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United party for national Development(UPND) Secretary General Stephen Katuka has reacted to Sunday Chanda’s comments that UPND President Hakainde Hichilema was scared of the 50%+1 and the Presidential running mate clause. In a statement released to the media, the UPND Secretary general said that his party is going to win the 2016 margin by a huge margin that even this 50% + 1 will not count.
” HH has been consistent in 50% +1; we are going to win 2016 by a huge margin that even this 50% + 1 will not count. If they had wanted they would have even gone 80% + 1 we would still be fine, ” Mr Katuka said.
Below is the full statement
Official Statement
12th December 2015
We were not surprised to see chatterbox Sunday Chanda being quoted by the Daily Nation saying, “HH is against 50% plus 1.” First and foremost a good paper would have called HH to verify this outrageous claim from Sunday Chanda.
Secondly the media that published the story should have asked Sunday where HH issued such a statement or said anything to that effect. But we feel duty bound to set the record straight.
First what did the people of Zambia want in that constitution, they wanted a provincial assembly, they wanted Ministers to be appointed from outside parliament, they wanted the state to be under obligation to provide fair and justiciable education, health and shelter systems, where if they failed the citizens would take them to court.
The latter elements of the right to education, health, shelter, water etc. are the things contained in the Bill of Rights, which cannot and will never be discussed in parliament; this is the first blunder the ignorant Sunday Chanda must address.
In the second reading we told Ngosa Simbyakula to withdraw this bill because experience and foresight taught us that this constitution was going to be manipulated and true to our fears, changes were made. So were we not right? We are telling this ignorant Sunday Chanda that we were fighting for the rights of the Zambians to be preserved. Sunday Chanda would have been a beneficiary of a robust bill of rights which essentially would have given the people power to hold the Government accountable.
Instead of people like him failing to go to school because they cannot afford the fees, and end up being political hoodlums and sycophants surviving on political patronage, Sunday Chanda would have benefitted from the economic rights we were fighting for during second reading. But what do we get for a thank you, we get lies from Sunday Chanda. HH has been consistent in 50% +1; we are going to win 2016 by a huge margin that even this 50% + 1 will not count.
If they had wanted they would have even gone 80% + 1 we would still be fine. To illustrate how foolish his comment is about 50% + 1, there was nothing to vote against while in parliament as the PF never proposed any amendments in respect of articles 47 and 101 on the draft constitution so what is Sunday Chanda dreaming about?
Our advice to everyone is simple, stop listening to Sunday Chanda and his gang, their specialty is misinformation as they did “Don’t Kubeba” on you in 2011, they will do the same in 2016.
They are liars and they lie without shame, that is the problem, they are liars without a conscious and here they are adulterating the constitution for their own benefit by taking away a critical component of self-Government which was the proposed a provincial assembly. The reason is simple, they want to continue stealing at the center and people like Sunday will continue being sycophants serving selfish politicians. Vote UPND for a leadership that is honest and has integrity.
Chipolopolo defender Christopher Munthali has confirmed that he will leave Power Dynamos before the 2016 season kicks off.
Lusaka Times understands that Munthali’s contract at Power ends this month.
Munthali was instrumental at Arthur Davies Stadium this season after returning from a loan spell at Nkana. “I will know by January 1 where I will be going. I have not yet decided which team I will be joining.
That will be made clear in two or three weeks. But I am certain of leaving Power Dynamos,” he said.
Munthali has attracted interest from South African clubs, Zesco United and Nkana.
Meanwhile, Munthali was on Friday night named 2015 Power Dynamos Player of the Year during the club’s end of year gala and awards night in Kitwe.
“I am thankful to the coaches, players and club officials for choosing me as the best player at the club last season.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The Power of Peace
No matter what may be going on all around you today, you can still live in perfect peace. Peace isn’t about what’s going on around you, it’s about what’s going on in you. It says in today’s verse, “do not let your heart be troubled.” That tells us that we have control over whether or not our hearts our troubled. You shouldn’t focus on all the negative things in this world to the point that it steals your peace.
If you have fear, worry or anxiety about anything, recognize that those feelings aren’t from God. He has promised to give you a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. There is tremendous power in peace. When you are at peace internally, you can think more clearly. You can hear the voice of God more easily. You’ll make better decisions. Even your physical body responds to peace. The enemy knows this, and his goal is to steal your peace. He tries to set you up to get upset. But when you choose peace, then no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Keep your mind stayed on Him every day because there is tremendous power in peace!
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for Your gift of peace in my life. I choose to hold it close to me always. I receive Your Word as truth and life to my soul in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MMD President Nevers Mumba addressing Briefing at MMD Secretariat on 11th December 2015
Movement for Mult-Party Democracy MMD President Nevers mumba has alleged that the Patriotic Front Government had no intentions to give the Zambian People a new constitution.
Speaking at a press briefing to day, The MMD President saluted the efforts of opposition political parties, the Grand Coalition and many Zambians who he said had consistently applied pressure on the PF to deliver the constitution.
Below is the full Press briefing
Members of the Media Fraternity; MMD National Secretary; MMD Members of Parliament present; Members of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy; Our Party supporters; Ladies and Gentlemen.
On this very momentous occasion, a day after a very historic event in the history of our nation, I wish to sincerely congratulate all MMD Members of Parliament for having stayed the course, fighting off fatigue and sleep, staying awake through the night to work and ensure that the process which finally resulted in the delivery of key progressive Constitutional clauses as demanded by the people of Zambia, were finally delivered.
The history of this outcome starts from the failed 90 day promises of the Patriotic Front government. When it became clear to all Zambians that the promise to deliver the constitution in 90 days was an open lie to hood-wink voters, the MMD and other civil society organizations began to demand for a road map of realizing the national dream of the constitution.
PF had no intentions to give the Zambian people a new constitution. We therefore salute the efforts of opposition political parties, the Grand Coalition and many Zambians who have consistently applied pressure on the PF to deliver the constitution.
The outcome of today has been due to the sustained pressure placed on the PF to at least give us clauses which would assist us in ensuring that the next election is conducted in an atmosphere of expanded liberties. MMD has supported this route by using common-sense that if we did not support it, we would not have attained the victory of the 50%+1 and Running Mate clauses. This is only the first step towards getting all that Zambians have been demanding over the years.
MMD understood that going the way of a census and a referendum, which was going to require the participation of at least 50% of eligible voters was not going to be attainable in the time available before the 2016 elections. This has been our party position and I am proud of all those MMD MPs who struggled hard and long to grab these clauses out of the clenched fist of the PF.
We, the MMD, as initiators of the process through the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) under the Levy Mwanawasa presidency, our dear late President who coined the now popular phrase that “We shall not govern our country according to laws of men, but according to the rule of Law” are extremely delighted that the end of this very long journey is now in sight.
By what transpired in Parliament yesterday and into this morning, our gallant lawmakers have fulfilled the old-age adage which says, ‘Half a loaf of Bread is better than nothing.’ This indeed was why we, the MMD, opted and promoted the ‘piece-meal’ approach to the Constitution-making process as opposed to what we believe would have been a longer, more difficult and expensive Referendum route which offered no guarantees of success and was at risk of having the entire process abandoned with nothing achieved.
We are therefore delighted that as a party, we have remained focused and consistent and provided strong leadership, direction and a sense of clear purpose in making history to enact clauses that Zambians have looked forward to over a very long period of time.
We are happy to have been part of the historical effort to realize and fulfill the Zambian dream of having the 50%+1 clause which will now avoid putting a minority president to rule over the majority. To have the Presidential running mate clause which will avoid wastage of resources when an incumbent Head of State becomes incapacitated and unable to effectively execute presidential duties or indeed dies in office. This new clause will provide for a seamless, cost-effective and swift transfer of power to the running mate without the heavy expense of a presidential by-election as has happened in our country before.
Ladies and gentlemen, millions of Zambians are currently living in the diaspora and have acquired new nationalities, but trapped there, unable to fully enjoy the privileges and rights of their natural heritage as Zambians. With the enactment of the clause on Dual citizenship, a door has now been swung wide open for them to come home without cumbersome immigration complications and procedures.
Zambia has finally joined the many progressive countries who have this clause in place which allows their nationals the right and liberty to enjoy full privileges and ability to invest back home. Key among the Clauses that were close to our hearts as MMD are as follows:
1. 50%+1 electoral system which ensures that we shall now have a majority president unlike the overturned system where a candidate could become president even with 10% of the vote as long as he or she had the highest vote.
2. Presidential Running Mate Clause to prevent a by-election in case the sitting president is no longer able to continue in office.
3. Dual Citizenship for Zambians to make it easier for Zambians with foreign passports in the diaspora invest back home.
4. Strengthening of the Auditor General’s office to effect prosecutions of erring civil servants.
5. Mandatory national Debt contraction through parliament to prevent the current situation where Cabinet can just borrow anyhow and leave future generations in perpetual debt.
6. The Supplementary Appropriation Act to prevent spending money that has not been pre-approved by parliament.
7. Preventing Parliamentary defections and crossing the floor in an effort to bring order to the House and eliminate costly, unnecessary by-elections.
With the 2016 General Elections just a few months away, we the MMD sounded our intention to support these progressive and straight-forward Clauses as espoused during the Presidential debate just prior to the January 2015 Presidential election. We were of the view then and now that these clauses were of paramount importance since they directly hinged on elections and therefore important inclusions for us as a country going forward.
With all these positive indications said about the process, we are however not blind to the fact that there were heated and tense moments during the debate, occasionally drawing strong and sharp exchanges on the floor of the House, particularly during the debate on the Provincial Assemblies and the Proportional Representation voting system which have been set aside for now. This is positive for the advancement of democracy.
The comfort we would like to bring to the people of Zambia, is that all is not lost in fact a lot has been gained. If we remain as focused, single-minded and resolute as we have been during the just ended process, there is no doubt that every clause that the Zambians want will eventually be enacted into Law in due course.
Finally countrymen, my sincere desire is that no side should feel vanquished and the other side as winners. The real winners in this entire process are the people of Zambia whom we all aspire to serve selflessly.
As a nation, let us now forge ahead as one people as we look to scoring greater achievements and successes for the betterment of the lives of our people.
HAKAINDE HICHILEMA SCARED OF 50+1 AND PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE – STATEMENT BY SUNDAY CHANDA, VICE CHAIRPERSON, PF MEDIA AND PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
We commend His Excellency President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu fulfilling a promise that has alluded Zambians from 24th October 1964 to do with a people-driven constitution. Zambians recall that Constitution Review Commissions came and went but they never crystallized into law. This is a promise President Lungu is steadily fulfilling.
Zambians can trust that President Lungu means well on the Constitution and they will not be making a mistake in trusting him on the Bill of Rights and the Referendum alongside the 2016 General Elections.
In this regard, it is befitting to commend Her Honour the Vice President Madam Inonge Wina in her capacity as leader of Government business in the House for the commendable work she did. We also commend the Members of Parliament from both the Patriotic Front (PF) and the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) who debated all night long into today, clause by clause the constitution amendment bill number 17 of 2015 before passing the bill with amendments. That is dedication to national duty.
Zambians must be wondering why the United Party for National Development (UPND) its Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote against the Constitution Amendment Bill of 2015. The reason is that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema knows the 50+1 clause will disadvantage any leader like him who leads a political regional sect. Further, the tribal factor in the UPND will not allow either of Mr. Hichilema’s two Deputy Presidents to be a running mate.
This is because they would never allow UPND to be led by any other person but a Southerner. Mr. Hichilema may not admit it but he is scared of his two deputy Presidents for the running mate. Zambians also look forward to the day when Mazabuka UPND MP Garry Nkombo will be eat a humble pie over his remarks that Tongas will change Government next year because in his wisdom he pitched one tribal grouping against the rest in an election that must be won by 50+1.
It will be interesting to watch Mr. Hichilema’s desperation in the days that lie ahead considering that even on other fronts, he has exhibited very poor judgement. He has taken to using the global commodity decline and slump as a blunt political instrument to criticize President Lungu despite his efforts to act and save jobs. Mr. Hichilema did not know that the miners he went to tell lies on the Copperbelt Province where more intelligent than he is.
He prescribed Anglo American as the Saviour for the Copperbelt and Mines in general because Glencore retrenched 4000 workers but his medicine, Anglo American plc, the world’s 5th largest mining company has taken harsh measures that will 85,000 workers lose their jobs instantaneously. We shudder to imagine Mr. Hichilema’s judgment had this happened on his “watch” because this could have meant retrenching everyone on the Copperbelt. Indeed it is by God’s providence that some people will never become Presidents.
THERE is no rift between me and MMD president Nevers Mumba, says MMD Lunte Member of Parliament, Felix Mutati.
He said the MMD needed to remain united, adding that at the moment there was no vacancy in the office of the MMD party presidency.
“At the moment there is no vacancy for president in the MMD. Dr. Mumba is still our duly elected president,” he said.
He said there was no need for any fighting between himself and Dr. Mumba and instead all MMD members should fight to strengthen the former ruling party ahead of next year’s elections.
“What we should fight for is the rebuilding of the party which we all love so much. What members should understand is that there are no Mutati or Nevers people in the MMD but MMD family members,” Mr. Mutati said.
He said there was no need to allow for another fragmentation which the party endured during the January 20 Presidential elections.
Mr Mutati warned that any attempt by party leaders and members to fragment the former ruling party would break the party ahead of the Presidential and parliamentary elections next year.
“The fragmentation in the party will break the MMD and therefore dilute its relevance in the political landscape of the nation,” he said.
Mr Mutati said as guided by the ideals and values that underpin the democratic dispensation of the MMD, the issue of the convention would be dealt with by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
He explained that the MMD was a party of rules and the issues of holding of the convention would be dealt with by the NEC at an opportune time in accordance with rules and regulations of the party constitution.
Mr. Mutati said the culture of addressing party issues in the media should not be permitted and that the party should sort them out on their own.
“As MMD we must not permit the culture of addressing our internal challenges through the media. Regardless of the difficulties and disappointments we may have, we need to resolve these issues in our traditional manner, which is a family way,” he said.
Mr. Mutati appealed to the general membership to take note that he would be issuing statements on matters of the party when necessary and would continue to support the party.
“For the sake of decency and order I would like to tell party members that I will be issuing statements on matters relating to the party when appropriate,” he said.
The Lusaka High Court has ordered the Zambia Revenue Authority to return all property and records it seized from the Post in Thursday raid.
This is contained in an order issued by Hon Mr Justice Sikazwe in Lusaka on hearing from the Post’s counsel from Nchinto & Nchito and Fynold Mufwaafwi.
The order also stops the ZRA levying any distress before the court case on the matter is disposed off in the Supreme Court.
ZRA officers on Thursday again raided Post Newspapers Limited searching for concealed tax evasion information.
But Post Newspapers general manager-finance Rowena Zulu said it was clear that the authority was not looking for any tax evasion documents, but was trying to stop the newspaper from publishing.
On Wednesday, December 9th 2015, Zambia joined the rest of the global community in commemorating the International Anti Corruption Day.
His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu attended the commemoration in Lusaka and made some bold statements reaffirming his administration’s resolve to fight corruption.
President Lungu emphasised that his administration will not shield any public officials found to be corrupt. He also pledged his administration’s commitment to the full independence and autonomy of governance institutions such as the Anti Corruption Commission.
It was therefore shocking that leader of the UPND Hakainde Hichilema elected to downplay the significance of President Lungu’s statements on this occasion by alleging that the PF administration is not fighting corruption.
In his usual bitter outburst, Mr Hichilema deliberately decided to ignore President Lungu’s timely reminder that his administration will not spare anyone found engaging in corruption.
As much as we wish to respect Mr Hichilema’s freedom of speech, we feel his unwarranted attacks on President Lungu cannot go without comment.
As MMD youths, we find Mr Hichilema’s statements questioning President Lungu’s resolve to fighting corruption as the highest levels of hypocrisy.
Everybody who knows Mr Hichilema knows that he stinks of corruption. Everybody who has dealt with Mr Hichilema knows that the man never engages in straight forward deals.
His way of doing things is and has always been under cutting and making deals below the table.
It is our firm conviction that Mr Hichilema should be the last person to lecture anyone about fighting corruption.
We say this because this is the man who has on several occasions, publicly and privately failed to account for the source of his wealth.
Recently in an interview with Zach Chavula of Hot FM, Mr Hichilema again failed to give a detailed account of how he acquired his wealth.
On June 2 2015, Mr Hichilema again failed to explain how he became wealth when appeared on Question Time programme on SABC.
As MMD youths, we know why Mr Hichilema fails to give satisfactory answers each time he is asked about his source of wealth.
He fails to account for his wealth because it was obtained fraudulently.
Mr Hichilema personally and illegally benefitted from the plunder of our national resources using the privatisation process as a conduit.
Him and his associates looted public resources by undervaluing state assets and selling them to their friends and receiving kick backs.
In the case of Sun International Hotels, Mr Hichilema who was the lead negotiator in the privatisation of the hotel deliberately undervalued the asset and went ahead to recommend that it is sold to his friends.
Mr Hichilema later on became a minority shareholder in the hotel and served as Board Chairman.
If this does not amount to fraudulent and immoral dealings, let we would like to ask Mr Hichilema to kindly provide a new meaning for this word.
For the purposes of emphasis, we again ask Mr Hichilema to answer the following easy questions.
1. How much was the true value of Luanshya Copper Mines?
2. How much did Zambia treasury raise from the privatisation of the entire mine assets?
3. How much did he personally benefit from this particular transaction?
4. Why did he go ahead and acquire shares in Sun Hotels, the same company he recommended for the sale of the property?
5. How much did he personally pocket from this particular transaction?
6. What moral authority does he have to question President Lungu’s fight against corruption when his fingers are dripping with corruption?
Since Mr Hichilema has failed to account for his wealth, we make a clarion call on all Zambians to yet again reject his desperate bid to become Republican President in 2016.
He has proven that he is not trustworthy. He is a greed man whose main focus is growing his business empire. Zambians should reject Mr Hichilema’s ambitions of turning Zambia into an extension of his ranching business.
Issued by: Bowman C. Lusambo MMD Vice President-Aspirant MMD National Youth Secretary
The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has taken a court action against government for allegedly continuing denying them their constitutional right of mobilizing the party across the country.
UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka has told QFM News in a statement that the police have so far refused the party leadership across the country permits to hold meetings using the Public Order Act and citing flimsy grounds such as security concerns when there are none.
Mr. Katuka is hopeful that the courts of law will expeditiously make judgment, order, decision or other proceeding in respect of which relief is sought.
He says his party has submitted specific cases where the notifications for meetings have been denied and now seeking relief that a declaration be made that the decision of the police officers in cases cited be made illegal as they are ‘ultra vires’ to section 5 of the Public Order Act, Chapter 113 of the Laws of Zambia and are therefore null and void ab initio.
He adds that the party is further contending that the decision by the Zambia Police to stop them from holding branch verification and monitoring meetings was ‘ultra vires’ Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, as well as Section 5 of the Public Order Act, Chapter 113 of the Laws of Zambia.
The UPND Chief Executive Officer says the decision of the Police has adversely affected interests of the political party as it has been denied a chance to mobilise its members, which is a core function of any political party.
Headman Mulando laments to FDD President Edith Nawakwi that his subjects have no idea on how to use the E- Voucher system.
FDD President Edith Nawakwi says the PF has embarrassed and betrayed everyone who wanted to give them a chance to enact the constitution using their method as they did nothing but hoodwink people so that they could use the arrogance of numbers in Parliament to exclude women, youths and other marginalized groups in our society from going to Parliament.
Commenting on the throwing out of the mixed member proportional representation clause in the draft constitution by Parliament, Ms Nawakwi said the move by MPs to shelve the clause was retrogressive as it excluded the most important and productive members of the society especially the youths.
She noted that it was extremely sad that hardly two days after the adoption of the Gender Equality Bill, Parliament has decided to shelve the proposal from the people whose objective was to increase the number of women representation in Parliament among other marginalised groups.
“They have embarrassed and betrayed everyone who gave them a chance to adopt the Draft Constitution using their proposed parliamentary route. I am one of those who said if they have no money let’s see what they can do with their formula but they went out to hoodwink people and use the arrogance of numbers to exclude women and youths from participating in the governance of the country through representation in Parliament.
“It is extremely sad that after Parliament adopted the Gender Equality Bill hardly two days later they have decided to shelve the proposal from the people on proportional representation whose objective was to increase the number of half of the population who have been excluded from the governance of the country and those are specifically the mothers of Zambia and the youths of this country,” she said.
“If you look at Parliaments where there are more women and youths in places like Tanzania, Rwanda or South Africa it has been by way of affirmative action through careful and deliberate legislation. Yet our men in that parliament have decided yet again to inhibit rather than enhance the representation of women in Parliament. This development makes a sad reading. If the PF are serious with reducing their excessive and wasteful public expenditure then let them scrap off the position of Deputy Minister and the position of District Commissioner and reduce the number of Ministers.” she noted.
“In fact money will not be available as long as women continue to be excluded in governing this country. One would have thought that a variation would have been provided for where political parties are compelled by legislation to provide a checkered list for election to the office of the Councillor and of Member of parliament. This checkered list would be that out of the 150 Candidates it is expected that every political party must attempt to find female candidates for each male candidate and this is not tokenism but the reality that the first past the post system excludes extremely productive and useful members of our society especially the women and the youths.The youths don’t have money to flush around and buy chibuku, chitenge T-shirts for voters, the women don’t have money to buy votes in the field so we should as a people provide some form of decent representation of these members of our communities who are systematically excluded.”
“I think that what has happened is a clear indictment on what we have been talking about both as the grand coalition and as a political party that the PF is up to no good because these are some of the issues we could have discussed. When we were asking to discuss the constitution we wanted to discuss issues of their concern and issues of our concern. We could have have come to an arrangement were we say OK we can pass this legislation in this seating of parliament and let the implementation pend to a time when we have money, maybe after two or three sessions.
The legislation can be passed but its implementation can wait because there are a number of clauses in the Constitution which always from time to time require subsidiary legislation to be implemented. If PF was truly of good will they could have passed the law and pleaded with the house to defer its implementation, that is were you see if they are your friends and are acting in good faith.
The country is bankrupt which we agree but who bankrupted it? It is the same PF. You can’t buy satellite phones and pretend that creating 30 seats for women in the house is expensive. It is more expensive to continue to exclude mothers from that house because when you go to UTH it is mothers who are sleeping on the flow. When you go in the field it is the mothers who don’t have seed to plant. When you look at the children who are excluded from education it is the mothers sitted on the roadside selling tomatoes, busala and chikanda who have to hustle to feed them. To continue to exclude them from decision making I think is the death nail on the future and development of our country.
I personally, as a female politician in this country was looking forward to some form of arrangment were it becomes easier for my sisters to go to Parliament.”
Ms. Nawakwi also said the constitution making process will need to be revisited as the PF have removed some of the most important clauses in the draft constitution hence the Draft does not represent the people’s wishes.
Zesco United are set to be the first Zambian club to make a continental football trip to South Sudan next season.
The FAZ Super Division champions will face a yet to be known South Sudan team in the preliminary round of the 2016 CAF Champions League.
Zesco will be home on in the first leg on February 13 before traveling to Juba during the weekend of February 27-28
Winner will face AS Douanes of Senegal or Guinea giants Horoya AC at home on March 13 and away March 19-20.
Victor from that first round tie will play either Coton Sport of Cameroon who await preliminary round result between Racing Club Bobo of Burkina Faso and Stade Malien of Mali for a place in the group stage.
Meanwhile, in the Confederation Cup, Zanaco enjoy a preliminary round bye and will enter the fry in March.
Zanaco await the winner of the first round tie between Harare City of Zimbabwe and AS Adema of Madagascar.
Esperance are their likely opponent in the second round who await Chad’s representative or New Stars de Douala of Cameroon.
PF deputy secretary general has expressed sadness on behalf of the Patriotic Front at the passing of Mr.Kuchunga Simusamba.She said despite holdning different political views it was an undeniable fact was that Mr.Simusamba gave the best as a citizen to the country he loved.
Below is the full press statement
Lusaka, Zambia, 11th December 2015 – On behalf of the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership and the general membership, I wish to express the sadness we share with firstly the Simusamba Family which feels the greatest pain of this loss than any of us.
It is also befitting that on behalf of PF, I pass our deepest condolences to the United Party for National Development (UPND) on the loss of a dedicated comrade and fellow citizen. While the late Kuchunga Simusamba lived we could have held different political views but one undeniable fact is that he gave the best as a Citizen to a country he so loved.
The political arena will surely miss his critical voice on many national matters. As we mourn our departed Comrade Simusamba, I would urge that put aside our political differences and give him a well-deserved send off. May his Departed Soul Rest in Peace.
Issued by:
Mrs. Mumbi Phiri
PF Deputy Secretary General
Lusaka, Zambia
Chipolopolo defender Christopher Munthali was on Friday night named 2015 Power Dynamos Football Club Player of the Year at a gala and awards night held at Arthur Davies Stadium.
Munthali featured in 32 matches for Power this year and scored some crucial goals for the Kitwe giants.
Defender Govenda Simwala bagged the Most Disciplined and the Player’s Player awards.
Wing back Lawrence Chungu won the Most Consistent Player having featured in 33 matches for the club in 2015.
Striker Martin Phiri won the Chairman’s Most Improved Player award.
Power finished third in the ended FAZ Super Division season.
FILE: UPND deputy secretary general Kuchunga Simusamba protesting against the Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda outside the Supreme Court
Kuchunga Simusamba, aged 44 who served as UPND deputy Secretary General, died yesterday evening at UTH where he was admitted for a heart condition.
He was hospitalized for some time and on Wednesday police officers almost prevented UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema from visiting him at the hospital.
Simusamba will be remembered as one of the brilliant minds in the opposition. He was an avid and prolific speaker and also a brilliant chess player. Kuchunga Simusamba was the winner of the 2014 Golden Jubilee Veterans Chess Gala.
UPND President Hakainde Hichilema posted the following statement to announce the top official’s death
My fellow citizens, it’s with grief and sorrow that I announce the passing of Edwin Kuchunga Simusamba, our Deputy Secretary General until his death.
This is a tragedy colleagues because Simusamba was one of our prolific politicians in UPND. He was fearless and very intelligent. He was a strategist that will be missed by us all.
We have been left in awe again, as you recall we lost Mr Chibwe a few months ago and now Simusamba.
To his family, we pass our heartfelt condolences and wish them God’s grace as they go through this difficult time. We are feeling helpless at this moment, but knowing that God is with us during this trying time, is comfort enough to face what is coming ahead.
Go well comrade, till we meet again. May Your Soul Rest In Peace.
