President Edgar Lungu has castigated those that are in the tendency of saying that taking development to areas which did not give the Patriotic Front many votes was a waste of time because as far as he was concerned, he has had an inescapable duty to take development to each corner of the land as a head of state.

Speaking when he arrived to at Solwezi Airport in North Western Province yesterday afternoon, President Lungu stated that he acknowledged that he was Party President for the PF and therefore owed it to his members to make them happy but at the same time stated that he had a broader responsibility to the People of Zambia to ensure they all partook in the national cake, by extending his development agenda to the entire nation.

The President stated that his role was to ensure that he struck a realistic balance between being the President for the PF Party and President of the Republic of Zambia.

President Lungu was appalled by the level of cheap politics that some of the opposition Political players were engaging in, stating that it was laughable that the opposition were going to PF strongholds and telling the People that voted for him that he was neglecting them and taking development to areas were he got the least votes.

“UPND has a base in Southern Province and I’ve been taking development there, and they are laughing at me . UPND is very strong in North Western Province and I bring development here and they are laughing at me . They are going to Luapula, Muchinga, Easten and telling the People that if you had not voted for Lungu, he would have brought development here. In North Western Province, he is taking development. So, don’t vote for Lungu in Luapula, Muchinga, Easten and Northern Province. Now, what sense is that?”

“What will Zambia become if I start to take development only to the places where I was voted for? My role is to distribute development equitably and evenly across the board. And it’s upto you to vote for me or not in 2021. If you don’t want, fine, I will still win anyway. Yes, I won without your votes from here. And I can still win again. So when I come here, just accept me and let’s work together period. You are dealing with a Civilized Person . If you had voted for an idiot in Statehouse, I would have said I won’t even take development to North Western Province. Yes I want to repeat this. Because People are laughing at me in the Party saying ulunkonena lwa musangoifi lwa Shani kanshi? Finshi bakupela ku North Western Province ifyo ubwelela kofye lyonse.?” Said the President. [ What did North Western Province give you and why doyou keep going back? ]

And President Lungu stated that the real mark of leadership was in a person’s ability to learn from others. The President stated that one could not be a leader unless he was ready to be led and guided, adding that patience paid and that it was his patience that had seen him were he was today as President.

The President stated that there where many who had been vying for the position of President even before he became a Minister but that chances were they would never even be President because of their attitude.

And the Provincial Minister for North Western Province, Nathaniel Mubukwanu stated that North Western Province was delighted to yet again receive the Head of State on this visit. Hon Mubukwanu stated that President Lungu had visited North Western Province more than any other Province since his election as REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

“That CLEARLY demonstrates the Passion that you have for this Province Your Excellency. The President doesn’t believe in Monitoring Projects through reports . He preferred to come and see for himself,” he added.

And Hon. Mubukwanu stated that the Presidents visits were paying dividends to the province and announced that the Chingola / Solwezi road only had 3.5 kilometres before completion.

“As a matter of fact, the contractor’s have assured us that come July, that road will be handed over to Government. And that your EXCELLENCY is due to the leadership you have provided, ” he said.

President Lungu is in North Western Province to inspect development projects as well as grace the Meet the President dinner before he returns back to Lusaka on Saturday, June 2, 2018.

Works and Supply Minister Felix Mutati has denied reports that Jacaranda Basic School in Lusaka has been sold to a private developer.

But Mr Mutati says there is nothing wrong with redeveloping any old building in the city including Jacaranda School.

Answering questions from Journalists in Lusaka today after the end of a Market Sounding Symposium on the redeployment of idle and wasting assets, Mr Mutati said that it is incorrect to state that Jacaranda School has been sold.

Mr Mutati said what is currently happening is that government on its part has identified about five properties that are idle and wasting and requiring redevelopment.

He said at this stage, Government is consulting stakeholders especially the private sector to see how they can partner government to come up with a viable strategy on how the five properties could be improved.

“We came here for Market Sounding to get the views of the private sector so that we can refine our concept, exchange ideas and create something that is doable and vialbe. Once we collect the issues and the coments then we are going to put this thing together,” Mr Mutati said.

The Works and Supply lasted that there has been no money that has exchanged any hands at this stage.

“There has been no Expression of Interest, no bidding, no contractor and no interested party, we are just Zambia’s interested in developing the country. No money has been exchanges until we follow the due process of the law,” he said.

Mr Mutati pledged that government will be transparent in handling the matter.

“All the bids will be placed in the paper after refinement of the concepts so that the private sector can complete on the basis of a viable technical and financial strategy.”

On Jacaranda land, Mr Mutati failed to categorically state what will happen to School after the land has been given out for redevelopment.

He however stated that government would like to see a super building and a hotel come up on the land where Herbert Young Lodge is currently sitting.

Me Mutati said there is nothing wrong with improving old structures.

“You cannot have goodness here and ugliness there. Tou have to think in the future, even in the family, you cannot have beautiful and ugly children, everybody must be watched.”

He said Jacaranda School deserves to be modernized.

“You cannot have a building of over 30 years still in prefabs. We have to be on a journey of continuous renewal, if something is tired please redevelop it, don’t stick to the old. Even you when you wake up, you have to wash up so that you can continue looking beautiful.”

He added, “there is no sale and no deal is on the table. We will be as open as possible and publishing every step in the press of what we are doing.

And speaking on behalf of Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said government will examine Joint ventures, public sector investments, and Private Private Partnerships for the development of idle and wasting assets.

Three candidates contesting the Chilanga parliamentary seat have pledged to help the police in maintaining law and order .

NAREP candidate Pride Mazabuka says so far the situation is calm and that the police are doing a good job.

And PF candidates Maria Langa says PF cadres have been instructed to conduct issue-based campaigns.

Meanwhile, United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia candidate Francis Kope said the police need to be supported because they are doing a good job.

The three candidates were speaking in an interview with ZNBC News shortly after appearing on a recorded ZNBC TV program dubbed race to Manda hill.

The UPND candidate Charmaine Musonda did not come to the program even after she was invited and efforts to get a comment from her proved futile by broadcast time.

Meanwhile, Political parties taking part in local government by-elections in Musowa and Chumba wards of Kasama District in northern Province have expressed confidence of scooping next Tuesday’s election.

Speaking to ZANIS in separate interviews, the three parties namely UPND, PF and NDC say they are confident that their respective candidates will win the seats.

Government says it is deeply concerned with the increase of financial and economic crimes currently being recorded in the country.

Attorney General Likando Kalaluka has charged that the fight of money laundering and terrorism related financial crimes calls for concerted efforts by all stakeholders.

Mr. Kalaluka who is also Anti – Money laundering Authority Chairperson believes that the formation of Inter- Agency task forces could help increase the ability to effectively fight Financial crimes that include, corruption, bribery drug trafficking , tax invasion and money laundering among others.

The Attorney General was speaking in Lusaka today when he launched the 2017, Money laundering and Terrorism Financing Trends Report.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Kalaluka charged that Government has on its part provided the legal and institution framework in which those charged with responsibilities of fighting financial crimes could carry out their mandate.

Mr. Kalaluka has since urged stakeholders that include all law enforcement agencies to re-strategize their approach to fighting financial crimes in the country in line with the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).

And Acting Financial Intelligence Centre Board Chairperson John Kasanga said the report aims to assist stakeholders understand the nature of existing and emerging money laundering and terrorism threats.

Mr. Kasanga called for effective strategies to enable the Centre and other financial institutions in the country investigate and prosecute financial crimes to effect monetary preventive measures on public funds.

Meanwhile, Center Director General Mary Tshuma revealed that the country last year lost an estimated K4.5 billion through various financial crimes.

Mrs. Tshuma said a merger K25 million was recovered on such cases adding that five cases are under prosecution, twenty three cases under investigation and one case successfully convicted.

She says the center is working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure perpetrators of such crimes are brought to book and quickly prosecuted.