The Lusaka City Council has given outspoken activist Chilufya Tayali 48 hours to explain why legal action should not be taken against him for buying goods from street vendors.

Mr Tayali releases images which show him buying food from street vendors.

LCC Acting Director-Public Health Edgar Mulwanda said there is a complaint from members of the public on Mr Tayali’s habit of buying food from the streets.

But Mr Tayali has dismissed the letter from the Council saying he will continue buying food from poor people.

He accused Lusaka Mayor Miles Samp of abusing his office.

“This is what job when you vote for a fool in office,” Mr Tayali responded.

“I danced when when that guy won an election alas, this guy is not a leader, because he doesn’t know how to look after people. We have a Ben10 in that office.”

He added, “I am for the poor and I will die defending and helping the poor. I am going to sleep happily tonight because I shared the little I had with the poor. But someone, wants to play politics with me and charge me for my Goodwill in helping the poor when they are not creating employment and opportunities for the citizens.”

“What a shame to whoever wrote this letter and all those behind him. I will not bow to nonsense and foolishness. I would rather pay the price for the poor. Stop investigating, just come and arrest me I will never stop sharing with the poor and I have no time to respond to stupidity.”

Government says it has taken note of the projected slowdown in economic growth for 2019, at the back of the drought experienced in some parts of the country during the past agricultural season, and the higher projected inflation.

Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe says government will therefore, put in place measures to redress the impact of the drought on growth.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said Government and the International Monetary Fund Mission that was in Zambia from 16^th to 30^th April 2019 in line with Article 5 of the IMF Governing laws agreed during the consultations with other stakeholders on a number of areas that require an immediate policy response.

She said these measures were with respect to frontloading of fiscal adjustment, reducing debt accumulation, addressing the challenge of domestic arrears, and enhancing external buffers.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said it was also agreed that there is need to protect expenditure towards the social sectors which is the surest way to re-energize efforts aimed at improving the livelihoods of the Zambian people.

She said during the meetings, Government provided all the necessary data required for the assessment, a process that culminated in the Government and the IMF reaching agreement on data accuracy.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said the data included the fiscal deficit at 7.5 percent of GDP for 2018, the external debt stock at 10.05 billion US dollars, domestic debt at K58 billion, guarantees at 1.2 billion US dollars, and domestic arrears at K15.6 billion with the total debt as a percentage of GDP for 2018 standing at 73 percent.

She said to ensure that the top leadership is on board with the measures discussed and agreed with the IMF, she will be taking the measures to Cabinet for consideration and endorsement.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said the Bank of Zambia through use of various monetary policy instruments is also geared to ensure that inflation is maintained within the set band of 6-8 percent.

She said measures to keep the deficit within the 2019 budget target, as well as the medium term, will be undertaken as part of the adjustment measures agreed with the IMF. In this regard, control measures around debt accumulation and halting arrears build up will be implemented expeditiously.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said all these measures will ensure a quick return to a path of sustainable growth, fiscal consolidation, debt sustainability and build-up of external reserves.

She said government is aware of the challenges facing the Zambian economy and the measures are a key first step towards undertaking corrective measures and necessary measures will be undertaken to redeem the situation.

The International Monetary Fund staff team was led by Ms. Mary Goodman and the team will prepare a report of the Article IV Consultation which will be discussed by the IMF’s Executive Board in the coming months.

The opposition UPND says it will not be swayed by the Patriotic Front in strategizing how to end poverty and suffering among Zambians.

Party Secretary General Stephen Katuka says while the PF manifesto and strategies are now that of dismantling the UPND and fixing Mr. Hichilema, the UPND leadership will continue strategizing on ending hunger and poverty in the country.
Commenting of statements quoting their Former Vice President Geoffrey Mwamba and PF Secretary General Davies Mwila both saying they want to dismantle the UPND and fix Mr. Hichilema, Mr. Katuka said strategizing for Zambia is cardinal and more urgent than ever before because it dwells on the survival of Zambians.

If by fixing Mr. Hichilema and the UPND  addresses the economic challenges Zambians are facing, the UPND, wholeheartedly welcomes the new PF manifesto of making Mr. Hichilema their favourite breakfast show topic

Mr. Katuka said the problems affecting Zambians is not Mr. Hichilema and as UPND, they are more preoccupied in finding solutions to the PF created debt mountain.

He said the UPND is also preoccupied in finding solutions to unpaid Zampost workers, Council workers, National Housing Authority employees, plus no money in people’s pockets, unreasonable taxes, corruption among top government officials, joblessness among youth, closure of CBU, unpaid farmers, among other issues that require strategizing, than personal feuds based on character assassination.

He expressed hope that citizens especially the youth and women, are all seeing what matters the most to the PF officials as opposed to development, education and health.

Mr. Katuka said Mr. Hichilema gave a very respectable and dignified message of farewell to the former Vice President which has so far been well respected by the party structures and the country at large.

He said Mr. Hichilema realises that his friendship with Mr. Mwamba went beyond politics and included families of both and that is why he has been magnanimous by maintaining a respectable distance from the howling and bawling of GBM.

Mr. Katuka however said that if by fixing Mr. Hichilema and the UPND will address the economic challenges Zambians are facing, the UPND, wholeheartedly welcome the new PF manifesto of making Mr. Hichilema their favourite breakfast show topic and in doing so, let them be weary that they will not fool the people of Zambia.

The ruling Patriotic front says it finds the reported interruption of Chishimba Kambwili’s radio program in Kabwe highly unfortunate.

Party Media Director Sunday Chanda says the party is particularly unfortunate because the genesis of this occurrence was avoidable.

Mr. Chanda says while the PF advises party sympathisers and members of the public to refrain from any form of physical aggression, they strongly condemn Mr. Kambwili’s uncouth style of politics bent on insulting the President of the Republic of Zambia.

He said today’s Zambia must be void of highly provocative and violent language against political opponents as it is an affront to democracy and an abuse of one’s freedom of expression.

Mr. Chanda said whereas the leadership and general membership of the PF can and will continue to ignore Mr. Kambwili’s provocative and demeaning politics, not every member of the public and PF sympathiser will stomach his inflammatory language and insults against the President.

He said it therefore should not surprise anyone if sooner than later he met his match and has reminded Mr. Kambwili of a scientific law that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

But GEARS Initiative Zambia Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi has regretted the attack occasioned on Power FM Radio in Kabwe by suspected ruling PF cadres.

Mr. Chipenzi said the trend of attacking media houses whenever political establishments are unhappy with the guests invited by the media House concerned is anti democratic and violates the constitution in as far as media freedoms are concerned.

He said the fact that the cadres involved in the attack freely traversed the streets of Kabwe in their numbers to attack the radio station for hosting Mr. Kambwili without police interception is evidence enough that the perpetrators of that violence had blessings from the powers that be.

Mr. Chipenzi noted that in addition, the fact that no arrests have been effected thus far, further stresses the point that those cadres were commissioned to commit such media atrocities on Power FM in an effort to intimidate the station from hosting another opposition politicians in future.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has pledged to transform Zambia into a 21st century economy once elected Republican President.

Mr Hichilema explained that a 21st century economy is one that is driven by right skills, right knowledge and productivity.

He said the UPND will think long-term and comprehensively to include Zambians with disabilities in the workforce and protect people who choose to organize a union in their workplaces.

In a statement to commemorate Labour Day which falls today, Mr Hichilema said Zambian workers have no good reason to celebrate.

“Companies are laying off workers, just a few days ago Avic International put over 100 workers on forced leave. Miners are being laid off and the employment freeze at KCM does nothing to build confidence,” Mr Hichilema said.

He observed that the number of public institutions that are struggling with payments of salaries is growing by day.

“ZAMPOST, the Councils, National Housing Authority, the Universities and even civil servants are not being paid on time. Yet today they will be required to line up and “celebrate” labour day.”

Mr Hichilema said the economic environment has become hostile to business.

“The cost of doing business has gone up and as if that is not enough, ZESCO is about to increase its tariff by over 90%. Interest rates keep going up, and the high cost of borrowing has caused a large company like Lamasat to go into receivership with its 700 staff facing the uncertainty of unemployment,” he stated.

“If Lamasat with its credit lines can experience financial woes from a slowdown in business , an SME has little chance of survival.”

He added, “In UPND, we are happy to take up the challenge of changing our economic fortunes. We know what to do to keep Zambia growing so that our economy can generate good jobs for Zambians. The only way to do that, is to transform the economy, create new opportunities, that means restructuring our industries and reshaping our jobs. Zambia has potential that remains unexplored due to bad leadership.”

“The same private sector that is supposed to be creating jobs is being muzzled by policy inconsistencies and public debt. Today it is VAT tomorrow its GST, next not GST but VAT, this is the business environment in Zambia.”

Mr Hichilema charged that unions in Zambia are dead saying this is the reason civil servants can go for days without pay.

“Such a cadre can never be productive as they are demotivated. On labour Day, we should remember that jobs are about more than getting a salary. They allow us to take care of our family and loved ones, to save for a rainy day and allow us to make plans. Let us commemorate this day with this deep reflections,” Mr Hichilema said.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Dora Siliya says calls for the Vice President Inonge Wina to step down or to be removed from her position are uncalled for.

Ms Siliya says the Vice President, just like any human can fall ill.

Ms Siliya who is also Information Minister said Mrs Wina was attended to by experts and she is now recovering.

The Chief Government Spokesperson was speaking in Lusaka this morning in an interview with the media at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

And Ms Siliya has described the ongoing National Dialogue Forum-NDF- as extremely consultative.

Ms Siliya said Zambians want to see a better governance system, electoral process and public order act.

She explained that the review process for the constitution dates to 2016 and members of the public, stakeholders and technocrats made submissions to the constitution amendment.

And said the opposition MPs have realised the importance of being part of the law-making process by adding their voice on behalf of the people they represent.

Women and youths in Kafue district have passed a vote of no confidence in their Member of Parliament Miriam Chonya saying she has failed to deliver her campaign promises.

Hundreds of women today matched to district commissioner’s office with a petition demanding that she resigns within 48 hours as she has allegedly failed to foster development in the district.

Patricia Banda, who read the statement on behalf of the group, cited the withdrawal of her participation from the on-going National Dialogue Forum without consulting them as electorates.

In receiving the petition, Kafue District Commissioner Joseph Kamana promised to deliver the petition to higher authorities for action.

Speaking at the same occasion Kafue Town Council Chairman Brigadier General Moono Simakoloyi assured the people of Kafue that his office and that of District Commissioner will continue to work closely in order to foster development in the district.

And in a related development, Kafue for Development President, Mwenya Chama called for an immediate resignation for the Kafue parliamentarian.

Mr. Mwenya said that it was shocking that’s Ms. Chonya had withdrawn from the National Dialogue Forum when she was supposed to represent Kafue residents at the on-going deliberations.

Mr. Chama said during a media briefing in Lusaka today that the action taken by the Kafue Member of Parliament is not only retrogressive but deters the development of Kafue district.

He added that her presence at the National Dialogue Forum was to represent the voiceless and report back to the people of Kafue on the discussions.

Efforts to get a comment from Kafue Member of Parliament proved futile as her phone went off by press time