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Former UPND Deputy Spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo has called on Zambians to support peace efforts President Edgar Lungu is pushing forward to foster national dialogue.
Mr. Lifwekelo said democracy is a collective undertaking that involves duties and obligations, rights and responsibilities that brings together leaders to a process of dialogue and consensus building. He said they are many constructive matters that the UPND can engage the PF government on to find solutions to some of the problems affecting the nation.
Mr. Lifwekelo has since urged the UPND leadership to take self-evaluation on their position on various national issues if they are to continue being relevant to the political dispensation of Zambia.He said this in a statement made available to ZNBC News by Mr. Lifwekelo tod
A five-member Zambian Ministry of Health delegation and a World Bank-Zambia office official is in Turkey to learn best practices for achieving universal health coverage in Zambia and implementation of a Public Health Insurance Scheme as a tool for domestic resource mobilisation.
Ministry of Health Director-Special Duties Mpuma Kamanga, who is the delegation leader, said the visit is aimed at learning how Turkey has undertaken transformative reforms towards improving health services and achieving universal health coverage.
Dr Kamanga said the delegation hoped to gather lessons that will help Zambia leapfrog some of the challenges faced during the current transformative processes in the quest to achieve universal health coverage.
Dr. Kamanga said this yesterday when he briefed Chargé d’Affaires at the Zambian Embassy in Turkey, Bwalya Nondo, on the objectives on the delegation’s visit to Turkey.
“The Patriotic Front (PF) Government under His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, is pursuing a transformative agenda to strengthen health systems using the primary healthcare approach.
“In this approach, we hope to improve the quality of care in our pursuit towards universal health coverage. This agenda is premised on a balanced approach to health covering prevention, promotion, curative services, palliative and rehabilitative services,” Dr Kamanga said.
He also said Government would like to see a healthcare workforce, which is developed at scale to deal with the disease burden and focused towards providing primary healthcare services.He also said Government is determined to have a robust healthcare financing strategy in which universal health coverage and financial protection will be emphasized.
“As part of these financial reforms, we hope to introduce a national social health insurance scheme to supplement current resources in the healthcare sector and a supply chain system that ensures availability of quality assured essential medicines at all levels of care,” Dr Kamanga said.
He also said Government is investing in specialists, primary healthcare services and equitable investment in infrastructure in rural areas of all the 10 provinces of Zambia.
Dr Kamanga said this will result in reduced distances to health facilities, improved access to healthcare services and reduction of requirements for treatment abroad.
On the Public Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Kamanga said there is need to improve domestic resource mobilisation for the health sector.
He said according to the last national health accounts, over 50 percent of resources used in the health sector are foreign resources.
“Going forward as we attained low middle-income status, the level of support may not grow or continue at the same level when we were a least developed country. So it requires us to think more innovatively about how we can raise revenue locally to support this agenda of increasing resources at the frontline, increasing the staffing, the quality of care, the availability of medication, using more domestic resources,” Dr Kamanga said.
He said apart from tax revenue, Government is exploring ways of introducing a Public Health Insurance Scheme as an innovation to enhance domestic resource mobilisation to support the health sector.
He said this will be part of a holistic financing strategy to protect people from huge payments at the time of seeking healthcare.
Dr Kamanga also said Government sees the Public Health Insurance Scheme as a catalyst for public private partnerships (PPP) because citizens will be able to get health insurance and have a greater choice in terms of accessing both private and public healthcare.
And Mr Nondo said health is an important variable for socio-economic development and that the delegation was in the right country to learn best practices on how to elevate the sector to the next level of development.
He said Turkey has paid a lot of attention to developing the health sector and ensure that all its citizens have access to quality healthcare services.
Others in the delegation are Ministry of Health Deputy Director –Maternal Health, Dr Angel Mwiche, who is also Zambia Health Services Improvement Project (ZHSIP) Co-ordinator, Ministry of Health Director Healthcare Financing, Dr Anita Kaluba, World Bank Group Senior Physician Specialist Dr Musonda Rosemary Sunkutu and Ministry of Health Deputy Director –Planning and Budgeting Henry Kansembe.
Issued by:
Jerry Munthali
First Secretary (Press)
EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, ANKARA, TURKEY
Government has set aside half a million kwacha for creation of geographical boundaries among chiefdoms.
Chiefs and traditional affairs Minister Lawrence Sichalwe said government has done this as it is deeply concerned with the continued boundary disputes among traditional leaders in the country arising from the lack of feasible boundaries.Mr. Sichalwe said his ministry will work in collaboration with the office of the surveyor general to establish geographical boundaries among chiefdoms.
And the Chiefs and traditional affairs Minister said it is unfortunate that some chiefs in Southern province are being politically motivated to cancel the commemoration of traditional ceremonies in their respective chiefdoms.
Mr. Sichalwe said traditional ceremonies are not state functions but cultural associations which traditional leaders have the preserve to decide whether to hold or not.Speaking in Monze, the minister said it will be unfortunate if political motives lead to the cancellation of traditional ceremonies which are key in unifying people.
He however assured traditional leaders in Southern province of Government’s continued support to traditional ceremonies through the grant that is specifically provided for recognized traditional ceremonies countrywide.
Mr. Sichalwe was in Southern province to inspect the construction of chief Chona’s palace in Monze district.
Boeing 747 MSN 19746 leased to Zambia Airways and delivered on 29 Sep 1988 with registration number N603FF. Details http://www.planesregister.com/aircraft/b747-19746.htm
[Published in the Post newspaper on 27 September 2013]
By Sampa Kabwela
I shouldn’t be the one to write on this, but Zambia is not ready now or in the foreseeable future to own a national airline.
One quickest way to send a country into bankruptcy is to start a national airline. While those calling for a national carrier mean well and do so in the spirit of nationalism, running an airline goes beyond sentimental rhetoric of flying the national flag.
One of the most difficult, cut throat and unprofitable businesses under the sun is the airline business. In fact, I am not aware of any airline which is not struggling to survive including long established names in the industry such as KLM, American Airlines, SAA or British Airways, whose closure of the 70year old London-Lusaka route next month has aroused the call for a national carrier.
The pending demise of the above route has come as a total surprise even to those among us who have never used this route. There was just something national, something permanent about BA’s London-Lusaka route, like Findeco House or the Freedom Statue which no one pays attention to until the day one drives past and it’s not there.
The closure of this route is less economic than it is a cultural and historical loss. For some people, this route holds lots of endearing memories; it once stood as a gateway to a bigger world for many young people who left Zambia for the first time to study abroad. The Lusaka-London route was more than just a flight, it was, once upon a time, a dream-liner carrying the dreams of proud parents, excited siblings and anxious brides who waited for long lost children, family, friends and suitors.
But business is business with no room for nostalgia, poetic prose and historical sentiments. BA has packed its bags with the finality that I have come to associate British people with. They have said that the Lusaka route is no longer profitable and have promised to return if and when the route becomes profitable.
Closing routes and opening new ones is the order of the day in the aviation industry, such closures don’t even make news. Majority of airlines operate under the daily risk and shadow of bankruptcy due to the complex, fragile and susceptible nature of the business to even the tiniest changes in the global political-economy. Many airlines operate in the red, are highly indebted or buoyed by massive loans and guarantees from their governments.
South African Airways one of the most respectable, reliable and awarded airlines in Africa with more than 25 routes across the continent and numerous international routes has in the last 10 years made cumulative losses of ZAR14.7 billion (USD1.65 billion). Their 2012 Annual report recorded a R1.3billion (USD (146.2million) operational loss despite increased revenue in 2012. The airlines’ 20year Cape Town-London route was dropped in August of the same year citing competitive pressure.
Since 2001, 21 US airlines have filed for bankruptcy protection or discontinued operations including Delta Airlines bringing the number of major US airlines under bankruptcy protection to four out of seven. Flights by US airlines hit a 10year low in 2011 citing failure to recover from the 2008 global recession and the increasing costs of fuel and aircraft maintenance.
Air Namibia, my most used airline between Lusaka and Windhoek has remained airborne through government bailouts for the last 12years. One of the most contested and divisive public issues in Namibia is continued government bailouts to sustain the airline. Between 2000 and 2011, Air Namibia has received an estimated N$2.8Billion (USD180Million) from government. Despite a new business strategy, a leadership overhaul, purchase of new air-crafts and expansion into the region, the airline is still unprofitable.
Kenya Airways another reliable and respected airline on the continent reported a net loss of Ksh4.8 billion (USD56.4 million) for the full year ending March 2013 and issued a profit warning for the six months to September citing costs and expected reduced revenue by as much as 25%.
I can list many other international airlines from Asia to South America who have parked their planes this year alone or those struggling to survive.
What is my point? My point is to demonstrate why Zambia cannot afford to talk or even dream about owning a national airliner. Luckily for Zambia, BA is leaving at a time when many airlines are operating daily flights from Lusaka to major destinations around the world including London. In fact, BA is leaving due to a competitive environment, they are longer the first choice airline to Europe and the rest of the world as was the case for many decades.
The one thing Zambia doesn’t need is a national airline. Not only is it a needless expensive venture into abyss, it takes time for a new airline to build a reputation and win the confidence of travelers. We can’t even rely upon the Zambian market because when it comes to air traveling, safety comes before nationalism. This partly explains why some of our recent local airlines like Zambezi and Zambian Airways went down.
While as Zambians we prefer buying local meat, cheese and honey, the same cannot be said of flying. We feel comfortable flying SAA, BA or even Ethiopia Airlines, than Zambezi Airlines. Nothing to do with not loving ourselves, but instinct and self-preservation telling us to go for the names we know and trust. Zambia neither has money nor time to build such reputation, and even if we did, the aviation business is not one to venture into.
What we need desperately as a country is to grow the tourism sector to standards that are similar to Namibia or South Africa offering nothing short of world-class facilities and unparalleled services. We need more hotels of acceptable standards with highly skilled personnel.
The Victoria Falls alone is not enough. A wonder as the falls may be, no tourist will stay in Zambia for seven days just watching the falls, there must be more things we are offering as a country to attract a tourist who must decide between Zambia and a thousand breathtaking holiday destinations across the world. A UN report on tourism says cultural tourism is where the future of tourism lies. People are looking to experience the culture, the food, the music, the arts, the traditions, the language and uniqueness of a place than to just see natural wonders. This is where our energies and resources should go, not airlines.
We need new roads and new airports such as the newly built HM Nkumbula Airport. We need connecting flights within the country for efficient and quick travel between cities and provinces. Local private sector can amply handle this such as ProFlight and other new players that are coming in.
To British Airways and the London-Lusaka 70year old route, allow me to say ‘goodnight and good-luck!’
Clique Viral released the video for their latest single ‘Marternity’. The song was produced by Shinko beats and Mt squared ,and features Cleo Ice Queen and T.I.M.
When renowned lawyer, Levy P. Mwanawasa SC, may his soul rest in peace, assumed the mantle of leadership, he wasted no time in pledging to an otherwise expectant nation that one of his legacies would be deodorizing government of the endemic nauseating stench of corruption. This would immediately see the birth of the “taskforce on corruption” and a concerted hunt-down of suspected corrupt individuals would begin in earnest.
A coterie of individuals – civil servants, senior cabinet ministers including a former Republican President would be smoked out of their hiding and hauled before the courts of law to answer charges of corruption ranging from looting to plunder of state resources. By sheer coincidence, most of these suspects would hail from a certain region of the country.
Amidst the fray, a new party, aptly named Patriotic Front (PF), would be born……..albeit with the proverbial teeth in the mouth. Its founding leader the late Micheal Sata, popularly known as King Cobra, would cry blue murder and claim the President hated Bemba speaking people hence being targets for arbitrary arrests. This would obviously endear him to people from northern parts of the country and PF would score big time in those territories when elections were called! Whether this is the trump card the veteran politician needed to win the hearts of people in those regions remains a matter of speculation.
By now, news of the expulsion of the outspoken former Information Minister and chief government spokesman Hon. Chishimba Kambwili alongside his colleague Hon. Mwenya Musenge, the immediate past Chimwemwe Member of Parliament has reached any interested party. Does this mark the end of Kambwili’s fairytale? Imagining himself relaxing in the family room at Plot 1 Independence Avenue enjoying a cup of tea and freshly baked cookies? It would be utterly naïve to assume so. We are talking about a person heavily pregnant with grandiose ambitions – someone who has never shied away from making known his Presidential ambitions!
Interesting information emerged during the Central Committee meeting that met last Saturday to decide his fate. Luapula Province Minister Hon. Nickson Chilangwa reported that in the recent past Hon. Kambwili has been to three places to distribute money and criticize the party leadership. Further the meeting heard that Hon. Musenge went into Luapula Province allegedly carrying K110, 000 given to him by Hon Kambwili to destabilize the Party and had just returned from the Province less than 24 hours before the Central Committee meeting. Why Luapula of all the provinces?
We shudder at the thought of individuals using the tribal card in their quest to go to State House once again. If a person desires to become our President, let us endeavour to challenge them to unveil their manifestos other than the misguided belief that they belong to this tribe and therefore deserve to be President!
Are we likely to see the junior cobra as Kambwili prides himself emulating his hero, the King Cobra, playing the tribal card to advance his political ambitions? Only time will tell.
The Zambian Government intends to sell over 27,00 Kilograms of legally acquired elephant ivory.
The Government further wants to dispose of around 10,000 Kilogrammes of illegally acquired ivory by destruction.
The Government hopes the two measures will help raise funds for conservation and create storage space for legal ivory.
According to Ministry of Tourism and Arts sources, Government is hoping that that the down listing of the country’s elephant population will enable Zambia sell legal ivory.
In order to do that, the Government would need approval from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora through the Conference of Parties (CoP).
CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
The next CITES CoP will be hosted by Sri Lanka in 2019.
Elephant ivory cannot be traded internationally due to the international ban on ivory trade imposed by the CITES since 1989.
Zambia had unsuccessfully attempted to convince CITES to allow it to sell its ivory in 2002 and 2010.
The Ministry is planning to lobby for support by arguing that maintaining the status quo will mean that the country’s ivory stockpile will continue to increase while storage space will continue to be a challenge.
Government will need to convince the CoP that Zambia’s elephant population is stable through consistent aerial surveys and a reduction in poaching.
It is however expected that the decision will be opposed by conservation groups.
THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has finalised the roll out of the the new Electronic Zambia Transport Information System (E-ZAMTIS) to the outsourced partners Zambia Postal Services (ZAMPOST) and Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZISC).
The move is in a bid to improve service delivery in the provision of road tax services among others.
Members of the public are therefore advised to acquire road tax services from the outsourced partners and as well as all RTSA stations across the country.
The roll out of the new system is to accommodate the licensing needs of all motorists as means of decongesting the RTSA Stations.
Additionally, the Agency is also exploring other avenues for payment of road tax and other services offered by the Agency.
Further, the Agency is earmarked to open up another station at Silverest in Lusaka East as means of providing motor vehicles examination.
The Agency is also in the process of opening up a total of thirty additional mechanised motor vehicles inspections centres across the country.
Former First Lady Dr Christine KasebaFormer First Lady Christine Kaseba has arrived in Johannesburg South Africa where she is representing First Lady Esther Lungu at the 11th stop cervical, breast and prostate cancer in Africa conference.
Speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in South Africa, Dr. Kaseba thanked President Edgar Lungu and the first lady for giving her the opportunity to represent the country at this important conference.
Dr. Kaseba explained that the conference is an important platform for Zambia to move forward in strengthening the public private partnerships in resource mobilization for the implementation of the cancer strategic plan.
She said this is also a great opportunity for Zambia to showcase the results the country has achieved from awareness to implementation which have possibilities of attracting more resource mobilization in the roll out of the national programme.
And Ministry of Health Director Cancer Control and National Coordinator Cancer Services Kennedy Lishimpi said Zambia will showcase her progress as prioritized in the National cancer control strategic plan.
The 11th Stop Cervical, breast and prostate cancer in Africa conference is expected to be attended by first ladies from different African countries, representatives, technocrats and will be officially opened tomorrow by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.
Amos ChandaPRESIDENT Lungu is satisfied with the reports he is receiving from the security wings on the country’s security status following the invocation of Article 31 of the Constitution on the threatened state of public emergency.
Special assistant to the President for press and public relations Amos Chanda said invoking Article 31 has enhanced powers of police to pursue criminally-minded elements, and that the police are making progress.
Mr Chanda said in an interview with journalists yesterday that police are disrupting lawlessness, acts of sabotage in hospitals and Zesco pylons, and arresting culprits.
“The invocation of Article 31 is producing desired results and ordinary people have nothing to worry about as police are enforcing law and order. Right now, there is no need to escalate the measures that have already been put in place,” he said.
Mr Chanda disclosed that attempts have been made to blow up oxygen chambers at the University Teaching Hospital, as well as Zesco’s 250 megawatts pylons, but alert security officers prevented this from happening.
“If such acts do not worry the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), some opposition, and other organisations, it worries Government, and it [Government] will remain focused to ensure law and order is maintained, and lawlessness comes to an end,” he said.
He wondered why the LAZ and other organisations are questioning the security measures the President, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has put in place to protect lives and property, adding that they have no competence to deal with issues of national security.
He said the spate of fires across the country is proof enough for the President to increase security measures for the sake of safety of the people in the country.
“Issues of national interest should supersede our narrow personal interests, people should not play with national security. Such matters should be left to security wings,” Mr Chanda said.
President Lungu invoked Article 31 of the Constitution to give more powers to police and other security wings to stop a spate of damage to public property.
On July 4, the nation woke up to the burning of Lusaka’s City Market, which has since left more than 1,000 marketeers without stands.
The invocation of Article 31, which gives the police more powers to maintain security, was later approved by Parliament through a unanimous vote.
Police and other defence and security agencies will now have powers to stop and search vehicles without a warrant, withdraw travel documents and detain suspects for more than 48 hours with authority of a magistrate.
Government has given guidelines and regulations which are in two parts; those which can be implemented directly, and those that will require the President to issue specific orders to be implemented.
The maximum detention period for suspects is seven days if the police satisfy the magistrate that their actions are necessary.
However, a detention period beyond seven days must be done by the order of the President.
Government has said the regulations are not meant to interfere with the freedom and liberties of law-abiding citizens, but will only be applied to citizens who are found breaking the law.
“The general public is free to go about their normal business as there is no curfew or restrictions in movements,” Given Lubinda, then acting minister of Home Affairs, said on Friday when he outlined the measures.
FILE: Chishimba Kambwili addressing Journalists at his house
FORMER Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Chishimba Kambwili says he will contest his expulsion from the Patriotic Front (PF) in the courts of law.
Mr Kambwili said in an interview yesterday that he will not leave the PF because he is among the people who have “suffered for it”.
“I said earlier, and I will say it again; I will be the last person to leave the PF. I am PF and so I cannot go anywhere,” he said.
Mr Kambwili dispelled speculations that he has plans of forming his own political party.
“Those that want to speculate about me wanting to form my own political party should continue doing so but they should know that I am not letting go of the PF,” he said.
Mr Kambwili maintained that his expulsion is illegal because it was allegedly not done in the right way.
But former Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge has welcomed his expulsion from the PF.
Speaking in a separate interview, Mr Musenge thanked President Lungu for having accorded him an opportunity to serve in his Government.
“I accept with both hands the expulsion from the party. Thank you for expelling me, we are going back to the people and then will later give a comprehensive statement on the way forward,” he said.
And former Lusaka mayor Daniel Chisanga said the decision by the central committee of the PF to expel Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge is welcome and long overdue.
Mr Chisanga said Mr Kambwili was trying to position himself as the next leader of the PF because of being misguided that he was popular, hence his actions and manoeuvres.
“Let Mr Kambwili now open his eyes and see how many of those people who were misleading and chewing his money will follow him, same with his counterpart Musenge,” he said.
PF Lusaka district chairperson Yelisa Kondowe said it is a good move to expel the two.
And ARTHUR MWANSA reports that PF founder member Edwin Lifwekelo said the expulsion of Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge calls for self-introspection among other undisciplined party members.
Mr Lifwekelo, who is also former PF first secretary-general, said the expulsion of Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge is long overdue because the two were facing several disciplinary charges.
“The decision by the PF central committee to expel the two members may be regrettable because politics is about numbers. This decision should send a message to other would-be undisciplined members that the party is bigger than an individual, and no one is above the law,” he said.
Nkana on Sunday edged visiting Mufulira Wanderers 2-1 at Nkana Stadium in the battle of the two Super Division legends.
Nkana went up just after four minutes when winger Shadrick Musonda converted from the penalty spot.
Referee Wisdom Chewe awarded Nkana a spot kick after keeper Chrispin Chisowa fouled Danny Silavwe in the box.
Wanderers missed a chance to equalise when striker Rahm Osumanu wasted two opportunities in quick succession.
Firstly, Osumanu forced a save from keeper Moses Mapulanga in the 28th minute before sending a powerful shot over after in a one-one situation three minutes later.
Nkana started the second half on a faster note with Ronald Kampamba directing his 47th minute weak shot at Chisowa.
Kampamba four minutes later set up substitute Simon Bwalya for Nkana’s second goal to excite the home crowd.
Bwalya had replaced Bornwell Mwape two minutes before scoring.
Nkana were seemingly heading for a 2-0 win before Mighty forward Osumanu pulled one back a minute away from the full time.
FAZ SUPER DIVISION
WEEK 18
23/07/2017
Zanaco-Buildcon
Zesco United 3-Green Eagles 2
Green Buffaloes 0-Red Arrows 0
Nkana 2-Mufulira Wanderers 1
City of Lusaka 1-Forest Rangers 1
Nakambala Leopards 0-Napsa Stars 0
Real Nakonde 0-Power Dynamos 1
Kabwe Warriors 0-Lusaka Dynamos 0
Lumwana Radiants 1-Nkwazi 0
Nchanga Rangers 2-Konkola Blades 2
Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili has cancelled his eagerly anticipated press briefing which was set to held Sunday morning at his house in Lusaka.
Mr Kambwili on Saturday evening confirmed that he had been expelled from the PF after a Central Committee Meeting held at State House which was chaired by President Edgar Lungu.
He was due to address the media at his Woodlands house near State House which observers expected he would use to announce his next political move.
In a Facebook posting, Mr Kambwili said he could not proceed with the press briefing due to security concerns.
“Due to security concerns I have had to cancel the scheduled press briefing this morning. My apologies for the inconvenience, I wouldn’t like to put the journalists lives in danger or at risk,” he said.
Davies Mwila about to address the media this morning
Ruling PF Secretary General Davies Mwila has confirmed the expulsion of Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili and Former Chimwemwe Member of Parliament Mwenya Musenge.
And Mr Mwila says Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge are free to challenge his expulsion in court.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwila has disclosed that the Central Committee which met yesterday at State House resolved to back President Edgar Lungu as its preferred candidate for 2021 subject to ratification by the General Conference to be held in 2020.
Addressing a media briefing at the party headquarters in Lusaka, Mr Mwila said Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge were expelled for engaging themselves in destabilization activities against the Party particularly in Central and Luapula Provinces, including Luanshya District.
He said that evidence was adduced that showed that the duo was working against the party and that Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge failed to defend themselves during the disciplinary hearing called by the disciplinary committee which was constituted in line with Article 37 of the Party Constitution:
Mr Mwila said the party is on firm ground in expelling the duo and will defend itself in court if Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge decide to take that route.
He revealed that the party will on Tuesday be writing to Speaker of the National Assembly requesting him to declare the Roan seat vacant.
Mr Mwila said the party is ready for the by election and that the nation will have a chance to see who is popular in Roan when a bye election is called.
Answering a question from a Times of Zambia Reporter who wanted to get the party’s comments on assertions that Mr Kambwili and Mr Musenge are political heavyweights on the Copperbelt, Mr Mwila reiterated that there is no individual who is bigger than the party.
“Let’s meet in Roan and see who is more popular,” Mr Mwila responded.
He also revealed that the Central Committee adopted the motion to have President Edgar Lungu as the Party’s preferred candidate subject to approval by the 2020 General Conference.
Mr Mwila said the Central Committee believes this measure was important in consolidating the Party’s unity of purpose.
Below is Mr Mwila’s full statement
STATEMENT BY THE PATRIOTIC FRONT SECRETARY GENERAL HON DAVIES MWILA ON THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING OF 22ND JULU 2017
In line with provisions of the Patriotic Front (PF) Party Constitution, the Central Committee sat on the 22nd July 2017 from 09:30am to 19:40hrs. In line with Article 61 (c) and (d), the meeting was Chaired by the Party President His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
During the Central Committee meeting, various representations were made regarding Party unity, internal democracy, channels of communication and the need for Party discipline.
I wish to report to the Patriotic Front structures and membership across the country that several resolutions were arrived at in providing for continued Party growth and preserving the much-cherished unity of purpose.
The Central Committee meeting received reports from the Chairman, Secretary General and Party Sub-Committees as well as deliberated the minutes from the previous Central Committee meeting held on 4th February 2017.
As announced last week, Hon Prof Nkandu Luo was appointed Chairperson for Education, Science and Technology; Hon Jean Kapata was appointed Chairperson for the Women’s League and Child Development, and Hon Yamfwa Mukanga was appointed Chairperson for Elections. Besides these changes within Central Committee, the following members of the Party were appointed to serve as members of the Central Committee:
Hon Christopher Yaluma MCC, and Chairperson, Mines and Mineral Development
Hon Vincent Mwale MCC and Chairperson, Local Government and Housing
Mr. Kebby Mbewe MCC
Hon Lawrence Evans Provincial Chairperson, Southern Province
Central Committee also adopted the motion to move the date for commencement of elections for Party structures in North-Western Province starting from 1st October 2017.
The Central Committee also directed the Secretary General to streamline Communication between the Party and Government and ensure Party policies are implemented in line with the 2016-2021 election manifesto.
One of the major issues that emerged was the question of Party wrangles in Luanshya, particularly between Mayor Nathan Chanda and Hon Chishimba Kambwili. The Central Committee heard the report by Her Honour the Vice President Mrs. Inonge Mutukwa Wina who had been tasked to reconcile the two on 4th February 2017. It was clear that despite these efforts, reconciliation had not yielded the desired fruits.
The meeting also heard the report on Central Committee’s resolution to drop from the structures those members who had supported Independent Candidates to maintain discipline in the Party. It was heard that added to his decision to support an Independent Candidate for the position of Mayor in Luanshya District, Hon Kambwili had refused to recognize Party structures in Luanshya District.
Extensive debate took place where all members including Hon Kambwili and Hon Mwenya Musenge were allowed enough time to put across their views on this matter and others which came to light.
During the Central Committee meeting, inimical activities involving Hon Kambwili and Musenge came to light where they were reported to be carrying out destabilization activities against the Party particularly in Central and Luapula Provinces, including Luanshya District.
Following these revelations, the Central Committee resolved to reconfigure itself into a Disciplinary body to hear cases against the duo in line with Article 37 of the Party Constitution which states as follows:
(a) The Central Committee shall be responsible for discipline of the Party members. It shall hear appeals from the appointments and disciplinary committee of the Central Committee;
(b) The Central Committee shall have power to review decisions of the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee and shall have original jurisdiction”.
In other words, the Party’s disciplinary committee draws its authority from Central Committee and as such the original powers to discipline lies with the Central Committee.
Central Committee further addressed itself to the powers of the Party President to discipline any member, subject to Central Committee approval.
The charges laid against the duo were supported by Article 29 (c), (d), (h), (i), (n) and (p) as follows:
Article 29. Offenses against the party shall include: –
c. acting in the manner that is likely to bring the name of the Party into ridicule or contempt or disrepute; d. disobeying any rule, direction, order or instruction of any organ of the Party; h. spreading false information or rumours which tend to injure the reputation of the Party or any of its officials; i. acting disrespectfully to the party or any of its officials at any meeting of the Party; n. publishing or causing to be published, orally, or in writing any matter which is the opinion of the Central Committee or the National Council, is an attack on the Party, or on a member or official of the Party in relation to the discharge of his functions as a member or official of the Party. p. committing any act, which in the opinion of the Central Committee is not in the interest of the Party.
In addition to these Party destabilization reports, Hon Kambwili was in receipt of two letters of reprimand over his indiscipline in the Party. The first letter was written to him by former Secretary General Hon Davies Chama, now Minister of Defence and the second one was authored by myself following his activities in Luanshya District.
During the hearing, evidence was put to both Hon Kambwili and Hon Musenge and both failed defend themselves. When he was given an opportunity to further exculpate himself, Hon Kambwili admitted that a former minister who was an MP from Muchinga province proposed to him to form a splinter party to undermine PF. He claimed he declined the idea but this was only after he was challenged to deny whether a meeting took place at his home comprising himself, Hon Musenge and three other former MPs. His response was “I was sick and they came to see me and one of them proposed that idea but I refused”.
Another report raised by Hon Nickson Chilangwa, Luapula Province Minister showed that Kambwili went to three places and distributed money and criticized the party as failing. Further the meeting heard that Hon Musenge went into Luapula Province allegedly carrying K110, 000 given to him by Hon Kambwili to destabilize the Party and had just returned from the Province less than 24 hours before the Central Committee meeting. He could not deny the charges either. He accepted visiting chiefs but denied money issue.
Hon Kambwili made matters worse for himself when he stormed out the MCC meeting shortly after it resolved to reconstitute itself into a disciplinary committee to consider the charges against the duo.
Let me inform the public that in line with PF’s internal democracy, the duo was provided with an opportunity to exculpate themselves during the meeting and could not deny the allegations laid against them. While the meeting was sitting, Hon Kambwili stormed out of the meeting, walking out on the President and the entire Central Committee in a clear effort to save his ego – a fact he confirmed in his interview to News Diggers. This was ultimate contempt by the Party President and the entire Central Committee!
At this point, Central Committee once again deliberated extensively and regrettably, a decisive action to expel Hon Kambwili from the Party was taken to send a strong message of discipline in the Party. The extent of misconduct and other destabilization activities sponsored by Hon Kambwili had reached intolerable levels and posed a danger to internal party cohesion.
Hon Musenge was also facing other sanctions following his appearance before the Party’s Disciplinary Committee Chaired by Hon Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula on 18th May 2017 which had recommended as follows:
“…That Hon Musenge must be disciplined in accordance with Article 19(d) and 19 (f) of the Party Constitution.
Article 19 (d) provides for “suspension from office or function in the Party”. The Committee recommends indefinite suspension.
Article 19 (f) provides for the “suspension from membership of the Party”. The Committee recommends indefinite suspension.
In addition, the Central Committee may impose any other sanction it may deem fit”.
End of quote from Disciplinary Committee report.
This was before being jointly charged with Hon Kambwili under Article 29 (c), (d), (h), (i), (n) and (p). After extensive debate, a Central Committee decision was reached to expel Hon Musenge from the Party.
Lastly, let me warn the membership that the Party will not take to any forms of indiscipline. On this score, I am directing all Party structures and members to watch out for those sowing seeds of discord in the Party and ensure they are exposed. To those whose allegiance lies with the expelled duo, I am reminded of a portion of scripture in the Bible.
1 King 18:21 – Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
I wish to pose the same question to you. How long will you waver between two opinions? If the expelled duo be your leaders, follow them. If indeed you are PF, stay committed and defend the Party interests. The PF will not tolerate any form of indiscipline and no one is untouchable when it comes to protecting the interests of the Party.
Let me also announce to the nation that Central Committee adopted the motion to have President Edgar Lungu as the Party’s preferred candidate subject to approval by the 2020 General Conference.
Central Committee believes this measure was important in consolidating the Party’s unity of purpose.
