Southern Province Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa says there is need to expedite the presidential directive to accelerate implementation of developmental projects in the area.

Speaking during the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee PDCC in Choma today Mr Mweetwa re-echoed President Hakainde Hichilema’s directives on accelerated implementation of developmental projects in Health, Education, Water and Sanitation as well as provision of electricity in all rural health centres.

ZANIS reports that the Provincial Minister has directed the office of the Permanent Secretary and all Provincial Heads of Government Departments to ensure speed implementation of directives made by the President during his working festival holiday in the province.

Mr Mweetwa said the Presidential directives are Policy in nature stating that Ward Development Committees (WDCs) should be involved in the implementation.

He has warned that his office will not spare any head of department that will stand in the way of development as doing so will be disobeying orders.

Meanwhile, Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Namani Monze said several meetings and surveys have been conducted following President Hichilema directives.

Dr Monze said he is confident that his team in the province will achieve the intended goals that will in turn improve people’s living standards.

CONSTITUTIONAL Court deputy president Margaret Munalula has recused herself from presiding over a matter in which former KCM provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu has challenged the revocation of his immunity from prosecution.

The court had earlier set January 31, 2023, as the date to hear the main matter. However, when it came up, Lungu’s lawyers asked the court to adjourn the hearing of the main matter to enable them to respond to an application that had just been filed by the State to dismiss his petition.

The majority of judges in the matter allowed the adjournment but justice Munalula delivered a dissenting ruling. In her ruling, the judge said she would not allow the application but would go ahead and hear the main matter.

During a court hearing, Thursday morning, Justice Munalula asked the state and defense if they were comfortable with her continuing to be part of the panel.

In response, State prosecutor Mandela Nkunika submitted that a dissenting ruling on an application before the court cannot be the basis for the judge to recuse herself.

“[The] first respondent’s position is that there is absolutely no reason why the ladyship should rescue yourself from the proceedings in response to the application before the court. It is the first respondent’s position that a dissenting ruling on an application before the court cannot be the basis for recuse. The court’s role in any proceedings where an application is made is to decide on that application by way of ruling,” said Nkunika.

“Currently, the matter is still ongoing and [there are] a number of applications which the court needs to decide, and at the end of the day, a decision by the court will be made for or against the party. It is submitted that recuse in such circumstances will set a bad precedent. Therefore, the court should continue and not recuse itself”.

Milingo through his lawyer, Jonas Zimba, submitted that justice should not only be said and done but seen.

“There is no application but a question. The procedure for dealing with such a question is set out under section 7(1) Judicial Code of Conduct Act No.30 of 1991. Once such a question arises, the officer raising the question ought not to be part of the team if we proceed and have a decision in the manner the court is constituted that such a decision will be against. For the question before us to have been asked, there is a serious conviction as regard to that person. It should also be noted that justice should not only be said and done it must have been seen. This court will note that the question asked today emanates from a decision from the previous sitting relating to two applications before this court,” said Zimba.

In her ruling, justice Munalula recused herself from the matter.

“Since it’s me who raised the question on whether parties are comfortable with me continuing on the panel, that the question emanated from myself, I, therefore, rescue myself from these proceedings, and the matter stands adjourned till the next court session,” ruled the court.

LUSAKA High Court Judge Timothy Katanekwa has granted Patriotic Front(PF) presidential candidate Miles Sampa an interim injunction halting his suspension from the party pending hearing of a court case.

Judge Katanekwa has also restrained PF acting president Given Lubinda and acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa from holding themselves in those positions until final determination of the lawsuit against them.

The Judge has also granted an order restraining Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa from defamation or innuendos against Mr Sampa, a member of the Pf central committee.

This is according to an ex-parte order of interim injunction granted to Mr Sampa yesterday.

Mr Sampa has rushed to the High Court to challenge the PF’s decision to suspend him from the organisation founded by his uncle, the late fifth President Michael Sata.

The former deputy Minister of Finance has also sued Mr Chilangwa and Mr Lubinda for slander and libel and has accused dual of illegally holding office.

The lawsuit comes barely a week after Mr Lubinda announced that Mr Sampa was on suspension of Mr Sampa for allegedly issuing demeaning statements against his fellow party members by allegedly attacking some of his fellow presidential aspirants at a press briefing last Friday.

Mr Lubinda said during his suspension, the Matero Member of Parliament is barred from attending or participating in any party functions including meetings that shall be called by his fellow Members of Parliament.

Unhappy with the move, the former Lusaka Mayor had field a lawsuit citing Mr Chilangwa and Mr Lubinda as first and second defendants.

The plaintiff wants the court to declare that the defendants’ decision to suspend him as member of central committee is invalid and should be annulled for being procedurally improper and a breach of the rules of natural justice.

He further seeks damages for slander and libel and an injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from suspending or expelling him.

Mr Sampa also seeks an order of injunction restraining the defendants from holding themselves in their positions until final determination of the matter, which the Judge granted yesterday later afternoon.

“The plaintiff seeks an order that having no president and secretary general of the party proceed to immediately hold a general conference to elect leaders to file up the vacant positions under the joint leadership of the central committee,” the document reads.

Mr Sampa submits that his suspension, without a disciplinary hearing, was made in bad faith because he was not charged and neither did he appear before a disciplinary committee.

“The actions by the defendants has not been made in good faith but it is a ploy to prevent him from participating in the general conference slated for March 2023,” the document reads.

Mr Sampa also wants the court to order the defendants to immediately hold a general conference to elect leaders to file up the vacant positions.

The court has set February 16,2023, as date for hearing of the case.

The high cost of essential commodities in Zambia, particularly mealie meal, has been a cause for concern for many Zambians, and former Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya is no exception. In an interview last night on the Millennium Tonight show, Dr. Chilufya spoke out on the situation and expressed his fears over the impact it could have on the nation, particularly on the most vulnerable citizens.

“The hunger situation would see a rise in malnutrition cases and possibly lead to deaths if the situation is not contained in the shortest possible time,” warned Dr. Chilufya, who is now the Mansa Central Lawmaker. “The high cost of living has impacted everyone. Government needs to act on people’s concerns.”

Dr. Chilufya also expressed his disappointment with recent remarks made by Vice President Mrs. Mutale Nalumango, who suggested that Zambians should eat roller meal instead of breakfast. He called the statements “insensitive and provocative,” and dismissed the explanation that roller meal has more nutritional value as merely an attempt to justify a deeply hurtful statement.

“We don’t want arrogant answers for people to eat roller meal. Government should not trivialize matters that are of critical importance to the people,” said Dr. Chilufya.

In his interview, Dr. Chilufya emphasized the importance of food security for the nation, calling it a priority that each government must prioritize. “Food security is a priority that each government must pitch high and place premium on,” he said. “To avert the food crisis that is now facing the nation, government should have ensured to distribute inputs on time to farmers. This year we are faced with hunger because government did not distribute inputs on time.”

Dr. Chilufya also pointed to the successes of the Patriotic Front in prioritizing food security, stating that “It is possible for Zambia to achieve food security with visionary leadership because the nation is blessed with arable land for agriculture to thrive.” He explained, “The Patriotic Front prioritized food security and that is why by June and July inputs to secure the next farming season would already be distributed.”

Dr. Chilufya called on the government to come up with policies that shield citizens from distress and to manage determinants of essential commodities, such as mealie meal, to make it easier on the people. He stated, “Government owes it to its citizens to come up with policies that shield its citizens from distress. The cost of mealie meal is at an all-time high. These are ripple effects of having fuel which is at more than K30 per litre. Government has the responsibility to manage determinants of essential commodities to make it easier on its citizens.”

Dr. Chilufya’s words serve as a reminder to the government of the importance of prioritizing food security and the impact that high prices of essential commodities can have on the citizens of Zambia.