Chief Government Spokesperson, Dora Siliya said that the allegations contained in the notice of motion do not amount to any impeachable offense recognized in any system of Government.

Ms. Siliya has explained that the allegations contained in the motion neither fall within the scope of impeachable offenses, nor meet the test of substantiality.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka, Ms. Siliya noted that the allegations set out value judgement and opinions which they are entitled to, adding that a difference in opinion and the opposition’s discontent with the Government cannot form the basis of impeachment.

Ms. Siliya also said that the abdication by the opposition to represent their electorate and instead advance the wishes of one person represents breach of trust that the electorate reposed in them.

And Patriotic Front Chairman for Legal Affairs, Brian Mundubile said that the impeachment motion contains generalities and other matters that are already before the Courts.

And yesterday, Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Tembo charged that the impeachment motion against President Edgar Lungu lacks objectivity and is merely the UPND’s continued persecution of the Head of State and promotion of tribalism, .

“We do not support the UPND motion of impeachment against President Lungu because it lacks objectivity, is onerous and promotes tribalism and undermines national security,” Mr Tembo said yesterday in Lusaka.

Mr Tembo said the impeachment also amounts to persecution of the Head of State and is a fishing expedition among other issues, therefore the party will not be associated with it in any form.

Mr Tembo said UPND should note that there is a thin line between holding the Head of State accountable and persecuting him.

Mr Tembo said the only offence which President Lungu had so far committed and would be to constitute a sound ground for impeachment is violation of article 122 of the Republican Constitution as regards the independence of the Judiciary.

He cited threats issued against the judges of the Constitutional Court warning them not to decide against him over his eligibility to stand for a third term is being challenged before the said court.

He said the UPND impeachment motion only contained the relevant violation of article 122 of the Constitution as its ground.

“As Patriots for Economic Progress, we are in the business of holding the Head of State accountable and it has subsequently become apparent to us that our colleagues in the UPND are in the business of persecuting the Head of State.

“It is for this reason that we saw it necessary to categorically distance ourselves, as PeP, from the UPND motion for the proposed impeachment of President Lungu going to allow ourselves to be part and parcel of the UPND’s inherent desire to settle old political scores under the guise of providing checks and balances,” said Mr Tembo.

Opposition NDC Political Consultant Chishimba Kambwili has been discharged from CFB Medical Centre in Lusaka where he was receiving treatment.

Mr Kambwili was immediately pursued by state police soon after his discharge.

He was under heavy police guard escorted to Woodlands Police Station.

Upon arrival at the police station, police had to fire bullets to disperse Mr. Kambwili’s supporters who escorted him to the police station.

Following the success of his 2017 song “My Past“, Bravo Records headliner, Afunika, keeps the momentum going with the release of it’s official music video. 

Video directed by  Hajir O’thman for Metroscope Films.

Digital Service Provider granted license allowing provision of voice over data services – a first for Zambia.

Vodafone Zambia is set to launch 4G voice services (Voice over LTE – VoLTE) commercially within the next three months under a newly acquired license from the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA).

CEO, Lars Stork commented: “We have consciously built in support for VoLTE in our 4G network and the tests we have conducted have shown tremendous results.

“VoLTE is the next generation technology for transporting voice traffic as an IP data stream in LTE. Today our LTE network is solely used for data traffic, however our vision and strategy is to offer best in class data and now also voice over data on our 4G network,” Mr. Stork continued.

He went on to highlight how the opportunities for a superior and seamless user experience of voice integrated in 4G LTE are significant.

“Services and applications have been developed and we will continue to innovate to be the leading digital service provider in the country. Not only does VoLTE enable a high definition (HD) voice and data experience simultaneously for our customers, but the technology is also more cost efficient giving them more value, prolongs the battery life of their smartphones, and has a much faster call setup time,” he said.

According to London-based market research and consulting firm, Hot Telecom, global VoLTE users are expected to grow to 2.3 billion by 2020.

“We are convinced that 4G data and 4G voice is the future of how we communicate. Vodafone is fully committed to transforming Zambia’s communication landscape with a clear vision of becoming the #1 digital service provider in the country. We will continue to invest in our network to allow for greater access to this revolutionary service; and in our people to ensure this vision becomes a reality,” added Mr Stork.

Vodafone launched its operations in Zambia on June 9, 2016, initially with 4G TD-LTE high-speed data services. The recent acquisition of a Voice over IP license with endorsement from the Zambia ICT Authority (ZICTA) allows the operator to provide a range of its world-class data services including voice, video, messaging, and fixed communications.

The rollout of the service also sets the stage for future enhancements through Rich Communications Services (RCS), which enable things including large file transfer, more robust group messaging, and more location sharing.

The family of Roan PF Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has spoken out publicly about the manner in which government wanted to have the outspoken Lawmarker evacuated to South Africa for speacialist medical treatment.

In an interview, Mr Kambwili’s elder brother Pastor Mutale Kamwbwili charged that the plan by the state to evacuate his brother to South Africa was part of the plan to have him killed.

Pastor Mutale said the offer by the state was ill intentioned, full of evil and full of bad plans because they were the ones that allegedly worsened Mr Kambwili’s medical condition after a prolonged detention.

He charged that the Kambwili family turned down the offer because it was not genuine.

“The offer was ill intentioned, full of evil and full of bad plans because they were the ones that worsened Kambwili’s condition. They denied him police bond which is his constitutional right because the charges he is facing are bondable offences. As a Zambian, he has a consitutional right to be given a bond but they refused to give him and they detained him from morning in a very bad room, confined room, no ventilation, stinking, the room was very filthy from morning to 17 Hours,” he narrated.

“It took the lawyers, Mundia & Company to go to the High Court, there was an order from the Hight Court to take him to a Hopsital of his choice and we brought him here at CfB. Now they have seen that Zambians are condemining over the mistreatment of Chishimba.”

He added, “They deny him bond, after the condition worsens that is when they come back and say we are ecavuating him to South Africa, unless we are a foolish family we were going to accept. This is an artifical worsening of his condition, they know that he is diabetic, he is hypertensive, they knew his condition meant that he couldn’t be where they kept him. In short this worsening of his condition was artificial. Edgar Lungu just wants to kill Chishimba Kambwili, that is all.”

Pastor Mutale said the family has always been taking care of his brother and they do not need help from the state.

“We have been taking him to South Africa as a family and we don’t even ask for help, remenebr in 2017 ater the campaigns, he was sick, he was at Ndola Central Hospital, Lungu never came to visit him, not even a government oficial, not even a State House offcial, that is when I started telling my brother that something is wrong with this guy,” he said.

He continued, “This guy has gone in Churches telling Zamnians that I am a Christian, I an humble when you look at his fruits, I am not insulting the Republican President, I respect his office but when I look at his fruits, showing to us, Zambians is the fruits coming from Lungu showing a Christian fruits, he is not acting according to his fruits. We are disappointed in him. We don’t know that was there plan in the air between Zambia and South Africa, maybe they could simply push him away from the window and claim that he committed suicide. Us we believe in Christ, them they believe in Sangomas from Luapula, kwa Mpheto in the DRC. If they want to arrest me, they should also come to arrest me since they want all us arrest.”

Pastor Mutale also criticised President Edgar Lungu accusing him of being ungrateful.

“Mind you, Edgar Lungu must come back his senses that he is President today because of Chishimba Kambwili. Had it not been for my brother to campaign for him, today Edgar Lungu was not going to be republican President, it was going to be HH,” he stressed.

Patriotic Front Lusaka Province Youth Chairman Kennedy Kamba has urged PF Chifubu MP Frank Ng’ambi to quickly table the motion in parliament that bar presidential candidates who have lost three times from contesting elections.

In what seemed like a retaliatory move to UPND’s tabling of the motion to impeach President Edgar Lungu, Mr Kamba assured Mr. Ngambi of support from the youths.

Mr. Kamba said that democracy was about term limits and not people holding on to positions for ever, before adding that that limiting the terms that one can contest the presidency also allows others to take up leadership positions.

Mr. Kamba said that the PF has been to the convention three times since its formation in 2001 while some opposition parties have never had a convention.

The PF youth leader further said that Article 60 of the Zambian constitution clearly states that all political parties should regularly hold conventions.

Last week, the opposition UPND filed a motion in parliament to impeach President Edgar Lungu for allegedly violated the constitution and the mover of the motion, Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo confirmed that the motion will be debated March 28, at which Roan PF MP Chishimba Kambwili will second the motion when it comes up for debate.

According to a document obtained from the Clerk of the National Assembly, the UPND has obtained the signatures of one-third of the 167-member parliament who are in support the motion.

Zambia’s constitutions requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly for such a proposal to succeed.

Some of the alleged constitutional breaches are that President Lungu violated the constitution when he failed to hand over power to the Speaker of the National Assembly when the presidential petition was filed.

Other charges are that President Lungu procured public debt which is beyond the capacity of the nation to sustain contrary to provisions of Article 198 (c) of the Constitution.

Meanwhile the Patriotic Front Media Director Sunday Chanda yesterday said that the impeachment document presented to parliament was fraud and bordered on forgery.

Mr Chanda said that among the 24 Members of parliament that signed the document with the aim to impeach the president, some signed twice and as such the document must be investigated.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has dragged Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili to court. When the matter came up, the state presented thirty-four counts of possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime before Lusaka magistrate Mwaka Mikalile.

Among the offenses on the indictment is that on August 18th, 2016, Mr. Kambwili had 495 thousand Kwacha in his account that is suspected to be proceeds of crime. The Roan Parliamentary is in another account accused of having been in possession of 180 thousand Kwacha, property suspected to be proceeds of crime. All the money mentioned in the thirty-four counts is said to have been in an account that is domiciled at the Zambia National Commercial Bank.

When the matter come up Monday morning, Magistrate Mikalile said the suspect was not before court. The court was further informed that though Mr. Kambwili is in hospital, he is under the custody of the police. It was at this point that Magistrate Mikalile adjourned the matter to Thursday this week for plea.