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President Edgar Lungu at Mulungushi Conference Centre
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has advised party members to respect the decisions of President Edgar Lungu.
Mr Mwila said when he addressed party officials from district constituencies held at Eastern Comfort Lodge in Chipata on Wednesday that party members should respect the decisions of President Lungu in his effort to deliver according to party manifesto.
He said some people were being critical to some of the decisions which the Head of State was making for the interest of the party and the nation.
“When the President makes proper decisions pertaining to the running of the country, some party members shows disrespect towards such decisions. I am asking you to always show respect to His Excellency the Republican President, Mr Edgar Lungu,”he said.
He told the meeting which included Eastern Province PF Chairperson Andrew Lubusha and PF Deputy Spokesperson Frank Bwalya among others that respect should start with party members.
Mr Mwila said those who were holding positions but where dropped owing to numerous reasons should start from the grassroots level.
He said the thing would happen to those that had left the ruling party that they should start from the lowest organ of the party.
“People must follow the process because there is no way that you can just jump to look for a senior position in the party without going through various processes or stages,” he said.
In Vubwi, Mr Mwila asked the structures to work closely with the the Member of Parliament (MP) Margaret Miti and Councillors.
He urged them to remain united to make the party strong in Vubwi District.
Mr Mwila congratulated the people of Vuwbi for the wonderful performance in the August 11th general elections.
Mr Mwila and his entourage were currently meeting party structures in various districts of Eastern province.
Representatives from First Quantum Minerals and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife at the new Mukambi wildlife camp in West Lunga Management Area
AS FQM reaffirms its commitment to promoting tourism and resources
A full range of wildlife could one day be restored to the West Lunga Management Area (WLMA) under a project that aims to revive the delicate ecosystem in the remote part of North Western Province.
As part of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) work to enable a complete and functioning ecosystem to support the full range of African mammal species that it has traditionally been home to, a new wildlife camp Mukambi was handed over to the department this week by the Trident Foundation, supported by First Quantum Minerals (FQM).
Speaking when he officially handed over the camp to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) through the mining firm’s subsidiary Kalumbila Minerals Limited (KML), FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli reaffirmed FQM’s commitment to taking care of Zambia’s ecosystems by preserving forests and wildlife.
“As a partner in development, we as FQM want to assure you the Director General (DNPW) and the representative of their Royal Highnesses that we are committed to seeing an improved management of ecosystems in West Lunga Game Reserve during the operations of our mining activities,” he said.
The overarching objective of FQM’s conservation strategy is to support DNPW to rehabilitate the ecological functions of the West Lunga Management Area. This includes restoring the complex of mammal species that have become locally extinct or endangered, and reinstating the historical status of West Lunga as a breeding sanctuary for elephants, whilst preserving the integrity of the mavunda forests.
Gen. Chinkuli further said KML, through the Trident Foundation, was also handing over VHF digital radios, weapons, ammunition and patrol equipment to DNPW as well as 5 newly constructed bridges to the Ntambu Royal Establishment. In 2015 Chovwe Wildlife Camp in the Musele Matebo Game Management Area was donated to DNPW to improve operational capacity and enhancement in the game management areas of West Lunga.
The Trident Foundation has invested over $1 million in wildlife and conservation activities around the Trident Project site and the WLMA – since 2014. The project has primarily focused on supporting conservation activities on the ground including recruiting, training, equipping and paying village scouts, infrastructure development and implementing conservation related livelihood programmes within the communities.
“This will see improved access and networking in the game management areas thereby promoting tourism and resources not only in the operational areas but North-Western Province as a whole,” he explained.
Speaking on behalf of the DNPW, Conservation and Management Director Andrew Chomba said: “You may be aware, some of the major challenges faced by the department countrywide is the lack of equipment and poor infrastructure which if are available are essential in protecting wildlife from the growing threat of illegal poaching and wildlife trade.”
“The department values the partnership with First Quantum Minerals, and hopes that it can expand to a fully-fledged conservation project as we continue our efforts towards addressing (the issues) that threaten the survival of wildlife in our protected areas. This kind of partnership is a wonderful example of how government and the private sector can work together in the wildlife conservation industry through improved wildlife protection and tourism development which has the potential to contribute to Zambia’s economy,” said Mr Chomba.
Mr Chomba has since implored other mining companies to emulate the Corporate Social Responsibility FQM has demonstrated by not only supporting social amenities, but wildlife conservation as well.
The WLMA was once a refuge for a multitude of wildlife species and was considered to be a breeding ground for elephants. Furthermore it connects to the Kafue ecosystem which is 66,000km2 and the overarching objective of this project is to provide connectivity to all the protected areas of western and north-western Zambia to allow for the free flow of mammals from the KAZA Trans Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) through West Lunga and into Angola.
In 2016/17, FQM plans to recruit, train and equip more scouts, repair and maintain infrastructure at Jivundu HQ, establish more Community Resource Boards, increase the livelihood programme to additional communities, repair, maintain and expand the road infrastructure, build new scout camps in Chibwika Ntambu GMA, provide VHF communications to field staff and solar power and water facilities to existing field camps.
Bomb$hell released her latest single “Same Ol’ Me” that features Mumba Yachi . The Hip-Hop folk music blend was produced by James Sakala, ProFyle and Ca$hroll .
Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. Brian Mushimba makes the first call to launch the second phase of the Universal Access Programme, paving the way for every citizen in the country to have access to a mobile phone signal.Government says it will not revoke Statutory Instrument -SI- 76 restricting the movement of public service vehicles at night.
Minister of Transport and Communication Brian Mushimba says the SI is a safety measure that is cushioning road accidents.
Mr. Mushimba says government is engaging stakeholders that are affected by the move and is exploring possible solutions.
He has admitted that though the ban on movement of Public service vehicles at night has a strain on the economy, it is necessary to save lives.
Mr. MUSHIMBA says government is putting in place other measures to ensure the ban is relaxed.
The Minister was speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka.
REVERSAL ON 7.5% DUTY ON IMPORTATION OF COPPER CONCENTRATES IS EVIDENCE OF GOVERNMENT’S LACK OF CAPABLE AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN MINERAL RESOURCES EXPLOITATION
==============================================
Today, Wednesday, 21 December, 2016 the PF Government decided to reverse the 7.5% duty on importation of copper concentrates proposed in the budget for 2017. The reversal is clear evidence of lack of capable and visionary national leadership in Government keen to promote a new integrated development approach to mineral resources exploitation. If Government had an efficient administration in mineral resources exploitation, and sound national governance framework and practices, as well as coherent state strategies across key linkages in the Ministries of Mining, Trade and Industry, and Finance, the proposed import duty would not have been contemplated in the first place.
Our copper ore reserves are depleting very fast. Underground mining operations are becoming very expensive to operate, especially with escalating energy costs, coupled with low copper prices and failure by mining and exploration companies to strike any significant new ore reserves in the recent years. With this hindsight, the most prudent strategy for a capable and visionary national leadership is to promote importation of concentrates cheaply into the country. Further, it is critical, as a matter of policy, for government to promote toll-treatment across the sector and encourage participation of small-scale mineral traders in mineral backward, forward and side-stream value-chains. By so doing, we can easily double the tonnage of copper cathodes exports. With political instability in DRC, our second largest trading partner, scaling-up importation of cheap concentrates into Zambia is the way to go. Zambia has a huge smelting capacity which at the moment is operating below optimum capacity.
Besides focus on mineral sector for basic mining jobs, it is imperative to redeem the sector so that it becomes vibrant once more several institutional and strategic reforms so that it becomes an enabler of green technologies. One of key area we could harness is sulphate and sulphuric acid surplus on the Copperbelt and in Northwestern Province, which currently we are wasting to pollute rivers and streams. These resources could be used to diversify the economy from copper-export dependent to phosphate and fertilizer production for high-value agricultural development. Sulphuric acid could also be used as an enabler of biomass projects including biofuels, electricity generation, fibre (hemp) crops production etc. We could also convert them tp other forms of sulphur such as concentrated Sulphur dioxide solution or elemental Sulphur all of which we import at the moment. There is a huge market at local, national and regional markets for excess quantities.
Mental patients being bathed and clothed by Nurses and student nurses from Livingstone General Hospital at the Livingstone Civic Centre in LivingstoneMinister of Finance Felix Mutati has called for intensified efforts against stigmatization of people with mental health illness.
Mr Mutati says mental illness affects everyone in society and that there is need to fight stigmitisation in a similar manner like HIV and AIDS.
The minister explains that mental illness should be treated like any other common medical condition because it is not a self inflicted disease.
Mr Mutati said this in a speech read on his behalf by Development Bank of Zambia -DBZ Managing Director Jacob Lushinga during a donation of matresses worth Twenty Five thousand kwacha to Chainama Hills Hospital.
And Chainama Hills Hospital Acting Medical Superintendent Nita Besa said alcohol abuse remains the highest cause of mental illness among adolescents and youths in Zambia.
Dr Besa said 80 percent of the patients admitted to the institution have abused alcohol and that the majority are male patients.
She has since appealed to government to expedite the modernisation of the institution which has not received any face lift since its inception in 1962.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Kampamba MulengaGovernment has started sourcing equipment for the nine health facilities in Kalulushi.
Kalulushi Member of Parliament Kampamba Mulenga disclosed this in Chambishi during the donation of 200 blankets by United Bank for Africa -UBA- at Chambishi Clinic.
Ms Mulenga who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services commended the District Medical Officer for ensuring the clinics are open to the public.
She further assured the community that government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu is committed to providing quality health services.
And UBA Head Marketing and Corporate Communications Soneka Matakala said her bank was making a donation of blankets worth 40 thousand Kwacha as part of its corporate social responsibilty.
UBA was in Chambishi to donate blankets at Chambish Government Clinic and reading books at Twalubuka Secondary School all valued at 80 thousand Kwacha.
UPND MPs boycott opening of PArliamentParliament has ruled that 54 UPND Members of Parliament who boycotted President Edgar Lungu’s address to the House were in breach of parliamentary procedures and privileges.
Speaker of the House Patrick Matibini has since reprimanded the parliamentarians and ordered them to stand behind the bar and apologise to the house for their behaviour.
Delivering his ruling in Parliament yesterday, Dr Matibini said the boycott of President Lungu’s address amounted to a breach of etiquette and disrespect to the Head of State.
He said the Presidential address to the National Assembly is a solemn and important occassion that demands that MPs are at their best behaviour.
He warned that in future, he will mete out severe punishment on anyone who stays away from Parliament without permission from his office or that of the Chief Whip.
However four UPND MPs namely Jack Mwiimbu, Garry Nkombo, Ambrose Lufuma and Douglas Siakalima were not among those who were reprimanded for staying away from the President’ address as they had permission from Parliament.
And offering an apology on behalf of the 54 MPs, Mazabuka MP and Upnd chief Whip Garry Nkombo said boycotting the President’s address was a breach of Parliament privileges and procedures.
Mr Nkombo said in future, the Upnd MPs will abide by rules and procedures of the House.
President Lungu on September 30th 2016 opened the 12th national assembly which was boycotted by the opposition Upnd Members of Parliament.
However on 3rd and 4th October 2016, government Chief Whip Richard Musukwa and a Mr Emmanuel Chilekwa wrote separate letters of complaint alleging that the boycott of President Lungu’s address by the Upnd Mps was a breach of Parliamentary procedures and p
The duo also argued that the action further amounted to an abrogation of the constitution.
Zanaco face APR of Rwanda in the preliminary round of the 2017 CAF Champions League.
The 2016 champions will hosts regular Champions League campaigners APR in the first leg at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on February 11 while the return leg is set for the weekend of February 18.
This will be Zanaco’s first meeting against Rwandan opposition.
APR will be making their third trip to Zambia after losing to Mufulira Wanderers in the second round of the 1997 edition and eliminating Green Buffaloes from the preliminary phase of the 2005 CAF Confederation Cup.
Winner has a potential pre-group stage date against George Lwandamina’s Young Africans in March with the victor advancing to the group stage in April.
The Tanzanian club is also in action in the preliminary round where they face Comoros champions Ngaya.
Meanwhile, Zesco United enjoy a preliminary round bye and will enter the Confederation Cup in the first round in March.
Zesco await winner of the preliminary round clash involving Zanzibar’s KYZ who will host Messager Ngozi of Burundi in February.
Zesco will be at home in their first round, first leg fixture on March 11 in Ndola.
Should Zesco progress, they will meet pre-group stage losers from the CAF Champions League in April’s playoff phase.
Horse Shoe Restaurant in Lusaka
The Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) says there is no need for Labour Minister Joyce Nonde to call on the Police to arrest the whistle blower of the alleged racial abuse by management at Horse Shoe Restaurant.
FFTUZ President Chingati Msiska says the Minister should have also engaged the whistle blower on the allegations of mistreatment of workers at the Restaurant.
He says there was need for a thorough investigation into the allegations made against management at the Restaurant.
Mr Msiska adds that his Union will conduct its own investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile the Foundation for Democratic Process(FODEP) Executive Director Mweenge Chimfwembe says Labour Minister Joyce Simukoko should not be seen to be defending the Horse Shoe Restaurant management without doing a thorough investigation.
The UPND leadership during the news conferenceUNITED Party for National Development cannot be trusted with the republican Constitution when they have literally failed to adhere to their own party constitution, National Restoration Party national secretary Ezra Ngulube has said
Mr Ngulube said the UPND had exhibited lack of respect for the law by abrogating their own party constitution following the announcement by vice-president for administration Geoffrey Mwamba that Hakainde Hichilema was the 2021 presidential candidate without going for a convention.
He said political parties owed it to their members to hold a convention so that they could choose their preferred leadership that would contest national governance position.
“We have shown the UPND that a political party can undergo a convention, a violence free convention to choose their leaders from top all the way to the last person in the national executive.
“But the UPND had shown Zambians that it cannot be trusted even with their own constitution. If they cannot follow their own laws, how can we trust them with the Republican Constitution?” he said.
He was commenting on the recent declaration by Mr Mwamba and Mr Hichilema that the party already had a presidential candidate for the 2021 general elections despite calls by the general membership for a party convention which was long overdue.
He said UPND had failed to exercise intra-party democracy in its system of governance as a party and had failed to lead by example as a major player in the Zambian political set up.
He said political parties must exercise democracy by holding regular, free and fair elections such as NAREP achieved which recently held its elective convention.
“The message by the UPND vice-president that the party will not go for a convention is simply telling the Zambian people that Mr Hichilema is ‘wamuyayaya’ (lifelong serving leader) in that party and this is an injury to the democratic dispensation that this country is fighting so hard to build.
“It shows that we cannot entrust the UPND with the Zambian Constitution because they are failing to uphold their own constitution,” Mr Ngulube said.
Mr Hichilema has been at the helm of the opposition party for over 10 years after taking over from its founder and leader Anderson Mazoka in 2006.
Mining firms have once more gotten their way as parliament has removed the 7.5% budget proposal on importation of copper concentrates.
The mining firms last week threatened to pull out of the country if government implemented the proposed importation duty on copper concentrates.
A source close to the mines last week said that mine owners had said that the 7.5% import duty was going to be too high and that it would increase operating costs.
The source said the mines feel the increase in cost of doing business will threaten the viability of their firms and that the mine owners were considering taking their smelters to the Democratic Republic of Congo were production costs are cheaper.
But the Ministry of Finance has explained that Parliament has removed the proposed 7.5% importation duty on copper concentrates.
In a statement, the Ministry explains that the removal has been necessitated after an elaborate consultative process with the Parliamentary Estimates Committee and Stakeholders, is consistent with the government’s diversification drive, and a decision in the right direction.
Below is a statement as issued by the Ministry
DIVERSIFICATION DRIVE BOOSTED
Lusaka, Wednesday, 21st December, 2016. The action today by Parliament to remove the 7.5% budget proposal on importation of copper concentrates, necessitated after an elaborate consultative process with the Parliamentary Estimates Committee and Stakeholders, is consistent with the government’s diversification drive, and a decision in the right direction.
The action also exemplifies harmony with government’s commitment to diversify the economy through enhanced investment in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing – while stabilizing the mining sector and enabling effective smelter capacity utilisation, quality value addition, enriched exploration, and creation of permanent jobs.
The removal of the 7.5% proposal on importation of copper concentrates from the 2017 budget is a clear sign that the government is dedicated to managing the economy on a platform of respectable partnerships and stability of private sector investment. The measure by the government through Parliament, first and foremost, warrants the protection of jobs and, secondly, strengthens the diversification drive by instituting safeguard measures aimed at improving and sustaining the competitiveness of the local industry in the global economy. Zambia has an excess smelting capacity of over 1.2 million metric tons per annum.
The estimated K500 million, which was expected to be raised from the imposition of a 7.5% duty on importation of copper concentrates in 2017, will be compensated, recovered and possibly surpassed through the dividends which government is expected to receive from the industry.
As a Ministry, we are pleased that several mining houses have made commitments to undertake more exploration and development activities. It is our hope that their commitment will be operationalised soon, consistent with the expectations of our mutually beneficial development partnership.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance expresses gratitude for the USD 300 million planned injection by private investors for manufacturing of copper wires in the Chambishi MFEZ on the Copperbelt Province. We now hope to see its timely realization so that our diversification trajectory is sustained in line with our goal of remaining focused on attaining broad development objectives of wealth creation, employment generation, and poverty reduction.
\\ORIGINAL SIGNED\\
Chileshe Kandeta Head – Media & Public Relations For/MINISTRY OF FINANCE
Dr. Pius Kasolo during a panel discussion
ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer Pius Kasolo said the decision by its Board to drag Konkola Copper Mines to court should not be misunderstood as an attack on the mining firm.
KCM is one of Zambia’s largest copper producers and one of the largest private sector employers in the country, with operations in four locations, namely Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe.
The majority shareholder of KCM is London-listed Vedanta Resources, which holds a 79.4% stake, while ZCCM-IH has a 20.6% shareholding in KCM.
Addressing a joint news conference with KCM CEO Steven Din on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Kasolo said ZCCM-IH is not in the business of litigating, but in the business of enhancing value for its shareholders.
Last week Thursday, ZCCM-IH obtained a Judgment against KCM in the London High Court in the sum of about $ 103 Million to be paid within 30 days, as a result of unpaid sums due to ZCCM-IH dating back to 2012.
Dr Kasolo explained that the decision to go to court was made in the quest to achieve enhanced shareholder value.
“In the quest to achieve this, there are instances where misunderstandings between parties have to be resolved by an independent body, which in this instance was the courts of law,” Dr Kasolo explained.
He said this should not be taken as a deliberate attack on our partners or indeed a quest to injure them.
“The action was undertaken because we are also answerable to our shareholders and various stakeholders which include the Zambian people,” he said.
Dr Kasolo stated that ZCCM-IH remains committed to ensuring that the KCM operations continue in the country, and to provide the necessary support to them, to ensure that we enhance the value of our stake in the Company.
“Following the judgment and this joint briefing, we wish to state that the business relationship between ZCCM-IH and KCM will continue, but also to remind our partners that we will do what is necessary to protect our interests,” he said.
He added, “Going forward, both ZCCM-IH and KCM have committed to manage the business, in a manner that is mutually beneficial to all the parties involved.”
And KCM CEO Steven Din confirmed that KCM and ZCCM-IH have been engaged in discussions with regards to the price participation settlement agreement, which was entered into by both parties in December 2012.
“I am standing here today as part of a joint press briefing with the CEO of ZCCM-IH, Dr Pius Kasolo, to assure all of our stakeholders that we are working together to resolve this matter amicably and to reassure everyone that there is no risk to the KCM business,” Mr Din announced.
He said KCM remains fully committed to fulfilling its financial obligations.
Mr Din said Vedanta remains committed to the Group’s operations in Zambia, which is reflected by the significant investment of over $3 billion in KCM since 2004.
“Vedanta and KCM have a 50-year vision to continue mining copper in Zambia and we look forward to further strengthening our relations with all stakeholders, including ZCCM-IH,” he stated.
The caskets of pupils from Hillcrest National Technical Secondary School who died in a bus accident that occurred during a night trip.Picture by KELVIN MUDENDA
16th December 2016
Honourable Brian Mushimba,
Minister of Transport & Communication,
L U S A K A.
Greetings.
RE: SUBMISSION ON STATUTORY INSTRUMENT No. 76 ON THE ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS SITUATION IN ZAMBIA.
I refer to your statement in the Sunday Nation of 11th December 2016: ‘’In view of the concerns received regarding the reported negative consequences of Statutory Instrument No. 76, any changes or adjustment to this regulation may be undertaken upon receiving a report with recommendations from the task force constituted to monitor and evaluate the impact of SI No. 76.’’
I understand that ‘’the negative consequences of the Statutory Instrument No. 76,’’ has originated from the rich business women and men who feel that the ban of night movements of passenger and heavy vehicles has affected their high profit margins. In fact this superior class has adopted the upper-class arrogance to dismiss the people’s feelings with impunity. This domineering clique of the powerful has become like a cork on the bottle, stopping the contents from going anywhere. And it is quite clear that the Ministry is ready to reverse its early decision since it quickly constituted a fake ‘’task force to monitor and evaluate the impact of SI No. 76,’’ immediately after receiving complaints from the powerful rich. The question is: why didn’t the government constitute the task force before the issue of the Statutory Instrument if they genuinely wanted to gauge public opinion from the general public?
I would not hesitate to state that Zambia has undoubtedly become one of the most unequal societies in the world. Zambians rank differently on the social status-ladder which means that the pent-up feelings of ‘’them Vs us.’’ The Zambian society is split into the minority class of economic winners who inhabit a cosmopolitan world of affluence and a growing underclass with little or no hope of economic ascent. A Catholic priest, Father Peter Henriot had warned of
‘’Zambia moving towards economic apartheid……poverty is not just a political and economic issue, but also a moral problem which can segregate citizens on lines of the apartheid regime of South Africa. We had a problem of apartheid, which divided people on racial basis. We are now moving towards economic apartheid in Zambia which can divide us on poverty lines…….’’
(The Post 31st October 2004)
And in this respect, we have second and third rate category of stakeholders who use public transport, i.e., those in the middle-income bracket and the long-distance travellers to and from urban areas from rural areas and who are usually referred to as ‘’villagers,’’ the new derogatory version implies crudity, un-sophistication and gullibility.
Am I exaggerating? Then listen to David Punabantu:
‘’After independence the control administration and development of Zambia remained in urban Zambia and was defined by urban perceptions and values of development. Consequently, it was not surprising that when cyclone Japhet hit Gwembe valley, the affected Zambians were not called ‘Zambians’ but ‘villagers’ by the urban based Zambian media organizations, indicating their discriminatory attitude much like the colonial whites towards blacks.’’ (The Post [supplement] 24th November 2004).
The issue at hand is: ‘’what is of more value between money and third-rate human life?’’ The issue of banning night movements of passenger and heavy vehicles was brought to light by the Acting President, Her Honour the Vice-President Inonge Wina, when we had the usual road carnage and she told the nation that the Statutory Instrument No. 76 was lying unexecuted at some government office. And we are now learning why it had been blocked and not implemented.
However, we are dealing with the ‘’sophisticated clever’’ and when there was no way to further block it since the high office was involved, they allowed it to go through, but immediately created the fake ‘’task force to monitor and evaluate the impact of SI No. 76,’’ that would pretend to receive submissions from the one-sided stakeholders since the majority of the people are not even aware that there is such a task force and then eventually ‘’legally’’ shoot it down, ‘’after the people had spoken.’’
Let us examine the arguments from both the government side and the powerful rich. Before the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, the country was being guided by the Philosophy of Humanism, which depicted Man to be at the centre of society. And every individual who matter of what status was regarded as ‘’Common Man,’’ and generally the nation adopted the word ‘’comrade,’’ which does not refer to females or males. And Commonocracy defined ‘’Common Man’’ as ‘’that person or individual who without state protection is bound to suffer.’’
And in fact the UNIP administration had banned the movements of heavy vehicles at night and again the government intervened on behalf of the peasants who are mostly accident victims on long-distance passenger buses. It must also be noted that there has never been at any-time in the history of public transport accidents where a bus victim was accorded a day of national mourning. And even when they perished enmass there has not been a single minute of national silence. They are so unknown that the police have to appeal to the general public to come and identify their dead. I suppose we can now clearly see the status of the people who generally use public transport.
They seem to have no public identity. And in what radicalized freethinkers refer to as ‘’militant philosophy,’’ it is said that in algebra, one does not work out X, but operates with it as if he knows it. In politics of exploitation, X stands for the anonymous poor masses and this accordingly means operating using X without worrying about its actual nature. They remain profoundly alien on their own God-given soil i.e., persons apart, for such people lacking alternatives are victims of every exploitation that appears on the horizon. And as a result of the deliberate policy of poor education in rural areas, the people are unable to defend their interests; to somewhat unionize; to petition; to speak out and to challenge, for example, as in the unfair case at hand.
Every autocratic and authoritarian scheme of social action rests on the belief that the needed intelligence is confined to a superior few, who because of accumulated wealth or their high level of education are automatically endowed with the ability and the right to control the conduct of others; laying down principles and rules and directing the ways in which they are carried out. The type of ‘’homo oeconomious’’ emerges here whose egotism and hedonism are the driving forces of society and whose individual gain becomes a measuring rod for what is regarded as socially acceptable.
The powerful rich have accused the government of shedding crocodile tears on worthless and valueless human beings since they receive a lot of money from the rich which greatly contributes to their emoluments through taxes by ZRA. Here is a classic example to slave trade where, in order to fulfill the insatiable desire to accumulate vast sums of money, millions of people terribly suffered and many others are still trapped in its aftermath.
A social system that was adopted after 1991, which enabled individuals to rise from the impoverished circumstances of their origins and succeeded economically and socially by dubious means does nothing but to perpetuate poverty and inequality. And here is what Isaac Chipampe wrote: ‘’Indeed after 1991, I saw few of the original wealthy people maintaining their riches. To the contrary, a new crop of wealthy people emerged. They never borrowed from financial institutions; they never discovered anything comparable to Bill Gates’ Microsoft; they never owned any business that had a workforce or machinery or even buildings to show for, and never invested in anything apart from being co-opted in government as political appointees. Government became their major source of wealth.
Government became their major source of wealth
If one was not in government, one became poor and hence the culture of people failing to stay out of politics. And who can argue against the reasoning that it pays to be in government when one looks at the wealth that the Task Force has exhibited so far. A Zambian owning a Lincoln limousine in a country where ninety per cent of the population is poor? Even in America, many wealthy people only hire limousines.’’ (Zambia Daily Mail 10th September 2002).
Chibamba Kanyama wrote:
“One of my most serious challenges as a business journalist is to find entrepreneurs worth profiling. On the face value, it looks easy to find a man or woman to feature in a television programme. But there are not many people possessing the courage to discuss their businesses. Many know that their businesses have no business genealogy. A number of properties and assets have been acquired through corruption, drug trafficking and fraud. Simply put, they have no business story worth documenting.” (Business Post 26th June 2008).
What then can we expect to come out of the foregoing? The Post observed in the editorial:
‘’We have lost a lot in terms of our sense of humanity over the last 15 years. The man-centred society that KK and his comrades tried to build has been substituted by a society of wolves, hyenas and jackals which is centred in greed and vanity where those who are shrewd, who are daring, the most crooked who steal everything and become rich, leaving nothing for the poor.’’(ibid. 18th September, 2006).
And of course I am likely to face vehement accusations from individuals and groups that have allowed greed to control their entire lives, however, reality falls entirely within the passage from Atkins Court forms, 2nd ed., Vol. 25, which states that”…
the scope of the defense of justification does not depend upon the way in which the plaintiff pleads his case, but on the meaning or meanings which words are capable of bearing.”
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has said the party
would not succumb to pressure from some members to call for party
elections because the current mandate of office bearers had not yet
expired.
Addressing provincial party officials at Eastern Comfort Lodge in
Chipata on Tuesday, Mr Mwila who is on the tour of Eastern Province
said he would not bow to the pressure that the party should hold
elections.
He said there was nothing wrong which could warrant calling for intra
party elections stating that the current mandate of office bearers had
not yet expired.
“The party would not bow to pressure from party members calling for
early intra party elections. This is so because the current mandate of
office bearers had not yet expired,” he said.
He said the central committee would not be forced to call for early
elections in the province as it was happy with the performance of the
current executive.
He said those calling for elections for party positions in Eastern
province were wrong.
Mr Mwila said the leadership of Andrew Lubusha as Provincial
chairperson was working well and managed to deliver the needed votes
in the August 11th 2016 general elections.
He said the party won more seats in the province because of
discipline, unity, and loyalty among members of the party.
He said it would be wise and prudent for people to continue supporting
the leadership of Mr Lubusha.
He explained that those who were trying to oust Mr Lubusha should wait
because the current chairman was working to the party’s expectations
in the province.
Mr Mwila has called on party members in Eastern Province to remain
united stating that the members must remain united if the party was to
win the future elections.
He said the party has demonstrated development as it was the reason why
Zambians gave them another mandate.
Mr Mwila said the party would not be forced to hold election at
provincial level by few individuals who want to get positions using
back doors.
He said the party constitution stipulates that elections for office
bearers would only be held after three years.
And PF Chairperson for Information Frank Bwalya said Mr Lubusha was a
hard worker who has managed to mobilise the party using his own money.
Mr Bwalya who is also PF deputy spokesperson said PF was a vibrant
party saying some people were fond of jostling for positions.
He said there were no reasons why people should agitate for the
removal of Mr Lubusha because he was a good mobiliser of the party.
And PF youths who are in different camps exchanged some punches.
