IT IS not about becoming Cabinet minister that makes one a potential leader of a country but the manner in which that individual interacts with the people or conducts himself or herself, says Gallant Youth in Zambia (GYZ) executive director Henry Mulenga.

Mr Mulenga said he was shocked by remarks by former Commerce deputy minister Miles Sampa alleging that if President Michael Sata was still alive today he would be a full Cabinet minister by now.

Mr Mulenga said Mr Sampa was not ready to be a leader because a leader should not be bitter but instead have tolerance to save the people.

‘‘Mr Sampa resigned (from Government) because he could not stand being where he was without realizing that the presidency is God-given and it is not a guarantee that if someone is Cabinet minister, that can ascend him to the presidency,” he said.

He said Mr Sampa’s bitterness would take him nowhere because he had no patience, saying that more was expected to be heard about him following the memorandum of understanding he signed with the opposition UPND.

Mr Mulenga advised Mr Sampa, who is leader of the deregistered Democratic Front, to accept what he was and stop being bitter as that would show the type of a leader he was.

“It is surprising to see Mr Sampa coming out with such bitterness; and his claims that had his late uncle Sata not died he would have been made Cabinet minister shows the type of a leader he is, forgetting that it is not becoming Cabinet minister that makes you the next President, but the manner in which you interact with people or conduct yourself.

‘‘We wonder how UPND will work with him and what portfolio he would be given in the unlikely circumstances that UPND formed government, because he appears to be an individual who is only interested in being in big positions and nothing else,” he said.

Mr Sampa said at a press briefing on Tuesday that he was a hard working MP who deserved to be a full Cabinet minister but that President Edgar Lungu could not see his potential and sacrifice for the ruling Patriotic Front party, adding that after the January 2015 elections he was ripe for a full Cabinet position having agreed to campaign for President Lungu.

Another dead body has been picked up in Lusaka’s Lilanda compound.

The victim, a middle aged man has had his chest cavity torn apart, his man hood and eyes removed and his body was found near Lilanda Catholic Parish.

Police Deputy Spokesman Rae Hamoonga in a statement could not confirm whether the body was intact or not.

“There is a dead boy that has been found there but then when officers rushed to the scene, members of the public started throwing stones at them and they turned back,” Mr Hamoonga stated.

“We are mobilising ourselves to go back there in full riot gear. So for now we can’t confirm whether the body is intact or has some of its parts missing.”

Mr Hamoonga has since appealed for calm in the area so that Police could access the body and commence investigations into the matter.

And a near riot broke out in Lusaka’s Matero area after word went round that another body has been found in the area.

So far six people have suffered the fate of the gruesome murders.

Last week, the discovery of four bodies in George Compound sent shock waves across the city especially that private parts were removed.

The Zambia Association of Musicians has challenged the Sunday Times of Zambia to name the musicians said to be connected to the ritual murders of four people in George compound.

Association President Njoya Tembo said the rule of law says, “Everyone is innocent until proven guilty”.

Mr Tembo said Times of Zambia, being a national publication with high credibility and having been in business for a long time, should be professional and therefore present facts.
“Unfortunately we find this particular story to lack clarity, leaving us in suspense, and that is our challenge,” he said.

He added, “Online media publications have little or no credibility as most of their stories have been malicious, especially when dealing with musicians – therefore, we have reservations.”

Mr Tembo said there are a number of musicians’ names on social media.

“As we got the news and heard that these musicians were “on the run”, we called them and all of them answered their phones and as usual, they were busy either in the studio, coming from a performance or (one of them was) at home with family,” he said.

“We feel that some evidence in form of a picture or video would be of help, especially since we are in the era of smart phones. It would also help to name which police station(s) has a record of holding the musicians. If the above information is provided and it is proven that indeed the musicians were connected, ZAM would be the first to condemn the musicians.”

He said, “We however condemn the brutal killings and pray for God’s grace to abound with the affected families as we hope that Police would conclude with their investigations soon. We realise that the blanket statement made and the withholding of the 5 artists’ names continues to fuel speculations as many more names continue coming up. This has potential to put at risk the names being suggested and can poison the little strides our music industry has attained so far.”

Mr Tembo said the Association believes that musicians are noble professionals just like lawyers, teachers, soccer players and can greatly succeed with passion and hard work applied, notwithstanding the existence of a few bad eggs.

“And the names on social media have already shown how well they have been doing for themselves. We therefore question the statement “…. rituals were being aimed for fame…” as the mentioned people have already attained fame and their works speak for themselves.”
He has since urged citizens to support the industry and patiently wait for proof to be given (if at all it is there), and the law to take its course – if this will get to that point.

Kabushi Parliamentary aspirant on the PF ticket Bowman Lusambo says he intends to change the face of Kabushi constituency within 3 months with the help of the private sector once elected.

Mr Lusambo said if elected as MP for the constituency he will use his connections to source funds from private partners who wants to see Kabushi develop and become the cleanest constituency in Copperbelt.

He said as an MP it will be his responsibility to lobby for funds to develop the area and that development should not only come from government but that there are also private partners who are willing to partner with government in ensuring that the lives of people are better.

He noted that some of the things that MPs are failing to do can be done even by MPs themselves if they had a heart to serve the people.

He called on political leaders to ensure that they help government in its quest to deliver development by coming up with initiatives that can supplement its efforts.

And Mr Lusambo said he left MMD on principal and that he has chosen to support PF because of the leadership qualities of President Lungu.

He said Mr Lungu has shown that he is able to embrace everyone and that he is implementing developmental projects which he needs to complete.

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Acting Party Spokesperson Reverend Reuben Sambo has advised suspended MMD National Secretary to be better organized and structured in the manner he is making statements on important party issues to avoid misleading the public. He said Mr. Mbulakulima has been an experienced and very senior member of the party and could have found a better way of finding out the information he wanted rather than choose a Mansa hotel, far away from Lusaka where the information is, to announce that he had written a letter to National Treasurer Elizabeth Chitika demanding her to account for all party monies allegedly because there has been reckless and extravagant expenditure by some senior officers.

Responding to a statement issued by Mr. Mbulakulima and carried in the Daily nation Newspaper of 4th April, 2016, Reverend Sambo said the impression created in the statement was mischievous because the letter in question, dated 25th January, 2016, was a regular and normal internal memo to the National Treasurer for her to give a report after the two Copperbelt and one Eastern Province mobilization tours. On such occasions funds are in the care of the National Treasurer for safe keeping and accountability.

In the particular case referred to, Mr Mbulakulima had not travelled to the Copperbelt and Eastern Province and we believed he was merely seeking clarification and not make it an agenda item at a dubious ‘mobilization tour’ at a hotel in Mansa. We believe Mr. Mbulakulima may have some anxieties about his Luapula Milenge seat and therefore deliberately chose Mansa as the venue for the strange speech.

Reconciliation and accounting of party funds after any party program is a regular undertaking by Mrs Chitika as part of her duties as clearly stated in the Party Constitution. These include inter alia, receipting and immediate banking of all party funds received, disbursements and reconciliation of all monies used on party programs, keeping and maintaining books of accounts, vouchers, financial documents, the power to inspect the Party bank accounts and books and report findings thereof to the National Executive Committee not to the National Secretary as Mr. Mbulakulima was.

The party is therefore very concerned by the impression created in the article attributed to Mr. Mbulakulima suggesting that he was asking her to account for all party monies received by the party which is misleading and deliberately intended to create an impression that there was questionable use of funds in the MMD generally.

The party is very disappointed that Mr. Mbulakulima who was National Treasurer before he became National Secretary and knew exactly how stringent handling of party funds is in the MMD, could issue such an irresponsible, malicious and deliberately misleading statement. Mr. Mbulakulima is well aware that in the MMD the National Treasurer does not generate any party programs and is simply a custodian of party funds and facilitator of party programs mooted by the National Secretary in consultation with the party president and the NEC.

It may be of interest to those who may wish to know that in the entire life of the MMD there has never been a period when funds have been handled as transparently and as prudently as is the case since Dr. Nevers Mumba took office. It is worth noting that this has been an issue with many members who have left the party who had been used to reckless access to party funds anyhow for flimsy reasons.

Reverend Sambo said the hallmark of Dr. Mumba’s leadership has been transparency in the handling of party funds and hands over any money he raises for the party immediately upon return. He said anyone could challenge him if there were any former National Secretaries in MMD who had any opportunity to know how funds were raised, used, how cars, party regalia etc were bought. This was always a tightly kept secret.

Reverend Sambo has asked all those questioning Dr. Mumba’s integrity in handling funds why nobody in MMD raised a finger to assist in paying the K400 million (un-rebased) penalty to the Registrar of Societies when the party was slapped with imminent de-registration in 2013 and yet Dr. Mumba managed to settle this money personally within days of the deadline and has never asked for a refund from the party. He said Dr. Mumba does not receive any allowance or salary from the MMD but instead is the chief funder of the party.

He personally funds all his foreign trips to source for funds for the party and has never asked for assistance from the party whatsoever.

The party has drawn the conclusion that this group of Mutati, Mbulakulima and others have reached a dead-end in trying to find fault with Dr. Mumba’s leadership and are now bent on being malicious to alienate Dr. Mumba from his supporters and funders.

As a party, we would like to challenge Mr. Mbulakulima to instead disclose the source and expenditure of party funds they are using on their alleged ‘MMD nation-wide mobilization’ with expelled former Lunte MP Felix Mutati. Why are they using former president Mr. Rupiah Banda’s regalia? Is it fair to conclude that perhaps he is the founder of their programs? Can we conclude that he is in fact the funder of the destabilization in the MMD?

If so, Mr. Mbulakulima and his colleagues need to offer a reasonable and plausible explanation since they are going in the name of the MMD and supposedly using MMD funds. If mishandled, this has potential to result in serious implications on Mr. Banda in light of the Supreme Court ruling of 18 November 2014.

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has scoffed at a statement by the Patriotic Front (PF) suggesting that it’s vice-president for political affairs Canisius Banda is in need of a financial bailout.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said in an interview yesterday that Dr Banda was financially stable as evidenced by the recent migration into his ‘own house’.

Dr Banda was evicted from a rented house in Lusaka’s Presidential Housing Initiative (PHI) area last week on grounds that he owed the landlord undisclosed amounts of money.

PF member of the central committee Paul Moonga wondered why UPND president Hakainde Hichilema could not come to the aid of Dr Banda following his eviction.

But Mr Kakoma said Dr Banda was on record as having cleared the air on the ‘purported’ eviction, saying the opposition leader had shifted into an abode of his own.

“Dr Banda has already issued a statement on that matter. Did he say he needs any financial bailout? He moved into his own house, he was not evicted, that’s what he said,” Mr Kakoma said.

Dr Banda is also on record accusing the PF of trying to woo him by offering him accommodation and a new vehicle.

THE Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Zambia has launched the construction works of the US$355 million Mazyopa-Bombay drainage project in Lusaka.

This is under the United States (US)-funded Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage Project (LWSSD).

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz said the works were a culmination of the hard work realised through a strong partnership between the US and the Zambian governments.

Mr Schultz said the works were intended to expand access to water and improve the reliability of water supply, sanitation and drainage services in Lusaka.

He was speaking yesterday during the ground-breaking ceremony for works on the Bombay drainage in Lusaka’s Garden Township.

“What we are launching today will focus on increasing the capacity of the Bombay drainage in order to safely manage the excess rain water flow and protect Mazyopa Township from improved drainage initiatives upstream,” Mr Schultz said.

He said the drainage being constructed would safeguard the community’s health as it would help diminish rubbish build-up and reduce standing water.

Local Government and Housing Minister Stephen Kampyongo commended the US government for the $355 million grant to the Zambian Government to support the implementation of the LWSSD.
Mr Kampyongo said the LWSSD was aimed at expanding access to improve the reliability of water supply and sanitation in communities.

“On behalf of Government, I want to reassure the expectant residents and the American government that we will continue to provide all the necessary support required to implement the project on time,” he said.

Mr Kampyongo urged the Lusaka City Council to ensure that the drainage infrastructure was maintained and protected.

He also urged Lusaka residents to desist from disposing of litter in the drainage as they were direct beneficiaries of the project.