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ECZ Chairman Essau Chulu receiving the petition from Dr Mumba
MMD President Nevers Mumba on Wednesday stormed Elections House, the offices for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to request the extension of the filling of nominations for the Solwezi West parliamentary seat following the withdrawal of its candidate Fordson Malishinji.
Mr Malishinji yesterday withdrew from the race at the eleventh hour which infuriated Dr Mumba prompting him to storm ECZ to petition ECZ Chairperson Judge Esau Chulu to extend the nomination.
Dr Mumba in the company of party National Secretary Mwansa Mbulakulima and other party officials forced their way into ECZ Chairman Judge Esau Chulu’s office.
Judge Chulu expressed displeasure with the conduct of Dr. Mumba and his officials.
Dr Mumba revealed that the party will petition the results of the Solwezi West parliamentary election.
He said the conduct by the PF to bribe and abduct Mr Malishinji is immoral and should not be encouraged.
‘We feel that this is a scam of an election and we are going to petition, we feel it is immoral for this election to proceed after using immoral means to disadvantage a political party like ourselves, so we are going to take this fight where it belongs and we hope that the Judiciary is going o help us fight this immorality,” Dr Mumba said.
He added, “We were hoping that the ECZ will be partners in help us fight this immorality which is becoming so rampant in our politics but we feel that we don’t have an ECZ that can make diligent decisions. The current system as it stands is a boil of immorality which applauds those who are immoral, which applauds those who are corrupt.”
This was after ECZ Director Priscilla Isaacs told Journalists soon after she held a meeting with Dr Mumba and some MMD officials that the ECZ was not in a position to extend the nomination period.
Ms. Isaacs disclosed that nominations closed at 15 Hours after the PF, UPND and UNIP candidates successfully filed in their nominations.
But PF Secretary General Davis Chama has rubbished accusations that it bribed Mr Malishinji to withdraw from the Solwezi West parliamentary.
Dr Mumba with Deputy National Secretary Winnie Zaolumis at ECZ offices
POLICE in Kalomo are looking for the owner of a stray cow that was hit by a Toyota Noah vehicle, which overturned killing four passengers and a driver on the spot.
The cow also died on spot and police say they would charge the owner with the offence of leaving an animal unattended to.
The accident happened on Sunday around 23:00 hours on the Livingstone Road at Mukwela Township 15 kilometres from Kalomo town.
The driver, McEssential Sikwali, of Zambia Sugar area in Mazabuka, who was driving the Vehicle registration number ALC 5247, hit the cow as it was crossing the road.
Newly appointed Southern Province Police chief, Joseph Mutale said the motor vehicle, in the process, careered off the road and overturned killing the driver and four other passengers.
The vehicle was carrying 11 people and was said to have been overspeeding.
“As police, we have not yet identified the owner of the cow but officers are on the ground doing investigations,” he said.
Mr Mutale clarified that the total number of people who died on the spot were five and not six as reported in the media.
Among the deceased were Mr Sikwali, two men aged between 40 and 47, and two babies who were less than two-years old.
Mr Mutale said three among the six passengers who sustained serious body injuries were discharged on Tuesday after treatment.
Three others were still admitted at Kalomo General Hospital while four among the five bodies lying at the hospital mortuary were identified.
Mr Mutale called for safeguarding of livestock among communities and that police would not tolerate owners of animals to stray on roads.
A newly constructed terminal building at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airoport in Livingstone in readiness for UNWTO conference
THE construction of a new international terminal building at Harry Mwanga International Airport in Livingstone will be fully completed by the end of next month and expected to be commissioned in October this year.
In 2010, the construction of the building started and the facility was opened for use in August 2013 before it was fully completed ahead of the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly which was co-hosted by Livingstone in Zambia and Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe.
Zambia Airport Corporation (ZACL) managing director Robinson Misitala said the international terminal building would be fully completed by the end of September and the facility would be commissioned in October 2015.
Mr Misitala said about 90 per cent of works had already been completed and the remaining 10 per cent involved repainting the building, putting tiles and ceiling board as well as improving on the surroundings and make the premises look green among others.
He was speaking in an interview in Livingstone on Tuesday after a delegation from ZACL and other stakeholders toured the infrastructure.
Mr Misitala said the installation of the radar at the new terminal building had reached 98 per cent completion and it was already functional while one set of staff were already undergoing training in South Africa.
“From the client point of view, we now have secured US$ 5 million which is required to complete the remaining works.
“We will have a meeting this afternoon with the project manager, contractors and subcontractors and equipment supplier so that we can review in terms of the progress done from the time we secured the money,” Mr Misitala said.
He said the US$ 5 million funding was adequate to complete the remaining works as equipment suppliers had already supplied the materials on site.
“From what we have seen so far, we are on schedule and we expect the works to be completed by the end of next month and we hope to commission the facility in the month of October as we will be celebrating our country’s independence.
“This facility will be a gift to Zambia to say that Livingstone now has a terminal and we will need to market so that we increase on arrivals. More people will be coming to Livingstone to see the Victoria Falls and other tourism attractions in the city,” Mr Misitala said.
He said ZACL was mindful that the terminal building was currently functional and hence works would be done in the night to avoid disturbing passengers.
“Currently, we have seen a decline in terms of arrivals and departing passengers. We had reached 250, 000 passengers per year and figures have now dropped to about 200, 000 passengers per year
“Last year, we recorded a 205,000 passengers passing through this facility. This drop is a major decline but we are hopeful that with the conferences taking place in Livingstone and also with the natural wonders of the world, we believe that there will be more tourists coming. We can’t have this huge infrastructure and have fewer passengers,” he said.
Mr Misitala urged Zambians to go flat-out and market the market to increase on tourist arrivals to Zambia.
“This weekend, we went through all borders with Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) to see how we can improve in marketing the destination Zambia so that we can have enough passengers passing through our airports,” he said.
We know this may sound like the politicking again which is typical of this country that spends more time bickering on trivial issues at the expense of fixing our economic challenges.
Visiting Kabwe town yesterday, which is basically a ghost town now, as a business minded people that want to create jobs for our people, especially the youths, it baffles us how a company like former Mulungushi Textiles can fail to thrive considering the huge potential that exist for it to operate profitably at full capacity.
In our daily lives, we are always surrounded by fabric in different forms. From our clothes, bedding and linen, curtains, decorative fabric, etc.
These can be made and supplied, not only to individuals, but institutions, such as universities and colleges, hotels and lodges, hospitals and clinics, etc.
From this fabric that can be made at factories such as Mulungushi Textiles, there is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to make a whole range of finished products mentioned above.
The problem has been our failure to put mechanisms in place to support and protect our local industry. Our continued problems with even such things as electricity mean costs are very high for our producers, leaving us vulnerable to cheap imports taking over the market, driving Zambians out of business.
We are equally ashamed that even us politicians stand on podiums wearing cheap party regalia imported from other countries.
The mere reopening of that textile will not only create jobs but provide a much greater market opportunity for our cotton farmers and other suppliers, hence creating both direct and indirect jobs just from one such venture.
We are equally ashamed that even us politicians stand on podiums wearing cheap party regalia imported from other countries.
Can you imagine that even our finished military uniforms for our security wings are bought from other countries at a huge cost in US dollars hence contributing to the scarcity of the foreign currency that results in the Kwacha falling?
And by the way, we previously had three viable textile industries in Zambia other than Mulungushi, that included Kafue and Zambia Textiles in Livingstone.
We need to make bold decisions together and create jobs and business opportunities for our people.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
HH and his team in KabweHH and his team in KabweHH and his team in KabweHH and his team in KabweHH and his team in KabweHH and his team in Kabwe
Musonda Falls
MORE than two hundred and twelve farmers have had their cassava swept away after the operational gates at Zesco’s Musonda Falls power station in Mansa were opened on Monday night.
Peasant farmers that lost a substantial amount of their harvest are demanding for compensation from Zesco as the firm had allegedly neglected to inform the surrounding population of its intent to open the spill gates.
Zesco is currently upgrading the Musonda Falls power station from a six to an eleven megawatt plant and has engaged a contractor to carry out the works.
It was the contractor while working on the upgrade works that opened the spill gates located on Luongo River which resulted in the area downstream to flood and sweep away the cassava that was drying on river bank.
Luapula Province permanent secretary Boniface Chimbwali who confirmed the incident and visited the site said the provincial administration office would engage Zesco to resolve the dispute.
“The complaint from the farmers is that gates were opened at night and they were not given prior warning of what was to happen. Otherwise they would have secured their produce, Mr Chimbwali said.
Meanwhile, Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in Luapula Province is just 10,000 tonnes shy of reaching the target of maize seed to be bought this marketing season.
Luaula permanent secretary Boniface Chimbwali said the province had been tasked to buy 50,000 tonnes as part of the 500,000 tonnes the agency is buying as strategic reserves.
Though the province is not particularly known for its framing prowess, maize cultivation in particular has been steadily increasing the past two farming seasons.
While the target for the province would be reached soon, there was still a lot of grain being delivered by farmers on a daily and chances where likely that the target would be reached for the province minus the entire delivered crops sitting at various depots being bought.
Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula
THE two-day conference of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Ministers of Justice and Experts Meeting on Legal Harmonisation of ICGLR Protocols has closed in Livingston.
Zambia’s Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula urged the 12 member states of the ICGLR to implement the agreed resolutions to a accelerate the transformation of the region into an oasis of peace and security
Dr Simbyakula said the fact that all member states were represented at the conference in Livingstone was a manifestation of commitment each of the member states had individually and collectively to transform the region.
He was speaking in Livingstone at Avani Victoria Falls Hotel yesterday during the official closing ceremony for the conference.
“It was an honor for us Zambian Government and the people of Zambia to host the conference.
“What remains now is for all member states to implement what we agreed here so that we accelerate e the transformation of our region into an oasis of peace and security,” Dr Simbyakula said.
Chairperson for the just ended conference, Antonio Bente Bembe, urged member states to prove to the world that Africa had maturity and a sense of responsibility to address its problems.
Mr Bembe, who is Angola Secretary of State for Human Rights, said there was need for member countries to put to an end the historical shame that Africa and other continent had.
And reading out the communique, ICGLR executive secretary Numb a Luaba said delegates resolved to adopt the domestication road map 2015 to 2018 developed by the national coordinators and legal focal points.
Prof Luaba said delegates resolved to speed up and complete the domestication process of the Protocols especially the four priority protocols.
The four priority protocols are non – aggression and mutual defence in the Great Lakes Region, judicial cooperation, prevention and suppression of sextant violence against women and children and the protocol against the illegal exploitation of natural resources by 2016 and the domestication process of the remaining protocols by 2018.
Prof Luaba said the meeting expressed it’s pound gratitude to the Government of Zambia and the people of Zambia for warm welcome a d hospitality extended to all delegations.
Zambia’s Republican Vice President Inonge Wina officially opened the conference on Tuesday.
THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has unveiled a robust and vigorous enforcement strategies to address the current road safety situation in the country.
RTSA chief executive officer Zindaba Soko told a media briefing in Lusaka this morning that if the current road safety situation is left unchecked, the country is posed to record an increase in the numbers of road traffic accidents.
“We have put up various interventions to curb road traffic crashes, enhance publicity and enforcement of the road traffic act. This is a matter that every road user must be involved in for us to achieve results if we are going to attain the 50 per cent reduction required by the United Nations Decades of Action on Road Safety that runs from 2011 to 2020,”he said.
Mr Soko said the agency will soon roll out a Transport Intelligence System on the road from Kafue to Ndola that will monitor traffic on the road.
He has also disclosed that the RTSA has devised a tentative country wide enforcement programme that will cover the major highways were road accidents are so prominent.
He has revealed that the Agency will scale up operations aimed at screening drivers driving under the influence of alcohol, over speeding and unlicensed drivers as these are the leading causes of accident on the Zambian Roads.
He has since assured the nation that the RTSA is working round the clock to see to it that accidents are reduced in the country.
Mr Soko said the behaviour of the drivers is unacceptable and advised members of the public to report PSV drivers who flout the RTSA rules by calling the RTSA toll free line 983 to report the drivers.
Last week, RTSA conducted an operation on a selected route arising from concerns by members of the public. The operation within an hour resulted in 46 Public Service Vehicles being impounded while 33 drivers were found to be unlicensed.
Meanwhile, Mr Soko has disclosed that between January and June 2015, the country recorded over 16, 000 road traffic crashes that resulted in 1, 028 deaths.
The first quarter saw 465 people die while the second quarter saw 563 people die from road crashes.
The same period in 2014 saw 865 fatalities by end of June revealing an upward increase of 19 per cent this year.
The RTSA boss attributed the causes of the crashes as follows; continued unacceptable road user behaviour, un-roadworthy motor vehicles; road engineering deficiencies; unlicensed drivers and drunk drivers among others.
He has noted that the increase in number of deaths is worrisome not only to the nation but to all stake holders as RTSA projects an upward trend.
Zambia national soccer team players on Wednesday underwent a financial literacy training conducted by Barclays Bank and Junior achievement
Zambia in Lusaka.
Local Chipolopolo players briefly broke up camp ahead next month’s 2017 Africa Cup qualifier against Kenya to attend the workshop on
financial literacy.
FAZ spokesperson Nkweto Tembwe says the move is aimed at giving the players a better understanding of financial matters.
“Our players are being taught football when in camp but it is also important to give them knowledge of how to handle their financial
matters” Tembwe said.
Some of the issues tackled during this training included investment options, psychology of money and sports career span
And President Lungu says the region and Africa as a whole should now fight for economic emancipation.
The President says economic emancipation will require selflessness and unity of purpose that requires setting aside differences.
The President was speaking in the Namibian capital Windhoek when he officiated at that country’s Heroes National Day.
President Lungu is happy that the freedom of most countries in the region has now resulted in the fruits of democracy.
The President says it is gratifying that after political freedom most countries in the region have upheld democracy.
And Namibian President Hage Geingob said Freedom fighters will continue to be honored because they fought a selfless fight for the peace that Namibia is enjoying.
Dr Geingob noted that it’s now up to the current generations not to take peace for granted.
He also pointed out that the economic emancipation will also require similar values of selfless fight.
August 26th is celebrated by Namibians as a day that marks the death of Namibians heroes during the liberation struggle.
Meanwhile Jeff Banda reports that President Edgar Lungu this afternoon toured the Namibian museum in the centre of Windhoek.
The President who was accompanied by his Namibian counterpart Hage Geingob toured the three story building that has recorded the liberation history of Namibia.
The President who arrived in Namibia yesterday appreciated want the Namibian people went through during the liberation struggle.
President Lungu saw and read what the SWAPO went through and what activities it employed in order to get the country’s independence.
Rainbow candidate Daniel Mubanga flash party symbol whilst party official Robert Chikwelete accompany the candidate to drum up support during the filling in of nomination for Lubanseshi constituency Luwingu District Council
Former Justice Minister and ex-PF secretary General Wynter kabimba’s newly formed Rainbow party will for the first time take party in the September 24th Lubansenshi parliamentary by-election after Daniel Mubanga, who would run on the Rainbow Party ticket, successfully filed in his nomination this afternoon.
The Lubansenshi by-election will be a five-horse race after other four aspiring candidates successfully filed in their nomination papers in Luwingu today.
The other four that returning officer Christopher Simusokwe declared as eligible were the Patriotic Front’s George Mwamba, Charles Chimumbwa who is running as an independent and Patrick Mucheleka who has decided to recontest the seat he lost after his election was nullified was by the Supreme Court under the United Party for National Development (UPND). The MMD completes the list with Gabriel Mulenga as the candidate.
The UNIP candidate, who would have brought the total number of aspirants to six, was a no-show despite earleir reports that the party would would contest the seat.
There was fan fare in the usually quiet district as candidates with supporters in tow made their way to the filing centre at the Luwingu District Council chambers.
In an all systems go mode, PF candidate Mr Mwamba said if elected, he would continue pushing the party’s development agenda that had been evidenced by the multi-million development projects in the education and roads sector that was being witnessed in the district.
“It is very visible even here in Luwingu that Government has constructed roads and various infrastructure such as schools and hospitals,” he said.
Mr Mucheleka who was until the recent judicial ruling that saw him lose his seat said he would work hard to become the first UPND MP in Northern Province.
Mr Mubanga from the socialist Rainbow Party said he would focus on ensuring that he improved the delivery of health services.
MMD candidate Mr Mulenga’s pledge to continue where his father, a former MP from the area, had left.
And in Solwezi, three political parties successfully filed in their papers with Returning officer Adraida Banda-Daka but Enock Kikatula the candidate for 3rd Liberation Movement failed to lodge his papers as the party’s symbol was said to be similar to the one for UNIP.
PF candidate for Solwezi West constituency by-election Martin Mbaya has declared himself ready to win the seat and bring leadership of development.
Mr Mbaya, who filed in his nomination papers before Ms Daka about 12:12 hours said he was coming to in as area member of parliament to provide leadership that was meant to bring development.
Mr Mbaya who was accompanied by his campaign manager Mr Richard Kapita, lands minister and Zambezi West member of parliament Christabel Ngimbu, Tourism minister and Mandevu MP Jean Kapata and North Western province minister Dawson Kafwaya said the PF said the people of Solwezi West would give him the backing owing to the development projects aimed for the area including others that the ruling party had initiated in the region.
“We have won the battle but the war now begins. We have done our work and the message will be very clear. Our message is clearly that we are providing leadership in view of providing development to the people. Basically with what we have put in place and the developmental projects that the Patriotic Front government has brought into North Western province, we shall easily carry the day, this was just a formality we were waiting for,” Mr Mbaya said.
And Mr Kapita said North Western was turning to supporting President Lungu as the people were happy with his message of taking development to parts of the country.
Mr Kapita said President Lungu was a leader of the people and his love for the nation could not be put in doubt.
Meanwhile, the MMD candidate Mr Fordson Malishinyi withdrew his candidature to support Mr Mbaya. Mr Kapita said North Western had started the match to fully support the ruling party and would give the seat to the PF in response to President Lungu’s gesture not to discriminate some areas of the country in terms of development.
He said President Lungu was working hard uniting the country through developing the nation as a whole and expressed hope that even in 2016 the ruling party will carry the day.
UNIP candidate Mr John Njombi said he would work with the people in making sure there were more schools in the area as well as water points.
UPND candidate Mr Teddy Kasonso claimed the people in the area were behind him and he would put up a good fight to win the seat but accused the mining firms in the area of not doing enough to uplift the living conditions of the people as there was not much development in the area citing lack of water facilities in the Manyama area and schools in the constituency.
Meanwhile, The Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ- has quashed the petition by the Movement for Multi-party Democracy-MMD to extend nominations for the Solwezi West Parliamentary by-elections.
The MMD contended that the party needed to find an alternative candidate, as Fordson Museli who was adopted to stand on the party ticket pulled out of the race during nominations.
MMD President Nevers Mumba alleged that Mr. Museli has pulled out of the race after allegedly being bribed by competitors.
But ECZ Director Priscilla Isaac noted that there is no basis to warrant the extension of nominations for the Solwezi West Parliamentary by-election.
Earlier, there was drama as one of the men in the MMD entourage forced the door to the ECZ Chairperson Esau Chulu, open as his Personal Assistant advised that the party officials should instead seek audience with ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna.
The action angered Justice Chulu who observed that the party officials must respect offices of public institutions.
And Dr. Mumba told Justice Chulu that the ECZ should impartially respond to electoral disputes to avoid political violence.
Kitwe United captain Shebban Mofya Kaunda insists that his FAZ Division One North side was still in the race to clinch promotion back
to the Super Division this season.
Tenth placed Kitwe have 34 points from 24 matches played.
With ten matches remaining, the Buchi Boys are 15 points behind leaders Kalulushi Modern Stars.
Kaunda, a defender, said Kitwe will fight for promotion until the final day of the season.
“We can’t give up now. We will fight hard until the final game,” he said.
“The league is still on. We are remaining with ten games so anything can happen,” Kaunda said.
Kitwe were relegated from the Super Division in 2006.
Zambia President Edgar Lungu has extended his visit to Namibia by another day. This follows the request by Namibian President Hage Geingob asking President Lungu and his entourage to stay for another day so that he is taken to a coastal city to go and appreciate what that country has to offer.
President Lungu, who was supposed to return to Zambia today, but will now return home on Thursday.
President Lungu is in Namibia to officiate at that country’s Heroes National day that falls today at the invitation of his counterpart President Hage Geingob. August 26th, is celebrated by Namibians to mark the death of that country’s heroes in the freedom struggle.
And last evening President Edgar Lungu thanked the people of Namibia for the hospitality they have continued to show to Zambia.
President Lungu said that Namibia and Zambia have enjoyed warm relations which have continued to grow over the years.
he President was speaking in Windhoek, Namibia on Tuesday, at a State Dinner hosted for him by that country’s President Hage Geingob.
And Dr. Geingob noted that it is due to the warm relations between Zambia and Namibia that his country decided to invite President Lungu to go and officiate at today’s Heroes day.
VICE President Inonge Wina (r) shakes hands with Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu shortly before leaving for Luasaka at Hurry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone. The Vice President was in Livingstone to officially open the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) meeting of Ministers of Justice on domestication of ICGLR of protocols.
Acting President Inonge Wina says the PF government has pushed the agenda on women empowerment to a higher level by appointing more women in decision making positions.
Mrs Wina says there were few women in decision making positions in the defence and security wings before the PF assumed power.
She notes that most women police officers were unable to rise beyond the rank of deputy police commissioner despite having good qualifications.
Mrs Wina says the PF government has managed to transform the scenario by appointing the first female Inspector General of Police and other women as police commissioners heading provinces.
She says women no longer need to look elsewhere for inspiration but draw from fellow women holding high positions.
Mrs Wina was speaking when she officiated at the launch of a constitution for the Zambia Police women’s network in Lusaka on Wednesday.
The Vice President is happy that financial literacy is one of the topics to be covered saying government does not want officers to become impoverished after they leave the service.
Mrs Wina also called for enhanced gender equality in police recruitment.
And Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Dr Chileshe Mulenga called on male officers to support their female colleagues in decision making positions.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani said the network had been instrumental in spearheading career development for female police officers.
Secretary to the Treasury, Fredson Yamba
Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba says the activities happening in China are worrying because Zambia is part of the global community trading with that Country.
Mr. Yamba says Zambia is still alive to the effects of the 2008 economic crisis.
He has since urged the Zambian regulators, policy makers and other stakeholders to urgently evaluate the current regulations in light of the developments with a view to aligning regulatory regimes to the current global practices.
Mr Yamba was speaking in Lusaka on Wednesday at the Bond and Derivates Exchange -BADEX breakfast under the theme New Capital Markets and financial innovation: the case of BADEX.
The Secretary to the Treasury said the Zambian economy should diversify financial services beyond traditional banking as a boost to capital markets.
And BADEX Chief Executive Officer Peter Sitamulaho said Zambia is the second Country in Africa after South Africa to have BADEX on the market.
Mr. Sitamulaho said BADEX will take a lead in job creation and skills transfer.
Zambia Eurobond delegation
Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba has dismissed predictions that the country will default in repaying its Eurobonds.
Mr. Yamba says the country will be able to make its first interest payment as well as repay the three Eurobonds.
He says this is why government has created a sinking fund in which money will start put next year.
Mr. Yamba notes that contrary to assertions that the sinking fund has been created late, it is not too late as the fund will be able serve the purpose it has been created for which is saving money for repaying the Eurobonds.
He explains that what the country has borrowed so far including the three Eurobonds is within the country’s projected borrowing figures and is within the country’s ability to repay back.
Mr. Yamba says there is no need to fear that the country might default in repaying the three Eurobonds as this is something that was planned for and is continuously being accessed.
He further states that apart from the sinking fund, government is also looking at other options such as refinancing debt among others that would help repay back the debts.
