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Black Mountain Mine in KitweSMALL-SCALE miners also known as “Jerabos” are excited with the idea of getting back Kitwe’s “Black Mountain” following a meeting with Mines minister and Small-Scale Miners Association of Zambia general secretary Kakoma Luneta.
Mr Luneta said the association was elated by the government’s commitment to hand over “Black Mountain” to its people on the Copperbelt.
“This is the beginning of one of the promises made by our government and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu because mining will remain one of the economic backbone of our country Zambia,” Mr Luneta said.
He said Zambia has remained a perfect case study for natural resource governance due to its long tradition of mining and experience in nationalisation and privatisation of mining companies.
Mr Luneta said by investing in its population, the government would have more skilled professionals both to create local businesses as well as an easily accessible workforce for companies entering Zambia.
He said small-scale miners would also contribute to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product from the 3.9 percent growth 4.7 percent in 2018.
Mr Luneta said through this move, the government would reduce vulnerability and poverty levels not just on the Copperbelt but in the country, owing to the fact that the “Black Mountain” would create 3, 200 jobs for young people.
“It was encouraging to see the Ministry of Mines to come and visit small- scale miners, Wusakile Vision Empowerment and Copperbelt Mineral Processing Company.
“We want to see the Department of Mines safety department to come in and train our people before commencement of mining operations,” he said.
Mr Luneta reiterated that Zambia was among the main copper producers in the world and in Africa, ranking 8th in the World (China 1st) and 2nd in Africa after the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“This shows that President Edgar Lungu is committed to empowering youths both in the mining and agriculture sector.
LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambia’s 2017 copper output is expected to increase to between 800,000 and 850,000 tonnes due to stable power supply and higher copper prices from 774,290 tonnes in last year, mines minister Christopher Yaluma said on Thursday.
Zambia’s copper production is next year likely to increase further to reach 1 million tonnes, Yaluma said, citing improved power generation and higher prices.
“As we see it right now there is a good picture. We have sufficient power and the price has gone up. With the new trends, we have projected at least 800-850,000 tonne this year and next year will manage to hit a million,” Yaluma said.
Zambia in September estimated copper production to inch lower to 753,992 tonnes this year mainly due to lower output from Konkola Copper Mines, a subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resource.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected that Africa’s airlines are expected to continue making a combined loss of $100 million in 2018, the same as 2017.
But the Zambian government says it is determined to have Zambia Airways return to the skies by October 25th 2018.
According to IATA’s 2018 global airline Economic Outlook report which was presented by IATA’s Director-General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, in Geneva, Switzerland recently, the slow pace of wider economic improvement in Africa is hampering the financial performance of the continent’s airlines.
This is in spite of an anticipated 8% growth in demand and capacity expansion of 7.5%.
The report added, “While traffic is growing, passenger load factors for African airlines are just over 70% which is over 10 percentage points lower than the industry average.
With high fixed costs this low utilization makes it very difficult to make a profit. Stronger economic growth will help in 2018, but the continent’s governments need a concerted effort to further liberalize to promote growth of intra-Africa connectivity”.
IATA says the combination of low utilisation and high fixed costs make it difficult for airlines to make a profit.
Stronger economic growth will help in 2018, but Africa’s governments need to make a concerted effort to free up intra-African access to their markets as the increased connectivity will stimulate wider economic growth.
The biggest challenge to profitability in 2018 is rising costs, IATA cautions.
Oil prices are expected to average $60/barrel for Brent Crude in 2018 (up 10.7% from $54.2/barrel in 2017).
Labour costs have been accelerating strongly and are now a larger expense item than fuel (30.9% in 2018).
All regions are expected to report improved profitability in 2018 and all regions are expected to see demand growth outpace capacity expansion.
MINISTER of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba
This week, Transport Minister Brian Mushimba told Journalists in Lusaka that the process of relaunching Zambia Airways has reached an advanced stage.
Mr Mushimba revealed that government is confident that Zambia Airways will return to the skies on October 24th, on the occasion of Zambia’s 54 Independence anniversary.
In September, Ethiopian Airways revealed that it was set to enter into a deal with the Zambia Government over the Zambia Airways project.
Ethiopian Airways CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said the tentative joint-venture carrier would feature the Zambian government and private-equity investors as additional shareholders.
The signing of an outline plan in the coming weeks would then set to stage for a final agreement which could be concluded by November.
The Zambian domestic market is currently home to Proflight Air Services, Royal Air Charters and the recently relaunched Mahogany Air.
Ambassador Mukwita (C) with Simalabwi (L) and First Secretary Kaunda during last month’s COP23Zambia’s plan to access up to US$50 billion for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation programs for the period between 2018 and 2030 is now in sight said Zambia’s Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita.
Speaking at the high-level meeting taking place in Lusaka for purposes of enhancing a national strategy for accessing resource mobilization, ambassador Mukwita said the money will be accessed once Zambia’s partners establish that the government of Zambia is willing to access the money that comes mostly in grants and low concessions.
The money must be pumped into areas sensitive to climate change such as energy, agriculture, water and other natural resources as green house emissions continue to wreak havoc on many sub Saharan African countries added Alex Simalabwi, the Executive Director of Global Water Partners SA that is spearheading the initiative of accessing the fund.
“The amount we are discussing ($50billion) is already contained in Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan,” Mr Simalabwi said, “The only difference is that instead of just talking about it, we have taken practical steps to actually access the money with the cooperation of the embassy of Zambia in Berlin and the Ministry of Lands”, he added.
During the 23rd Conference of Parties, COP23, a climate change conference that took place in November in Bonn, Germany, Global Water Partnership, the Zambian embassy in Berlin and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources agreed to work together on developing a national strategy for the mobilization of resources for investment in climate change related activities.
Funding has been a major bone of contention especially for Third World countries whose economies are heavily dependent on natural resources. In response, a funding mechanism was launched several years ago under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC with an initial pledge of $10b, a fund that now stands at $100b.
Several countries have already begun to benefit from this fund and many other similar private funds. Zambia, on her part, is set to explore the many sources of funding on offer and remains hopeful that the much-needed investment is coming given the determination of the Zambian government and the interest expressed by the investor community in the country.
“We are going to see significant benefits in the economy that include the creation of jobs in the energy, water and agriculture sectors”, said ambassador Mukwita whose embassy is expected to play a significant role in resource mobilization as Germany hosts the UNFCCC in addition to its global leadership in renewable energy technologies.
Already international investors have and continue to express interest in the Zambian energy sector since President Edgar Lungu decided to remove subsidies on electricity that for many years discouraged private investment in the sector. The lack of investment and Zambia’s vulnerability to Mother Nature was acutely illustrated in the 2015 power outages that came about as a result of low water levels. Businesses across the economy from mining to barbershops were hard hit forcing government to import power at great cost to the treasury.
“It is against this backdrop that we had to move quickly and take practical steps in following on our discussions in Bonn and actualize the provisions of the 7thNational Development Plan”, said Ambassador Mukwita who joined other government officials, local and international experts for a three-day meeting on resource mobilization.
The Lusaka indaba has been made possible with funding from the Global Water Partnership, GWP, in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. Also participating is Africa Greenco represented by CEO and co founder Ana Hanjuka, an organization that seeks investment in renewable energy across the African continent.
Whether you were in Sinjembela in the Western Province, Garnerton on the Copperbelt, Munyumbwe and Chipepo Harbour in the remote Gwembe Valley in the Southern Province, Lake Mweru in Nchelenge in the Luapula Province, Nyika Plateau in the remote corner of the country that is Chama in the Eastern Province, and from NegaNega Hills across from the Kafue River, in 1976 you wanted to see Cairo Road in Lusaka. Whether you were in Shiwa Ng’andu in the Northern Province, Kapoche in the Lusaka Province, Mkushi and Serenje in the Central Province, Mwinilunga in the Northwestern Province, Kafulafuta, Bwana Mkumbwa, Chijemu Village in Lundazi, and even in Bauleni Compound, Kabanana and Matero in Lusaka in the Capital City itself, you wanted to not only see but to experience the spectacle and intrigue that was Cairo Road in 1976.
This is probably one of the many mysterious but powerful human forces why my love Linda Jitanda from Chintele Village in the Northwestern Province may have been attracted to me when I first met her at Sinjonjo Bar in Mongu those two most memorable nights of my life; I was a dashing young man from Lusaka. Linda may have expected, imagined, dreamed of my helping her escape from the powerful clutches of her dull small village life to possibly travel hundreds of kilometers or miles to be with me, to see for herself but especially to experience the spectacle of the Capital City of Lusaka and especially Cairo Road. I expected the possibilities of being with her attractive luscious womanhood to satiate some of my loneliness, some of my most wild physical and emotional fantasies from that time up to eternity. That’s what mutual deep love does between men and women; the two lovers provide the other with a dream of the possibly of being rescued from whatever the current painful troubles of the heart, the soul and for the existing desolate life to be transformed into unimaginable possibilities of the heart’s exciting adventure far into the unknown future in the tender arms of the lover.
Lusaka’s Cairo Road was at its most spectacular on Saturday mornings at ten hours. When I was a student at the University of Zambia, my best friend James Lituli, a Bemba boy, and I were always broke. We used to each have 50 ngwee leftover from the K25 student allowance, the Jackpot as we used to call it, which we received each term. On Saturday morning, we would catch the big yellow and black-striped Dubrava United Bus Company (UBZ) local bus from the UNZA bus stop to the City Center for 8 ngwee. Our aim was to go to Cairo Road and search in several popular drinking places where we would likely meet bar beer sponsors. These were some of our friends who could buy a beer for us as they had money because they were working in companies and offices in town as accountants, assistant mangers, Bank tellers, sales clerks, Newspaper reporters, and company supervisors.
The thickest traffic of people was at 10 hours from Mwaiseni Stores on the corner of Independence Avenue on the South end of Cairo Road. Humanity was walking from Kamwala, which was called the second class trading area, passed Mwaiseni Stores, across the pedestrian crossing to Zambia Consumer Business Corporation (ZCBC) supermarket. Then people walked along Cairo Road in some of their best attire towards ChaChaCha Road and Freedom Way. Since we were young men, Mwana James Lituli and I would notice the beauties that were the young stunning women; we called them mommas as we used our University of Zambia colloquial terms; mojos for men and mommas for women.
There were tall and short women. Women wearing the latest fashions. There were light brown women and women who were dark ebony. Their voices, smiles and their figures were tantalizingly delicious. Some had plaited hair like a bird’s nest. Some women walked with the casual elegance of the kakoba white tall slender bird as they delicately carried their groceries in plastic bags, wearing high heels, laughing and talking to their girlfriends in English mixed with Lusaka Nyanja. They were heading to the Central Arcade or Lusaka hotel for cocktails sipping Chinzano light sherry after shopping for groceries for that week. These were attractive single women who shared flats and were nurses, typists, secretaries, and stenographers. You could over hear Bemba, Lozi or Tonga or a language we didn’t understand. The young men wore the latest fashion of high healed platform shoes with bell bottoms and flowery shirts which had the last button open at the top near the neck exposing what they assumed to be their sexy chests to young women.
You would also see older women wearing colorful latest chitenje clothes while carrying babies and may be balancing a small bundle on their heads. There were a few young men roaming around selling mishanga cigarettes by the singles instead of the whole packet. The Cairo Road divider was empty except for curio sellers who were sitting down on stools carving artistic creations from ebony wood for tourists. We also could see the hungry, the poor, and the desolate people who looked busy walking briskly and their clothes did not look good. Cairo Road was such a vibrant exciting Zambian city main street that Rikki Ililonga even composed a song describing the fate of some of the Zambian characters one saw along Cairo Road.
Musamseke, Avala trauzi yong’ambika
(Don’t laugh at him, He is wearing a torn trouser)
Nsapato yobeyama(A shoe with a tilted sole)
Avala trauzi ya vigamba(He is wearing trouser with patches)
Avala buluku ya vigamba(He is wearing trouser with patches)
Msamuseke alibe ndalama(Don’t laugh at him he has no money)
Msamuseke lelo alibe nchito(Don’t laugh at him has no job)
Abale alibe na nyumba(People, he has no home)
Msamuseke alibe ndalama(Don’t laugh at him he has no money)
Msamuseke alibe na pogona(Don’t laugh at him has nowhere to sleep)
Msamuseke alibe anzake (Don’t laugh at him has no friends)
Msamuseke alibe zakudya(Don’t laugh at him has no food)
Avala shati yong’ambika(He is wearing a torn shirt)
Avala shati mama yong’ambika(He is wearing a torn shirt)
Msamuseke alibe ndalama(Don’t laugh at him he has no money) (4 times)
Nsapato nayo yayamba kusila (The shoe is wearing out)
Ulova nabo wamupaya(Having no job is killing him)
Ango yenda chabe Mkairo Rodi(He just walks up and down Cairo Road)
Msamuseke alibe ndalama(Don’t laugh at him he has no money)
Njala yingoboneka mbwee pa menso(Hunger is all over his face)
This was the Cairo Road and the City I was walking on that week day during my lunch hour mission from NAMBOARD. I passed the Drinka Pinta Zambia Dairy Produce Board kiosk where they were selling milk in a triangular blue striped container with a cartoon-like drawing of a cow on it. I walked passed Times of Zambia offices. I crossed Church Road. At the Central Post Office, I bought many colorful stamps for posting my domestic mail to Linda Jitanda. I was going to write her. International mail stamps were for posting letters to my best friend and Mwana, James Lituli who I terribly missed. I sure missed him so much since he had flown out of the country on a Zambia Airways Boeing 707 Jumbo jet to London a few months before to study for his Masters degree in UK.
I walked by the Rendez-vous Supermarket with its thousands of bottles of wines from all over the world. As a poor student I had travelled all the way from UNZA to buy a bottle of wine for K2.50 which was the cheapest. I was curious about what wine tasted like. I drank it in my room using a tea cup and not a wine glass. I didn’t like the wine. It was too bitter. My friend James tasted it too and said it did not make him feel drunk like Mosi or Muchinga beer; which was true.
I walked into the huge Kingstons Bookstore next to OK Zambia later NIEC Stores. I bought a writing pad and a box of white envelopes. I was going to do some serious letter writing the next few weeks; to Linda Jitnada and to my friend and Mwana, James Lituli to update him how my life was turning upside down.
By Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D.
Professor of Sociology
Airtel Chief Executive Officer Peter Correia confers with Ministry of Transport and Communication Director Communication Yese Bwalya during the launch of Airtel 4G network at Raddison Blu
Minister of Transport and Communication Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu says government is prioritising the quality and competitive mobile services in the country.
Mr. Lungu said government believes that Mobile service competition will lead to improved mobile services in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the AIRTEL 4 G network in Lusaka, Mr Lungu said government stands ready to partner with mobile service providers to address concerns raised by Zambians over bad telecommunication services.
Mr. Lungu said this in a speech read on his behalf by Ministry of Transport and Communication Director Communications Yese Bwalya.
And AIRTEL Managing Director Peter Correia has disclosed that the completed mobile upgrade- 4G will transform his firm’s internet service provision.
Mr Correia also said mobile subscription in the country in increasing and currently stands at 79 percent.
Meanwhile Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority -ZICTA- Managing Patrick Mutimushi is happy that AIRTEL is committed to making access to internet cheaper.
Airtel Chief Executive Officer Peter Correia confers with Ministry of Transport and Communication Director Communication Yese Bwalya (r) and ZICTA Managing Director Patrick Mutimushi (2nr) shortly after the launch of Airtel 4G network at Raddison BluAirtel Chief Executive Officer Peter Correia welcomes Ministry of Transport and Communication Director Communication Yese Bwalya during the launch of Airtel 4G network at Raddison Blu
Zambia Law Development commission Justice Roydah Kaoma shakes hands with Justice Minister Given Lubinda after presenting the Law Reform Project Report on the review of prisons Act and Allied Legislation at Southern Sun Hotel in LusakaGovernment says there is need to look at the law that provide for custodial sentence for pregnant women. Minister of Justice Given Lubinda says this is because innocent children end up being confined because of the crime committed by their mothers.
He says it is unfortunate that this law and others could not be changed because of the failed referendum. Mr Lubinda said the current constitution contradicts itself hence the need to refine it.
He said this during the Constitution Law and Constitutionalism Training for civil society. And speaking at the same function one of the participate Macdonald Chipenzi complained that the current constitution is too technical for an ordinary citizen.
Mr. Chipenzi further encouraged government to look for money so that another referendum can be held.
Minister of Mines Christopher Yaluma says the successful implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative -EITI- will help enhance revenue collection. Speaking during a briefing in Lusaka, Mr. Yaluma says the EITI is an independent global standard that promotes transparency and accountability in natural resource governance.
Mr. Yaluma says Zambia has been implementing the extractive EITI since 2009 and undertook its first validation in 2011 under the EITI rules when it was declared EITI compliant in 2012.
The minister says after a careful review of Zambia’s efforts and government’s commitment through the validation process, the global EITI board commended Zambia for its efforts in upholding the standards.
He said EITI will avail company registration details and ownership of mining companies for easy tax collections.
And Zambia EITI secretariat head Siforiano Banda said the country has made progress in the implementation of the EITI.
Mwenya MusengeFormer Copperbelt Province Minister and newly formed National Democratic Congress(NDC) secretary general Mwenya Musenge has said that his party will not be intimidated nor will it surrender. Reacting to the attack that left his vehicle smashed and its tires deflated, Musenge advised President Edgar Lungu to tame his cadres.
Mr Musenge said that no form of intimidation would deter his party from speaking for the majority Zambians who were fed up with the PF’s style of governance.
“We will not surrender, we will not be intimidated; ine teyine naimbile ulwimbo Koswe Mumpoto [ I’m not the one who sang the song Koswe Mumpoto] that they should vent their
anger on me. Ba Edgar Lungu should take control of the nation, he has been preaching politics of non-violence in this country but meanwhile itis his cadres and members of the Patriotic Front who have been perpetuating the vice. This is one of the reasons the Zambian people have lost trust and confidence in the PF, trust and confidence in Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” Musenge said.
“Ba Edgar Lungu ought to realize that he is not the first President and he shall not be the last President. We give him a lot of respect because he is the Republican President and my appeal to him is that he should take control of this country, take control of the nation, and take control of his cadres. As NDC, we are not going to be intimidated but our desire is to promote a peaceful nation, our desire is to see every Zambian enjoy their right of association, assembly and expression.”
The former Copperbelt Minister further accused the Police of being toothless and compromised. He said he would not report the matter to the Police because of the stance the law enforcers had taken on the opposition members.
“The Police have also become compromised, 5FM is a stone throw from Lusaka Central Police Station yet they only arrived here two hours later. When they were planning this attack, the Police should have quickly known that there was something happening here. The cadres were strategically stationed here and when we were attacked, they took their time to come; over two hours, from a station which is only a minute away,” said Musenge.
“It’s for that reason that today I have protested and I am not reporting this matter to the Police; it is a waste of time. There are people they can respond quickly to and people they cannot respond and protect; and I want to believe that I am one of the people the police has no regard for as Zambian.”
CLEMENT Hantobolo, the man who was burnt together with senior chief Mweemba after unknown people petrol bombed the house they were sleeping in a fortnight ago, died at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and was be put to rest in Sinazongwe.
Member of the royal family George Bbabbi told the Daily Nation that Mr. Hantobolo died on Monday in UTH following his referral from Livingstone general hospital after his conditions worsened and put to rest in Sijuwa village in Sinazongwe district.
Mr. Bbabbi said the royal family had received the death of Mr. Hantobolo with shock as they had not expected another victim to die as both patients seemed to be responding well to treatment adding that the Baleya clan had been devastated with the development but insisted that calm must prevail in the chiefdom as police was investigating people behind the arson.
UPND council chairperson Alick Muleya was two weeks ago picked by Police to help with investigations over the burning of Senior Chief Mweemba’s house.
But the UPND leadership in the district protested the development saying the burning of Senior Chief Mweemba’s house was being used to settle scores with the ruling party and have appealed to the powers that be not to take the development political.
Zanaco coach Mumamba Numba says they hope to use home advantage in their 2018 CAF Champions League opener to the fullest.
Zanaco qualified as runners-up after Zambia earned four slots following the country’s recent good run in the group stages of the inter-club competitions.
Nkana and Green Buffaloes will play in the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup while Zesco United join Zanaco in the CAF Champions League.
Meanwhile, Zanaco will face Gambia Armed Forces FC in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League when they host the West Africans on February 11 at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
The final leg is set for February 19 in Banjul.
“It is a fair draw and what is important are good preparations because West African teams are very tricky,” Numba said.
“We have to prepare adequately so that we can go to the next round.
“It is good that we are starting at home so that we can finish the job here.
“But we don’t have any insight on them and we are still trying to get information about the team.”
Should Zanaco progress, they will face either 2017 CAF Champions’ League group stage debutants Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland or Lesotho club Bantu FC.
The 2017 MTN/FAZ Player and Coach of the Year winners will be know on Friday night when awards are handed out to this season’s most deserving personalities on the Zambia soccer scene at Moba Hotel in Kitwe.
The 2016 winning duo from Zanaco of Coach Mumamba Mumba, who won the coach of the year award, and defender Ziyo Tembo, who won the Player of the Year Award, are back to try and collect back-to-back accolades.
Numba is up against Nkana coach Beston Chambeshi who steered the club to 3rd place after stuttering through the season.
Numba won the 2016 league title and later lost eight players to foreign and local clubs but still managed to finish a close number two behind eventual champions Zesco United.
Green Buffaloes coach Bilton Musonda too is in the race after his sides top three placing that threatened runners-up Zanaco and 2017 champions Zesco quest for a top two finish before his side faded to finish 4th.
In the Player of the Year category, Ziyo faces competition for the honour from club mate Augustine Mulenga who has been outstanding for both club and country in the league, CAF Champions League and in the 2018 CHAN and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
2017 Golden Boot Winner Crispin Mugalu, who won the award with 21 goals, is also vying for the Player of the Year award.
Ziyo has also been nominated for the most disciplined player award.
2017 MTN/FAZ AWARDS NOMINEES LIST
Player of the Year (K25, 000):
1. Chris Mugalu (Lusaka Dynamos)
2. Augustine Mulenga (Zanaco)
3. Toaster Nsabata (Zanaco)
Coach of the Year
1. Beston Chambeshi (Nkana)
2. Bilton Musonda (Green Buffaloes)
3. Mumamba Numba (Zanaco)
Top scorer:
Chris Mugalu (21 goals Lusaka Dynamos-K20, 000)
Most Disciplined player
1) Ronald Kampamba ( Nkana)
2) Kondwani Mtonga (Zesco United)
3) Ziyo Tembo (Zanaco)
Young player of the Year:
1. Lameck Banda (Nkwazi)
2. Prince Mumba (Kabwe Warriors)
3. Chrispin Sakulanda (Mufulira Wanderers)
Referee of the Year
1. Wisdom Chewe
2. Gladys Lengwe
3. Janny Sikazwe
Presidential Award:
To be announced by the FAZ President
Former Matero MP Miles Sampa has finally been readmitted into the ruling PF.
Speaking when he welcomed Mr Sampa and other defectors at the PF Secretariat in Lusaka, party Secretary General Davies Mwila said President Edgar Lungu directed the Secretariat to bring back Mr Sampa and other old members to the party.
Mr. Mwila also encouraged Mr Sampa and the new and readmitted members to feel free to contest any position in the PF since it has already started within the process of filling positions.
And Mr Sampa has since reiterated that President Lungu remains his preferred choice for the 2021 presidential elections.
He said he has learnt serious lessons during his time in the wilderness.
Mr Sampa said he learnt two lessons during his time away from PF one of which is to be 100 person loyal to the President and the need to be patient in politics.
He has since warned that that are still in the outside that they will be more frustrated because being on the outside is more frustrating.
“There will never be a Michael Sata outside PF. Anyone representing Sata out there is a fake replica. At the moment the only one representing President Sata is Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” he said.
Mr Sampa disclosed that he had pleaded to be welcomed to the party of his uncle, the late president Sata but that he was asked to wait until today when he was unveiled at the PF secretariat.
Lusaka, Zambia, 14th December 2017 – The confrontation that happened at 5 FM where NDC Secretary General Hon Mwenya Musenge’s vehicle was damaged by unknown people has made sad reading for all who believe in the freedom of expression and deepening of the country’s democracy.
We wish to distance the Party from the reported incident. The Party Secretariat was a hive of activity as we received former Matero MP Hon Miles Sampa and others back into the Party and at no point was any member given any directive to cause any form of disturbance anywhere. In this regard, we are calling on the Zambia Police consider the matter with the urgency it deserves.
PF values its working relationship with the media fraternity and the incident at 5 FM is regrettable. As a Party, we always ensure that our members conduct themselves in ways that promote the ideal of a free, thriving and robust media space devoid of intimidation.
PF continues to call for tolerance within the democratic space we have chosen for ourselves as Zambian. Further, we are calling for cessation of politics of character assassination and provocation. We believe that it’s possible to sustain healthy debate void of insults. After 53 years of Independence, Zambia should be characterised by issue-based politics, where different players can disagree on issues affecting the nation without becoming personally disagreeable.
