President Edgar Lungu has challenged the opposition UPND to consider convening a general conference and make a review on why the party has continuously been losing general elections.

President Lungu says unless democracy is entrenched in the opposition grouping, the UPND will continue loosing elections.

The President says the UPND has been failing in past elections because the people of Zambia have seen that the party has no agenda for

He has since cautioned the people of Zambia not to experiment with leadership because the PF has delivered on its campaign promises.

President Lungu says the PF has implemented the best manifesto so far and results are there for all Zambians to see in various sectors of the economy.

The President said this at a campaign rally in Luanshya yesterday.

He said development has no finishing line adding that the PF will continue rolling out development to all corners of Zambia once given a fresh mandate.

He said the PF has the best manifesto so far among the participating political parties.

President Lungu has further promised to look into the water blues in Luanshya.

The Head of State who was flanked by First Lady Esther has urged the people of Luanshya to give him and all PF candidates a resounding vote August 11 polls.

Meanwhile, President Lungu said his administration is closely following events in the mining sector.

He is optimistic that metal prices on the international market will improve and more jobs will in turn be created.

And President Edgar Lungu has advised election monitors and observers in the country to be very objective as they carry out their duties ahead of the August 11 polls.

The President says government has been patient and allowed democracy to prevail in the elections but that the opposition are pushing him too far.

Addressing a rally in Mufulira, President Lungu said the opposition and selected media are always insulting him and he will reach a point where he cannot tolerate that anymore.

The President has further warned the opposition propagating violence that he will choose peace over democracy even if it means using draconian laws to prevent war as the country’s peace was bought at a great price.

President Lungu adds that the opposition have been planning to win the elections at all cost and may spoil the country if they lose.

And President Lungu has also said that Zambians should not be insulted by the opposition UPND who are promising to bring Anglo America to open new mines if voted for when the company has been faced with operational challenges and closing in some countries

He has promised electorates in Mufulira that he will continue with late President Michael Sata’s development agenda which is the developmental plan for the party.

The President said voting for the opposition would be retrogressive to national development.

He called on electorates to vote for Evans Chibanda contesting the Mufulira Central Parliamentary seat and Yamfwa Mukanga re-contesting the Kantanshi seat together with the mayor and councillors.

President Lungu also held a rally in Kalulushi district earlier to drum up support for PF candidates.

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has disregarded a tribunal order to reopen the offices of The Post newspaper which was closed in June over non-payment of taxes.

A Tax Appeals Tribunal reaffirmed its instructions to the ZRA but the newspapers’ offices remain closed.

On July 27, 2016, the tribunal ordered tax ZRA to hand over seized properties of the newspaper until a full appeal can be heard and to initiate an immediate process through which the company could pay undisputed amounts to the revenue authority.

The tribunal’s registrar, Chola Shapi Mutambo, dismissed with costs, the ZRA’s application to set aside the order granted to Post Newspapers Limited.

In her ruling last Wednesday, Mutambo said she was satisfied that the newspaper publisher had adhered to all the requirements of the Tax Appeals Tribunal Act. The substantive case would however to heard at a later date.

“I find that the respondent’s (ZRA) application to dismiss the notice of appeal and discharge the … order has no merit to justify such action. I accordingly dismiss this application with the costs to the appellants. “Mutambo is said.

In June, officials of the Zambia Revenue Authority – according to the Post, under instruction from the government and accompanied by security officers – went to the offices of the newspaper demanding disputed tax arrears of about K53 million.

And the International Press Institute (IPI) says Zambian authorities should stop defying a court order to allow opposition newspaper The Post to access its offices and printing presses and resume regular publication while the correct amount of a disputed tax bill is determined.

The call followed Wednesday’s ruling by Zambia’s Tax Appeals Tribunal upholding the order and rejecting the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA)’s bid to block The Post from obtaining review of a 54-million-kwacha bill for allegedly unpaid VAT receipts and income tax withholding.

Registrar Chola Shapi Mutambo said in an interlocutory ruling that the ZRA’s refusal to even consider the paper’s objections to the amount gave the Tribunal jurisdiction to hear The Post’s appeal.

“It is against the rules of natural justice to simply refuse to consider objections to an assessment brought on appeal by a taxpayer,” she wrote. “This, in a way, is hindering the justice system.”

The registrar similarly rejected the ZRA’s argument that the Tribunal could not stay a seizure that the ZRA contended already happened. Noting that the execution against Post property was “a process” that remains ongoing, she opined that “[t]here was much to be stayed” when The Post sought the order in the days immediately following the ZRA’s initial June 21 seizure of its offices and printing press.

IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said that IPI was pleased by the decision, but that it remained troubled by the ZRA’s willingness to disobey the Tribunal’s order and its refusal to even listen to The Post’s objections to the bill.

“We are happy that The Post will finally have its day in court to challenge this tax bill, which by all indications appears to be a pretext to silence an alternative voice ahead of elections,” IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis.

“Nevertheless, it defies belief that the ZRA would not only flout a court order, but waste time and taxpayers’ money in a fight to keep from even sitting down with The Post to resolve the matter.”

He continued: “As delegates from IPI and the African Media Initiative (AMI) noted following a joint emergency press freedom mission to Zambia last month, this case is not about taxes. If it was, the ZRA would work with The Post to reconcile the amount owed; The Post would be operating at full capacity, generating even more vital tax revenue; and private printers who have allowed the newspaper to survive since the seizure would not be suffering raids and intimidation by government agents.”

“We urge authorities to end this misguided effort, which is an affront not only to The Post’s right to publish, but to Zambian voters’ right to freely share and receive information.”

The order that the ZRA is was challenging directs the ZRA to release The Post’s bank accounts and hand back its premises and equipment so that it can conduct business.

The order also requires The Post to pay whatever portion of the bill that it believes it actually owes while turning over other property in the value of 53 million kwacha to serve as security in exchange for the property released.
IPI and other observers have raised concerns that the ongoing seizure of The Post is an attempt to limit critical coverage of President Edgar Lungu and the ruling Patriotic Front party government in advance of next week’s elections.

MMD President Dr. Nevers Mumba on Saturday 30 July, 2016 joined thousands of Copperbelt residents in tumultious chants of ‘BYE, BYE BA LUNGU ,’ at whirlwind mammoth rallies within 24 hours, sweeping through Luanshya Baluba, Mindolo, Chingola and finally Kwacha township in Kitwe with alliance partner UPND Vice-President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, in their continued Zambia United non-stop campaigns to drum up support for the election of UPND President Hakainde Hichilema for Republican President in the 11 August election.

Dr. Mumba reminded the people that the PF had lied to them about ‘more jobs’ when they campaigned to take over power from the MMD in 2011 but instead have destroyed over 7,000 mining jobs on the Copperbelt due to their confused mining policies, which have reduced miners to beggars. He said they lied about bringing a pro-poor economy to the people of Zambia but instead hiked the price of the Zambian staple food ‘mealie-meal’ from K37.00 per bag left by the MMD to K100.00 per bag at the moment. He further said instead of improving on what the MMD was giving farmers in the farmers’ input support programme of 4 bags urea and 4 bags D compound fertilizer they lied and have reduced this to just 4 bags in total in theory but in practice only give a total of 2 bags.

He further said the value of the kwacha to the dollar which the MMD left at K4.7 has deteriorated to K11 per dollar, causing a sharp rise in the cost of living and prices of basic commodities far beyond the reach of most poor people.

He told the people that they voted for both Mr. Rupiah Banda and Mr. Lungu in tears during periods of national mourning and gave them sympathy votes in 2008 and 2015 respectively but urged them to now wake up and vote wisely as they are no longer in mourning but are suffering. He told them that the party for which Mr. Sata and Dr. Guy Scott sweated to put in power in 2011 had now been highjacked by Mr. Lungu who has given it to the people who used to insult Mr. Sata and that all those who sweated with Mr. Sata have now been thrown out and replaced by strangers.

Dr. Mumba further urged President Lungu to feel free to play with anything, including whisky if he so wished, but should be careful to give due honour and respect to God’s name which he was now carelessly dragging into politically-motivated prayer meetings aimed at deceiving Zambians and to advance his own political ambitions. He said Mr. Lungu on the one hand looks humble during the day and calls for prayer meetings, but at night summons senior police officers to State House and instructs them to deal firmly with the opposition, which unfortunately recently resulted in the death of a young UPND cadre at the hands of armed police officers.

He called on all Zambians, particularly MMD members country-wide, to unite with their UPND colleagues and other progressive Zambians to vote for Hakainde Hichilema as president, emulating their fore-fathers who united across ethnic lines in 1963 and 1991 to remove the colonial masters and the UNIP government respectively to achieve a bigger cause of rescuing Zambians from suffering.

United party for National Development (UPND) Vice-President for Administration and Running Mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has said that UPND Cabinet yet is yet to be appointed and dismissed any document circulating as a fake document authored by our political opponents.

In a statement released to the media this evening, the UPND running mate said that the document circulating is counterfeit and the forging of the signature of UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka is a very serious offence indeed and urged people to pay no attention to it at all, as it was not authored by any of the UPND team.

Below is the full statement

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

UPND Cabinet yet to be appointed

It is sad to see how some politicians are now resorting to divisive talk as the elections draw closer in an attempt to distract people from the important issues.

While UPND talks policies and solutions, what we hear back is personal attacks and statements designed to stir up tribal sentiments.

We want to reassure the people it is not long now until a UPND government is appointed. It will be an inclusive government that works in the interests of all.

It has come to our attention that a fake document authored by our political opponents is being circulated and supposedly sets out several appointments for the incoming UPND government. This is a counterfeit document and the forging of the signature of UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka is a very serious offence indeed. We urge people to pay no attention to it at all, as it was not authored by any of our team.

As UPND we are determined to have a strong hard working government that can deliver our 10 Point Plan for Zambia. We are ready to show that we are men and women of action ready to serve the people. We wish to make it clear that no government members have been appointed; only Dr. Canisius Banda’s appointment to Cabinet has been confirmed, as announced by HH himself.

Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba
UPND Vice-President for Administration and Running Mate

ALERT United Party for National Development (UPND) supporters in Livingstone this morning impounded and searched eight new Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) trucks which were accompanied by State Police on suspicion that the trucks were carrying materials for rigging elections.

The search, which was conducted by the Police and UPND cadres from morning up to around mid-day at the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Port Office, revealed that seven trucks were empty while one truck was carrying spares for the rest of the trucks.

At the end of the search, UPND resolved to send a team of officials to accompany the trucks alongside the Police to Lusaka to ensure that nothing was put in them along the way.

Southern Province Commissioner of Police Godwin Phiri said the convoy of trucks started off to Lusaka at12:55 hours and UPND supporters were accompanying the trucks.

Mr Phiri said the outcome of the search had vindicated both ECZ and the Police and warned that all acts of lawlessness would be met with force.

And addressing party supporters after a successful search, UPND Livingstone campaign manager Christopher Syamwenya said his party was satisfied that the trucks were not carrying materials for rigging the elections.

Mr Syamwenya told the cheering UPND supporters to remain alert and vigilant so safeguard the votes.

“We must continue to be vigilant to ensure a free and credible election. We have advised that the trucks should proceed to Lusaka since they don’t have suspicious materials.

“Our party officials will escort these to Lusaka and they will meet other UPND officials in Kafue and Lusaka to beef up the escort team,” he said.

Mr Syamwenya however blamed the Livingstone police for not handling the matter professionally.

“When the trucks arrived in the morning, local residents and UPND supporters rushed to the scene to see what was inside the trucks but the local police responded by firing teargas and shot a boy Owen Mupika.

“This boy was rushed to Livingstone Central Hospital where he was operated and he is still admitted to Hospital,” Mr Syamwenya said.

Some UPND cadres at the scene also claimed that they had a video on alleged the police shooting of the boy.

In his reaction to the claims by UPND, Mr Phiri said the police acted to disperse violent cadres after they were attacking motorists and that one person known as Own Mupika, 34, fell while running away from police and sustained bruises.

Mr Phiri said Mupika was undergoing treatment at Livingstone Central Hospital and he was expected to be discharged.

CHRIS AKUFUNA

Earlier, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Spokesperson Chris Akufuna has expressed ignorance over the eight newly bought trucks by the commission being impounded by the opposition UPND supporters in Livingstone, Reports Pan African African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

The trucks have caused anxiety in Livingstone town such that some suspected UPND cadres have started protesting.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Akufuna said the eight trucks are new trucks for Electoral Commission of Zambia ordered from South Africa to be used in ferrying of election materials.

Mr. Akufuna has since stated that the trucks will be opened to enable those suspicious to check what is inside.

“How can I know am in lusaka! The commission bought trucks from south Africa, they are coming to Lusaka via katima mulilo boarder post, if they suspect anything let them open the trucks and verify” he said

ESTHER MWATA KATONGO ON THE EIGHT TRUCKS

Meanwhile, Zambia Police Deputy Spokesperson Esther Mwata Katongo explained that when the eight trucks reached Sesheke, UPND cadres became suspicious and demanded to check what was inside and after checking through , they discovered that there was nothing in the containers.

She noted that the trucks proceeded and when they reached Livingstone, UPND cadres begun protesting burning tyres on roads demanding that the trucks be opened.

Ms Katongo urged political parties to avoid causing anarchy over speculations.

Ms Katongo said there was need for political parties to remain calm and follow procedures in instances where they had doubt.

“The said eight new trucks for ECZ, which are for ferrying election materials, were ordered from South Africa and they passed through Katima Mulilo Border Post.

“When the trucks reached Sesheke, UPND cadres because suspicious and demanded to check inside but they found nothing. When the trucks reached Livingstone, cadres began protesting and burnt tyres on the road demanding for the trucks to be opened.

“ECZ allowed the trucks to be opened and they did not find anything but empty containers. ECZ has also allowed those who want to escort the trucks to Lusaka in the spirit of eliminating suspicion,” Ms Katongo said.

The Zambia Police Service has again come out to refute another report circulating on social media which is linked to rising electoral violence.

With 10 days to go before Zambia goes to the polls, heighten political campaigns have seen rival groups take to social media to discredit each other with violence and reports of violence being the most used form of propaganda.

Another report emerged on social media yesterday under the headline: PF CADRE CUTS WOMAN’s HAND IN MUCHINGA PROVINCE OVER SUPPORT FOR UPND showing a picture of a woman having an amputated part of the hand.

The story has since been refuted by the Zambia Service through its Deputy Spokeswoman Esther Mwaata Katongo who said the story is not a true story.

Ms. Katongo said this story happened in Nigeria Abia state hence all the Zambian names in the story are fake.

“The story is just a propaganda gimmick aimed at putting Zambia in bad light. We urge all the concerned to dismiss the report as it is just a fabricated one,” she said.

“We call upon members of the public to desist from circulating falsehood and always stick to the truth as such type of reporting has potential to cause alarm in members of the public. As for those campaigning, stick to clean and factual campaigns as opposed to propaganda.