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Livestock Minister Greyford Monde, Defence Minister Richwell Siamunene and RDA chairperson Simon Mukupa at a really Itezhi Itezhi yesterday 14-02-2016. ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS
UPND Sinazongwe Member of Parliament, Richwell Siamunene, says he has no regrets supporting President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF)’s development agenda.
Mr Siamunene, who is also Defence Minister, says this is because President Lungu is the only one among all Presidential contenders who is capable of providing sound and visionary leadership.
He was speaking at Chikuni in Monze yesterday when he and Agriculture Minister, Given Lubinda, addressed a public rally in the area where 250 UPND cadres also defected to the Patriotic Front.
Mr Siamunene said since aligning himself with the PF Government, Sinazongwe has seen unprecedented levels of development which have changed the development landscape of the valley district.
He told the meeting that there is no need in clinging to the opposition UPND which he said would never form government.
Mr Siamunene encouraged all the people of Southern province to emulate him and support President Edgar Lungu’s visionary leadership.
And Agriculture Minister, Given Lubinda, said he is disappointed that Monze UPND, Jack Mwiimbu has failed to deliver development to the people.
Mr Lubinda said the opposition MP has lamentably failed to improve road infrastructure in the area.
The old residences or GOMA RUINS-UNZA
CASUAL workers at University of Zambia (UNZA) Maintenance and Horticulture department have asked for quick Government intervention to have them employed on a permanent basis.
Some workers complained that they had worked for more than ten years but were still being treated as causal workers in contravention of the law.
The workers who spoke to Sunday Times during the week complained that they could not continue to be working as casual workers for more than 10 years as would be eluded of their entitlement in an event they were not given permanent jobs.
The workers have since accused senior members of staff at the institution of having fired long serving workers and employing new ones.
“We have worked for this institution for the past 10 years and no one has been put on permanent employment, we are tired of this kind of conditions of service and we want change,” said the workers.
And UNZA public relations manager Damaseke Chibale said in a statement that the UNZA council and management were aware of the new amendments in the labour laws particularly on casualisation.
Mr Chibale said the university and the labour commissioner’s office had reached an advanced stage in discussing the modalities of dealing with casualisation at the higher learning institution.
“We are aware of the new labour laws and UNZA Council and Management are doing everything possible to end this issue,” he said.
UNZA has since appealed to the affected workers to remain calm as discussions were underway with various stakeholders.
FILE: Edith Nawakwi Meeting Chief Matanda at his palace
A TRADITIONAL leader in Luapula has urged political parties participating in the forthcoming August 11 general election to stop ferrying cadres from other areas to the province to cause confusion.
Chief Matanda advised politicians to desist from bringing political cadres who caused political violence in rural areas.
The traditional leader appealed to political parties to help maintain peace before, during and after the elections.
“Political leaders bring cadres from Lusaka to rural areas to cause violence leading to serious injuries here and later on go back to Lusaka,” he said in an interview.
He noted that Zambia was an oasis of peace and that the status quo needed to be maintained if the country was to achieve its development agenda.
He said people wanted peace as they cast their votes in the forthcoming elections.
He said politicians should allow people to vote freely from the time of voting up to the end and further allow results to be announced peacefully.
Chief Matanda said elections were about winning and losing and advised would-be losers to accept the outcome.
He said the people of Matanda as well as those in other parts of the country had enjoyed peace and hence it must be maintained.
Chief Matanda said Zambia is a Christian nation and politicians had no authority to destabilise the country’s peace because of their selfish ambitions.
He said Zambia was known world over as a peaceful nation and that political party leaders should control their supporters.
He said the Church has a critical role to play to ensure that peace continued to prevail.
“Please stop violence, especially in Matanda. Do not bring cadres here. We have nowhere to run to in case of anything because as you have seen, just a few metres from here is another country. So where shall we go?” he asked.
He urged political parties to build on the culture of the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ which was a uniting factor for all Zambians.
Chief Matanda called for unity among political leaders as they contested for various positions during the elections.
PF Cadres in Kitwe
THE Patriotic Front (PF) on the Copperbelt has said the province is still a stronghold of the ruling party as opposed to reports that the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has now taken over.
Copperbelt PF chairperson, Stephen Kainga said information suggesting that UPND is gaining ground on the Copperbelt is false, as the PF was still in control.
Mr Kainga said reports going round were malicious and aimed at misleading the people on the Copperbelt.
He said the party’s mobilising committee was on the ground and recruiting more members.
“I must say that the Copperbelt is still a PF stronghold. We dispel rumours and information going round that the UPND has taken over the province in terms of support. We are still strong on the ground and recruiting more members,” he said.
Mr Kainga said come August 11, the PF would emerge winner with an outright victory.
He, however, said those members who were in the party for positions should leave the party.
He alleged that some members were double-dealing and it they were not given positions they shifted camps.
He said the party needed members who were loyal and supportive with or without having positions.
“We have noticed that some members have exited the party after knowing that they will not be adopted. If there are others in the party who are double dealers and only support the party when they have been given positions, let them leave the party,” he said.
Mr Kainga said in this election year, the party needed committed, loyal and dedicated members who would support and unite the party unlike bringing divisions.
by Mwizenge S. Tembo, Ph. D Professor of Sociology
“I would rather know it than be threatened by it”. – Mwizenge S. Tembo, September 26. 2005.
Dambisa Moyo, Dead Aid: Why Aid is not Working and How there is Another Way for Africa, London: Allen Lane, Penguin Books, 2009, pp. 188, $19.95, Paperback.
Introduction
A powerful billionaire at a major international aid conference called her and her book “Evil”. At a different forum an American-based Zambian intellectual blasted and excoriated her book as advocating that millions of poor Zambians and Africans should be denied life-saving assistance and therefore would die by the millions if Dr. Moyo’s views were implemented. The few comments by Zambians that I read on line on the internet expressed outrage that a Zambian would advocate such a deadly policy. The handful of Zambian critiques supported the billionaire claiming he was a kind man who was saving their lives. It never occurred to these few Zambians who were critical that a foreigner was calling one of their own Zambian intellectual and her intellectual ideas “Evil”. All of this unjustified and over the top vitriol was because Dr. Dambisa Moyo had just published the book: “Dead AID”.
International Flight
I was flying to Zambia in 2009 when the book caught my eye at the airport in Johannesburg. I bought it with the intention of reading the whole book on the long flight and may be using it for teaching my College or University students. I may have read a chapter or two but got distracted and never finished it. I was very surprised when on March 12, 2016, Dr. Moyo was still defending “promoting evil” remarks the billionaire had made in 2013 regarding her book. I decided I would read the entire book which I did in one day in between a very heavy work schedule.
Book Review
Dr. Dambisa Moyo in her book: “Dead Aid” explains very clearly in the very first chapter of the book: “The Myth of Aid” that there are 3 types of foreign or international aid. The first is humanitarian or emergency aid which is distributed in response to natural disasters such as earth quakes, the Asian tsunami in 2004, famine, disease epidemics such as Ebola in West Africa. The second is charity-based aid which is distributed on the ground by organizations in affected countries. This is the aid that might target malnutrition, empowering poor women, promote health care, birth control, or fight against poverty in general. The third is systematic aid “- that is, aid payments made directly to governments either through government-to-government transfers via institutions such as the World Bank (known as multilateral aid).” (p.7)
Dr. Moyo devotes about a paragraph to discussing some of the criticism that could be leveled at both emergency aid and charity aid in terms of how the aid is distributed and other weaknesses. She hastens to add: “But this book is not concerned with emergency and charity aid.” (p.7) She says that the significant emergency and charity aid that goes to Africa gives the wrong impression to the international community, the West, Africans, and Zambians that all types of aid to Zambia and Africa must be good aid doing good work helping and saving lives.
Dr. Dambisa Moyo devotes the first 4 chapters of the book criticizing and debunking the myth that the estimated one trillion dollars of systematic or government-to-government aid that rich countries have distributed to Africa since 1940 has resulted into meaningful, strong, and sustainable economic growth. She argues that this type of systematic aid has failed in Africa. Instead may have resulted into the decline of GDP and worsened corruption and may have fueled even civil wars in Africa. In the first four chapters or 68 pages of the book, she discusses “The Myth of Aid”, “A Brief History of Aid”, “Aid is Not Working” and “The Silent Killer of Growth”. She includes statistical and empirical data to argue her case in critiquing systematic or government-to-government aid.
Suggestions for Better Economic Strategies
In second 6 chapters or 86 pages or part II, Dr. Moyo devotes to “A World without Aid”. The six chapters include a discussion of: “A Radical Rethink of the Dependency Model”, “A Capital Solution”, and “The Chinese are Our Friends” and “Making Development Happen”. In a very pragmatic and non-dogmatic ways, she proposes some radical ways of how African countries could find and establish alternative ways of getting capital to use for economic development. She discusses and infuses the better role of flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a better alternative for economic development in Africa rather than aid just as other countries do use FDI. She explores the role of trade, micro-credit organizations loans, and remittances from abroad as possible collective and better alternative means of creating economic growth in Africa while weaning from the aid dependency model.
Throughout the book, Dr. Moyo draws our attention to the reality that it will not be easy for Africa to eliminate the dependency on aid. “Africa is addicted to aid. For the past sixty years it has been fed aid. Like any addict it needs and depends on its regular fix, finding it hard, if not impossible, to contemplate existence in an aid-less world. In Africa, the West has found its perfect client to deal to.” (p.75)
Zambian Critiques of Dead Aid
When I was in graduate school doing my Ph. D. in the 1980s at the height of the anti-Apartheid Struggle, a black South African classmate told me that many books were banned during the Apartheid era. He did not want even his family members to know he was secretly reading some of the difficult to get banned books because if apprehended the whole family might have been hauled to prison. So at night he would pretend to go to bed in his tiny bedroom. He would retrieve the banned book from a secret location in the room. He would read the book using a torch or flashlight. Whenever anyone opened his bedroom door he would switch off the flash light and pretend to be asleep.
If Dambisa Moyo’s “Dead Aid” has erroneously acquired a bad reputation, you may find yourself unwilling to read it in case you are called names such as you are person who advocates “Evil”. Whether you are an ordinary Zambian, an educated elite, a college or university student, political party cadre or government official or an aid advocate, I recommend you read the book. You can even read it secretly. No one has to know. That’s why I came up with the saying: “I would rather know it than be threatened by it”. Never let the unknown intimidate you. All the 17 universities and colleges in Zambia should be reading this book so that we can have new perspectives and a robust debate. May be we could have better policies for economic growth into the future of Zambia.
International Critiques of Dead Aid
If you are an international critique of “Dead Aid” come up with better explanations as to why you disagree with Dr. Moyo’s argument. Read the book if you have not done so yet. To simply argue that Africans will die if Aid is taken away is to take the lowest denominator moral high ground. This is the argument that seems to imply that Africans, all 1 billion of us, are so helpless like children, that anything that takes away Aid will just kill most of us. One of the international critiques states: “Moyo is not offering a reasoned or evidence-based position on aid.” This statement appalled me because the entire book is full of statistics and arguments based on empirical logical arguments. What “evidence-based” position on aid does the person criticizing have? Let them show the evidence.
Conclusion
This review does not nearly cover or reveal everything Dr. Dambisa Moyo says in the book. She says some provocative things that I will leave for the readers to uncover. I found those ideas intellectually stimulating as I have thought them myself and have expressed them in some of my books. May be after you secretly read the book, let’s have a lively discussion and debate.
Antonio MwanzaForum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Spokesperson Antonio Mwanza has advised State house Press Aide Amos Chanda to stick to his job description, which is to communicate policy issues to the nation on behalf of the president, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.
Reacting to Amos Chanda’s remarks on allegations levelled against President Lungu that he is courting the opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi for running mate, Mr. Mwanza said the matter is between the two political parties and Amos Chanda is Press Aide for the head of state not PF spokesperson. Therefore, it is important that he stops commenting on issues involving Patriotic Front because he is a civil servant.
Mr. Mwanza said it is unprofessional and very dangerous for Amos Chanda, as a civil servant, to undertake the role of Patriotic Front Spokesperson, adding that the Press Aide is being paid by taxpayers and not by President Lungu or the PF. Therefore, it is unbecoming for him to be speaking on behalf of the party in Government and President Lungu’s political maneuvers.
The FDD spokesperson has, however, reiterated the FDD President Edith Nawakwi’s statement that she is not interested to be President Lungu’s running mate.
Mr. Mwanza said the FDD leader is not interested in any alliance with the PF and her core objective is only to remove the PF led Government in power on 11th August, 2016 and to eradicate poverty with the aim to create wealth for the poor Zambian people through its robust program of decentralization and devolution of both political and economic power.
Mr. Mwanza insisted that the PF have been going round lying to people that FDD is working together with them and that President Nawakwi will be Mr. Lungu’s Running Mate.
Mr. Mwanza stated the PF and president Lungu are now feeling the weight of FDD on the ground because Ms Nawakwi is all over hitting the ground. That is why the head of state, out of desperation to slow down Ms. Nawakwi’s momentum, has opted to announce that he will adopt a woman as his running mate to try to woo female voters, who are solidly behind Nawakwi’s candidature, to himself.
Mr. Mwanza stated that the Zambian people have already decided to remove PF in Government on 11th August, 2016 General Elections and the Mr Amos Chanda should not allow himself to be used because power is very temporal, adding that soon and very soon Amos will be out of State House and he will have to dance to the account of his every action at State House.
The FDD spokesperson said that that Amos Chanda should not forget that the Anti-Corruption Commission recently subpoenaed him for questioning over his alleged involvement in an Advertising Scam where millions of public money was stolen.
“Let me put it very clearly that it is unprofessional and very dangerous for Amos Chanda to assume for himself the role of President Edgar Lungu’s vuvuzela,” Antonio Mwanza said
“Amos’s job as State House Press Aide is to communicate policy issues to the public on behalf of the Head of State” he said
“His job is not to act as a PF Spokesperson. He is a civil servant and he has to behave as such. He is being paid by taxpayers and not by President Lungu or the PF, therefore it is unprofessional and unbecoming for Amos to be speaking on behalf of PF. He has no business playing President Edgar Lungu’s personal spokesperson with regards to Mr Lungu’s political maneuvers” Mwanza said
Zambia dropped into third place in Group E of the 2017 Africa Cup qualifiers after forcing a 1-1 draw away in Congo Brazzaville on Sunday.
And Guinea Bissau shot to the pinnacle of Group E with seven points after stunning Kenya 1-0 in Nairobi earlier on Sunday.
At Kintele Stadium in Brazzaville, Congo went 1-0 up two minutes after the break with Jordan Massengo benefiting from goal-mouth scramble to beat Kennedy Mweene following a corner.
Massengo beat Mweene in a similar fashion as he did last Wednesday when Zambia and Congo drew 1-1 in Ndola.
After taking a lead, Congo thought they were heading for a home win before Winston Kalenge levelled for Zambia after 72 minutes.
Chipolopolo continued to push for the winner and were unlucky to see Collins Mbesuma’s powerful strike come off the bar with three minutes left to play.
Before Mbesuma was denied by the wood work there were misses by Kalengo and substitute Conlyde Luchanga who were denied by keeper Christoffer Mafoumbi in the 70th and 76 minutes respectively.
It was a game of two halves with Congo dominating the first 45 minutes before Zambia took over the latter stages of this round four match.
Meanwhile, this stalemate ensured that Group E remained a three horse race.
Zambia and Congo are tied on six points though the later enjoys a better goal differences.
HH with Canisius Banda at KKIA this morning enroute to Eastern Province
The opposition UPND is concerned that no action has been taken by government 15 days after its female party member was stripped naked by PF cadres on Youth Day. In a letter dated 18th March 2016, addressed to Republican Vice President Inonge Wina, UPND vice president for administration Canisius Banda said that such violations are the main reason its youths and general membership have often chosen not to fully participate in state and national events.
Dr. Banda said that was because their safety not not guaranteed and the promise of police protection did not appear to apply to them.
Below is the full letter
UPND National Headquarters P. O. Box 38032 Lusaka, Zambia No. 83A Provident Street
18th March 2016 Madam Inonge Wina The Vice President of the Republic of Zambia Office of The Vice President Lusaka
Dear Madam Vice President,
RE: COMPLAINT ON VIOLENCE BY PF CADRES ON YOUTH DAY, 12th MARCH 2016
We are writing to raise our concerns with your esteemed office regarding the violence perpetrated by PF party cadres during the course of the Youth Day celebrations on Saturday 12th March 2016; an event that was not only officiated by the Minister of Youth and Sport, Hon. Vincent Mwale, but also by yourself in the capacity of Republican Vice President.
The unnecessary attack by the PF cadres left not only the UPND Youths but also many other young people, among them school children, injured, abused and traumatised from the hurling of bricks, stones and other harmful objects and substances such as teargas from the police.
Most of all we are utterly disgusted and angered by the incident in which a 27 year old lady was stripped naked and abused for simply wearing UPND party regalia to the Youth Day event, an episode that happened in full view of the police and no more than one kilometre from where you were seated in safety. This came just days after International Women’s Day and is a sad reminder of how far we fall short of protecting, supporting and empowering our girls and women as things currently stand.
Madam Vice President, tolerance of divergent views and peaceful co-existence are core values of democracy. When these values are sacrificed by cadres, for example through acts of politically motivated violence, our very existence as a democracy and an oasis of peace is directly threatened. We are surprised that while womanhood and humanity in general was being stripped and put to shame, the police turned a blind eye. While Government has condemned violence in words, no action has followed despite the fact these crimes took place in broad daylight and in full view of officers of the law.
Such violations are the main reason our youths and general membership have often chosen not to fully participate in state and national events because their safety is not guaranteed and the promise of police protection does not appear to apply to them.
Your Government is on record as having stated that it would like to see women’s participation in active politics grow to 40%, but clearly such incidents do not give one confidence that Government has any real agenda to either protect women’s rights or create an enabling environment for women to participate in politics.
Madam Vice President, this letter is our humble appeal to your conscience and motherly heart. Of great concern is the notable silence on your part both as a mother and a woman who is also the second most powerful person in our country. While you have addressed the youths and implored them not to be used as tools of violence, your words risk being labelled mere political rhetoric unless action follows, and we firmly believe the only reason PF cadres continue to harm our people is because of Government’s failure to act on the matter meaning perpetrators expect to go unpunished.
We, in the UPND, are committed to peaceful dialogue and we implore you to inculcate the same spirit as government and the ruling party.
We seek your assurance that justice will prevail over the violent attacks on Youth Day and that women in general can expect action from you to address gender based violence, including the issue of the young lady who was stripped naked on Youth Day.
We look forward to your urgent action and response to the above concerns.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Canisius Banda
Cc: The Minister, Youth and Sport The IG – Zambia Police The Diplomatic Community and Multilateral Organisations Women for Change NGOCC Women in Law of Southern Africa Law Association of Zambia Young Women Christian Association Human Rights Commission
A senior government official has refuted media reports that most public learning institutions in Northern Province have run out of mealie meal.
This follows reports by a named private media organisation that Mbala Secondary School has no mealie meal to feed pupils.
Mbala District Commissioner, Kedrick Sikombe, has revealed that contrary to the reports, the school has enough food to cater for this term and first two weeks of next term.
The visibly annoyed Sikombe said this after inspecting the store room at the learning institution today.
He has alleged that the named reporter was hired to tarnish the image of the institution and has since called on him to retract the story.
Mr.Sikombe, who described the move as cheap and mere politicking, has since warned private media organisation to be professional in their reporting.
And Mbala Head Teacher, Harry Silungwe, said the school is saddened by the alarming reports which have since caused panic among parents with pupils at the learning institution.
Mr Silungwe appealed to politicians not to use pupils in schools to gain political mileage.
The Head teachers said the school has over 250 x 25kg bags of breakfast mealie meal to last for this term and first two weeks of second term.
And School Boarding Prefect, Mercy Maipambe, said the feeding programme at the school is normal as they are able to feed three times a day.
She has since called on parents with pupils at the school not to panic but ignore the false media report.
A check by a ZANIS news crew in Mbala district this morning at Cereal Milling Company found huge stocks of mealie meal.
On Thursday this week a private TV station run a story on their main news alleging that Mbala Secondary School has run out of mealie meal.
Nkandu Luo
OPPOSITION leaders are fabricating lies being peddled against senior members of the Patriotic Front, Munali Member of Parliament Nkandu Luo has said.
Prof Luo has urged citizens to be aware of false and fabricated lies by UPND.
Prof Luo who is also Gender Minister said UPND has intensified lies against leaders especially from Patriotic Front (PF) strongholds.
Prof Luo said the UPND was desperate to show that their party was gaining momentum.
“We know the tricks. They bus people, flood areas with their party materials and create a sense of artificial popularity. We saw those tricks with the MMD,” she said.
Prof Luo said UPND was last week circulating lies that Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba was attending a UPND Press Conference when he was with President Edgar Lungu in Mozambique.
But UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka said UPND had neither issued a statement on whether Mr Kalaba nor Prof Luo had joined them.Mr Katuka said PF members of Parliament who would join UPND would be unveiled tomorrow or Tuesday when the party holds a press conference.
He said Prof Luo must have been reading online reports which had nothing to do with the UPND.
Prof Luo has accused UPND of using sponsored propaganda to fight her in her constituency.
“This is sponsored propaganda. They have done everything to frustrate me but have failed. They continue saying I have done nothing in Munali and claim that I have failed as a Member of Parliament,”
“But many people know what I have done in Munali Constituency. So those claims that I have failed are coming from the opposition and certain members of the party- kick of a dying horse, they have resorted to that, hoping that their preferred candidate, a weak candidate can have easy access to adoption,” Prof Luo said.
She wondered why certain PF members had fallen for the trick of in-house fights instead of concentrating on the enemy at the door.
“What baffles me is that we fight all the time in PF instead of fighting the opposition. This a critical time when we should be united but innuendoes and lies against one another have continued. What do people behind this want to achieve? It is puzzling.
“I have come to the conclusion that Zambia has a disease called CCJ. It stands for Complaining, Criticizing and Jealous.
“Please stop this. All you rumour mongers should know that such nonsense has the potential to destroy our Party,” Prof Luo said.
“Since this is Easter I want to put all of those behind this rumour in prayer and just as the Lord said “Lord forgive them as they do not know what they are doing,”.
ZAMBIANS will not vote for UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema as Republican President if his strategy is to use unpalatable language, and hate speech against President Edgar Lungu, says Northmead Assembly of God Church Overseer Bishop Joshua Banda
He said using unpalatable language, hate speech, and name calling will not help any political leader ascend to plot one.
Bishop Banda was responding to a question after being asked to give his view on a story which was carried in the Post Newspaper quoting Mr Hichilema as having said President Edgar Lungu was such a childish President who if not removed from power, would turn State House into a play park.
Bishop Banda said people who have been seeking to lead Zambians would never find themselves in power if they continued using unpalatable language, hate speech and name calling to ascend to power.
He said the words attributed to Mr Hichilema against President Lungu were unacceptable.
Bishop Banda said there was no way one could build a nation by using unpalatable language.
“We condemn hate speech, name calling in the strongest possible terms, it is not acceptable. The church expected people who wanted to lead the nation to use accommodative language,” he said.
Bishop Banda said political party leaders must embrace tolerance, peace, and love because these were the values of good leadership.
“We are concerned as a church on this growing trend of hate speech, name calling unpalatable language among politicians. You cannot get influence through hate speech and name calling,” he said.
Bishop Banda said the church would not relent in preaching peace, love and unity among politicians.
He said the church started a long time ago engaging politicians to desist from hate speech, unpalatable language, name calling because the vices were against the values of good leadership and a recipe for violence.
“If leaders want peace, love and unity, then they should lead by example themselves,” Bishop Banda said.
He said during the election period, politicians must adhere to the code of conduct because that was what was guiding them.
“We must speak love and peace if we want to be loved by others.
The media should be responsible and stop fueling hate speech. The media should play a uniting role than encouraging unpalatable language. The media must play a role in helping to properly deal and discourage use of unpalatable language,” Bishop Banda said.
Foreign affairs minister Harry Kalaba
Foreign Affairs Minister, Harry Kalaba, has observed that since 1965 the United Change of Zambia (UCZ) has played a pivotal role in the emancipation of this country.
Mr Kalaba said this in Lusaka today during a fundraising service for the completion of the UCZ, Kabangwe Congregation.
He urged members of the Church to give to the Lord cheerfully as they will be rewarded greatly.
He noted that when they give generously, God will surely meet them at their point of need and their household will have abundance.
Mr Kalaba said the UCZ has also lived up to its evangelical role of providing for the poor, feeding the hungry and visiting those in prison.
He said the Church has been doing this through its various community interventions and departments such as the Boys Brigade (BB) and Girls Brigade (GB).
Mr Kalaba said UCZ needs to also play a prominent role in ensuring that there is peace as Zambia goes to the polls.
He noted that Zambia is one of the eight in the world that have never recorded any civil strife, and it is, therefore, important it maintains its peace.
Mr Kalaba said Easter is the time that the country needs to inculcate good morals and a spirit of oneness as the nation remembers the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He reiterated that President Edgar Lungu has set aside a day of national prayer because of his love for peace and unity.
Mr Kalaba said because of this Zambia shall remain a Christian Nation and has asked the Church to keep praying for peace to continue.
He has since encouraged the youths in the Church and the community not to be used as tools of violence ahead of the August 11 general elections.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said during this period, unsuspecting youths usually fall prey and involve themselves in violence which is detrimental to the development of the country.
Mr Kalaba reiterated that youths are the future leaders of this country hence the need for them to engage themselves in meaningful activities.
Speaking earlier UCZ Kabangwe Congregation Minister in Charge, Timothy Chamuka, noted that time has come for the congregants to build the house of the Lord with pride.
Rev Chamuka said many congregants have a tendency of shunning Church fundraising ventures.
He said he is happy that government has taken a strong stance of speaking against violence.
Durinmg the fundraising event Mr Kalaba pledged a K10,000 while Katuba Member of Parliament, Jonas Shakafuswa, pledged a K 5000.
“…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33, NIV)
Take Heart
Every day, things come against us in life to try to steal our joy and rob us of our victory. In fact, throughout your whole life, the enemy has had one mission—to kill, steal and destroy your hope, vision and happiness. But notice what it says in today’s verse—“take heart.” In one translation, it says, “Be of good cheer.” Now that may seem strange to say right after the phrase, “in this world you will have trouble.”
But when we truly understand that we are overcomers in Christ Jesus, we can be joyful no matter what the circumstances look like. We don’t have to allow our emotions to get rattled. We don’t have to let our nerves go haywire. We can find rest knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and deprived it of the power to harm us!
Remember, the things that happen in this life are temporary. We are in this world but not of it. We need to keep our focus on eternal things, things above. Sure, we will have trouble in this life, but we can stay encouraged because in eternity, we are overcomers through Christ Jesus!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, I humbly come to You today. I ask that You help me stay focused on eternal things. I choose to have joy and peace no matter what comes my way because I know I have the ultimate victory in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Frank Bwalya and his Deputy Katongo Banda
THE Patriotic Front (PF) has refuted claims attributed to Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi that President Edgar Lungu wants her to be his running mate.
The PF has since given Ms Nawakwi 48 hours to prove her claims to the public.
PF deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya said it was disappointing that a woman of integrity like Ms Nawakwi could make such claims.
“One thing I can confirm is that President Lungu has never had a conversation with Ms Nawakwi on working together with the FDD.
“President Lungu has never said anything in hiding regarding the issue of a running mate. We are giving Ms Nawakwi 48 hours to prove her allegations,” he said.
Mr Bwalya was reacting to a story that was published in Friday’s edition of the Post.
The article said Ms Nawakwi had been approached by Mr Lungu to be his running mate and that she had sent him many messages refusing the offer.
Mr Bwalya said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Ms Nawakwi should not drag the PF and President Lungu into disrepute.
He challenged the FDD president to state the place and the time when Mr Lungu made such announcements.
Mr Bwalya said the PF’s aim was to engage the public on issue-based politics and not unfounded claims.
He wondered whether Ms Nawakwi understood the implications of her claims as it meant that the President was lying to the people of Zambia.
