MMD acting national secretary Kapembwa Simbao and his deputy Chembe Nyangu have urged the Lusaka High Court to order for the immediate release of 101 motor vehicles that were seized from the opposing political party shortly after the 2011 elections.

Mr Simbao and Mr Chembe yesterday told the court during cross examination that they are not aware that some of the 101 motor vehicles they were claiming from the State were used as collateral for MMD rentals while another was sold by an MMD Member of Parliament (MP).

This is in a matter in which the MMD is challenging the seizure of its 101 motor vehicles by the police.Mr Simbo who is Senga Hill Member of Parliament (MP) told Judge Annie Sitali during continued trial yesterday that the seizure of the motor vehicles by the police had created unfair operations of the party as it has been deprived of the usage of the said vehicles since September last year.

During their different testimonies the two said it was not true that the vehicles were procured using funds suspected to have been proceeds of crime but that the MMD had embarked on several fundraising ventures
including hosting of “meet the President” dinners among others to raise funds to purchase the vehicles.
Mr Simbao said it was for this reason that MMD was demanding that the vehicles be released forthwith as it appeared that there was no reason why the police should continue holding the vehicles.

He urged the court to order that the MMD be awarded damages and be compensated for the loss of use of the vehicles for two years now and the deprivation that it has suffered resulting from the impounding of
the vehicles.

Mr Simbao said if information the secretariat was receiving to the fact that the vehicles were now in bad condition since they had been exposed to rains, wind and rust among others, the State should be ordered to compensate it because “the vehicles drove into these police stations so they must be able to drive out of the police stations.”

Mr Simbao and Mr Nyangu, however, told the court that they were not aware that one vehicle was used as collateral for rentals at National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) building, one had been sold by an MP
in February this year and the third was still in possession of another MP.

They said it was difficult for them to know because police swung into action impounding vehicles countrywide immediately after the PF had been announced winner making it difficult for Mr Nyangu to know how many were impounded.

Mr Simbao and Nyangu said according to the seizure notice that they were issued with, only 39 vehicles were on the list and they have since written to the Inspector General of police on the matter.

Trial continues on November 8, 2013.

THE Patriotic Front (PF) choice of the candidate for the forthcoming Mansa by-election has taken a new twist with some constituency officials and members rejecting the recent public claim by former MMD area Member of Parliament Chrispin Musosha that President Michael Sata wanted him to re-contest the seat under the ruling party ticket.

In a statement released in Mansa yesterday, the signatories have instead demanded that the PF adopt Mr James Kabweta who is a well known founder member and organiser of the party and had worked for the ruling party since inception.

The signatories contended that Mr Musosha was on record as having been among the top MMD leaders who made life difficult for the PF, its leaders and members when the now ruling party was in the opposition.

“We are hereby compelled to make the following joint declaration that we unreservedly reject the said claim by Mr Musosha with the contempt it deserves because his anti-PF stance and violence are well documented countrywide,” they said.

They further noted that Mr Kabwita was a popular PF founder, organiser and leader who even offered his personal business premises to be used as the operational and organisational centre for the PF in the province under difficult circumstances.

“We are solidly in support of the candidature of Mr Kabwita because he is the well known founder member of our party who sacrificed a lot for the PF,” they said.

Last week Mr Musosha announced at a public rally in Mansa addressed by Vice President Guy Scott his resignation from the MMD to join the PF saying that infact President Sata wanted him to recontest the Mansa Central seat under the PF ticket.

T sean released the video for his song “Awe”

BY KAPA187

Parliament adjourned prematurely on Tuesday evening following a series of points of order raised by at least four opposition Members of Parliament, who sought rulings from the Speaker on whether the Chief Whip, Yamfwa Mukanga, was in order to constantly allow Cabinet Ministers absenteeism to continue unabated.

MPs indicated that sitting after sitting, the majority of the Ministers abscond themselves from the House without the Chief Whip providing any explanation despite numerous points of orders on the matter.

During Tuesday’s sitting, points of orders on the same concern were raised by Gwembe MP, Brian Ntundu, Sinda MP, Levy Ngoma, Chipata Central MP, Mtolo Phiri, and Solwezi Central MP, Lucky Mulusa, who sought explanations on why the Ministers must stay away from such important debates such as the President’s State of the Nation Address.

This is unprecedented in the history of Parliament where Parliament’s business has had to be curtailed as a result of lack of seriousness from the ruling party.

Meanwhile, despite the MPs demanding an explanation, the Chief Whip remained mute as the reason for the absence would not have gone down well with Parliamentarians.

Reliable sources from within the PF indicate that the reason the entire government was missing was that they had gone to deal with issues surrounding the embattled PF Secretary General Winter Kabimba.

The only Cabinet Ministers available were; Minister for Defence, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, Minister for Education, John Phiri, and Minister for Works and Supply, Transport, and Telecommunications, who is also, Chief Whip, Yamfwa Mukanga.

The rest were absent, some together with their deputy Ministers thus making debate of the President’s speech an academic exercise.

In total less than 33 MPs from the government were present out of a possible total of 85 comprising ministers appointed from the opposition, nominated MPs, and PF MPs.

Source: Zambia reports

NATIONAL RESTORATION PARTY
PRESS STATEMENT

PF AND ITS ENDLESS WRANGLES AND CONFUSION

When the Patriotic Front was in opposition, they made numerous promises to the people of Zambia. They managed to woo the people into voting for them and they have been waiting for two years for the promises to be fulfilled but to no avail.

Just recently, the people of Luapula gave Republican Vice President the “Mansa electoral welcome” by singing sorrowful songs about how they have been abandoned hoping he would understand their suffering. Unfortunately, they were told by an irate Vice President, to be patient for at least another 5 years in order for the PF to deliver on their promises.

This is not the way a caring government is supposed to respond to the cry of the people. Dr. Scott should spend a little time wondering why – as republican Vice President – he is never left in charge of the country when the President is out of station.

The cry of the people of Mansa is a common cry all over the country. Up to now, students from government universities and colleges lack hostel accommodation – a serious issue that the PF have failed to resolve. Load-shedding is the order of the day for the relatively few who have access to electricity and quality healthcare is still a distant dream for the majority.

While all this is happening, the Vice President and his Party appear to have all the time in the world to quarrel with each other over who will succeed President Sata!

We have only one question to ask: Why in the face of the ongoing wrangles in his Party, in the face of the cries of the multitudes in rural communities, in the face of the crippling effects of the removal of subsidies has the President remained silent? Where has all the energy gone that drove our charismatic leader to queue up at filling stations when there were fuel shortages? We know that the 90 day promises were a gimmick but we expect that after 2 years some real progress would be made towards meeting the demands of the people who only want an honest way to put more food on their table each day.

We urge the republican president to put a halt to the wrangling in his Party and focus his ministers on the jobs they were appointed to perform.

National Restoration Party (NAREP)
1st October 2013