Lusaka Politician Patrick Mungo says it will be a sheer waste of time to hold national prayers on 24th July, 2016 if some politicians and their supporters remain unruly during the campaign period, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

The National Day of prayers for peaceful elections will be held on 24th July, 2016 in Lusaka’s show grounds from 14:30 to 16:00 hours.

Mr. Mungo said prayers without self-control are meaningless and will not change anything regarding political violence.

He stressed the need for every Zambian to show willingness in praying for peaceful elections on a slated day of prayers for the nation.

Mr. Mungo said it is significant to involve God especially in the forthcoming General elections for Zambia to continue being a beacon of peace.

He said praying for peace when some individuals are champions of political violence will not yield any positive results and will be just a setback to the country regarded as an oasis of peace in Africa.

“It is very important to exercise what we are praying for because pray without self-control is meaningless” he said

United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has said that it was a sign of failed leadership that 50 years after independence people living in valleys have no access to safe and clean drinking water.

Addressing a rally at Munyumbwe ground, Gwembe, yesterday afternoon, Mr. Hichilema said that his government will pay particular attention to providing clean water through methods such as drilling of water boreholes.

He wondered how a government that claims to care for the people can fail to provide safe and clean drinking water despite having borrowed more in 3 years than UNIP did in 27 years in office.

Mr. Hichilema said once he is at his work station in State House he will labour round the clock to ensure valleys are developed.

Meanwhile, following a tragic road accident yesterday morning in Gwembe district in which four people died, the UPND President expressed his sorrow.

President HH made it clear that the UPND are ready to work round the clock to transform this country into an economic hub, creating jobs and moving Zambia forward.

THREE United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres have died in a fatal road traffic accident in Munyumbwe area of Gwembe District, Southern Province Commissioner of Police Godwin Phiri has said.

Meanwhile, 62 UPND cadres have sustained serious injuries on Sunday after being involved in a road traffic accident.

Mr Phiri said the three cadres, whose names were yet to be established, met their fate yesterday morning (Monday) as they were being ferried in a canter to a Public Rally in Munyumbwe.

He said two males and one female were reported to be dead while 17 were injured and treated.

Mr Phiri said the police were on the ground to get more details over the matter.

In another development, Mr Phiri said 62 UPND cadres sustained serious injuries in Mazabuka after being involved in a road traffic accident.

Mr Phiri said the cadres were returning to Chief Mwanachingwala on Sunday after attending a Public Rally addressed by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema.

He said the accident occurred around 17:50 hours along Sikabanze road, Zambia Sugar Estate in Mazabuka and it involved a Tata truck with registration number AAT 3518.

The truck was coming from East to West and it was being driven by unknown driver of unknown age, address and names.

“The accident occurred when the driver lost control of his vehicle due to overloading of passengers.

“As he was turning right, his vehicle’s left wing flipped open and passengers fell in the Zambia Sugar Estate Canal,” he said.

Mr Phiri said about 62 passengers, who were UPND cadres, were returning from a Public Rally and they sustained serious injuries.

“The accident victims received treatment at Mazabuka Hospital. The driver is on the run and the vehicle had its right wing damaged.

MMD President Dr. Nevers Mumba has told the people of Musangu village in Mwense district, the home and birthplace of MMD Founding President and second Republican President the late Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba, not to be deceived by the well known ‘donchi kubeba’ PF lies but instead rally with the rest of the country in voting out the PF government from power and bring in a government which would bring genuine development to the country and improve the destroyed economy which was currently severely hurting poor people.

He said if the PF had genuinely loved late President Chiluba, Musangu village would not be as dilapitated and neglected as it is today.

Dr. Mumba was speaking at a campaign rally in Musangu with Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, the UPND running mate where they were drumming up support for UPND President Hakainde Hichilema, who he said was a sober, knowledgeable leader who had serious and clear-cut programmes which he would put into effect from day one, to salvage the economy from total collapse and bring down prices of mealie meal and other food prices which the MMD left in 2011.

Dr. Mumba recently sharply critisized President Edgar Lungu for treating the people of Luapula province like small children when he said he had renamed the non-existent Luapula University to FTJ University, all aimed at deceiptfully soliciting for votes from the unsuspecting villagers.

The MMD President has said the people of Zambia gave both Mr. Rupiah Banda and Mr. Lungu ‘sympathy’ votes in 2008 and 2011 respectively due to the national mourning of late President Mwanawasa and late Michael Sata, (may their souls rest in peace) but that it was now time for Zambians to stop mourning and vote wisely in the August 2016 election.

President Edgar Lungu has commissioned the 175 kilometer Mansa- Luwingu road which has been upgraded to bituminous standard at a cost of over US$200 million.

Speaking when he handed over the project, President Lungu said his government will continue to deliver on its promises which include providing a good road network to all parts of the country.

And speaking at the same event, Chinese ambassador to Zambia Young Youming said he is happy that Zambia and China have been cordially working together in infrastructure development.

Meanwhile, Works and Supply Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said the road will enhance economic activities in the area.

Six chiefs in Luwingu district in Northern have pledged to rally behind President Edgar Lungu in the August 11 polls because of his good leadership style.

Speaking on behalf of other chiefs, senior chieftainess Chungu of the Bemba people affirmed that Luwingu district has received its equal share of national development.

Chieftainess Chungu cited the 175 km Luwingu-Mansa road which he said will spur economic development in the district and connecting the area to neighbouring Luapula province.

ZANIS reports that the Chieftainess said this when she and senior chief Shimumbi and chiefs Chipalo, Chabula, Tungati and Katuta met President Lungu when he visited the district on his election campaign tour.

Chieftainess Chungu also commended President Lungu on his stance of campaigning for peace in the nation.

She commended government for maintain warm and cordial relationship with investors from China and other countries who have since invested in Luwingu district.

The chiefs condemned violence that is being perpetrated by some selfish politicians.

And President Lungu thanked the chiefs for rejecting the opposition.

Mr. Lungu assured the traditional leaders that government is committed to developing not only Luwingu but the entire country.

President Lungu later held private talks with the chiefs.
Meanwhile,

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has lifted the suspension on political campaigns in Lusaka and Namwala districts.

Briefing journalists in Lusaka this afternoon, ECZ Spokesperson Chris Akufuna says the commission hopes political parties will conduct their campaigns peacefully in the remaining period before the elections.

He has also disclosed that in response to the violence stemming from political party campaigns, the commission with the support from UNDP is partnering with the Dag Hammarskjold Institute for peace by organizing a series of conflict prevention/management workshops for the leadership of political parties at provincial and district levels.

And Mr. Akufuna has disclosed that the commission has been able to resolve the 2, 555 cases where NRC numbers and other personal details correlated very closely by using its field agents and that this also includes the 492 records that share full registration details.

He adds that the commission has also removed a further 10, 000 deceased voters from the voters register with the help of NAPSA.

Meanwhile,Mr Akufuna has dismissed as unfounded media reports suggesting that the commission is planning to postpone the elections.

And giving an update on the printing of ballot papers, Mr. Akufuna says printing of ballot papers for the Referendum, Mayoral, Presidential and Local government elections has been completed, while those for parliamentary elections will be completed tomorrow.

The 27th African Union (AU) Summit opened yesterday in Kigali , Rwanda with the launch of the first ever African e- Passport.

Minister of Foreign Harry Kalaba is representing President Edgar Lungu at the Summit which is scheduled to end today.

The launch of the e-passports was announced by Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who also presented the first two passports to rotating AU chairperson Idriss Deby, President of Chad and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

This is according to a statement availed to ZANIS by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Relations Officer Dorcas Chileshe.

Ms Chileshe said the first group of beneficiaries of the e-passport will include AU heads of state and government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Permanent representatives of AU member states based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Ms Chileshe explained that AU members agreed to have a Pan-African passport in 2014 as part of the plan to facilitate the free movement of people within the continent.

She said the African leaders will discuss a wide range of issues especially on peace and security following the deadly violence that erupted in South Sudan between loyal forces to the two rival political camps.
Ms Chileshe disclosed that a new AU commission will also be elected to replace the one being led by Dlamini-Zuma since 2012.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kalaba said the AU Summit is significant as it saw the launch of the Pan African Passport which will enable Africans to move and trade freely on the continent.

He stated that Africa needs to take advantage of this initiative and ensure that they produce quality goods which will be marketable across the continent.

The theme of the two-day summit is “2016 African Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the Rights of Women”.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) have paid glowing tribute to the ‘team Zambia’ which is monitoring the printing of the August 11 general election ballot papers in Dubai for its hard work and unity of purpose.

ECZ Commissioner David Matongo said in Dubai today that the tenacity for the team to work together despite belonging to different political parties and representing different organisations should be inculcated in all Zambians.

Mr. Matongo, who arrived in Dubai today, observed that the Commission was aware of the unity and the hard which the team, led by another ECZ Commissioner Emily Sikazwe, has exhibited during their work in Dubai.
“We have been following up through briefs which our colleagues who have been here brought back home and also newspapers and television Zambia have kept us informed,” he said.

He added that, “quite frankly, the peace you enjoy here as a group is the peace we would like to see back home as we proceed to the August 11elections.”

Mr. Matongo further pointed out that Zambians have no option but to maintain peace and unity during the elections period.

He noted that perceptions and suspicions among Zambians should be a thing of the past as they focus towards the election date, which is less than one month from now.

“I merely wish to commend you here for the job well done. I will lie if I said we have heard anything (back home) other than the hard work you have been doing. This is Zambian and I think we should maintain this,” he stressed.

And Mr. Matongo has disclosed that Lusaka and Namwala districts have experienced unprecedented peace during the 10 days during which political campaigns were suspended in the two areas.

He said this was an indication that the majority of Zambians were committing themselves to having peaceful elections in the country.

He was responding to a concern raised by the United Party for National Development (UPND) representative in Dubai, Jones Mulunga, who wanted to know what the ECZ was doing to maintain peace amidst signing of peace agreements among political parties in Zambia.

Mr. Matongo also said the signing of peace deals by political parties was part of the peace building process which the Electoral Commission of Zambia was employing towards elections.

“We believe that these elections will be peaceful. Let the best woman or man win. Ours is to deliver a credible election which will answer the wills of Zambians. Beyond that, we are not interested,” he said.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) Shemmy Makelele, who joined team Zambia in Dubai a few days ago, said he was impressed with the quality of work done by Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company which is printing the ballot papers.

Bishop Makelele, who is representing the Christian churches at the printing of ballot papers, said the spirit of unity, peace and love shown in team Zambia should be exercised in Zambia as well.

Representatives of political parties and civil society organisations have worked as a united force in the past two weeks and have described the whole printing process as transparent and of high quality.

The Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company is expected to complete the ballot paper printing process tomorrow.

Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company General Manager, Lakshmanan Ganapathy, told Mr. Matongo that the printing of national assembly ballot papers could be completed tomorrow.

Mr. Ganapathy said during the inspection of the printing and packaging process in the printing plant today, that the whole exercise of packing ballot paper boxes into pallets was likely be done by July 25, 2016.
He said by that time, the packaging of all the ballot papers and posters should be completed and ready for delivery to Zambia.

And the printing of local government ballot papers, which was at 84 percent on Sunday, has been completed.
Electoral Commission of Zambia Senior Public Relations Officer Sylvia Bwalya, said here today that only the printing of national assembly ballot papers was still on-going and the process was at 45 percent as of today.

Ms. Bwalya said the exercise has progressed very well and was on schedule.

The printing of ballot papers and posters for presidential, mayoral/council chairpersons, local government and referendum has all been completed.