President Edgar Lungu has directed the PF leadership to focus on mobilizing voters ahead of the august 11 elections.

President Lungu said the secret of winning elections does not lie in holding rallies and meetings but convincing voters to turn up in large numbers to vote.

President Lungu urged the people to turn out in numbers and vote for the PF on Election Day.

Mr Lungu was speaking at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International airport shortly before departure for Lusaka after a two day working visit on the Copperbelt.

The president further said the PF has shown maturity by upholding peace despite facing numerous provocations.

President Lungu said the maturity demonstrated by the PF deserves continuity.

The president also said he will soon come back to the Copperbelt because it is the heart of the political life in Zambia.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport to see off the president, First Lady Esther and his campaign team.

And President Edgar Lungu has promised to establish a trading centre at Kasumbalesa Border Post in Chililabombwe district on the Copperbelt Province to curb smuggling.

He says the move will also help Chililabombwe residents participate legally in trade between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

President Lungu has however told Chililabombwe residents that the project will only be easily and effectively implemented if they vote for PF Chililabombwe Constituency Candidate Richard Musukwa.

Addressing a rally at Lubengele grounds in the constituency this morning, Mr. LUNGU also told the gathering that Zambia has in the last four years recorded improved levels of development since the PF formed government.

He says if given 10 years to rule things would improve even more.

Mr. Lungu says the opposition UPND does not care for Zambians because they jubilate when things go wrong in the country and does not support developmental efforts.

The Head of State says he is the best candidate among all the 9 Presidential candidates put together.

He says the UPND hates the PF because it has failed to win elections since 2006 and is scheduled for another loss in August.

The President adds that all the people who caused confusion in the PF in the run up to the 2015 presidential elections have all gone to the PF including the thugs that used to beat people in the markets.

He says the UPND are desperate to ascend to power so that they can recoup what they have lost in campaigns over the years.

The President says the PF is getting better and better by the day and is the most Democratic Party in the country.

And Information Minister and PF Roan Constituency aspirant Chishimba Kambwili has called on residents of to Chililabombwe to turn up in numbers on August 11 like they have done for the rally to vote for president Lungu.

Dr. Kambwili says the Copperbelt recorded a lot of apathy in the 2015 Presidential elections hence should that this year they voting pattern improves.

And Christian Democratic Party President Dan Pule who is leading an alliance of 16 opposition political parties supporting Mr. Lungu says the President has been blessed by GOD to lead Zambia.

Others who are part of the campaigns are Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge and Zambia’s iconic footballer and former Football Association of Zambia President Kalusha Bwalya.

THE Police in Mazabuka have arrested five United Party for National Development (UPND) suspected to be connected in the murder of Hazwell Nguni that occurred on July 29, 2016, Southern Province Commissioner of Police Godwin Phiri has said.

Mr Phiri named the five suspects, who are all unemployed, as Emmanuel Shansoga ,20, of House Number 417 Nakambala Township,George Handelema aged 16 of unknown house number in Ndeke Township, Wilbroad Tembo,18, of unknown house number Nakambala, Alex Milimo, 18, of house number 183 Nakambala Township and Gideon Zulu, 19, of house number 62 Nambala Township.

He said the suspects, who included the prime suspect in the murder, were currently being processed.

Mr Phiri said in a press statement yesterday that the suspects were apprehended in a dawn raid on their hideouts

And Mr Phiri said Aggrey Njekwa, 51, of Plot number 2613/12602 in Dambwa North in Livingstone complained that UPND cadres damaged a rear right window and a front right spotlight of his Toyota Prado with registration number AJC 1.

The damages were valued at K2, 700 and this occurred along Musitunya Road at the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Port office at 08:10hrs on Monday this week.

In Gwembe, Mr Phiri said UPND cadres attacked a PF camp at Nachilala on Sunday at 20 hours by throwing stones.

He said four suspects namely Bright Chisagano aged 36, Ockline Chooma, 26, Caphas Hichuunga, 37, and Derrick Mwiinga, 23, were picked up by the police.

The suspects were charged for conduct and destroying campaign material while a motor vehicle Isuzu white in colour with registration number ALK 513 was used.

Mr Phiri said there was another political case where Mirriam Hazela, 24, was attacked by suspected UPND cadres by throwing stones at her house for being PF support on Friday at around 17 hours.

He said two suspects namely Commander Mwiinga aged 22 and Otray Halanga aged 23 were initially picked up but the number of suspects in custody has risen to six at Gwembe police.

The suspects were charged with threatening violence and Criminal trespass.

In Mazabuka district, Mr Phiri said UPND cadres were seen removing PF campaign material on August 1, 2016 at Zanaco robots which forced the PF team to crash with them.

He said the Police moved in and in the process five UPND cadres were picked and charged for the offences of malicious damage and assault.

These are Hagai Mabulo, 19, Nalishebo Mwimwi, 37, Maluba Malika, 3, Kelvin Nkumba, 3, Links Chunya, 37, all of Mazabuka.

While at police, two UPND supporters were picked and charged for assault on police namely Chrispin Hamangala, 26, and Muleya Kelvin, 32.

Furthermore, a Police constable Mvula Moses of paramilitary got injured while in pursuit of the cadres as a long range anti riot canister hit him on the left chick and sustained a wound.

“He is currently admitted at Nakambala hospital and doctors are saying he is out of danger,” Mr Phiri said.

In Maamba, Mr Phiri said the Police were holding four UPND supporters namely Siamunsila Yolam, 31, Grievance Muleya, 22, Kingsley Munonoki, 20, and Lawrence Siamunyanga, 27, all of Maamba Township for conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

The same are UPND youth members who were conducting an illegal road block at Mweemba junction in the night thereby harassing innocent motorist.

“In addition, the Police summoned the UPND aspiring councillor for Maamba central a Mr Shichete in connection with alarming statements he made suggesting that PF want to use Mamba to rig elections by airlifting pre-marked ballot papers from Zimbabwe,” he said.

THE MMD says parliamentary candidates who abandoned MMD to contest the August 11 general elections on the ruling party ticket should not be trusted.

National Secretary, Raphael Nakachinda said that this was because such candidates are only interested in their selfish interests and not that for the country.

Speaking during Political Hour Programme on Breeze FM in Chipata on monday,Mr Nakachinda appealed to electorates not to vote for such candidates.

And Mr Nakachinda said that the MMD has not received any money from the Patriotic Front Party to support the ruling party in the alliance.

He said that the MMD’s decision to support President Edgar Lungu in next weeks’ elections was based on merit because Mr Lungu has proved to be a good leader.

Mr Nakachinda charged that Zambians should not make a mistake of voting for UPND because every incidence of violence that was being recorded in the country was being associated with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba.

Meanwhile Mr Nakachinda said that former MMD leader Nevers Mumba should not be taken serious over his claims that he was still MMD president.

He said that people should not be misled that the Supreme Court’s decision to refer the matter where Dr Mumba was challenging his presidency back to the High Court means that Dr. Mumba is still president.

Mr Nakachinda sais that Felix Mutati remains president of the former ruling party.

And Former Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has urged the people of Eastern Province not to remain behind in supporting the candidature of President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) party in the general elections.

Mr Mangani who is Eastern Province Coordinator for Special Campaign team for President Lungu told hundreds of people at Mphamba Primary School in Lundazi on Monday that there was need for people in the region to move with the rest of the country in supporting the Head of State.

The former PF Provincial chairperson said the people of the region should not feel jealousy in rallying behind President Lungu in the general elections.

“We should continue rallying behind the current President because he has done tremendous work during his time as Republican President,” he said.

Mr Mangani said he was aware that they would be no change of Government after the polls because of the love which the people have shown to the PF party.

He urged the people of Lundazi to support the PF party so that they could see meaningful developments.

Speaking at the same meeting, James Banda, a younger brother to former president republican Rupiah Banda said there was need to vote for incredible people in the elections.

He said President Lungu was suitable to continue governing the country after the polls.

Mr Banda said people should vote in unison by voting for the PF supported candidates in the elections.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is to lead the African Union Election Observer Mission to Zambia to monitor next week’s general elections.

A statement posted on the AU website said Mr Jonathan would be leading a short term mission to join the continental’s deployment of long term election experts who are already on the ground in Zambia adding that the Chairperson of the African Union Commission approved it.

The statement said the deployment of the African Union Election Observer Mission will take place in two phases adding that the first phase comprises the deployment of long term election observers which took place from July 4 to August 22 2016 and it made up for 10 observers.

“For the first time, the AU long term exerts include election, legal political, media, campaign analysts. The objective is to ensure that the AUEOM approaches its work with added [professionalism and factual analysis of the legal, political, electoral and campaign aspects of the electoral process in Zambia,” the statement said.

“The objective is to ensure that the AUEOM approaches its work with added professionalism and factual analysis of the legal, political, electoral, media and campaign aspects of the electoral process in Zambia. At the second phase of the mission, the long term experts will be joined by Short Term observers from the August 1 to 15 2016. The Short Term Mission will be headed by Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

POLITICAL parties that are urging Zambians to ignore the referendum on August 11, this year are unpatriotic, constitutional lawyer John Sangwa has said.

Mr Sangwa said the referendum was seeking to enhance human rights in Zambia and so the political parties that were urging people not to participate were unpatriotic.

He said this when he featured on a special programme on Radio Phoenix recently. “It’s amazing that a political party can tell people not to participate in the referendum when the referendum was seeking to enhance the rights of Zambians. What sort of political party does that because basically any party aiming to form government should strive to enhance people’s rights,” Mr Sangwa said.

He said concerns from some political parties claiming that there was little time to sensitise citizens on the matter, was mainly an excuse not to provide for Zambians.

Mr Sangwa said it should not also be a problem that the referendum was being held alongside the election because people could be educated on how to vote.

He said he was one of the people that advocated to have the referendum alongside the election due to limited funds that the country had.

Mr Sangwa said civil society as well as political parties should not find excuses to fail the referendum exercise.

He said Zambians should be patriotic enough to assume responsibility to improve their lives through processes such as the referendum.

Mr Sangwa said the reading culture in Zambia was not good and even if the referendum was held many years from now, without stakeholders support, some Zambians would still not read on the issues on the referendum.

“This is the right time to undertake the process and every Zambian should ensure that the exercise succeeds by ensuring that other people read or know about the referendum,” he said.
Mr Sangwa said the matter should not also be seen to be political because matters of the Constitution were not politically biased.

Voting yes in the referendum would ensure that monies owed to individuals by Government through court processes were paid within a year and the President would be mandated to address Zambians on what the Government was doing to improve their livelihoods, among other advantages.

A police officer identified as Constable Pytihas Ntulukila was this morning shot dead by some unknown person as they attempted to rob a Cash Transit Vehicle he was in.

The incident happened between 09:00 hours and 10:00 hours along Lunzia Road off Addis Ababa Road in an aggravated robbery.
The Constable Ntulukila was in the company with another police officer in a Cash Transit Vehicle that was collecting cash from various filling stations in the enroute to their Head Office along great east road.

The vehicle in which the officers were in was hit from behind by a Toyota Noah and later stopped.

According to Police Spokesman Rae Hamoonga, when they got out of the cash transit vehicle to check what had happened another motor vehicle, a Toyota corolla approached the scene and the occupants of this motor vehicle came out and started firing indiscriminately thereby shooting Constable Ntulukila in the abdomen who was later rushed to Care for Business Hospital where he later died.

The Toyota Noah was reported stolen vehicle yesterday around 23:00 hours in Makeni east here in Lusaka.
Mr Hamoonga said Police have since launched a man hunt for the criminals who snatched cash amounting to over 200,000 Kwacha.

“We would like to warn these criminals that as Police when you attack one of our police officers whilst on official duty you have attacked the entire police. We shall not leave any stone unturned to bring these criminals to book by employing all legal means at our disposal,” Mr Hamoonga said.

“To this end the Zambia Police Service would like to make earnest appeal to members of the public who may have information to report to the nearest police station so that these criminals can be made face the full wrath of the law.”

Nineteen Zambian Fishermen have been arrested in Zimbabwe for fishing on lake Kariba Zimbabwean side, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama said the arrest of the nineteen Zambian fishermen come to light on Sunday the 31st July, 2016 at night.

DC Kanyama revealed that six rigs (boats) were confiscated by the Zimbabwean law enforcement Agency on account of illegal fishing in Zimbabwe.

The Siavonga District Commissioner has however expressed anxiety on the prevalence, affirming that the number of Zambian fishermen arrested on the Zimbabwean side of Lake Kariba is now cumulative.

He stressed the need to find a solution as soon as possible to avoid congesting Zimbabwean Prisons with Zambian fishermen. DC Kanyama said fishing in Siavonga is a major industry and people in the area count on fishing to sustain their families.

“Another 19 zambian fishermen arrested last nite 4 fishing on lake kariba zimbabwean side,6 rigs (boats)confisicated.solution has to be found or else prisons in zimbabwe will be full of zambian fishermen.Fishing is one of the major industry here,my office is disturbed with the increase number of these arrests” kanyama lovemore said

President Lungu has warned teachers and police officers who are being duped by the opposition that there will be a change of government after the elections that they will be dealt with for taking a partisan stance.

Mr Lungu has asked teachers in Chingola who he said are being misled by the UPND to resign from their positions and join the opposition.

The head of state was speaking when he addressed a huge public rally at kabundi high school in Chingola this afternoon.

He said government has all the details and particulars of individual teachers and police officers sympathizing with the opposition.

Mr Lungu has assured the electorate in Chingola that they will be no change of government because the ruling PF is enjoying support from all parts of the country.

And Mr Lungu has advised people not to listen to cheap lies by the opposition that they will reopen mines which are under care and maintenance.

He said Anglo American Corporation has closed mines world over and it is not true that they will reopen operations in Zambia when copper prices have dropped.

Mr Lungu disclosed that the mines that have been shut will resume normal operations once the price of copper rebounds.