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.

The opposition MMD has adopted Fordson Musele Malishinji as its candidate for the Solwezi West Parliamentary by-election.
This follows recommendations made by North Western party organs which have been considered by the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) during its sitting today Saturday the 15th of August.

MMD National Secretary Mwansa Mbulakulima has disclosed to Qfm News in a statement that the adoption of Mr. Malishinji follows a rigorous and systematic methodology put in place by his party.

Mr. Mbulakulima says out of many people that expressed interest to stand on the MMD ticket, Mr. Malishinji has been picket because of the vibrant community leader he has been exhibiting.

He says besides a member of the Museli Royal Family, Mr. Malishinji is a resident of Museli chiefdom which is situated in Solwezi West.
Mr. Mbulakulima notes that Mr. Malishinji also served as councilor for Museli Ward from 2006 to 2011 in addition to being the Deputy Mayor of Solwezi in the same period.

He says the MMD thus believes that as a former employee of First Quantum Mine, Mr. Malishinji brings to politics good corporate experience.

The MMD National Secretary has since appealed to all party officials in North Western Province and Solwezi District in particular to forthwith begin preparing for the by-election.

He has also disclosed that the former ruling party will from now on take part in all future by-elections at both local government and Parliamentary level.

Mr. Mbulakulima says to this effect a team of senior party officials has been dispatched to Luwingu in Northern Province to work with local party organs in identifying a candidate to stand for the Lubansenshi Parliamentary by-election, stating that taking part in this by-election is a must for the MMD.

He says another team of senior party officials has also been dispatched to Mwinilunga to identify a candidate for the Kawiku local by-election that is scheduled to take place on the 24th of September this year.

Opposition MMD president Nevers Mumba has embarked on a countrywide mobilization of the former ruling party in readiness for the next year’s general elections.

Dr Mumba says he is determined to revive and rebuild the MMD despite its poor performance in previous elections.

He said the MMD National Executive Committee -NEC- is intact following reconciliation which has been extended to leaders who faced disciplinary action from the party.

Speaking to over 20 headmen and women in Shibuyunji district, Dr Mumba charged that the MMD has undergone through a self-cleansing of corrupt people that made Zambians to vote it out of power in the 2011 elections.

Dr Mumba also urged party leaders to emulate the Patriotic Front that won the 2011 elections without much resource to campaign but was able to unseat his party from government.

He says he has begun a new movement of the MMD to restore the fortunes of the former ruling and will move to all parts of the country as he works with the grass-root structures of the MMD.

Dr Mumba says his party shall survive any political turmoil because of declaring Zambia as a Christian nation when it was in government.

And Nevers Mumba has expressed concerned that the PF government has continued with its alleged tendency of abusing chiefs in the country.

Dr. Mumba suspects that the PF government is doing so with the view of perpetuating its unpopular agenda.

In an interview by telephone Dr. Mumba has observed that this also explains why there were difficulties in North Province under late President Michael because the PF government was antagonizing royal establishments and wanting to make decisions on their behalf.

Dr. Mumba notes that when President Edgar Lungu however assumed power this wrong was realized and the PF government started by ensuring the installation of the Bemba Paramount chief Chitimukuli and changing the Minister of Traditional Affairs.

He says what is however unfortunate is that even under President Lungu the PF government has seems to have continued to abuse traditional leaders especially those in Southern Province.

Dr. Mumba is of the view that instead of acting upon a simple plea that he disciplines PF Secretary General Davies Chama and Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Chishimba Kambwili publicly over their alleged offensive remarks against the people of Southern Province, President Lungu has allegedly opted not to a heed to chiefs’ plea.

He says President Lungu has actually preferred to be calling chiefs at State House instead of him following them to their chiefdoms as should be the most ideal situation.

The MMD president thinks that for as long as President Lungu does not do what the aggrieved Chiefs have asked, the feeling of being cheated, he suspects Chiefs have, will continue growing deeper.

He says this is because the PF government appears to using chiefs to propagate its own political agenda when it suits it but when Chiefs ask government to intervene in remedying a problem it has created itself government is not moving.

THE Nkoya Royal Council (NRC) has appealed to President Edgar Lungu to exercise his prerogative of mercy and pardon former Labour minister Austin Liato who was jailed for being in possession of property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

The prosecution, led by former DPP Mutembo Nchito and the subsequent controversial confirmation of the sentence by the Supreme Court, has left national contention.

NRC chairman David Tamboka told the Daily Nation that even though Mr. Liato may have erred in his life and subsequently slapped with a two year jail term, there was need for the Head of State to have mercy on him because of the good things he did for the people of Western Province.

Mr. Tamboka observed that Mr. Liato had done a lot while he was member of Parliament (MP) in Kaoma and on that account there was need for the President to show lenience on him just like he had done to other prisoners who were serving sentences for various crimes.

He said Mr. Liato had acted in good faith in all his time as an MP and that he was among the few MPs in Western Province who had dedicated their lives to serving the people that they represented.

“As Nkoya Royal Council, we are appealing to President Edgar Lungu to pardon our Nkoya son Austin Liato who is in Mwembeshi Prison. This man was a hardworking MP and did a lot in Mankoyaland and Western Province as a whole.

“We won’t forget what he did in Kaoma and Nkeyema during his time as MP and we are therefore asking the President to show leniency on him and pardon him because of his past good record,” Mr. Tamboka said.

Mr. Liato was on July 23, 2013 convicted and sentenced to 24 months imprisonment with hard labour by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court, which also ordered that his farm and the money which he had buried on the property, be forfeited to the State but the sentence was later quashed by the Lusaka High Court.

The State appealed to the Supreme Court on grounds that the High Court erred in law when it held that to prove reasonable suspicion under section 71, the prosecution had to show a link between the source of the money or the accused to possible criminal conduct among other grounds of appeal.

In June this year, Supreme Court judge Mumba Malila upheld Mr. Liato’s conviction by the magistrate.

Liato was charged with possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary to section 71(1) Act number 19 of 2011 of the laws of Zambia.

On November 24, 2011 in Lusaka, Liato had in his possession K2.1 million, which was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.

And President Edgar Lungu has arrived in Zambezi district of the North-Western Province to grace the 33rd Lunda-Lubanza ceremony of the Lunda speaking people.

The ZAF Aeroplane carrying President Lungu landed at the Zambezi airstrip around 10 hours.

And speaking to people who welcomed him when he arrived, President Lungu advised the Lunda and Luvale speaking people to live in peace and avoid bickering.

President Lungu appealed to the two chiefdoms to resolve their differences amicably and NOT resort to tribal hatred.

The president says he loves both chiefdoms adding that in two weeks time he will return to grace the Likumbi-Lyamize ceremony of the Luvale speaking people of senior Chief Ndungu.

President Lungu says there is no tribe that is bigger than Zambia hence the need for different tribes to co-exist.

The President is later expected to officiate at the Lunda-Lubanza ceremony before returning to Lusaka.

Cabinet has directed Zesco Limited to immediately migrate to cost-reflective electricity tariffs as a way of speeding up power project development.

Acting chief government spokesperson Vincent Mwale said investments in power generation projects are not moving because investors cannot get a good return on their investments.

Mr Mwale said this in Lusaka yesterday during a media briefing on deliberations and decisions of the 16th special Cabinet meeting.

According to the statement, a cost-reflective tariff is one which reflects the true cost of supplying electricity and removes the reliance on State subsidies to cover the variance between the current tariff and the true cost of supply of electricity.

Mr Mwale, who is Minister of Youth and Sport, said the measure will accelerate investment in the sector.

“As per the provisions of the energy regulation Act No. 436 of 1995, Zesco will apply to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), which shall determine the level at which the migration to cost-reflectivity will begin. This will, however, be done in cognisance of Cabinet’s directive to protect the poor,” he said.

Below is the full statement

CABINET DECISIONS: 16TH CABINET (SPECIAL) MEETING

LUSAKA (FRIDAY, August 14th,, 2015:

(a) Power Crisis Mitigation Measures: Under this Item, Cabinet approved:

Background

Zambia is currently experiencing a power deficit of 560 MW due to the low rainfall experienced during 2014/2015 rain season. The power deficit has resulted in ZESCO effecting a stringent load shedding regime in order to preserve water in the dams thus avoiding a complete shutdown of the generating plants.

This situation has arisen due to the fact that the country over the years did not take concrete steps to diversify the country’s generation mix to avoid adverse effects of the changing climatic conditions that have made droughts more frequent. Further, the prevailing low electricity tariffs which makes Zambia currently have the lowest tariff in the region, at an average of US$c5.64 per Kilowatt Hour compared to an average of US$c10 per Kilowatt Hour in the SADC Region, has inhibited investment in power generation. More than 7 years ago, Cabinet made a decision to move tariffs to cost reflective levels but this was not implemented. The then Cabinet decision was taken after the Cost of Service Study of 2006 that was conducted by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) showed that all consumer categories were paying for power below the cost of production.

The 34th Meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for Energy held in South Africa on 24th July, 2015 resolved that all SADC countries should have cost reflective electricity tariffs by 31st December, 2019. In view of this situation, Cabinet at its 16th Special Meeting held on 13th August, 2015, resolved as follows:

(i) that despite the need to have cost reflective tariffs, residential customers, especially the poor ought to be protected. Therefore the lifeline tariff (Tariff Category R1 for residential) will be increased by 5 times from 100 to 500 Kilowatt Hours (kWh) per month. The current tariff of 15 Ngwee per kWh will remain. This translates to just under US$c2 per kWh. This will be made possible by reserving an amount of power from the old power stations, namely Kafue Gorge, Kariba and Victoria Falls for residential consumers. The R1 tariff of 500 kWh/month will enable low income households to use electricity for their necessities;

(ii) that the migration to cost reflective electricity tariffs begins immediately as a way to speed up power project development. Currently investments in power generation projects are not moving because investors cannot get a good return on their investments. This measure will therefore accelerate investment in the sector. As per the provisions of the Energy Regulation Act No. 436 of 1995, ZESCO Limited will apply to the Energy Regulation Board which shall determine the level at which the migration to cost reflectivity will begin. This will however be done in cognizance of Cabinet’s directive to protect the poor;

(iii) all new industrial and mining customers to pay cost reflective tariffs based on power from new generation plants;

(iv) for ZESCO to contract emergency power from the private sector in the short term in order to mitigate load shedding and provide the much needed additional electricity to the economy. A selective tender process for companies with capacity to supply emergency power within the shortest time period will be undertaken;

(v) that Bulk Supply Agreements (BSAs) signed between ZESCO Limited and Bulk consumers be reviewed to allow for constant adjustment of electricity tariffs for these consumer categories just as the case is for residential and other customers. Should the need be, this will be achieved by enacting appropriate legislation. Members of the public may wish to know that during the privatisation process, the Government had used low electricity tariffs as an incentive to lure foreign firms to take over ownership of the local mining companies. This measure was intended to ensure that the mining companies remained viable with the view to boost economic growth in the country. The copper prices were relatively low on the global market at US$2,000/tonne compared to the current copper prices which stand at US$5,000/tonne. In view of the rising cost of producing power, Government is no longer in a position to continue offering this incentive;

(vi) have all Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) regulated and set by the Energy Regulatory Board (ERB) in accordance with the Pricing Model approved by the ERB as a way to ensure transparent and uniform tariffs for each category of consumers; and

(vii) have Government provide guarantees on behalf of ZESCO Limited to underlay Independent Power Producers’ Power (IPPs) Purchase Agreements (PPAs) until tariffs reach cost reflective levels.

In conjunction with the above measures, Cabinet directed the Ministry of Mines, Energy & Water Development to expedite investments in other sources of energy like solar which can be developed quickly and are not subjected to climatic changes. These will be in addition to the following projects which are already under development or in final stages of planning:

• Maamba Coal Power station that will produce 150 Megawatts (MW) by the end of 2015, 150 MW in 2016 and a further 300 MW under its Phase 2 development, giving a total of 600 MW.
• Expansion of Ndola Energy Power Plant that uses Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) by another 50 MW to bring the total to 100 MW. This will be done within 12 months from now (2016).
• EMCO Coal Power Plant that will produce 300 MW by 2017
• Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project that will produce 750 MW by 2019.
• Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Plant that will have a total installed capacity of 2,400 MW, of which 1,200 MW will be for Zambia and the other 1,200 MW for Zimbabwe, This project is expected to come on board by 2022.

___________________________________________________________

Issued by:

Hon. Vincent Mwale
MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORT
ACTING CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON