Songwriter and Vocalist James Sakala Educates us on songwriting, preparation and more.
44,000 Chienge houses to be sprayed to help to combat Malaria in Zambia by 2021
Government in Chienge District in Luapula Province is targeting to spray over Forty-Four Thousand Housing Structures during its forthcoming Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) Programme.
The IRS Programme which will be implemented by Ministry of Health, in Collaboration with Vector Link is scheduled to start on 29th September this year.
Confirming the development during a Malaria Taskforce Committee meeting held in the Council Chamber recently Health Promotion Officer at the Chienge District Health Office, Given HATYOKA also revealed that the IRS Programme will run concurrently with the distribution of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets.
He however, explained that the Mosquito Nets will only be distributed in areas where the IRS Programme will not be conducted.
“As a District we have some problematic areas in terms of Malaria cases, and there are some which are performing fairly well,” Mr Hatyoka said.
The Health Promotion Officer identified area with high incidences of Malaria in Chienge District as Kapako, Puta, Lambwe Chomba and Lambwe Chikwama.
And Mr Hatyoka explained that the IRS Programme will strictly adhere to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) regulations on the handling of the Chemicals that would be used.
He further said all the people who will be engaged as Sprayer Operators are currently being trained on how to conduct the exercise.
Mr. Hatyoka added the Spray Operators are also being sensitised on the COVID 19 Pandemic and are expected to follow all the set Ministry of Health Guidelines the IRS Exercise.
Mr Hatyoka also appealed to the general public to cooperate with Spray Operators when visited at home and to also adhere to COVID 19 Guidelines.
“We are all privy to the fact that the COVID 19 Pandemic is here in the Country, prevention starts at the individual level and as such we have to all comply to regulations,” he said.
And Statics at the Chienge District Office indicates that in the Firsts Quarter of 2019 the area recorded 14,867 while in the First Quarter of 2020 the cases stood at 18,909. This marks an increase of over 44,000 Malaria cases.
The IRS Programme is drawn from the Zambia National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan 2017-2012(NMESP) which aims to combat Malaria in Zambia by 2021.
Poor agriculture performance in Mitete displeases Vice President
Vice President Inonge Wina has expressed disappointment at the levels of production in the agriculture sector in Mitete District in Western Province.
Mrs. Wina observed that Mitete District is one of the areas that receive enough farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) but that government through Farmer Reserve Agency (FRA) does not access any maize from the place.
Speaking when she met with the District Administration at Muyondoti Secondary School in Mitete District of Western Province, Mrs. Wina implored the relevant authorities in the area to effectively coordinate farming activities.
She observed that even after discovering that the area had already received farming inputs, preparations for farming activities have not yet started which she wondered whether the District Agriculture Extension Officers were doing their job.
Mrs. Wina pointed out that government has placed District Commissioner in districts, so that they can run programmes in their areas.
“We expect local solutions across districts to be initiated by district administrations, because Lusaka is very far from here hence we rely on DC’s to preside on districts who are in charge of expanding production.
“We want to see local farmers engaged in crop diversification so that they can always have enough for consumption. DMMU will not always have resources to food here, that is why government implements various programmes for self-sustenance among rural people,” the Vice President indicated.
She implored the District Administration to find lasting solutions that will ensure that farmers are able to transport their yields and sell to FRA in order for them to increase their finances.
Meanwhile, Mitete District Commissioner Nayunda Mukwamataba disclosed that the district has already received farming inputs for the 2020/2021 farming season under FISP.
Mr. Mukwamataba noted that the district has 400 farmer beneficiaries under FISP of which 270 have already deposited part of their contributions.
He however indicated that farmers are not able to sell to FRA because of lack of reliable transportation and storage facilities in the district hence most of the yields are consumed at household level.
“Your Honour, as of September 7th, 2020, I can reliably inform you that Mitete District has already received farming inputs for the next farming season.
“The district has received 60 metric tonnes of urea, 70 metric tonnes of D-Compound, and 250 by 10 kg bags maize seed.
“From this, we are expecting a balance of 150 by 20 kg bags of maize seed and 200 by 20 kg bags of groundnuts,” Mr. Mukwamataba disclosed.
The DC added that the district has not been left out from other government programmes such as the social cash transfer and the Food Security Pack among others.
And in the health sector, he noted that three health posts out or of six allocated to the district have been constructed.
And later when the Vice President met with traditional leaders in the area, Chief Akabati of Lucanana Nyala area thanked government for not leaving out the district in its developmental agenda.
Chief Akabati however outlined some challenges which included the need for a boarding school in the area so that pupils from far areas can stay in school even on a weekly basis.
The traditional leader explain the performance for many learner’s is very low because they have to cover long distances to get to school which disturbs their concentration because they are usually tired.
He added that Muyondoti Primary School needs electrification so that pupils can also take other classes such as ICT.
“Madam Vice President, we thank you for visiting Mitete District especially Muyondoti area. We are happy to mention that government has included us in its developmental plans and the evidence is visible. Our children cover long distances just to attend school, hence we are requesting that our school can be turned into a boarding school. Pupils can be attending weekly boarding so that they have time to learn properly. The school also lacks a laboratory and has no electricity, thereby denying them the chance to take certain subjects that require electricity,” Chief Akabati stated.
He also bemoaned the lack of communication between civic leaders and traditional rulers, saying that it’s hard for government to know the challenges on the ground.
UPND announces the defection of two Senior FDD officials
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has announced the defection of two senior party officials from Edith Nawakwi’s Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) who have since joined UPND.
The two, who include FDD’s Chairperson for Agriculture, Emack Kaoma and Tourism Committee chairperson, Harriet Mukololo cited poor leadership and lack of policy direction from the Party President, Edith Nawakwi as the reasons for ditching the Party.
In her speech, Ms Mukololo, who thanked Ms Nawakwi for allowing her to serve as Chairperson for Tourism portfolio under the FDD, challenged Ms Nawakwi, who has waged a relentless privatization war against President Hichilema to shift her attention from the privatization issue which she oversaw as then Finance Minister, to the more recent economic hardships facing Zambians.
She stated that she was ashamed to identify her self with the FDD because the party has no structures and policy direction, saying that each time she went to mobilize her party on the ground, people questioned her mental sanity for supporting a party that was being run like an NGO.
“The FDD has no structures and its policy direction is not clearly defined. The party has no structures on the ground, people on the ground wonder whether am normal upstairs. If I go to the Secretariat, they tell, ‘awe mayo! Niba Nawakwi fye abene’,” she stated.
In affirming his decision to join the UPND, Mr Kaoma stated that it was a relief for him to ditch the FDD, a Party because it has deviated from the ideals and values on which it was founded.
“I now feel a heavy load has been removed from my shoulders because the FDD that I belonged to has moved from its ideals and values. I want to be on the right side of history. My heart has always been for the people and I feel the vision for the UPND fits in well. I believe, together, we shall end the suffering of this country,” he charged.
And UPND Secretary General-SG-Stephen Katuka, in his welcoming remarks called on the old party members to embrace the new members, stating that there was neither old or new member in the UPND.
He also encouraged the old UPND members to embrace the new members, stating that there were no old or new members in the UPND and that those joining the party would add a lot of value and help the party form Government.
“You are warmly welcome to the UPND family. If you have any issues with anybody, please feel free to come and see me. I lead an open door policy. In the UPND, in my father’s house, there are many rooms. The UPND is a Party of choice. In this Party, there are no new members. When you join this party, you are as good as the old members,” he said.
Zambia records the lowest COVID-19 positive rate
Zambia has recorded the lowest COVID-19 positive rate since the outbreak of the pandemic in March this year.
The 4% positive rate was recorded after the country only recorded 61 new COVID-19 cases out of 1,581 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of cases to 14,231.
Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya who was speaking during the latest COVID-19 update announced the development with a call to ensure that the positive trend continues by exercising total compliance to the health guidelines.
Dr. Chilufya who attributed the development to enhanced adherence to safety measures such as wearing masks and enhanced public health measures said the approach now will be to enhance the fight in the communities in order to significantly reduce the transmission rate.
“Let’s sustain the positive trend by following the 5 golden rules and let this not lead to complacency as we inevitably return to the new normal,” he said and commended Zambians for their consistency in wearing masks which he said he has witnessed in many parts of the country.
Dr. Chilufya further reminded various stakeholders especially in the education sector to ensure children are protected from COVID-19 even as schools reopen tomorrow.
And speaking at the same event, Ministry of Health Director of infectious diseases Professor Lloyd Mulenga clarified that children below the age of 5 should not wear masks but should be provided with a loose cloth over their nose in order to aid easy breathing.
He however said that even children below the age of 5 are possible carriers of the virus hence the need to ensure they are protected and subjected to regular checkups.
HH is used to interviews in which he prepares questions himself-Makebi Zulu
MALAMBO Constituency Member of Parliament Hon Makebi Zulu has reacted to reports that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema on Saturday chickened out of a ZNBC interview in which he was supposed to clear himself from serious allegations surrounding the privatization of national assets.
Hon Zulu who is also Eastern Province Minister says that Hakainde has no answers to the allegations leveled against him.
He adds that Hakainde can not manage to answer questions on Sunday Interview because the questions are not prepared by him saying his used to interviews in which he prepares questions himself.
” It will be embarrassing for him to respond to questions he has not framed”,he said.
The Malambo law maker has further observed that Hakainde is used to stage managed interviews hence refusing the ZNBC interview.
“That is the trouble of being used to choreographed interviews,you can not face professional people on a television interview”Hon Zulu said.
Five times Zambian Presidential election loosing Hakainde was supposed to feature on ZNBC Sunday Interview by at the last minute,he chickened out.
Zambians are demanding answers from Hakainde on the role he played in the privatization process.
There are strong allegations that Hakainde as Consultant and Evaluator, grossly profited from the privatization process by under-valuing state assets, selling state assets to himself and his associates, failing to declare commercial interests and failing to make disclosures in assets that he was interested in or his associates.
Hakainde, as lead Consultant and Evaluator for the Zambia Privatisation Agency (ZPA)was involved in the sale of Musio-O-Tunya Intercontinental Hotel, the sale of ZCCM non-core assets such Lunsemfwa Hydro and ZCCM Power Division(CEC) of sold to 5 ZCCM Executives.
As CEO and Managing Partner of Coopers & Lybrand and later Grant Thornton, Hakainde was liquidator of the agriculture Bank, Lima Bank that had various assets including farms.
His firm also appointed Christopher Mulenga as Receiver Manager for RAMCOZ in Luanshya, a process marred with allegations of plunder and excess looting.
Rhodasi Mwale wins the 2020 Kalemba Short-Story Prize
Rhodasi Mwale has been announced as the winner of the 2020 Kalemba Short Story Prize for her short story, described as “quirky” by Judges.
The USD1000 award is for the best work of original and unpublished short fiction in English by a Zambian writer .
Mwale won for If It Ain’t Broke. The story revolves around a protagonist struggling with depression and mental problems.
“Dr Theo assured me, in a stern, noncommittal tone, that the world wasn’t out to get me and that my children weren’t monsters sent to torment me,” she writes. “He scribbled a prescription and shuffled me out of his offices as fast as he could that I felt rejected. Had it come to this? Even a man I paid to listen wasn’t interested anymore. It was time to find a new doctor.”
A Biomedical Scientist and student of infectious diseases at the University of Zambia, Mwale, 31, remembers fondly “curling up on a bean bag in the library, in Grade 3, reading illustrated volumes of the Adventures of Tintin. In Grade 5, I read Eleanor Hoffman’s Mischief in Fez, and it has stayed with me since.”
On winning the prize, “just being shortlisted is everything because it means that I do belong on the African market. There is such a profundity to African literature that I’ve always felt that my voice is a tad too informal, my prose too simplistic for the market.”
A native of Kabwe Town, Mwale will be presented with the award at a special ceremony to be held in Lusaka in October.
Her story beat five others to win the prize including, Chowa Chikumbi, A Silent Cry; Vanessa Nakayange, I’ll Keep You Safe; Samuel Zimba, Junta or Divorce; Mukuka Nkunde, Daze and Otensia Kapinga’s After the Storm.
A total of 231 stories competed for the 2020 Kalemba Prize, now in its third edition.
The judging panel, chaired by acclaimed and award-winning Zambian novelist (Patchwork), Ellen Banda-Aaku observed that the stories that ended up in the top six were heartbreaking and poignant in different ways; a disgruntled housewife takes the opportunity to go back and change her life; a drunk husband opts to stay with a cheating wife as an excuse to stay drunk; a young woman’s father sides with her after she commits murder; a woman finds the courage to stand up to an abusive husband; rain churns up painful memories, and a mother covers up her daughters’ abuse to save the family.
“These top six stood apart in that they showed something more; a flair in writing, a fresh voice, emotiveness, an unusual twist,” said Banda-Aaku.
“If It Ain’t Broke was a clear winner. In this quirky written story, the narrator draws the reader in from the start with a fresh, honest voice about the state of their mind and life,” said the judges. “The mentally depressed protagonist is in a situation we have all been in at some point – the state of being discontented with our lives. The moral of the story is one most of us are aware of but perhaps need a reminder.”
Banda-Aaku was joined on the panel by award-winning South African writer, Masande Ntshanga (Triangulum, The Reactive) – winner of the 2013 PEN International New Voices Award and a finalist for the 2015 Caine Prize; the youthful Rwandan-Namibian author, Remey Nagmidje, (The Eternal Voice of One) and Mali Kambandu, winner of the inaugural 2018 Kalemba Prize for her story, A hand to hold
Mwale who also writes under the name, Dhasi Mwale, has several fictions coming up including her debut novel, Note Worthy by Belonging Books. Other works are scheduled to appear in The Scarlet Leaf Review and Bewildering Stories.
An alumnus of Highbridge Secondary School, Kabwe, Mwale names Paul Cohelo as one of her major literary influences.
The Kalemba Prize is a home-grown initiative celebrating Zambian writing. It is funded and administered by Ukusefya WORDS, publishers of the national bestselling book, Insoselo na Mapinda.
The 2021 Kalemba Prize will open later in the year.
CSOs launch Citizens Petition on Privatisation
A consortium of Civil Society Organizations has today launched a campaign to petition President Edgar Lungu to institute a commission of inquiry into the privatization process of national assets.
The CSOs who include the National Youth Anti Corruption Movement (NYACM) , Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and the Zambia Institute of Governance and Civil Liberties Advocacy Platform seeks to collect up 20,000 signatures before delivering the petition to President Edgar Lungu on Friday the 25th of September, 2020.
Speaking on behalf of the other CSOs at a media briefing, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said the National Citizens Petition calls for setting up an inquiry-based on the Inquiries Act Chapter 41 section 2 of the Laws of Zambia.
A fortnight ago, YALI petitioned Chief Justice Irene Mambilima to institute a commission of inquiry on privatization but the Chief Justice has advised YALI to take the petition to the office of the president has he is the only one with authority to do so.
The CSOs said it was gratifying that those who participated in the negotiations for the sale of national assets have also shown willingness to account for their roles in privatization.
Mr. Ntewewe said Zambians deserve answers from those who unjustly benefited and enriched themselves from the sale at the expense of Zambians including former miners and their children who are now living under abject poverty and untold misery.
Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has long been said to have sett up Sun International Zambia which bought the Rainbow Lodge and Mosi O Tunya Hotel in Livingstone at the value of $6.5 million against the highest bid of $20 million bid. Mr. Hichilema negotiated on behalf of the Zambian Government for the sale of these assets to his company without declaring interest in the sale.
The citizen’s petitions has since been signed by 585 persons at the end of the launch on Sunday. The Petition is being run on ChangeDOTorg and SurveymonkeyDOTcom web platforms. The Petition has also been circulated to various parts across the country for signing among marketeers, students, ex-miners, farmers, workers in the tourism industry.
Ex-Miners Demand Benefits from HH who is neither a Shareholder nor a Trustee of Saturnia Fund
Over 700 Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) ex-miners are demanding their pension benefits from UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s Saturnia Pensions Trust Fund.
However, both the UPND leader and Saturnia Pensions Trust Fund are on record that Mr. Hichilema is neither a shareholder nor a Trustee of the Trust Fund when in 2016, 236 former BP workers had given UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema a 7 days ultimatum to pay back the K457 million owed to them by Saturnia Regna Pension Trust where he was accused of being a shareholder.
The ex-miners have complained that the Saturnia Pensions Trust Fund is abusing people rights and has induced so much suffering on the miners who worked so hard to create wealth for the country.
Speaking Sunday morning during a press briefing,KCM ex-miners Chairman Mr Ilunga Kasompe demanded that companies owned by Mr Hichilema releases the title deeds for the all properties belonging to KCM pension scheme and that all pensions for serving miners be transferred from Saturnia to NAPSA with immediate effect.
He explained that the pension scheme which was originally being run by Mukuba pension was however moved to Saturnia with new developments now indicating that the scheme is now being run by Benefits Consulting Services Limited Trustees, a company that happens to be Mr. Hichilema’s.
He further explained that the company decided to only give retired miners 50% of their pension contributions and then forced miners to later buy annuities from Mr. Hichilema’s company Sanlam, a move he has described as “a criminal form of insider trading”.
Mr. Kasompe stated that the problem they are in is the offshoot of the failures of the mismanaged privatization process and said the miners have since joined other stakeholders who have launched a campaign to look into the matter which unscrupulous businessmen took advantage of.
“We demand an immediate account of the offshore investments that were made for KCM pensions scheme from 2000 up to 2018 as well as an immediate investigation into the conduct of the KCM pensions scheme board of trustees, the trade union and the KCM management,” he said.
Mr. Kasompe who called on Mr. Hichilema to fix the pension issues before talking about state matters said there is enough evidence that Mr. Hichilema’s Saturnia pensions trust fund has abused the rights of miners and is a scandal schemed and planned by these businessmen, politicians, and foreign multinational companies to trap and embarrass the PF government.
“We have information to confirm that money was moved out of the KCM pension scheme to Sanlam properties.No Zambian will ever benefit from such investments and that is why we cannot accept any money to go to Sanlam.Time has come to correct the situation as this impunity should not be tolerated” Mr Kasompe said and questioned why Saturnia should be allowed to change the rules as it wishes as if there is no government in the country.
He further stated that Saturnia is destroying a lot of lives including in the courts of law as records are there those fellow pensioners who have been struggling in court for 20 years and cannot get their money because of Saturnia.
In 2016, Saturnia Pension Fund clarified that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was neither a shareholder nor a Trustee of the Trust Fund after media reports that Saturnia Pension Trust Fund has failed to pay the BP Zambia ex-employees their retirement benefits and that Mr. Hichilema was a major stakeholder in the Trust Fund.
At the time Board of Trustees Chairperson Doreen Kabunda said that the reports were false, explaining that the Trust Fund has never been sued by any ex-employees of Puma Energy Plc which is formerly BP Plc, although they are aware of the ongoing action in the Courts of law between a group of ex-employees of BP Plc and their former employer over Pension Benefits.
Ms. Kabunda stated the Trust Fund is not and has never been a party of this court action, adding that Saturnia Trust Fund is a distinctively separate and independent Trust Fund and should not be confused with any private entities or companies that may bear a similar name or address.
Mrs. Kabunda further said at the time that Saturnia had no share capital because it is a registered multi-employer Trust Fund.
HH’s allegations are just Hallucinations and Selfish Political Tantrums, Nobody wants to Kill him -Sunday Chanda
NOBODY wants to kill UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and he should stop hallucinating that President Edgar Lungu wants him dead because he has nothing to gain from killing a perpetual election loser, the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has said.
PF media director Sunday Chanda said Mr Hichilema was just scared of his own shadow because President Lungu has no intention of killing him, apart from bringing to book public assets plunderers.
He was reacting to an allegations by the UPND leader that President Lungu wanted him dead by 2021.
Mr Hichilema was quoted in one of the daily tabloids as saying if anything happened to him, the Head of State should be answerable since he had declared that he plans to go after him.
This follows President Lungu’s remarks during a public rally in Mbereshi that individuals who sold public properties would be followed.
But Mr Chanda said the nation should dismiss the allegations as hallucinations and selfish political tantrums.
Mr Chanda reminded Zambians that it was not the first time that Mr Hichilema was making such wild allegations as he had done that before when he refused to give way to the Presidential motorcade in Mongu. Featuring on BBC’s Hard Talk Programme with host Stephen Sackur, he said, Mr Hichilema had claimed that President Lungu wanted to kill him, but Stephen Sackur laughed at him while reminding him about his violent party.
Debate Bill 10 with sober minds, MPs advised
Government Parliamentary Chief Whip Brian Mundubile has advised members of parliament to be objective and allow for sober debate on Constitution Amendment Bill number 10 of 2019 which has been restored to the order paper.
Mr Mundubile, who is also Mporokoso MP and PF chairperson for legal affairs, said opposition lawmakers should clearly state their reservations in the bill as opposed to walk-outs.
“When a Bill transitions two sessions of the sitting it automatically lapses and it can only be reintroduced by way of moving a motion. So, Bill 10 is back and we expect parliamentarians to debate on the floor of the house, those walk-outs we have been seeing are not necessary.” said Mr Mundubile
Speaking to media in Kasama, Mr Mundubile noted that issues such as the mixed member proportion representation, delimitation and changing the Electoral system to do away with by-elections are some of aspirations of the general citizenry which Bill 10 will address once passed into law.
He added that the just ended Lukashya Parliamentary By-election serves as an eye opener to political players on the urgent need for the delimitation process and in turn enhance development in vast constituencies.
“The people of Zambia have said they are tired of by-elections and called for a change in the Electoral system so that we do away with by-elections. They have also said they want delimitation for consistencies such Lukashya. This is can only be done through constitutional amendment and what we want to achieve it through bill 10,” He said.
Mr Mundubile has since appealed to opposition members of parliament to stop politicizing the bill and debate with sobriety.
Yesterday, the National Assembly passed a motion to restore to the order paper eight Bills which were being considered in the previous session of the 12th National Assembly.
The eight bills include the Constitution of Zambia Amendment bill number 10 of 2019, National Planning and Budgeting Bill number 22 of 2019, National Forensic Bill and the Food number 1 of 2020 and the Food and Nutrition Bill number 2 of 2020, among other.
President Lungu shouldn’t think that he has the right to kill HH, says Mutale Nalumango
United Party for National Development (UPND) National Chairperson, Mutale Nalumango has said that President Edgar Lungu shouldn’t think that he has the right to kill president Hakainde Hichilema and those that he deems to be political threats, at will.
In an apparent response to President Lungu’s recent statement that he would have eliminated Mr. Hichilema at will if he had wanted, Ms. Nalumango stated that being at the helm of the country’s leadership didn’t give him a leeway to kill those that he wished dead.
The former Deputy Speaker of National Assembly also wondered why President Lungu has been insisting that Mr. Hichilema will not appear on the 2021 presidential ballot, adding that such reckless statements must not come from political leaders holding the highest office in the land.
“We hear President Lungu himself says that if he had wanted, he would have killed president Hakainde Hichilema a long time. Has he got the right to kill? To say, ‘if I wanted?’ Is it about you wanting…to kill a person? Is it about you having authority to kill?” wondered Ms. Nalumango.
Ms. Nalumango stated that such irresponsible statements weren’t expected to come from those who hold sensitive positions of leadership in the country, especially the Head of State.
“Such statements should never come from leaders of the nation. People are listening; you don’t say that! This is the tragedy of our nation, that the very top leadership of our country can declare such things. One death is one too many. We have lost Lawrence Banda; we have lost Mapenzi Chibulo, Frank Mugala, and many more. It’s not about what you want as ECL. It is God’s will and your time is up,” she charged.
And Chirundu Member of Parliament, Douglas Syakalima said that President Lungu must take a leaf from the most brutal of dictators in Africa whose tenure came to an abrupt end when the people chose to elect new leaders.
He wondered where the PF got the impetus to wish people dead at will, stating that the PF must start negotiating and making friemds as they prepared for their way out of power soon.
“Who tells them that they have powers to just tell anyone that, ‘today, you are dying’? Who tells them that? We had worse dictators in this world. Where are they today? Dictators move out badly! Start making friends; start negotiating for you are on your way out. You will hear that people’s power is real. You can bring your military, you can bring your police when people have decided, they have decided. You will go!” he said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nalumango said that the UPND would not be congratulating the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) for its victory in the 9 of the 14 by elections that were held across the country yesterday because they were not conducted in a free and fair manner.
Asked to comment on the elections results margins between the PF and the UPND in the just-ended local and Parliamentary by-elections, Ms. Nalumango stated that people shouldn’t expect her to congratulate the ruling party because the political playing field was not leveled enough to allow the opposition to campaign freely.
“We are in a situation where the ground [political] is marred with a lot of irregularities. Don’t ask me, media guys to congratulate PF. I could have done so ’cause they have won many…in blackets. But did they really win…when many of our people are in incarceration on trumped up charges and you expect me to be here and say, ‘well done to PF’? No! We could have congratulated them if they won properly,” she said.
Nalumango has since congratulated the UPND members who campaigned in the 14 by-elections, stating that they tried their best to convince electorates that the party was the solution to the economic malaise that the country was grappling with.
“Allow me to congratulate our gallant men and women that went into the campaigns for the elections that were held yesterday. They worked very hard to try and convince our people that the way out of our economic malaise is UPND,” she said.
UPND National Trustee, Andrew Banda reiterated that the political gains that the UPND made in 2016 when she and the PF shared 98 percent of the political spoils between them after UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema got 1, 760, 347 votes against the PF’s Edgar Lungu who got 1, 860, 877 was a sign that the party had acquired a national character.
And President Hichilema’s political advisor, Douglas Siakalima observed that the party had made tremendous political gains in the Northern circuit considering that in 2011 the party got 2,000 from the entire Muchinga and Northen Provinces combined, but today the 2, 600 against the PF’s 13, 000 votes in the just one constituency (Lukashya) was the testimony of continued growth and strength of the party.
Let the best among us win next year’s elections – Fred M’membe
By Socialist Party Reporter
LET the best among us win next year’s elections, says Socialist Party president Fred M’membe. Dr M’membe also tells Zambians that choice of quality political leadership is paramount.
Meanwhile, Dr M’membe says a pact between the UPND and the PF is possible, because: “they are all pro-capitalist parties.” Speaking on ‘Let the people talk’ programme on Phoenix FM radio on September 15, 2020, Dr M’membe said each political party in Zambia had the right to exist.
“Let the best among us win next year’s elections. We may not like the PF but if the PF emerges to be the most supported, the most trusted, next year, let them continue to rule,” Dr M’membe said, in response to some callers who proposed for political mergers ahead of the August 2021 elections.
“If the UPND next year emerges to be the most supported, let them rule. If any other party, including the Socialist Party, next year emerges to be the winners, let them rule.” He said the expediency of trying to undermine the country’s multiple political dispensation led nowhere. Dr M’membe referred to abortive past political alliances.
“We have seen these alliances before; the UPND that you (a caller) are saying we should join because it’s your party, in 2006 it had an alliance called UDA (United Democratic Alliance)…” Dr M’membe recalled.
“In 2009, there was a pact that was initiated by the UPND with PF. [But] that alliance collapsed on who should become president and who should get how many seats in Parliament….”
He indicated that the Socialist Party was not there to win power for the sake of it.
Dr M’membe said the Socialist Party did not exist because of the PF being in government.
“With or without PF, the Socialist Party will exist in this country,” he said, adding that political pacts have been seen before in Zambia and that people knew what those arrangements were about. “Definitely, there will be a winner next year. If UPND is strong, why do they need a pact? Sata and the PF won the elections in 2011 without a pact.”
Dr M’membe underscored that next year, the strongest party would win the polls.
“If it’s UPND that will win, let it win. And we should win not because of the political schemes we come up with but because of what we believe in. We want to win because of what we believe in – not because of the formations or the pacts we get into,” he explained.
“Alliances are not forced on people. Why force us to get into an election pact? It’s like forcing somebody into a marriage…. It must be a voluntary union. Let alliances be voluntary.”
Dr M’membe said those with common aims – “whose agenda is to remove the PF at any cost – let them band together.”
“We are not against them! [But] our agenda goes beyond that; it’s to build socialism in Zambia…. We are not out to replace one group of bandits with another,” he clarified. “We have seen it before; we all ganged up against UNIP. Who did we replace UNIP with? Let’s be a bit more serious.”
He noted that those in the Socialist Party were very clear on who they were and that: “we have a very fair understanding of who others are.” “Actually, there is more similarity between UPND and PF – they are all pro-capitalist parties. A pact between UPND and PF is possible, after all, they were in a pact before in 2009,” Dr M’membe said.
“How did they manage to get in a pact in 2009? They were similar! So, there are more similarities between UPND and PF than there are more similarities between us and them.”
Meanwhile, one caller told Dr M’membe that his promises of a just and peaceful Zambia amounted to him being a liar.The caller praised the PF government’s ‘second-none’ delivery of developmental projects across Zambia. In response, Dr M’membe said: “cawama tata muleikala bwino (it’s good that you are living well).”
“Mulesekelamo (you are happy) but te bonse abalesekelamo yama (it’s not everyone who is happy about the status quo, uncle). Imwe muleikala bwino (you are living well), namutemwa ifyo muleikala (you are happy with the way you are living). Cilifye (it’s okay),” Dr M’membe said.
“We are living in a multiparty political dispensation which allows many political parties to be formed and to give our people a choice, both in terms of which political party they support or join and in terms of the policies that they want to choose from. So, if you choose to be with PF, cilifye (it’s okay). It’s your constitutional right! If others choose other political parties, it’s also their entitlement.”
He added that: “choice of leadership is a very important thing.”
“Those you want to represent you must be people you trust [and] if not, mukalabepwa fye cila mwaka (you’ll be lied to every year),” he cautioned.
Earlier on in the programme, Dr M’membe reiterated that today Zambia had got one of the highest social inequalities. He asked how possible it was for a Christian country like Zambia to have such glaring inequalities.
“The gap between the haves and the have-nots is huge. If are one Zambia, One Nation, we should live similar lives; our conditions should not be so different,” Dr M’membe said.
“[But] we have left other people behind and [yet] they are telling you there will be nobody left behind. No! The [capitalist] system leaves people behind. It’s designed to leave people behind, wherever it is in the world.”
Dr M’membe argued that capitalism could not carry everybody along at the same pace and level. “We have people in front [and] we have people behind. Socialism, under the Socialist Party, will make sure we all travel at the same rate, we are all at the same spot, going to the same destination [and] as one country and one people,” explained Dr M’membe.
“You can’t be one people [when] others are eating, others are not eating, others are living well [while] others are not living well…. Can you have peace under such conditions? No! The Zambia we grew up under had no walls. [But] today to have the security you have to have big wall fences around your house.”
Armed thieves rob Chinese firm in Luano
Armed robbers have stolen money amounting to 40,000 kwacha, a Samsung cell phone and an Acer laptop at Shi and Yan Mining Development Company inLuano District.
Central Province Police Commissioner, Chola Katanga, confirmed to ZANIS that the suspected criminals further assaulted three Chinese Nationals and two Zambians at the company.
Mr Katanga disclosed that victims include Shi and Yan Mining Development Company Production Manager, Li Wen Jun aged 40 years; Mechanical Engineer, Ru Yingguo aged 46 years; Stores Officer, Chen Shun Jiang aged 35 years; Machine Operator, Shepherd Mulenga aged 28 years of Lubuto area in Kapiri Mposhi District and Security Guard, Bernard Phiri aged 45 years of Copper Mine area.
He said the incident occurred on September 16, 2020, around 00: 30 hours.
“We received the report from Saidi Mtonga aged 33, who is the human resource officer at Shi and Yan Mining Development Company, that over 10 suspected criminals armed with two unknown type of guns and sticks went at the Chinese hostels within the company premises and attacked three Chinese Nationals as well as two Zambian citizens,” he said.
The Central Province Police Commissioner explained that police officers visited the scene to check the situation.
“The victims were rushed to Mkushi at Tusekelemo Private Hospital where they have been admitted on observation and their conditions are stable,” he said.
Mr Katanga further noted that no arrest has been made in the matter, but investigations are underway.