The Patriotic Front Central Committee has resolved that President Edgar Lungu is the sole Presidential candidate for the party in the 2021 General elections.

PF Secretary General Davies Mwila said the decision by the Central Committee was arrived at after considering the achievements President Lungu has scored since 2015.

Speaking when he received defectors from the opposition among them, the Zambia Republican Party, Mr Mwila said the Central Committee has instructed that the Secretariat intensifies the mobilization of members especially those that left the party.

Mr Mwila said all newly recruited members should not be relegated to mere spectators but should be used to mobilize the party.

And Mr Mwila said the UPND is worried that Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has rejoined the PF because he will dismantle their structures.

He said the UPND are worried because they know that GBM has huge following across the country.

Mr Mwila said UPND lies that the PF has sold national assets among them Zesco and ZNBC to the Chinese will not distract Zambians who believe in the ideologies of the ruling party.

He added that the PF is not doing anything to rig the elections but will genuinely win the elections in 2021 due to the many projects they have delivered to the Zambian people.

Mr Nakachinda says he had the impression back in 2012 that Dr Mumba was a good leader to replace Rupiah Banda capable of taking the former ruling party to greater heights.
He said when he addressed his supporters in Chipata Eastern Province that Dr Mumba who in November last year was declared President of the MMD by the High Court is not capable of leading the party.

“I now understand that a clergyman cannot make a good politician, this Pastor has a problem because even advising him in 2015 he went ahead and stood resulting in the MMD not performing well” said Mr Nakachinda who is also a Pastor.

He said he is committed to resolving the problem he created in order to ensure that the former ruling party remains a vibrant party.

Mr Nakachinda said he will not allow the MMD to be swayed adding that some opposition parties are celebrating confusion in the former ruling party to take advantage of the structures.

The Lusaka High Court Judge Sharon Newa on 5th November 2019 declared that Dr Mumba is the President of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy.

This was in the case in which the then MMD Acting National Secretary Winnie Zaloumis took Felix Mutati, Raphael Nakachinda, George Kangwa, and Mwansa Mbulakulima to Court to find who gave them Authority to Organise the MMD convention of 2016.

Judge Newa in her ruling said the MMD constitution only mandates the National Executive Committee to call for a convention.

Mr Nakachinda in December appealed the ruling but the Court of Appeal on 14th December 2019 threw out the application for a stay of judgment against the restoration of Nevers Mumba to the MMD presidency.

Mr Nakachinda had appealed Judge Sharon Newa’s restoration of Mumba to the MMD presidency after a strenuous litigation process

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo says his Ministry has commenced investigations on a named political party that has allegedly received funding from donors to propagate homosexuality in the country.

Mr Kampyongo said he has information that the said political party has been given the money to push the agenda in Zambia.

Addressing the electorate in Shiwang’andu Constituency where he is inspecting developmental projects, Mr Kampyongo said some western countries are determined to bring into Zambia unnatural acts of homosexuality and have identified a named political party to push the agenda.

Mr Kampyongo who is Acting Chief government spokesperson has maintained that Zambia will remain a Christian nation following Christian values and will not accept unnatural acts to happen such as Homosexuality.

He said Government will not accept any money in exchange for homosexuality and this has been made clear at several fora where Government officials have appeared.

Mr. Kampyongo has warned that the said political party will be deregistered if found wanting.

The US recently recalled its ambassador to Zambia amid a diplomatic row after he criticised the imprisonment of a gay couple.
Last year, Daniel Foote said he was “horrified” that a judge had sentenced the men to 15 years in prison after they were caught having sex in 2017.

The government accused him of trying to dictate policy, and President Edgar Lungu declared him persona non grata.
Zambia is a deeply conservative society where homosexual acts are illegal.

ZESCO Limited clarifies false story by Prime TV

ZESCO Limited wishes to refute the story that was aired by Prime Television on 4th January 2020 during their main news bulletin at 19:30 hours. The station erroneously reported that ZESCO had attributed load shedding to government officials from Ministry of Finance and Energy snubbing generation projects, and not climate change.

ZESCO strongly condemns the fake news from Prime Television whose facts where manipulated and misconstrued to mislead the nation. To this end, we take strong exception to the act of cutting out of select video clips, whilst completely ignoring the main subject of the story, headlining and then taking some select video clips out of context with intention to deceive the nation.

ZESCO has consistently made it clear to the nation that the country received low to below normal rains in the 2018/2019 season which resulted in low water levels in the main national reservoirs. The low water levels have had an adverse effect on our generation capacity resulting in load shedding.

ZESCO has undertaken site tours with various stakeholders, amongst them, the Media, customers, government officials including parliamentarians to Kariba Dam and other power stations to explain the cause of the deficit and status of generation and power supply in the country.

The fact still remains that the cause of Load shedding is depleted dam water resources at the major power plants as a result of the severe drought experienced over the last rainy season.

ZESCO is however implementing a number of projects in the short and long term to further mitigate the effects of climate change.

The commissioning of the first unit at Kafue Gorge Lower (KGL) hydro power station at the end of the first quarter will increase generation and this will result in a significant reduction in load shedding.

It is against this background that on Friday 3rd January 2020, ZESCO Managing Director led a team of journalists, from both public and private media to Kafue Gorge Lower project for them to appreciate the progress that has been made so far.

In his statement to the Media, Mr. Mundende said the 750 Mega Watt Kafue Gorge Lower flagship project is expected to be commissioned this year, 2020. He said the first machine will run in April 2020. He further said once this project is complete, it will significantly mitigate the current load shedding in addition to boosting the entire country’s economy.

We, further, wish to advise the general public that between 2014 and now, ZESCO Limited with support of Government has already commissioned a total of 505 MW of additional Generation at a total cost of over US$802 Million through various power project investments. This is in addition to another 493MW of total Generation investments brought in by Independent Power Producers such as Maamba Collieries (Coal fired), Scaling Solar projects phase 1, and Ndola Energy Corporation Limited (HFO thermal plant). In the same period, another US$930 Million was spent on Transmission projects to will this power to variouys load centres. Without the current Govenrment’s unwavering support, it would not have been possible for ZESCO on its own to unlock the resources needed to engage in projects worth billions of US dollars.

In this regard, ZESCO wishes to thank Government for its support and to implore all customers and stakeholders to ignore the false news circulating on social media arising from the Prime Television story and regard them as untrue and unfounded.

We also wish to thank all our esteemed customers for their cooperation and patience as we pass through the trying moments in the power sector caused by climate change.

Issued by: Patrick Mwila (Mr.)
Director – Strategy & Corporate Services
5 January 2020

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili has said he is not going back to the ruling Patriotic Front(PF) and has branded news about his pending return to the party as mere propaganda.

PF deputy national mobilisation chairman Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba was quoted saying the party was in talks with Kambwili to negotiate his return.

“The National Democratic Congress, NDC, is concerned with the propaganda going round that Chishimba Kambwili is going back to the Patriotic Front. The party would like to urge the members that the president is committed to the party and remains president of NDC, with no intentions of rejoining the PF. The whole story came as a shock to me as I have never even met Mr. Chikwanda since I left government. The only time I spoke to him was three months ago when he was hospitalised and I called to wish him a quick recovery,” Kambwili said in a statement issued by NDC spokesperson Saboi Imboela.

“The PF needs fundamental and radical change for it to be attractive or accepted again by the people. It’s not a matter of Chishimba Kambwili going back to PF that can make people like it. The people want food, jobs and other basic needs and the PF have failed to provide all those things. So my moving to PF cannot be a solution to the hunger and anger people have towards PF.”

He said his party was currently concentrating on the Chilubi parliamentary by-election.

“Besides, if I am going back to PF, why would we be serious mobilising the party like this? The police denied us a permit to hold our Chingola launch just about a week ago citing the festive period and that they do not have enough power. We have since reapplied for a permit for the Chingola launch. We wouldn’t be doing all this if we intended to go back to PF,” Kambwili said and urged the NDC membership countrywide “not to be swayed by such propaganda but to concentrate on mobilising the party”.

According to reports in the mast paper, GBM was told by a senior chief to bring back his friends to PF now that he had returned to PF from the UPND.

The sources said Mwamba has since approached Kambwili but the former information minister did “not seem willing”, and Mr Mwamba confirmed that “We have been talking with Kambwili on phone but we haven’t finally discussed about anything”.

Mwamba, who ditched the ruling party to join UPND but returned to the ruling party, disclosed that he has been tasked to reconcile all PF members that left like him, and that the PF would like to work with Kambwili hence would be meeting him to chart the way forward.

Mr Mwamba said PF members would welcome Kambwili and other former members who would return just like they embraced him.

“Starting from the President to the lowest organ embraced me, that is a sign that whoever wants to come, even my brother Kambwili, Kalaba will be embraced. We have been talking on the phone but we have not finally discussed anything…you know Kambwili being a friend of mine, not because we are in politics, you know that I can talk to him. I haven’t had the chance to talk to him about ifyo fine but we are contemplating having a roundtable meeting with him, there is no harm in that and we are doing it to everyone, even brother HH if he wants to join PF, he is more than welcome, we shall welcome him,” he said.

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INTRODUCTION

As the year 2019 draws to a close, the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) reviews the year from a gender perspective.

WOMEN’S ACCESSION AND PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING IN 2019

The ZNWL observed some positive developments with some women ascending to leadership and decision-making positions in the political and private sectors in 2019.

The organisation was pleased with the election of three women councillors to the position of Deputy Council Chairperson of their respective District Councils. Bunda Bunda ward Councillor Ms. Maria   Mwale was elected Deputy Council Chairperson of the Rufunsa District Council, while Mpunde ward Councillor Ms. Bernadatte Chabakale got elected as Deputy Council Chairperson of the Kapiri Mposhi District Council.  Ms. Sharon Palicha of Ngombe Ilede ward, was elected as Deputy Council Chairperson of the Chirundu District Council. The election of the three councillors increased the number of female Deputy Council Chairpersons /Deputy Mayors from 16 to 19 translating into 16 percent. Additionally, Ms. Enelesi Nyirenda was elected ward councillor for Mangango ward in Kaoma district.

Some positive developments in the private sector regarding women ascending to leadership positions included the appointment of Ms. Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi as MTN Chief Executive Officer in Rwanda. Ms Nga’mbi was previously working for MTN in Zambia. Ms. Susan Mulikita was also appointed Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Telecom Zambia making her the first woman to hold this position.

However, 2019 also saw the reduction of the number of women in leadership positions in the political and public sectors due to deaths and revocation of appointments.

In 2019 alone, Zambia lost two female Members of Parliament (MP) and one female Councillor to death.  Honourable Patricia Mwanshingwele who was MP for Katuba constituency passed on in May 2019, while Chilubi MP, Honourable Rosaria Fundanga died in November 2019. At local government level, one female councillor, Ms. Godfridah Chulu of Lubwa ward in Kitwe district died in May 2019.

Thus, from the 130 female councilors who were elected in 2016, there are currently only 125 from a total of 1,624. At parliamentary level, from the 30 female MPs who were serving in 2016, only 26 are remaining. What is even more saddening is that almost all the women leaders both at parliamentary and local government levels who passed on have been replaced by men, thereby causing the reduction in the number of women in leadership positions. We therefore implore political parties to consider adopting women whenever there are by elections taking place. This will help to maintain and increase the number of women in decision making at parliamentary and local government levels.

ZNWL also noted with sadness the dismissal of Ms. Margaret Mwanakatwe from the position of Finance Minister as well as the revocation of the nomination of Ms. Mumbi Phiri as Member of Parliament in July 2019. Our comment on this matter was that ZNWL respects the prerogative of the appointing authority to withdraw or indeed revoke any nomination or appointment. However, the decision meant a further reduction in the number of women in Parliament and in Cabinet. The two women could have been replaced with other capable females.

In 2019, we also saw Ms. Mulenga Kapwepwe’s appointment as Board Chairperson of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation being terminated in December, a situation which has reduced the number of women in the Boards.
We hope that in 2020, more women will ascend to leadership and decision making positions in the public and private sectors to improve the situation. We are also hopeful that processes that can facilitate women’s increased participation in leadership such as the Gender Equality and Equity Act, will be effectively implemented to help increase women’s participation in decision making positions.

WOMEN’S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN 2019

In 2019, the cost of living continued to increase beyond the capacity of many Zambian households. The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection Basic Needs Basket for a family of five in Lusaka increased to ZMW 5,331 in the first quarter of 2019. The price of mealie meal and other essential food items continued to rise, making access to nutritious meals impossible for the majority of citizens. This has been compounded by constant electricity power cuts, which have increased the cost of living as well as the cost of doing business for many citizens.

Women have been more affected as they remain more economically vulnerable with the majority being in the informal and small scale industry, which have suffered shocks due to the depreciation of the kwacha and soaring lending rates. The result has been widespread economic pressures and increased household poverty amongst many. The effected increases on electricity tariffs and fuel is expected to worsen the   already volatile economic environment.

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN 2019

In 2019, we witnessed an increase in reported cases of child sexual abuse with some of the most horrific cases ever recorded in the history of the country. Among the shocking cases was the defilement of a three day old baby in Luapula Province by her biological father. The baby later died from injuries sustained during the ordeal. Another shocking case was the defilement and murder of a seven year old girl child by unknown people in Eastern Province.

According to the Zambia Police, a total of 1,343 cases of girl child defilement cases were recorded in the second and third quarters of 2019 alone. The highest number in both the first and second quarter was recorded in Lusaka with Central, Southern and Eastern Provinces also recording high number of incidences.

What is perplexing about these cases is that in most incidences, the perpetrators are people who should ideally be the ones to guarantee the safety of the girl child like the father, uncle, brother or male cousin. Homes and schools which should be safe spaces for the girl child are now high risk areas. The wellbeing of the girl child is being threatened and urgent action needs to be taken to curtail this unfortunate behavior. Actions toward the reduction in sexual child abuse should include men and boys as they are the main perpetrators and possess the power and authority that should be exercised to reduce the challenge and not escalate it.

ZNWL has also noted the continued withdrawal of cases of the physical kind of GBV. This trend shows how complex the problem is as perpetrators are often intimate partners or close family members on which the victims usually depend upon for their needs. The ZNWL pledges continued efforts in sensitizing the public on GBV issues.

EXPECTATIONS OF 2020

In 2020, ZNWL expects that Government will put in place measures that will ensure that the economy does not continue to decline and further provide correct welfare support to those needing help, especially the women. ZNWL calls for more pragmatic approaches towards among other things the servicing of Government debt to reduce adverse effects on the already economically challenged citizenry. It is also expected that the Government will put in place measures that will address the increase in the cost of living which is adversely affecting women especially those who are heading homes.

In 2020, ZNWL also expects political parties to promote tolerance of divergent views in the build up to the 2021 general elections. This is important for the maintenance of peace in the country and it will also encourage women to participate in politics when peace prevails. We also implore the political parties to already put in place measures that will enable more women to be adopted in both the party structures and as candidates in 2021. We also encourage women with political leadership aspirations to already begin positioning themselves for adoption and election in 2021.

We expect the Government to put in place modalities for the full implementation of the Gender Equality and Equity Law through the establishment of the Gender Commission.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we are happy to end the year with other noteworthy achievements by women that include the development of a rapid Ebola Virus Disease diagnostic test kit by Dr. Katendi Changula. The other exceptional achievement is the academic performance of Ms. Mable Musabi who is the first student to ever graduate with a distinction in civil engineering at the Copperbelt University.

In 202O, ZNWL will continue to promote women’s accession and participation in leadership and decision making through various programmes. These will include capacity development of both elected women and aspiring women leaders and the creation of linkages amongst women for mentorship and knowledge sharing on matters of leadership and development.

We thank all our cooperating partners for their continued support which enables us to contribute to the promotion of women’s participation in leadership and decision making in Zambia.

ZNWL wishes all the women and men of Zambia a productive 2020.

Ms. Beauty Katebe
National Board Chairperson

Patriotic Front vice-chairperson for mobilization Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has rubbished claims by United Party for National Development (UPND) National Chairperson and Acting Vice President Mutale Nalumango that the position of the party Vice President will be filled at the party’s National Convention.

Mr. Mwamba said that UPND members should forget about going for a convention because Hakainde Hichilema will handpick a running mate ahead of 2021 general elections.

Mr. Mwamba said claimed by the UPND leadership that the party would hold a convention were mere claims because Mr. Hichilema could not allow anyone to challenge him.

He said in an interview that Mr. Hichilema would use his power to handpick a running mate. The former UPND vice president for the administration said the opposition leader was looking for anyone who would be a puppet to be his running mate. Anyone who will seem to be a puppet will be given that position and able to dance to his tunes, he said.

“Seriously can Mr. Hichilema make a mistake to go for a convention and allow to be challenged for the position of party president that is a lie. Zambians and many who have been part of UPND before know that the position of party president is personal to the holder to Mr. Hichilema and that is the fact.

“So the party members must forget about the convention because he will do what he has always been doing each time he wants someone to be his vice president,” he said.

UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango said the party would hold a convention to elect new office bearers. She said currently she was acting as party vice president and the position would be occupied at a convention.

Speaking in Chipata on Friday when he addressed members of the MMD drawn from various districts, Mr. Nakacinda demanded that the Party should go for a Convention to elect new office bearers because the Nevers Mumba leadership’s tenure expired., and that the Party will not be sold to the highest bidder.

Mr Nakacinda said that he will continue fighting for justice to be done in the MMD to save the country’s democratic history which has a huge tag to the Party that got power from the one-party state under Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

“Dr. Mumba does not enjoy the mandate of the the people in MMD and I can authoritatively say that today the party has no president now. This is not my fight, but a fight for the country to respect democratic tenets which my party MMD brought to the country,” he said.

“The Party is not for sale like vitumbuwa pa maliketi” meaning the party is not for sale like fritters on the market.

And Mr. Nakacinda says the former governing “Party will not be let to die under the Nevers Mumba leadership” claiming the Mumba leadership as a sham.

Mr. Nakacinda considers the 5th November judgment that gave Dr. Mumba leadership as having gone against the norms of the MMD.

He claims the Court has brought confusion in the former governing Party by not sending both conflicting factions to a Convention to elect new leadership.

“Look at the people that are in the National Executive Committee under Dr. Mumba. He has collected people from his church, people that worked for him as drivers among others as NEC Members. That’s a sham! We can’t reduce the Party to such levels,” he said.

Mr. Nakacinda has embarked on a provincial tour to sensitize members of the party that they need to go for a Convention to elect new office bearers.

He retaliates that the Court gave Dr. Mumba a term that expired and that as far as he is concerned, there is no President in MMD.

Today’s Scripture

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here…”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Who’s Your Father?

A while ago there was an advertisement for DNA testing that asked the question, “Who’s the father?” They can take your DNA, and out of the billions of people on earth, the chances of your DNA matching someone who’s not your family are so small that it’s inconceivable. In a similar way, when you gave your life to Christ, the Scripture talks about how you became a new creation. You were born into a new family. Imagine that somehow they could take a sample DNA from your heavenly Father, then a sample DNA from you, and run all the tests. The good news is that it would come back a perfect match. Proven beyond all doubt, you are God’s child. You have His spiritual DNA. Don’t you dare go around thinking that you’re average. Your Father created worlds. You come from a royal bloodline. There’s nothing too much for you. You can accomplish your dreams.

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for being my Father and breathing Your life into me. Help me to quit believing the lies that say I’ve reached my limits. I believe and declare that I am a child of the Most High God, and I’m stepping up to the next level. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”