We have complied with the provisions of the Public Order Act requirement of notifying the Zambia Police more than seven days for our scheduled party mobilisation meetings in various parts of the country that will be undertaken by our party President Hakainde Hichilema and other senior party leadership.

Among the areas we are carrying out our party mobilisation activities this month are Lusaka, Western, and Copperbelt Provinces.We shall not accept any interference from law enforcement agencies in our quest to reach out to our people that want to hear our messages as that is our democratic right just like we do not interfere with any political party, including the ruling PF, when they carrying out their party activities.

The Police, as citizens of this country, are equally free to come and attend these meetings which we have always conducted in very peaceful atmosphere.

We wish to inform all our party structures on the ground to prepare for the arrival of our party president Mr. Hichilema, senior leadership and their entourage in those areas as per programmes that have been given to them and the police as all our meetings will go ahead as planned.

We request all our fellow citizens to peacefully turnout in large numbers to welcome the UPND leadership in those areas and work with the local leadership for the detailed programmes.
We greatly thank you all in advance as you peacefully engage with our leaders that are touring the country to appreciate the economic environment and feel free to discuss with them critical national issues affecting your areas.

Stephen Katuka
UPND Party Secretary General

A MAGISTRATE’S court has sent a 19-year-old Grade Eight pupil to prison for 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for stealing a bicycle belonging to a fellow worshipper during a church service in Chingola.
The court found Michael Sinkala of Mikiloni area, Chiwempala, Chingola, guilty of theft.
When the matter came up for plea, Sinkala readily admitted the charge before magistrate Lomuti M’tonga.
Particulars of the offence are that Sinkala on April 19 this year in Chingola stole a mountain bicycle worth K400 belonging to Martin Lumumba at a Catholic church as congregants were worshipping inside.
Facts before the court were that the complaint had gone for a church service and left his bicycle outside the church.
when the service ended, the complainant discovered that the bicycle was missing and reported the matter to police.
The court heard that after some months he spotted the bike at Chiwempala market with a man who revealed that it had been sold to him by Sinkala.
The police apprehended Sinkala and charged him with theft.
Sinkala begged the court to exercise leniency on him because he was sorry for his actions.
“Your honour, I have learnt a lesson and will never repeat what I did. I am a pupil, so if you send me to prison my future will be ruined,” Sinkala said.
Mr M’tonga wondered why Sinkala could steal at a church.
“You went there to pray but you decided to steal from your church mate. What you did was very bad and you have to be punished.
“I have heard your mitigation and that you are a first offender, but you will not go scot-free. I will sentence you to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour. You should respect the house of God,” he said.
Mr Mtonga said that Sinkala has a right to appeal.
In the same court Mr M’tonga sentenced a 25-year-old man to three months imprisonment with hard labour for trafficking in 10 grammes of marijuana.
Mr M’tonga sentenced Goldwin Kainda of New Plots in Kasompe township after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
Kainda told the court that he used the drugs as medicine for his ears, but the magistrate dismissed the claim.
On October 3 this year Kainda trafficked in 10 grammes of marijuana, a product of cannabis sativa, without lawful authority.
Facts before the court were that Kainda was a suspect in a case of theft and was found in possession of suspected marijuana while police officers were searching him.

(DailyMail)

Action Aid Zambia Country Director Pamela Chisanga has called for the dollarization of the Zambian economy.

Ms Chisanga said time has now come for Zambia to dump the Kwacha because the local currency has become worthless.

She said many stakeholders have proposed remedial measures to fix the Kwacha but that Government and its agencies have failed to respond effectively.

Ms. Chisanga was speaking this morning when she featured on the Hot Seat radio programme on Hot FM discussing the state of the economy.

‘I think we have talked and talked and now it enough talking, what we need now is action and for me with the levels of frustration I have, I can just call for the dollarization of the Zambian economy, let us just dump the Kwacha and we start using the dollar,’ she said.

She argued that Zambia which adopted the use of the dollar has now started witnessing a slow but steady recovery of its economy which had completely collapsed.

‘Zimbabwe has now doing far much better than it was when it was using the ZIM dollar, maybe we need to go that route because there seems to be no response from those in government.

On the same programme, Centre for Trade Policy and Development Executive Director Isabel Mukelabai called for prudency on the part of the government in the management of public funds.

Mrs Mukelabai also called for policy consistency and predictability if Zambia is to manage the current economic turbulences.

“A Lungu Anabwera” proprietor PilAto releases a brand new music video for his previously released single “As A Balo”. Directed by Gilbert for Justingilbat Productions.

BY KAPA187

THE Government has lifted the ban on the importation of edible oils to mitigate the rising price of cooking oil on the domestic market, Parliament has heard.

Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda said in a ministerial statement yesterday that the decision was intended to meet domestic demand for the commodity by promoting competition among retailers and wholesalers.

Mr Lubinda said that importation of edible oils was suspended this year with a view to promoting the local industry, but some oil processors took advantage of the ban and increased prices.

The minister issued the statement to appraise the House on maize marketing and the Government’s intervention of stabilising the cost of cooking oil, mealie meal and bread.

“To help mitigate rising domestic prices of edible oils, Government has decided to allow limited importation of processed edible oils. This measure is intended to meet domestic demand and to bring in a level of competition on the local market,” Mr Lubinda said.

Mr Lubinda said strict control measures had been put in place to ensure that importers adhered to procedural obligations so that the import policy was not abused.

The Government has since entered the milling business to stabilise the cost of the commodity for the benefit of consumers.

He said it was unfortunate that private millers had failed to secure enough maize for processing, hence they attributed the increase in commodity prices to inadequate raw materials.

“Government will no longer be arm-twisted to allow the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) release maize which is intended for the strategic reserve to private millers,” Mr Lubinda said.

MMD spokesperson Raphael Nakacinda yesterday told the Cornelius Mweetwa-headed Parliamentary committee on legal affairs, governance, human rights, gender matters and child affairs that Parliament is best suited to enact the constitution.

“Parliament is in order to look at the constitution and so we are in agreement with this process embarked on by the Patriotic Front government,” Mr Nakacinda said.

He said the MMD understands the mistrust the PF has faced over the constitution-making process because it faced similar opposition when the party tried to put in place a new constitution.

“As MMD, we hope members of Parliament will rise above partisan politics and support the Bill. We now see a ray of hope because the PF has taken it to Parliament. Do not shoot the Bill down because it is progressive,” Mr Nakachinda said.

He submitted that the PF has done a noble thing by taking the constitution Bill to Parliament.

Mr Nakacinda said the MMD does not want the PF to fail in its quest to give Zambians a lasting constitution because, when it (MMD) was in power, the party wanted to give Zambians a people-driven constitution.

“We hope PF will learn from us and not repeat our mistakes,” Mr Nakacinda said.

Earlier, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) appealed to the MPs not to alter the Bill.

“Parliament, you have a noble duty to ensure that the Bill passes. Please do not let Zambians down,” said FDD administrative executive, George Phiri.