Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi has been challenged to step down from his position following reports that he has applied to contest Siavonga parliamentary seat under the UPND.

PF Mandevu Constituency Chairman Joseph Tamba alleges that the ruling party has information that Mr. Chipenzi has applied to contest the Siavonga seat on the UPND ticket.

Mr. Tamba says Mr. Chipenzi will do well to leave the civil society organization and join active politics.

But Mr. Chipenzi says he will make a formal announcement if at all he will express interest in contesting any seat.

He lamented that it is unfair that some media houses have already blacklisted him from coverage because of such unsubstantiated reports.

Confusion in the former ruling party the MMD has taken a new twist with Lunte MMD Member of Parliament Felix Mutati accusing party President Nevers Mumba of making the initial contact which led to MPs from the former ruling party to support the UPND in the last Presidential elections.

In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the former commerce Minister said he had remained silent amidst all the accusations that he led a rebellion of MPs because he did not want to wash dirty linen in public but that he has been forced to say something because of the high levels of hypocrisy and immorality within the party.

Mr Mutati said it was MMD leader Nevers Mumba who told NEC members and MPs that he had met the UPND leadership in South Africa and had agreed to go into the 2015 elections with UPND and that it was hypocrisy for him turn and point an accusing finger at him.

“First of all, It was not my idea nor did I lead a rebellion of MMD MPs to support another political party because at a NEC meeting, seating together with MPs on 16th November 2014 our President Dr Nevers Mumba briefed us that in facing the 2015 Presidential election he led a high powered delegation to South Africa for a meeting with UPND.

“Suffice to say that prominent African leaders helped broker a deal between the UPND and the MMD leadership. Among those who attended the meeting was Dr Mumba himself, then National Secretary Muhabi Lungu and Honourable Mwansa Mbulakulima.

Dr Mumba briefed us that everything had been discussed and that we as MMD would go in the election with the UPND. It was Nevers Mumba who led us to the UPND, while other people were advocating for RB to come back but some of us who acknowledged the legitimate leadership of Dr Mumba at that time decided to follow his directive. He even appointed some MPs and senior members to constitute a team to finalize the details of the alliance. I shudder to think that a man of God can U-turn today and start blaming us for going to UPND in 2015,” reads part of the statement.

And Mr Mutati says he has refused to discuss personalities with Dr Mumba and he will only engage him on matters regarding the former ruling party which he wants to see survive beyond the 2016 general elections.

“I have vehemently refused to engage Dr Mumba on a personal level because these are not personal issues but institutional matters, we are dealing with an institution which must survive beyond the 2016 elections.

“The stage we are at as a party is not where we start looking at parties that we can form alliances with but the greatest responsibility that we have is rebuilding our Party to levels of respectability so that even if we are to consider an alliance, it should be an alliance were we have value not in our current fragile state because we will just end up being a minor partner to who ever we are going to work with if that happens,” he said.

He said he will not be part of the emotional out burst going round within the party and that his focus is to make the party stronger so that it can go into the 2016 election as a united MMD.

On calls for him to take over the running of the party Mr Mutati said he has not hiden his ambitions.

“On the issue of running against Dr Mumba, I’m not sponsoring any one and have never sponsored anyone but my name is just being mentioned as one of the alternatives to the party leadership. And MMD being a democratic party, were I am as a bona fide member, it is my democratic right to stand against anyone and fancy my chances. And I have never hidden my aspirations of leading this party before and I don’t see the reason I should start hiding now,” he said.

A KITWE woman has accused her brother of being a wizard, in a spooky incidence where a concoction caught fire and a buffaloe’s head appeared when the two were consulting a witchdoctor.
During the bizarre episode, Lydia Musamba, took the incidence as proof that her brother Peter Musamba, bewitched her son when the two (Lydia and Peter) sought the services of a witchdoctor to establish the cause of her child’s illness.
Appearing before senior Local court magistrate Nsama Mutono was Musamba, 57, who dragged Lydia to court for defamation of character.
Musamba, of Kawama township told the court that on December 2, 2015, his sister publicly accused him of being a wizard.
He said he told his sister that there was need for them to consult a witchdoctor to prove his (Musamba’s) innocence and to also establish the cause of the child’s illness.
According to Musamba, the two visited the witchdoctor who ordered them to make a concoction of glycerine and chilli after which he (witchdoctor) prayed over it.
But while he prayed, Musamba said, fire came out of the bottle and a head of a buffalo dropped from nowhere much to their dismay.
“Your honour, the fall of that buffaloe’s head was to my sister proof that am a wizard. In rage, Lydia went outside the room and began accusing me of bewitching her son,” Peter said.
And Lydia said she and Musamba sought the services of a witchdoctor to establish the cause of her son’s illness.
She added that she believed Musamba was behind her child’s illness because of the bizarre outcome of the consultation.
The court said Lydia dented her brother’s image and defamed Musamba by calling him a wizard in public.
She ordered Lydia to compensate Musamba by paying K1, 600 in monthly instalments of K200.

(DailyMail)

Former Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister in late President Michael Chilufya Sata’s administration Robert Sichinga has refuted claims by political critics that former UPND Spokesperson Patrick Chisanga and himself left United Party for National Development (UPND) on account of tribalism pushed by loyalists that only a Tonga should succeed the late Anderson Kambela Mazoka and lead the party.

In remarks on Pan African Radio ‘OFF the CUFF” radio Program anchored by Hermit Hachilonde, Mr. Sichinga dismissed the claims as erroneous, adding that the truth of the matter is that UPND has always been an inclusive political party.

“The tribalism thing was not the basis I left the UPND, I only left when I was physically beaten at Mr. Mazoka’s burial,”

“That was not the correct scenario because I left before HH took over leadership of the UPND, I had resigned from the UPND because of accusations that were labeled against me and the differences in the selection of candidates within the party at that time and the fact the I raised the issue of Mazoka’s health,” said Mr Sichinga before adding that he thought was that it was better for Mr Mazoka to rest based on his health.

“The tribal thing was not a correct scenario. I had put Mazoka’s health  first, and the tribalism thing was not the basis I left the UPND, I only left when I was physically beaten at Mr. Mazoka’s burial,” Mr Sichinga said

Mr. Sichinga said that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema embraces people regardless of their individual tribal heritage.

Mr. Sichinga, who rejoined the UPND, dismissed as unfair accusations labeling the UPND leader as a tribalist with deserving contempt.

Mr. Sichinga said that most people make such unjustified assessment on account of ignorance.

Sichinga, a former UPND Kafue Member of Parliament (MP) believes that Mr. Hichilema is comparably a better and experienced leader with exceptional ability to manage the Zambian economy.

“Am sure that president Hichilema knows that he needs the support of all tribes in Zambia, so I would say to you that the issues of error in judgment and that cannot be pressed on Hakainde Hichilema because he was only called to run the affairs of the party and that is not his problem” Bob Sichinga Said

You can listen to extracts from the Interview below