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Wezi releases the song “Mwenzeko (Mama knows best)” .The song is produced byMainza Chipenzi.
She had this to say about the song:
“I’d like to share a very sentimental public display of affection towards the woman that saw it all before it became reality, now I am an award winning artist. A song called Mwenzeko, meaning “you were there” is a song dedicated to my mother and every other mother figure out there and all females that sacrifice so much to raise champions. African mothers are the best, Zambian mothers are awesomeness at its highest degree. I’m nothing without my mom’s prayers”
GBM arrives at court
UPND Vice President Geoffrey Mwamba has instructed youths in the party to hit back whenever they are attacked by PF cadres.
Mr Mwamba said UPND youths cannot continue absorbing the amount of provocation from PF cadres.
He said UPND officials have been harassed and beaten up by PF cadres who have also disrupted party events on numerous occasions and that the police have failed to act on such reports.
Mr Mwamba recounted that Monday’s attack on the UPND campaign team in Shiwangandu area in Muchinga was an indication that the PF youths had gone too far.
He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday at the Magistrates Complex when he addressed his supporters.
Mr Mwamba was in court to hear his application to have the case in which he is accused of proposing violence regarding a comment he made that he will go for President Edgar Lungu’s throat.
His legal team had applied that his case be transferred to the Constitutional Court to determine whether the use of idioms in politics was illegal but the court refused to grant the application.
Delivering the ruling, Magistrate Jennifer Bwalya said the defence had failed to raise substantive constitutional matters to warrant referring the matter to the constitutional court for determination.
Magistrate Bwalya said the court had sufficient facts to proceed with trial.
The matter has since been adjourned to 19th July 2016 for mention and 19th August for commencement of trial.
Addressing his supporters outside court, Mr Mwamba who is also UPND presidential running mate charged that President Lungu has failed to handle political violence.
He however cautioned UPND cadres to refrain from causing violence but that they should be quick to defend themselves whenever they are attacked.
Mr Mwamba said it was clear that the PF youths in Shiwangandu intended to cause a plane crash by stoning the helicopter in an effort to have it crash land.
Meanwhile, PF cadres went on rampage in Lusaka’s Northmead shopping area and destroyed vehicles and property belonging to people suspected to be members of the PF.
Around mid-day, a large group of youths clad in UPND attire mercilessly destroyed vehicles and makeshift stalls belonging to people who were wearing PF attire.
The UPND youths were heard shouting that they were attacking PF members in Northmead in revenge attacks on the attacks on their leaders in Shiwangandu.
And a statement the Police Spokesperson said, “We received a report where people clad in UPND regalia drove to Lusaka’s Northmead area and smashed some vehicles that were on sale. The same group later proceeded to Garden compound where they are reported to have assaulted two people.”
“We compile statistics after receiving reports from divisions. Most of them are still undergoing Investigations. Most of these violence happens where we are not present. Hence the delays in concluding Investigations.”
UPND presidential running mate Geoffrey Mwamba has challenged the PF Government to go ahead and arrest him if they believe that he submitted forged academic papers to the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
And Mr Mwamba has revealed that he did not submit any academic papers from Zimbabwe but that all his academic documents were from the United Kingdom.
Mr Mwamba who is also UPND Vice President said the reported investigation going on between the Zimbabwe Examinations Authority and the Examinations Council of Zambia is a waste of time.
He has disclosed that the Advanced Diploma in Business and Finance he submitted to the Electoral Commission of Zambia was validated by ECZ Chairman Essau Chulu because it was authentic.
Mr Mwamba was speaking this morning when he featured on a special radio programme on Radio Phoenix alongside party leader Hakainde Hichilema and former Vice President Guy Scott.
“You see, I was very smart, I never presented any papers from Zimbabwe because I know the relationship between Mugabe and President Lungu. They would have gone to fidget with the papers so I only gave them the papers from the U.K,” Mr Mwamba said.
He also disclosed that officials from the Zambian High Commission in the UK got in touch with the UK College to verify the information about his academic records and that they were provided with the information they requested for.
“I am very sure this is the information that they supplied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia and this is why Judge Essau Chulu had to accept them. I also got a letter from the Zambia Qualifications Authority which also authenticated my qualifications. So my nomination is very valid. What they are doing is mere political propaganda. In Bemba, we say Baloba ilya uma (they have fished a dry fish).”
Mr Mwamba wondered why his qualifications are the only ones drawing public interest when it is in public domain that even President Lungu’s running mate Inonge Wina’s credentials are questionable.
He also revealed that he is currently studying for a Degree with another UK university and that he will be graduating in the next few weeks.
The UPND presidential running mate has since challenged ECZ Chairman Essau Chulu to resign immediately if it is proven that he accepted and validated forged papers.
“Who is the Chairman of ECZ? Isn’t it Judge Chulu? He should now resign if they are saying I presented forged papers.”
“They are busy talking about GBM because they are jittery. They know that we are going to wallop them and they are now running scared,” he said.
Mr Mwamba has since challenged the ECZ to publish the qualifications of all those that are vying for political offices from Presidential, MPS, Mayors to Councillors.
He said Zambians are now resolved to remove what he called the inept leadership of President Lungu.
“Zambians don’t want to see this party continue in Government because we are all now suffering, prices of all commodities have escalated. President Lungu has increased his salary three times while he only gave civil servants a paltry 5 percent hike.”
He added, “Edgar Lungu could not even afford to buy a suit in 2015 now he is using public resources to hire 10 helicopters and bring in Chitenges to cover the trees. This is exactly what happened in 2011. The PF didn’t have anything but we beat the MMD.”
And Mr Hichilema says focusing on Mr Mwamba’s academic qualifications is a non-issue and that those peddling the issue are being malicious.
He said there are more pressing issues in this election which Zambians should be focusing on and not talking about Mr Mwamba’s qualifications.
Mr Hichilema said the ruling of Justice Sichinga in the Grade 12 qualifications matter has rendered the issue closed.
“I think Judge Sichinga, if I am not mistaken ruled that any other qualifications beyond Grade 12 will suffice. In my case, I didn’t even submit my Grade 12 certificate, I, instead, gave them my Degree certificate. Maybe they should be questioning my papers and not GBM’s but I also got a letter from the Zambia Qualifications Authority authenticating my qualifications so the matter is now closed.”
The eighteen countries that signed the Arusha protocol of new variety of plants were Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Statement issued by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)
On 06 July 2015, in Arusha, Tanzania, a Diplomatic Conference held under the auspices of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) adopted a harmonised regional legal framework for the protection of plant breeders’ rights—the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the ‘Arusha PVP Protocol’).
The Arusha PVP Protocol is a slightly revised version of a previous Draft ARIPO Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the ‘ARIPO PVP Protocol’). The previous Draft has come under consistent and severe attack by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) because it is based on a Convention known as UPOV 1991—a restrictive and inflexible international legal precept, totally unsuitable for Africa. Crucially, the ARIPO PVP Protocol proposed extremely strong intellectual property rights to breeders while restricting the age-old practices of African farmers freely to save, use, share and sell seeds and/or propagating material. These practices are the backbone of agricultural systems in Sub-Saharan Africa; they have ensured the production and maintenance of a diverse pool of genetic resources by farmers themselves, and have safe-guarded food and nutrition for tens of millions of Africans in the ARIPO region.
[pullquote]The Arusha PVP Protocol is part of the broader thrust in Africa to ensure regionally seamless and expedited trade in commercially bred seed varieties for the benefit, mainly, of the foreign seed industry.[/pullquote]
The Arusha PVP Protocol is part of the broader thrust in Africa to ensure regionally seamless and expedited trade in commercially bred seed varieties for the benefit, mainly, of the foreign seed industry. Multinational seed companies intend to lay claim to seed varieties as their private possessions and to prevent others from using these varieties without the payment of royalties.
Germplasm developed by farming households over centuries is increasingly under threat of privatisation; and ecologically embedded farming practices risk being destabilised and dislodged. The broader modernisation thrust of which the Arusha PVP Protocol is an intrinsic part, is designed to facilitate the transformation of African agriculture from peasant-based production to inherently inequitable, inappropriate and ecologically damaging Green Revolution/industrial agriculture. Such a transformation will lead to many farming households being threatened with marginalisation or extinction, without alternative options for survival. It is worthwhile to note that a 2002 Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Bank study, the International Assessment of Knowledge, Science and Technology (IAASTD), strongly recommended a complete shift away from the Green Revolution’s industrial agriculture to agroecology.
Exclusion of African Civil Society
Despite AFSA’s well-established track record of constructive engagement with ARIPO on the Draft ARIPO PVP Protocol, and despite it being a Pan African network of African regional farmers and NGOs, working with millions of African farmers and consumers, AFSA was purposely excluded from the Arusha deliberations. This restriction stands in sharp contrast to inclusion in the deliberations of the UPOV Secretariat, and other foreign entities, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) the European Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) and the French National Seed and Seedling Association (GNIS). The commercial seed industry (e.g. the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA)) was particularly well represented.
The Arusha PVP Protocol has major implications for national decision-making. AFSA’s exclusion is a violation of the right of farmers to participate in decision-making on matters related to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (Article 9.2(c ) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
Least Developed Countries and sui generis options
Upon adoption, the Arusha PVP Protocol was immediately signed by representatives of the governments of Ghana, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and the Gambia. Ironically, Mozambique, the Gambia and Sao Tome and Principe are defined as Least Developed Countries (LDCs), along with a further 10 of the 19 members of ARIPO—some of the poorest countries in the world. LDCs are currently not under any international obligation to provide any form of plant variety protection until 2021, let alone one based on UPOV 1991! In any event, all countries have an option to develop sui generis (i.e. unique) plant variety protection systems that cater for their specific conditions. Acceptance of the Arusha PVP Protocol will eliminate this option. Smaller countries are bullied into accepting their subordination to regional bodies that are dominated by more powerful foreign countries and multinational corporate interests.
National sovereignty and slight changes
During the deliberations in Arusha, several delegations raised serious concerns that the Draft ARIPO PVP Protocol eroded national sovereignty because of the extensive decision-making powers vested in the ARIPO Plant Breeders Rights Office (PBRO), which operates at a regional level. The government of Malawi, in particular, said that this would “have a demeaning and nullifying effect”. Consequently, after long hours of negotiation, changes were made that now give Contracting States an explicit right to object to any Plant Breeders’ Right (PBR)—as granted by the ARIPO PBRO, regionally—in which event the PBR will not be awarded national protection. Further, Contracting States and not the ARIPO PBRO will have the right to issue compulsory licenses in the public interest. Notwithstanding these changes, a centralised regional PVP approval system will be established and the ARIPO PBRO will have full authority to grant and administer breeders’ rights on behalf of all Contracting States (e.g. to decide whether or not to grant protection, nullify or cancel PBRs, etc.). These regionally granted PBRs will have a uniform effect in all Contracting States. Expediently, Contracting States will be required to put scarce public resources at the disposal of breeders to enforce breeders’ rights at the national level.
Ratifications and joining UPOV 1991—shirking the (ITPGRFA)
The Arusha PVP Protocol will come into force when four member states of ARIPO ratify it. In April 2014 the UPOV Council, at the cost of breaking its own rules, verified that the Draft ARIPO PVP Protocol conformed to the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention, allowing ARIPO itself as well as ARIPO Members that ratify the Protocol, to become a Party to the 1991 UPOV Convention. With the new changes, to become a member of UPOV 1991, ARIPO will have to re-submit the Arusha PVP Protocol to the UPOV Council, to reassess its conformity with the 1991 Act.
AFSA calls on UPOV members to reject the Arusha PVP Protocol. On numerous occasions AFSA has challenged the legitimacy of the whole process—leading up to and culminating in the adoption of the Arusha PVP Protocol.
AFSA has also indicated, in many public statements during discussions on the Protocol, that UPOV 1991 restricts farmers’ rights to save, exchange and sell farm-saved-seed and/or the propagating material of protected varieties in their possession. Farmers’ rights are recognised in the ITPGRFA yet this has been ignored by the fourteen member states of ARIPO that are also Parties to the ITPGRFA. By adopting the Arusha PVP Protocol these countries have placed the rights of plant breeders ahead of farmers’ rights.
AFSA vows to continue struggle for seed sovereignty
AFSA is vehemently opposed to the Arusha PVP Protocol. This Protocol’s underlying imperatives are to increase corporate seed imports, reduce breeding activity at the national level, and facilitate the monopoly by foreign companies of local seed systems and the disruption of traditional farming systems. AFSA remains committed to ensuring that farmers, as breeders and users,remain at the centre of localised seed production systems and continue to exercise their rights freely to save, use, exchange, replant, improve, distribute and sell all the seed in their seed systems.
15 people suspected to be Somalian nationals have died in a containerised truck on the pedicle road in an apparent case of human trafficking gone wrong.
The Truck registered AFB 496 from Kasama was carrying over 50 Somalians suspected to be trafficked from Tanzania.
The final destination of the victims is unclear at this stage.
The Truck carrying bags of beans in front but had Somalians hidden behind.
Apparently passers-by are said to have forced the driver to open the truck when they heard noises coming from the truck.
At the scene, 20 Km from Levy Mwanawasa Bridge in Chembe, bodies were found strewn on the ground and over 30 survivors narrated that they were transferred from another truck and were picked from Kasama but the new truck had no ventilation which made their colleagues suffocate to death.
The driver is detained by Police on the Congo side.
Bodies of suspected Somalians strewn on the groundBodies of suspected Somalians strewn on the ground after the suffocated in a truckLifeless bodies of suspected Somalians strewn on the ground
A distraught looking Precious Longwe accused of killing his her husband was on Wednesday led into the Lusaka Magistrate Court for explanation of her murder charge.
Magistrate Kenneth Mulife who asked the accused whether she understood the charge to which she responded in the affirmative explained that Precious could not take plea because the court had no jurisdiction to hear such matters.
He said the Court is awaiting to hear from the DPP Chambers on whether to commit Precious to the High Court for plea.
Precious, 30, a Customer Services Officer at Banc ABC in Lusaka is accused of murdering her husband Akakanda Lubinda Liteebele on May 25 by shooting him five times.
Murder suspect Precious being led out of courtMurder suspect Precious being led back to the holding cell
ZESCO Muzuma substation being upgraded to KV 330 (from KV 220) in order to be connected to the national grid as soon as the Maamba coal plant station is commissioned
ZAMBIA will experience a further reduction in the hours of load shedding by the end of this month after the expected addition of 150 megawatts to the national grid by Maamba Collieries Limited’s thermal plant, Zesco Limited has said.
Zesco spokesperson Henry Kapata said in an interview yesterday that final touches are being done at Maamba thermal plant on the transmission of power from the plant in Maamba to the national grid.
He said evacuation of power will be done in two phases with the first 150MW at the end of the month and another 150MW two weeks later.
“All together we are expecting 300 megawatts to be added to the national grid and this will result in a further reduction of load shedding,” Mr Kapata said.
Load shedding recently reduced from six to four hours.
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has pledged to accelerate agricultural activity in Chama South in order to increase food production.
Speaking at a mammoth rally held at Chama South market in Chama District this afternoon, Mr. Hichilema said this will be done through the timely and adequate provision of farming inputs.
Mr. Hichilema said that he will apply his experience in business and agriculture to ensure farmers are properly supported to increase their yields at a lower cost.
Meanwhile, MMD President Dr Nevers Mumba has called on all MMD members across the country to begin campaigning for Mr. Hichilema as he is the one with a clear vision to deliver their economic emancipation.
UDF President Miles Sampa added that President Hakainde Hichilema will also focus on ensuring all children can access education so they have the opportunity to learn valuable skills.
Former Commerce Minister Bob Sichinga said that the PF has no credible leaders who can effectively fight poverty.
The UPND President Hakainde Hichilema has since completed his first campaign trail of Copperbelt, Northern, and Muchinga Provinces and has now left Chama District for Lusaka.
Chama residnets respond to HH’s message during the rallyDr Nevers Mumba campaign for UPND during the Chama rallyBob Sichinga addressing the crowd in ChamaThe people responding to the UPND campaign messages
Loud and Clear-Green Party members advocate for legalisation of Marijuana
Green Party Lundazi District Chairman Davy Kumwenda, who was arrested on 6 February, 2016, and charged with trafficking in psychotropic substances, namely cannabis sativa, was on Tuesday acquitted by Lundazi Magistrate Newton Nyirenda.
Mr Kumwenda who had been remanded in custody since February, was represented by Clement Tafeni of Suba, Tafeni and Associates.
Mr Tafeni is also the running Mate for Green Party President Peter Sinkamba in the forthcoming Presidential Election scheduled to be held on 11 August.
Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officials arrested Kumwenda on 6 February in Lundazi, soon after featuring on Radio Chikaya where he was invited to discuss the medicinal properties of marijuana, and how the Green Party plans to turn the wonder high-value crop into a fortune spinner for the country.
Upon being searched outside the radio station after the radio programme, two plastic bags were found in his possession.
One bag contained loose cannabis leafs while the other had cannabis seeds.
DEC officials alleged that two bags contained loose cannabis and cannabis powder weighing 980 grammes.
He informed DEC officials that he uses cannabis for medicinal purposes.
When the matter came for plea on 8 February, Kumwenda appeared in person and admitted the charge.
However, when the matter came up for sentencing on 12 February, Mr Tafeni was engaged and he made an application for change of plea from guilty to not guilty and the application was granted.
Furthermore, Mr Tafeni raised constitutional issues pursuant to Article 18(2) and 28(4) of the Constitution and applied for bail.
When the matter came up on Monday this week for the ruling on the two applications, Magistrate Nyirenda refused bail on account that Kumwenda was facing a cognisable offence namely trafficking.
The court also refused constitutional reference because the charge had been explained in a language which he understood and he had been brought to court within reasonable time.
As a result, trial started on Tuesday and the prosecution called two witnesses.
At the end of the prosecution case, Mr Tafeni submitted that the accused be acquitted on account that the prosecution had failed to establish the essential elements of the charge.
The court agreed with Mr Tafeni on grounds that the prosecutions evidence had been so discredited during cross-examination and called into question the identification of the accused by the DEC officers.
DEC witnesses alleged Kumwenda had cannabis in powder form when in actual fact it was in seed form.
The weighing was not done in the presence of the accused and that the weighing was done including plastic bags which brought into question the actual weight of the cannabis.
Kumwenda was thus found with no case to answer and accordingly acquitted.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has written to the Examination Council of Zambia to report UPND Presidential Running Mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba to Law enforcement agencies for suspected forgery.
Mwanajiti and Associates Director Ngande Mwanajiti told Journalist in Lusaka that the forwarded documents appear to belong to Mr. Mwamba.
Mr. Mwanajiti observed that the request made by the examination board in Zimbabwe should not be politicized but should instead be treated as a criminal matter with all fairness as it is a matter that has potential to negatively affect the governance of the country.
He has since called on all relevant authorities to establish the truth concerning the validity of Mr. Mwamba’s results.
The documents submitted include a copy of a letter from the Examinations Council of Zambia, a copy of the grade 12 certificate bearing the names Mwamba Geoffrey Bwalya and a copy of a letter from the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council to the Examinations Council of Zambia.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has since validated the documents.
Zambia will face Swaziland in Sunday’s 2016 Cosafa Cup quarterfinals in Namibia.
Swaziland booked their June 19 date with the four-time champions after Wednesday evenings 1-0 win over Madagascar in Windhoek to finish top of Group A.
Felix Badenhorst headed-in the winner in the 72nd minute to send Swaziland to the Cosafa Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2004.
Swaziland finished on 7 points, two more than record four-time champions Zimbabwe who won 4-0 over Seychelles but bow out in the preliminaries.
Madagascar exit on 4 points.
Zambia, who enjoyed a preliminary round bye, are due to land in Windhoek on Friday.
PF Members of parliament listens during the presentation of 2015 budget
Three parties participating in this year’s elections have promised to strengthen the oversight mandate of Parliament as a way of providing checks and balances to the Executive.
Speaking during the Open Forum Debate under the theme Good Governance, Checks and Balances and Access to Information, opposition parties UNIP, UPND and the FDD all agreed that Parliament needs do more than just be a rub stamp for the ruling party.
FDD Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the need to strengthen Parliament is as result of its committees’ recommendations gathering dust once they are made among other challenges being faced by the legislative arm of government.
He said reforms at Parliament will in turn strengthen other institutions such as the ACC and the Police.
He said the Auditor General’s office has become a ceremony office that tends in its findings but hardly anyone is prosecuted for the crimes they commit against Zambians through misappropriation of public funds.
Mr Mwanza said in its current form Parliament can only sit as committees and debate in house but the Executive makes all the decisions.
He said the politicisation of institutions in the country has made most institutions under perform as they depend on politicians tell them what to do.
And Choolwe Bayani of the UPND said his party will seek to empower local communities by decentralizing the governance structures of country.
He said with decentralisation locals will feel part of the development process taking place in their communities.
He also said his party will ensure that the civil service is depoliticized to ensure that professionals do their job with any interference from appointees who often time just frustrate professional civil servants.
He said there is need for institutions such the Auditor General’s office, the ACC and the Police to have “teeth” to ensure that they do their job without any directives and interference.
And UNIP Vice President and presidential running mate said there need to reintroduce civil service exams to ensure people are employed on merit.
He said a number of people have been employed in positions they hardly understand because of their connections with authorities.
He said his government will prioritise training of the civil servants to ensure effectiveness.
He also said his party would trim down the civil service as it was too bloated and was consuming alot of money, monies he said should be channelled to developmental programs.
But FDD’s Antonio Mwanza begged to differ on the issue government over employing saying it is the government which is bloated and not the civil service.
He said key sectors such as Education, Health and Agriculture were seriously understaffed and that his government will ensure that it trims down on political appointees who spend time yawning in their offices because there is nothing to do.
He added that his Party once elected will ensure that it cuts down on the luxuries splashed on the Ministers at the expense of Zambians.
On corruption the three parties agreed that corruption can only successfully be fought by investing and strengthening institutions created to tackle the scourge.
They agreed that corruption would only end if the root causes are addressed.
Conspicuously missing for the debate was representation from the ruling PF who had promised to come but chickened out at the last minute.
Zanaco have gone three points clear at the top of the FAZ Super Division table after downing hosts Green Buffaloes in a rescheduled Week 6 fixture away on Wednesday.
Mumamba Numba’s side beat Buffaloes 1-0 at Independence Stadium in Lusaka.
Fashion Sakala scored the games only goal in the 32nd minute after he headed-in Roderick Kabwe’s cross to record his sixth goal of the campaign.
Zanaco move to 31 points, leaving Nkana in second place on 28 points while Buffaloes remain 4th on 25 points.
And across town at Nkoloma Stadium, Nchanga Rangers stayed unbeaten for a fourth straight game when they held hosts Red Arrows to a 0-0 draw.
Arrows stay 13th and without a win in seven games since beating Nakambala Leopards 1-0 on May 4 at the same venue.
Veteran politician Mbita Chitala says removing President Edgar Lungu from office in the August elections will destabilise the nation.
Dr Chitala said President Lungu’s performance as Head of State has been excellent.
In a statement, Dr Chitala who is credited to have been one of the founder members of the MMD said the performance of the government of President Lungu cannot be faulted having been in office for only twelve months.
“My considered view is that, the way things stand, regardless of the outcome of the elections, the challenges to defeat poverty, backwardness, inequality and social injustice will still be there in our country calling for more dedication to the struggle of our people against these vices,” Dr Chitala said.
Dr Chitala charged that Zambia is now more united under the leadership of President Lungu.
“They have delivered a new constitution as promised. There is equitable development everywhere. This is in spite of the challenges occasioned by the global economic crisis which has seen us get reduced earnings from our copper. This is why, it is advisable we continue for the next five years with this political formation,” he said.
He added, “Many observers agree that electing the Lungu/Wina ticket will unite our country and continue a process of economic growth of our country. Any attempt to change now will destabilize our nation.”
Below is Dr Chitala’s full statement
IN SUPPORT OF CANDIDATURE OF EDGAH CHAGWA LUNGU FOR PRESIDENT
By: Dr. Mbita Chitala
In endorsing and supporting the candidature of the ticket of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu/Mrs. Inonge Mutukwa Wina and the PF party to win the Presidential and General elections slated for August 11, 2016, it is important to appreciate that our country still has many challenges in advancing our democracy to deal with problems of national unity, the struggle against poverty, underdevelopment and inequality.
Our country is currently heaving with uncertainty and anxiety.
The streets of Lusaka and the Copperbelt towns for instance are now theatres of needless political violence and terror among our citizens which all meaning citizens have condemned.
The opposition UPND and FDD parties have been quarrelling with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) claiming that the ECZ have at the instigation of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) registered foreign nationals to vote, that the ECZ have connived with the PF to rig the elections by printing ballot papers in Dubai.
Such claims by the opposition parties which are unsubstantiated, have been aimed to preparing the ground to not only discredit the ECZ but also to prepare ground to refute the results of the elections.
This blatant insincerity is unacceptable political conduct. Social media is awash with hateful messaging that is aimed at breaking our nation. Hawkish politicians from mainly the opposition parties are spreading incendiary rhetoric aimed at radicalizing their supporters and priming them for confrontation. This is bad politics.
Hawkish politicians from mainly the opposition parties are spreading incendiary rhetoric aimed at radicalizing their supporters and priming them for confrontation. This is bad politics.
All this has been happening ahead of the Presidential and General elections set for August 11, 2016 which will, all things being equal, be a battle between President Lungu with his running mate Mrs. Inonge Mutukwa Wina with their allies the MMD and over twelve other political parties who will be pitted against Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Mr. Godfrey Bwalya Mwamba (if it is confirmed he qualifies to stand as a running mate) together with a few nondescript entities who will be gunning to be President of Zambia for the fifth time – and some say- last time.
The two Presidential candidates Lungu and Hichilema are clearly the two front runners.
They are both graduates from the University of Zambia. President Lungu is a Lawyer who has lived in Chawama compound among the people from where he practiced his law and began a political career that saw him rise from being a Member of Parliament for Chawama constituency to being a Deputy Minister and was later promoted by the Late President Sata to become a Minister of Home Affairs and later Minister of Defence.
He was also appointed Secretary General of the PF after President Sata dismissed the arrogant and rude Winter Kabimba.
Lungu soldiered on to be elected as President of the PF in spite of opposition from such colleagues as the then Acting President Dr. Guy Scott and his bunch of trouble makers who attempted to subvert the election of Lungu.
At great odds, Lungu went on to be elected as President of the Republic in which capacity he has served for about year with great patriotism and excellence.
In the Presidential elections, President Lungu’s principal challenger will be President Hakainde Hichilema of the UPND who has lost four elections already and who some people consider the richest man in Zambia having amassed enormous wealth after working as a consultant and liquidator of privatized state companies such as the Luanshya Mine which he assisted sale to some failed Indian entity called Binani and other companies such as Inter-Continental Hotel in Livingstone which he ended up being a shareholder and chairman.
Mr. Hichilema carries himself as a smart businessman and hopes to bring this expertise to the governance of Zambia.
And in this, he is supported by a political formation that Mr. V.J. Mwaanga once described as tribally based that draws much support from the Bantu Botatwe tribal grouping in Zambia.
He has attempted but failed to build a national coalition by collecting a few nondescript characters from other regions albeit in a marginal way.
Such is the case when he imposed discredited persons in his campaign team which saw the resignation of many of his original members from his party including his Vice President to join the PF party.
My considered view is that, the way things stand, regardless of the outcome of the elections, the challenges to defeat poverty, backwardness, inequality and social injustice will still be there in our country calling for more dedication to the struggle of our people against these vices.
The performance of the government of President Lungu cannot be faulted having been in office for only twelve months. Its performance so far has in practice been excellent. Our country is now more united.
They have delivered a new constitution as promised. There is equitable development everywhere. This is in spite of the challenges occasioned by the global economic crisis which has seen us get reduced earnings from our copper.
This is why, it is advisable we continue for the next five years with this political formation.
Many observers agree that electing the Lungu/Wina ticket will unite our country and continue a process of economic growth of our country.
Any attempt to change now will destabilize our nation.
Of course in the long term, we need to change our politics.
We must break the cartels that have captured our state. We must reduce mass poverty and deep inequalities among our people. We must reject the neo-liberal capitalist policies that tend to suffocate our people.
We must have zero tolerance policies against corruption. We must reject tribalism, provincialism and all manners of sectarianism.
We should ensure that the next elections bring about popular change which Zambians have begun to experience as evidenced by the unity of our nation and the massive investments in our road network, power generation, communications, agriculture, manufacturing, mines, tourism and the social sector.
We must break the cartels that have captured our state. We must reduce mass poverty and deep inequalities among our people.
We have so far had multi-party elections in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006,2008, 2011 and 2014. These coming elections on August 11,2016 will be our eighth Presidential elections.
All the past elections were characterized by persistent concerns about fairness and credibility of the outcomes.
Most of the political parties aspired to build a capitalist formation in Zambia. Their only differences were expressed in their ethnic bases, personalities and never on ideology.
That is why their leaders easily entered into alliances with each other without any attempt to consult their members.
And this was usually after money changed hands or the promise of lucrative government jobs. It did not matter who came to power.
Politicians pursued power and not a national vision. This has been our poor heritage which our new political leaders must address and change so that politics is anchored on integrity and respect.
It is important we transform elections so that they become a catalyst for bringing about popular change. Elections should not be commercialized or transactional.
The current unregulated campaigns mean that whoever has money will win through massive bribery and vote buying.
This must change. Currently, monies from all sorts of sources find their way in the election campaigns.
Drug money, proceeds from criminal conduct, from poaching, from advance bribes from businessmen expecting to be rewarded government contracts, funds diverted from projects, money looted from public coffers and so on must never be allowed to make dirty our electoral process.
What is even more disheartening is that because of mass poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, unemployment and general hopelessness of many of our people, many of our citizens have no interest in politics, they are apathetic and do not critically examine the manifestos of political parties.
Many of our people would rather receive bribes in form of T-shirts, Chitenge material or money to vote for certain candidates or join gangs to disrupt the campaigns of the opponents of their candidates.
The MMD vision in 1991 was the desire to claim rights to adequate food, shelter, water, land, education, health care and the rights to freedom of association, freedom of speech, movement, freedom from harassment and so on.
After 52 years of our independence and 24 years of multi-partism, millions of Zambians still go to bed hungry and sickly children still learn under trees as we politicians still pursue power for personal glory.
There is need that we address our politics and drive to change the status quo.
The challenge for politicians is to bring food to the table.
It is gratifying that in the one year that President Lungu has been at the helm of the leadership of our country, some noticeable progress towards achieving self-sufficiency in human needs have begun to be addressed.
Many citizens are happy that President Lungu and the PF government have addressed the Mung’omba draft constitution and on 11 August, we will be voting in a people’s referendum to enhance our Bill of Rights.
This enhanced Bill of Rights is quite revolutionary and all well-meaning Zambians should vote affirmatively.
It is also gratifying that President Lungu and his government has embarked on extensive public works program which has seen the construction of massive infrastructure in the whole country.
This enhanced Bill of Rights is quite revolutionary and all well-meaning Zambians should vote affirmatively.
It is also hoped that in the next government, President Lungu and his government will review and implement a taxation policy and system that will provide for price participation in mineral sales, reduce PAYE, abolish nuisance taxes, reduce production taxes – put money in people’s pockets; re-dedicate the government and the people to zero tolerance against corruption and re-enact abuse of office as a corrupt offence under the ACC Act; institute indigenous empowerment measures; create a sovereign fund from excess earnings from minerals and support the creation of Zambian middle class; zero rate agriculture; continue investing in education, health and housing; implement a program to create a million jobs annually by implementing a state driven public works program to construct 2 million houses, road construction and other infrastructure; implement equitable and efficient implementation of government programs emphasising “One Zambia One Nation” motto and doctrine that is against tribalism, nepotism, provincialism, sexism, racism and such a policy that appreciates excellence, performance, skills and fair play.
Such a minimum program in our view will provide a basis for national unity and make the next PF government provide useful public service.
In the current political and economic atmosphere, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and the Patriotic Front party provide the best political formation and should be endorsed and supported to win the August, 11 Presidential and General Elections.
