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FAZ Super Division side Power Dynamos are relishing their pre-season outing to Luapula Province.
Power are currently on a ten-day tour of Luapula Province that has seen them visit Mansa and Samfya Districts.
Team manager Lombe Chipupu said the pre-season training is progressing well.
“Our camping in Luapula is going on well. We arrived in Mansa on Friday and so far we have played a series of friendly matches,” Chipupu said.
“We have played friendly matches against Mansa Health Stars whom we beat 1-0 and ZNS Mansa we beat them 2-0,” he said.
“People are excited with our visit here and therefore we are receiving numerous requests for friendly matches from teams in Luapula and Northern Provinces.
“We will play three more friendly matches before going back to the Copperbelt on 19th January,” Chipupu said.
Meanwhile, Power are this year plotting to wrestle the league title from Zesco United.
The Kitwe giants finished third in the 2015 campaign.
President Lungu greets UPND president Hakainde Hichilema during the memorial service of the Late President Michael Chilufya Sata at St Ignatius Catholic Church in Lusaka
United party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has said that the unacceptable price rises under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government are hurting the majority of Zambia and are the result of a lack of vision and bad leadership coming from State House.
In a statement released to the media today, the UPND leader said that his party will bring down the prices by starting with a defined vision that will quickly be followed up with a number of targeted interventions.
Below is the full statement
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Combating High Inflation – The UPND Way
The rate of inflation has risen from around 7% when President Lungu’s was elected to 21.1%. A rate we have not seen in Zambia for more than 10 years. This, in simple terms, means the fritters you used to buy for 50 ngwee are now being sold for K1.50. The unacceptable price rises under the PF are hurting the majority of our people and are the result of a lack of vision and bad leadership coming from State House. Mealie meal was 35 kwacha, now people are buying mealie meal for 100 kwacha a bag.
The negative impacts of this inflation range from increasing malnutrition, escalating inequality, and diminishing local business competitiveness.
There is a reason the UPND puts the economy and economic turnaround at the centre of our plans for the country. This is because a healthy, growing economy is the only sustainable source of wealth, jobs and funding for social services across the country.
So how would the UPND fix inflation? How can we bring down the cost of living in Zambia? Our response to such a challenge starts with a defined vision that will quickly be followed up with a number of targeted interventions.
We would first inform our solution by taking a closer look at the driving factors. In this case food price increases are a big part of the picture and here there is a lot of scope for making changes that will feed through into lower inflation and reduced prices.
One of our first interventions would be targeted at increasing productivity, so that each farmer is able to produce more output at a lower unit cost. Interventions would include enhanced input distribution, reintroduction of farming training centres and the provision of extension services for both livestock and crops. It is scientifically proven that some varieties of maize can produce 10 tons per hectare (200 bags of 50kg maize) against the national average of 2.3 tons (46 bags) a hectare for the same amount of inputs. The other important aspect is eliminating wastage. Under the PF prices have often needlessly risen when ton upon ton of maize has gone to waste. In fact, under the PF in 2012/2013 alone the amount of FRA maize spoilage was estimated to be 32%, which equates to some US$450 million.
We would also prioritise the promotion of value-addition industries. Not only would this contribute to growth, raise revenues and create jobs, but producing goods locally such as canned fish and cereals would reduce our reliance on imports and reduce inflationary pressures. Actually Zambia would be an exporter of finished and not raw products. This will create jobs and more revenue for Government through VAT and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) due to increased employment and better salaries and conditions of service.
These are just two examples of interventions that would bring multiple benefits, including a downward pressure on prices. For success there must be vision followed by action, but for now we continue to see little evidence of either.
Energy and Water Development Minister, Hon. Dora Siliya
GOVERNMENT has said that Zambians have not been able to enjoy the benefits of the current low global oil prices because of the exchange pressure that the Kwacha was facing from other international currencies.
Energy and Water Development Minister, Ms. Dora Siliya has said that the current exchange rate shocks directly impacted her Ministry which had to make huge purchases of oil and power at colossal amounts in foreign currency, particularly now when the country was facing a serious energy deficit.
Ms. Siliya is in South Africa as President Edgar Lungu’s Special Envoy to South Africa’s President His Excellency Mr. Jacob Zuma. She was speaking this morning when she addressed diplomats at the High Commission of Zambia in Pretoria.
The Minister, accompanied by directors in her Ministry, Mr. Oscar Kalumiana for energy, and Ms. Viola Mtamila for Planning, and Zesco director of transmission Mr. Webster Musonda, have been meeting chief executive officers of various companies in the energy sector.
Ms. Siliya pointed out that apart from oil and power requirements, the country was also faced with a widening deficit of food in some parts of the country which Government had to address through provision of relief food.
“To add salt to the injury, at a time when the world is experiencing low oil prices, our people cannot gain from that because the same foreign exchange that we could have been saving is now going to purchases of power and other emergency interventions,” she said.
“Others say we should not compare with other countries yet economies of the world are inter-linked. What happens when China stops buying our copper which has been our main source of foreign exchange for a long time? Obviously we lose revenue yet at the same time other countries still want us to pay for what we import,” She added.
The Minister explained that shortage of water in some parts of the country was the primary problem which was manifesting itself through load shedding which was a secondary challenge. She said her Ministry had realised that out of the 40 percent of water resources that Zambia boasted, the country only accessed four percent of this while the rest ran off to the sea, evaporated or sunk into the ground.
“It was not strange for the President to call for prayers as no one can manufacture rain. It was difficult for people to fathom that Kariba could dry up until pictures showing rocks at the Victoria Falls went round.”
“We are, therefore, engaging each other and other experts to see how best we can harvest this water for the benefit of the country. It is now clear that the northern and north-western parts of Zambia have water and so it is paramount that we start moving the bulk of water related investment into those regions,” she said.
She regretted that the new thermal power plant at Maamba Collieries did not meet the November dead line by which it should have brought about 300 megawatts on stream. Maamba is now expected to be operational by July this year while it is also hoped that some solar and hydro energy sources would have come on board by the end of the year.
Ms. Siliya said Government was working hard to ensure that power supply did not drop to levels beyond what was prevailing by employing various sources of energy such as through imports and fuel-powered generators as part of the emergency measures.
The Minister urged Zambians not to allow to be misled about the energy problems the country was facing pointing out that investment in power generation and transmission took long to mature.
“Nobody should come to you and claim that they can play some magic and end our problems just like that because even solar takes not less than a year to put up. I think debate on who did not do what is long gone. We should all be patriotic and put our energies together so that we find solutions to these problems,” Ms. Siliya said.
She called on the private sector to participate in finding solutions.
The Minister also urged consumers to adopt the use of energy saving bulbs, solar geysers and gas stoves as an effective way of conserving energy.
President Edgar Lungu Cuts the ribbon whilst Vice President Inonge Wine Looks on during the Launch of the Performance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government Complex
Republican President Edgar Lungu today launched the Performance-Based Contract System for Permanent Secretaries.
Speaking at the launch held at Government Complex, Mr Lungu said despite improved conditions of service for civil servants the public has continued to bemoan the poor performance by the public service.
“Our people have bemoaned the poor performance of the public service, despite the improvement in in the conditions of service, high academic credentials possessed by most public service workers and other reform initiatives progressively implemented by previous administrations.
“Even under the PF government we have not spared any efforts in our bid to motivate public service workers yet government and the public at large still remain less than satisfied with the level and quality of the services offered by our public service,” Mr Lungu said.
He explained that government has been prompted to come up with the Performance- Based Contract System so as to maximize the performances of public service workers.
He added that the program would cascade to other levels of the public service and that the launch was the beginning of the preferred option for improving the quality of services across the continent.
“The rollout of this program has started with Permanent Secretaries and District Commissioners, thereafter, it will be cascaded to other level the public service including Ministers with their Boards, Boards with their Chief Executive Officers and Local Authorities with their Chief Executives.”
Meanwhile Mr. Lungu said he was hopeful that the implementation of the system would accelerate the realisation of a smart government envisioned in the ” Smart Zambia Now” campaign which seeks to eliminate tedious and wasteful processes as well as procedures by embracing electronic access to public service by the public.
He said the combination of E-Government and Performance – Based Contracts will launch the country on a robust road towards the attainment of our vision to be prosperous middle income country by 2030 and a developed nation by 2064.
President Edgar Lungu Cuts the ribbon whilst Vice President Inonge Wine Looks on during the Launch of the Performance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government ComplexPresident Edgar Lungu Cuts the ribbon whilst Vice President Inonge Wine Looks on during the Launch of the Performance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government ComplexPresident Edgar Lungu and Vice President Inonge Wine shows the document after the launch whilst Secretary to the cabinet Rowland Msiska Looks on during the Launch of the Performance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government ComplexPresident Edgar Lungu gives the document to Secretary to the Cabinet Rowland Msiska Whilst Vice President Inonge Wina (C) Looks on during the Launch of the Performance-Based Contract system for Permanent secretaries at Government Complex
Opposition Members of parliament listens during the presentation of 2015 budget
Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwinga has announced that the fifth session of the eleventh National Assembly, which adjourned sine die on Friday 11th December 2015, will resume on Tuesday, 9th February 2016.
This is contained in a media statement made available to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today.
On December 10th through to 11th of the same month, Members of Parliament spent the entire night debating amendments to the draft constitutional amendment bill of the National Assembly of Zambia number 17 of 2015.
Several amendments to the bill were passed during the debates while others were rejected.
Those rejected included the establishment of provincial assemblies and increasing parliament by 94 nominated members of parliament.
Some of the clauses which passed include the 50 percent plus one vote, dual citizenship and the presidential running mate who would become Vice President after elections while the proposals to have cabinet appointed from outside parliament were rejected.
Early this month, President Edgar Lungu assented to the constitutional bill No 17 of 2015 which was passed by parliament during the last sitting, resulting into some parts of the new constitution being actualised.
PF Deputy Spokesperson Fr. Frank Bwalya says UPND Vice President Geoffrey Mwamba will not only shock Zambians but will shock himself as well when he produces a Grade 12 Certificate because it will land him in problems.
Speaking when he featured on Pan Africa’s radio program the platform, Fr Bwalya said the PF is aware that Mr. Mwamba is a Grade 6 term 3 dropout hence it will be shocking if indeed he managed to produce a Grade 12 School Certificate he does not have.
He said Mr. Mwamba should not try to forge the document because the law will take its course.
“How is it possible that a Grade 6 School dropout term 3 for that matter can come along and produce a Grade 12 School Certificate? Definitely people will be shocked but it will not only be the people of Zambia who will be shocked GBM himself will be shocked that such an action will land him in jail. He may think that this is a joking matter then say I have shocked the people of Zambia because it won’t even take 3 minuets before he realizes that he has brought problems unto himself.
“We are warning GBM that he may have been Minister of Defense, he have money but if he doesn’t have, and we know he doesn’t have, a Grade 12 School Certificate, he can’t change that and if he tries to forge one, we are warning him, he is a family man, we don’t want his stomach to go and finish in jail. Let him behave himself, and on that, I want to advise the UPND, from a humanitarian perspective, let them advise him to admit and not keep quiet about it. He should admit that he doesn’t have a Grade 12 School Certificate,” he said.
Fr Bwalya also defended Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili for saying Tongas would not vote for Jesus if he stood against their President.
He said what Mr. Kambwili said was true because the voting pattern of the people of Southern Province indicate that they can only vote for their tribes men.
He said different political leaders from Southern Province have issued a number of statements calling people from their Province to vote for their President.
Zambia wrapped up their South Africa training camp on Wednesday with a draw.
Chipolopolo were held to a 0-0 draw in Pretoria by South African club Mamelodi Sundowns.
The result came three days after Zambia rallied to beat Angola 2-1 in Johannesburg.
Zambia were using the five-day training camp to prepare for their 2016 CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign in Rwanda this weekend.
“We are at 90 per cent and have done lots of work. What remains now is the 10 per cent which is the tactical part,” Zambia captain Christopher Katongo said after the game.
Chipolopolo leave for Kigali on Thursday at the end of the South Africa training camp that began last Friday.
Zambia will kickoff their CHAN outing on January 19 with a Group D opener against Zimbabwe before taking on Uganda in their penultimate pool match on January 23 and face Mali on January 27.
Rwanda will host the 4th edition of the CHAN tournament from January 16 to February 7.
CHAN is a second tier Africa Cup championship exclusively for domestic-based players.
A new champion will be crowned this year after defending champions Libya failed to qualify for the tournament.
DR Congo and Tunisia , who won titles in 2009 and 2011, are in the race for a second crown each.
The Hon. Minister of Tourism and Arts Jean Kapata MP and her delegation at UNWTO in Colombia where Zambia was elected into the UNWTO Executive Council.
WESTERN governments plotting the downfall of President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front should know that Zambia is a sovereign State and their meddling in the country’s politics will be considered an act of subversion, Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata has charged.
And Ms Kapata has said the planned amalgamation of the opposition political parties and civil society organizations in the so-called ‘‘super secret pact’’ was doomed to fail because one of the opposition leaders in the pact would want to dominate the others.
Ms Kapata has warned Western governments allegedly financing regime change in Zambia that it was a breach of diplomatic etiquette for foreign countries to meddle in the country’s political affairs.
She charged that any foreign country that would be found to be sponsoring activities that were inimical to Zambia’s democracy and peaceful transition would compel Government to consider severing its diplomatic relations with such a country.
She told the Daily Nation yesterday that reports that some Western governments were plotting the downfall of President Edgar Lungu for transgressions he did not commit could easily strain the diplomatic relations Zambia was currently enjoying with these countries.
Ms Kapata said it would be irresponsible for foreign countries to start financing anarchy and chaos in Zambia in a bid to influence regime change, stating that Zambia had enjoyed peace since independence and would not allow what had happened in other countries in the region and some parts of Africa to spill over to the country.
She said Government would start closely monitoring some media mother bodies that were allegedly receiving funding from donors under the pretext of media development or promoting press freedom because there was a danger that such funding could be used to advance subversive activities in the country.
“We have been informed that some foreign countries are bringing a lot of money into the country to finance a programme code-named ‘Lungu must go’ so that there should be a change of Government after the general elections this year,” Ms Kapata said. And Ms Kapata said the planned grand coalition of opposition political parties and civil society organisations to defeat the PF in the coming general elections would not succeed because one of the opposition leaders was going to choose to domineer over other leaders.
He claimed alliances born out of convenience and without a common ideological agenda often never lasted and that it was likely that the pact that was being mooted by a senior retired politician was not going to succeed because President Lungu had given Zambians what they wanted and were ready to renew his mandate to continue governing.
Ms Kapata said Zambia had seen alliances including the one that was formed between the PF in the opposition and the UPND but could not last because one leader exhibited domineering traits.
House producer/DJ ,Eleftherios Mukuka, released the video for his song “Rainfall” that features Kayla Jacobs on the vocals. The video was directed by King Spirit at Chanimuka Natural Reserve
Nevers Mumba
MMD President Nevers Mumba says education system should suit the needs of the country.
And Action for Quality Education Executive Director Aaron Chansa has called on Government to come up with a system that will help students from private universities and colleges access educational loans.
Dr Mumba said the country needs to invest in the kind of education that addresses our needs as opposed to the copy and pest type of education system.
“We need to invest a lot of money into education. We need better school buildings and better classrooms. Our education curriculum must not be a copy and paste type from the West but localized by a process of amalgamation and experimentation according to our unique circumstances,” he said.
He adds that he believes in robust educational system because it solves a lot of problems.
“An educated population is more productive; investors are attracted by the availability of a large skilled workforce; Democracy flourishes and matures as citizens are better able to understand national issues and not be easily manipulated by corrupt leaders. Civil wars are diminished because people have better things to do with their educated minds than take up arms.
Crime reduces as people engage in productive activities. Wealth increases as Africans invent new ways to make money with their knowledge. Even the health of a nation improves as people get educated in hygiene and basic cleanliness. The positive benefits are incalculable,” Dr Mumba said.
Meanwhile Action for Quality Education Executive Director Aaron Chansa said there is need for government to help students in private universities access student loans as education has become expensive.
He said government should work with reputable private universities and work out a plan with banks to help those that do not enter into government institutions on bursaries get opportunities of higher education.
He adds that doing so would help government offload some of the students on bursary because many students opt to apply to government institutions because of lack of sponsorship.
Stephen Kampyongo
Local government Minister Stephen Kampyongo has called on PF leaders to read the amended constitution and ensure that they understand the clauses.
Mr Kampyongo said there is need for leaders to understand the constitution because there are clauses which if not properly understood would lead to misinterpretation of the law.
He said leaders should be knowledgeable enough about the new constitution so that they can enlighten the people who do not understand some of the clauses such as the 50%+1 clause.
He said some people might not understand why the country should go for a rerun in an event that non of the candidates fail reach the required thrashhold of 50%+1 vote. He also said people should be made to understand that a running mate will not appear on the ballot paper.
And Mr. Kampyongo said some clauses were shelved because the country did not have the resources needed to implement the clauses.
He said the Provincial Assemblies clause would require new infrastructure in all the 10 Provinces for holding meetings and that government did not have resources to build 10 such buildings currently.
Mr. Kampyongo said this when he addressed councillors from Mufulira Municipal council.
United party for National Development Deputy Spokesperson has asked the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to give guidelines on the implication and interpretation of minimum qualification of grade twelve certificate.
In a statement released to the media, Mr Edwin Edwin Lifwekelo said that there was confusion and misunderstanding on this provision because the constitution stated that minimum qualification of grade twelve and this could be interpreted to mean that one still qualifies to stand with other academic faculties even if one didn’t have a grade seven or grade twelve certificate.
Mr Lifwekelo further said that we have doctors and academicians including politicians that never had a chance to do grade seven or grade twelve but have obtained a diploma or degree in other academic faculties.
Below is the full statement
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
The Law Association of Zambia must give guidelines on the implication and interpretation of minimum qualification of grade twelve certificate. There is confusion and misunderstanding on this provision.
The provision says minimum qualification of grade twelve, meaning one still qualifies to stand with other academic faculties even if one didn’t have a grade seven or grade twelve certificate.
I have in mind people that never had an opportunity to do grade seven or grade twelve but have gone further to obtain a diploma or degree in other academic faculties, do you disqualify them on account of not having a grade twelve certificate, the answer is No.
We have doctors and academicians including politicians that never had a chance to do grade seven or grade twelve but have obtained a diploma or degree in other academic faculties.
The provision says minimum qualification of grade twelve meaning one can still have other academic qualifications and thus is qualified to stand as a Counselor, MP or President.
The Law Association of Zambia must therefore, provide leadership on this matter and give guide on the interpretation of minimum qualification of grade twelve. People have taken it that you specifically require a grade twelve certificate for you to qualify as a Counselor, MP or President which I think is not the case. I stand to be corrected.
A woman of Kitwe narrated before the Ganerton Local Court how her husband impregnated her biological mother when she visited their matrimonial home.
Appearing before senior magistrate Fredrick Ndhlovu. was Grace Banda, who sued her husband, Mwila Kalobo for divorce.
The two got married in 2006 and have two children.
Banda, a trader at Kitwe’s Chisokone Market, told the court that all was well in their marriage when the two tied the knot in 2006 until she discovered her husband’s adulterous affair with her biological mother.
She narrated that her mother visited their matrimonial home from the village in 2010 and stayed with them for three months.
She said she would leave home in the morning to sell merchandise at Chisokone Market and would only return home from work around 19:00 hours.
“My mother visited us from the village and she stayed with us for three months. Whenever I went out, I used to leave her home with the children. But one day, my mother decided to leave without telling me,” Banda said.
She narrated that three months later after her mother left, she went to the village to visit her (mother) and discovered that she was six months pregnant.
Banda told the court that when she asked her mother who was responsible for the pregnancy as her father was late, she did not say anything.
“I stayed in the village for two months until my mother gave birth to a child who exactly resembled my husband,” she said.
Banda told the court that when she left the village, she confronted her husband about his alleged affair with her mother and she got a shock of her life when her spouse admitted impregnating her [mother] and asked for forgiveness.
And Kalobo admitted having impregnated his mother in-law and told the court that his wife was a marketeer who always left home in the morning and only returned at night.
He told the court that his mother in-law used to do everything for him at home while his wife was away selling at the market and that he ended up having a secret sexual affair with her until she conceived.
Magistrate Ndhlovu said it was a taboo for Kalobo to sleep with his mother-in-law which resulted into having a child.
He granted the two divorce adding that Banda was never at home to take care of her husband.
Mr. Davidson Nyambe Muttendango wrote: ‘’As early as 1929, the government had enacted the Native Authorities and Native Courts Ordinances. And Through Native Authorities, chiefs were able to mobilize the resources of the community and repair roads and schools in their areas. This was a surest way of taking power to the people at the grass-root level. In other words, it was believed then that democracy is strongest when its institutions such as the Native Authorities are virile at the local level. These Native Authorities served as agencies of the colonial government and at the same time acted as crystallizers of public opinion. And for this, chiefs were very much respected by their subjects.’’
In fact during the colonial rule these chiefdoms were run on semi-autonomous basis as today’s local governments. The main objective of the indirect rule was the recognition of Native Authorities to help Africans enhance the role of their own traditional institutions in governance. The Native authorities could raise some funds from court fees and fines, bicycles, dogs, fire arms and game licences. In addition, the government agreed to pay to the various treasuries 10 per cent of the native (or poll tax) collected either inside or outside the district from Africans belonging to the tribe.
How were these Native Authorities identified? The Lala-Lamba group; Lenje-Soli group or the Ila-Tonga group etc. And the effectiveness and efficiency of the Native Authorities can best be drawn from a protest circular by the African National Congress (ANC) dated 28th February 1958 and which in part read:”….Africans also want to know why thousands of pounds (British sterling) from Native Authorities should be lent to Government and Building Societies at very low interest rates when there is need for those Authorities to use the money.” (March to Political Freedom by Kapasa Makasa)
Even a quick glance would clearly show that the Native Authorities were very powerful regional blocks which gave chiefs a powerful mandate since they were financially sound and look at this: ‘’The main objective of the indirect rule was the recognition of Native Authorities to help Africans enhance the role of their own traditional institutions in governance. This was a surest way of taking power to the people at the grass-root level. In other words, it was believed then that democracy is strongest when its institutions such as the Native Authorities are virile at the local level.’’ No black government could tolerate such institutions which can pose a very dangerous challenge to their political power!
Let me digress to state that in due course, President Kaunda appeared to have shifted his allegiance from Northern Province to Eastern Province and hence these regional political blocks were at the centre of the 1967 UNIP elections as Dr. Mbita Chitala in Not Yet Democracy wrote: ‘’Kaunda’s sense of power broking can also be seen from the way he handled the 1967-9 crisis in UNIP. The 1967 elections saw the decline of power from Ngoni and Lozi ethnic groupings edged out by the coalition of politicians from Northern and Southern provinces. The main contenders during the crisis were Reuben Kamanga and Simon Kapwepwe who represented the two groups…’’
In fact the UNIP regime was determined to abolish chieftainship in Zambia in line with President Nyerere of Tanzania. And this is supported by the fact that there wasn’t even the provision of the Institution of Chiefs in the first constitution as General Godfrey Miyanda stated in his paper, Restoring the Authority of Traditional Rulers to the Law Association of Zambia:
‘’Article 127 of the 1966 Constitution states as follows in part XIII: ‘Subject to the provision of this Constitution, the Institution of Chiefs shall exist in any area of Zambia in accordance with the culture, customs and traditions or wishes of the people to whom it applies…’ It is contended that this article ‘recognizes’ the Institution of Chiefs in Zambia. It appears that prior to this provision, there was no such acknowledgement in the Constitution. In fact there are reports suggesting that the leadership of the First Republic had planned to completely abolish the Institution of Chiefs.’’
Let me invite Mr. Muttendango again: ‘’But in independent Zambia, this system was discontinued and the Native Authorities were dismantled and chiefs had no specific role to play other than being tribal figureheads. Their powers were whittled away and all the chiefs became a museum of anthropology. At the local level, the UNIP government appointed District Governors who supervised chiefs and development projects. The once powerful and respected chiefs subdued and looked upon the new political rulers as the authority and so did their subject.
‘’ In a serious attempt to destroy the fiber of chiefs in the country, the UNIP government deliberately and intentionally encouraged chiefs and their sons and daughters to contest parliamentary elections. Naturally, most of them won over their subjects. And if this trend had continued the Zambian Parliament might have woken up one day only to find all Members were chiefs. Once a chief was a Member of Parliament, it was easier for the appointing authority to appoint him or her to any political post. President Kaunda disregarded the traditions and went further by reducing the powers and prestige of two Paramount Chiefs, namely the Litunga of the Lozi people in Western Province and Chitimukulu of the Bemba people in Northern Province.
‘’The President appointed the two Paramount Chiefs as Members of the Central Committee answerable to him. In the case of Paramount Chief Chitimuukulu, he had to vacate his palace and stayed in a government house in the heart of the provincial capital town, Kasama. Both chiefs were given personal-to-holder Mercedes Benz cars for official use.
‘’Whenever President Kaunda was visiting either Kasama or Mongu, as a representative of the President in the region, the Paramount Chief was compelled to go and welcome him at the airport. The Paramount Chiefs waited for long hours at the airport for the arrival of the President. Before the plane touched down, the Paramount Chief had to line up together with government officials to shake hands with the President. This system was taboo in both the Lozi and Bemba customs.
The Bemba Politicians Vs Bemba Chiefs.
It is amazing that the three Bemba-speaking Republican Presidents I.e., President Kaunda, President Chiluba and President Sata have each frantically attempted to disintegrate Bemba chieftaincy. On the other hand, there was only due respect from President Patrick Mwanawasa and President Rupiah Banda. And in addition we did not face problems with Honourable Inonge Wina, a traditionalist, when she served as the first Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs. Whereas it was hell with Honourable Nkandu Luo and we are currently facing the same hell fire from Honourable Joseph Katema who are both Bemba-speaking. And that it is widely believed in the Bemba royal circles that: in the relay race of hatred for the Bemba chiefs, Honourable Nkandu Luo has passed on the baton to Honourable Joseph Katema.
[pullquote]’who we are, is who we were.’[/pullquote]
The question is why? And indeed there are various reasons since each individual has had personal reasons for his or her negative reaction to the Bemba chieftaintcy. In order to have a minor clue at this issue, we must at least examine it a broad way. The Law of Generation states: ‘’We are all linked to previous generations behind us. Our ancestors are in our genes, in our bones, in our marrow, in our physiological and emotion make-up. We, in turn, will be written into the children who come after us.’’ And therefore, the unavoidable truth is ‘’who we are, is who we were.’’ This means that the shaping power of that heritage has continually been working upon us and that heritage has been influencing us in certain values, behaviour patterns, attractions and preferences.
Reverend James Massey wrote: ‘’There is something to be said for human groupings. There are strengths in common tradition and common culture, which make a people one culture. Each group has ‘intelligible actions’ which grow out of its own tradition and those meanings have an inner significance from which strength for life can be derived. Each human grouping has had distinctives not available elsewhere in just the same way. All human groupings have distinctives that they should preserve, distinctives which give meaning to the group as its members review their ‘story’ in the drama of life.’’ ( Concerning Christian Unity) (emphasis mine)
And what could be historic conditions in the Bemba case? In the life of a genuine Bemba (umu Bemba inkonko), reckless daring is held to be royal courage; prudent delay is the excuse of a coward; moderation is the disguise of unmanly weakness; the lover of violence is always to be trusted. These are supported by a proverb: ‘’Amala ya mwaume yashala ku chishiki.’’ (i.e., a man should fight to the last atom of his power.)
The Bemba being a born-warrior regards “the innate temperament trait” as his only survival instinct and strongly believes that fear and coward-ness are the gateway to self-destruction. And at the individual level, according to Bemba philosophy, violence is a cleansing force. It frees a man from his inferiority complex and from his despair and inaction; it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect. And hence the saying “cibe cibe, umwenso ni mfwa.”
There are some very popular and provocative Bemba sayings which encourage confrontation and encourage people to speak their minds without fear of consequences: ‘’mwilatengela amafina mu cilonda.’’; ‘’Mwilatina impepo nge iteba.’’ And ‘’Pa menso ya muntu tapema inkalamo yakukulya.’’ I can still vividly recall the tense anti-UNIP atmosphere which was created when the Bemba colossus, Mr. Kapwepwe launched the phoenix-like UPP (United Progressive Party) and how political activists like the unforgettable Eustace Mumba and Mbita Kabalika fearlessly challenged UNIP when it was being proclaimed that ‘’UNIP mulilo uwaikatako kupya’’ (i.e., UNIP is fire and anyone who dares to challenge gets scorched).
This was why Mr. Alexander Chikwanda had to warn his fellow tribes men who ‘’got carried away with their emotions when making public speeches………
If an Idi Amin (a vicious military ruler who toppled Uganda’s Obote) took over power in Zambia, the Bemba would be the first to go to the gallows. I am merely stating the truth, let us be careful. Some of us especially the Bemba-speaking can be careless with our emotions and because we are amongst the most reckless with our speeches, we should realize that we shall be the first to go to the gallows should an Amin takeover. You have been forewarned and I hope forearmed.’’
No wonder, Dr. Mbita Chitala in Not Yet Democracy wrote:
‘’In August 1971, Kapwepwe resigned as Vice-President and formed United Progressive Party (UPP). UPP posed the most serious threat to UNIP’s hegemony. And on 25th February 1972, Kaunda announced that the one-party state was essential to preserve unity. On 13 December 1972, Kaunda signed the legal documents that ushered in the Second Republic.’’
I suppose these leaders got into conflict with Bemba chiefs because it is widely believed that proud people resent each other and can never get along together. I think the first characteristics are Bemba aristocracy and arrogance and the former of which Mr. Valentine Musakanya said:
’’The Bemba aristocracy always believes not only in their inherent aristocracy but also in the vocal aggression to make others believe so. Their aristocracy has no foundation in wealth or known education but essentially in being a Bemba.’’
The Journal of African Society, vol. xxxiv, 1935 referred to the Native Authority as ‘’Tribal Government in Transition,’’ because of the colonial government’s recognition of the political organization of the tribe and with the purposeful view of its adaptation to modern governance. The executive and judicial officials on whom the chief relied received material assistance for their various functions, but owing to the decay of the tribute labour system, the government stepped in and twenty-five of Bashilubemba and the Indunas in Barotseland began to get subsidies from their Native Treasuries.
But unfortunately, when the UNIP administration dismantled the Native Authorities, Bashilubemba, unlike their Lozi counterparts who had Messrs. Arthur and Sikota Wina in cabinet spoke strongly for them and the Indunas remained on the new government payroll. The Wina brothers did wonders to protect the interests of the Barotse Royal Establishment as can be seen in the Chiefs’ Act.
Examining Events during Dr. Fredrick Chiluba’s Reign
Unity and competition are the cornerstones of the Bemba’s successful political system. Our unity lies in that the seventeen gazette chiefs and fifteen non-gazetted sub-chiefs are linked to another, nor primarily through subordination, but through a complex and flexible kinship between chiefs and sub-chiefs themselves and then with a total allegiance to a common Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu.
All those who want to destroy the Bemba chieftaincy and tribe aim to break up the unity and allegiance to Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu and create a weak Bemba multi-chiefdoms tribe that could easily be scrapped. The Chiluba administration gave motor vehicles to some subordinate Bemba chiefs so that they could sever their allegiance from Mwinelubemba Chitimukulu and thus weaken Bemba power and influence.
The Chiluba regime further ignored Chitimukulu-in-council as the only legitimate appointing authority of Bemba chiefs and recognized Mr. Paison Chilekwa Yambayamba as ‘’Senior Chief Mwamba’’ under Statutory Instrument 102 of 2000 dated 3rd October 2000.
I frantically tried to make the government understand that some UNIP turncoats had misinformed the MMD government and proving that W.V. Brelsford in ‘’Succession of Bemba Chiefs: A Guide for District Officers’’ wrote:
‘’The appointment of chiefs lies primarily with the Paramount-in-council, which is the Superior Native Authority.’’
And Andrew Roberts in A History of the Bemba wrote:
‘’The senior Bakabilo are no mere servants of Chitimukulu but are themselves the hereditary holders of historic titles, some as old as the Chitimukuluship itself and they are in a real sense the source of chiefly legitimacy. First of all, there are the senior bakabilo of Chitimukulu, those who determine the most crucial issues, such as the royal succession. These men are known as Bashilubemba, the elders of Ulubemba i.e., Chimba, Chitikafula, Kapukuma, Katenda, Munuka and Nkolemambwe.’’
And to my great disappointment, I could not even get any response from the Attorney-General’s office and I decided to write to the Permanent Human Rights Commission. And Judge Lombe Chibesakunda, then the Chairperson in her letter PHRC/C/366/2001 dated 11th June 2001 replied:
‘’I wish to acknowledge your letter of 8th June 2001 and assure you that the contents of the letter are well understood. The complaint you have lodged is a serious complaint. But as we have kept saying this sort of complaint can only be resolved through political means. We have not given up, we have been approaching a number of people to try and get the President of the Republic of Zambia to look at this issue. Should we get any response, we will get back to you.’’
I was completely stuck and wondered what sort of ‘’democracy’’ we had in Zambia and what was even more heart-wretching was that the Law Association of Zambia was of no help. However, the Supreme Court Judgement No. 25 of 2008 between Chief Mpepo (also known as Ackson Chilufya Mwamba) Appellant And Senior Chief Mwamba (also known as PaisonChilekwaYambayamba) respondent ruled that
‘’It was wrong for former President Chiluba to recognize the plentiful as Senior Chief Mwamba because that was against the wishes and decision of the Paramount Chief-in-council and therefore a contravention of Section 3 of the Chiefs’ Act. It was pointed out that there was no dispute at trial that the appointing authority of chiefs subordinate to Chitimukulu was the Paramount Chief-in-council and not the President of Zambia or indeed the High Court of Zambia. In this view, the President should have referred the matter to the Paramount Chief-in-council for review and hence customary law was not followed.’’ (p. J 11- 616).
Then the Chiluba regime embarked on economic sabotaging Northern Province as can be seen from the 1993 budget:
What was surprising was that Mr. Emmanuel Kasonde was then the Finance Minister. The question is how did it happen? The answer lies in what Dr. Richard Audrey noted in 1929 that the Bemba people are very intelligent, but are very incapable of maintaining their own affairs. In this case the Minister spent most of his time trying to position himself as the next MMD President. And when this failed he shifted to the National Party, where he was soundly defeated by Honourable Baldwin Nkumbula and the convention which was held in Choma.
I was at time living in Mufulira and I travelled to Kasama because I wanted to consult the Provincial Minister so that the Finance Minister could reveal to the people of Northern Province, the mathematical formula that he and the budget experts had applied in the allocation of provincial funds, where a province with twelve districts and a higher population got the same allocation with other provinces with seven districts and almost half of the population.
We were told that the allocation for Northern Province was short by K500 billion and it was a mere computer error. However, when appeals to the Ministry of Finance were made to correct the anomaly fell on deaf ears and the Province began to face serious operational challenges due to inadequate funding, then some of us, the concerned Bembas who were sure that the anomaly was just a deliberate manouvre to victimize the People of Northern Province, asked the then Provincial Minister, the late Honourable Daniel Kapapa to write directly to President Chiluba.
And I later learned from sources at State House that President Chiluba just threw honourable Kapapa’s letter in the dust-bin ‘’because the finance Minister was the Provincial Minister’s fellow Bemba.’’
And as if this was not enough, the Province was further awarded the gift of a white elephant. It is said that when the Indian Maharajah was displeased with a certain citizen, the prince would give him the gift of a white elephant and it being a sacred animal, that person was subsequently driven to destitution because of the high cost of maintaining it. In the same way, the Province from that meager budget allocation had to bear travel and medical expenses outside the country for the Provincial Minister Honourable Kapapa and his family. But we had no answers as why such expenses were not paid by the Ministry of Health as is done in all other similar cases!
The above painted a clear picture of the economic victimization and at the same time exposed the Bemba malleable politicians of fortune. And none among the politicians from this province could ever have the courage to straighten that straight-forward issue or if necessary to blow the whistle and expose the scandal.
Here, on the other hand are statistics showing the distribution of President Chiluba’s discretionary fund, which must be seen in relation to the above table:
Southern Province K2,271,000,000-00
Lusaka Province K2,774,000,000-00
Copperbelt Prov. K1,952,000,000-00
Luapula Province K 975,000,000-00
Eastern Province K 903,000,000-00
North-western Prov. K 731,000,000-00
Western Province K 655,000,000-00
Northern Province K 332,000,000-00
Central Province K 283,000,000-00
When the phoenix-like UPP that was formed by the colossus was finally banned and many people were detained, it paved way for the so-called one-party participatory democracy. And a system called ‘’vetting’’ was introduced in order to eliminate the vociferous and revolutionary Bemba extremists from political leadership i.e., those who regard ‘’extremism as a virtue in defense of tribal and personal liberty,’’ which is in line with the resolute spirit of Bemba culture.
And as a result, the parliamentary candidates were carefully screened by the Members of the Central Committee and those considered to be ‘’extremists’’ and therefore inimical to the party were ‘’vetted,’’ and the Bemba political system was eventually over-flooded with ‘’malleable opportunists’’ normally called ‘’moderates.’’
In 2001, the sum of K2.4 billion meant for the rural electrification of Chinsali District was diverted to another province. And again in 2001, the sum of K2 billion meant for Kasama-Luwingu road was diverted to the campaign festival in support of Chiluba’s third term bid.
At the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting held in Kasama on 29th December 2007, it was disclosed that the sum of K4.5 billion meant partly for the completion of an embankment at Lukulu river-bridge and other feeder roads in the remotest areas of Chief Nkolemfumu chiefdom in Kasama District had been diverted to Kafue.
The big question is: There were by then 72 districts in this country, but why was money specifically and particularly only been diverted from Bemba districts and not elsewhere? Were these not deliberate provocations?
And this was while the Bemba political opportunists and some of whom were senior members both in government and the National Executive Council (NEC) never, ever raised any objections or questioned when money was being diverted from their Mother Province. It was only in the case of K2 billion that Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu and Mr. Mutembo Nchito protested and the former described the diversion as ‘’an insult to the people of Northern Province.’’ And consequently, Mr. Nchito instituted legal proceedings. But what were the rest of the great Bemba population doing? What shame! And surely as Mr. Kapwepwe always used to say,
‘’Mukashala na baume bapemena mu matanta.’’ (i.e., eventually the only Bemba you will remain with will be the most irresponsible cowards).
MC Wabwino , who became a Born Again Christian, has Kick-started 2016 on a glorious note as he presents his first Gospel Album he titled “My God Is Love”
“PRAISE BE TO THE MOST HIGH JEHOVAH GOD.TODAY I AM 45 YEARS OLD.TO SHARE HOW I FEEL WITH YOU I HAVE TODAY OFFICIALLY RELEASED MY FIRST GOSPEL ALBUM TO THE GLORY OF HIS NAME. I WILL SOON POST A SAMPLE.”MC ANNOUNCED ON HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
