ACTING President Guy Scott has assured the diplomatic community that Zambia remains a peaceful country despite still being in shock following the death of President Sata.

Speaking when he received credentials from four ambassadors at State House yesterday, Dr Scott told the diplomats that they will hear many statements with various views because many people are still grieving.

“We are still mourning and still affected. You will see many statements and things which are not normal for Zambia because of the shock, but we are actually very nice people and we will give you less hard time than you expect,” he said.

Dr Scott received credentials from diplomats from Finland, France, United States of America (USA) and United Nations (UN).

He assured the diplomats that Zambia will soon get back on track.

“It is a great honour to receive credentials from all of you and hope you enjoy your stay in the country,” Dr Scott said.

He said Zambia is happy to work with France because of its material contributions in maintaining peace in Africa.

Dr Scott also observed that Finland has been a good partner of Zambia since independence and the two countries have enjoyed warm bilateral relations.

“The US government has equally enjoyed warm bilateral ties with Zambia such as the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other health-related programmes for female reproductive health,” Dr Scott said.

He is also optimistic that the UN will continue with its support to Zambia through partnership with other donor agencies.

French Ambassador-designate to Zambia Emmanuel Cohet said his focus will be to deepen bilateral ties with Zambia in the area of politics and defence.

Mr Cohet also commended the government for sending peace keeping personnel to the war-torn Central African Republic.

Finnish Ambassador to Zambia Timo Olkkonen commended Zambia for reducing its dependency on donor aid.

“My focus in Zambia will be on environmental matters, agriculture and private sector development,” Mr Olkkonen said.

He said Finland’s annual bilateral aid volumes to Zambia are around 20 million Euros, which excludes other funds channelled through funded agencies.

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Shultz said Zambia has the potential to be the leader of Africa’s growth and his country will play a key role in this growth through technological development.

Meanwhile UN Resident co-ordinator Janet Grogan promised to closely work with the 21 agencies in Zambia spread across all areas of development.

The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) and the Good Governance unit of the Caritas-Chipata have joined hands to mobilize farmers to stage a peaceful demonstration to press government to pay farmers who have not been paid for the maize the supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

CSPR Eastern Province Coordinator, Maxson Nkhoma, said the decision was made when the two organisations held consultative meetings with cooperative leaders and farmers’ associations whose members have been affected by the delayed payments.

Mr Nkhoma said a communique has since been processed and will be sent to farmer associations and cooperatives whose members have not yet been paid to mobilise the farmers in readiness for the protests which he said will be held next week if government does not make the payments.

He stated that the protest will be held in various districts, saying he could not reveal the dates when they will be held for security reasons.

The CSPR coordinator accused government of trivialising the marketing of maize, saying despite several assurances that money was released the money has not reached the pay points.

He stated that government has not attached importance and urgency to the matter despite having the capacity to pay within a short period of time.

“There is no justification for the continued delays in paying the farmers but government lacks seriousness in making the right investment choices. The agricultural sector is the pillar of economic prosperity, job creation and food security, so this matter should be addressed with the seriousness it deserves,” he said.

Mr Nkhoma also stated that further delays in paying the farmers have the potential to erode public confidence in the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), adding that farmers may be reluctant to sell their maize to the agency in the next farming season.

Mr Nkhoma appealed to government to pay the farmers as further delays may lead to increased poverty levels among people especially in rural areas where the majority depend on farming.

GOVERNMENT has warned politicians against inciting farmers to protest over delayed payment for maize supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Wylbur Simuusa said inciting farmers to protest over delayed payments has potential to cause chaos in the country.

Mr Simuusa told Parliament yesterday that Government is concerned and disappointed with some opposition political leaders who have allegedly taken advantage of the situation to campaign against the Patriotic Front (PF) ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.

“The payment to farmers is still ongoing and Government is releasing funds… We are paying the money to farmers not because we are going into an election.

“We are, however, disappointed that there are opposition leaders who have taken advantage of this situation to de-campaign the ruling party. They are busy going round the country to incite farmers to protest over delayed payment,” he said.

Mr Simuusa said Government only owes farmers over K600 million, which will be settled before the end of this month.

He was responding to a question by Mazabuka member of Parliament (MP) Garry Nkombo (UPND) who wanted to know what has caused the delay in paying farmers and what measures the government is taking to ensure the unpaid farmers access inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

Mr Simuusa also said farmers who supplied rice to FRA have already been paid.
The minister said Government is making frantic efforts to ensure all farmers who supplied maize to FRA are paid before the end of the month.

He also said Government has already distributed farm inputs to all districts across the country.

Mr Simuusa assured farmers that Government will next week release more funds to pay them.
“The opposition should not deceive the farmers because there is no other Government which has bought more maize from farmers than the PF administration and like we promised, we are still putting more money into the pockets of our farmers,” he said.

But Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala (MMD) wondered why it has taken the government so long to pay farmers considering that the planting season has already started.

Ms Namugala said the delay by the government to pay farmers might cost the PF in the presidential election.

“Mr Speaker, our farmers have now been made destitute and are now selling goats in order for them to buy inputs. This is unfair and uncalled for,” she said.

And Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Richard Kazabu said Government has put in place measures to control the reported outbreak of army worms in Eastern Province.

Mr Kazabu said the spraying of insecticides and the installations of army worm traps among others have been done in Chipata’s Kasenengwa constituency to effectively control the situation.

He said this in response to a question by Kasenengwa MP Victoria Kalima (MMD) who wanted to know whether the government is aware that some parts of Eastern Province have been attacked by army worms as well as the measures the government is taking to contain the pests.

Mr Kazabu said Government is adequately prepared to prevent invasion of crops by pests during the farming season.

And Choma Central MP Cornelius Mweetwa (UPND) has accused Western Province permanent secretary Augustine Seyuba of abusing public funds by allegedly instructing district commissioners in the region to attend the PF campaign rally slated for today.

Mr Mweetwa said in a point of order that it is sad that Mr Seyuba, who is supposed to protect public funds from abuse, is allegedly in the forefront of instructing district commissioners in the region to attend the PF rally.

He said UPND has received information indicating that Mr Seyuba has allegedly written to district commissioners to instruct them to attend the PF rally in Mongu this afternoon.
But in his ruling, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini said the point of order is misplaced because it does not fall under his jurisdiction.

Dr Matibini said that those aggrieved should report the matter to the Electoral Commission of Zambia or the law enforcement agencies.

Acting President Guy Scott says government remains loyal to the provision of quality health in the country.

Dr. Scott said government has capable people that were working tirelessly to ensure that this was achieved in the soonest possible way.

ZANIS reports that the Acting President said this in Lusaka today when UN Goodwill Ambassador for Africa Yvonne Chaka Chaka paid a courtesy call on him.

Dr. Scott has since called on youths to partner with government in any youth activities that are aimed at improving the knowledge on HIV/AIDS.

He said the major problem affecting youths in the country was stigma because those infected with HIV/AIDS fear being shunned by society.

And Ms. Chaka Chaka said government should invest in the health of the nation.

She said her main concern was the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially goals number four, five, and six.

She said the MDGs are coming to an end by 2015 hence the need for Zambia to double its efforts towards attaining that goal.

THE Lusaka High Court has dismissed an application for an interim injunction by MMD Copperbelt provincial treasurer Toby Maliti to restrain the political party’s national executive committee (NEC) from adopting former President Rupiah Banda as presidential candidate in the January 20, 2015 presidential elections.

When the matter came up for ruling yesterday, High Court judge-in-charge Isaac Chali dismissed the application on grounds that Mr Maliti should have joined the case in which MMD president Nevers Mumba is challenging party secretary-general Muhabi Lungu from the interfering with his functions.

Mr Justice Chali noted that Mr Maliti should have avoided multiplicity of actions by joining himself in the earlier action than to hope for consolidation of the case by another court.
He described Mr Maliti’s action as forum shopping and that this conduct is detestable by the court.

Mr Justice Chali ruled that once a matter is before the court, all interested parties have an obligation to bring all issues before that particular court.

“Forum shopping is an abuse of process which is unacceptable,” he said.

Mr Justice Chali said both Dr Mumba and Mr Maliti were seeking a declaration that the NEC meeting which adopted Mr Banda as the presidential candidate should be declared null and void.

He said the duo wanted Mr Banda’s election or adoption to be nullified and another candidate to be put in place.

Mr Justice Chali said these are common reliefs.

“The net result is that all the three issues raised in the notice are upheld and the action, including the application for an injunction, cannot be sustained. The action is therefore dismissed,” Mr Justice Chali said.

Mr Maliti wanted the court to stop Mr Banda from holding himself out as the presidential candidate adopted, chosen, elected and sponsored by the MMD.

Mr Maliti also wanted the court to declare that Mr Banda should not be allowed to file nominations to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as a candidate adopted and sponsored by the MMD until the matter is disposed of.

He wanted the court to grant him an injunction restraining Mr Lungu from presenting Mr Banda as the MMD presidential candidate in the January 20, 2015 presidential election.

Mr Maliti said the NEC adopted Mr Banda without prior notice to all members and the selection was done by NEC instead of the MMD electoral commission as required by Article 52 (1) of the MMD constitution.

In his ruling on Thursday, Kabwe High Court judge-in- charge Mwiinde Siavwapa dismissed Kalumba Simuyemba’s application for judicial review on grounds that it is bad for duplicity and ill-fated.

Mr Justice Siavwapa said it is his view that Mr Simuyemba’s application was bad for duplicity because the relief he was seeking and the defendants are the same as those in another case in Lusaka.

“In the circumstances, this application is ill-fated and I dismiss it accordingly. It is, however, within the applicant’s right to apply to the High Court at Lusaka for the order to be joined as a similar application to cause number 2014/HP/1783,” Mr Justice Siavwapa said.
He ordered that each party will bear the costs.

Mr Simuyemba had sued Attorney General Musa Mwenye and Dr Scott as first and second respondents, respectively.

Earlier, Mr Justice Siavwapa said Mr Simuyemba’s was attracted by the decision of Cabinet to appoint Dr Scott as Acting President.

“I am satisfied that the applicant herein has sufficient interest in the matter as cited. It is, however, noted and I take judicial notice of the fact that cause number 2014/HP/1783 is pending before the Court at Lusaka,” Mr Justice Siavwapa said.

“This, therefore, raises a real possibility that the two cases are going to raise conflicting outcomes. This, therefore, appears to be a case of duplicity of causes on the issues which are similar,” Mr Justice Siavwapa said.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it is unfair for anyone to criticize the Patriotic Front (PF) or indeed any political party for soliciting administration and campaign funds from any well-wisher of their own choice.

FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi has told QFM News that the PF should not even be apologetic or feel guilty of anything for the alleged soliciting of campaign funds anywhere.

Mr. Chipenzi explains that under the current legal and political environment, any political party is free to look for campaign and administration funds from anywhere in the world and this is the price Zambia is paying for failing to put a law that should have regulated and governed the funding sources, fund ceiling and disclosure of funding sources by political parties.

Mr. Chipenzi says the non-existence of a legal provision is a potential threat to the country’s well-being as it puts the country at a vulnerable position.

He says this is because the country does not know what agreements or deals political parties enter into with the funders.

He adds that the country is actually at the mercy of political parties’ benevolence not to source such funds from inimical elements to a credible democratic process.

Mr. Chipenzi says it is for the reason that his organization has been calling for the funding of political parties in Zambia to improve their accountability and transparency levels and also appreciates the importance of political parties as institutions of governance and souls and lifeblood of Zambia’s multiparty democracy.

He says with regards the PF presidential hopeful Edgar Lungu and Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba’s recent private visit to Zimbabwe and their “country brief” to President Robert Mugabe, one wonders whether the meeting was sanctioned by the acting President Dr. Guy Scott to whom they report to by virtue of being cabinet ministers.

He strongly feels that the sidelining of the Acting President by the two ministers is undermining the governance system of the country and a testimony that divisions both in PF as a political party and Government are still rife.