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Felix Ngoma, a Zambian National who was abducted in Sudan’s volatile Darfur region about two weeks has been freed by his captors.
Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu has told a media briefing in Lusaka this afternoon that Mr Ngoma was released at 12:00 hours today and was surrendered to the Sudanese government authorities who have been part of the negotiations for his release.
Mr Zulu says Mr Ngoma will undergo medicals tomorrow before proceeding to Khartoum on his way to Zambia.
The Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary has thanked the government of Sudan, International Organization for Migration, United Nations Agencies, the Zambian media and the Ngoma family for their support to the government in securing Mr Ngoma’s release.
Mr Zulu states that Zambia stands for nothing but peace and that the government of President Michael Sata will do everything in its power to protect Zambian citizens so that can enjoy their freedom.
Mr Ngoma who is a humanitarian worker with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was abducted by suspected Janjaweed militia about two weeks ago as he was returning home from work
A clergyman has warned that Zambia risks formulating laws that will disadvantage boys in a bid to protect girls from Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Redeemed Methodist Church Bishop Paul Bupe has told the Legal and Justice Reforms Commission that at the pace laws are being formulated to protect girls in Zambia was likely that male children will soon be neglected and deemed as criminals in the name of protecting girls from being abused.
Bishop Bupe noted that laws should not be enacted to benefit girls only but also boys as they are all equal in the society.
The Bishop observed that if left unchecked, the laws formulated to protect girls would end up sending all the boys to jail which he said will render them useless in society as they would be unemployable because of the criminal records.
He stated that even boys need protection by statute adding that fast Track courts and stiffer punishments will not end GBV if societal norms and values are not imparted in the young Zambians.
Meanwhile Bishop Bupe has condemned advocates of homosexuality in Zambia saying such acts are unchristian and uncultural hence should not be condoned in the country.
The Bishop stated that Zambians are facing such problems because they tend to copy anything that comes from the western culture which he said has ruined the countries culture.
Bishop Bupe who has resided in the United States for over 10 years stated that western culture has penetrated Zambia but urged the public to reject such practices as they are evil and against the culture and beliefs of Zambia.
He said in the States where he has been residing, homosexuality has left a trail of un productivity as same sex marriages do not bear children.
Meanwhile former Women for Change Director Emily Sikazwe stated that her organization and its partners took over 7 years to come up with the GBV Act in order to end violence against women and girls.
Dr Sikazwe stated that GBV in Zambia has been on the increase hence the need to tighten the Law to curb it adding that the laws are not in any way meant to disadvantage boys and men but merely to regulate the society.
And Commission Chairperson Frederick Chomba noted that some incidences of GBV have been reported in very remote areas where the western influences cannot be blamed.
Justice Chomba stated that much as the western culture can be to blame for most of the bad practices in Zambia, some incidences happened in remote areas which he said is an indication the Zambian citizens also come up with some bad practices which need laws to regulate them.
Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda says Zambia’s external debt is within sustainable levels as it stands at only 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka today, Mr Chikwanda said Zambia cannot fall into a debt trap because the acceptable sustainable external borrowing threshold is 40 per cent of GDP.
He said Zambians should not be concerned that the country may revert to a highly indebted country because the current external debt was very manageable.
Mr Chikwanda said external debt is paid over a period of time which allows government to service the debt without any problem.
And President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, said external borrowing is not bad if the debt is managed well and money put to good use.
Dr Kaberuka said African countries cannot depend on aid alone but should also go for rating and financial markets to source financing.
He, however, said countries must be careful in the manner they handle borrowing to avoid falling into the debt trap of the 1970s.
Dr Kaberuka said the best way is to invest the money in infrastructural development as opposed to borrowing for consumption.
Meanwhile, the government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a loan agreement for a US$26.315 million project that will provide rural financial services to smallholder farmers who currently do not have access to such services in rural communities throughout the Southern African nation.
The Zambia Rural Finance Expansion Programme will be co-financed with a $10.8 million loan from IFAD directly; a $11.988 million (Euro 9 million) loan from the IFAD managed Spanish Food Security Cofinancing Trust Fund; and a contribution from the government of Zambia. The financing agreement was signed yesterday by Alexander Chikwanda, Minister of Finance and National Planning of the Republic of Zambia, and by Kanayo F. Nwanze President of IFAD.
Agriculture in Zambia accounts for about 20 per cent of GDP and has the potential to be a major source of economic growth as the country has abundant fertile land and good rainfall. This potential can be better realized through investments in improved production, processing and marketing. Investments like these will be promoted by strengthening and diversifying rural financial services. Currently only about 37 per cent of the adult population use financial services, and only 14 per cent of them have bank accounts.
The new Rural Finance Expansion Programme is designed to help 140,000 rural households by increasing their access to and use of sustainable financial services. The programme will target small entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers while paying particular attention to women and young people. It is estimated that at least 50 per cent of the beneficiaries will be women and 25 per cent youth.
The programme will be managed by Zambia’s Ministry of Finance through its Investment and Debt Management Department, complementing and reinforcing other rural finance services development initiatives such as the IFAD-funded Rural Finance Programme completed in September 2013.
In addition, it aims to enhance the capacity of financial service providers to deliver demand-driven services in rural areas. This will help increase in the number of adults using financial services, and reduce the cost of borrowing.
Since 1981, IFAD has invested a total of $188.5 million in 13 programmes and projects in Zambia, with a total cost of $315.3 million including cofinancing, benefiting 741,280 Zambian families.
The petitions by Zambians in the diaspora for government to constitutionally allow them to have dual citizenship have continued to emerge with the latest coming from those living in Scotland in the United Kingdom.
And government has expressed scepticism on the matter of dual citizens, saying unscrupulous people may abuse the privilege and end up denting the image of the country abroad.
Meanwhile, Zambians living in the United Kingdom have been urged to always have valid documents that allow them to stay in the region.
Scotland-Zambia Partnership (SCOZAP) Chairman, Lazarous Chisela, said allowing Zambians in the diaspora to have dual citizenship would promote their participation in the economic growth of their country of origin.
Mr Chisela pointed out that dual citizenship would enable Zambians abroad to freely apply their skills, knowledge and investment in their country.
He said this in Glasgow yesterday when Vice President, Guy Scott, and Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Paul Lumbi, met Zambians living in Scotland.
Mr Chisela also said Zambia and Scotland should further enhance their already warm relations and consequently increase social and economic benefits for the peoples of the two countries.
He further said Zambians in Scotland were preparing for a huge celebration of the country’s golden jubilee in that nation in October this year.
But Dr Scott said much as government would want to allow its citizens abroad to have dual citizenship, it feared that some crooked people might abuse the privilege thereby putting Zambia at risk of losing its positive image of being an oasis of peace.
“I think we all realise that having just one passport in this time and age is an inconvenience but at the same time there is potential of abuse by citizens concerned,” he said.
He has since appealed to the Zambians in diaspora to understand government’s fears but did not rule out the possibility of allowing them to have dual citizenship.
The Vice President explained that government was studying ways of strict monitoring of the system if dual citizenship was introduced.
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Paul Lumbi, has warned Zambians in the region against staying there without valid passports and other relevant documents.
Mr Lumbi said his mission staffs were always ready to process relevant documents for Zambians in order for them to stay in the UK freely.
“I know some of you are living here illegally because your passports have expired. I appeal to you to get the right documents and live here legally,” he said.
There are over 1,000 Zambians living in Scotland.
Meanwhile, Dr Scott earlier in the day attended a meeting on sustainable trade and investment: trade plus aid which was held at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.
Dr Scott, who was one of the panellists in one of the discussions, said poor lending conditions by banks in Africa were hampering the growth of infrastructural development in many countries of the continent.
He said countries in the west have developed because of favourable lending terms and conditions to individuals and companies that want to invest in infrastructure.
He noted that financial lending institutions in most African countries were demanding high interest rates on loans over and short loan repayment period.
Dr Scott is in Scotland where he witnessed the official opening of the 20th Commonwealth Games at Celtic park in Glasgow on Wednesday, July 23, 2014.
Zambia has 43 athletes representing her at this year’s Commonwealth games.
As United Party for National Development on the copperbelt we have learnt with deep regret the comments attributed to Davies Mwila one of Sata’s crazy ministers who is claiming that the UPND has always wished Sata death.
We would like to remind this Mwila maybe has short memory or maybe he has chosen not to remember anything deliberately. As UPND we are not like Mwila’s boss Sata who ridiculed and laughed at President Mwanawasa and George Kunda whom he called all sorts of names. Maybe Mwila has forgotten, his boss Sata at one time claimed to have picked brains of Mwanawasa after that fatal accident that President was involved in accident, when he was still the Vice-President and said Mwanawasa was not fit to rule because he was not normal.
In case Davies has forgotten, Sata is on record of having ridiculed the late George Kunda that he had red lips due various diseases and Sata challenged George Kunda to go for an HIV/AIDS tests to see who will come out positive between George and Sata. As UPND we believe that Mwila has nothing to do or to say hence trying to gain cheap and empty favours from Sata by trying to do political armpit scratching by mudslinging the UPND, leaving well known people in his party who are busy saying they are eligible to rule this country.
We are therefore urging Davies to find better ways of getting favours from Sata unlike trying to become irrelevant every time he opens his mouth. We expected Davies to tell the nation how far his party has
gone in terms of honouring the Barotseland Agreement that his party said will restore in 90 days.
People of Zambia are waiting for the constitution that Sata promised to deliver within 90 days; these are issues Davies should be telling Zambians unlike uttering wild and baseless allegations. We expected Davies to tell Zambians why mealie meal in this country has become so much expensive despite his party having told the Zambian people that they will have more money in their pockets and lower
taxes.
Davies should find time to reflect on why electricity and fuel has become expensive under the regime of PF that ascended to power through lies. We expected Davies to advise his boss to create more jobs for
the youths of this country unlike mentioning figures of jobs created that do not exist on the ground.
Finally Davies should know all members of parliament are part and parcel of government and have the right to see the President anytime they demand to do so, and Davies should tell the Zambian people why has it suddenly become difficult for Zambians to see Sata. As UPND now we understand why Sata called PF ministers and MPs useless.
HH at a media briefing at the party’s secretariat in Lusaka
Opposition United Party for National Development says it will not allow its Members of Parliament to demand a pay rise in parliament.
Addressing a media briefing UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said that the move by MPs to demand a salary increment was not only ill timed but also irresponsible.
Hichilema said his party had deliberated on the matter and resolved not to back calls by other MPs for a pay rise.
The UPND leader said members of parliament needed to know that political leadership was not about amassing wealth but service.
“I want to indicate that categorically we in the UPND do not agree with the Members of Parliament. For right or wrong, the interpretation by members of the public is that MPs are asking for better and more money,” he said.
“I think that is how is has been put, we do not want to get into a debate of what exactly each member said but disagree we disagree with members of parliament asking for more money.”
He said MPs should know that political leadership was about service and should be aware that the majority of Zambians were wallowing in poverty.
“Members of Parliament as well as anyone aspiring for public office should know that it is about service and that if they want more money they can go back in the private sector that is where the money is,” he said.
THE Patriotic Front(PF) says it is waiting for the High Court to issue an order stopping the holding of parliamentary by-elections in the five constituencies.
PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba said on Thursday that inline with the Supreme Court ruling, the party has taken back the cases to the High Court for enforcement of judgment.
Mr Kabimba said the PF does not have any problem with the Electoral Commission of Zambia decision to set the date for the parliamentary elections since the court was yet to iusse stop order.
“As far as i am concerned the PF has no problem with the Electoral Commission of Zambia to set a date for the parliamentary by-elections,”he said.
The PF had applied of the Supreme Court seeking an order that former Zambezi West Member of Parliament Charles Kakoma,Maxwell Mwale of Malambo,Victoria Kalima,Dr Eustarckio Kazonga of Vubwi and Lucky Mulusa of Solwezi should be blocked from re-contesting their seats after they were nullified.
However the Supreme Court cleared the former MPs but indicated that the ruling party could take back the cases to the High Court for enforcement of judgement.
Mr Kabimba ruled out any possibility of the opposition political parties winning the seats should the by elections go ahead.
He said that PF was currently the most popular party in the country and that it would win all the parliamentary by elections.
8 Years ago, you would have walked into a Room and shout out Roberto and people would have looked at you wondering why you are screaming out someone’s name. This time around when you walk the streets in Zambia or walk into a CEO’s office and mention ROBERTO, people in the room would nod and agree that Roberto is Zambia’s finest Music export, boasting a total 13 Number 1 hit singles from 3 Albums, Roberto is Zambia’s Number 1 R&B / Afro Pop singing artist.
Through the years Roberto has travelled the world, from the streets in London launching his 2012 Single OSANISIYA SO, Sharing the same stage with American Grammy award winning artist EVE in Namibia, Touring East Africa UGANDA and Burundi with Uganda’s Powerhouse outfit RADIO & WEASLE, performing at sold out shows in Botswana & Zambia and topping charts on Radio stations across the globe.
After the arrival of Roberto’s 2nd album the world got a taste of Zambia’s crooner melodies and Radio stations from UK, USA, AUSTRALIA, ZIMBABAWE, BOTSWANA, ANGOLA, all opened up their microphones and could not resist playing Roberto Music.
2013 was an amazing year for Roberto.Producing songs like Good Woman, Eponaba which have proven to be great hit,singles both Locally in Zambia and in Africa, receiving 3 Nominations at the 2013 Zambian Music awards. Roberto’s Good Woman song got its biggest break on DSTV’s biggest reality Show Big Brother, cementing Roberto’s presence on the African Continent. The song has been featured on Countdowns across Africa, reaching its peak position on stations in Kenya, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria and Uganda. The two time MTV Base Zambia representative also introduced songs like NImakuyewa and Whine it on BIG BROTHER which have proven to be favorites for so many ROBERTO Fans. By the end of the year he received word that he was once again nominated for the 2014 Zambian Music Awards, for BEST R&B ALBUM and BEST SONG WRITER. He went on to scoop both awards, and most recently launched his brand new Vibrant and funky video WINE IT. The video was launched in Johannesburg and has already taken off to be one of Africas most anticipated Singles and videos by the multi award winner.
Roberto is now managed by kamikazi entertainment (same management team as Cleo ice queen) , and his new single ,Wine It, has been received well on radio stations all over Africa.
DISCOGRAPHY
2007 Roberto – Roberto
2009 Roberto – Akasuba
2013 Roberto – My Name Is
MUSIC VIDEOS :
Roberto – Chawama
Roberto – Salaula
Roberto – Good Woman
Roberto – Eponaba
Roberto – Wine It
COLLABORATIONS:
Roberto – Love You More feat Pope (Nigeria) –
Roberto & Toniks (Uganda) – Swag Meter
Roberto & Fishman (Namibia) – Killa Love
Shrekeezy – Down for my City feat Roberto (Zambia), Stella Mwangi STL. (Kenya),Wondaboy (Nigeria), Silvastone (Siera Leone), Kanja (Kenya),
General Ozzy (Zambia) – Want it all feat Roberto (Zambia) & Tom Close ( Rwanda)
Songs Yet to be Released:
Edem (Ghana) feat Roberto & Cleo – Ghana
Roberto – Eponaba RMX feat Jaywon (Nigeria)
Cleo Ice Queen (Zambia) – African Flag feat Roberto (Zambia)
Struggling FAZ Super League side Roan United have signed five new players in the midseason transfer window.
Roan have aquired strikers Nasha Kaya from Lime Hotspurs, Alex Mwiche from Forest Rangers and little known Richard Nkhoma from Kafue Celtic.
The rest are defender Goodson Kachinga who leaves Chambishi and winger Josphat Nkhoma from Lime Hotspurs.
New coach Dean Mwiinde hopes the new players will play a vital role as Roan fight against demotion.
Roan are second from the bottom of the Super League table with 14 matches left before the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Roan were on Thursday held to a 1-1 draw by Division One North side Kitwe United in a friendly match played at Garden Park Stadium in Kitwe.
Striker Lyson Sikaonga scored for Roan while The Buchi Boys scored through forward Ezzy Lundu.
A twelve year-old grade two girl at Renato Basic School in chief Nkole’s area in Kapiri Mposhi district has been withdrawn from a marriage forced by her father.
Central Province Campaign Against Early Marriages Coordinator, Dorothy Mambwe confirmed the development in an interview in Kapiri Mposhi district.Ms. Mambwe said the girl has since been put under the care of Nsungeni Orphanage for custody and counseling.
She said that the girl her parents stopped her from going to school in preference for marriage to a peasant farmer in Kashitu area in Chief Nkole’s chiefdom.She said the man is since at large.
Ms. Mambwe who is also MMD Chibwelelo Ward councilor in Kapiri Mposhi said the police however managed to pick the girl’s father for questioning.
“We have managed to withdraw a 12 year old girl from a marriage to an elderly man in Kashitu area.This man has run away but we have the father to the girl for questioning by police,” Ms. Mambwe said.
Police sources in Kapiri Mposhi confirmed the development but refused to give any information as they are still investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mambwe has bemoaned the high incidences of early marriages in Central Province.She said government should therefore stiffen laws against those people perpetrating marriages involving underage girls.She also called on traditional leaders in the province to get involved at community level and punish those marrying off young girls.
Ms. Mambwe said most girls in the area were being forced into marriage because of poverty and lack of schools in their communities.She said most parents were giving away their girl children in exchange for riches such as cattle and land at the expense of the education of the child.
“Girl children in rural areas are being forced into early marriages because of their parents desire to amass cattle and land.Our traditional leaders should come in and help because they are closer and always hear of these marriages,” Ms. Mambwe said.
She appealed to government to build more schools in rural areas to minimize distances that children were covering to the nearby schools saying long distances to schools discourage mostly the girl child from continuing with education.
HARARE – Two Zimbabwean journalists won a victory for free speech when the Constitutional Court struck off a statute which made defamation a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail.
Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the court found that the law was unjustified and “had the effect of interfering with the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
Zimbabwe has tough media laws which have been used by president Robert Mugabe’s government to expel foreign correspondents and arrest journalists from the independent press.
But the authorities are tinkering with hundreds of statutes after the country last year adopted a new constitution which curtails the president’s powers, among other provisions.
Malaba made the ruling in a case in which two journalists were charged with criminal defamation after their paper, The Zimbabwe Independent, published a story naming state security agents alleged to have abducted opposition and human rights activists in 2008.
The journalists, Constantine Chimakure, a former editor at the Zimbabwe Independent and Vincent Kahiya, the group editor-in-chief, challenged the constitutionality of the law, arguing that it was not reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.
In October last year, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said sections of the statutes which provided for criminal defamation had a chilling effect on those seeking to express their right to freedom of expression.
He noted that other countries were moving away from the criminalization of defamation and asked prosecutors in the case to cite countries where defamation was a crime.
The top judge also summoned Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa to court to give reasons why the criminal defamation law should be retained in the country’s statutes.
However, he said he did not intend to oppose the challenge to the law.
President Sata with Mr George Chellah at AU Summit
STATE House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah is demanding an apology from the Daily Nation for alleged defamation of character, failure to which he will commence legal proceedings against the newspaper.
Mr Chellah is citing the newspaper for defamation of character in an article entitled ‘George Chellah insults Daily Nation Official’ published on July 22 this year.
In a letter obtained in Lusaka yesterday and addressed to the Daily Nation managing director by his legal representatives, SBN Legal Practitioners, Mr Chellah says the article was on the same day also published online by the newspaper.
The article quotes Mr Chellah as having verbally abused a Daily Nation official, whose name was withheld, for asking whether President Michael Sata had flown out of the country.
“Our client denies abusing or insulting the said unnamed official and/or a fellow media practitioner as alleged or at all. The said allegations against our client, who has been referred to by name throughout the article are false and malicious and constitute serious libel against our client in his person.
“His professional calling and his public office were published without seeking verification from him or being called upon to state his side of the story before publishing the said libelous article,” the letter reads in part.
The letter further says that the offensive article published imputed that Mr Chellah was uncouth, cantankerous, a dangerous person who was not fit to be a media practitioner and a dangerous person who was not fit to hold public office in Zambia, as well as a person capable of committing a criminal offence by harming anybody who crossed his path.
“We, therefore, require yourselves at this stage to publish an apology in your newspaper and online in terms to be approved by us and with the same prominence as the publications complained of and the matter will be closed.
“We expect a favourable response within the next three working days, failure to which our client will be at liberty to institute legal proceedings for damages for the injury to his reputation and for the embarrassment and distress caused to him. We trust you will do the needful and avoid the inevitable legal proceedings for the grave libel against our client,” adds the letter.
The Chamber of Mines of Zambia Chief Executive Officer Maureen Dlamini says variable profit tax is the same as the windfall tax.
And Mrs Dlamini says it will not help to tax the mines to the point where the mines run out of business.
She however says the Zambian mineral resources should not be a curse to the nation but should lead to economic and social development of the country.
She notes that it is key for the mines to ensure that the beneficiaries are not left out in the development of the sector.
Mrs Dlamini said this at the chamber of mines of zambia international council on mining and metals ICMM report dissemination workshop at moba hotel under the theme ” the zambian mining story”.
And Chamber of Mines of Zambia president Emmauel Mutati says in excess of US $ 8 billion has been invested in the mines by the new owners from the time of privatisation.
Mr Mutati says resulting from this investment, annual finished production has risen from a low of 257,000 metric tonnes per annum to over 700,000 metric tonnes in 2013.
He says this copper production is confidently predicted to rise to over 1million metric tonnes in the next couple of years and towards 1.5 million metric tonnes within 5-10 years.
He says official statistics demonstrate conclusively that the overall contribution to government revenues has steadily increased over the years, as capital allowances from the new investments have expired.
Mr Mutati notes that the new investments have also resulted in an increase in employment opportunities, and a reduction in poverty levels, especially in the copperelt and north western provinces.
He says it is critical for continuous in flow of foreign direct investment in the mining sector that the country retains an attractive and stable fiscal regime.
Former Kasenegwa Member of Parliament Victoria Kalima has expressed confidence of being adopted by her party (MMD) and return her seat in the September 11th Kasenegwa Parliamentary by-election.
Speaking in an interview the former Parliamentarian whose seat was nullified by the Supreme Court said she did not finish the mandate which the people gave her in 2011 hence did not see any reason why people would vote for any one different as she needs to complete the projects that she started.
“I’m confident I will return my seat because as you know I got the highest number of votes in the country in 2011 with 87 percent of the total vote so I think my chances are high as long as my party adopts me and I’m confident the it will because they know that I need to complete my term.
” The voters have trust in me and I’m in good standing with traditional leaders in the constituency so I think I have high chance of returning my seat,” said Ms Kalima.
Kasenegwa is one of the 5 parliamentary seats that will go for elections after the Supreme Court ruled that 5 former Parliamentarians who were barred to stand by the High Court were eligible to stand.
FILE: Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba ushers in the Vice President of China Mr. Li Yuanchao during the bilateral meeting at Government Complex
By: Wilson Musha-shatala
Background
It is said that people find it easier to worship the rising sun than the setting sun. Sunrise signifies HOPE – the break of a new day and new possibilities. Sunset on the other hand signifies FEAR and GLOOM, the onset of darkness and night and all the uncertainties that go with it. It is clear that the era of Michael Sata as both leader of the Patriotic Front (PF) and the nation is drawing to a close, both due to old age and health concerns that have dogged the president. The uncertainty and anxiety in the nation due to Sata’s failing health is also partly due to the gross and immature mishandling of this issue by both State House and Government, thus fueling further speculation, rumour mongering and slander. For good reasons, Michael Sata is now a “virtual president” since he governs by being invisible and separated from the very people he was elected to govern. He is a “Facebook president”, and now has defied technology by appearing in “still photos” rather than “motion and live videos.” He is being kept away from the public so they do not really see his true condition, especially after his last sightings at the Lusaka High Court, Africa Freedom Day and during the visit of the Chinese Vice President revealed rapid deterioration in his health. So, any objective political observer within and outside PF can see that the curtain is closing on a popular actor, the once mighty King Cobra, now a mere shell of his former self.
Succession in PF – Wynter Kabimba is Sata’s “Anointed One”
In truth, many senior PF members have always known that President Sata would be a one-term president due to his health issues. Hence the reason that the cartel in PF whose main architect is Post Newspaper Editor Fred Mmembe started planning for Sata’s succession even before the 2011 elections. Mmembe was the one who convinced Sata that PF did not need an alliance with UPND to defeat MMD, because this could have complicated his succession plans. True to his word, PF defeated MMD alone and with Wynter Kabimba as the identified successor, that plan was aggressively implemented. Sata believes without Fred Mmembe’s Post Newspaper he would never have been president, hence the reason the cartel has held him to ransom almost to a point of blackmailing him. The so-called A-Team in PF comprising Sata himself, Wynter and Guy Scott, and by extension other key members like Fred Mmembe, Inonge Wina, Emmanuel Chenda, Sylvia Masebo, Shamenda, former president Kenneth Kaunda, leaders of key institutions (DPP, AG, SG, IG, DEC, ACC) all have hijacked the PF and government without the knowledge of the majority PF members. The extended group and other functionaries are what are known as the CARTEL.
How the Cartel took Power in PF
When PF was an opposition party during the 2011, the purported party convention in Kabwe could not cast a single ballot because President Sata knew that none of the cartel members were popular to win an election. Hence he had to protect them by all means and cancelled the elections, only presenting his own list of “Members of the Central committee” which he commanded all delegates to endorse and support. Hence, Guy Scott, Wynter Kabimba, Inonge Wina, Chenda, Shamenda and Co. all found themselves in this “appointed” Central committee all because of Sata’s intervention. That day, democracy DIED a painful death in PF. And just before the 2011 elections, party Secretary General Wynter Kabimba micromanaged the adoption process for all parliamentary candidates and imposed his “cronies” against the people’s wishes in the party structures. Little did people know then that this was the beginning of the grand plan to take total control of the party. Hence the reason many MPs in PF are loyal to Kabimba, not to the party and the people they are supposed to be representing. The performance of these MPs was always predictable and is obvious today – they have lamentably failed to perform and deliver on PF’s electoral promises, making the party so unpopular with the grassroots. These MPs are a huge liability to the party in the 2016 elections. While the MPs parrot praises to Kabimba, they have become so unwanted on the ground and risk losing terribly especially in the PF strongholds, almost similar to what happened with the so-called “rebel PF MPs” (mostly from Luapula province and a few from Lusaka and Copperbelt) who were swayed by late Fredrick Chiluba in opposition to Sata . Even president Sata has realized this, calling them “Useless MPs” and “Useless Ministers.” Merit was sacrificed for Mediocrity!
Once in power, Wynter’s cartel supported by Sata also ensured that only their cronies were appointed to key positions such as district commissioners (DCs), diplomatic service, heads of key institutions (IG, DPP, SG, AG), etc. The cartel also monopolized the public print and electronic media, Fred Mmembe’s Post Newspapers, and online social media bearing all sorts of names and managed by State House press secretary George Chellah. These media fora always give wide coverage to Kabimba and Masebo especially, portraying to the public that are very hard working. They also masquerade as President Sata’s chief praise singers just to dupe the people. In addition these media, especially the Post Newspaper and “PF” social media have launched a campaign to demonize potential threats to Wynter’s political ambitions in PF, especially Geoffrey Mwamba Bwalya (GBM), Given Lubinda, Chishimba Kambwili, Yamfwa Mukanga, Edgar Lungu and Alexander Chikwanda, attempting to dent their images before PF members and Zambians. To further consolidate power, the Ministry of Justice portfolio occupied by Wynter was elevated to No. 3 in Cabinet hierarchy with President Sata’s consent. In truth, Wynter is now essentially No.2 to Sata both in PF and government, especially that “ceremonial” Vice President Scott is merely symbolic.
Results of the Cartel’s Actions in PF and the Nation
PF – A House Divided Against Itself Will Not Stand (Matthew 12:25)
With President Sata’s blessings, Wynter Kabimba and the cartel went ahead to create and fund parallel structures in PF countrywide to serve his presidential ambitions, sidelining and disregarding elected party officials seen not to support them. These officials were arbitrarily suspended and expelled from the party, similar to what Michael Sata did as MMD Secretary General. So never doubt Wynter when he says he is Michael Sata’s disciple, and when he and his colleagues like Guy Scott, Sylvia Masebo and Emmanuel Chenda claim they are graduates of the “Michael Sata School of Politics.” Hence, from the above, it’s clear to see that with Sata’s backing Wynter and the cartel have a huge advantage in controlling and taking over the PF leadership.
Those old enough will remember that Wynter and Masebo caused the same divisions in late BY Mwila’s Zambia Republican Party (ZRP). Wynter and Masebo, then living together as intimate partners after Wynter had deserted his wife, were welcomed into ZRP after their failed political careers in ZADECO. They were subsequently appointed party vice president and secretary general, respectively.. ZRP was subsequently embroiled in infighting with two factions emerging – one led by party president BY Mwila, the other led by Wynter Kabimba. Kabimba’s faction expelled the “owner” of the party BY Mwila. When ZRP cadres went to peacefully demonstrate against a meeting being held by Wynter’s faction, Kabimba, armed with a gun, fired gunshots in broad daylight much to the shock of the cadres who fearfully scampered for their lives. BY Mwila took the matter to court and easily won the case against his expulsion, especially with Wynter being such a mediocre lawyer. This was the end of the political careers of both Wynter and Masebo in ZRP. Like political refugees wandering about, Wynter eventually joined PF in 2008 while Masebo, the only ZRP MP, stuck with Mwanawasa’s MMD served in his Cabinet. She was suspected of leaking information to PF by Rupiah Banda and she was kicked out of Cabinet, eventually she was brought to PF by Sata and Wynter on the eve of the 2011 elections. In Mwanawasa’s time, Masebo literally used to insult PF leader Michael Sata as behaving like a 12 year old child. No permanent enemies in politics!
Wynter Kabimba’s Arrogance makes him a Hated Figure
There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. With full knowledge of this grand plan to take power in PF and the nation, and him being seen by his supporters as the “anointed one” in PF leadership succession, Wynter has irresistibly come to embody the word “Arrogance” itself. This is why he is such a hated figure and lacks appeal both within and outside PF. One could see so much tension in the country when he remained acting president when Sata was on a “working holiday” in Israel, which included a component of “Medical Tourism” according to Guy Scott. There were all sorts of wild allegations, paranoia and speculation about him and his cartel. Surely, even Sata himself, though he’s not the once vibrant King Cobra he once was, can surely see how hated and reviled his “anointed one” is to the nation. Anyway, some wise ancients said he who the gods must destroy they first make mad.
Just look at how he and Sata have disrespected Zambians by arrogantly shooting down the new Constitution as being unnecessary for Zambia, a 180-degrees turnaround from their campaign promises. Again it is hard to understand what political benefits Sata and Wynter hope to reap from polarizing and galvanizing so much opposition from opposition parties, the Church, Civil Society and the general public. PF is now seen as lacking integrity and credibility. Wynter’s arrogance is also what has resulted in serious divisions within PF and violent conflict which sadly has resulted in bloodshed and loss of innocent lives, all perpetrated by Wynter’s minority faction in PF led by the likes of Chumbwe, Kennedy Kamba, etc. The situation has been worsened by divide-and-rule tactics employed by Wynter, Vice President Guy Scott, part chairperson Inonge Wina and company.
Wynter Kabimba’s Succession of Michael Sata – “Snatching ashes and smoke, not the fire.”
Although Wynter is not popular in Cabinet, the Central Committee, and with majority PF members, it is probable that he may snatch a pyrrhic victory during any stage-managed PF convention similar to the one in 2011. Most likely delegates will be well chosen and his opponents barred from attending, similar to what happened during the 2001 MMD Convention in Kabwe when the likes of late Gen. Christon Tembo, Gen. Miyanda and Edith Nawakwi were barred from entering the convention site by violent cadres led by then Secretary General Michael Sata himself who had earlier expelled them from MMD. Even if Wynter manages to snatch the “ashes and smoke, not the fire” in this way, many political pundits and Zambians believe he simply cannot win a national election. He has never won any election in his life, having failed as a parliamentary candidate in his own village in Mumbwa, and only made to be what he is by Sata himself – appointed Secretary General and nominated MP with no constituency. His own father is a key UPND official in Mumbwa. Wynter has no political base in Zambia and simply wants to “inherit” Michael Sata’s political base which had once belonged to Simon Kapwepwe and Fredrick Chiluba. Wynter’s natural political base in central and southern province belongs to Hakainde Hichilema and UPND, and he simply doesn’t have the political muscle to wrestle that from them. It is also very doubtful whether, in the absence of unity among all PF members, Wynter can win on the Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula, Muchinga and Lusaka provinces. Eastern, North Western and Western provinces already belong to the opposition parties. So what is Wynter’s political base? NONE!
Conclusion
If President Michael Sata and PF make Wynter Kabimba their PF candidate for presidency, this will be as good as PF kissing goodbye to being a ruling party in power and slide back to being an opposition party where they seem more comfortable since governance has proved such a tall order for them. Moreover, it is predictable that PF will break into various unknown number of parties if Sata insists on this course of action, the same way MMD split into many parties when late Chiluba attempted a failed Third Term and subsequently imposed Mwanawasa as MMD presidential candidate. This will obviously advantage the opposition parties especially UPND, unless the majority of disaffected PF members choose to form one political party and leave Sata and Kabimba with the shell of a party.
