The Grand Coalition has described the April 30th constitution summit as wasted dialogue as the big question concerning the date for releasing the draft constitution still remains unanswered.

Speaking in an interview Grand Coalition spokesperson McDonald Chipenzi noted that nothing new come out from the indaba apart from government giving its position on the issue.

Mr Chipenzi wondered what kind of dialogue meeting is one sided were the other part gives its position and answers questions without any debate taking place.

“We must assure the Zambians that we are for constructive dialogue, productive dialogue and not wasted dialogue.”

He further said a dialogue meeting should have some resolutions which did not come out during the summit.

He also noted that the indaba would have been more constructive and productive if the document was in public domain as the dialogue would have been on clauses that some people are not comfortable with as opposed to a dialogue that did not produce anything.

“If we had the document right now I can assure you that the dialogue that would have been exhibited would have been more constructive because we would have been talking about articles of contention, we would have been talking about clauses that unsettle certain individuals and not now what are we talking about?” Mr Chipenzi said.

He further said,”there is no dialogue that is one sided were one side ask questions and the other answers.
Government did not make any commitments so nothing has changed and the coalition won’t change its planned activities.”

He added that the summit failed to resolve the most important thing, the date for the release of the draft constitution.

Mr Chipenzi however said the Coalition welcomes all efforts meant to resolve the constitution impasse.

SACCORD organized a constitution summit on 30th April 2014 to find ways of resolving the constitution impasse.

JUSTICE Minister, Wynter Kabimba has charged that opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema is pushing his political ambitions using the Constitution making process.

Mr Kabimba said in reaction to Mr Hichilema’s claims yesterday that President Michael Sata had set up a team to manipulate the Constitution making process.

Mr Kabimba, who also Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General said yesterday that Mr Hichilema’s statements were misplaced and that he lacked facts to back his claims.

“The UPND leader is never factual with his statements and he should not use the Constitution to push his political agenda. If he had any concerns about the Constitution, why did he shun the Constitution indaba,” Mr Kabimba said.

He reiterated that Government’s stance on the Constitution was clear as it wanted to ensure there was consensus by subjecting the process to public scrutiny before the document was adopted.

Mr Kabimba during the Constitution meeting on Wednesday this week said Government would only release the draft Constitution after Cabinet approval.

He said the draft document was at his ministry and that the process was at post drafting stage which involved the release of the document as well as the mode of enactment.

The opposition leader said during a press conference in Lusaka that the PF administration was working to doctor the Constitution by dissolving the technical committee that was drafting the document.

“My dear friends on April 14, 2014 President Sata wrote a letter to the chairperson of technical committee that was drafting the Constitution indicating that he dissolved the committee. The PF is playing tactics and in the end change important clauses in the Constitution.

“The following day the Chairperson of the committee wrote to committee members to inform them about that they had been dissolved in secrecy and yet when coming up with this they had made it public,” Mr Hichilema said.

He said the opposition and stakeholders demanded the release of the draft Constitution as it belonged to Zambians and pledged to continue pressing for the release of the document.

Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema has said the Public Order Act curtailed media freedoms and urged Government to accelerate the implementation of the Access to Information Bill.

GERMAN ambassador to Zambia Bernd Finke says Zambians deserve respect and recognition for the hospitality and humanity with which they have welcomed and protected people in need.

Ambassador Finke said because of this, Zambia can serve as a model when it comes to hosting and reintegrating refugees.

Mr Finke said this in Lusaka on Wednesday when he attended the official launch of the strategic framework for the local integration of former refugees in Zambia.

“For many decades, Zambia has been a safe haven for hundreds and thousands of refugees from its conflict ridden neighbouring countries.

The Zambian people deserve our deep respect and recognition for the hospitality and humanity with which they have welcomed and protected people in need,” Mr Finke said.

He added: “Today, we again pay tribute to the Zambians for their generous reintegration programmes and for their offer to provide former refugees with a new home in Zambia.”

Mr Finke also praised the leadership and staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Zambia.

“Thank you for your tireless efforts and dedication for the people entrusted to your care,” he told the UNHCR.

Mr Finke, who visited refugee camps in Mayukwayukwa and Meheba in December 2013, said: “Zambia can indeed serve as a model for all of us when it comes to hosting and reintegrating refugees.”

STATEMENT BY THE MOVEMENT FOR MULTI PARTY DEMOCRACY (MMD) ON ZAMBIA’S RELATIONS WITH SADC AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

The MMD wishes to convey its continued concern on the conduct of Zambia’s diplomatic relations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC ) and the international community in general, despite assurances by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Kalaba. We continue to witness a lethargic approach to the conduct of Zambia’s relations with the international community. In this respect, we feel the country should not take for granted its contribution to the liberation struggles in the Southern Region. We wish to underscore to the PF government that the practice of diplomacy is dynamic in nature.

Zambia is part of the International community and as such, there is a tradition in which countries are expected to conduct affairs with other countries. Interaction, including exchange visits at the highest level is one way in which countries consolidate their relationships both at the bilateral and multilateral level.

We are, therefore, appalled that the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs who is our chief diplomat can express satisfaction at the apparent lack of exchange visits and interaction at the Presidential level. We wish to agree with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Kabinga Pande who recently expressed concern at the continued lack of exchange visits at the Presidential level which is evidence that Zambia is slowly becoming increasingly isolated in the SADC region and beyond. Further the statement attributed to the Minister in one of the daily newspapers where he states that ” it was not the pre-occupation of the Patriotic Front (PF) government to worry itself about foreign Heads of States not visiting Zambia because Presidents had tight schedules and could not be touring other people’s countries unless there was a regional meeting that would need them to assemble in one place at a particular time” is worrying because it has been issued at a time when most countries are actively building relations through regular interaction as a way of consolidating friendships and mutual cooperation. We urge the Minister not to be simplistic in his approach to serious foreign policy matters that require active attention by the government.

The success of any government in its diplomatic conduct is measured by its friendship and amicable interaction to garner support and promote its national interests. The MMD wishes to remind the PF government that the dynamic developments in the world are constantly shifting grounds of even the most solid relationships hence the need to renew friendships regularly. It is naive for the PF government to believe that the old friendships cultivated by different administrations and leaderships need not be rejuvinated. We wish to therefore, appeal to the PF government to take advice seriously and begin to consolidate the relations that were painstakingly built over the years by different administrations.

In this regard, we wish to implore the government through the ministry of Foreign Affairs to give clear government policy on issues bordering on the enhancement of Zambia ‘s relations within the region and beyond.

Ambassador Joyce Musenge
Chairperson – International Relations MMD

First republican president Kenneth Kaunda has underscored every child’s to quality education.

Dr. Kaunda said quality education was essential to the development of the nation’s economy.

He said every child deserves an opportunity to acquire quality education so as to better their livelihood in future.

He was speaking during the launch of the K50, 000 Airtel-KK bursary fund held at Munali high school in Lusaka yesterday.

Dr. Kaunda further pointed out that the launch of the Airtel-KK bursary fund will greatly help in enhancing the education of the less privileged children in society.

He advised the would be beneficiaries of the bursary scheme to aim for excellence in their academic studies.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kaunda, who is an HIV activist, has advised Munali high school pupils to refrain from engaging in illicit sexual activities.

He explained that abstinence was the best way to prevent all forms of infections acquired sexually.

And Airtel Networks Zambia Managing Director Charity Chanda Lumpa said her company was enhancing its corporate social responsibility in the areas of education, health and sports.

Ms. Lumpa explained that under the Airtel-KK bursary fund, Airtel will offer educational support worth 50,000 to 50 selected pupils.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it has embarked on community stakeholders’ capacity building programmes in Eastern, Northern and Muchinga provinces on how to track and monitor the management and utilization of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in a bid to promote accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in the country.

FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the programme is meant to compliment government’s efforts in ensuring that CDF funds are prudently utilized and that the public benefits from the funds.

Mr Chipenzi explains that the programme is in response to concerns of limited accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in most councils which has led to poor service delivery.

“Under the project called “Enhancing public accountability and citizen participation in resource tracking at community level funded by the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (HIVOS) through PANOS Southern Africa, FODEP is complimenting government effort in ensuring that constituency development fund (CDF) is prudently utilized to the benefit of all Zambians.”

“This is in response to concerns of limited accountability and transparency in the management of public resources in most councils leading to poor service delivery to citizens and later on government gets the biggest blame.”

Mr Chipenzi further commends stakeholders for highlighting cases of abuse and misapplication of funds meant for community development at local level in the country.

” We would like to commend the Anti-Corruption Corruption, the media, the government and the Auditor General’s Office for taking a bold step in highlighting abuses and misapplication of this important fund meant to encourage micro projects and community development at local level in Zambia.

“The keen interest taken by the above institutions in the management and utilization of the CDF and for bringing the culprits to book regardless of their status in society or government is highly commendable and encouraging.”

Meanwhile Mr Chipenzi said his organisation is training stakeholders so as to quip them with skills and tools to demand accountability and transparency from relevant authority in the management and use of the CDF in the projects sites.

“It is for this reason that FODEP embarked on the training of journalists, councilors, NGOs and other community members to equip them with skills and tools to demand accountability and transparency from relevant authority in the management and use of the CDF in the projects sites. FODEP will be setting up task forces in the entire project sites to report any misuse of CDF to relevant authority.”

This is contained in a statement released by FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi.

Government says it will not tolerate abuse of workers by some companies in Solwezi districts.

Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba issued the warning yesterday when he addressed hundreds of workers who turned out for the Labour Day celebrations.

Mr Kalaba said government is concerned with the behaviour of some company owners in Solwezi who are abusing workers and involved in human trafficking and forced labour.

The minister warned that government will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and will ensure that the culprits are brought to book in accordance with the law.
He said any unfair labour practices are detrimental to the promotion of decent work.

He has since directed all employers to adhere to labour laws before government visits them.

And Education Deputy Minister David Mabumba condemned political leaders who were calling on workers to boycott this year’s labour day celebrations.

Mr Mabumba also urged nurses who were dismissed from work to take advantage of the amnesty by government and re-apply for their jobs so that they can be re-engaged.