The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has postponed elections of chairpersons in the newly created districts of Kalumbila and Mushindamo in North-western province to a later date.

Solwezi District Electoral Officer, Venture Kafula, said the postponement is as a result of the formal separation of the two districts from Solwezi district which calls for the two to have chairpersons elected independently.

Mr Kafula, who is also Solwezi Town Clerk, was speaking in Solwezi during a briefing with members of various political parties, civil society and the media organisations.

He said the ECZ will advise when fresh nominations and elections will be held in the two districts.

Mr Kafula called on political players to concentrate on soliciting votes for Presidential, Parliamentary and local government candidates in the two districts.

President Edgar Lungu last year declared Solwezi East Constituency as Mushindamo district while Solwezi West is Kalumbila district.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Tasila’s Touching Offer

Tasila’s desire to try and protect her old man from being exposed during a live TV debate with UPND presidential candidate Mr. Hakainde Hichilema is touching indeed. She has clearly recognised he has no capacity to participate in a presidential debate, as he is not exactly known for his coherence or willingness to answer serious questions about his record in office or plans for the future. However, after 18 months in office we hoped he would have warmed up a bit by now.

Anyone who hopes to represent our country and its people should be more than ready for such a debate. So President Lungu please leave your comfy chair for one evening and come and explain to the people who are struggling in the current economic climate why nothing bad that has happened in the past 18 months is your fault and how you intend to turn the situation around.

Tasila, of course you wish to shield your father from what could be an embarrassing situation, but we ask you to kindly let your father come to the debate. Your own desire and readiness to debate is commendable and as there are councillor debates underway on various media outlets we are sure you will find an appropriate forum to demonstrate your skills.

Stephen Katuka

UPND Secretary General

Government has shut down operations of a maize exporting company in Chipata on suspicion that it is exporting government subsidised Food Reserve Agency (FRA) maize to neighbouring countries.

Chipata District Commissioner, Kalunga Zulu, who yesterday led the taskforce against the smuggling of maize and maize products, found over 1800 metric tonnes of maize allegedly being re-bagged at Afgri
storage shed in the district’s industrial area.

ZANIS reports that Mr Zulu found stacks of FRA-branded maize bags, some of which were empty, and some brand-new World Food Programme (WFP)-branded bags, leading to suspicions that FRA maize was being placed into WFP bags and that the company was planning to illegally export the grain.

“This maize is being packed into these brand new WFP-bags as you can see. It is also clear that these FRA bags have been opened by people in this shed because they are not damaged. One cannot claim that
these bags were damaged,” he said.

Mr Zulu observed that Afgri is an exporting company and that FRA maize is not meant for exports but is subsidised by government for local consumption, saying Afgri does not have any contract with FRA but
has been buying FRA maize from a company called Comuga which is on the list of millers that have contracts with the agency.

The DC noted that suspicions have been raised as to how the FRA maize was found at the premises that exports the grain when it is strictly for local consumption.

Mr Zulu stated that when he initially inspected the storage shed, the company manager, Victor Banda, only declared 1300 metric tonnes of maize but was shocked to find over 1800 bags.

He wondered why Mr Banda did not declare about 500 metric tonnes to the taskforce.

He also observed that Afgri has been selling maize to Zambia Breweries for the brewing of opaque beer yet FRA maize is strictly for the grinding of maize for mealie meal.

Mr Zulu expressed concern that despite government making efforts to curb the vice, the district has continued to record increased smuggling of maize and maize products due to the porosity of the
border and dubious business entities that diverted FRA maize to exports.

But Afgri Chipata Manager, Victor Banda, denied the allegation of re-bagging the grain into WFP bags, saying workers were restacking the maize to avoid spillage.

Mr Banda, however, disclosed that Afgri has been selling some of the maize to Zambia Breweries though government subsidised maize under the FRA for grinding of mealie meal.

Meanwhile, Zambia Breweries Chipata Branch Team Leader, Sydney Musonda, confirmed that his company was being supplied maize by Afgri for brewing of Chibuku.

Following an invitation from the Government of Zambia, the European Union has established a mission to observe the 11 August general elections, as well as the referendum on the Bill of Rights. The EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) is led by Chief Observer Cécile Kashetu Kyenge, a Member of the European Parliament from Italy, who arrived in Zambia on 20 July.

Over the last two days Ms Kyenge and her team of experts have met representatives of the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the judiciary, various political parties, civil society organizations, and diplomats of the European Union and its member states.

“I am honored to lead an election observation mission to Zambia, a country that can take pride in its record of democratic elections in the previous years” – Ms Kyenge said at a press conference in Lusaka. “The people of Zambia set a good example for the region in the past, and I trust that all stakeholders want to stay true to this heritage by having peaceful, transparent and credible elections. Our independent and impartial team of observers hopes to have a positive contribution in this democratic process.”

The EU EOM’s Core Team arrived in Lusaka on 29 June, and was joined by 24 Long-Term Observers on 11 July. Another 56 Short-Term Observers will be deployed closer to election day, along with a group of locally recruited observers from EU member states’ diplomatic representations in Lusaka, and a delegation from the European Parliament. This will bring the total number of EU observers beyond one hundred, from all 28 member states as well as from Norway.

The mandate of the mission is to observe all aspects of the electoral process and to assess the extent to which the elections comply with Zambian law, as well as regional and international standards for elections. The EU EOM will work independently to offer an impartial, balanced and informed analysis of the elections.

“Peaceful elections are very important, and our mission fully shares the hope echoed throughout Zambia that the process will be conducted without violence” – Chief Observer Kyenge said. “But let me reiterate that our job does not end with witnessing whether the elections are peaceful or not: we will look at all aspects of the electoral process, including the freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, the access to media, the campaign activities, voting, counting, tabulation, appeals, and all other elements relating to the conduct of the elections.”

The EU Election Observation Mission operates in accordance with the “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation” adopted in 2005 at the United Nations. All observers adhere to a Code of Conduct that requires them to maintain strict neutrality in the course of their work.

The EU EOM will present its initial findings shortly after election day in a Preliminary Statement. A more comprehensive Final Report, including recommendations for future elections, will be published approximately two months after the end of the electoral process.

The Northmead Assembly of God has dispelled media reports suggesting that its Presiding Overseer Bishop Joshua Banda together with Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia Executive Director Reverend Pukuta Mwanza have received K500, 000 from state House.

And Northmead Assembly of God Executive Board Secretary Gibster Makangila said it is also not true that Bishop Banda is a leader of a group called Christians for Lungu.

In a statement obtained in Lusaka, Mr. Makangila said Bishop Banda is neither a Member nor leader of the said group or a Director at Indeni Oil Refinery as suggested.

He said the church is disappointed and dismayed by libelous misinformation and reports suggesting that Bishop Banda is aligned to one political party adding that he remains one sided in responding to issues affecting the nation.

Mr. Makangila has charged that the reports remain deliberate and calculated efforts by some interest groups to misalign Bishop Banda.

Copperbelt Police Commissioner, Charity Katanga, has expressed concern over the increased levels of political violence in the country.

Ms Katanga says it is for this reason that the police called for a stakeholders’ meeting to find solutions to the matter.

ZANIS reports that Ms Katanga says it is important that political parties and other stakeholders meet to find solutions to the matter before political violence escalates to unmanageable levels.

Ms Katanga says the police wants to ensure that campaigns are without intimidation and are done in a peaceful environment.

She said this during a stakeholders’ meeting on peace ahead of the August 11 general elections.

She further said the essence of the meeting is also to ensure that conflict mechanism resolutions are put in place and to address the issue of political party cadres contravening traffics regulations.

Ms Katanga has since warned aspiring candidates and political cadres not to use false registration number plants on their campaign vehicles.

She warned that perpetrators of this act will have their vehicles impounded whether they are from the ruling party or opposition political party.

She also urged political parties on the Copperbelt to collaborate with the police when placing notifications of political meetings.
Ms Katanga further expressed disappointment over the poor attendance of the meeting by stakeholders despite being invited.