Lunte MP Felix Mutati says the country should not surrender to political violence as it is detrimental to development and that resorting to violence is an indication that people have failed to debate and have reached the near end of reason.

He said people should be able to debate issues as viciously as possible without reaching physical differentiation because Zambia is a democracy and people are entitled to having different political views.

He said despite the many intra-party differences within his party MMD has continued to hold peaceful meetings because they all believe that violence does not build but only destroys.

“For us as MMD peace is in our DNA, we have not had any incident that has generated violence at the level we are seeing today. We continue to preach peace at every meeting that we have and explain that violence does not build, what builds is debating over issues, debate as viciously as you can but physical differentiation means that you have reached the near end of reasoning and we should not be traped in that as a country we have not surrendered that we can’t reason, in MMD will never surrendered,” he said.

On the continued character assignation among political opponents and violence despite the peace indaba held recently Mr Mutati said there is need to put up mechanisms within political parties which would spell out the action to be taken against members perpetrating violence.

“Just like many things that we have decided upon as a country including the peace indaba that was there were we go wrong as a country is to translate those credible resolutions into implementation, into something that is going change the behavior particularly of cadres.

“There is got to mechanism within political parties. How are they going to ensure that they pass directive directions to their political cadres that there will be no pangas, they will be no military regalia. We need to be seen to have some actions, political parties needs to be seen that they have gone back to their cadres holding meetings and sessions teaching them that this is what we decided on, if don’t follow these instructions then you are out,” he said.

He said there is need for a punishment process for aligning members within parties as just talking about the scourge has now started sounding like a broken record.

“There has to be a punishment process, a correction process within the political parties themselves. Sometimes words just bounce off in these Zambian communities. What we are yet to see is the action, the implementation and the section flame work for those that go against, what should be the punishment that will be build Zambia. The leaders that sat in there should lead by example,” he said.

The US Government has given Zambia through the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) US$3.8 million towards the holding of credible elections on August 11th.

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz says this substantial contribution is aimed at ensuring the voice of the electorate is heard.

Mr. Schultz says a portion of this contribution will go towards preparations for the referendum which will be held alongside the general election.

And Mr. Schultz has encouraged political players to start implementing resolutions of last week’s Indaba in order for the country hold peaceful and credible elections.

He says the Indaba was a great initiative which all political players must appreciate by implementing what was resolved.

And visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs Todd Haskell says the US Government is expecting Zambia to hold peaceful elections free from any negative forms such as violence

Veteran Politician Sikota Wina has commended President Edgar Lungu for working at addressing the plight of former freedom fighters in the country.

Mr. Wina says the Government has shown that it has a heart for the fore-fathers and mothers who fought for the country’s independence.

He has called on former freedom fighters to rally behind President Lungu’s leadership saying the Head of State has exhibited true leadership qualities since he assumed the presidency last year.

Mr. Wina was speaking in Kasama when he introduced the newly formed United Freedom Fighters of Zambia Independence Association to former freedom fighters in the District.

And Kasama District Commissioner Kelly Kashiwa thanked Mr. Wina for encouraging former freedom fighters in the area to work with the government.

The story of a man of Senanga, who was believed to have died last year and ‘resurrected’ this year, has taken a new twist, with a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test showing a mismatch.
Mufalali Mufalali, 42, shocked Senanga residents in February this year after he was spotted by his family, months after he had been buried.

Western Province Police chief Charles Lungu said the DNA analysis from the biological parents and that of Mr Mufalali did not match, but the DNA from the remains of the body that was exhumed matched that of his parents.

Mr Mufalali died on October 29, 2015 and was put to rest on November 1, 2015, but early this year on February 7, he resurfaced and was positively identified by his wife and his 14-year-old daughter.

Police exhumed the body that was buried and was positively identified by hospital staff to be the one that was attended to at the hospital, where he was treated before his demise.

Mr Mufalali claimed to have been working at his father’s farm during the time of his alleged disappearance and had lost his way home.

After the body was exhumed, police suspected foul play as the body was found in an extremely dry state, despite being buried for only three months.

A DNA test was then undertaken on both Mr Mufalali and the corpse.

“I can confirm that the DNA paternal analysis test samples that were taken from the man who claimed to be Mufalali Mufalali and his parents had come out negative or did not match, but the samples from the exhumed body did,” Mr Lungu said.

Mr Lungu said the DNA from the remains of the man that was buried and the man that resurfaced also did not match, which medically proved that they were not the same person.

“Mufalali’s wife clearly identified the scars on his body as the ones that were as a result of his suffering from herpes zoster that he suffered before he died and the other that he sustained after she hit him with a big stone that left him unconscious after a marital disagreement earlier in their marriage,” Mr Lungu said.

Mr Lungu said police took samples from Mufalali’s biological father Kabalube Mufalali and mother Nosiba Mwiya, both aged 75, for DNA paternity tests to determine whether the man who had resurfaced was truly their son.

Mr Lungu said police were now interviewing Mr Mufalali to try and establish his true identity and why he was identical to the deceased, but he had thus far given the same statement.

UPND women on the Copperbelt say they are shocked that PF leaders have continued issuing remarks bordering on hate speech just a few days after political parties agreed to engage in civil discourse.

Reacting to PF Deputy General Secretary Mumbi Phiri’s remarks on Monday that mentioning some names makes her loses appetite in reference to Hakainde Hichilema, Faith Mushongo the UPND Copperbelt Women’s Chairperson said remarks by Ms Phiri showed the PF’s lack of tolerance and hatred that they harbour against fellow citizens with different political views.

Ms Mushongo said Ms Phiri should realize that the opposition leader is not only the head of political party but that he is also a family man with a wife and children.

“PF Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri’s remarks yesterday on Joy FM that she loses her appetite whenever she hears the name Hakainde Hichilema show the level of intolerance, and even hatred, that the entire PF leadership harbours against fellow citizens who hold different political views.

“It is shocking that the PF leadership are back with hate speech barely a week after the political parties Indaba that called for civil public discourse as a way of reducing and ending political violence,” she said.

She said the PF have no campaign message hence the continued attacks on the opposition leader.

“They have now resorted to name calling and much worse in their quest for political survival, as opposed to articulating ideas and plans about how they hope to improve people’s lives. This is misguided and dangerous behaviour.

“Hateful and derogatory remarks, libellous innuendos, and demeaning accusations against fellow citizens are being given air at the expense of discussion of priority areas such as healthcare provision and education, agriculture, job creation for youths, energy deficit, and the ever increasing high cost of living and other issues,” she said.

She also said President was Lungu making the situation worse as with failure to discipline leader who are perpetrating hate speech and political violence.

The Patriotic Front -PF- has described as disrespectful a statement attributed to UPND Deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mwitwa suggesting that President Edgar Lungu is stressing first president Kenneth Kaunda.

PF National Youth Chairperson Stephen Kampyongo says Mr Mweetwa’s comments carried in today’s Post Newspaper are mischievous.

Mr. Kampyongo who is also Local Government Minister says President Lungu did not take Dr Kaunda for any government project.

He has explained that Dr Kaunda was in Chinsali to merely officiate at a school named after him and to attend a special church service at Lubwa mission.

Mr. Mwitwa has been quoted in today’s edition of the Post Newspaper as accusing President Lungu of stressing Dr Kaunda.

“THE State appeal against the High Court judgment which allowed me to go back to Parliament as Patriotic Front Member of Parliament despite being opposition UPND vice president lacks merit and should not cause the overturning of the judgment in my favour,’’ Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has argued.

This is a matter in which the Kasama Member of Parliament has requested the Lusaka High Court to revoke the order to bar him from attending the National Assembly, insisting that he was still representing the PF and Kasama Central in Parliament.

This is according to an affidavit filed before High Court Justice Florence Lengalenga.
Mr Mwamba, who is popularly known as GBM, said the order obtained ex-parte to stop him from attending the session of Parliament before it was dissolved should be set aside to allow him be heard over the matter.

“That the first and 2nd respondents not being satisfied with the judgment of this honourable court filed into the Supreme Court registry on the 31st March, 2016, a notice of appeal and subsequently made an ex-parte application for stay of execution of judgment pending the determination of the appeal and on 1st April, 2016, this honourable court granted the ex-parte order for stay of execution of judgment.

“I have been advised by my advocates and verily believe that I can request from the honourable court for an inter-parte hearing for the stay of execution of the order. Further, I have been advised by my advocates that ex-parte order of stay dated 1st April 2016 can be set aside for the reason, amongst others, that the appeal has no merit or prospects of success,” he said.

Mr Mwamba explained that the ex-parte order for the stay of execution granted to the State did not contain the provisions for endorsement of an inter-parte hearing which was against the general practice regarding ex-parte applications and orders.

He charged that it was the duty of the party that obtained the order to include a date for proposed inter-parte hearings which entitled the other party to apply for an inter-parte hearing.

Mr Mwamba said even the grounds of appeal advanced for the stay did not present desirable or necessary reasons to deny him enjoyment of the judgment, citing insufficient grounds to warrant a stay of execution of judgment pending the Supreme Court appeal.

“That with respect to the above, I crave this honourable court to set a date for inter-parte to hear the appellant’s affidavit in opposition to the respondents’ affidavit in support of the ex-parte order granted in default of the general practice regarding ex-parte applications and ex-parte orders and I seek the indulgence of the court to set it aside and allow the hearing of the 1st and 2nd respondents’ application inter-parte,” he said.

Mr Mwamba sued Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini together with the Attorney General of Zambia and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over the declaration of his seat vacant after he evidently crossed the floor and accepted to be opposition UPND vice president for administration.

Justice Lengalenga in delivering her judgment overturned Dr Matibini’s decision to declare Kasama Central vacant, saying the Speaker acted in excess of his powers instead of letting the court decide.

The judgment also ruled that Mr Mwamba was to be paid all emoluments he could have missed during his absence from Parliament.

But Solicitor General Abram Mwansa filed an appeal against the judgment explaining that Mr Mwamba was a known defector from the ruling PF to the UPND where he also accepted the opposition’s deputy presidency.

Mr Mwamba has also filed in opposition an appeal that bars him from going to Parliament and enjoy the benefits of the National Assembly after the High Court judgment that ruled that he was still PF Kasama MP while he was opposition UPND party vice president.