Patriotic Front (PF) Media and Publicity Committee Vice Chairperson, Sunday Chanda has lashed out at the critics of President Edgar Lungu on court case on deferring 2016 elections and the accommodation of the former first lady Dr Christine Kaseba.

In a statement released to the media, Mr Chanda said the deferring of the 2016 elections is not a PF project and the issue has been disowned by PF. Mr Chanda further dismissed assertions that the former first Lady is being mistreated because he was a political opponent to President Lungu

Below is the full statement

ATTACKS AGAINST PRESIDENT LUNGU MALICIOUS – STATEMENT BY SUNDAY CHANDA, VICE CHAIRPERSON, PF MEDIA AND PUBLICITY COMMITTEE

Lusaka, Zambia, 28th June 2015 – We have noted that Political Flukes such as FDD Leader Ms. Edith Nawakwi derive the greatest pleasure in distorting and misrepresenting objectivity and reasonableness.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we repeat for Ms. Nawakwi and her sponsor’s ears that the petition before the Courts is not and will not be a project of the Patriotic Front (PF) whichever way they want to look at it. PF has its own legal team and if and when need arises to bring any matters before the Courts, we will not seek the services of a lawyer who also happens to be Mr. Wynter Kabimba’s friend, Mr. Malipenga.

We are not desperate for representation in the context of the said application before the Courts. Suffice to state that Mr. Malipenga is an officer of the Court and how the Courts determine his matter on behalf of those he is representing, is none of PF’s business or interest. It is shameful and wishful thinking for Ms. Nawakwi to allege that no such application would go to the Courts without the President’s express authority.

President Lungu does not toy with the Courts of law and neither does he play ping-pong with the Legislature. Besides being the Republican President, President Lungu is an officer of the Court with great appreciation for the separation of powers.

This is one domain Ms. Nawakwi does not appreciate going by her sentiments, seemingly she was used to Presidents who kept Courts in their pockets. On that score we say to her that “zozi are zozi, Lungu is anaza”! Unless in their own imagination, there exists another PF apart from the ruling party, it does not make sense that they still insist on a matter we have disowned as a Party.

PF also finds the Post Editorial of June 28, 2015 full of distortions and malice. President Lungu does not view the former First Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba as his political opponent as the editorial alleges.

PF has made it crystal clear that whatever happened following the passing on of our Patriarch and founding President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata (MHSRIP) was part of the party’s intra-party democracy and no one has victimized the former First Lady for having exercised her right in that regard.

As part of his inaugural address on 25th January 2015, President Lungu promised to take care of the former First Lady and this position has never changed to this day. No sane person can doubt the fact that President Lungu has always held late President Sata in highest regard and that is not even a matter subject of any debate.

There are people whom claim to have loved the late President who never even spared a moment to pay their last respects to one of the country’s greatest sons of the soil. The Zambian people know who these are by name and we shall not venture into that debate because by their conduct the public will continue to judge them.

Lastly, PF is aware that accommodation acceptable to the former First Lady has been found and the statement from the Secretary to Cabinet put this fruitless debate to a close.

We ask that the media and their mouthpieces will respect the former First Lady’s and that of the Sata family’s privacy in this regard.

By: Sunday Chanda, Vice Chairperson, PF Media and Publicity Committee

Zambia’s largest copper mining operation, Konkola Copper Mines says it will not process the 5,000 tonnes of copper concentrate it imported from Chile until all parties are satisfied that there will be no adverse impact.
 
In a statement, KCM said it imported the concentrate because it is important for KCM to operate its smelter as close to design capacity as possible, in order to achieve maximum efficiency.

It said the design criteria of KCM’s Nchanga smelter requires high grade concentrate feed to function most efficiently which it said is not available in sufficient quantities in Zambia while several new mines ramp up to full capacity.

It said there is also a limited availability of suitable concentrates the region, which necessitates looking further afield.
 
‘In recent weeks Konkola Copper Mines has engaged in extensive consultations with stakeholders in relation to the importing of copper concentrates from Chile. KCM CEO, Mr Steven Din, recently met with Mr. Joseph Chewe, General Secretary of the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and other union leaders to brief them about the rationale for the concentrate imports.  The other leaders came from the National Union of Mining and Allied Workers (NUMAW) and the United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ),’ it said.

KCM said it is fully engaged with the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and Mine Safety Department (MSD) in devising appropriate procedures to protect employees, communities and the environment. 
 
‘KCM takes the health and safety of its employees, the surrounding communities and the environment very seriously,’ it said.

PRESIDENT Lungu has called on the electorate in Petauke Central Constituency to rally behind Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Dora Siliya to enable them to expedite development which they have been denied for almost two years.

He has also called on traditional leaders in Petauke District in Eastern Province to embrace opposition leaders campaigning for their candidates in the Petauke by-elections.

Addressing a rally at Kaulu Day Secondary School in Chief Kalindawalo’s chiefdom yesterday, Mr Lungu asked the voters to give him Dora Siliya for “effective development”.

“Much as electorates have a choice to choose a candidate they want, I also have a democratic right to choose which MPs to work with and while I have been criticised that government should not be selective on who to work with, I will favour the PF,” Mr Lungu said.

Other candidates contesting the seat are Allan Zulu of the UPND and Ignasio Phiri of UNIP.

Mr Lungu said voters in Petauke should not be cheated by the opposition that the Tuesday elections are meant to change government because he is still President.

President Lungu also warned that he will not tolerate PF members who marginalise new members. He said the party is for all.

He said those that feel they can not work with new members should leave the PF saying the late President Michael Sata taught him to be accommodative of new members.

The President said he differed with a lot of people prior to the Presidential elections in January but has since embraced them.

“Those against new members are lucky because I am not in the mood to show my strength. I am just watching them and they will be judged based on their work and dues given on merit,” he cautioned.

The President has further advised Ms Siliya to ensure that she focuses on her developmental programmes after being voted into office.

He reiterated the need to end the talk on tribalism and to have peaceful campaigns.
He said Petauke will benefit from the 920 boreholes donated by the Chinese government and equipment for making dams and rehabilitating roads, among others.

Meanwhile, the President said he is not pushing an agenda for him to run for a third term because Zambia has no shortage of leadership.

And Ms Siliya has commended President Lungu for providing good leadership within the few months he has been in office.

The President also addressed rallies at Petauke Secondary School and Minga Stop Primary School grounds.

He also stated that the PF is looking for politicians who can ably articulate issues in Parliament and that he will continue to choose people to work with.

President Lungu has said chiefs should receive opposition leaders with open hands as they are their children but cautioned them against influencing voters.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Chiefs Mumbi and Kalindawalo of the Nsenga people of Petauke District, Mr Lungu said as much as chiefs may have their own preferred candidates they should not influence electorates on who to vote for.

“Zambia is a democratic nation and as such, tenets of democracy should be allowed to prevail in the June 30 by-elections. Let democracy prevail and ours is democracy that builds,” he said.

The President said he has received reports of certain chiefs and villages supporting certain candidates but appealed to them against influencing electorates, but to promote peace.

And responding to the traditional leader’s calls for relief food owing to the poor rainfall pattern experienced in the last farming season, Mr Lungu said the office of the Vice-President has already done a needs assessment for areas that are in need.

He said Vice-President Inonge Wina has already assured him that her office is addressing the matter.

The President also stated that concerns by the chiefs on effective management of the crop marketing process by the Food Reserve Agency will end as government is re-introducing the co-operatives in rural areas to handle the exercise.

Senior Chief Kalindawalo appealed to the President to address concerns in the disbursement of youth empowerment funds in Petauke.

He also said late President Sata had assured them of a university in the district and appealed for the construction of a stadium.

Chief Kalindawalo also appealed for the elevation of Petauke to a municipal council.

Chief Mumbi thanked President Lungu for going back to his home area to discuss with traditional leaders the developmental path of the district.

President Lungu praised for denouncing deferring of 2016 polls maneuvers President Edgar Lungu has been praised for distancing himself from the maneuvers to defer the 2016 general elections to 2022.

The Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) by allowing the courts to make ruling on the matter, President has shown to the nation that there was no involvement of the high authorities in the maneuvers to have the general elections deferred.

Executive Director Boniface Cheembe says his organization does trust that the Courts will in the same vein do what is right thing in terms of presiding over the matter.

Mr. Cheembe has told Qfm News in an interview that what SACCORD however believes is that Zambia has more important issues that need to be addressed and therefore need not be distracted.

He says his organization thinks that the country needs to make progress in the many issues that have been of public debate such as the Public Order Act and the constitution making process.

Mr. Cheembe has advised that the country needs to start planning for the long run as opposed to being stack with the same issues.

He explains that this means that the Zambia should now start making strides in reducing high poverty levels and unemployment among other issues affecting the people of Zambia.

Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has arrived in Livingstone for a night stop after campaigning for the Patriotic Front candidates in Eastern Province.

The Presidential challenger carrying the President touched down at Harry Mwaanga International airport at 18.12 hours.

President Lungu was received by Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu, Provincial Permanent Secretary Sibanze Simuchoba and other senior government officials.

President Lungu who is in Livingstone for a night stop is tomorrow expect to leave for Western province for campaign meetings for the Mulobezi parliamentary bye election slated for next Tuesday June 30.

Sub-Chief Natende of the Bwile people of Chiengi District, Katele Kalumba has described critics that have referred to him as a PF cadre as imitations of English golems.

Sub-Chief Natende says he would rather be a Northern PF cadre, as he has been said to be, than an imitation of an English golem whose brain is only a fraction of single cell species’ brain.

He has told Qfm News by telephone that the imitation of an English golem whose brain he has described refers to a person who does not think being regionalist is against the country’s Motto of One Zambia One Nation.

Sub-Chief Natende states that such a person is also whom he thinks does not understand that being elitist misses the sentiments of the grassroots.

He is of the view that the ordinary Zambians that he lives with in his home Village understand what is going on much better than the very educated Zambians who believe they know everything and cannot be advised by anyone.

The traditional leader states that this is why he is not apologetic to anyone over his decision to support the ruling PF because he has made the decision based on principle
He says the ruling PF and President Edgar Lungu as its leader have started demonstrating their commitment to grassroots politics.