President Edgar Lungu has charged that tomorrow’s general elections will be a revolution against politicians who insult them.

President Lungu said the elections tomorrow will be a protest vote against opposition leaders who have disrespected the intelligence of Zambians in their campaigns.

Speaking during a special interview on Hot FM’s Red Hot Breakfast show from Kitwe’s State Lodge, President Lungu said Zambians will teach politicians who insult them a lesson in tomorrow’s elections.

“Mark my words, tomorrow’s elections will be a protest vote against these politicians who lower people’s intelligence by insulting them every day in their campaigns,” President Lungu said.

He said some opposition leaders especially those who have been campaigning against the Referendum have shown a lack of respect for Zambians because the Bill of Rights has progressive clauses.

President Lungu said the No campaign on the referendum is an insult to the intelligence of Zambia because the Bill of Rights will guarantee access to social services for all Zambians.

“It is sad that some of these politicians are very simplistic in their messages to Zambian in this election and this is why I am sure that Zambians will show them their true feelings tomorrow,” President Lungu said.

The Head of State said Zambians have made up their minds to vote for the PF because it represents the true aspirations of the majority ordinary people.

Estimates have shown that political parties spent over US$11 million on financing their campaigns with the PF splashing a whooping US$6 million as at July 2016.

The UPND was second having spent approximately under US$5 million to run its campaigns.

The funds were spent on funding the cost of campaign materials, staging of campaign rallies and the administrative costs that go with organising campaign activities.

This is according to calculations by the Zambia Elections Information Centre which has been tracking campaign financing since official campaigns commenced.

“Due to the closed nature of the campaign framework, Zambia has not been able to adequately track monies expended by political parties during elections. It is therefore not possible to benchmark the current party financing against any past expenditure,” the pre-election statement from ZEIC read.

And on media coverage, the ZEIC says pre-election reporting was heavily influenced by the ‘ownership’ patterns of media outlets.

“Media reports were found to favour the political preferences of the owners. The public media especially was cited to be very biased in favour of the ruling party. The MISA Zambia report notes that, in the State-owned, public media, at least 60% of explicitly positive coverage of elections stories was reserved for the governing PF and its officials. The main opposition UPND only received 47% of the coverage in the public media,” it said.

It notes that the action taken by the tax authorities on The Post raised a number of questions as it happened during the elections campaign period when there was the greatest need for multiple sources of information for the electorate.

“However, the privately-owned and controlled media gave a much higher positive coverage to the UPND at almost 39.5% in elections-related stories compared to the PF which received 29.2% positive coverage. Conversely, the PF had more negative stories at almost 33% compared to the UPND which scored a near 27% negative score.”

Last year’s election was won by a margin of 27,000 votes. With both leading candidates having a lot to lose, this Thursday’s could be just as close.

At a UPND rally in Lusaka on 6 August. Credit: Nicole Beardsworth.

Across much of Zambia, a tense atmosphere prevails ahead of the country’s fifth elections in ten years. The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) – in power for only one term – has pulled out all the stops, covering the country’s biggest cities with enormous billboards and handing out countless branded t-shirts, caps, fedora hats and hooded jumpers.

Youths dressed in ruling party regalia lounge on street corners in Lusaka, and in some areas of the capital, fights between supporters of different parties have erupted – presaging the closely-fought electoral contest to be held on 11 August. In this historically peaceful nation, concerns are being raised repeatedly about the potential for election-related violence as the campaigns ramp up their rhetoric to drive up voter turnout.

Although there are nine candidates standing in the presidential race, this is really a competition between two juggernauts – the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), led by President Edgar Lungu; and the recently-ascendant United Party for National Development (UPND) and its candidate Hakainde Hichilema.

[See: Hichilema: It’s high time to fix Zambia after 5 years of failed leadership]

These two figures faced off in January 2015’s presidential by-election, which was triggered by the death of President Michael Sata. In that contest, the ruling party won by a wafer-thin margin of 27,000 votes. This Thursday’s vote looks like it could be just as close.

Ethnic and regional considerations

The results of the election 18 months ago followed a clear regional pattern. Northern Zambia largely voted for the ruling PF (albeit in relatively low numbers), while the South came out strongly to vote for the UPND. But these trends may not hold to the same degree this time around. While the South and West are likely to vote overwhelmingly for the UPND, the PF’s support in the North is no longer so assured.

In 2011, the PF came to power under President Sata, a populist Bemba-speaking leader who hailed from the North but who was able to galvanise the urban poor and capitalise on anti-government sentiment. By contrast, Lungu hails from the East, but is widely seen as an urbanite who cut his teeth in Lusaka.

In order to shore up support in the East in 2015, Lungu relied heavily on the backing of former president Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). But in 2016, Banda has been much less visible on the PF campaign trail, up until the final week. The PF has also recruited MMD’s Felix Mutati to campaign in the North and East, but it is unclear how much support the former ruling party will be able to muster.

In what many analysts see as a strategic gaffe, Lungu also chose a Westerner – 77-year-old Vice President Inonge Wina – as his running mate in 2016, leaving its traditional Northern Bemba-speaking constituency without a champion in the party’s upper echelons.

For its part, the UPND has worked hard to challenge the suggestion that they can only attract votes in the South and has stacked its line-up with prominent Northerners including: former PF Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (popularly known as GBM), Mutale Nalumango, Patrick Mucheleka, MMD’s Nevers Mumba, and Sata’s son and nephew Mulenga Sata and Miles Sampa.

The UPND has also attracted key former political heavyweights such as: former PF Acting President Guy Scott; his wife Charlotte Scott, who is running for the Lusaka Central parliamentary seat; and former MMD First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa, who has her sights set on the position of Lusaka Mayor.

These dynamics will be important this Thursday, but ethnicity is just one dimension of mobilising voters, and the Zambian electorate has shown itself to be particularly adept at ignoring or subverting ethnic appeals in previous elections. Many other issues will be crucial in determining people’s choice at the ballot box.

The economy and the big issues

In the 2015 elections, the PF was in a weak position. The party was divided after a bitter leadership battle, which left Lungu unable to make effective use of state and party resources. Meanwhile, the election came at a bad time when government had yet to deliver on important promises such as the implementation of the Barotseland Agreement, the installation of the Bemba paramount chief, and the creation of a new constitution.

In addition, the government had been unable to pay farmers for maize, had placed an unpopular freeze on government hiring and wage increases, and had fired striking nurses. These issues were enough to convince nearly half of the urban population to vote for the opposition.

After the election, the Zambian economy took further blows. Fluctuations in the price of copper – the country’s mainstay – led the kwacha to be the world’s third-worst performer in 2015 as it dropped 42% against the dollar. In late-2015, regional drought and mismanagement of riverine resources led to rolling blackouts and the importation of expensive foreign electricity. And mining companies threatened closures and suspensions, leading the country’s Copperbelt heartland to shed approximately 10,000 jobs. Zambia’s economic growth slowed to 3% from 7% in 2014 and the cost of living soared.

The economy thus took a serious beating, though in the past few months, the situation seems to have improved. Electricity has temporarily returned, the government haspromised more copper production and thus more jobs on the Copperbelt, fuel shortages have dissipated, and the kwacha has stabilised. Furthermore, the government has introduced a wide-ranging constitutional amendment act, the wage freeze has expired, the fired nurses have been reinstated, the Bemba chief has been installed, and the salaries of traditional leaders have been raised three-fold in order to shore up rural support.

However, there are suspicions that in this campaign, the PF has been spending well beyond its means. In late July, a recording surfaced between the finance minister and PF secretary-general which appeared to suggest that the party was using state resources for its campaign. And if the government spends more than it has, the PF may be mortgaging the country’s future on this election, postponing the inevitable hardships this will bring for ordinary Zambians in the aftermath.

[See: Copper, poverty and tax dodging: At the heart of Zambia’s high stakes elections]

In this election, it seems the urban vote will be particularly critical. The two most urbanised provinces – Lusaka and the Copperbelt – account for nearly one-third of all registered voters, and these areas have been most affected by political violence by members of both parties.

It is difficult to predict which way these areas will vote. On the one hand, the PF’s control over urban space and collection of informal rents in areas such as bus stands, market stalls and water provision points have left some urban citizens in a more precarious position. The urban poor have also been most affected by the rapid rate of inflation – at approximately 20% – and drastic rise in the price of maize.

On the other hand, the ruling party is hoping its overwhelming presence in urban space and its expensive urban infrastructure projects will carry the day. Its key campaign slogan is Sonta, which is short for the Bemba phrase “sonta apo wabomba”, meaning “look what we’ve done”.

This infrastructure, however, has come at a huge cost, with Zambia’s external debt climbing from $3.6 billion in 2012 to $7.6 billion by June 2016. This will certainly prompt painful interventions from the IMF and World Bank, but the PF has been at pains to defer this until after the election.

Tapping into this, Hichilema is riding on a narrative of how the PF has bankrupted the economy and playing up his business acumen in an attempt to garner votes from the disaffected groups. His campaign slogan is “HH will fix it”.

Violence and irregularities

In its campaign, the UPND has faced significant difficulties. Rally and flight permits have been denied, posters and billboards have been torn down, and ruling party youths have disrupted campaign activities. The UPND’s vice-presidential candidate has been particularly targeted. Since 2015, he has been arrested numerous times, and last month, his home was teargassed and raided while his wife, children and grandchildren were inside.

As of June, the government has also shut down The Post newspaper, the country’s only independent paper, on charges that it owes $6.3 million in taxes. This decision was roundly condemned by activists, the opposition and foreign embassies. The Post has been a crucial player in uncovering maladministration, corruption and government incompetence, including reports in 2016 of electoral malpractice and the registration offoreign voters.

Despite a number of key rulings, the Post has not been allowed to reopen and publish freely. This means the state media is left with a monopoly of the print media market and has used its free reign to undertake constant attacks against the opposition, violating ethical standards of journalism, and calling the fairness of the electoral environment into question.

Last month, the UPND’s Lusaka campaign centre was also raided by police, effectively shutting it down and undermining its ability to mount a substantive challenge in the capital. Furthermore, on 8 July, an opposition supporter was killed by police in Lusaka, leading to a ten-day suspension of all campaign activities in the capital.

A diplomatic source revealed to African Arguments that several members of both the opposition and the ruling party have died during the campaign. In addition, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project which uses media reports to track conflict patterns has counted more than 50 episodes of electoral violence in the country between January and July. The levels of violence being seen are unprecedented for Zambia. The fear, uncertainty and lack of party control over cadres have produced a situation in which there has been a mutual escalation of violence amidst acts of recrimination and retribution. For this reason, it seems that diplomatic missions, donors and electoral observers are more concerned about the possibility of violence than the fairness of the vote.

[See: Zambia’s 2016 elections: is a disputed outcome now inevitable?]

Under the new run-off system, a candidate needs to achieve 50%+1 of the vote in order to win. If no nominee achieves this, a second round will be held. The race as it stands if far too close to call, but if the opposition loses, it may well take to the streets to voice its dissent, especially given the widespread stories of electoral malpractice. If the ruling party loses, it is unclear how it might react, though the long history of the neutrality of Zambia’s security forces may prevent violent spillovers.

For Edgar Lungu and his coterie, this is an election that they can’t afford to lose, not least for the fear that they could face criminal prosecution over allegations of corruption. For Hakainde Hichilema, this could be the closest he will ever get to the presidency and is likely to be his last chance.

With so many variables and so much to lose on both sides, this Thursday promises a hotly contested election that could be dangerously close.

Nicole Beardsworth is a South African political analyst and doctoral candidate at the University of Warwick.

For the sake of that child in Chantete with no school and no hope for the future.

For the sake of that pregnant woman who gave birth on the side walk to a still born baby because there is no clinic in chipata, and no maternity wing the whole constituency.

For the sake of that CBU student whose university doesn’t provide a proper learning environment, whose brilliant final year project accumulates dust on the shelves.

For the sake of that family that lost a daughter in kwacha because she was swept away due to lack of proper drainage system.

For the sake of that kamiseshi woman, whose 500 year old village is marked for plot allocation because she doesn’t have title deeds.

For the sake of that unemployed youth with brilliant entrepreneural ideas but no source of capital.

For the sake of that miner, whose labour laws don’t protect and is massively underpaid, because his “white” expatriate boss (a grade 9 drop out) gets 90 percent of companies profits.

I humbly ask that tomorrow, 11th August, please vote Niza Phiri, as MP for kwacha constituency for the sake of the afore mentioned categories of people.

Remember me in your prayers, and also as you advise your friends and family within kwacha constituency(Nkana East, Zambia compound, Ipusukilo, Bulangililo, Chipata, Kwacha, Riverside, Parklands, Chantete) who to vote for.

Kind regards

Niza Phiri

Zambia’s Tiwamyenji Phiri was crowned as the 2016 Airtel TRACE Music Star winner by US international Pop/R&B superstar Keri Hilson. With over 2.7 million registered calls this year, Airtel TRACE Music Star is the biggest competition to take place in Africa and centres on searching for the continent’s newest and most talented star.

The competition amongst the 10 finalists was fierce, with Tanzania’s Melissa John beating Madagascar’s representative Johanna Rakotomavo to take second place. The night offered great talent but finally it was Tiwa whom the celebrity judges, Keri Hilson, Briant “BeeHigh” Biggs and Fally Ipupa voted as Africa’s next top talent. Phiri’s win followed a magnificent rendition of “When You Believe”, the song from the 1998 DreamWorks film The Prince of Egypt, originally recorded by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

Tiwa studied Public Relations and Advertising under Cambridge International UK and is the first of four children, born to a politician father and her mother a nurse, who all supported her every step in the competition.
Phiri’s prize includes a record deal with a major label; mentorship for a year with singer/songwriter, actress and record producer Keri Hilson, for a total value exceeding $500,000, as well as worldwide media exposure through the various TRACE platforms. “I look forward to working with Tiwa over the next year and to share some of the knowledge and experiences I have acquired in the music industry over the years”, says Keri Hilson.

The glitzy Pan-African Grand Finale which took place on 18th April at the Ultima Studios in Lagos where music and glamour were the focus of the evening. The star-studded Red Carpet featured the cream of Nigeria’s entertainment circuit which included Nigerian comedian Chigul, Hip Hop artist Vector as well as celebrity artist and speed painter Fola David, who painted a tribute portrait of the celebrated boxer Mohammed Ali at the event.

The evening’s programme boasted outstanding performances by the 2015 Airtel TRACE Music Star winner from Tanzania, Mayunga Nalimi who also performed his latest release “Please Don’t Go Away” which features world renowned rapper and last year’s celebrity mentor Akon as well as Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer Patoranking.

(Trace.tv)

President Edgar Lungu has challenged the opposition to furnish law enforcement agencies with evidence of how the ruling PF plans to rig Thursday’s general election.

President Lungu has also urged PF members not to retaliate saying the opposition wants to use political violence as an excuse not to accept defeat in August 11 polls.

And President Lungu has said Zambians should not make a mistake of voting the opposition UPND into office because its leaders are businessmen whose sole interest is to only improve their businesses at the expense of Zambians.

Speaking when he addressed a rally in Masaiti district, Mr. Lungu warned that once elected into power the opposition leadership will rush to award themselves government contracts to recover the money they have spent on campaigns since 2001.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu has meanwhile,asked Zambians to fairly judge those who are putting themselves up for elective public office.

The Head of State said humility and self-sacrifice are important attributes of a leader.

He urged Zambian people to reject Mr. Hichilema and all his aspiring candidates because the opposition has got nothing to offer.

And First Lady Esther Lungu who is also in president Lungu’s campaign team called on Zambians to vote for God fearing leaders like her husband Mr. Lungu.

Mrs Lungu said Zambia is a Christian nation which should be led by those who honour and respect God like President Lungu.

The President is on the Copperbelt for a series of public rallies in Masaiti, Mpongwe, Lufwanyama and Kitwe districts ahead of Thursday’s polls.

President Edgar Lungu says people campaigning against the referendum on the bill of rights have no interest of the nation at heart and should not be taken serious by the people of Zambia.

President Lungu noted that people opposed to the referendum have lamentably failed to substantiate their stance and just want to distract people from voting for the progress of the country and its people.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu said claims by the opposition that voting in the referendum means giving votes to the ruling party is a total fabrication.

The President explained that the referendum on the bill of right is about people’s rights and freedoms which every Zambian should enjoy.

He said people who are against the expanded bill of rights do not want to be accountable should they be in government one day.

The President stated that the opposition will be shocked tomorrow after the polls as Zambians will give the referendum and the ruling party a resounding victory.

The head of state who is seeking re-election and faces 8 other candidates said he is not feeling any pressure from his competitors because he is more popular across the country than his challengers.

He said the ruling party will win tomorrows polls with ease because there is no formidable opposition to challenge the Patriotic Front.

And the president said government has improved the Farmer Input Support Programme and will ensure that government partners with the private sector to drive the programme in future.

Mr Lungu said government has been distributing inputs on time and paid all farmers who supply their grains to the Food Reserve Agency.

The head of state was speaking on a live Hot FM Red hot breakfast show from the Copperbelt province.
Tomorrow Zambians will vote in the referendum as well as the presidential and general elections which will be conducted under the amended constitution.

Sebastian Evans’ diverse talents have steadily established him as a true force in the competitive world of film and TV music. Invigorating several hit animated television shows with his unique style, his composing accomplishments and critical acclaim continue to grow. Most recently, Sebastian’s distinct sound has helped reinvent the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise starring Seth Green and Sean Astin. From his involuntary head-bob inducing main title theme, to his seamless blend of Japanese instrumentation and modern western styles, Sebastian has provided a lively score that has helped to reinvent Nickelodeon’s Emmy-winning series for a whole new generation.

Sebastian has also created scores for other hugely popular shows including Cartoon Network’s Ben 10: Omniverse, starring Yuri Lowenthal and Joe DiMaggio, Transformers: Animated, starring David Kaye and Tara Strong as well as Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go, starring Greg Cipes and Mark Hamill for Disney. He has also worked on various projects for Warner Brothers, Adult Swim and Fox.

Citing influences ranging from Raymond Scott and Edvard Grieg to Thomas Newman and Tool, Sebastian draws on a diverse musical pool for inspiration. In particular, his versatile style is enhanced by his idiomatic use of rhythms and progressions, which he derives from his love of hip-hop music.

A California native, Sebastian aspires to score for many genres across film and television. His favorite Ninja Turtle is Donatello.

KAPA187: When did you start making music, and what inspired you to focus on composing music for film and TV.

Sebastian Evans:  Well, I’ve always had an affinity for film and tv music since before I can remember. My parents can attest to that. They remember me humming commercial jingles and tv show theme songs constantly. I’d also hum background music passages of shows while we were watching the show. They thought I had some type of humming Tourette syndrome or something. But it wasn’t until my dad took me to see “Return of the Jedi” when I was 7 that I understood that this was a career that you could do for a living. Eventually, my parents got me a piano and lessons when I was around 10. I’d set up my boombox next to the piano, push record and spend hours making my own scores to my favorite movies. As I grew up I was heavily involved in music programs provided by my school and community. Like all of them. Jazz Band, Marching Band, Concert Band, Orchestra, Drumline, Choir, Music Theatre. If music was involved, I was a part of it. It was in these forums that I first began writing original music for others to play.

KAPA187: How did you get the opportunity to work on the animated series “Teenage mutant ninja turtles”?

Sebastian Evans:  Ciro (The producer of the show) called me up and asked me if I wanted to do the music for the pilot. The pilot led to me doing the music for the entire show including the main theme. I was a HUGE TMNT fan as a kid and to grow up, work on the reboot and contribute to the franchise is a humbling honor.

KAPA187:  You have worked on a different animated series such as ‘Ben 10: Omniverse’,’Transformers animated’ etc. Do you use the same approach when composing for all of them?

 Sebastian Evans:  Yes and no. I say yes because every project starts with what is needed or what needs to be enhanced. This is talked about in great length and determined over time by the director, producer and myself. I also try to come up with a style or over arching sound that is custom made and unique to the project. Those aspects are the same for every project. The approach becomes different when we delve deeper into the show. Some shows call for a need to work linear from beginning to end. Others (like tmnt) require me to come up with a feel or motif before I begin laying down tracks. Sometimes I find myself jumping around an episode for big moments and then linking it all together later.

KAPA187:  Being one of the few black composers in the industry do you feel added pressure to succeed?

Sebastian Evans:   I don’t feel any added pressure. But that might also be because most people don’t know I’m a black composer. Most composers enjoy a kind of incognito presence in the industry which I like. I’ve been very fortunate so far to have a career where no one seems to give it a second thought. They just want good music. My hope is that my work will continue to speak for itself just like everybody else in this field.

KAPA187: What challenges have you faced as a composer and how have you overcome them?

Sebastian Evans:   The biggest challenge for me has always been the notorious DEADLINE! In animation, the turn around time for an episode is very fast compared to movies or non animated TV shows so I’m always in a race against time to get the episode done and sounding as dope as possible. I’m one of those people that needs a deadline or I could spend days perfecting 5 seconds of a single cue. I do believe the awesome factor goes up the more time I have though.

KAPA187:  Having worked on numerous animated series do you have desires of working on feature films?

Sebastian Evans:   Of course! I’ve always wanted to go to the theatre and watch a movie with my score in the background. That’s probably most composers’ dream. I also would love to work on a non animated TV show one day.

KAPA187:  Apart from music, what else are you involved in?

Sebastian Evans:  Nothing. I’m kind of boring in that way. Oh! But I love Legos.

KAPA187:  Are there many opportunities for young people who may not be based in the US to get into the industry?

Sebastian Evans:  Well, the industry is vast. But I’d say anybody who wants to get into the industry needs to physically go where the industry resides.

KAPA187: What advice do you have for young people who would like to compose music for TV and film?

Sebastian Evans:   Learn the basics of music theory and instrumentation. A solid foundation in these areas are priceless in this field.

KAPA187: Any last words…

Sebastian Evans:  Cats rule.

Listen to Sebastians compositions for Nickelodeon’sTeenage mutant Ninja Turtles HERE

You can watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nickelodeon DSTV channel 305

BY KAPA187