CONSTITUTIONAL Court judges were paid huge amounts of money to deliberately lapse the UPND petition to nullify the re-election of President Edgar Lungu in the 11th August general elections, Hakainde Hichilema has claimed.

Addressing a press conference at Chainama Hotel yesterday, Mr Hichilema has described the Constitutional Court judges as thugs and criminals who, according to him, had raped the Constitution and were therefore not worth the gowns they wore as they lacked integrity and impartiality.

He singled out Judge Anne Sitali, Pallan Mulonda and Mungeni Mulenga for a scathing attack on their conduct which he likened to Judas Iscariot who betrayed a cause for pieces of silver.

Judge Mulonda, he said, had been flown all the way from the United States to sit on the Constitutional Court to frustrate the cases.

He also charged that President Edgar Lungu was consulting sangomas and witchdoctors, claiming: “He was not in Mfue for a holiday but he had gone to Malawi to consult witchdoctors,” Mr Hichilema said.

Mr Hichilema claimed the judiciary had been compromised hence the fear to rule in favour of the UPND which he claimed had won the August general elections.

“We thought wearing those gowns was a shell of ability, credibility and fairness in the delivery of justice. But little did we know that it was beginning of drama and mockery of institutions that we thought would defend the rights of citizens and restore some sanity in the country,” Mr Hichilema said.

He singled out Judge Annie Sitali of having been at the centre stage of manipulating the justice system and raping the Constitution in her rulings when she presided over the preliminaries of the presidential election petition.

Mr Hichilema explained that in the petition he was also seeking the courts to ask President Lungu to hand over power to the Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini but that it did not happen.

“We put up a motion to obligate Lungu to hand over the presidency to the Speaker of the National assembly but the Constitutional Court deliberately ignored making a ruling on this matter. Up to now, they have not made a ruling because they were afraid of making a ruling against President Lungu to hand over power to the Speaker of the National Assembly,” Mr Hichilema said.

And Mr Hichilema claimed five Constitutional Court Judges unanimously ruled that the hearing of his petition should have been extended by four days so that he (Hichilema) could be heard but was surprised that Justice Sitali dismissed his petition on account that it had time lapsed.

“We have received no justice. Our election was stolen. We do not recognise Edgar Lungu as the winner of the 11 August 2016 election. We will never surrender to thugs and dictators. This is not an ethnic fight. This is a fight to restore our democracy, our Constitution and our human rights,” Mr Hichilema said.

Mr Hichilema claimed that President Lungu was promised by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Justice Esau Chulu, executive director Priscilla Isaacs and one of the former presidents that they would deliver victory for him.

The National Assembly has invited Members of Parliament to the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Edgar Lungu which will be held at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwinga said MPs should pick their invitation cards from the National Assembly Motel starting September 9th to Monday 12th September 2016.

Ms. Mwinga said the National Assembly will however only provide transport for MPs from the National Assembly to the stadium on the actual day.

She said the National Assembly will not cater for transport costs for MPs traveling from outside Lusaka.

This is according to a statement released to the media by Ms. Mwinga.

President-elect Edgar Lungu and his running mate and Vice President-elect Inonge Wina will be sworn into office on Tuesday 13th September 2016 for a five-year term which is expected to expire in 2021.

Mr. Lungu ad Mrs. Wina were supposed to be inaugurated seven days after the declaration of the presidential election results but this could take place due to the election petition which losing presidential candidate from the United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Mwamba applied in the constitutional court.

And The Public and Private Drivers Association of Zambia (PPDAZ) has cautioned all drivers to observe traffic rules as they ferry people to and from the inauguration of President-elect Edgar Lungu next week.

The inauguration ceremony for Mr. Lungu and his vice president Inonge Wina has been set for Tuesday 13th September 2016 at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

PPDAZ president Josiah Majuru told ZANIS that regardless of the amount of excitement and celebrations, all drivers should behave in an orderly and acceptable manner by strictly observing traffic rules.

Mr. Majuru said the drivers should be careful as they will be ferrying people from different places especially the youth and children.

He said all traffic rules should be observed by the drivers at all times in order to avoid traffic accidents.

Mr. Majuru said the law should not favour anyone but deal with all offenders accordingly regardless of the political party they support.

He has since appealed to the police to bring to book all drivers who will not be observing the traffic rules and deal with them accordingly.

Mr. Majuru has meanwhile thanked all drivers countrywide for exhibiting exemplary behaviour before, during and after the general elections.

He has therefore encouraged them to continue with the excellent record.

He also implored the general public to report drivers who harass, over speed or break traffic rules to the relevant authorities saying his association was tired of drivers who have dented the name of others.

Mr. Majuru added that good driving builds confidence in the people and assures them of a safe journey to their destination.

The Lusaka High Court has thrown out an application by Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba to prevent the Inauguration Ceremony slated for Tuesday 13th September 2016.

The Court also threw-out the application with costs.

Judge Mwila Chitabo who was hearing the matter on Friday evening said the court had no jurisdiction over the matter.

“I have no jurisdiction to grant interim relief sought under Article 28. They are denied with costs”.
Mr Hichilema and Mr Mwamba were seeking High Court’s interpretation.

They claimed that the Constitutional Court denied them the fundamental right to be heard over their election petition

The Constitutional Court dismissed the Petition for want of prosecution in the 14 days stipulated by the Constitution thrown out as the litigants.

Hearing for the main case continues on Monday.

Earlier, Attorney General Likando Kalaluka asked the High Court to deem UPND President Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Mwamba to be vexatious litigants.

Mr. Kalaluka said that the two should not be allowed to commence legal proceeding without leave from the court.

He said that before allowing the two the court should make sure that their proceedings are not an abuse of the court process.

Mr. Kalaluka said that his application is in accordance to section 16 and two of the High court Act.

This is according to an order that Mr. Hichilema and Mr. Mwamba be deemed to be vexatious Litigant filed by Mr. Kalaluka.

The Attorney General made the application when the parties meet for the inter-parte hearing this morning before High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo.

Luanshya Acting District Commissioner Kasemuka Mwalo has expressed concern at the high levels of illiteracy among women and girls in the district despite the area having adequate learning facilities.

Mrs. Mwalo observed that women and girls were still neglected regarding access to formal education despite the district‘s rich history of being a torch bearer in enhancing literacy among youths and adults.

She was speaking in Luanshya today during the commemoration of the jubilee international literacy day celebrated under the theme “reading the past, recording the future”.

She urged the education sector in the district to strive to eliminate stereotyping across the board and chart a course of action that would advantage the female gender on the highway to attain literacy skills.

Mrs. Mwalo added that women can contribute significantly to economic development through entrepreneurship only when they attain literacy and learn how to read and write.

She further urged both adults and youths to embrace the culture of reading and writing and record landmark attainments by writing books in order to combat illiteracy.

And Luanshya District Education Board Secretary Peter Kaonga said the introduction of the new curriculum which included two carrier pathways would help in promoting literacy levels in the district.

Mr. Kaonga noted that the dedication of teachers and the implementation of the new curriculum would help in reducing literacy levels in the district.

He observed that literacy can help Zambia become a middle income country.

Mr. Kaonga further said it was sad that illiteracy levels were not only high among adults but that it has also affected young learners in schools.

He disclosed that a survey conducted in 2013 to determine illiteracy levels among grade 12 learners in the district revealed that there was a total of 139 pupils who could not read and write.

He added that in another inquiry conducted among grade one pupils last week, 70 percent of the leaners could read and write.

And a beneficiary of adult literacy Mwewa Simbeye, an entrepreneur who started grade one at the age of 35 through adult literacy, thanked government for introducing the programme which she said was pivotal in promoting development.

Ms. Simbeye said she can now read and right adding that this has helped her in managing her business activities which she could not understand in the past.

THE Ministry of General Education has assured the nation that it is ready to conduct this year’s information communication technology (ICT) examinations for Grade 9.

The ministry’s spokesperson Hillary Chipango confirmed this to the Daily Nation in an interview yesterday.
Last year, ICT examinations which were supposed to be compulsory for examination classes were not held as the Government could not provide computers to all schools to conduct the practical aspect of the examination.

But Mr. Chipango, who described the 2015 ICT examinations as a scandal, said the ministry had put in place measures to mitigate the challenges it faced.

He reiterated that the ministry had procured 6,000 computers which were yet to be distributed to selected schools countrywide.

“We are more than ready to conduct this year’s ICT examinations; we learnt a number of lessons from last year’s experience and one of the major measure we have put in place to mitigate the challenges that we faced is that as a ministry we have procured 6,000 computers soon to be distributed to selected schools countrywide,” Mr. Chipango said.

He also indicated that the ministry had increased the days of writing the ICT examination.

Mr. Chipango disclosed that the examinations would be written in three days.

“We have also added days of writing these exams. As you are aware last year these exams were written in one day, which led to candidates writing exams late at night since we did not have enough computers then.

“But now this year’s exams will be written in three days. Even when the schools will have limited computers, all pupils will be given chance and we won’t have that challenge that we had last year,” he said.

Mr. Chipango however said that not all schools would be subjected to the ICT examination.

He said only schools which proved ready were asked to register for the examinations.

“In as much as these computer studies are compulsory, when it comes to writing exams this year, it is not every school which will be subjected to these exams. Only those schools that are ready were asked to register for this exam. It won’t be all the schools as was the case last year,” he said.

PF Deputy Spokesman Fr Frank Bwalya says there is no court in Zambia that can stop the swearing in of President-elect Lungu on Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr Bwalya said that only a fresh petition case would halt an inauguration.
“The truth of the matter is that there is no court in Zambia that is currently hearing a petition against the election of Mr Lungu and his running mate Ms Wina,” he said.

“The election petition by Mr Hichilema that attempted to get the ConCourt to nullify the election of Mr Lungu collapsed and therefore we should all just focus on Tuesday next week.”

And Mr Bwalya says Zambians have not forgotten that Mr Hakainde Hichilema vowed not to accept election outcome says Fr Frank Bwalya.

He said Mr Hichilema and his Vice Geoffrey Mwamba would not succeed in hoodwinking Zambians into believing that their election petition against the re-election of Edgar Chagwa Lungu failed because the ConCourt refused to hear his petition.

“Zambians are very enlightened and know that Mr Hichilema’s lawyers squandered their time by raising too many unnecessary applications in the ConCourt,” he said.

The Constitutional Court has adjourned to Monday next week the interparte hearing of an application filed by the UPND to stay the inauguration of President-elect Edgar Lungu pending hearing of the main matter.

In its application which has been made on different grounds from the one filed before the High Court, the UPND is asking the Court to order that the swearing-in of President Lungu and vice president-elect Inonge Wina should not take place on Tuesday next week.

They contend that president Lungu cannot be sworn in when the Constitutional Court did not declare him as winner of the elections when it dismissed the petition.

But the matter could not takeoff when it came up for interparte hearing in chambers this morning before Judge Mungeni Mulenga.

This is because Chief Justice Irene Mambilima and her Deputy Mervin Mwanamwambwa had not been served with the bundle of documents of the application made by the UPND.

And in adjourning the hearing, Judge Mulenga ordered that both Justices Mambilima and Mwanamwambwa who have been sued in their individual capacities be served with the documents.

Judge Mulenga made the order despite Attorney General Likando Kalaluka having been already served with the bundle of documents.

Twelve (12) of the Fourteen (14) Ethiopians who survived the fatal accident which occurred on 29th August, 2016 along the Mbala-Nakonde Road killing three (03) foreigners were on Wednesday, 7th September, 2016 transferred to Lusaka. This was done in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission of Zambia and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The other two (02) are still admitted at Mbala General Hospital. Arrangements for their repatriation to Ethiopia are underway. Meanwhile, two (02) out of the three (03) bodies of the deceased were positively identified by the Ethiopian Officials and arrangements to have the remains repatriated to Ethiopians have reached an advanced stage.

This is according to a press statement released to the media by public relations officer Mr Namati Nshinka.

Meanwhile, the remaining 38 Ethiopians survivors of the tragic suspected human trafficking incident which occurred along the Peddicle Road, in which 19 Ethiopians died, were on Thursday, 8th September, 2016 repatriated to Ethiopia. This was done with the financial assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who earlier on also assisted with the repatriation of the first 38 victims. This means that all the 76 survivors have now been repatriated to Ethiopia.

The Department between Monday, 5th September, 2016 and Thursday, 9th September, 2016 arrested a total of Sixty Three (63) foreign nationals for various immigration offences. These include 7 Malawians in Chipata, 2 Congolese in Chingola, 1 Zimbabwean in Solwezi, 1 Congolese in Kafue, 1 Congolese in Lusaka, 1 Congolese in Kitwe and another Congolese in Chibombo, all arrested for unlawful stay. Twenty (22) Congolese in Kasumbalesa, 2 Congolese in Luanshya, 2 Tanzanian in Mpika and 1 Congolese in Mpulungu, were arrested for unlawful entry. Meanwhile, 10 Tanzanians and 2 Egyptians in Ndola, 3 Batswana and 1 Tanzanian in Kasumbalesa and 1 Chinese national in Lusaka, all arrested for trading without permits while 2 Zimbabweans in Lusaka were arrested for working without permits. Finally in Solwezi, 3 Rwandese Refugees were arrested for being found outside a refugee settlement without authority.

During the same period a total of Fifteen (15) foreign nationals were convicted by the Courts of Law. These include 3 Malawians in Lundazi convicted for unlawful entry. One was sentenced to pay a fine of K 6,000 or in default 1 year simple imprisonment, another to pay a fine of K7, 000 or in default 6 months simple imprisonment. The third person was sentenced to pay a fine of K 4,000 or in default 8 months simple imprisonment. Similarly, in Mokambo, 5 Congolese were convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 500 each or in default 4 months simple imprisonment for unlawful entry.

Meanwhile, in Kafue, 1 Congolese was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 5,000 or in default 8 months simple imprisonment for unlawful stay. Similarly, in Senanga, 1 Angolan was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 5,000 or in default 5 months simple imprisonment for a similar offence, while in Lusaka, a Ugandan national was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 3,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment for unlawful presence. The Court also ordered that he be deported upon completion of the sentence.

In other development, in Solwezi, 1 Zimbabwean was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 7,000 or in default 1 year simple imprisonment for unlawful stay. The same Court also convicted and sentenced 2 Rwandese nationals to pay a fine of K 2,500 each or in default 6 months simple imprisonment for trading without permits. Further, in Kafue, 1 South African was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 5,000 or in default 8 months simple imprisonment for failing to comply with a notice to leave the country.