According to papers submitted to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, President Lungu declared K23.7 million as his net worth, becoming the third richest politician contesting in the August polls.

Records show that in 2015, President Lungu declared a meager K2.5 million and then PF Chairperson for Elections Sylvia Masebo revealed that Mr Lungu could not raise the nomination fee and it took Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda to bail him out.

In the latest list of declared assets, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is again topping the list with K73.16 million in assets while his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba is second with K31.8 million in net assets.

President Lungu is third with K23.7million while his running mate Inonge Wina declared K3 million in assets.
But UPND Spokesman Charles Kakoma said President Lungu is clearly been doing well for himself over the past 18 months.

“While the quality of life for the majority of the Zambian people has been worsening, he has increased his personal wealth by a staggering amount since January last year,” Mr Kakoma said.

“In the recent declaration of his assets during nomination filing he has revealed an astonishing increase in his wealth to a reported K23.7 million (K23.7 billion old currency). This is a considerable sum to accumulate in such a short space of time, especially coming at a time of complete economic meltdown for both big and small businesses in Zambia, many of which have had to shut down operations and lay off their workers.”

He said with an official annual salary of K447,559, or K37,296.58 per month, it would appear that Mr. Lungu seems to be the only Zambian who has learnt the art of business within such a short period of time in his life, especially given the difficult operating environment in Zambia.

“Let us assume for a minute that Mr Lungu has not touched his salary, after 18 months he would probably have saved K671,338.50 in his account. If only he was able to achieve the same results for our country, i.e grow GDP of at least 20%; we would have been at ease as he would have saved thousands of jobs that have been lost within a short space of time.”
 
He said the presidential salary has more than doubled under PF and allowances have increased by huge margins and yet still his net worth from these hefty salaries and allowances are nothing compared to what he has declared within a short period of time in office.

“As he is amassing wealth, the students have no meal allowances, the teachers are still owed millions in retirement benefits and thousands of miners have lost their jobs. We also have civil servants salaries being delayed.”

He said, “The question thus is, stopping short of saying Lungu played abracadabra with his money, how did Lungu manage to amass so much wealth in 18 months? Did he stop by the traffic lights to collect one of those little flyers with messages like “If you want to find your lost wallet…. contact so and so?” Your guess is as good as ours.”

Minister of Local Government Stephen Kampyongo has said that Zambians should interrogate the academic credentials filed by various candidates ahead of the general election.

Mr. Kampyongo said that politicians should also not shy away from being queried over academic certificates that they tendered before the Electoral commission of Zambia on nomination day.

He was speaking to ZNBC news in Lusaka.

Mr. Kampyongo said there is no reason to surprise people with academic qualifications that are authentically certified by relevant authorities.

And Mr. Kampyongo who is also PF National Youth Chairperson said the ruling party is comfortable with the levels of development rolled out on the Copperbelt.

He said the multi million Kwacha Kafue Water project will be a milestone achievement for the People on the Copperbelt.

However, UPND President Hakainde Hichilema says it is disturbing to note how poverty levels have risen in a land of plenty such as Lupososhi Constituency in Northern Province and within such a short period of time.

The UPND leader, who is accompanied by UDF President Miles Sampa, told a public rally in rural villages of Lupososhi Constituency that it was evident that people in the country can no longer afford 3 meals a day due to poor leadership with economic mismanagement.

Mr. Hichilema reiterated his desire to fully implement economic diversification programmes under the UPND’s 10 Point Plan that will focus on agriculture and value addition industries as a means to create jobs for rural communities.

The UPND leader called on Zambians to remain united, peaceful and issue-based, and ignore those with hateful and derogatory language against other people.

And UDF President Sampa said the remaining PF leadership had no economic solutions for the people of Zambia.

Mr. Sampa called on the people of Northern Province to embrace each other and rally behind the leadership of the UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema who has a heart for Zambians.

He added that the UPND and the UDF have an understanding of how the country’s poverty level can be reduced.

Mr. Sampa called on the people of Lupososhi Constituency not to remain behind but turnout in numbers on 11th August and vote for the UPND leadership, but must also ensure they protect their votes.

One of the meetings was also addressed by Chief Mutondo of the Bemba speaking people, where he urged his subjects to vote for the UPND leadership.

Earlier the duo also met Chief Katuta in Lupososhi Constituency who bemoaned the lack of development in his area.

Zambian rapper Chanda Mbao released his latest single “Selfish” on 31st May . As of 7th June it has already reached 11,575 views on YouTube . That is a rare digital achievement for local artists.

Selfish features Scott and was produced by Shom-C .The video was directed by DJ Lo of IKONiK Media and stars former Big Brother Housemate Maria Nepembe .
The TV premier of the video was on ZNBC’s Born and Bred  last week, where it was voted as a Hit ,and praised for the high quality of the video, during the Hit or Miss segment in which callers decided whether they like the video or not .

In addition to the tremendous local support , the video has also gotten a positive response from African celebrities such as Ghanaian rapper D Black, former Big Brother housemate Pokello Nare , Ghanaian TV/Radio personality Berla Addardey among others . Further to that, a well-known director from the US ,who has done work for artists such as Diddy, Big Sean, YG and others caught wind of the video and reached out to congratulate them.
The positive feedback is testament to the strides Zambian Music is making in reaching a wider audience outside our boarders .

BY KAPA187

Chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has said Government is disappointed with remarks by Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia president,David Chiyobe that Government must refrain from using funds meant for workers’ salaries for political campaigns ahead of the August 11 General elections.
In relation to the delay of payment of salaries The Post Newspapers quotes Mr.Chiyobe as saying “It has always been a trend, it is a known fact and it is in the public domain that if there are bigger events around the corner, people always get paid late,” Chiyobe said.

[pullquote]ubushiku umukote alubile elo chimbwi anyemfwi, balalanda ati ninani uyu ulile umukote, nichimbwi[/pullquote]
“In Bemba they say ubushiku umukote alubile elo chimbwi anyemfwi, balalanda ati ninani uyu ulile umukote, nichimbwi (the day an old man goes missing and you see grey hair in a hyena’s faeces, what will people say has eaten the old man? It is the hyena). So those are the challenges. You will realise that if there are big events being done by the government, normally, our salaries will be paid late.”

However Dr.Kambwili reiterated that under the multi-party dispensation, a ruling party cannot be allowed to use public resources in political campaigns. He said if it was done in the past, the Patriotic Front Government will not and shall never use public funds for partisan programmes.

Below is the full press release

Government is disappointed with sentiments attributed to Mr Davy Chiyobe, the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia president that civil servants are very angry that their salaries have consistently been delayed.
In The Post edition of Monday, 6th June, 2016, Mr Chiyobe was quoted as saying the Government must refrain from using funds meant for workers’ salaries for other programmes such as political campaigns ahead of the August 11 General elections.
Government wishes to state that under the multi-party dispensation, a ruling party cannot be allowed to use public resources in political campaigns.
Government further wishes to state that if it was done in the past, the Patriotic Front Government will not and shall never use public funds for partisan programmes.
That is why the statement attributed to Mr Chiyobe was unfortunate, unfounded, and inordinate.
Government, therefore, wishes to warn civil servants to observe civil service etiquette and Standing Orders which prohibit civil servants from issuing politically charged statements. Mr Chiyobe should not abrogate his responsibility as a civil servant under the guise of being a union leader.
The union leader should know that Government raises revenue from tax payers’ money and also receives money from donors on behalf of the Zambian people and such careless statements have the potential to flare anger among citizens and cooperating partners which may lead to withholding of aid to Zambia.
Such a scenario will only hurt the very people Mr Chiyobe is pretending to protect.
Government wishes to remind civil servants that the official pay day is the last day of the month but in the recent past Government has paid civil servants earlier because funds have been sourced in good time.
Due to reduced cash-inflows caused by various economic factors, Government has not been able to pay salaries earlier than the official pay day.
Government wishes to reiterate its warning to civil servants to stay out of politics and to ignore statements such as that of Mr Chiyobe which smacks of cheap politics.

Hon. Dr Chishimba Kambwili

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services and Chief Government Spokesman

YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza says it is clear that Home Affairs Minister Davis Mwila has been caught in the culture of not reading or not paying attention to very law that he is part of its enactment in Parliament when he proclaimed that prisoners must get ready to vote.

Mr Mwanza said the Minister’s statement is against the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 which the Hon Minister of Home Affairs was a part to in its enactment in the last sitting of Parliament.

He explained that prisoners will only be allowed to vote when the country manages to change the Bill of Rights through a referendum.

“Zambians must however prepare for a time when the provisions of the the Electoral Process Act forbidding prisoners to vote will become null and void if we manage to change the Bill of Rights which is being subjected to the Referendum alongside the 2016 elections.

“It is clear that the Minister of Home Affairs has been caught in the culture of not reading or not paying attention to the very law that he is part of its enactment in Parliament when he proclaimed that prisoners must get ready to vote when Section 47 (c) of the law is very clear that persons who are in lawful custody or whose freedom of movement is restricted cannot vote in an election,” he said.

Mr Mwanza further appealed to Zambians to vote yes in the referendum so as to enable prisoners vote and enjoy the benefits of the law.

“As a human rights defender, YALI however believes that Zambians must vote YES in the Referendum which will enable prisoners to vote and enjoy the benefits of the law.

“Article 30 of the Bill of Rights states that “all persons are equal before the law and have the right to equal protection and benefit of the law” while Article 34 (2) states that “a person who is held in custody retains that person’s rights and freedoms, except to the extent that a right or freedom is incompatible with being in custody”.

“When Zambians vote YES in the referendum, it will open the question on whether the prisoners right to voter is incompatible with being in a custody, a matter that can only be determined by the Constitutional Court,” he said.

Shish kebabs are a Turkish dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat.  I love a good kebab, some of the best kebabs that I ever had were on the Greek Island of Corfu.  What I love so much about shish kebabs is the fact that you can use any meat; beef, pork, chicken or lamb and you can throw on a variety of vegetables like; onions, cherry tomatoes, peppers, or even pineapples.  Marinade your kebabs with some delicious seasoning and you will have people drooling.  Then throw them in the grill or on the BBQ stand and there you have it.  It’s really that easy.  So if you want to try something new this summer, try this easy kebab recipe.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1kg of beef, cut into cubes
• 2 bell peppers, any colour roughly cut into squares
• 1 pack of cherry tomatoes, about 30
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, and cut into cubes (optional)
• 3 tbsps soy sauce
• 2 tspn garlic powder
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tspn paprika
• Skewers (metal or wooden)

Method

Marinade the beef – In a bowl mix the soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika and beef together.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add your peppers, and cook for 1 minute, just to blanch.  Drain and set them aside.

Preheat the grill to a high heat. Thread the beef, peppers, tomatoes, and pineapples onto the skewers in an alternating fashion.

Lightly oil the grill rack. Cook the kebabs in the grill for 10 minutes, or to desired “doneness”. Turn them half way through.  You can also cook these on the BBQ stand.
You can also add some red onions, for extra flavour, blanch them slightly like the peppers.

Serving

These kebabs are great on their own as a starter or you can serve them with rice and a Greek salad, and an ice cold beverage.  Enjoy!!