PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has reiterated his call for peace in the nation ?and called on all Zambians to condemn violence perpetrated by selfish individuals.

The President, who was yesterday among scores of people who witnessed the Jubilee celebrations of Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School together with first Republican president Kenneth Kaunda, said Zambia could not turn ?a blind eye to the famous motto of ‘One Zambia, One Nation’.

Mr Lungu praised the heroes and heroines, including Dr Kaunda, for sacrificing a lot and championing peace and unity which had to date made Zambia the beacon of peace in the world.

He told the gathering that the country’s tribe was Zambian, and that the onus lay with all citizens to exercise restraint and promote brotherly love which Jesus Christ spoke about in Mathew 22:37-39, which Dr Kaunda emphasised during his reign.

The President urged Zambians to adhere to the commandments of loving God and ?their neighbours as this was the sure way of maintaining peace.

“With these commandments, if we put them in practice, then it would be very easy to respect others and co-exist with them,” Mr Lungu said

He said his administration had embarked on various development projects such as the construction of schools and universities to restore Zambia’s dignity.

The Head of State said he would ensure that Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School was repaired to improve its status.

The President donated a Higer bus to the school as well as another one to Chinsali Day Secondary School to honour the late President Michael Sata’s pledge to the learning institutions.

Mr Lungu also donated another bus which the provincial administration would decide where to allocate it.The President urged former pupils of the school to contribute and improve its status.

Dr Kaunda, who was present at the event, praised Mr Lungu’s leadership and urged him to continue with his good work. Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School, which has turned 50 this year, was opened in 1965 and was initially named Lubwa Secondary School before being renamed in honour of Dr Kaunda the same year.

The celebrations were held under the theme ‘Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School at fifty with improved learner performance and resuscitating the school infrastructure for national development’.

Scores of people witnessed the celebrations which were characterised by music and dance from local Zambian artistes, among them, Mozegator, Macky II and Jordan Katembula, commonly known as JK?.

The President and Dr Kaunda together with other members of the entourage were taken on a tour of the school.

President Lungu’s assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, Dr Kaunda, General Education Minister John Phiri, area Member of Parliament Christopher Mulenga, Local Government Minister, Steven Kampyongo, Muchinga Province Minister Mwimba Malama and traditional leaders were among the people who attended the function.

President Lungu, who first landed at Kasama Airport, arrived in Chinsali at 12:00 hours and found scores of residents waiting for him at Chinsali airstrip.
?He proceeded to Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School for the Golden Jubilee celebrations, where he also unveiled a portrait of Dr Kaunda.

The General Education minister thanked Dr Kaunda for laying a firm foundation in the education sector. He said God who saw Mr Lungu elected as President in January 2015 would allow him to be re-elected because the people of Zambia had fallen in love with his leadership.

Today’s Scripture

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
(Acts 20:24, NKJV)

Don’t Be Moved

I think it’s interesting that the apostle Paul never prayed for every challenge to go away. He prayed that God would give him the strength to go through them with a good attitude. He sought emotional maturity.

Our level of emotional maturity can be seen by how much it takes to get us upset. You’ve heard the saying, “A small pot boils the quickest.” That means if we don’t keep our emotions in check, we’ll always be stressed out and make mountains out of molehills.

If we lose our cool because our child forgot his or her homework, or we’re aggravated because somebody didn’t do something we wanted them to do, then we’re not passing the test. We’ve got to grow and mature to the point where we can say what the apostle Paul said, “None of these things move me.” He said in effect, “It’s no big deal. I’m not worried about it. I trust God. I have a destiny to fulfill.”

Today, choose to see things from God’s perspective. Keep your emotions in check. Don’t be moved by your circumstances; instead, trust God because He is faithful. He’s working behind the scenes, and He will fulfill His promises to you!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You for doing a work in my life. Thank You for molding me and shaping me into Your image. I ask for Your supernatural joy and strength to stand strong no matter what I face in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Government has with immediate effect lifted the ban on Kasama Milling Company, which was one of the four companies blacklisted for exporting mealie meal outside the country, despite accessing subsidized maize from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

President Edgar Lungu announced the development when he made a stop-over at Kasama Airport today en-route to Chinsali in Muchinga Province where he is gracing the Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The Head of State said he decided to pardon Kasama Milling Company Proprietor Lupando Munkonge in order to address the mealie meal shortage being experienced in Kasama and beyond.

President Lungu however warned Mr Munkonge to desist from illegal export of mealie meal to neighbouring countries.

He said he is aware of the unlawful dealings that Kasama milling company has been engaged in prior to its termination of contract with FRA from accessing subsidized maize.

The President has since directed the firm to meet the local demand of mealie meal and ensure that it is sold at an affordable price.

And Mr Munkonge, who knelt before the head of state, has since assured the president that his company will no longer engage in underhand deals but will strive to stabilize the local supply of mealie meal.

Meanwhile, Northern Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe has praised President Lungu for pardoning Kasama Milling Company saying the shortage of mealie meal will now be a thing of the past.

And commenting on the unstable fuel supply in some parts of the country, President Lungu said the matter is receiving serious attention from his government.

The President has since assured the nation that the fuel situation will soon normalize following drastic steps taken by government to ensure adequate supply of the commodity in the country.

President Edgar Lungu has arrived in Muchinga province ahead of the 50 years commemorations of the Kenneth Kaunda secondary school.

The Presidential chopper carrying President Lungu touched down Chinsali airstrip at exactly 12:05 hours.

He was received by Muchinga provincial minister Mwimba Malama, cabinet ministers, senior government and party officials.

The president is accompanied by first Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

While in Muchinga the President will Inspect the construction of 30 low and medium cost houses and other development projects.

Later today the President is expected to Address a public rally at Liondola high school in the afternoon.

Tomorrow President Lungu is also expected to attend a church service at Lubwa.

After the church service, Mr Lungu will Tour the burial site for KK’s parents and other missionaries in Lubwa.

Before concluding his two days working visit to Muchinga province on Sunday, President Lungu will address a rally at Matumbo.

And President Edgar Lungu has urged Zambians to give him a fresh mandate in the August 11th general elections to enable him finish various developments projects his administration has embarked on.

President Lungu says he deserves another term in office because he is a working President committed to uplifting the living standards of every Zambian.

Speaking when he addressed a rally in Ilondola area in Chinsali on Saturday, President Lungu said he is finishing late President Michael Sata’s term and now needs a new mandate to complete his development agenda for the country.

President Lungu also called on voters to elect leaders who have their interests at heart and urged electorates to indicate their priority areas of projects government should implement in their areas.

At the same rally Local Government Minister Steven Kampyongo said President Lungu deserves another term of office because he has taken development to all parts of the country.

And Defence Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga urged people in Chinsali to give President Lungu and the PF a resounding victory in the August elections.

The President is on Saturday evening scheduled to meet business leaders at a dinner.

The president is Chinsali to hold a series of meetings as well as to inspect various developmental projects.

He is expected to return to Lusaka tomorrow after attending a church service at Lubwa mission and hold a rally in Matumbo area.

Patriotic Front (PF) Chairman for media and Deputy Spokesman Frank Bwalya has said that United Party for National Development (UPND) Vice President Dr Canisius Banda should not drag the ruling PF into his known problem of failing to pay rentals for his dwelling.

In a statement released to the media, Mr Bwalya said that the predicament  Dr Banda is in now  is a result of the failure of UPND and its rich leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema to support their Vice President, who works for the party on a full time basis.

Mr Bwalya further said that Dr Banda decided to stay in UPND, while sending an SOS message, because he knows that the party has capacity to pay him a decent allowance for his survival.

Below is the full statement

PATRIOTIC FRONT
PRESS STATEMENT
APRIL 2, 2016.

Dr Canisius Banda’s Predicament is an indictment on the leadership of Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

The attempt by Dr Canisius Banda to drag the Patriotic Front (PF) into his known problem of failing to pay rentals for his dwelling should be understood as a veiled message to his party the United Party for National Development (UPND) to take care of him.

It is an open secret that since Dr Banda joined UPND for which he is Vice President for Politics he has been struggling financially. We have seen him driving a vehicle with the kind of finished types commonly known as insoka (snake).

The story of his failure to settle rentals is historical and has nothing to do with persecution by the landlady. As such, we don’t believe assertions that some people working with the landlady could be undertaking a plan of persecuting Dr Banda.

The truth of the matter is that the predicament of Dr Banda speaks volumes about the failure of UPND and its rich leader Mr Hakainde Hichilema to support their Vice President who works for the party on a full time basis. Therefore when Dr Banda says that PF has offered him charity and better treatment including financial support he is actually sending a message to his rich leader and brother Mr Hichilema to take care of him.

We believe that Dr Banda has decided to stay in UPND and just send an SOS message to the UPND leader because he knows that the party has capacity to pay him a decent allowance for his survival. Moreover, Br Banda knows what we all know namely that Mr Hichilema is a very rich Zambian businessman and has capacity to support him.

Therefore, the predicament of Dr Banda is an indictment on the leadership of Mr Hichilema. It is appropriate to wonder why a rich man can fail to help his right hand man who has become financially vulnerable for siding with the poor under the banner of the UPND.

We are aware of the suffering of some UPND members who are very close to their rich leader Mr Hichilema. When they fall sick they complain that Mr Hichilema gets journalists at great expense to go and pose for photos with them lying in pain in the hospital bed in University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and leaving them without any meaningful support.

It is this same attitude of Mr Hichilema that has made him refuse to make a personal social responsibility contribution to improve the primary school he went to in his village. The bottom line is that rich people are morally obliged to perform acts of philanthropy not only to their friends and relatives around them but society at large.

Finally, we urge Mr Hichilema to realise that the lamentations of Dr Banda are directed at him and that he should do something about it. The following is part of the lamentation as quoted by the Post Newspapers.

(Post Newspapers No. 7106 SA746-April 2, 2016 page 4)

I am being prosecuted, that is all. I am being
mocked and ridiculed. The only crime I have committed
is to side with the poor people of Zambia. That is all,
and I leave this matter in the hands of God.
I will find peace in the bosom of my Father.

We know that once President Lungu learns about the predicament of Dr Banda he will assist him from a purely humanitarian perspective should he be willing.

In conclusion what we can say is that Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu has small money but a big heart so he helps those around him whereas Mr Hakainde Hichilema has big money but a small heart so those around him suffer.

A portion of the money Mr Hichilema used to spoil diplomats with choice wines, expensive whiskies and sumptuous food could have gone to Dr Banda’s landlady to allow Dr Banda get back his belongings into the house he was evicted from.

Even a portion of the money that was used to host anti-Lungu clergy such as Bishop John Maambo could have gone a long way to alleviate the suffering of our brother Dr Canisius Banda.