President Edgar Lungu has arrived in Gaborone, Botswana to attend the 35th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government Summit which convenes tomorrow 17th August, 2015.

ZANIS reports from Botswana that the Presidential Challenger Jet carrying the Zambian Head of State touched down at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport at 15:48hours local time.

Newly appointed Defence Minister Richwell Siamunene and the Presidents Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda are accompanying the President.

Botswana’s Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Thapelo Alopeng, Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to Botswana Wesley Chikwamu and Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba received the Zambian Head of State.

Others included the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Siazongo Sikalenge and other senior government officials.

And as part of his engagement while in Botswana, President Lungu is later this evening expected to meet the Zambians resident in Botswana.

Tomorrow, 18 August, 2015, President Lungu will be among the SADC Heads of State who will be attending this year’s Summit.

Zambia’s participation in this year’s 35th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government Summit reaffirms the country’s commitments to the ideals and objectives that of SADC whose establishment was pioneered by among other countries, Zambia included.

During the Official Opening of the 35th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, who is the SADC chairperson is expected to handle over the SADC Chairperson’s Badge to the Incoming Chairperson, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana.

This year’s SADC Heads of State and Government Summit is being held under the theme: “Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital.”

The Summit is expected to review progress made since the last SADC Heads of State and Government held in Zimbabwe, 2014.

The deliberations, among others, will also focus on the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, and the Finalisation of the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020.

Other issues to be deliberated on will include the region’s political, socio-economic development issues, regional integration, budgeting, human resources and administration and the implementation of decisions passed by previous Summit.

Member States that arrived today are Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho while Zimbabwe arrived yesterday.

The SADC Heads of State and Government Summit convenes every year, usually in August but can convene at any time depending on the urgency of issues that may arise.

The Heads of State and Government Summit which is SADC’s highest decision making body, adopts decisions, elects the rotating SADC chairperson ever year and appoints the executive secretary.

The 35th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit is expected to close business on Tuesday, 18th August, 2015.

The opposition Rainbow Party has accused the Patriotic Front (PF) government of being desperate to show it is making progress in its infrastructure development agenda.

Rainbow Party president Leader Wynter Kabimba suspects that such desperation follows the PF government alleged misuse of public funds that were meant for the infrastructure projects late President Michael Sata initiated.

Speaking this morning at a media briefing held in Lusaka Mr. Kabimba says he believes that this is why the PF government is busy looking for fresh money to cover up for its misuse and squander of the public resources that were previously mobilized.

Mr. Kabimba states that he has no doubt that the PF government views the issuance of Eurobonds a window for potential cash cow to fund its 2016 general election campaign.

He says what the PF government is however doing is pushing Zambia back into a dangerous habit of borrowing beyond the economy’s means.

The Rainbow Party leader says this is because the contraction of debt through issuance of the Eurobonds has raised country’s foreign debt to US$6.05billion.

He notes that this is evidence enough to show that the PF government’s aim is to bankrupt the Zambian economy.

Mr. Kabimba has advised that the only way therefore to stop this from happening is to vote out the ruling PF before it inflicts more damage and destroys the livelihood of future generations.

Incoming SADC Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Kenneth Matambo says the just ended SADC Council of Ministers’ meeting , which convened on 14th and ended on 15th August, 2015, discussed positive issues of importance with a focus to regional integration and development.

ZANIS reports from Botswana that Mr. Matambo, who is also Botswana’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, disclosed this during a press briefing yesterday held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) , here.

He said the Council of Ministers also made key decisions on how to further accelerate the regional integration agenda and to address emerging issues for the benefit of all SADC citizens.

Among the issues that the Council supports the 35th SADC Ordinary Heads of State and Government summit theme dubbed: “Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital,” as proposed by Botswana.

The Strategy is expected to enable the region to add value to its natural resources and bring about socio-economic transformation thereby lifting millions from abject poverty, according to the incoming SADC Chairperson of the Council of Ministers .

Mr. Matambo also cited that the Council has noted a stable political and economic environment in the region and has therefore commended member states of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Mauritius, Lesotho and Zambia for holding peaceful elections.

On the development of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, among others, which were adopted by Summit in April, 2015, the Council has directed the SADC Secretariat to expeditiously finalise the development of an Action Plan on the Strategy.

And on sustainable financing mechanisms, Mr. Matambo explained that the Council stressed the need for reduced financial dependency and the need to explore sustainable ways of financing SADC programmes.

To this effect, the Council has directed that the Committee of Ministers of Finance are to coordinate work on alternative sources of funds in order to efficiently finalise and operationalise the Regional Development Fund, observed the Incoming SADC Chairperson of the Council of Ministers.

“The Council directed the Secretariat to conduct research into various options of alternative sources of income, while benchmarking with other relevant organisations such as the African Union and other regional economic communities, “ said Mr. Matambo.

On the Tripartite Free Trade Area involving Southern African Development (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Council has directed that the SADC Secretariat in its capacity as current Chair and Co-ordinator of the Tripartite Task Force to facilitate the finalisation of negotiations on outstanding areas under Phase 1 of the TFTA negotiations in order to make the agreement effective.

“The Council urged the member states that have not signed and ratified the TFTA Agreement to do so and to expeditiously finalise their offers in order to fully operationalise the Agreement,” said Mr. Matambo.

Meanwhile, the SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax has launched the SADC AT 35 Success Stories for 2015 booklet.

Dr. Tax explained that the booklet highlights achievements SADC has recorded in the last 35 years citing among others, the pioneers who were behind the formation of the institution in April, 1980 in Lusaka, Zambia when it was formerly called the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC).

“ The leaders of the region sought to demonstrate their vision of unity through the tangible benefits of working together, “she explained.

And in congratulating the regional body for its successful story, the Germany Ambassador to Botswana Rolf Ulrich said Germany has been supporting SADC in its endeavours for the past 20 years because it believes in the regional body’s vision economic integration.

“We believe in regional cooperation in Europe and elsewhere. Germany’s foreign policy has become multilateral in nature. We try to encourage regional integration, including Africa,” said the Germany Ambassador.

President Edgar Lungu is expected to attend the 35th Ordinary SADC Heads of State and Government summit which convenes on 17th and will end on 18th, August, 2015.

Patriotic Front deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says the party will not hesitate to discipline aspiring candidates who have started campaigns in constituencies for 2016 without the blessing of the secretariat.

Speaking to journalists in Zambezi yesterday, Mrs Phiri said it was surprising that some members of the party are campaigning for 2016 when the party has not endorsed their candidature.

She said it was indiscipline of the highest order to begin campaigns with total disregard for the party secretariat.

Mrs Phiri said the party secretariat is disturbed that a named party member went to campaign in Keembe without the blessing of the party.

She said the party will take stern action against any member of the party who will be found wanting.

The PF deputy secretary general also asked Ministers to respect members of the Central Committee in order to maintain order in the party.

She said there will be no sacred cows in meting out punishment to those who disregard the party structures.

Mrs Phiri disclosed that only the party president, vice president, party national chairperson, party secretary general, and deputy secretary general had the right to go into any constituency without clearance from the secretariat.

And the deputy PF secretary general says the UPND should desist from talking about violence targeted at the party because Republican President Lungu stood for peace.

Mrs Phiri said UPND should stop complaining that PF was a violent party when President Edgar Lungu is on record of having condemned violence.

She said the president even condemned attacks on UPND president Hakainde Hichilema in Kitwe.

She said police have further gone ahead to arrest the perpetrators of the violence who are appearing in court.

Today’s Scripture

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
(Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

Give Your Faith a Target

So many people today are depressed and discouraged simply because they only focus on their present circumstances. They’re constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don’t have, and what’s wrong with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their hope. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life.

Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground. It won’t accomplish anything. But when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and believing, it’s as if that target gets larger and larger—easier to hit!

Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy. Get your hopes up! Start by taking captive any negative thoughts you may have one at a time. As you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, you’ll feel that hope inside you growing. You’ll give your faith a target, and you’ll move confidently into the blessings and peace the Lord has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

“Father, today I surrender every thought to You. I choose to release my cares and concerns so I can focus on Your goodness in my life. Thank You for the gift of faith to see the impossible become possible as I continue to place my hope and confidence in You in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

THE United Party for National Development has predicted that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) will suffer mass defections claiming that some ministers and members of Parliament Have personal ambitions for the presidency.

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said the violence that rocked the PF during the transition following the death of president Michael Sata was likely to engulf the PF again because some senior leaders had not shelved their ambitions to take over the leadership of the party.

He said the violence that characterised the ruling party national congress last year would be nothing compared to what would happen in the next intra-party democracy because some PF leaders had not shelved their ambitions to contest the presidency under the ruling party ticket.

Mr Hichilema said the wrangles, controversy and violence that characterised the transition period should not be allowed to happen against and called on President Edgar Lungu to root out violent cadres from the ruling party.

He said there would be more confusion and consternation in the Patriotic Front after the dissolution of Parliament in 2016 and that a number of Ministers and MPs were likely to abandon President Lungu.

“As we get towards 2016, the violence that characterised the transition period in the PF will come back. There will be more confusion in the PF after the MPs and Ministers have been paid their gratuity and most of them are going to be with us

Speaking at a media briefing at Pamodzi Hotel yesterday, Mr Hichilema claimed that there was instability in the PF which had directly affected the political stability of the country and that unless President Lungu addressed the many challenges facing the country, he was not going to have it easy in 2016 general elections.

“As we get towards 2016, the violence that characterised the transition period in the PF will come back. There will be more confusion in the PF after the MPs and Ministers have been paid their gratuity and most of them are going to be with us. The violence will get worse because some of the PF leaders still have the ambitions to lead the party because they feel President Lungu forced his way to the PF presidency,” Mr Hichilema said.

And Mr Hichilema has called for a united opposition stating that there was nothing that could keep the opposition political parties apart because they had a common agenda of serving Zambians who were the victims of what he termed poor governance.

Mr Hichilema claimed that the PF had failed to improve the lives of the people alleging that most of the people in Government were serving their personal interests at the expense of the majority poor Zambians.

He alleged that some of the PF government officials were involved in corrupt activities and that they were allegedly buying expensive and exotic properties in South Africa’s plush towns such as Sandton.

He said it was shocking that some leaders in Government had suddenly become opulent in their life-styles when many Zambians were struggling to barely survive because of the economic hardships they were going through.

Mr Hichilema said the opposition political parties should unit and demand from Government to have the private members motion of banding the use of firearms during elections to be taken back to parliament because the culture of using guns by cadres during elections was promoting violence.

“When our time comes, the public media will be freed so that it can criticise the UPND in Government. We want to turn round the economy of the country but the PF are in government to serve themselves. I have been recieving calls from my freinds in South Africa who have been asking me about some Government officials who have been looking for agents to buy estates and they are looking for such property in Sandton. Where did they get the money to buy such expensive property. I am in business and I know how long it takes to make money,” Mr Hichilema said.