Patriotic Front (PF) provincial chairperson for North Western Jackson Kungo has said offered to sponsor the opposition United party for National Development (UPND) councillors who have been summoned by their party leadership to attend a caucus meeting in Lusaka.

UPND has asked its councillors countrywide to attend a meeting scheduled to take place in Lusaka at Kupark Lodge in Chilanga.

According to an internal memorandum dated August 2, 2018 addressed to all councillors and signed by party Secretary General Stephen Katuka, the councilors have been asked to meet their own expenses.

Mr. Katuka has asked the civic leaders to meet their travel, lodging and food expenses and offered to negotiate for rates on their behalf at the lodge in order to reduce the expenses they are to incur during the caucus meeting aimed at finding a lasting solution to the predicament that has befallen the party.

He insisted that it was of great importance that all councillors turned up for the meeting because the meeting would strategise on how to manage party activities including membership retention.

But Mr. Kungo said it was ridiculous for the UPND to summon its councillors across the country to attend a party caucus meeting using their own resources without regard for the challenges they were going through.

“How do you expect councillors from as far as Chavuma in North-Western Province to sponsor themselves for a party function? I think this is not fair,” he said. He added that he was ready to pay for councillors to allow them attend their party meeting in Lusaka.

 

Football icon Kalusha Bwalya has vowed to fight “tooth and nail” to clear his name after he was banned for two years by FIFA for accepting a bribe.

The Geneva banned Kalusha for accepting a bribe from banned Qatari official Mohammed Bin Hammam.

But in a statement, Kalusha said he is surprised and saddened by FIFA decision.

He said he has since instructed his legal team to immediately appeal the decision.

Kalusha said he is not guilty of any offence.

Below is the full statement released by Kalusha

OFFICIAL STATEMENT
10th August 2018

I the undersigned KALUSHA BWALYA

Do hereby state that: –

• I am surprised and saddened by today’s receipt of the notification from the FIFA Ethics Committee adjudication.
• I have instructed my legal team to immediately appeal this decision urgently and would like to state that I am NOT guilty of any offence, which allegedly took place.
• I have never done and will never do anything to bring the beautiful game into disrepute and stand by the facts provided by me to the committee.
• I unfortunately cannot provide any further details as my legal team has advised I that this would jeopardize my chances of obtaining leave to appeal.
• FIFAs decision is not final and I will fight tooth and nail for justice to clear my name.
• I thank all my fans for their on-going support.

SIGNED
KALUSHA BWALYA

World soccer governing body FIFA has banned Zambian football icon Kalusha Bwalya for two years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.

The FIFA adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee banned Kalusha, a member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), for two years after concluding its investigations.

“The investigation against Mr Bwalya was opened on 28 February 2017, and focused principally on benefits that Mr Bwalya had received from Mr Bin Hammam,” a statement from FIFA read.

The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Bwalya guilty of having violated art. 16 (Confidentiality) and art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

A fine in the amount of CHF 100,000 was also imposed on Mr Bwalya.

The decision was notified to Mr Bwalya today, and the ban comes into force immediately.

A young politician from the party that pioneered Multipartism in the country the Movement for Multiparty Democracy has described the culture which has started to slowly creep into the country’s democracy were candidates are disappearing on nomination day as an elaborate strategy by enemies of democracy to derail the nation’s democratic growth.

Prince Ndoyi who is also former ZANASU Vice President has called for an emergency meeting by the electoral body’ commissioners to ensure that the opposition UPND find a candidate and file in nominations after their candidate allegedly disappeared with money and materials meant for nomination.

Commenting on the UPND candidate who bolted at the eleventh hour, the outspoken youth leader said no well meaning Zambian should celebrate the cancer which is slowly eating away the country’s democracy fought for by its fore fathers and now being destroyed by suspected elements with intentions to prolong their stay in power.

He explained that his comments should not be misconstrued to be targeted at any individual political party but that it was about the country’s democracy and the little democratic gains the country has made over the years which are about to be wiped out by those with “money bags.”

He added that with insinuations that the UPND candidate was bought the nation should not be shocked to hear that the UPND had pulled out of the dialogue process and the peace accords they have signed with the PF.

“…We may not be surprised if UPND today dismiss calls for national dialogue, I think we have underestimated the Opposition and laying too much stock in our own infallibility, we may soon realise that we have boxed ourselves into a tight corner.

“We have a danger of “democratic wildfires” today, which is precisely what led our Founding Fathers of our democracy to establish checks and balances in the form of tightly circumscribed voting rights, where the voter is allowed the right to choose even from weaker candidates. It is our God given duty to guard our democracy from the tyranny of the majority and the passions of the mob. The Founders constructed large, hefty barriers between the popular will and the exercise of power.

“This should not be misunderstood for anything, this is not about UPND nor is it about PF. This is about democracy, and the little democratic gains we have made over the years. PF and UPND are nothing but tiny little dots on the map of Zambia, and therefore we are all tasked to protect our future,” Ndoyi said.

He adds “As an infant democracy, we cannot all fold our hands and sleep peacefully at night while celebrating that finally UPND is disintegrating. As a young person who prides in the hopes of our democracy I refuse to remain silent and be party to this. This is a cancer that should be amputated forthwith. And its only fair that Dr Banda must be summoned to the police to answer the difficult questions.”

And Ndoyi urged the opposition UPND to formally complain to Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) about the incident with their candidate so that the electoral body can envoke its powers and allow them to find another candidate who can file in nominations.

“Therefore, we call upon the UPND to formally complain to ECZ that a candidate ran away with a certificate, material and money purported for use in the election. And the ECZ commissioners must quickly convene to hear out the UPND and allow them to file in or else call off this election till further notice.

“ECZ cannot afford not to sanitise this corruption at this juncture or else we may not be having elections in future because candidates will be pulling out. They must protect their role.

He has since called on the ECZ to take this opportunity to revive and salvage their dwindling fortunes as a credible electoral body with teeth to bite.

“This “elections integrity” is now left for the commission(ECZ) to suck out the venom from unprincipled style of politics being exhibited by the immoral lot as a way to retain its image, independence, strength, credibility and intergrity. Its there duty to secure the nation’s voting system and safeguarding the voter’s right to a fair choice in a health democracy,” he said.

Meanwhile Ndoyi has called for the immediate arrest of Faustin Banda for obtaining money by false pretence.

He said individuals should not be allowed to hold the country’s entire electoral system at ransom thereby jeopardising the country’s democracy.

The young politician has been incensed by the recent behaviour of politicians whom he said are using the bellies to think at the expense of providing credible checks and balances as well as the development of the country.

The opposition UPND on Thursday suffered an embrassment after their candidate disappeared a few hours before nominations for the forth coming Kasenengwa parliamentary by election. The opposition has further accused the ruling party of going on rampage buying opposition councillors and causing deliberate local government by elections at the expense of taking development to the people.

Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA), has supported plans by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ), to start regulating exorbitant over the counter withdraw charges that Commercial Banks are demanding from customers.

Association Executive Director Juba Sakala said the decision is progressive and will go a long way in improving and promoting financial inclusion among the citizens in the country.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka, Mr. Sakala disclosed that many people have started shunning banking services due to unreasonable charges that are attached to most transactions by banks.

He explained that the situation has also contributed to the high rate of unbanked population which is not good for the country’s economy.

Mr. Sakala stated that currently the country’s informal sector is bigger than the formal sector yet there is more money in circulation among the informal sector.

He noted that this is why it is important for people in the informal sector to start saving with banks.

Mr. Sakala added that savings for those in the informal sector can help in growing the country’s economy because Banks lend out money to individuals, firms and government for projects.

He said if citizens are encouraged to save they will also access loans from the financial institutions to grow their businesses and ultimately contribute to the country’s poverty reduction.

And Mr. Sakala pointed out that as much as citizens, especially those from the informal sector, are willing to keep their money in banks, they are scared away by charges.

He stated that this is why it is important for Commercial Banks to respond to the complaints by consumers and ensure that their services are improved and not exploitative.

When contacted for a comment Bankers Association of Zambia Chief Executive Officer Leonard Mwanza said the association is currently engaged in discussions with the Central Bank on the matter.

Recently Minster of Finance Margret Mwanakatwe told Parliament that plans were underway by BoZ to start regulating exorbitant withdraw charges by Commercial Banks following complaints of exploitation of over the counter charges levied on withdrawals.

Salma Sky celebrates 10 years in the music industry through this artistic visual expression of her previously heard single titled “10 Years”. In the song she discuses her relationship with the music industry.