Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has dismissed as fake the over one thousand four hundred cadres that were reported to have defected to the ruling Patriotic Front in Solwezi District of North Western Province.

UPND Deputy Secretary General Kuchunga Simusamba has such announcement of defections are only meant to hoodwink weak minds that the PF is earning ground in the District ahead of the July 25 Solwezi East by-election.

Mr. Simusamba notes that it is not possible to have such a massive defection members from the opposition as the 2011 general election indicated that Solwezi east has a voter turn out of slight over three thousand and that in last polls in the constituency, the winning candidate got slightly more than two thousand votes.

Mr. Simusamba has since predicated a loss for the PF in Solwezi East by-election.

Yesterday, over 1,400 MMD and UPND cadres in Solwezi district in Northwestern Province have defected to the ruling Patriotic Front.

Northwestern province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu who welcomed the defectors yesterday at Kyawama High School grounds said the increasing number of people joining PF shows the confidence they have in the leadership of president Michael Sata and his government.

Mr. Mubukwanu described the defection as a mass exodus that will greatly contribute to the growth of PF adding that people were leaving MMD and UPND because they have become irrelevant to the people and want to be in a party that is relevant.

He also said that more people are flocking to PF because they look at the ruling party as a source of hope for them and urged the new member to contribute to the well being of PF so that it meets the aspirations of the Zambian people.

“The Patriotic Front has changed the face of Zambia because it is living up to their expectations and president Sata is using politics to serve the people in this nation unlike other politicians in the past regime who used politics to satisfy their own ambitions at the expense of the Zambian people, Mr. Mubukwanu stressed.

And speaking at the same gathering Solwezi District PF chairman, Yobe Banda said many people in Northwestern province have seen the good works of the Patriotic Front and want to be part of the developmental agenda the party has put in place.

Mr. Banda said the mass defections experienced in the province is a clear indication that zambians have realised that they can keep on being in political parties that have no future.

He challenged MMD and UPND leaders Nevers Mumba and Hakainde Hichilema to point at any structure that they parties have in the region

President Sata is deeply saddened at the passing of former Bank of Zambia (BoZ) Governor Mr. Dominic Mulaisho.

The former Bank of Zambia Governor, 79 died at his Roma home in Lusaka on Sunday evening.His son, Kizito Mulaisho confirmed the death in Lusaka yesterday and said funeral was being held in Roma Township.

The late Mr Mulaisho is survived by a wife, seven children and three grandchildren.He was Bank of Zambia Governor from 1992 to 1995, he also served as Dr Kenneth David Kaunda’s economic advisor,World Bank consultant and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mines among others.

Mr Mulaisho is the author of the novels, “The Tongue of the Dumb” and “The Smoke that Thunders.”

In his message of condolences to the Mulaisho family, President Sata described the late Mr. Mulaisho, as a devoted patriot and intellectual who rendered a selfless service to the country.

“It is with profound grief that I offer my deepest condolences to the Mulaisho family on the loss of this dedicated and steadfast compatriot,” President Sata said.

The President said the late Mr. Mulaisho was a gifted thinker who showed brilliance in many national responsibilities he executed.

“Our departed colleague and brother gallantly served this country during his distinguished career. Therefore, his illustrious services will be deeply missed by all of us. We beseech the Almighty God to grant the bereaved family comfort and strength as they face this tragic loss”

The First Ladies’ Summit, dubbed ‘Investing in women: Strengthening Africa’ has opened in Dar es Salaa, Tanzania, with a call from Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, on African countries to invest in women to enhance development.

The Summit, which is co-sponsored by the Bush Institute and ExxonMobil, is also being attended by United States First Lady, Michelle Obama, Former United States First Lady, Laura Bush, and Former British Prime Minister’s Wife, Cherie Blair.

Zambia’s First Lady, Christine Kaseba, who arrived in Tanzania this morning, also attended the official opening of the conference.

Other First Ladies from African countries who attended the Summit include Ethiopia’s Roman Tesfaye, Mozambique’s Maria Guebuza, Sierra Leone’s Sia Nyama Karoma and Uganda’s Janet Museveni, South Africa’s Nomumelelo Zuma and host First Lady, Salma Kikwete.

President Kikwete noted that investing in women and ensuring that they are empowered economically benefits the country as a whole.

“The theme of this summit has come at a right time. Women are the backbone of the family, so investing in women is not optional but a matter of priority,” he said.

He noted that women play critical roles in the development of the country as they look after children, ensuring that children are healthy and educated, hence the need for the women to be empowered.

President Kikwete noted that despite the important contribution that women make, they are the most affected by poverty as they do not control the wealth they create, adding that women still have problems in accessing health care.

“Investing in women will also help them access quality health care, education and access to credit. Once they are empowered, countries will be assured of food security, increased productivity and improved health resulting in the development of the country,” he noted.

Mr Kikwete noted that in Africa women work more than men and commended women for the multiple roles they play in wealth creation.

And Tanzanian First Lady, Salma Kitwete, said the theme ‘Investing in women strengthening Africa’ was relevant to the needs of African communities as it was considering three themes which are significant to the wellbeing of the African women.

Mrs Kikwete said the themes are education, entrepreneurship and innovation and health, adding that the summit will provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and share best practices.

She said the summit will also provide an opportunity for the First Ladies to visit some model sites, among them Ocean Road Cancer Institute CCBRT Hospital and Mabinti Centre to help showcase Tanzanians efforts towards transformation of its communities.

And speaking during the same function United States former First Lady, Laura Bush, said advancing women’s economic empowerment, health and education is imperative to development.

Mrs Bush said the inclusion of women in all areas of society increases stability and prosperity of countries as investment in women results in better outcomes for entire families, communities and nations.
And in a conversation between the Former United States First lady and United States First Lady Michelle Obama moderated by Cokie Roberts, Mrs Obama called on First Ladies to speak up on important issues that affect their countries to help address the challenges being faced in their countries.

Mrs Obama said women are endowed with power, passion and are unique and can help bring a difference in their countries.

She also appealed to parents to invest in education equally among boys and girls.

“I came from a family where my parents did not have much money, but they invested in my brothers and my education equally. That is why I am where I am today,” she said.

AN attempt by a man to effect a citizen’s arrest on a taxi driver who attempted to run away after hitting a pedestrian ended tragically as the man was killed by the same taxi

The incident happened on Saturday around 09.00hrs in Chifubu when Anthony Malimba, 25, a transport officer with Equator Import and Exports, died as he tried to wrestle the car keys from the taxi driver but the skidding car threw him into a drainage and landed on top of him.

After hitting the pedestrian, the driver fled in his taxi but alert residents pursued him into a centre road that led him to a dead end when he came up against a broken down vehicle in the middle of the road with his pursuers were closing in.

An eye witness, Cletus Chanda who is a consultant at Equator Import said Mr Malimba was rushed to Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The funeral is being held at the deceased’s father’s house in Masala Township while the condition of the pedestrian who was hit was not immediately known as attention was drawn to the tragic death of Mr Malimba.

Mr Chanda said the matter was reported to Kansenshi police who also confirmed that it was not the first time the same taxi driver had knocked down a pedestrian.

For his troubles, the taxi driver only identified as Mumba, also sustained serious head injuries from the accident and was currently admitted to the casualty ward at the NCH.

When contacted for a comment, Copperbelt Police Commissioner Mary Tembo said her office had not yet received a report on the matter.

The opposition Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) has announced its plans to launch a Rupiah Bwezani Banda Come Back Campaign ahead of the 2016 general elections.

In a statement released to Qfm, ZDDM president Edwin Sakala says his party will start by first collecting signatures across the country from people interested in his the former head of state’s come back.

Mr. Sakala notes that after his party has collected the required number of signatures of about a million, it be then that the ZDDM will approach Mr. Banda to make a decision based on what the people have decided on his political come back.

Mr. Sakala further notes that his party will also negotiate with other opposition political parties to come together and form a political party, United Opposition Front (UOF) for the sake of protecting Zambia from the assault the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is doing since its formation of government.

Mr. Sakala has explained that the reason his party has preferred to choose Mr. Banda for the United Opposition Front, it is because his party understands that it will be easy for him to sell to the people of Zambia as they already know him from the influence he had as the head of state.

The ZDDM president has affirmed that his party’s plans to launch a Rupiah Bwezani Banda Come Back Campaign and for the UOF is in view of the alleged a mess the PF administration has put the country in and that unless something is done the country is allegedly going to fall into irreparable doom.

His Royal Highness, senior Chief Nsokolo of the Mambwe people in Mbala in Northern Province has appealed to the Government through the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to enforce a law compelling public transporters to travel during the day instead of in the night to avert more deaths arising from road accidents which have claimed more than 100 lives since last year.

In reference to the recent accident which occurred in Chisamba, 15 kilometers from Lusaka involving a tanker and a CV-bus which was travelling from Mpulungu to Lusaka last week and claimed more than four lives, his Royal Highness attributed the tragedy to the fatigue by bus drivers that are forced to move all night without resting.

He noted that most bus operators sought to make money from their crew travelling in the night and later continue during the day.Chief Nsokolo said there is need for Government and RTSA to initiate a deliberate policy in which all public transport will be compelled to travel from early morning and reach their destinations before dusk to allow them to rest for the next day’s trip to various destinations and save lives.

“These accidents can be avoided if the Government changed the law compelling all buses and other public transporters to move from as early as 06.00hrs to 18.00 hrs as this will help reduce road accidents.

Issued by:
Jeff. S. Kapembwa
Senior Chief Nsokolo’s Spokesperson