Speaking in an interview Honourable Muchima said PF have failed to deliver development in his constituency but that have now taken heaped road construction equipment because they have realised that this is an election year and think that they can hoodwink the people in his constituency.

He said he has time and again called for the construction of the main road which connects the area to Mwinulunga as it becomes impassable during rainy season but the PF government has ignored his pleas.

He said compared to the previous government of MMD, the PF government has done literally nothing apart from putting up foundations in his constituency.

“Compared to what MMD under Mwanawasa did in my constituency before his second term, PF has done literally nothing apart from putting up foundations. Our priority in my Constituency is the road but what do they do? They wait until during election that’s when they go and heap equipment, during rainy season and it rains heavily even if they go to launch they want to hoodwink the people,” he said.

He added that people are not foolish and understand that the launch is meant to hoodwink them into voting for them.

“People are not foolish and understand, all this five years were have they been? We have simple things like bridges are being washed away, cassava fields are being washed away by the rains and school roofs are being blown away day in and day out and the government is unable to attend to those challenges,” he said.

Mr Muchima further bemoaned the lack of materials and teachers in schools in the constituency saying there is a serious shortage of teachers due to erratic distribution of teachers in his area.

He said even the introduction of computers in schools is ill timed as almost all the schools have no power of any kind hence making it impossible for anybody to teach computer classes.

Dr Chitala said in an interview yesterday that the proposed alliance between the MMD and PF should be realised for the mutual benefit of both political parties.

“My position on this matter is that the MMD and its leader Nevers Mumba should heed the advice of Paramount Chief Chitumukulu that the alliance with the PF is the right way to go.

“I see nothing wrong with the two parties merging ahead of the elections, but, the challenge is for the MMD leadership to appreciate the wisdom of the elders,” Dr Chitala who once served as MMD deputy national secretary said.

Dr Chitala, who also served as State House and Finance deputy minister, also called for unity and co-existence in the former ruling party.

He said while people in a democratic dispensation had the right to possess and disseminate opposing views, the factions in MMD should co-exist for the sake of peace.

“Everyone has the right to hold an opposing view but the challenge for the aggrieved parties is to reach consensus and move on,” Dr Chitala said.

At its special council meeting held on Monday, ZNFU also requested the Board to expedite the process of winding up the transfer of shares of ZANACO shares to ZNFU.
Lizara is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which was created by ZNFU to protect its 3.41 percent shares in ZANACO.

It is now believed that those shares in ZANACO are now valued at more than US$9 million and are at the centre of a row at ZANACO which has seen fraud allegations levelled at the ZNFU Board and its Executive Director Evelyn Nguleka.

But Dr Nguleka said in a statement released after Monday’s Special Council meeting that the Council resolved to urge the ZBFU Board and management to continue engaging cooperating partners until the audit process is finalised.

“The Council reiterated the need to speed up the conclusion of ongoing audit process so that the final audit report is used to provide the basis for the Council to make necessary decisions and or to take appropriate action (s) at its next ordinary meeting scheduled for April/beginning May 2016,” Dr Nguleka said.

“The Council requested the ZNFU management to provide resources for the second formal draft audit report as requested by and agreed with the cooperating partners,” she said.

Dr Nguleka said the Council requested the ZNFU Board to follows up with the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) and obtain a response on the progress made this far on the request for ZICA to review the entire audit process and the findings of the preliminary audit report.

“The ZNFU Council urged the Board to continue engaging the cooperating partners until the audit process is completed.”

Commenting on the latest spat of political violence which occurred in Bwengwa on Saturday Ms Phiri said it was unheard of for cadres to beat up government workers for receiving the President.
She said behavior of the cadres should not be entertained in a democratic and civilised country like Zambia.

She said political violence was what led the former ruling party, UNIP to abolish multiparty politics in the country and that the UPND should not push the PF into taking that rout adding that the ANC under Simon Mwansa Kapwapwa forced the ruling UNIP to resort to one party state because of the violent behavior of his party.

On the dilapidated Bwengwa primary school which the UPND leader attended Hakainde Hichilema, Ms Phiri said people should learn to plough back to communities they come from and that when one is blessed with riches it was only fair to pay a little to communities which played a part to their success.

She claimed that she often donates paint and other small things to Kamuchanga primary school in Mufulira were she attended her primary education.

Speaking when he featured on Joy FM’s the Platform radio program Mr Nakacinda said the MMD is the only party with a democratic template in the country and that allowing it to die would be killing democracy in the country as it is the party considered to be the mother of democracy in the nation.

He said the MMD needs to raise above personal issues and deal with its challenges squarely without individuals advancing selfish interests.

“We need to aspire to grow our democracy to a level were we talk about issues no matter how sensitive without putting knives on the necks of each other and persuade one another amicably and that is what is expected at least of MMD because we are the mother of democracy in this country.

“I can tell you even the question that you have raised on whether MMD can survive the current challenges I can tell you that MMD needs to survive what we are going through because we are the only party with a clear democratic template, we are the only party which has demonstrated for the past 25 years that we are willing to engage in intraparty democracy processes to arrive at decisions or choose leadership,” he said.

He added “If MMD goes into extinction I can tell you that what goes into extinction is democracy in this country because the other political parties have not demonstrated in their history that they are committed to the tenets of democracy, it is MMD that stands out in that regard.”

And Mr Nakacinda has said that he has not fallen out with party President Nevers Mumba.
He said there has not been rift between him and Dr Mumba and that if there was any misunderstanding between they would be able to talk about it because there is no challenge that can insurmountable to be resolved.

On the differences of opinions as to whether the party is due for a convention Mr Nakacinda refused to comment stating that the issue was in court hence he could not comment.

He was however quick to mention that the safety of MMD as an institution would only be arssured by following the party constitution as it protects the party from external, internal as well as selfish agendas of individuals.

THE Police in Southern Province have arrested six suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres who assaulted Patriotic Front (PF) member Jenna Phiri last Saturday in the central business district of Choma.

Phiri 27, was assaulted by six cadres last Saturday February 13, 2016 in Choma.

Southern Province Police Commissioner Godwin Phiri who confirmed the arrests yesterday said they would appear in court soon.

Mr Phiri said all the arrested cadres were all of Choma and include Marcus Ng’andu 26, Saidi Mwale 24, Kizito Siamani 35, Steve Kalonga 23, Job Munsaka 23 and Jonathan Mwanza 27.

And the Patriotic Front (PF) in Southern Province has strongly condemned last Saturday’s attacks on members of the public that attended the rally that was addressed by Republican President Edgar Lungu in Bweengwa.

PF Member of the Central Committee Syacheye Madyekuku who was speaking during a meeting called by the party’s women wing at the secretariat in Choma yesterday said President Lungu was the Republican President and was free to hold a meeting in any part of the country.

Mr Madyekuku said acts of violence were becoming too much and warned the United Party for National Development (UPND) to desist from attacking its members because the youths in the PF were being restrained from revenging and it was becoming difficult.

“We condemn the action by the UPND and wish to warn the UPND to desist because our youths are watching and we have just been restraining them from fighting back.

“President Lungu was a free citizen and was the Republican President and was free to have a meeting anywhere in the country,” he said. Mr Madyekuku who was part of the people that fought for Multiparty in the country said they fought so hard to bring it and challenged the UPND to fight on ideologies than engaging in acts of violence.

He said following the attacks the PF in Southern Province would now take advantage of opposition habit of fighting by embarking on grassroot mobilisation.

“We shall use this habit by UPND to mobilise the party and score more votes for President Lungu that he wins without a second round,” he said.

Choma PF district chairperson Kebby Mbewe said the party decided to call for the meeting because of the continued harassment of its members by the UPND.

“PF women felt that there freedom was being curtailed by the continued attacks of its members,” he said.