Opposition NDC Consultant Chishimba Kambwili has claimed that President Edgar Lungu pushed for a by election in Roan in order to settle scores against him.

Dr Kambwili said President Lungu has a personal vendetta against and has been trying to find ways to punish him.

He disclosed that he was the only Member of Parliament who required a Police Permit in order to meet the people of Roan.

Dr Kambwili revealed that Roan Constituency was also denied Constituency Development Funds for more than three years despite its neighbouring Luanshya Central receiving its share.

He told residents during a door to door campaign in Roan for NDC Candidate Joseph Chishala that President Lungu was doing all that to punish him.

“I explained how roads we where supposed to do in roan were delayed because Lungu thought if the roads in roan are done then my popularity would grow, this is a man who refused to meet the miners when they were fired. I further explained how the Council through the mayor and the DC (Chibuye) withdrew a piece of land that was designated for a new school in between Mpatamatu and Roan,” Dr Kambwili said.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. Walk with Joseph Chishala and I to Roan, let us hold our hands together as we continue to be there for one another. Roan can only be developed with people that have genuine concern for the people and not temporary bye elections aimed at increasing numbers in parliament thus holding the people at ransom,” he said.

“President Lungu failed the people of roan when he grew cold feet because one of his men was able to mobilize and garner votes far much better than he could,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Kambwili is today expected in Court in a case in which Avic employees who were arrested when they came to his home to seek audience with him over their poor conditions of service.

The Forum of Political Parties without Parliamentary representation under the Zambia Center for Interparty Dialogue has proposed that section 15 in the National Dialogue Bill be amended that Government should provide for the payment of allowances for all the delegates to the National Dialogue Forum.

The Forum has also proposed that section 14 (1) be amended by extending the initial duration of the National Dialogue Forum to 30 working days and not the 10 days as stipulated in the National Dialogue Bill.

Further, the Forum has proposed that section 5B be amended to increase representation from registered political parties outside Parliament to the National Dialogue Forum to three (3) per political party in the National Dialogue Bill.

Reading out the resolutions of the meeting at a media briefing today, Forum Chairperson Jackson Silavwe said the Forum fully supports the National Dialogue Bill based on Constitutional and Institutional Reforms, Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence, Tolerance, Civility in Politics, Public Order Act, Electoral Reforms and Political Parties Bill.

Mr. Silavwe said the Forum wants section 15 amended to enable government pay them sitting allowances, subsistence allowances and Transport refunds.

He said the Zambia Center for Inter Party Dialogue recognizes that the National Dialogue Bill affords the Zambian people an opportunity to amend the Republican Constitution and subsidiary legislation.

The University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers’ Union (UNZALARU) says it is appalled by Higher Education Authority Minister Prof. Nkandu Luos latest attacks on Lecturers at UNZA and CBU.

Prof Luo was quoted as having said that all Lecturers at the UNZA and CBU who feel neglected following government’s delay to pay them salaries must resign.

Professor Luo contended that Lecturers have a responsibility to contribute to resource mobilisation and those that feel neglected, must find themselves better jobs as government can easily replace them.

But UNZALARU Secretary General Dr Kelvin Mambwe said Prof. Luo’s statement is misplaced.

“UNZALARU would like to believe that the outrageous and appalling remarks by the Minister represent her chosen way of celebrating April Fools’ Day,” Dr Mambwe said.

“UNZALARU would like to believe that the outrageous and appalling remarks by the Minister represent her chosen way of celebrating April Fools’ Day,” Dr Mambwe said.

“It is not our intention to prescribe to her what pranks she can unleash on our members and the public on this day, dedicated globally to playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. However, we urge the Minister to exercise judgement even in the choice of the pranks she pulls.”

“This is because jokes of disturbingly poor quality, like the one broadcast on Hot FM this morning, have the potential to provide inglorious inspiration to one or more of her colleagues in Cabinet who, in a needless race to the pettiest and most despicable joke for April Fools Day, may appear on another platform to proclaim that “President Edgar Lungu and we in the PF government have no plans to sustain public universities, especially the University of Zambia (UNZA) and Copperbelt University (CBU), because we do not value higher education and the need for it in the country.” We would like to believe that the Minister of Higher Education is yet to take leave of her senses and retains the mind to think of more harmless and funny April Fools’ jokes to dish out for media and public consumption.”

He added, On behalf of our members, we wish the Minister all the best for the remainder of this day, 1st April 2019. We trust that tomorrow, 2nd April, she would revert to being serious and immediately act to avert a looming work stoppage at both UNZA and CBU owing to the delayed payment of salaries for workers for the month of March.”

Dr Mambwe said “Otherwise we may be persuaded to believe that Luo is not only consciously digging the grave for UNZA and CBU; she is also frighteningly arrogant, impervious to advice, incapable of humility, unaccepting of criticism, and enthralled by vanity.”

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu says reports of alleged xenophobic attacks that have re-emerged in that country are a great concern to her government.

Ms. Sisulu says her government is working closely with the Police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that security is provided to people living in South Africa.

She said her government will work closely with members of the diplomatic corp to ensure that regular updates are given concerning reports of alleged xenophobia.

Ms. Sisulu was speaking at an urgent meeting held with Ambassadors and High Commissioners from the African region held at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria.

She noted that safety of people living in South Africa is a collective responsibility, as such, SADC member countries
will be actively engaged to find a solution

Ms. Sisulu assured that her government will guarantee that all people including foreign nationals were safe.

She also stated that Police will ensure that trucks and their trade routes are made safe.

The meeting was held in the wake of xenophobic and criminal attacks against foreign nationals in Sprinfield, Durban.

In that attack 300 Malawians were displaced from their homes and are sheltering at a police station in Springfield.

Others that attended the meeting was the Police Minister Bheke Cele and his Police Commissioners.

And Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba said reports of alleged xenophobia are distressing.

He said some public remarks by identified civic leaders in that country had capacity to incite violence.

Mr. Mwamba advised that inflammatory remarks are avoided especially during the sensitive period of elections due on 8th May 2019.

He also appealed to government to openly condemn remarks that have been made against foreign nationals as they could fuel xenophobic attacks.

Mr. Mwamba added that reports of re-emerging xenophobia in some parts of South Africa were working against the principles espoused by the African Union and SADC that call for free trade area and free movement of people.

This is contained in a statement issued to the media by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa Naomi Nyawali.

The Young African Leaders Initiative has called on Zambians not to fall prey to lies and misconceptions by the opposition Alliance regarding the National Dialogue Forum Bill which goes for second reading in Parliament tomorrow.

YALI President Andrew Ntewewe has reminded Zambians, that had it not been for this group and its lies and misinformation, Zambia would have had an effective and expanded bill of rights which would have guaranteed people’s fundermental liberties and social rights.

Mr. Ntewewe warned Zambians not to buy into the bogus interpretations and misconceptions being peddled by the Church, the UPND-led Opposition Alliance and former members of the now defunct Grand Coalition that they should prefere the church led dialogue.

“In the past week, they have been reading from the script, with the same flimsy excuses! They have all been telling Zambians that they should prefer a church-led dialogue”, he said.

“What is the agenda of the same dialogue? What are the guidelines, composition and the rules governing the same dialogue? Zambians have been told that the church has consulted widely; who have the church consulted and when did they consult? Is the church in its current condition even in a position to handle the reconciliation on the political scene when the church’s own leaders are so very deeply divided? Does this same church-led dialogue have a legal framework? Is it guided by law”, he added.

Mr. Ntewewe said the Church has had over three years to ensure that the dialogue happens, but they have failed to bring political parties together even when the political parties already agreed on the thematic areas.

He said Zambia cannot continue to procrastinate as time is of the essence.

Mr. Ntewewe noted that the 2021 elections are around the corner, the Zambian people do not subscribe to constant bickering and simply talking but they want the governance reforms like yesterday.

He said Zambians do not need a public talk show, they want results through effective reforms.

Mr. Ntewewe said the church-led dialogue has failed because one side wants to dictate to the other and will not allow the other side to bring in another “shibukombe” with whom they feel comfortable.

“Now, what kind of mediation is it where one side chooses the mediator who then dictates the terms of the process? That is what UPND and the church have done. Why, they have refused to disclose the source of funds or the donor of those funds, they have refused to disclose to all the parties to the dialogue who this mysterious donor is, how much money was given and how the money will be managed”, he added.

“YALI is asking: how can the nation engage in an open dialogue under a the church which refuses to disclose such vital information? What are they hiding? What is the interest of that mysterious donor in a Zambian national dialogue and why won’t the church disclose this?In any event, the church-led dialogue is not backed by any legal framework and it therefore fails to meet the basic minimum for a successful results-based National Dialogue! Zambians have been told that the National Dialogue Forum is not supposed to include our MPs”, he said.

He said YALI is concerned adding that the only people who have the legitimacy to speak on behalf of the people are the President, the Vice President and the elected Members of Parliament, to whom we have delegated our power as a people and as a nation, through the Constitution.

LUMWANA Mining Company Limited (LMC) has reiterated that the country’s operating environment for the mining industry has become immensely stained and placed the company in a challenging situation.

Executive Director Nathan Chishimba told North-Western Province Permanent Secretary Willies Manjimela recently said that particularly the proposed changes to taxes and royalties would imperil the mine’s ability to sustain returns to all stakeholders, such as the significant contribution of more than $3.3 billion it has already made to the Zambian economy over the past 10 years.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Chishimba said because of the stained mining environment sector in Zambia, LMC was trying to work through a survival mechanism in order to remain a key partner of Government in the developmental agenda.

“Lumwana is going through some hard times because the operating environment for the mining industry has become stained, so we are trying to work through a survival mechanism because Lumwana is there to mine as a partner of Government for the long-term,” Mr Chishimba said.

The whole challenge of creating an environment conducive for progress was on two parties, the Government side and also the mine side.

“We are still hoping that going forward together as a mine and the Government we can reach an understanding that will create that conducive environment that will allow the mine to stay afloat, expand and do more for the community,” Mr Chishimba enthused.

Asked whether there had been any satisfactory consideration of the mines’ concerns over the proposed changes to taxes and royalties in the 2019 national budget, Mr Chishimba said what would be ideal to avoid a lot of pushing back and forth was for Government to involve the mines and other key stakeholders before arriving at some of the measures that impacted the sector.

“If you look at the world practice, when you do a fundamental review of the taxation regime and indeed any element of the regulatory policy, there is always a phase which you go through, the stakeholder consultation. Sadly in this case that was not the case.

“Be that as it may, we have engaged with Government and they are showing signs that they are willing to talk to us on how best we can move forward without necessarily disrupting our operations,” Mr Chishimba added.

He added that the mining industry would love the issues surrounding the proposed changes to taxes and royalties by Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe to be resolved faster; but they understood Government operated under difficult conditions at times which LMC and other players in the industry respect.

Mr Chishimba, who is also immediate past Zambia Chamber of Mines President said LMC was continuing to engage with the Zambian Government and community stakeholders about a mutually-beneficial way forward for the operation.

LMC, a copper mining company owned by Barrick Gold Corporation is situated in the North Western region of Zambia.

It is a multi-pit, multi-staged operation mining approximately 100 tonnes of ore and waste per annum and producing copper concentrates containing an average of 120,000 tonnes of copper metal per year over a 20-year mine life, making Lumwana the largest single open cut copper mine in Africa.

In January 2019, Barrick’s Chief Operating Officer for Africa and the Middle East, Willem Jacobs said Lumwana had made detailed proposals to the Zambian Government about a partnership approach which would provide the State with an improved share in the economics of Lumwana without overburdening the mine.

“Finding a win-win solution between the industry and Government would without doubt increase investor confidence in Zambia and safeguard the long-term prospects of its mining industry,” Mr Jacobs said in a statement on January 21.

He described as untrue media reports that Barrick had sold Lumwana, emphasising however that given the challenging conditions the mine was facing, all options would have to be considered.