Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula Province has implored Government to transform Luapula Province into an electricity hub for the region through investing in hydro power generation.

Mwata Kazembe implored Government at this year’s annual Mutomboko traditional ceremony held in Mwansabombwe yesterday.
He said Government should take advantage of the abundant natural water bodies and waterfalls in the region to generate electricity for both local and export markets.

Speaking through his representative Misheck Kaoma, the senior chief said Government should revive the Mununshi banana scheme, complete the pedicle road and pay attention to the Mansa-Kashikishi road which was last maintained in 1996.

The Mwata however praised Government for the Mansa Sugar project in Chembe, the forestry project and Bio Energy project in Kawambwa which will create employment for the people.

And Vice President Inonge Wina disclosed that Government is determined to improve the welfare and living conditions for traditional leaders countrywide through building them decent palaces.

The Vice President said currently Government is constructing Palaces for Chief Munkanta in Kawambwa, Chieftainess Kanyembo is Nchelenge and Senior Chief Mununga in Chienge whose construction works are progressing well.

She said Government is values provision of water and sanitation for the people and has embarked on sinking 10 new boreholes in Mwansabombwe through the African Development Bank initiative and will rehabilitate 10 old ones accompanied by 25 VIP latrines.

The Vice president said she is happy that the piped water project in the Chiefdom is at 95 per cent complete
The Vice President donated a hammermill to the Mwata to enable him easy milling of Zambia’s staple grain for his subjects.

This year’s Mutomboko ceremony was attended by Eastern Chiefs of the Ngoni people; paramount Chief Mpezeni, Senior Chief Nzamane and Chief Mazimawe.

The Ushi Chiefs were Kalasa Lukanganba and Matanda accompanied by one Unga chief from the water swamps of Lunga District Chief Nsamba.

One Ngumbo Chief Kasaomabangweulu of Samfya District was in atatendance.

Mwata’s own Chiefs of the Lunda people of Luapula Province were Chikopo Kanyembo, Kashiki Kambwali of Nchelenge and Kashiba of Mwense.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has commended Parliamentary candidates for Kasama Central Constituency for publicly engaging in an organised debate with their Constituents to hear on issues which affect them.

Speaking during the debate session at , YALI President Andrew Ntewewe told the fully parked conference hall that the YALI team which is in Northern Province to promote peaceful campaigns ahead of the August 11 elections has observed with concerns that none of the candidates has come out to state their positions on political violence or acts that leads to political violence.

“The people of Kasama and Zambia at large want to know your stance on the continued electoral violence and conflict but also as you may have heard from the people’s comments, the issues they demand you to address are all about the rights as contained in the proposed Bill of Rights which is going to the Referendum. So you may as well explain your positions on the enhancement of the Bill of Rights and voting in the forthcoming referendum”, said Ntewewe.

Kasama UPND Parliamentary candidate, Sibongile Mwamba, who appeared calm and to have won the debate according to simple opinion survey conducted after the event, complained of the continued intimidation and acts of violence targeted at her campaign team.

Outspoken PF candidate, Kelvin Sampa who put up a good fight despite the limited changes he was accorded, said the PF have been clear about the need for the people of Kasama to vote YES in the Referendum if they have to enjoy the rights they seek to have which includes shelter, quality healthcare, housing and decent living.

Meanwhile YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza bemoaned the many promises the candidates were giving to their electorates and said candidates needs to clearly tell their people that the primary duty of a member of Parliament to make laws while government has a key duty to deliver any area whether held by an opposition or ruling party MP.

Mr Mwanza said the people normally lose confidence in their MPs because they don’t normally say the truth about their roles and primary duties in national governance due to excessive promises being made during campaigns.

As the day of elections draws closer, stakeholders across the country have continued to urge politicians to remain calm and ensure that the country holds peaceful elections which will be acceptable to all parties.

On Sunday Anglican Church Eastern Diocese Bishop William Chombo called for the end to the unprecedented high levels of political violence that the country has continued witness saying politics are not an end in themselves but a vehicle by which people chose who should be their leaders.

Bishop Chombo explained that people should not reach an extent of killing each in the name of politics because elections should be a means for delivering development to the people.

He said the country can go into flames due to careless language by political players hence the need for them to restrain themselves from using inflammatory language against each other.

“This country can go into flames due to careless language. What we know is that politics is just a vehicle to identify who are our leaders should be. Politics in themselves are not an end but just a means to deliver development.

“What we have seen in this year’s election, I think in Zambia we are seeing the kind of political violence that we have never witnessed before. People should not be hacking each other over nothing, what people want is to choose a leader who will move the country forward. That person can come from PF, UPND, FDD or MMD. The ultimate goal should be how do we develop Zambia,” he said.

He said politicians should not turn the country into a war zone because of greed and selfishness saying “we want to continue living in peace and continue to be a beacon of peace in the region. We don’t want to be like Burundi or Rwanda were people can’t iron out their problems without first fighting, we are known for being a peaceful nation and that should continue.”

The Bishop also sensitized the congregants on the need to vote in the referendum.

He said members of the church who do not understand the importance of the referendum should ask members of their families or neighbours who might have the knowledge of the Bill of Rights explain to them.

He said the referendum is an important national process which individuals who are eligible to vote should participate.

He further encouraged congregants not abstain from voting in this year’s elections because their vote is a voice that spells out what they want in the next five years.

The church service was attended by MMD National Secretary Rapheal Nakacinda and MMD Chairperson for International Relations Amb Joyce Musenge from Lusaka who are in Eastern Province to drum up support for candidates standing on the MMD ticket including Party Vice President for Politics Mutolo Phiri who is contesting the Chipata Central Parliamentary seat.

Former Executive Director of the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) McDonald Chipenzi says the continued reports of NRC buying by political party enthusiasts is undermining the credibility of the outcome of the National Referendum.

Mr Chipenzi said NRCs are the most important national document which will ensure that citizens vote in a referendum hence the trading of the national document has the potential to undermine the process.

“The continued reports of National Registration Cards (NRCs) being traded between unsuspected citizens and political party enthusiasts are undermining the credibility of the outcomes of the National Referendum.

“This is because voting in the current National referendum does not need a voters register but only the presentation of your NRCs and your age as reflected on the same document.This trade has potential to allow illegible citizens to vote using these NRCs since one can vote anywhere as long as one has the NRCs without necessarily having registered at that Voting Centre,” he said.

Mr Chipenzi said in as much as the police are doing their work in trying to stop the syndicate trading in NRCs a number cases are going unreported and that they is need for seriously measures be put in place to safe guard the process.

“The likelihood of these traded NRCs finding themselves in wrong hands during the National referendum voting is extremely high. In as much as the police are doing their work to arrest those involved in NRCs trading syndicate, only those cases reported are being followed up leaving out those yet unreported.

“In this regard, there is need to put in place serious safeguard measures to ensure that illegible individuals are not allowed to participate in a National referendum using these traded NRCs.
Without safeguard measures in place, the outcome of the referendum will be questioned and disputed.

“Therefore, the appeal to all citizens is to avoid the habit of trading their NRCs or indeed voters with any political party sympathizers ahead of the general elections and National Referendum,” he said.

Verification of Presidential ballot papers for the August 11 general elections has been completed.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- and political party representatives taking part in the exercise have since commenced verification of ballots for local government elections which include councillors, mayors, and council chairpersons.

The stakeholders are also expected to start verifying the referendum ballots today.

And UPND Director Research and Policy Joseph Lungu is happy with the manner process has been conducted.

Mr Lungu says all political parties participating have been working together as one despite having different political views a situation he hopes would continue.

And Rainbow Party Representative Francis Phiri is equally pleased with the process adding that only minor issues arising which have been dealt with.

And PF representative Edward Nyirenda has also expressed happiness with the quality of works and timely dispatch of ballots by the printer Al Ghurair of Dubai.

Today is the last day for returning officers from six provinces which include Central, Northern, Muchinga, Western, North Western and Eastern to verify and pack ballots for their respective districts with the remaining four provinces expected to commence tFrom Chris Ndhlovu Mwata implores Government.

Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja says the Zambia Police Service has not received any report of a woman believed to have been attacked by UPND cadres in Southern Province.

Some news outlets have reported that a female Teacher identified as Pamela Chanda was brutally attacked by UPND cadres in Southern Province after they identified her as a Bemba.

But in a statement, Mr Kanganja said the Police Service is concerned with the ongoing speculations concerning a video that has gone viral on social media showing a woman being attacked by UPND supporters.

“We would however like to state that as Zambia Police Service we have not received any formal report of this incident. Efforts have been made and are still being made to locate the victim and place of this incident. So far Police officers have been dispatched to Southern and Western Provinces to try and locate the victim of this incident,” Mr Kanganja said.

“We are therefore appealing to any person or persons who may know the whereabouts of this victim to report to the nearest police station so that the offenders can be brought to book.”

The Police IG has since reiterated his appeal to all peace-loving Zambians to desist from engaging in violent activities.

“As Zambia Police Service we will sternly deal with perpetrators of violence regardless of their political affiliation.”

The opposition UPND has expressed concern that the recent statement by President Lungu warning the opposition to accept the results of the forthcoming general elections is worrying.

UPND Chairman for Rural Reconstruction and Development Moono Mapani says the party will not accept to see the PF manipulate the results.

Mr. Mapani says the voice of the people should be heard through the ballot and not intimidate the opposition with stern action in an event that the results are tempered with.

He says the opposition cannot accept the results when they see that the results are manipulated.

Mr. Mapani says the strong statement by President Lungu is testimony that they are planning to rig the elections and that is why they are warning the opposition in advance so that they do not act when the election results are manipulated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mapani has expressed shock that the Law Association of Zambia has u-turned on the issue of holding the referendum alongside the elections after taking a firm stance earlier that the referendum be held independently.

He says the reasons given by the LAZ are weak just because the exercise is supported by President Lungu.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) says it has concluded that Zambia is prepared and ready to hold elections on 11th August concurrently with the referendum.

Speaking during the launch of the SEOM to the 2016 general elections, Oldemiro Baloi head of mission has encouraged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to conduct its work professionally citing that the political leadership should also lead by example in terms of electoral behavior.
Mr. Baloi who is also Mozambique minister of foreign affairs and cooperation says it is also important for the electorate to act responsibly.

He says they are confident that the deployment of their observers will contribute to enhance the credibility of the overall electoral process.

Mr. Baloi has appealed to Zambians to follow the laid down procedures should there be any areas of disagreement during the process.

He has further urged political parties to adhere and accept the results of the elections and lodge their complaints and grievances through the relevant institutions such as the constitutional court.

SADC Electoral Observation Mission has deployed 49 observers across the country to observe the august 11th general elections.