Several opposition political parties have backed government’s proposal to take to parliament non-contentious clauses of the draft Constitution for amendment.

People’s Party President Mike Mulongoti says there is need to be realistic about the constitution making process.

Mr. Mulongoti has since called on other stakeholders to accommodate government’s proposal as some of the issues in the document were proposed by the people.

He noted that the debate is centered more on recourses.

And Christian Democratic Party President Dan Pule said his party fully supports government’s proposal.

Dr. Pule said the country has missed several opportunities of getting a new constitution and that time to achieve consensus is now.

Meanwhile, All People’s Congress Party President Nason Msoni said the government’s plan shows good political will which stakeholders should embrace.

Mr. Msoni however, called on government to distribute the draft bill it intends to take to parliament so as to allay fears of doctoring of the document among stakeholders.

And the Green Party is also in support of Government’s proposed strategy to amend the current constitution.

Party President Peter Sinkamba says he supports the proposal to include only non-contentious clauses such as the presidential running mate and the 50 percent plus-one vote, ahead of the 2016 tripartite election.

Mr Sinkamba is also in support of Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula’s ministerial statement in Parliament that if stakeholders are agreeable to the government proposal, the first set of amendments could be taken to Parliament as early as the June 2015 sitting of parliament.

The Kalulushi Municipal Council has warned traders selling in the football pitch of Masamba Primary School to stop as they were operating there illegally.

Public Relations Manager Beauty Undi said Luato market which was adjacent to Masamba School where the marketeers came from had a lot of space to accommodate everyone.

Ms. Undi told ZANIS in an interview in Kalulushi today that the marketeers decided to leave the market and started selling in the football pitch allegedly to attract customers.

She said the move by the marketeers to encroach the football pitch had worried the Council which sent police to remove them last month but to no avail as they went back a few days later.

She warned that her Council would not allow the situation to continue as the marketeers were trading in undesignated area and that the action was illegal and would not be supported.

But marketeers attributed their action to lack of trading spaces in the market hence opting to sell in the football pitch.

Group Spokesperson Alice Nalwimba further accused the Council of not being sincere in the matter alleging that officers even collected levies from them.

And District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Patrick Kaonga bemoaned the development as it had affected physical education lessons and other recreational activities by the pupils at the school.

Lusaka Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta has bemoaned the high levels of nepotism in the civil service.

Speaking when he addressed government departments and parastatals in Kafue today, Mr Mwaliteta says nepotism and tribalism in the civil service is affecting implementation of government projects.

He said if left unchecked the inefficiency and ineffectiveness in service delivery in the public service would continue.

He said civil servants must spearhead project implementation if the province is to develop.

Mr. Mwaliteta said most of civil servants spend their time on Facebook rather than doing government work.

He emphasized the need for civil servants in Kafue district to work hard if the Council in district is to attain Municipal status.

The provincial Minister bemoaned the bureaucracy in the civil service which delayed the implementation of projects in the province and Kafue district in particular.

And Kafue District Education Board Secretary Vincent Zgambo appealed to government to expedite the process of selecting a contractor for the construction of classroom blocks at Gota-gota and Chifwema primary schools in order to increase the enrolment rates of pupils at the two schools.

Patriotic Front (PF) National Youth Chairman Chishimba Kambwili has urged party members in Eastern Province to intensify the mobilisation of members ahead of the 2016 general elections.

And Mr. Kambwili has asked PF members who have presidential ambitions not to challenge President Edgar Lungu so that he can complete his two term in office.

Speaking when he met PF officials in Nyimba, Mr. Kambwili said President Lungu deserves two terms in office as president before being challenged.

Mr. Kambwili, who is also Minister of Information and Chief Government Spokesperson, has further asked party members in Eastern Province to be the first people to endorse Mr. Lungu as a sole candidate for 2016.

He said the 2016 presidential election campaigns should start from the Eastern Province where President Lungu comes from.

He said the people of Eastern Province were lucky to have produced two presidents in the 50 years of the country’s independence.

Mr. Kambwili, who admitted having presidential ambitions, stated that the people of Eastern Province should not be deceived by some officials who want to challenge President Lungu in the 2016 election because doing so would be costly for the party.

He said his fellow PF presidential hopefuls should wait until 2021 when President Lungu will constitutionally vacate office after completing his two terms in office.

The PF National Youth Chairman said President Lungu was so far working very hard to ensure that all the developmental projects that were initiated by the late President Michael Sata were completed.

He said many projects in various sectors of the economy were being implemented in Eastern province which he said will help the party to easily win the 2016 general elections.

And Nyimba District PF Chairperson Jackson Sakala told Mr. Kambwili that the mobilization of the party at grassroots level was going on smoothly.

Mr. Sakala said currently, the party was engaged in ward elections adding that it will soon be holding elections at district and constituency levels.

He has meanwhile commended government for embarking on various infrastructure development projects in Nyimba and other districts in Eastern Province.

He however appealed to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to consider speeding the process of electrifying villages in the area.

He told the Minister that the power utility company has been delaying to connect power in some village because it has no poles.

Mr. Kambwili is on a familiarization tour of media houses in Eastern Province.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Panji Kaunda has disclosed that government has procured farming equipment for all prisons in the country.Colonel Kaunda said the farm implements include centre pivots, combine harvesters, tractors and sprayers which will be distributed next month.

Col. Kaunda said this is to enable the prisons contribute to the national food basket.He was speaking in Mpika over the weekend when he toured Mpika State Prison farm to check on the production unit.He explained that so far most prisons in Muchinga province were doing fine especially in maize production adding that Mpika state Prison farm is the best so far and is among the prisons that will receive farm implements in Muchinga Province.

Col. Kaunda added that the vision of government is to empower prison services so that they start producing at commercial level and contribute to the food basket.He added that government is also in the process of establishing milling plants in all the 10 provincial centers so that mealie meal which is a major staple food becomes affordable to all Zambians.He said that the programme is aimed at improving food security at household level especially the poor majority Zambians who cannot afford a bag of mealie meal due to the high price.

And Col. Kaunda took time to visit offices under Home Affairs such as the Drug Enforcement Commission-DEC, Zambia Police, Immigration, National Registration, Passport and Citizenship and prisons.Col. Kaunda said his general observation is that all the departments under Home Affairs have no accommodation, transport as well as office space.He added that government will soon embark on infrastructure development to better the working environment for the officers.

Speaking earlier, Mpika District Commissioner, Catherine Chileshe said the state of Mpika police station is still a disaster because the officers are using a residential house for an office thereby posing a great risk to residents nearby in case of emergencies.Ms. Chileshe said the police station and the camp were condemned not to be fit for human habitation 15 years ago and officers vacated the place.