United party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Stephen Katuka has attributed the poor performance of the party in the by elections to reports of violence that were recorded during the voting period in selected parts of the country.

Mr. Katuka alleged that there were also cases of electoral malpractice and the party has since reported the matter to the conflict management team.

The UPND Chief executive officer said that the party is going to re-strategize for the next by elections.

He said although the results were not impressive, the UPND has not been shaken and it is still popular and remains strong on the ground.

And National Democratic Congress Secretary General Mwenya Musenge says the performance of the party in the just ended by election is average because it has only been in existence for six months.

Mr. Musenge however said the party plans to write to the Electoral Commission of Zambia following reported acts of violence in the run up to the by elections.

He has also said the party will soon have a meeting to identify individuals who will participate in the next by elections.

Meanwhile New Congress Party President Peter Chanda has congratulated the PF for winning most of the by elections and penetrating the UPND strongholds.

Mr. Chanda has since urged the UPND and NDC to go back to the drawing board because the voting has shown that the PF is still the people’s choice.

Meanwhile, Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya has said that the ruling Patriotic Front(PF()’s victory in the 12 of the 16-local government by elections is a testimony of the confidence people have in President Edgar Lungu’s administration.

Ms. Siliya further said that the triumph shows that Zambians are tired of unreasonable debates by opposition political parties but want development. She has told ZNBC News that Zambians have spoken through the ballot that debates like the nationality of the President are retrogressive.

Ms. Siliya who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services said that the results show that Zambians want to move with the development agenda and will not entertain opposition political leaders with a personal agenda.

She has congratulated citizens for being wise enough to read in between the lines and differentiate serious political parties from those carrying a personal agenda.

And The Patriotic Front has said that the outcome of the by-election held on Tuesday shows that the ruling party is still the most popular party in the country.

PF Secretary General Davies Mwila said that Zambians have reaffirmed their confidence in the ruling party after the party defended all its seven seats and scooped five seats out of the nine which were held by the opposition UPND in the just ended by elections.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr. Mwila said the results are a clear signal that the people of Zambia have confidence in the leadership of President Edgar Lungu.

Mr Mwila also assured those who did not vote for the PF that the party through its councilors will work hard to provide service delivery to them.

Mr. Mwila said the PF will now build on the huge mobilisation success of the bye election campaign to sell its policies to Zambians.

He also congratulated the Electoral Commission of Zambia for delivering free and fair elections.

And Copperbelt Patriotic Front Members of Parliament have hailed voters in the region for giving the ruling party a resounding victory in the Kasunswa and Luapula Wards by elections.

Provincial MPs Caucus Chairperson Evans Chibanda says the outcome of the elections is a true picture of how strong the party is on the ground.

Mr. Chibanda has told ZNBC News that the Copperbelt Province will for a long time remain a PF stronghold.

He said the electoral victory recorded by the party in various parts of the country where ward by elections took place yesterday, is a clear demonstration that the PF is the only party with a national character.

And PF Copperbelt Province Chairperson Stephen Kainga has thanked the electorate for their massive and continued support towards the ruling party.

Mr. Kainga said the PF in the region is growing and has become the only party with an attractive package for national development.

The PF has scooped thirteen out of the sixteen ward by elections held on Tuesday, including in opposition strongholds such as Western and North Western Provinces.

Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has reaffirmed its commitment to attain a malaria free Zambia by 2021.

Dr. Chilufya said government’s malaria elimination strategy has an estimation of over US$ 694 million from 2017 to 2021.

The Minister added that government has also shown commitment by increasing domestic budgetary allocation to malaria elimination by over 300 percent in the last three decades.

He further noted that as the country seeks to eliminate malaria, it is imperative to expand coverage and accessibility of vector control tools such as distribution of long lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs) and Indoor Residue Spraying (IRS) even in most rural and remote areas of the country.

The Minister pointed out that from May 2017, government has distributed over 10.4 million Insecticide Treatment Nets which he said is the biggest number of Nets ever distributed in a calendar year.

Dr. Chilufya added that government has further planned to commence community based distribution of ITNs to ensure that they are made available whenever needed.

He said this in Kabwe today when he graced the commemoration of the National Malaria Day under the theme “Ready to Beat Malaria”.

Meanwhile, the Minister noted that coverage of Indoor Residual Spraying has increased from about 1.8 million eligible structures to 2.3 million structures during the 2017-2018 spraying season.

He said the development has resulted in the protection of approximately 7.7 million people from malaria.

And USAID Director Patrick Diskin noted his organisation has in the last 10 years worked with Zambia to eliminate malaria in form of funding and provision of mosquito nets.

He observed that with continued partnership in eliminating malaria, the fight against the disease will be won.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator Janet Rogan who was represented by World Health Organisation (WHO) Officer- Incharge Mary Bwalya, indicated that the UN remains committed to eliminating malaria.

She said malaria has continued to rob a lot of lives and impact negatively in both regional and global countries.

During the event, Dr. Chilufya also launched guideline documents for elimination of Malaria by 2021.

Republican First Lady Esther Lungu this week inspired 58 pupils from Zambia’s rural areas at State House under Stanbic Bank’s annual First Lady for a Day mentorship programme.
The First Lady for a Day initiative provides pupils with career guidance, financial education, entrepreneurship skills and more to help them prepare for life after school. The programme was launched eight years ago by the Office of the First Lady, in partnership with Stanbic Bank, Junior Achievement and Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA), with 480 pupils benefiting from the initiative.

Six outstanding pupils from each province are brought to Lusaka on an all-expenses-paid trip to attend mentorship sessions led by sector experts at Stanbic’s leadership training centre and the bank’s management staff at the bank’s head office before heading to State House for a full day of mentorship with the First Lady.
The First Lady expressed pleasure at how inclusive the mentorship programme was as it also had differently-abled pupils. She urged the pupils to prioritise their education and career goals to increase their chances of a successful future.

“One of the main causes of gender based violence is lack of education. When you focus on your school work and growing your career, you avoid situations that may lead you into teenage pregnancies which are likely to disturb your future,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to FAWEZA and Junior Achievement for working tirelessly to make the event happen. “A special thanks goes out to Stanbic Bank for their generosity in sponsoring the programme as well as providing mentorship to the pupils and allow them to shadow their staff for a day. I am glad to see that the bank has taken a unique approach to its sustainability investment by investing in the future of our country as opposed to looking for immediate results. Pupils may forget most of what is said to them today as time goes by but the experience they got from shadowing your staff and getting a feel of a real life working environment will stay with them forever,” she concluded.

The First Lady donated two wheelchairs to some of the differently abled pupils in attendance. Each participant also walked away with a school bag, school shoes and a certificate from the programme organisers.
Stanbic Bank chairman Dr Austin Mwape, said the initiative provided pupils with a platform where they could interact and receive mentorship from successful professionals and the Republican First Lady to help them maintain a positive self-image and a ‘can do’ attitude as they build the foundations for their careers through education and hard work.
He said: “We recognise how easy it is for young people today to lose focus and get side-tracked by illicit activities that only serve to ruin their chances of a successful future. The knowledge the participants gain from the mentorship gives them capacity to make better life choices thereby giving them greater potential to excel in their studies and eventually contribute to national development.”

He added that one of the bank’s main business strategy pillars was making a difference in people’s lives.
“Because Zambia is our home, we will continue to drive her growth by investing in people, especially the youth, who make up over half the country’s population. We have aligned our social investment policies with the objectives of the recently launched National Financial Inclusion Strategy, which seeks to increase the rate of financial inclusion from the current 40% to 80% by 2022.
He added: Stanbic is commitment to promoting equity in the distribution of financial education to ensure no one is left behind in the country’s quest for universal financial inclusion by making financial literacy a big part of the mentorship. Financial literacy enables people, even those from low-income areas to save, Invest, and manage their assets.”
Education Minister, Honourable David Mabumba said the event came at an opportune time to supplement government programmes aimed at increasing the retention rate in schools. “We recognise that tuition fees are a challenge for most rural families and it is for this reason that my ministry has partnered with the World Bank to ease this burden by sponsoring over 8,818 girls. We hope to reach 14,000 pupils as soon as possible.

“Further, my ministry is implementing the new curriculum which promotes the two-tier education system encompassing the academic and the Vocational careers pathways. With this development, we want our young people to have the right skills, knowledge and values to economically empower themselves through entrepreneurship and business development as well as through their academic and career pathways.”
Hon. Mabumba said the mentorship programme was important because it recognised the importance and benefits of youth empowerment in essential life-skills, which promote youth retention within the education system and provides alternatives for those who cannot be retained within the formal schooling system through entrepreneurship.
He added: “With your obvious energy, enthusiasm and innovativeness, you all have the potential to contribute immensely to the social and economic development of Zambia if only you can exert your energies to positive activities.”

Stanbic Bank, donated ZMW215,000 to this year’s event, bringing the bank’s total investment in the programme to over ZMW1,415,000.
Junior Achievers Board chairperson David Chakonta said one of the programme’s objectives was to recognise and nurture the country’s talent to ensure sustainable development.

Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili’s son Mwamba has been arrested and charged with two counts of owning property suspected to be from proceeds of crime.

Mr Mwamba Kambwili was summoned by the Anti-Corruption Commission at Woodlands Police station .

Mwamba arrived around 09:15 Hours at the police Station and was interrogated for two hours.

He has been granted bond with two working sureties, which he was yet to meet at Lusaka’s Woodlands Station at the time of publishing.

Mwamba was accompanied by his father Chishimba Kambwili and his lawyer Christopher Mundia and other NDC officials.