PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said he respects the traditional leadership in the country.

President Lungu said in a message delivered by Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda at the burial of late Chief Jumbe IV ,Robert Zulu in Mambwe yesterday that the Government would not intefere in the selection of the next heir to the throne because he upholds respect for the traditional leadership.

He said there was need for the family to choose a developmental oriented person who would foster developments in the family,chiefdom and the nation atlarge.

“My plea to you the family members to choose a person who can development in the family,chiefdom,Mambwe District and the country as a whole,”President Lungu said.

He asked the family members to care for the widow and the children of late chief.

President Lungu said the Government would continue working hand in hand with the traditional leadership in the country for meaningful developments.
He said Chief Jumbe was like a chief inspector of developmental projects in Mambwe District adding that he was please to whatever he had done during his tenure before his untimely passing on.

The President said the late chief brought unity as well as development in his chiefdom.

House of Chiefs Chairperson,Chieftainess Nkomenshya Mukamambo II who was represented by Clerk of House Chiefs Michael Pwete said late chief was constructive and intelligent.

Senior Chief Nsefu of the Kunda Speaking People said the late Chief Jumbe had died at a prime when he was needed most in the Kundaland.

He said some people attempted to kill the late chief adding that perpetrators were protected by the investigative wing.

He said it was sad that some people who attempted to kill the chief were let scot free in which two innocent people were imprisoned.

Chief Nsefu said the late Chief was drag to Kitwe High Court by the people who were challenging his chieftaincy.

He appealed to the Government to give protection to the gazzetted chiefs in the country.

And Chipata Catholic Diocese Bishop George Lungu said the late Chief was focus on development and christianity.

Bishop Lungu who presided at a requiem mass said it was sad that some chiefs were mistreating their subjects by giving them hash punishment.

He also reminded people that graveyard was a laybe in which believers should pass through.

The late chief who died last week has been on the throne since 1996.
He was born on 2nd November 1970 and left behind four children and a widow.

The burial ceremony was attended by UPND presidential senior advisors Douglas Syakalima,William Banda,former Chipata Central Member Lameck Mangani,PF Secretary General Davies Chama,Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone,State House Deputy Minister Mulenga Sata,traditional leadership and church leaders.

Zambia Road Safety Trust Communications Manager Mailos Mwale said the high road accident rate is an indication that there has been little effort directed at improving road safety.

In a press release availed to ZANIS today, Mr Mwale said revelations by the police that there was an increase in the number of accidents during this Easter period which recorded 291 accidents and 49 deaths compared to last year when the same period recorded 107 road accidents and 35 deaths was a source of concern.

“The Easter holiday road traffic crash statistics revealed by the Zambia Police should be yet another wake-up call on how as the country we view road crashes and the worsening road traffic safety. We should all be concerned because this demonstrates that current efforts to address road safety are minimal in comparison to this growing pandemic,” read part of the press release.

Mr Mwale said fatal road accidents are counter-productive and are also a drain on the country’s finances.

“Road death and injury is massively wasteful, destroys lives beyond those of the actual victims, limit future productivity, wipes out years of future happiness and drains money from our country,” read the press release.

He called for a multi-sectoral approach in reducing road carnage in Zambia and that deliberate policies should be introduced for all sectors of society to get involved in road safety awareness programmes.

During the Easter period 22 people died in two road traffic accidents alone in Mazabuka and Kafue.

Former Defence Minister in the UNIP government Lavu Mulimba has been buried at Sandwe village in Petauke district, 120 kilometres away from the Petauke Boma.

Health Minister Dr. Joseph Kasonde told mourners at the burial site that the late
Mr. Mulimba devoted his time to developing not only his home town but the country as a whole in different portfolios he served in government.

Dr. Kasonde said Government was proud in such people like the late Mr. Mulimba who were determined to develop their areas of origin.

“This great son of the soil were are burring today has come back to rest here in Sandwe village after developing the nation in different portifilios. Government takes pride in such people like the late Mr. Mulimba who devoted his time to developing his area and Zambia at large,” Dr. Kasonde said.

The minister said government takes pride to acknowledge and share the works of Zambian people whom he described as “son of the soil”.

He urged the family to remain strong and united during the period of mourning because government is with it/family in spirit and prayers.

And speaking during the same occasion, family spokesperson Ronald Mponda appealed to the government through the Ministry of Justice to consider expediting the ‘alleged’ wrangles that has engulfed the Sandwe thrown/chieftaincy.

Mr. Mponda bemoaned that the wrangles have taken 18 years without resolving the Sandwe chieftaincy in the Chiefdom.

Mr. Mponda, who is the nephew to the late Mr. Mulimba, however, thanked government for easing the burden of the funeral as the family alone could not have managed.

Those who attended the burial of the former cabinet minister included Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kasolo, Agriculture minister Given Lubinda, Gender Deputy minister Col. Joseph Lungu, Defense chiefs, former MMD Musanzala Member of parliament Peter Daka and other senior government officials and several mourners.

The Zambia army accorded the deceased a 21-gun saluate in honour of his immense contribution to the nation.

A few days ago, Vice-President Inonge Wina gave the late Mr.Mulimba an official funeral.

Ms. Wina said the death of Mr. Mulimba was a great loss to the nation stating that he will be remembered for his great contribution to the nation.

First republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda during a requiem mass held at the Cathedral of the Holy cross in Lusaka described the late Mr. Mulimba as a strong man.

The deceased served as Member of Parliament in Petauke and was later appointed as Defence minister by Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

The late Mr.Mulimba, 77 and survived by a widow, Esther, children and several grand-children.

A fortnight ago, PF Serenje District Secretary Best Mambwe alleged that Mr Kosamu influenced former PF Constituency Secretary Robertson Chitimbwa, Monica Malama former District Publicity Secretary for women and Noble Katebe to join the Rainbow party.

Mr Kosamu who was flanked by PF Serenje District Chairperson Mwape Musonda, PF Serenje Central constituency Chairperson Eluid Kapembwa and PF Youth Information and Publicity Secretary Marcorin Mwila told ZANIS at Serenje Community Radio station over the weekend that he is a staunch PF member and has never met the three to discuss the Rainbow Party.

Mr Kosamu said his preoccupation is to ensure that government programmes are implemented in line with PF manifesto and will remain loyal to President Edger Lungu and the PF.

The Serenje Central Parliamentarian has since urged the people of Serenje and the PF members not to entertain people who are bent on denting the character of innocent people by maliciously accusing them of things they have not done.

He charged that his political opponents have felt his weight as an MP and has advised them to wait for 2016 as he will stand on the PF ticket in Serenje Central Constituency and will have a landslide victory together with President Lungu.

Mr Kosamu also called on the famers in the District not to panic over the payments of maize that will be sold to FRA because government has put strong polices for paying famers in good time.

He added that President Lungu together with Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda are committed to ensure that famers receive their farming inputs by August so that they prepare adequately for the next farming season.

United States (US) Ambassador Eric Schultz says the US government shall remain committed to support the Zambian government on health promotion issues.

Ambassador Shultz said the Zambian government and that of the USA have continued to enjoy cordial relationship that has seen them partner in a lot of developmental issues to uplift the economic standards of the Zambian people.

He mentioned that Zambia was destined to becoming a healthier nation as it has the potential connection in achieving quality health care deliveries across the country.

Ambassador Shultz was speaking in Livingstone this morning shortly after he toured some health care facilities at Livingstone Central Hospital.

He charged that the USA government has so far given Zambia over US$ 2 billion for the nation to improve on health promotion issues in the country.

The US Ambassador said he was in the tourist capital, Livingstone to familiarize himself with the town and also to handover some vehicles to Southern Province Medical Office as a way of assisting women with pregnancies in an effort to reduce maternal mortality rates.

And Southern Province Medical Officer Jelita Chinyonga hailed the US Ambassador for his visit.

Dr. Chinyonga disclosed that every year, Livingstone Central Hospital receives US$5 million from the USA government to improve on health care deliveries.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya speaking people of Kazungula district and assured him of the USA’s continued support to the Zambian government on various sectors of the economy other than health related issues.

Earlier, Chief Mukuni disclosed that his Chiefdom has been doing very fine under SHARE II project which was financed by the USA government on sensitizing the community on behavioural change and the importance of education for the betterment of their future.

And Inankwazi Mukuni appreciated the support from SHARE II project which she said changed a lot of people’s mind set on their life styles in the Chiefdom adding that before the programme, more people were dying from HIV/AIDS related illnesses.

Mr. Mulongoti was recently quoted as saying that the Patriotic Front government is a failed project.

ZDDM Vice President Charles Kafumbo says Mr. Mulongoti was one of the people who campaigned for President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front during the January 20th presidential election and that if he has seen something wrong in the way President Lungu is leading the nation, he can go to him and advice him in the right way and not through the media.

Mr. Kafumbo says if Mr. Mulongoti genuinely campaigned for President Lungu without expecting anything in return, he will not unnecessarily criticize him, but will have the courage to advise him in the right manner.

He says so far, President Lungu has shown that he wants to rule by the rule of law and should be encouraged to do so for the betterment of the nation.

Mr. Kafumbo has further advised Mr. Mulongoti not to be emotional because he feels left out, but should commend the President were he has done well.

Mr Mulongoti said in an interview that he was not looking for a job from President Lungu but merely wanted to be appreciated for his role in campaigning for the PF.

He said PF leaders are selfish and want to eat alone without considering the efforts of people that campaigned for the party.
‘I started by campaigning for the late President for Sata, he didn’t give me anything not even cup of tea from his office. He died,’ Mr Mulongoti said.
He added, ‘PF had another candidate called Edgar Chagwa Lungu, if I was bitter I would not have helped him but I campaigned for him. So what is the difference? They are the same.’

Mr Mulongoti said he decided to help the PF campaign for its candidates because of his love for Zambia.

‘My view is this, it is about Zambia, it is not about positions,’ he said,

‘Those of us that went to school have got to use our education for the purpose of moving on in life. I have been in government before and i have continued to survive outside government and this is the reason we have continued to upgrade ourselves.’

He added, ‘I’m just coming from a business trip in South Korea, i was not sent there by PF, what is it that I’m crying about?’

Mr Mulongoti said the PF leaders are just feeling guilty that they have not rewarded those that helped them in the campaigns.

‘They are just feeling guilty that they are beneficiary from our efforts, in the meantime they just want to eat alone and that is the sad part. Come 2016, they have been announcing that they want us to work together, how do you work with people that are selfish?’

‘All we were asking for is for them to appreciate the people that worked with me, all the intellectuals, they debated on TV and radio for PF and not even a thank you, is that the way you behave?

Mr Mulongoti however reiterated that he is not looking for a job from the PF government.

‘What job can they give us? They have shared all the jobs. Is living in Zambia all about jobs? You are supposed to be creating opportunities not only for us but for everybody including those on the streets.’

He said, ‘When we are complaining about the depreciation of the Kwacha, is it something so difficult that we don’t know where to get dollars from to make the Kwacha strong? You are always quarrelling with the mines that can help you bring in dollars instead of engaging and negotiating with them properly.’

He also castigated President Lungu’s administration for always looking to China for help and allegedly abandoning western donors.

‘Our partners from the western governments are now uncomfortable dealing with us, these are the people that give us grants and yet we have abandoned them. It is always China this, China that. Are we sure that China can give us all that we need? This has to be a balancing act,’ he said.
The Kwacha is in problems because we don’t have anywhere to get the dollars

Mr. Kabimba tells QFM News by telephone that people should expect the worst from the PF because the challenges the country is facing are nothing compared to what is coming as a result of poor planning by the PF.

He says voting for President Edgar Lungu during the January 20th Presidential by-election was a grave mistake the Zambian people made.

Mr. Kabimba states that it is clear in the minds of the Zambian people that the PF under President Lungu has no capacity to run the nation.

He says he hopes the Zambian people have learnt lessons for voting aimlessly.

Mr. Kabimba, who is also former PF Secretary General, says it is important that the Zambian people evaluate the alleged poor performance of the PF and remove the party from office in 2016.

MMD National Youth Secretary Bowman Lusambo said in an interview that Dr Kaingu who is MMD Mwandi MP brings a lot of valuable experience to the PF government.

Mr Lusambo said the recent attacks targeted at Dr Kaingu from some tabloids are unfortunate and malicious.

The MMD youth leader said no amount of propaganda against Dr Kaingu will change the fact that he has been appointed as a cabinet Minister.
He said attacking an innocent man who is merely carrying out his role as a cabinet Minister.

Mr Lusambo explained that Dr Kaingu’s recent trip to western province was an important one as he was checking up on developmental projects in the province and in his constituency Mwandi.

‘What we are failing to understand is why Dr Kaingu is being attacked, right, left and centre. Is he the first opposition MP to serve in government? We have since concluded these attacks are just personal,’ he said.

He has since appealed to Dr Kaingu to continue on his path of serving the Zambians in various roles.

‘Dr Kaingu is one of the most experienced cabinet Ministers in the Lungu administration having served in the Mwanawasa, Banda and now Lungu governments and we believe that he brings a lot of value to the current government,’ he said.

Mr Lusambo has since appealed to Journalists to play a more constructive role in national development by focusing on reporting on development than personalities.

‘This journalism of personal attacks should come to an end. We appeal to our Journalists to focus more on national building. This thing of always targeting individuals and their personalities is counterproductive and we believe there are other issues that the media would do well to focus on and not personalities,’ he said.