VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina is today expected in Mwansabombwe District to grace this year’s Umutomboko traditional ceremony.

According to the tentative programme made available to the Times of Zambia, Ms Wina is expected in Mansa Airport this morning at 11 hours.

Ms Wina would later launch the Rural Electrification Authority at Mununsi in Mwansdabombwe before paying a courtesy call on the Mwata Kazembe at his palace.

The Vice president is later in the afternoon expected at the main arena of the ceremony to Grace the occasion.

Yesterday, the Vice president was in Rufunsa district where she held a public rally in Chinyunyu ward to boost support for the Patriotic Front (PF) aspiring Member of Parliament Kenneth Chipungu and President Edger Lungu.

Ms Wina reminded the people of Rufunsa that this was an important period when which people needed to be mindful of when choosing a leader for the next five years.

She said the PF administration was not in the business of making promises but implementing policies as evidenced by the massive infrastructure development doted around the country.

“Some opposition parties are asking you not to vote for PF, they are asking you that are you going to eat roads. But in PF say you can eat roads because there is no meaningful development without a good road network,” Ms Wina said.

She said it was clear that the opposition was not ready to continue with the developmental agenda being implemented by the PF.

She said the PF government had put up an agenda of working on the provision of clean drinking water, irrigation water and dams for the animals.

She said all the developmental projects were guaranteed to the people of Rufunsa only if they voted for President Lungu, Mr Chipungu and the PF.

She said voting for the opposition party in the 11th August general election would derail developmental progress in the constituency.

She urged people of Rufunsa to trust Mr Chupungu as he was an experienced parliamentarian who worked well with the former ruling party MMD.

She said now that Mr Chipungu was in PF, development in the area was going to be accelerated with emphasis on youth empowerment and agriculture support programmes.

Mr Chipungu asked the people of Rufusa to trust and vote for him and President Lungu as development in the area was visible under the PF.

He said granting Rufunsa a district status had seen massive infrastructure development such as the newly contracted district offices, a police post, and electricity with five secondary schools were also under construction.

Former Diplomat to the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is also Member of the Patriotic Front (PF) Party National Mobilization team Christine Phiri has warned opposition political parties to stop misleading voters on the referendum vote. Mrs. Phiri told ZANIS in Katete that it was worrisome to see the amount of lies been peddled by the opposition political parties to stop people from voting for the referendum.

She said during her campaign tour in Eastern province she has discovered that many voters have been misled by the opposition political parties who want to cause voter apathy by lying to people that the referendum vote was a scheme of rigging the elections by the Patriotic Front (PF) and also a way of allowing homosexuality in Zambia.

She explained that the Patriotic Front party has gone round the country to encourage people to vote (YES) in the referendum as it has seen the potential the proposed bill of rights has in adding value to people’s lives.

She added that the referendum vote was nothing political but aimed at increasing the number of rights and freedoms people of Zambia enjoy and further compel government to provide for its citizens.

Mrs. Phiri further explained that discouraging people from voting for the referendum was tantamount to denying them of their good and casting a spell on their future.

She noted that the referendum vote has nothing to do with political votes that will be cast on the Presidential, parliamentary, ward councillors and council chairpersons as it was meant to accept or deny additions proposed in the bill of rights which are aimed at strengthening the current rights people enjoy.

She urged people of Zambia to turn out in large numbers on 11 th August and vote for the Patriotic Front president and candidates at all levels together with the Referendum for Zambia to continue on its developmental path. She said people should understand that the Presidential election will be held under a majoritarian system which requires that the winner amasses over 50 percent plus 1 vote failure to which a fresh election will be called. She pointed out that people should further understand that failure to have a presidential winner in the first election will be costly for the nation and will derail development as more resources will be lost.

Meanwhile Mrs. Phiri has expressed happiness at the amount of support the people of Msolo in Mambwe district have rendered to the Patriotic Front government. She said on Tuesday during her courtesy call on Chief Msolo at his palace, Chief Msoro thanked President Edgar Lungu for increasing the monthly allowance to traditional leaders in the country.

Mrs. Phiri said the Chief requested her to pass on his gratitude to the president adding that the increment had come at a right time when many chiefs in the country were suffering. She said the Chief in his speech explained that Chiefs in the country had a huge role to play as custodians of the people hence needed adequate support to help them manage their affairs. After her Courtesy call the former Diplomat explained that she late held a meeting at the Msolo palace where 16 indunas and headmen attended to listen to her referendum sensitization massage and campaign for President Edgar Lungu.

She noted that among other things that the people of Msolo were looking forward was the construction of Katete- Msolo road to open a trade route among between the two districts. She however assured the people of Msolo that the Patriotic Front government once elected back into office will ensure that all developmental projects here-marked are started and completed on time.

A 38 year old man of Sakambunda village in Chiyeke died on the spot after he jumped off a moving truck that was ferrying UPND supporters from a rally which was held at Moses Luneta grounds in Chavuma district.

North Western Province commissioner of Police Luckson Sakala confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as Sunday Kasoka.

Mr Sakala said Mr Kasoka jumped off a Benz truck registration number ABT 9872 which was being driven by Benjamin Sakandula,27 , of Zambezi district who was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.

Mr. Sakala said the incident occurred between 16:00 and 17:50 hrs in Chiyeke and Kasoka sustained a suspected fractured skull and bled heavily from the mouth.

The deceased’s body has since been deposited in Chavuma Mission Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.

Meanwhile UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has promised the people Kabompo to revamp the defunct North Western Bee company if the his party formed government after August 11.

Addressing a rally at Kaunda Square, Mr Hichilema said the Kabompo-based company did not only produce honey products of international standard but also provided employment to the local people hence the need to reopen it.

He said Kabompo was not only reach in natural honey but also in other natural resources such as timber which if well enhanced could provide employment to the local people and revenue for the nation.

The UPND leader has also promised to the people in Kabompo to revamp the agriculture sector by giving farmers enough farming inputs so that they increased on their production which would in turn result in the reduction of mealie meal price.

He also said the UPND was the only visionary party which could deliver development to the expectation of the Zambian people.
“I am offering myself and the entire UPND to you the people of Kabompo so that we develop this country,” he said.

He also appealed to the electorates to vote for the UPND candidates at all levels so that when his party formed government after 11 August development could be fostered in the area.

And addressing a rally in Mufumbwe, Mr Hichilema promised to reinstate fired civil servants.