate evrything on us. IMF & World Bank are good examples. The only worry I have with Levy is that he opens his mouth at wrong places & wrong times. I hope the whole SADC leadership had come up with a common view on the EU-African summit which Levy was empowered to announce. At the moment, it seems like Levy is the only one who will not go if Bob is not allowed to attend. We need to hear Mbeki’s view & the views of other SADC leaders.

103. It is good when they are looking for you ( white) they can use all types of weapon starting from a kitchen knife to a bomber jet. But if you are not scared of them at ready to face them,they sucks. That is a typical white man’s character. If Mugabe was running away they would have used any method to find him.

104. Lawyer Gives State Thumbs up Over NCC

     The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

     NEWS
     21 September 2007
     Posted to the web 21 September 2007
     Ndola

     PROMINENT Lusaka lawyer John Sangwa has said Government is on the right track on the composition of the National Constitution Conference (NCC) and questioned reservations expressed by some people over the matter.

     And Attorney General, Mumba Malila has assured the nation that there is no need to continue to be sceptical about the current Constitution-making process because the fears are unfounded.

     Speaking during a discussion programme on ZNBC TV on Wednesday night, Mr Sangwa said it was hard for him to find a controversy on the matter.

     Mr Sangwa who is also a lecturer at the University of Zambia said during the live debate sponsored by the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) that the Constitution-making process was on the right track.

     “The argument of the composition has no base. I have looked at this matter objectively as a Law lecturer, not a person from Government as some are made to feel. I am non-partisan. Government this time is right, so far, on the composition of NCC,” he said.

     Mr Sangwa said the Constitution-making process in any country could not be done in a vacuum without a sitting government putting an Act in place.

     Mr Sangwa observed that the fears by the civil society that Government would have more members on the NCC were hard to justify, and so far he had heard no sound judgement to prove the alleged dominance of Government representatives in the NCC.

     He cited police and the judiciary as representatives who would go to the NCC not as Government but as institutions nominating individuals to represent the interests of their groups.

     On the same programme, Mr Malila said there should be no scepticisms about the process. He said the suspicions created by other stakeholders on the Constitution making process were not justified.

     Mr Malila called for an end to bickering on the NCC and urged all stakeholders to ensure Zambians were given a better Constitution before the next general elections.

     Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-president Amos Chanda in his contribution earlier, said consensus was needed now than ever before to make progress on the Constitution making process.

105. ‘SA’s media can learn from Zambia’

     Mthunzi was spitting mad. This South African was angry, deeply so, and his foul mood had nothing to do with the content of a meeting he had just finished and the one he was about to attend.

     Mthunzi is an ANC member. Has been for the last 40 years.

     Like most ANC leaders, he spent the prime of his life away from home, in exile in Lusaka, Zambia, and other places, fighting for the liberation of the black majority in this country.

     So, as Mthunzi spews hot bile and talks about the sources of his anger, he peppers his words with the refrain: “Thina si ilwele lento le [We have fought for this thing (liberation)].”

     Mthunzi’s anger has nothing to do with his own well-being.

     As things stand, he is more well-off than most of his colleagues who fought for liberation.

     He might not be a black economic empowerment millionaire, but he has a good job, as an executive in a parastatal, earns a good salary and drives around in a top-of-the-range luxurious German sedan.

     So, if he is not struggling, what could possibly make Mthunzi so angry, you might ask.

     It is this media, he says, and repeats about three or four times. “It has no respect for our people… It has no time to tell people what really is going on. It ignores government programmes and focuses on scandals and issues that are private. This media. This media. This media…”

     At this point my friend is running out of breath. He shakes his head, takes a deep breath and pushes his spectacles up. And continues…

     “The media in this country wants to insult us. They publish only points of view that they agree with, points of view that paint the ANC in a bad light. I’m angry.

     “Angry because people who sacrificed their lives for this country are being treated with contempt. And I’m not the only angry one. The comrades are angry.”

     Mthunzi was adamant that the ANC was not intolerant of criticism.

     This, he insisted, had to be based on policies and programmes. “If the minister of housing says she will build a million houses and does not, the media can legitimately criticise her. That is proper and not digging out people’s private lives, including things that happened over 30 years ago,” he said.

     At this point, I interrupt Mthunzi and ask him to be specific about his accusations about “the media”.

     I point out to him that this newspaper has published opinions it does not necessarily agree with and that the same could be said of other newspapers in this country.

     “No, no, no,” came the retort.

     “Maybe you guys are an exception, but no other newspaper does. Our people [read ANC members] respond to some of the articles that have been published and they are being censored. Their views never see the light of day.”

     Then, reaching what would be the climax of our conversation, my good friend looked me straight in the eyes and declared that he wants to quit his job and become a full-time politician. Why? I asked.

     “Because I want to lead the charge to restrict the media in this country.

     “The media needs to be controlled. Look at Zambia. There is no criticism of [Zambian President Levy] Mwanawasa because he has acted against the media in that country,” Mthunzi said.

     He then, almost without taking a break, proceeded to tell me that he will be going to the ANC national conference in Polokoane in December with one aim and one aim only – to get the conference to adopt measures that would lead to restrictions for this South African media that does not respect its leaders.

     At this point, it seems, just for a moment, that the huge matter of who the next president of the ANC would be, was irrelevant.

     It did not even get a mention from my friend. At this point I was deeply worried about what I was hearing.

     How does a normally cool and calm man like my friend get so angry about “the media”.

     My two minute lecture to him about the role of a frank and robust media in a democracy left him unfazed.

     My talk about our effective self-regulation measures within each media house and outside, as well as the fact that the courts in this country are available to those who have been wronged, fell on deaf ears.

     This was one angry South African. One angry ANC member and, as he left, he gave me a parting shot.

     “You know, my friend, that there are people [in high places, such as the Union Building] who listen to me. So [take what I’m saying seriously] and know that I’m not the only one who is angry.

     The comrades in ANC, he added, are angry. And they want to muzzle the media.

     As I posted documents detailing the “Media Freedom is Your Freedom” campaign by the South African Editors’ Forum, I thought that South Africans who believe in a free and fair media have reason to be afraid.

106. Career Fair Exhibition – Shaping the Future

     The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

     NEWS
     21 September 2007
     Posted to the web 21 September 2007

     By Bruce Chooma
     Ndola

     UPON finishing secondary school education, most pupils get gripped with anxiety as the curtains of schooling slowly drop and the reality of personal independence dawns – another world awaits them – a world of dreams, expectations, career decisions and job-hunting.

     “Young people should be ambitious and determined, but ambition without knowledge means nothing. As we complete our secondary school education, we need information to make the right career decisions,” said Mayaba Bbuku, head girl at Mary Queen of Peace School in Lusaka.

     At the recently held national career exhibition and fair for secondary school pupils in Grade 12 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Mayaba conceded that choosing a career was a major challenge for school leavers. Many ended up deciding on the basis of their results, while others simply picked on anything that came their way – due to lack of first-hand information on skills and careers that are on demand in the industry.

     Having been raised by a single parent since the demise of her mother when she was only six, Mayaba’s life was changed. She had to learn responsibility at a tender age and being her father’s only daughter, she actively sought to pursue engineering to more or less fit in her father’s shoes. The father is an engineer by profession.

     To her, the Fair was motivating and provided vital inspiration to understand and appreciate the challenges before her. “Wow! There is a world of opportunity out there. I didn’t know of such interesting careers as those in geology and many others that pertain to the mining industry,” Mayaba said.

     The national Career Fair for grade 12 pupils, the first of its kind to be held in Zambia, was officially opened by Vice President Rupiah Banda last Tuesday. The event was hosted by MAC Recruitment and drew over 5, 000 pupils from 23 different schools in Lusaka, mostly from Government run.

     Presentations were made to the eager pupils in the packed conference hall, session after session, from the 15 companies that participated. The companies spoke about the various opportunities that exist in their institutions and gave projections of careers that would be on demand in the coming years.

     Another pupil, Innocent Nawa of Munali High School, said he loved working with a computer and had decided to study Information Technology though he had no idea of what he needed to concentrate on to realise the dream.

     “The Fair has just brought light to my dream, I love computers and from the presentations from various institutions that offer IT training as well as the companies that employ computer experts like the mines, I now know what subjects I need to concentrate on and the required grades. I did not even know the different types of computer studies one can pursue but now I have the knowledge,” Nawa said.

     The Fair was an effective public-private partnership initiative where the needs of the market in terms of human capital were highlighted and opportunities availed first-hand to pupils before they completed school.

     Considering that Government thrust in economic expansion efforts is currently heightening, the Fair could not have come at a better time, as it is expected to fully prepare and equip the youth to find their place in national development.

     “While Government has made very significant progress in stabilising the economy and ensuring good macro-economic performance, our partners in the private sector need to actively join the drive to ensure that our human capital base is developed to world-class levels,” said the vice president.

     Mr Banda urged the Central Statistical Office and other agencies to come up with strategies that would see the provision of relevant information about human capital and particularly regarding the status of youths.

     Education minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa commended the private sector for taking an active role alongside Government. Such co-operation would strengthen career guidance and counselling in schools to adequately prepare the pupils for fieldwork.

     Lumwana Mine, one of the sponsors of the event, observed through their corporate affairs manager, Nathan Chishimba, that corporate needed a philosophy of sustainable investment by ploughing back into the community where they operated.

     Mr Chishimba said when Lumwana was established in Zambia, there was an absence of technical skills and the mining firm took steps to offer 74 scholarships to students to study at the University of Zambia.

     MAC Recruitment IT and administration officer, Sally Musenge observed that there was a serious skills gap on the market for artisans such as diesel mechanics, auto mechanics, instrumentalists and heavy duty technicians who are needed especially by the mining industry which is growing at such a fast rate.

     “The Fair was meant to help bridge the gap between skills needed and market demand and hopefully from the presentations, the young people have now seen the vast opportunities existing in the mines. It does not make sense to be an accountant – the industry is just about saturated, why not become a diesel mechanic and get a job immediately upon completing training,” Ms Musenge said.

     She described the response from the schools in Lusaka as great adding that plans were underway to make it an annual event and hoped to extend the initiative to other parts of the country.

     “We worked closely with career guidance teachers to hold this exhibition and some have travelled from other parts of the county to see what we are doing and hopefully replicate this where they come from because essentially these teachers should be the ones to facilitate career exposure at school level,” Ms Musenge said.

     Michael Shinde, a Grade 12 pupil from Munali expressed fascination at the opportunities in the mining sector and seems to have a clear idea of where he is going after school.

     “I did not know that Zambia is developing the biggest copper mine in Africa and had such powerful mining equipment, the presentation by Lumwana Mine has really been good and I know what the real choices are for a young man like myself,” Michael said.

     It cannot be denied that effective career guidance in the public education system had in recent years crumbled despite the school system churning out more graduates than ever before, hence the initiative of having a career fair is timely.

     A lot has been said about the dwindling employment opportunities in the country and the challenge of youth unemployment seems to be at its peak, yet the same companies in the country are not succeeding to find the right cadre of workers which gives an indication that career prospects have been narrowed.

     This is so, because there has been a mismatch between labour market demand and training provision.

     Chongwe District Career Guidance Coordinator Raphael Haambozi commended the Ministry of Education for realising the importance of career by putting in place measures to revive it by way of training teachers and ensuring each school had a career guidance teacher.

     “Years behind the Government was on the right track in terms of career guidance but we went off track somewhere along the way, but now the ministry is intensifying training of teachers in career guidance and starting the concept of peer guidance counsellors who are themselves pupils who team up to form clubs,” Mr Haambozi said.

     Luanshya Teachers Training College was the only institution offering career guidance training but now the National In-Service Teacher Training College (NISTCO) in Chongwe is now offering such training so that the country could scale up the provision of such cadres to the education system not just in high schools but in basic schools as well.

     Mr Haambozi prodded the Ministry of Education to continue sponsoring teachers for training so that they could help to improve the quality of career guidance and counselling in schools.

     As Mr Banda observed, Zambia needed to adapt from the perception that the only available jobs at hand were those from the traditional sectors, further observing that there have been many changes in the manner existing companies conducted their businesses which has affected the labour market.

     He commended Mac Recruitment for coordinating the Fair, which he said was a positive step that should become an annual event and thanked the Ministry of Education, Zesco, Lumwana Mine, Bank of Zambia and the Copperbelt University for supporting the event.

     The Fair and Exhibition was a great indication that the country is making steady progress in ensuring that the nation’s future is safeguarded and it is entirely up to those who attended the function to put the knowledge acquired to good use to take charge of their future.

107. Woman Goes in for Defilement

     The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

     NEWS
     21 September 2007
     Posted to the web 21 September 2007
     Ndola

     THE Livingstone High court has sentenced a 28 year old woman to 15 years imprisonment for defiling a 13 year old boy on Christmas eve last year.

     Livingstone High court Judge, Rhoydah Kaoma sentenced Harriet Mutinta in a judgement delivered in court during the week.

     Mutinta is said to have defiled the named boy on December 24, last year and was allegedly caught in the act by her friend.

     The woman, of MS compound in Livingstone invited the boy to her house and later defiled him.

     The boy sustained a swollen penis due to the rubbing and was admitted to the Livingstone General Hospital for treatment after the sex ordeal.

     He also ran and reported the matter to the police immediately after the sex ordeal.

     Mutinta earlier denied the charge in a subordinate court but the court found her with a case to answer and committed the case to the High Court.

     After the judgement, Mutinta’s relatives wailed outside the court.

108. #98 The Original Pundit

     What do you mean by saying “we all need Bob”? How many are you? Ok, you mean yourself and chuchu te? In bemba we say “mwikala patalala; mwine apatalalika” I can site out example of genocide in Rwanda were the neighbouring countries together with UN failed to bring piece and harmony in that country. It was the Rwandese themselves who called off the widespread genocide. Coming to Zim-zim, the west has imposed sanctions where a common man has been hit harder so that he would uprise against Bob’s regime but the chaps can’t do that coz they are docile plus the opposition leader Morgan is another ***** who just enjoy to be called a leader (wearing birth suit).
     Ba Original Pundit, no civil war from neighbouring countries has ever spilt into Zed; namely Angola, Dr Congo, Namibia and Mozambique then, what so special about Zim-zim? Let Zim-zims find their everlasting piece by either using Chipomo way of bullet in the head or continue with a ballot that bear no fruits.

     Pic on front of The Post paper is ok, mwalabashani ? A goat has four legs.

109. #21 Gule wa mukulu

     Whether I speak bemba or not the fact will remain that iwe ulimu “zezulu”(The Zulu, no wonder ulegivila Bob suport.

110. #34Senior Citizen

     Iyo data wefumya tayikweta ubuyo.

111. Chapi what is wrong with you? C&P everywhere. Okay I have question for all of you bloggers. Since the Zimbabwean crisis needs dialogue what are causes of these crisis. Which have been caused by Robert Mugabe? Which ones are caused by Britain? Where are the pipo of ZIM can be held responsible or isolation and slangulation of the economy. Pliz economical and practical answers are required. The aim is to gather this information so that it can be sent SADC, EU, UN, ZIM and Britain under the motto: this how the pipo see the crisis of Zimbabwe. So post now your views.

112. #111 Easy

     C&P is not for Chapi. We all know Chapi tadinga C&P. This is VETERAN bulwamano. Easy, do you know that the situation in Dr Congo is worse than Zim-zim? Any way naya mukupanga tea pa interz. Be in charge Easy.

113. # 112 Ba Joze Check my previous posting you find what I have alway said. No fear no favour Viva Zambia Viva Africa

114. These ministers are making Zambia a satanic nation. Why should Mpombo kneel down like that before the president. You mean respecting each other elders is not enough. No wonder ministers can not make independent decision for national development.

115. #114 BaEasy mwalabashani Mulyata grovelling mulukungu for Levy?

116. We Zambians would like to see our president at this summit Mugabe or no Mugabe. We fought for Zimbabwe’s independence but we wont fight for Zimbabwe’s oppression by its own tyrants.

117. #116Neuter to who has this summit advantage?

118. “Until they receive a bullet in the head that’s when they will cease being presdos” Qoute from Alias Chipimo Snr. Zim-zim pipo should do that to eliminate ba kalala mpanga who call themselves as War Veterans.

119. #118 Ba Joze Mugabe is just wasting our time, he is no different from Piet Botha who went to the grave without appologising to the people he abused so much.Na Mugabe cimocine emo alelola

120. #117 Easy

     Easy we are now in a globalised world where the so called developed countries continue to suppress and oppress African countries in terms of trading and blind them with donations. Check American Mcdonault, is all over Africa,Asia, South America and Australia. Now tell me, which African Multilateral co is operation in USA? If they do so then it must be tutemba owned by Nigerians.

121. #119 Pelete

     Mugabe and Morgan these chaps must be removed in Zim-zim political arena. Morgan has blocked young fearless chaps who want to rekindle the once called breadbatsket of Africa. Check Arsenal football club, Henry blocked young players and we all thought that Arsenal is Henry but the time that chap left, young players proved us wrong. So the same must be done to Morgan to pave way to young vibrate politician to make a difference in Zim-zim.

122. Bushe Kwena chuchu takwata ifinyanga? How come ba ministers bakwe bayamba ukwalangana mulukungu.Anyway vyakulovye wa Easy.

123. LT admin.May you kindly delete any COPY and PASTE under my name because I not one the those specialised LPM bootlickers headed by the chief SHUSHUSHU by the name of MORON VETERAN.
     #122 BA JOZE.Imagine such RIFF RUFFS as Mphombo are what we have as our leaders.Do we honestly expect a good constitution to be passed by such DEMAGOGUES?

124. #122.BA JOZE.Namuna GEORGE MPOMBO mu post.Efi mwita ati ifima INDEE BWANA!!!!

125. Easy! I like your reasoning. Honestly, even though God cursed the us ie according to their misinterpretation of the Bible. We are not going to live on handouts from the west. We surely need to know what is ours. Ask Fidel Castrol, Chavez and Putin as well as China. We are not going to develop our nation with foreign ideas or through begging. We need to stand up.

126. Gluco….Well put, But what is your plan for developing Zambia. The cry has always been self determination. What we don’t have is a plan. Look at the 5th NDP. That tells you that our government leaders are 50 years behind. Even if we want to determine our own destiny and developed our land we are trapped because those that preside over the issues of the land are blind. I have always told my friends that “No Thanks” should be a part of one’s vocabulary. You don’t just take whatever is offered even when you don’t need it. If Zambia is going to move forward, we gonna have to realize that in this world there is nothing for free. We have to start voting based on issues and not tribe or who shouts the loudest. Next time we must elect leaders who will work together as partners in development irrespective of political back ground. We have to understand and create a consciousness that there is nothing more sacred than Zambia. We have to come to a conclusion that in whatever, we do however insignificant it may seem all our actions individually or collective should at the end of the day contribute to the development of Zambia. Thomas Jefferson decreed that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself. ” A modern translation says “if there is no enemy within the enemy outside can do us no harm” Folks we have come a long way. 43 years is a mile stone. Yet we wallow in poverty and disease. EASY talked about GRZ having budgetary allocations for the hospitals. The truth is GRZ doesn’t have a budget for anything. What we have a formality, a budgetary process designed to pacify you and so that we think we are going somewhere but at the end of the day we end up going nowhere. We are mach timing or jogging in place. At this late be we should have three or four hospitals in Lusaka. What we should realize is the fact that we have the resources to develop Zambia. But 2 important ingredients are missing purpose and planning. If you take you time to read the 5th NDP you will agree with me that the document was written just to show us that someone is thinking about our Land. In school they teach us the difference between strategic and tactical plans. Brethren, lets rise up and take up the challenge. During the constitution making process let strengthen the judiciary and cabinet, we cannot have ministers kneeling down to the president. Zambia is not a kingdom. Not even in UK Brown doesn’t kneel when talking to Lizy.

127. China opens coffers for minerals
     China has signed a deal to loan the Democratic Republic of Congo $5bn to develop infrastructure and mining.
     Infrastructure Minister Pierre Lumbi said the money will be spent on building roads, hospitals, health centres, housing and universities.

     In exchange, China will get rights to DR Congo’s extensive natural resources, including timber, cobalt and copper.

     A recent study concluded that China’s main interest in Africa is to guarantee supplies of raw materials.

     This is the largest single loan to any African country of the $20bn that China has pledged to finance trade and investment in the continent over the next few years.

     A first phase of $3bn will finance big transport infrastructure projects in the DR Congo, including a 3,400km (2,125 mile) highway between the northeast city of Kisangani and Kasumbalesa on the border with Zambia.

     There will also be a 3,200 km (2,000 mile) railway to link the country’s southern mining heartland to the main Atlantic port of Matadi in the west.

     Additional plans provide for the construction of some 30 hospitals, more than 100 health centres and two universities.

     A further $2bn is earmarked for rehabilitating the crumbling mining infrastructure and setting up joint ventures in the mines sector.

     The state mining conglomerate Gecamines went bankrupt in 1990 and since then there has been a free-for-all that sees hundreds of giant 36-wheel trucks plying the roads each day, carrying mineral-rich ores across the border to Zambia.

     But some analysts argue that the return on China’s apparently-generous loan is likely to cost DR Congo dear.

     New partnership with Africa

     The official Xinhua press agency recently estimated there are at least 750,000 Chinese working or living for extended periods on the continent, a reflection of burgeoning economic ties that reached $55bn in trade in 2006.

     Chinese trade and investment has galvanised mineral production from South Africa (manganese) to Niger (uranium), and from Sudan to Angola (oil).

     Much of that activity reflects an intense appetite for the African resources needed to fuel China’s manufacturing sector, but big Chinese companies have quickly become formidable competitors in other sectors as well, particularly for big-ticket public works contracts, like the ones now proposed for DR Congo.

     China is building major new railroad lines in Nigeria and Angola, large dams in Sudan, airports in several countries, and new roads almost everywhere.

     One of the largest road builders, China Road and Bridge Construction, owned by the Chinese government, has 29 projects in Africa (many financed by the World Bank or other lenders) and offices in 22 African countries.

     So China’s money may be going to Chinese companies to provide these big projects.

128. Socrates
     That is the spirit. I should find time to read the 5th NDP. But 1 thing I know is, it was not realistic. Come 2011, we shall need young vibrant leaders not LORDS. Look at Mpombo kneeling to his pay master. Something is absolutely wrong. One would ask, are these guys working for us or their master.

129. GLUCO (128),
     So you think 2011 leadership will come out of your hot air and invisible blogging? Keep dreaming on when your age mates are finishing their Diaspora studies and returning for ultimate integration in emmwerging leadership schemes. It will be 20 years of your fruitless blogging with the ground allienating you from any leadership prospects.You are stuck with these MMD who are already busy changing faces for new Number plates in 2011.If you take our blogging here as anything serious beyond stress release, I wish you Godspeed. You are free to dream the 2011 outcomes. The sad preludes are here with us that it is MMD beyond your dreams.

130. Time has come for Africans to share in the global wealth. I am making reference to BaJoze (120) who has affirmed of the poverty and lack of business ingenuity plaguing the black African race. When a Zambian starts a business, Government which has the biggest purchasing power shuns locals and want to talk to foreign multinationals. Primarily the problem lies with them (Black Africans) because they don’t respect high value assets like land. We need to ask ourselves a question in Zambia, who owns the tourism industry, Gold Mines, Cobalt and Copper Mines? Who owns the newly launched US$200 Million sugar plantation in Mazabuka? Zambia has 55% of water resources in Southern Africa, but who owns the Hydro Power stations? These questions need honest answers otherwise people will continue living in Kanyama and Zingalume all their dear life.

     Comrade Robert Mugabe boldly asked those same questions 7 years ago and has endured sanctions since then. LPM and SADC leaders are in order.

131. Lusaka represents freedom because it hosted political exiles while they struggled to get their independence. The first outside city Nelson Mandela visited after release from prison was Lusaka – WHY? Lusaka hosted peace initiaves for Angola and Congo – DR. Dr Jonas Savimbi and President Eduardo Santos shook hands on Lusaka’s soil. LPM is right on Zimbabwe, he should represent these LUSAKA values.

132. #126 SOCRATES & #128 GLUCO.When I read your contributions,my heart leaped for joy knowing that there`s still hope for Zambia and that we`re NOT indefinately stuck with low calibre individuals who call themselves as leaders such as GEORGE MPOMBO.We need independent thinkers and not just job seekers or the INDEE BWANA`s occupying top leadership positions in our beloved nation.When LPM makes an error in judgement and that doesn`t just happen sometimes but most times,do we honestly expect the likes of MPOMBO or MULYATA to correctly advise the President on the right way to do things?
     Kindly ignore #127 & #129 VETERAN who`s impersonating both SAGE and I,this is just one of theg GEORGE MPOMBO types on the blog.Such individuals think that Zambia is a Kingdom led by LPM need some enlightment so that when they are economically empowered the can make independent decision unlike their constant BOOTLICKING as source of living.

133. Chapi
     How much does Sata give you for your raw shushushing bootlicking on the blog? I’m asking because he has too many debts at hand yet your shushuling skills we know is renumerated for leaves much to desire. How come you alway rant with your accusing fingers amiss on a wrong person as your mashina? Its me you share that chapi family name with that coincide on the blog? You must be very dull and thick headed to keep missing for months. Of the 12 million plus Zambians all you know of is veteran. Do you see your foolishness there? Tell us the truth maybe Veteran ewalile noko her virginity.

134. #133 LIFA.Unfortunately,this blog happens to be beyond your scope and I reserve my response to your insults.

135. #133 Imposter

     You are not Lifa. I know Lifa as a real xian but you imposter has a rotten mouth kunsel. Can’t you feel ashamed suwa ka? You must be FACT, VETERAN or Pragmatist.

136. I’m the only Lifa with seal

137. The Chinese have the fastest growing economy because they learn’t not to be dictated to by outside forces. I have said on numerous times that we can not leave everything in the hands of the forprivate sector. Partnership is the key. I like the Chinese spirit of hard work. But I don’t like it when they create chinatowns in different world cities. Soon, we will have a chinatown in luska. GLUCO, God did not curse us blacks. He cursed Canaan & Canaan is not black Africa. Racists have used the Bible to wrongly interprete the curse of Canaan as refering to blacks. I know my Bible well & it is time we refused to accept the curse of Canaan. Socretes, you argued well. On Zim, it is time we Zambians who don’t know what it means to be removed from our lands started to tell Brown to dialogue with Bob. In 20 yrs time, Zim will not have food shortages & it’s economy will again be far ahead of Zambia’s. Now, we have a foreign destructive plant in one of our national parks. Who planted it there?

138. In 137, I wanted to say that we can’t leave everything in the hands of foreign private sector.GRZ & individual Zambians need to partner with foreign business companies. In China, a foreign company can’t have more that 51% of shares in business. I hear that Zambia’s economy is doing very well. But why is it that we have more people living in poverty? Why do we still have our budget financed by foreign powers if the economy is doing well? Bob’s Zim budget doesn’t. RSA experienced sanctions & it’s economy is strong today. We enjoy the help of Cuban doctors because cuba developed it’s health sector under American sanctions. Sometimes, suffering gives wisdom to develop. Socretes, how did you mange to post your contribution in 126 with more 100% of allowable words or characters? I am usually forced to use two names when I have more to contribute.

139. The Eu and its member countries suspended Aid to Zimbabwe. they have also imposed travel restrictions on Mugabe and his cronies. since Mwanawasa wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with this thug in Zimbabwe, I urge to equally boycott EU Aid and Aid from EU members. He should accept Aid only when Mugabe also starts receving it. LPM should also stop his medical trips to the UK in solidarity with Mugabe. Come on Mwanawasa show us your spine! If you cant do this then you are a coward and hypocrite! Stop masquerading as a principled person!

140. This point has been made by the president of neighbouring Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, and he knows well of what he speaks. His own “election” to high office in 2002 was, of course, rigged, according to independent observers.
     His party – called, hilariously, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy – apparently used vast sums of state cash in its electioneering and happily tampered with the ballot boxes.
     Since the election, Amnesty International report that there is “widespread harassment and intimidation of people perceived to be critical of the government” as well as continual and flagrant abuses of human rights, opposition leaders peremptorily locked up and plenty of beatings from the police for anyone who steps out of line.
     Meanwhile, some 75% of Levy’s benighted subjects live in what the United Nations describes as “absolute poverty”, on less than a dollar per day. Cheated in elections, beaten by the police and starved. You can understand Mwanawasa’s genuine puzzlement:

141. Mwaiche Chapi,

     Where at thou? I promised that whenever I get some time off the daily routine, I will be your guest here. I hope you have since matured over the weeks. Have selectively read through the debate hereon; President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Premier Goldon Brown and H.E President Mwanawasa’s recent remarks. Independently I have this to post:

     It is very clear that many don’t understand or see the intricacies of the West’s hands in conspiracies, their strategic agenda for destabilizing Zimbabwe and spill over effects on the whole region. This brings to the fore the much held worry that this Generation’s many youths are no ripe for challenging leadership and international politics rife under the cover of Democracy.

     The observed remarks and view of the Zimbabwe issue is not only dangerous, but very subjective, vulnerable to manipulation and source of betrayal to national existence.

     The battle here is about control of natural resources and the futuristic view of active external Governments’ operatives as economic hit men twisting arms and creating the prevalent crisis in Zimbabwe not overlooking the grave strategic decisions ZANU-PF and Mugabe have made over the years. The West’s arm twisting is after realizing a clear and immediate danger of a world in reversion to a bipolar dominated political system.

     China and Russia are consolidating as one frontier to break the dangerous unilateralist unipolar heyday day of the USA and its satellite EU countries. The stressed preoccupation of the USA in Global hegemonic commitments in accordance with the doctrine of manifesto destiny has only created space for the oil rich Russia to re-emerge from the shackles and forge a seemingly strong and explosively challenging force to the unilaterists.

     India is one such emerging giant whose final alliance is a big challenge to the USA. In fact the USA under suspicion has been trying to co-opt India to their side using the congress outlawed Nuclear energy technology transfer all for fear of India joining the China -Russia frontier. Pakistani is a forgone force whose shift awaits the end of the Musharaf era. In Latin America, Venezuela is standing up with a consolidating spirit of allies in the south against the anti unilateralists.

     Now waking up from a slumber and stretched Global policing policies, the west looks to Africa for resource sustainability only to find China consolidating with grips. The West Starts maneuvering and asserting its positions with an ambition of finding a state to take over like Liberia for the southern regional set up all for destabilizing purposes.

     Robert Mugabe may have done many wrongs, but the West’s economic hit men and their Governments are the worst evil of the two in evidence of history and their paradoxical global values. They need an African stand to be collectively denied a foot holds in our backyard to reign. We should be open to doing business with them but not a reversion to colonialism through the cover of Democracy. They have no history of national building, African people’s interests or stabilization where hell has been created particularly in Africa. The future of Africa is in our hands and not the western dictates and arm twisting “jingoism”.

     Dispute resolutions teach that rivalry is amicably resolved where protagonists and antagonists converge on an indaba table in search of a solution without pre-determinism for own precedence in outcome. This means nothing good could come out of media vilifications, perpetual altercations and such resentments. Let Brown meet Mugabe in Portugal and go to the summit with a sense of respect and realization that the Premier and President Mugabe are key actors to the puzzle at hand and must be magnanimous in search for lasting peace.

     Also its is cardinal that our African youth marshal skills of catching ill intentioned and managed propaganda endemic in the Western media. The culture of reading and critical analysis is the cornerstone of future value to the national leadership. The Western media is devoted to driving their dark sided opinion on Africa from cape to Cairo, Mombasa to Lobito. This is the media that will never ever report anything positive about Africa yet busy scrambling for our resources.

     Every thing African is black:Black spot, black box black……blah, bla…..h. No one will define and positively position Africa for Africans but us the Africans ourselves.

     Peace.

142. #141 Ba Pragmatist ba mudala ilyo mwabuka mutulo – well come back from ur deep sleep. It’s good thing you have come back to ur senses and stopped blogging in greek.

143. Pragmatist, I agree with you that ‘the future of Africa lies in our hands and not the West dictates and arm twisting…’ The problem with most of us Zambians is that we think our future lies in foreign hands & that everything from overseas is good for us. Am always amazed to learn that the economies of Zambia & South Korea were at par in 1964. But today, S. Korea’s economy is 100% better than Zambia’s. While doing more graduate work over a decade ago with some S.Koreans, I was amazed with their patriotic thinking to S.Korea. Unlike us, all their clothes came from S.Korea. I don’t advocate this kind of patriotism, but I use it to show that truly, the future of our nations lies in our hands & not in the West’s dictates. As for Zim, it is vital for Brown & other Western leaders to meet Bob & have some constructive dialogue. We all agree that Bob & his govt have made some mistakes, but let Brown not be like Blair’s govt that turned it’s back on honouring their promise on the Zim land issue

144. Visionary, I would like to remind you that Mugabe has got his so called land back. He needs no help from Brown. There is nothing to be discussed. Brown has categorically stated that he does not want to meet Mugabe. He is a Prime minister of a sovereign country just like Zambia and Zimbabwe are. He chooses which countries to have relationships with and vice versa. Most of the EU countries have said they want nothing with Zimbabwe and that is their prerogative! Mwanawasa cannot choose which countries the EU and its member countries’ can interact with.People like you and your leaders should boycott the EU and its AID and stand solidly behind or with Mugabe! Great Britain and the EU owe you nothing not even friendship. Mugabe has emptied his country of its productive Human resources and its still bleeding with empty shops and bashed heads courtesy of Mugabe. He is a thug! Stop this pan african nosense. You are in a messy not because of the white man but because of your uselessnessleaders

145. Mbuluwa, Africa will not develop by depending on EU aid. Africa & EU need each other as equal partners in development. Africa does not have technology which EU needs, but it has resources which EU & the West as a whole always needs. Brown has the right not attend a summit as a sovereign leader of his nation. African leaders too have a right not to attend the seminar if Bob is not allowed to attend because they are leaders of sovereign nations. While they will lose on aid from EU, it is true that EU will also lose out on many resources. Remember that aid is given with a view of future benefits for the giving countries. Again let me be clear to you that I don’t support the bad mistakes that Bob & his regime has made. KK made mistakes in nationalising many companies. Now many companies want to come to Zambia. All leaders including Bush have made mistakes, but that does not mean all leaders should shun Bush. USA & Soviet Union were once great enemies. Now, they need each other.

146. Sorry, Mbulawa, I mispelt your ID. I hate to see fellow brothers & sisters in Zim suffering with no enough food. We Zambians had gone through food crises during KK’s time. Russia went through food crises too. For Zimbabweans, they needed to go through food crises to humble them from being puffed up & from looking negatively on other brothers & sisters from Zambia. We Zambians were not realy respected by many zimbabweans when their economy was strong because of our suffering. Now, many of them will start to identify with what we went through & learn to learn to respect people from other troubled nations. I have hope though that zim will recover powerfully from it’s current woes with or without Brown’s aid.

147. who gives aid eu or sadc? Who will suffer Eu or Sadc?
     What a fool

148. Check out the website YouTube and search for ZCTU beatings or just in plain… Zimbabwe! In some countries around the world the Police are your friends and helpers, In Zim and Zam “youtube blog’s” says it all.

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