President Michael Sata’s directive to end squabbles in the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has been interpreted differently by the two warring factions at the party’s Lusaka district office with both teams yesterday holding press briefings to claim legitimacy owing to Mr Sata’s sentiments.

While Robert Chikwelete insists that he was the legitimate PF chairman for Lusaka district as he was appointed by President Sata on September 18, 2013, ousted chairman Goodson Banda said the Presidents’ directive that no parallel structures should exist in the party invalidated any power that the Chikwelete led executive could have had.

Mr Chikwelete said during a press briefing held at the district office that anyone opposing his leadership was against his appointing authority who is President Sata.

Reacting to a statement attributed to Vice- President Guy Scott that he and his executive were in office illegally, Mr Chikwelete said it was unfortunate that Dr Scott had teamed up with party members creating parallel structures by defending Mr Kabimba even before his case was heard by the disciplinary committee.

“I wish to remind our PF Vice- President that we shall not vacate the office because my line of authority is drawn from the party President and our loyalty shall remain to him,” he said.

He said Dr Scott should not cast a blind eye to pending disciplinary action against party Secretary General Wynter Kabimba as stated in Mandevu Member of Parliament (MP) Jean Kapata’s letter.

He said the provincial resolutions from the 10 provinces had tabulated the various breaches that Mr Kabimba as chief executive of the Party had committed adding that a resolution was passed that he (Kabimba) be removed from his position.

“We as keepers of the King’s conscience pledge loyalty to his Excellency for him to effectively implement national programmes, fulfilling PF campaign promises to the Zambian people,” he said.

But Mr Banda urged all the district leaders that had been dislodged by the Chikwelete led group to reclaim their positions following the President’s remarks.

Mr Banda who was flanked by his executive and four constituency chairpersons told the meeting which took place under a heavy presence of police at the Courtyard Hotel that all constituency and district officials should stop attending meetings called by Mr Chikwelete.

“That group must go because there is already an elected leadership in place. It is us who will laugh longer,” Mr Banda said.

He said the continued squabbles were making the party unpopular adding that he could not be removed from his position as he had performed to the expectations of the people.

Mr Banda hailed President Sata for putting an end to the squabbles and wondered why the police had not arrested the Chikwelete led executive for criminal trespass.

The Supreme Court has nullified two more parliamentary seats belonging to the opposition.The Vubwi and Zambezi West Parliamentary seats were nullified on grounds that Members of Parliament for the two seats breached the Electoral Code of Conduct during by-elections.

The Vubwi seat belonged to MMD’s Eustakio Kazonga while the Zambezi West was for United Party for National Development’s (UPND) Charles Kakoma.

[pullquote]Judge  Wanki said in his judgement although their illegal practices were not widely spread that both respondents participated in illegal activities that prevented the majority voters from electing their preferred MPs[/pullquote]

Judge Muyinda Wanki said in his judgement that both respondents participated in illegal activities that prevented the majority voters from electing their preferred MPs although their illegal practices were not widely spread.

Mr Justice Wanki said Mr.Charles Kakoma’s decision to donate a public pay-phone, given to his constituency by the Ministry of Community Development in June 2011 which he in August 2011 gave to Likungu Basic School in his capacity as MP raised so many questions.

Justice Wanki said this amounted to illegal activities because he purported to be an MP and yet Parliament had already been dissolved. Justice Wank said he should have left the task to any civil servant to deliver the public phone.Instead he donated it in his personal capacity and even signed in the visitor’s book indicating that he had made a donation.

Mr Justice Wanki said the High Court misdirected itself when it held that it could not nullify the election because the diversion of the hammer mills from Mwanse to Chinyingi did not influence the majority voters in the area.

“As already stated, once the appellant proved the illegal accusations under Section 93 (2) of the Act, there is no further burden to prove it. I therefore nullify the Zambezi West elections and order for fresh elections,” he said.

MMD’s Eustakio Kazonga was accused of giving of K20, 000 to each of the headmen that attended his meetings prior to elections.In his Judgement,Judge Muyinda Wanki said “In the circumstances I hereby find merit in the appeal and hold that Dr Kazonga was not validly elected as MP and declare his election nullified. I order that each party will bear their own costs both here and for the court below,” Mr Justice Wanki said.

He said the lower court erred when it found that the respondent had engaged himself in electoral malpractices by giving the said monies to headmen who attended his meetings but failed to nullify the election on that ground which was clear in the Electoral Act.

President Sata has described UPND leaders visit to UTH yesterday as cruel and self centred.He advised Mr.Hichilema to stop acting like a Merchant of death and scorned him for supporting the strike action.

Yesterday UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema toured UTH to assess the situation at the Hospital. Mr. Hichilema appealed to government to pay the nurses the salary they promised them and clean up all the distortions in the new salary arrangements.The UPND leader went on to write a letter to the President in which he urged President Sata to urgently intervene in the matter by committing to rewarding the nurses and midwives according his government’s earlier promise.

Mr. Hichilema said that government officials got their 100 percent increment and were paid on time and it is morally right that government does the same for the nurses and midwives.Mr. Hichilema said it is the constitutional right of the nurses to express themselves in the manner they have done and that no one should use brutality or charge them.

However President Sata has describe Mr.Hichilema as self centred with no regard for relatives and friends of those suffering as a result of the strike.

Below is the Full press statement

LUSAKA, Thursday, October 10, 2013 – His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, President of the Republic of Zambia, has advised UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to desist from acting like a ‘Merchant of Death’.

The President’s remarks comes in the wake of Mr. Hichilema’s recent visit to the University Teaching Hospital [UTH] where he went to incite the striking nurses, pharmacists and midwives not to return for work.

But President Sata said it is unfortunate that the UPND leader has embarked on a ‘cruel and self-centred’ mission of encouraging striking health workers without scruple or regard for innocent people’s lives.

The Head of State wondered how Mr. Hichilema expects the Zambian people particularly the relatives and friends of those suffering as a result of the strike to vote for him, if he is in the forefront of cheering the striking workers.

“Mr. Hichilema’s cheap attempt to gain political mileage from strikes when multitudes of our people’s lives are at stake is not only regrettable but callous. This level of self-centredness and desperation should be avoided by leaders especially those seeking public office,” President Sata said.

President Sata urged the striking nurses, pharmacists and midwives to resume work immediately stating that the Government was handling their matter competently.

Issued by:

GEORGE CHELLAH
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

THE ANTI –Corruption Commission (ACC) has denied writing a report to Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili on the findings of the investigations into alleged corrupt practices by suspend provincial police commissioner Mary Tembo.

ACC Corporate Affairs Officer Jonathan Siame said in a press statement yesterday that the commission however stated that investigations into allegations of corruption against the Ms Tembo have been concluded.

He said the story which appeared in the Post Newspaper yesterday under the headlined ‘ACC Wants Mary Tembo Arrested” was untrue and a complete fabrication.

The story alleged that the Commission on the Copperbelt submitted a report to Mr Musichili saying the evidence against suspended Ms Tembo was overwhelming and that she should be arrested.

Below is the full statement

PRESS STATEMENT

INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING MARY TEMBO

The Post Newspaper dated Wednesday 9th October 2013 carried a story on page 4 headlined, “ACC Wants Mary Tembo Arrested”. The story alleged that the Commission on the Copperbelt submitted a report to Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Musichili saying the evidence against suspended Police Copperbelt Commissioner Mary Tembo was overwhelming and that she should be arrested.

The Commission wishes to state that at no time did it write a report to the Copperbelt Permanent Secretary or any other party regarding the findings of investigations into alleged corrupt practices by Ms. Tembo.

The Story appearing in the Post is therefore untrue and a complete fabrication. It lacks merit both in content and fact.

The Commission however wishes to state that investigations into allegations of corruption against the Copperbelt Police Chief Mary Tembo have been concluded. Subsequently, a warn-and-caution statement has been recorded from Ms. Tembo and the matter is currently under legal consideration to determine the way forward.

Jonathan Siame
Corporate Affairs Officer
For/ DIRECTOR-GENERAL