The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has dismissed the assertion that it has devised an operation dubbed “Operation Armageddon” aimed at causing violence and destroying property belonging to Patriotic Front sympathizers.

UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka says the PF should not try to come out clean on the violence.

He says it is sad that the PF leadership is trying to appear holy in the public eye while doing the opposite behind the doors.

Mr. Katuka states that the UPND has no plans to cause confusion in the country.

He says UPND members are equally affected with what is happening in the country, stressing that a number of them have been displaced and have had their property destroyed.

Mr Katuka states that the people of Zambia have followed events in the country and are able to judge who is the cause of the violence in the country.

The Constitutional Court has discharged an ex parte order given to former Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito.

The injunction was discharged and this means that Mr. Nchito remains dismissed.

The ex parte order staying the decision of the President from dismissing him has since been vacated or discharged.

The court will however proceed to hear the substantive matter on where Mr Nchito is challenging that the tribunal had no legal backing of the Constitution as amended to hear his case and that fresh proceedings should have been started as per provisions of Article 144 of the Constitution.

FORUM for Democracy and Development (FDD) running mate Dr Clement Mwanza has charged that President –elect Edgar Lungu won convincingly adding that the delays in inaugurating him as a Head of State would derail his developmental plans.

Dr Mwanza said in Chipata yesterday that Mr Lungu won the elections convincingly in the August 11th general elections.

He said there was just waste of time to delay his inauguration in order for Mr Lungu to start serious work.

“I feel EL (Mr Edgar Lungu) won the elections convincingly in the August 11th polls. The delay in inaugurating him as Head of State would also derail his developmental plans,” he said.

Dr Mwanza said politicians must learn to accept defeat to allow the smooth running of Government’s developments plans.

He explained that in any elections there was always a loser and winner adding that conceding defeat was the best option for any participating political party.

He said political parties must ensure that once defeated in an election, they start reorganising about the next elections.

Dr Mwanza said the best thing was to allow Mr Lungu to finish his term as Republican President.

He congratulated Mr Lungu for being re-elected into office as Head of State for the next five years.

He also lauded Mr Lungu for his plans to create a ministry specifically dedicated to handle affairs of religion in the country.

He said the move was welcome because the religious were lacking the stand own ministry to look at their affairs.

Dr Mwanza said the President-Elect must go ahead in the creation of the ministry in order to handle the religious affairs.

Last Sunday, Mr Lungu announced plans to create a ministry to specifically handle the religious affairs.

The President –elect said in Lusaka when he graced the reception service for the election of Sydney Sichilima as the Synod Bishop of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) that as soon as the petition contesting his victory in this month’s elections was resolved by the constitutional Court and his five year mandate of office commenced, he would create the ministry of religion.

Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe says that the Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund for Marketeers will be rolled out to all ten provinces by January 2017.

Mr Kabwe who is also Patron of the Presidential Empowerment fund announced that the initiative is being carried out in phases across the ten provinces.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that the initiative is targeted at benefiting 16,000 beneficiaries across the country, with 9,000 marketers having benefited from the fund so far.

And Mr. Kabwe has encouraged marketers who have not yet benefited from the programme to take advantage of this great opportunity by accessing the empowerment fund.

Meanwhile, Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) President Mupila Kameya has expressed gratitude to the Presidential fund for assisting marketers in the country.

Mr. Kameya revealed that the fund has improved people’s lives as it is a revolving fund meant to benefit all marketers in the country.

He appealed to government to consider including the Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund for Marketeers in the 2017 National budget so that more beneficiaries can benefit from the fund.

Zambia’s freelance journalist Patson Phiri has for the second time won the 2016 Southern African Development Community (SADC) media awards in the print category.

The development was announced at the on-going 36th SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Mbabane, Swaziland.

Outgoing SADC Chairperson and President of Botswana Seretse Khama Ian Khama presented the award to Mr. Phiri along with other winners during the opening of the summit today.

Mr. Phiri who last won the award in 2012 was also presented with a $2000 monetary appreciation.

Zambia is being represented at the summit by Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chalwe Lombe and other senior government officials.

And Mozambique Boaventura Mandlate won the radio journalism award while the photojournalism award went to Tshoganesto Mokwe from Botswana.

The water category of the awards was scooped by Idah Basimane of Botswana and Bonex Julius from Malawi.
This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by the Press and Media Development Department at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.

State House has maintained that there is no power vacuum in the country because President-Elect Edgar Lungu is still in office.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka today Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said there is no power vacuum, because the incumbent must hand over instruments of power to the President-elect.

Mr. Chanda said President Lungu will continue discharging his duties as the incumbent leader, saying those saying there is a power vacuum have been misled.

He said there has never been any power vacuum created as a result of elections in the country whether there is petition or not.

Mr Chanda explained that all the Permanent Secretaries, the entire civil service and all government functions are operating smoothly.

And Mr. Chanda charged that all government projects are progressing well and all contracts that were granted before the elections are operational.

He further said that President Lungu has continued having high level engagements to encourage the nation maintain peace and stability and ensure that the nation is developed.

He revealed that so far the President has received over eight state visit invitations from different Heads of State.

Mr. Chanda said soon after the inauguration the president is expected to honour invitations, to China, Israel, and Kenya.

Meanwhile Mr. Chanda said the President is disappointed that some sections of the society have continued issuing statements that undermine the highest office.

He said the president has also appealed to members of the public to desist from commenting on cases that are in the court.

Mr. Chanda said the Head of State has called on Zambians to uphold peace and order by abiding by the law of the land.