According to the statement issued to the media by his special assistant for press and bublic relations, Amos Chanda, President Carter telephoned President Lungu at 23:00 hours on Monday night to wish him well and urged him to do his very best to unite the country.

Mr Carter urged President Lungu to ensure peace and stability to prevail and allow the due process of the law.

The former US President emphasised that the most important thing was for Zambia to keep the peace and stability for which Zambia was well-renowned for. Zambia is a beacon of peace and democracy in the region and Africa in general.

President Lungu has assured Mr Carter that he will do his utmost best to unite the country and ensure stability prevailed.

And Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan has called President Lungu and wished him well upon his victory in the just ended general election.

Mr Annan urged President Lungu to keep the country stable and united.

Meanwhile, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete on Monday evening paid a courtesy call on President Lungu.

The former President who led a delegation of Commonwealth Observers to Zambia’s August 11 polls commended President Lungu for ensuring peace during the just ended general election.

Dr. Kikwete wished President Lungu well and hoped Zambia will maintain the country’s longstanding peace and stability.

And State House wishes to confirm that in accordance with the Constitution of Zambia, the inauguration of the President-elect will take place seven (7) days after the winner was declared by the Returning Officer. This re-confirmation follows numerous public inquiries about the date of inauguration.

The inauguration committee headed by the Secretary to the Cabinet has since proceeded with preparations for the inauguration ceremony which will take place at Lusaka’s Heroes Stadium.

“I therefore wish to confirm that in accordance with the Constitution of Zambia, (Act Number 2 of 2016) the inauguration of the President-elect takes place seven days after the winner has been declared.”

Meanwhile, the Head of State will soon travel to the Copperbelt Province to thank the people for their support and peaceful conduct during the just-ended general election.

Police have arrested 151 UPND supporters in Southern Province for riotous behavior related to post elections.

Riots broke out in several parts of Southern Province on Monday, shortly after President Edgar Lungu was declared winner of Thursday’s tightly contested elections.

Police Spokesman Rae Hamoonga disclosed that 53 people were apprehended in Choma while 53 others were picked up in Mazabuka and a further 26 nabbed in Monze.

In Namwala, six, were arrested while four were picked up in Sinazongwe and three were picked up in Kazungula District.

Mr Hamoonga said in Choma, police recorded five cases of Arson after the unruly mob ran amok and begun setting ablaze other people’s property.

“In Mwapona Compound, some UPND supporters set ablaze a house belonging to Kelvin Simimba, 45 of Zambia Compound. They also set on fire a restaurant belonging to Juliet Jere, 33 of Choma’s overspill destroying various properties. The unruly crowds also blocked a road using a rail slipper at Muzoka,” he said in a statement.

He said there were also riots in Monze Town and surrounding compounds around 1400 hours, where UPND supporters were burning tires and logs later also blocked roads with various objects.
Mr Hamoonga said Chibuyu Community Police post and eight motor vehicles packed at the police were damaged and make shift stands at Hamusonde market were burned and in the process, 25 males and one female were arrested.

“In Maamba, six, people of Chief Mweemba have been picked up for riotous behavior and malicious damage to property. They have been identified as Shemu Siankazi aged 18 years, Wisdom Sikanembe aged 23 years, Chipo Simapemo aged 22years Willy Siasidu aged 35 years, Clement Siamalambo aged 40 years and Lewis Simudini aged 45years. The accused persons blocked Mweemba road with rocks and logs later begun stoning houses perceived to be owned by Patriotic Front supporters. They further stoned Siatwinda Clinic.”

“In Kazungula district, three UPND cadres were arrested for damaging motor vehicles belonging to some Patriotic Front supporters.”

He said a Toyota Carina registration number ALG 9674, property of Floriah Maliwe had its wind screen damaged at Kaleya, in Mazabuka and another motor vehicle Toyota Ipsum registration number BAD 1141 belonging to Evaristo Malama also of Mazabuka was damaged while an unregistered Honda Fit, property of Constable Malama of Mazabuka also had its wind screen damaged and a house with property belonging to Evans Lungu, a PF supporter of Kabobola Compound was damaged by unknown people.

He said all those apprehended are detained in police custody and will appear in court soon.
“The situation has since been brought under control. We have intensified both foot and motorised patrols in the province to ensure that all those that would want to abrogate the law with impunity are brought to book.”

Who doesn’t love a good curry? There are so many different ways to make it and so many different things that you can add to it; and you can eat your curry with nearly anything.  Whether you are a vegetarian, a vegan or a meat eater there is a curry out there for you.  Curries like this scrumptious mild curry, are a great way to spice up your typical meals.  You can use leftover chicken and jazz it up to make this easy and delicious Chicken and sweet potato curry.

Preparation and Cooking time: 25-35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil/sunflower oil
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 4 chicken pieces, thighs and breasts, cut into small pieces
• 2 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 300ml chicken stock
• 400ml can of coconut milk
• 175g frozen peas
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Coriander, to garnish

Method

Marinade your chicken pieces, with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok, add your chicken; then your curry powder and stir well.  Fry for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes and stir until everything is coated.  Now pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the peas, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving, and garnish with coriander.

Serving

Serve this mildly spiced curry with basmati rice.

Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.

You can find her work on www.kantakakes.com.  Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.

Mr Hichilema said the will of the people has been changed in an illegal and undemocratic way.

He has since announced that the UPND will file a petition in the constitutional court to challenge President Lungu’s victory.

Mr Hichilema disclosed this during a press briefing this evening.

“Firstly we wish to thank our supporters from the bottom of our heart. We are truly grateful for your support, hard work and dedication throughout the election period. Today the PF has effected a coup on Zambia’s democratic process,” Mr Hichilema said.

“The will of the people has been changed in an illegal and undemocratic way. We submitted evidence before the declaration of the results regarding the gross irregularities that have taken place,” he said.

Mr Hichilema said in any free, fair, transparent and democratic system this would have been enough to prompt a recount in the affected areas but that Zambia no longer operates that way.

“The ECZ has taken the decision away from the people. Zambians made their decision on Thursday. That decision has not been respected. During these delays the PF have acted with impunity to change the result,” he said.

Mr Hichilema said the UPND team endured countless obstacles and perversions of democracy throughout the campaign period and that it cannot now accept the manipulation of the vote itself.

“That is why we will not accept the result. We will be launching a Constitutional Court petition on the basis of the evidence we have collated and presented to the ECZ,” he said.

“As the Constitution sets out, once we have launched our petition then there must be no inauguration until the matter is settled in the court. This is according to a provision in the new Constitutional Amendment Bill that Edgar Lungu himself assented to just a few months ago.”

He said the independence of the ECZ has been compromised, after coming under pressure from the PF.
“We will now place our faith in the Constitutional Court, in the people of Zambia.”

He said the grounds on which the party will launch the petition are many, but they include the withholding of G12 forms from UPND’s polling agents in order to enable tampering with the results in favour of the PF.

“Without authenticated certificates for the stations there is no validity in the totalling process. The ECZ itself acknowledged this fact, agreeing to a verification and recount of votes in Lusaka district and the formation of a task team to oversee the process just yesterday afternoon, before the decision was later reversed under pressure from the President Lungu,” he said.

Mr Hichilema also cited the intimidation of party agents at polling stations during the counting process, whereby PF supporters physically kicked them out before having uncontrolled access to the ballot boxes.
“Discrepancies in the vote count and the result issued by the totalling centre, for example the case of the 14,039 missing UPND votes in Kanyama that were later found in the bin. Once these were input our vote went from 17,985 to 32,024. Even after this, however, the ECZ announced a figure of 30,892. We are compiling a list of other such instances to present to the courts.”

“Instances where a higher number of votes were cast than registered voters. For example, at Kamanga polling station in Munali constituency where there were 714 more votes cast than registered voters. The discovery of pre-marked ballot papers outside of ZAF HQ in Lusaka as late as Sunday morning,” he said.
Mr Hichilema said the UPND has specific evidence of gross irregularities in a number of constituencies, including all of the Lusaka urban constituencies, namely Kanyama, Munali, Chawama, Mandevu, Lusaka Central, Matero and Kabwata.

“If we fail to stand up for our democracy today then we undermine our prospects for peace and development in the weeks, months and years to come.”

“Finally, we call on Lungu to stop brutalising our supporters. Across the country’s markets, bus stops, taxi ranks and their work places our supporters have been victimised. This must stop right now. Zambians have a democratic right to vote for a leader of their choice. We will not return to a one-party state. We have come a long way and now is not the time to give up. We don’t give up,” he said.

“To our members, our supporters and our sympathisers, I thank you once again. I am asking you to remain united. I am asking you to hold each other’s hands and support one another because we need you now more than ever.”