The Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) is contemplating having as many peace concerts as possible in the country.

President of the association, Njoya Tembo, said ZAM was considering to have peace concerts in all provinces in order to help maintain peace in the country.

Mr. Tembo said musicians play a vital role in promoting peace and unity because the messages in the songs can easily influence the society.

He said this in a telephone interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

He said the association has since signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Arts Council (NAC) where the association will use its own equipment at the concerts.

He also said the association was calling upon stakeholders to come on board and partner with it in order to help build oneness in the nation through musical concerts
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Mr. Tembo has meanwhile appealed to all political players to forge ahead and get together to dialogue and live as one.

The Patriotic Front has denied having any influence on the decision of the Constitutional Court to dismiss the UPND presidential election petition.

PF Deputy Spokesperson Frank Bwalya has told QTV that the PF did not intimidate the judge in any way.

He says the party is aware that the UPND is mourning its loss in the election and the petition and will therefore say anything.

Mr. Bwalya says the PF will give the UPND enough time to mourn its loss before engaging the opposition party on the many allegations it is making.

He however, states that the PF does not agree that the decision by the Constitution Court has manifested any tribal inclination.

Mr. Bwalya says it is a fact that the judges who dismissed the UPND petition do not come from Eastern province where President Edgar Lungu hails from.

And Mr Bwalya says President Edgar Lungu will continue promoting peace and unity as he starts his five year mandate.

Welcoming calls by different stakeholders that the President must unite the country, Mr. Bwalya says the Head of State has a passion and determination to unite the country.

Mr. Bwalya says President Lungu remains resolute in his efforts to maintain peace and unity.

He says President Lungu is God fearing and will ensure that he provides leadership to the country.

And Fourth Revolution president Eric Chanda has charged that UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Mwamba had put their interest first before that of the Zambian people when they petitioned the presidential election outcome.

Mr. Chanda says the country was on auto pilot and the two leaders did not think of what would become of the people.

He has told QFM News via telephone that leaders should not be seen to frustrate the efforts of the people they wish to serve.

Mr Chanda hopes that political parties have learnt serious lessons from the just ended presidential election petition.

Meanwhile, a clergy man has advised the Patriotic Front supporters to celebrate the outcome of the presidential petition in a peaceful manner.

Presence of God Ministries Overseer Apostle Christopher Kunda says there is no need for the PF supporters to mock their friends from the opposition UPND.

Apostle Kunda says now that the court process is over, the best the people of Zambia can do is to move on as one, regardless of which political party one belongs to.

He has further urged Zambians to support President Edgar Lungu and his leadership

We sent out the below media statement regarding our former alliance partner and my young brother Miles Sampa.

Press Statement

6th September 2016

We take note of the democratic decision taken by the United Democratic Front President Miles Sampa yesterday.

As UPND, we would like to sincerely thank him for the great partnership him and his party members brought through the Alliance we entered into via a Memorandum of Understanding.

True to our Memorandum of Understanding, Miles Sampa did not join the UPND, but we had a great alliance that made us traverse the country and campaigned together, while recognising that he was also a leader of his own political party with membership in Zambia.

We would like to sincerely thank him for the extra votes he brought for us through our working relationship, and we would now wish him the best as he grows his political party or indeed in any decision he would like to take as it is his democratic right to do so.

Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President

MMD youth Chairperson Dauzeni Tembo has castigated former Party President Nevers Mumba for what he termed contemptuous statements issued to the media against President elect Edgar Lungu.

Mr Tembo said Dr Mumba should apologize to President Lungu for the personal attacks on them as they are not warranted.

He said Dr. Mumba’s political struggles should not make him forget that he is a man of the collar and that he should reflect on both good and bad as a man of the collar.

“Dr. Mumba’s personalised attacks targeted at President Lungu and our former President Rupiah Banda who is a respected States Man globally are unwarranted. Dr. Mumba should respect leadership and be an example to young people . If he’s trying to resurrect his buried political fortunes by insulting and demeaning our leaders, then he is misguided because he is just making his situation worse,” he said.

He said Dr Mumba should not force people to respond to him because he has skeletons in the closet which he wouldn’t want the public to hear about.

He said it was embarrassing to note that Dr Mumba has appointed himself as the Spokesperson for the UPND President Hakainde Hichilema a position he said should be below him having served as a the Republican Vice President of the country.

He also said Dr Mumba was in no position to accuse pastors of frequenting state house for their economic survival as he has no evidence of that.

He said it does not make sense for a pastor to look down on President Lungu for embracing the Church in a country that has been declared as Christian nation.

He further advised Dr Mumba to stop attacking former leaders saying he has continuously accused former leaders of wrong doings which he has failed to substantiate.

He said as a former Vice President himself Dr Mumba should treat former leaders with the respect they deserve and be an example to young people on how the nation should treat former leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed confidence that under the leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the government and the people of the Republic of Zambia will make new and greater achievements in national development.

President Xi said this in a congratulatory message to President Lungu on his re-election as President of the Republic of Zambia in the August 11 general election.

President Xi says the Chinese government attaches great importance to the China-Zambia traditional friendship and the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Chinese President says he will work with President Lungu to take the implementation of the consensus and outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Johannesburg Summit held in December 2015, as an opportunity to further elevate bilateral relations between Zambia and China to greater heights.

The Chinese President says he is pleased that the two leaders met twice last year during President Lungu’s State Visit to China in March, 2015 and the December FOCAC Johannesburg Summit where important consensus was reached on deepening bilateral political mutual trust, friendly and mutually- beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

“I learned with great pleasure the news of your re-election as President of the Republic of Zambia. On behalf of the government and people of China, and in my own name, I would like to extend to Your Excellency my sincere congratulations and best wishes. I wish Your Excellency, every success in your high office,” President Xi said.

Last week, a Spokesperson of the Chinese Department of Foreign Affairs recognised the re-election of President Lungu as a legitimate expression of the will of the people.

RUSANGU University, an institution of higher learning operating in Monze which is ran by the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA), has secured a funding of about US$100, 000 to set up a radio and television studio.

The studio is aimed at enhancing the student learning experience and improve its communication with the public.

Rusangu University Vice Chancellor Pardon Mwansa said the studio, which would also broadcast spiritual and social programmes, was expected to be operational within a period of one year.

Dr Mwansa said students studying Journalism and Communication at his University would be able to have a practical aspect of their profession once the studio was set up.

He was speaking in Rusangu, Monze on Sunday in an interview during the 10th Graduation Ceremony for Rusangu University at which 472 students graduated from various fields.

“As part of our five year strategic plans under Public Relations, we intend to have a studio where we will be doing production for television and radio as well as internet.

“We already secured a funding of about US$100, 000 to help us pursue this aspect. The intention of the radio and television studio is to improve on student learning experience and our communication with the public,” he said.

Dr Mwansa, who was installed as Vice Chancellor during the ceremony, also expressed hope that his University would have a 24/7 channel on one of the digital platforms to disseminate information to the public.

And in his address during the graduation ceremony, Dr Mwansa said his University was growing fast going by the enrolments for this year and last year.

“We have enrolled 730 new students who have reported and we expect more than 300 new students in the September 2016 intake when we open school on September 1123.

“Rusangu can boast of being an international university as we have students from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya and Namibia among others,” he said.

Dr Mwansa also said plans were underway to construct two student hostels for men and women within a period of six months.

Speaking at the same event, Kenya’s University of Africa Vice Chancellor Delbert Baker urged graduating students to be hard-working and help to fight evil vices in society.

“I wish to remind you graduands to contribute to the fight against vices such as corruption, immorality, and drug abuse that have destroyed the moral fabric of your nation (Zambia).

“Coming from an Institution like Rusangu University, you must have a conscious to live by. You are the ambassadors of what Rusangu University stands for. If you will work hard and be diligent, you will make a difference. If you think you are too small to be effective, then you have never been in bed with a mosquito,” Dr Baker said.

Dr Mwansa and Dr Baker later led other dignitaries during the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of two student hostels at a cost of K10 million.

THE United Independence Party (UNIP) in Southern Province has applauded the decision taken by United Democratic Forum (UDF) president Miles Sampa to respect and support the re-election of President Edgar Lungu.

And Federal Democratic Party (FEDEPA) president Alfred Sayila has commended the Constitutional Court for quashing United Party for National Development (UPND)’s petition on the election of President Lungu.

UNIP Southern Province chairperson Robert Mukengami said the decision taken by Mr Sampa, who recently supported UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, showed that he was a selfless and seasoned politician who had the interest of the nation at heart.

Capt (retired) Mukengami said in an interview yesterday that the presidency of Zambia should never be entrusted in the hands of selfish leaders who had no vision and agenda of improving the plight of the poor in the nation.

“Sampa is a Christian who has gone to school and has the love for this country and we give him a pat on the back because he has seen the need to move the economic agenda of this country instead of cheap bitter politicking being exhibited by some opposition leaders.

“UNIP has this country at heart and it is sad that some disgruntled politician in some opposition political parties want to take advantage of the situation, they must know that we have only one country to run to and that country is Zambia and so we want all worth leaders of political parties to forget about the elections and chat the way forward beneficial for this country, “apt Mukengami said.

Meanwhile, Rev Sayila commended the Constitutional Court for quashing the election petition by UPND which had challenged the re-election of President Lungu.

Speaking in an interview in Livingstone yesterday, Rev Sayila congratulated the Constitutional Court for being mindful of the country’s security.

“For us this decision was long overdue after the polls on 11 August and also that on their own the courts had made it clear that the 14 days had actually expired and that the decision was to be made on the same day.

” In future we expect that the courts of law to base their judgment on moral grounds and in favour of what is reasonable because you cannot be pleasing individuals at the expense of the many Zambians because it can plunge this country into chaos,” he said.

The FEDEPA leader appealed to Mr Hichilema to concede defeat and help reorganise his party in readiness for 2021.

“I want to appeal to Hakainde Hichilema to concede defeat for the best interest of this country, he has tried five times for the presidency he has failed and maybe God has never destined him for political position.

“The best thing HH can do is to concede defeat and show statesmanship and maturity because he is a businessman. I also feel time has come for him to let go of the UPND presidency and concentrate on his businesses,” he said.

A social warfare officer has called on parents in Luangwa district to encourage girls to be in school instead of taking them into early marriages for income generation.

Bernadate Malungo, who is under the Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, said government was concerned with the education of the girl child who has been neglected for some time now.

Mrs. Malungo said this when she addressed a stakeholders meeting in Luangwa district.

She said parents should take advantage of the good policies that promote the girl children if poverty was to be eradicated.

She said government through the Ministry of General Education and in conjunction with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, was implementing the keeping girls in schools initiative (KGSI).

Mrs. Malungo said this was a component of the Girls Education and Women Empowerment and Livelihood (GEWEL) project in which 14,000 girls will benefit from school bursaries in 16 districts across the 10 provinces.

She implored parents to take advantage of this initiative and ensure that girl children are educated.

Mrs. Malungo said in Lusaka province, Luangwa was the only district which has been selected and 617 girls will benefit from this project.

She however said only those whose guardians are on social cash transfer scheme and will be in secondary school starting early next year will benefit from this project.

She said the purpose of this project, which is been funded by World Bank, was to increase the number of girls in schools and to improve the wellbeing of the extremely poor households.