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Secretary General of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Wynter Kabimba
Justice Minister Winter Kabimba has reiterated government’s stand on the removal of subsidies.
Mr. Kabimba says government will not bow to pressure to remove the subsidies on both fuel and maize.
ZANIS reports that the Justice minister said this when he featured on a Zambia National Broadcasting cooperation (ZNBC) television program, dubbed Sunday Interview.
Mr. Kabimba said government will not be sidetracked from making prudent financial decisions by members of the public who were misinterpreting policies.
The Justice minister , who is also ruling Patriotic Front Secretary General , said government’s removal of subsidies is a positive economic move which should be seen as temporal setback but whose benefits will be appreciated in the long term.
He added that according to the ministry of finance, government will gain over KR300 million every month from the removal of subsidies on fuel alone which will be used in driving the nation to economic reliance.
Mr. Kabimba also noted that the PF has not diverted from its manifesto and maintained that all the programmes that government is pursing are enshrined in the party manifesto.
He further regretted that many people have not endeavored to read and understand the PF manifesto as it stands as a policy framework for government operations.
Last week, several stakeholders including the civil society attacked government for going ahead to remove subsidies on fuel.
The parties demanded that government should rescind its position. In the same cause a n umber of varsity students namely Copperbelt, Mulungushi and University of Zambia were arrested for breaching public piece.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) public relations manager Timothy Moono has described the ongoing investigations of alleged corruption against the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) suspended Chief Executive Officer professor Clive Chirwa and the dissolved board as steadily progressing well.
Mr. Moono has disclosed to Qfm that the commission is receiving desirable cooperation from both Prof. Chirwa and members of the dissolved board.
In April this year, President Michael Sata suspended Prof. Chirwa soon after Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Christopher Yaluma dissolved the ZRL board to pave way for the ACC’s investigations into reports of alleged corrupt practices and abuse of authority at the ZRL.
Both Prof. Chirwa and the dissolved ZRL Board of Directors had accused each other of alleged misappropriation of the ZRL funds.
James Mwape covered himself in a head sock while Philip Mubiana covered himself in a blank coat after appearing in court in a matter in which there are charged for unature sexual act
Zambian authorities should dismiss all charges and release two men arrested for engaging in homosexual acts, Human Rights Watch said.
The police should immediately cease forensic anal examinations, which are intrusive, invasive and constitute cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in violation of international law.
On May 6, 2013, police in the Kapiri Mposhi district in central Zambia arrested James Mwansa and Phillip Mubiana in response to reports from neighbors that the two were engaging in homosexual acts. Both men were subjected to anal examinations without their consent by forensic doctors at the Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital, as part of the police investigation.
On May 8, the district magistrate formally charged Mwansa and Mubiana, and denied their request for a postponement even though they had no legal representation.
“It’s bad enough that Zambia wants to prosecute these two men for homosexual acts, but to subject them to invasive examinations is just outrageous,” said Monica Tabengwa, researcher in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Program at Human Rights Watch.”The authorities should immediately drop the charges and free them, and stop bringing such cases.”
The arrest, detention, and prosecution of men suspected of homosexual acts is only one aspect of a looming human rights crisis for LGBT people in Zambia. Since April, politicians, religious, and community leaders have been carrying out vicious campaigns to vilify LGBT people, Human Rights Watch said.
Juliet Mphande, director of Lusaka-based LGBT organization Friends of Rainka, told Human Rights Watch that Mwansa and Mubiana, both 21, were coerced to confess to the allegations and have been deprived of adequate food and water in detention.
This is the second time the men have been arrested on similar charges, Human Rights Watch said. In April,the two men were arrested and detained for a week before being released on bail on a charge of engaging in “carnal knowledge against the order of nature,” as set out in the Zambian Penal Code.
The Zambian government is obligated under international law and its own constitution to respect the private lives and personal liberties of everyone in the country, and to cease prosecuting people for consensual adult sex, Human Rights Watch said.
Forensic anal examinations are used on suspected homosexuals in various countries to prove “habitual” anal penetration, Human Rights Watch said. The tests are intrusive, invasive, and abusive, and they violate the individual’s rights to integrity, dignity, and privacy. They are a cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment that may amount to torture, violating the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all of which Zambia has ratified.
The examinations have no forensic or evidentiary value for consensual homosexual acts. They are contrary to medical ethics as laid out by the World Medical Association and the United Nations Principles of Medical Ethics Relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, Particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Principle 4 of the UN principles states:
It is a contravention of medical ethics for health personnel, particularly physicians… to apply their knowledge and skills in order to assist in the interrogation of prisoners and detainees in a manner that may adversely affect the physical or mental health or condition of such prisoners or detainees and which is not in accordance with the relevant international instruments.
“Medical professionals participate in a miscarriage of justice when they subject people arrested for homosexuality to anal examinations,” Tabengwa said. “These invasive procedures are painful and humiliating and can be a form of torture. They should be banned immediately and evidence obtained should be declared inadmissible.”
The Zambian government should respect its own constitutional provisions guaranteeing non-discrimination and equality before the law by ordering an immediate halt to arrests and prosecutions based on suspicion of homosexual conduct. As part of its obligation to protect and promote human rights for all, the government should also repeal all laws criminalizing consensual sexual sex between adults, including Penal Code sections 155 (“Unnatural Offences”), 156 (“attempt to commit unnatural offences”), and 158(“indecent practices between persons of the same sex”), Human Rights Watch said. These provisions provide maximum penalties from 5 years to life in prison.
The recent efforts in Zambia to vilify LGBT people have publicly portrayed homosexuality as immoral and un-African. The government’s unwillingness to assert constitutional protections and ensure redress for discrimination and abuse of minorities, as well as the arbitrary arrest and prosecution of individuals suspected of homosexual acts, show the vulnerability of the country’s LGBT community.
On April 10, on Radio Phoenix, on a live radio panel discussion among religious leaders led by the former Orthodox Bishop Edward Chomba, another religious leader suggested that the most appropriate way to deal with gay people was death. The minister of youth and sports, Chishimba Kambwili, called in during the program and said defenders of the rights of LGBT people were “agents of the devil.” He also said that the Zambian government will be “introducing stiffer penalties against homosexuality,” instead of repealing the existing laws.
A police spokeswoman, Elizabeth Kanjela, told the media that homosexuality was a serious offense and appealed to the public to report anyone involved to the police. This statement followed a news report involving the attempt of four gay couples to register marriages during the Easter holidays. Same-sex marriage is an offense under Zambian law. The attempt to register same-sex-marriages provoked an outcry from several traditional and religious leaders who wrote a letter to the Daily Mail newspaper calling for “gays to be caged.” The LGBT community has never raised same-sex marriage as a priority in Zambia.
When the human rights defender Paul Kasokomona appeared on Muvi TV on April 6 to discuss LGBT and HIV issues, he was arrested as he left the television station. He was denied bail for five days, then finally released on April 11. He was charged with “soliciting in a public place for immoral purposes” and faces a court appearance on May 22. If convicted, Kasokomona may be imprisoned for one month or fined.
“The Zambian government should take immediate action against government officials who make discriminatory statements against LGBT people, or arrest or detain them,” Tabengwa said. “The attacks on LGBT people need to stop.”
Two senior managers at Multi-choice Zambia died in a fatal accident in Chibombo last evening on Sunday 19th May 2013.This is according to a statement released by Multi choice Zambia.
The two managers are Amos Sakazhila aged fifty three (53yrs) the Operations Manager and Danny Kayonga aged thirty nine (39yrs) the Finance Manager. The General Manager Simon Bota who was also in the same vehicle is in hospital and his condition is stable.
The flooded stream and the bridge that was washed away along Mamba Batoka road in Sinazongwe does not stop this boy from pushing his bicycle to his destination.
Words of Encouragement
Why make a fuss just because your wife forgot your birthday present, or your husband never picked you up from work in time or you missed the bus to Livingstone where you had planned a cool weekend with your friends.
There are people out there fighting to overcome serious life threatening diseases and unbearable life hurdles. We ought to appreciate life much better”. Life is a special gift…….
Challenges and difficulties are a part of life and words of encouragement can often help you get out of your rut. It’s easy to tell someone to hang in there and to keep a positive outlook when they are going through tough times, but when it happens to you, keeping your chin up isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Even so, it’s not impossible.
There are a lot of things you can do to help yourself stand up and move forward. Whether you’ve been dealt with a setback while working towards your goal, lost a loved one, or just feel down.
Inspirational words of encouragement do help.
Words can have a powerful impact on your mindset. Although we’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me”, the fact is that words really do have an impact on how we feel. Often, when things seem pointless, when you’ve just come face to face with yet another loss, it can seem as though it’s the end. It can seem as though no matter how hard you try, the life that you want will always be just out of your reach.
[pullquote]Those who succeed in life and get what they want, actually face the same difficulties as you and me.[/pullquote]
I was recently visiting someone very dear to me in hospital. I can clearly remember how the mood was when I got there. It was low and the people who came to visit the patient were shy to look at each other in the eyes. It was as if we were all strangers. Then someone decided to sing a gospel song and pray for our loved one…. BOOM the mood changed and it brought brightness and encouragement in our hearts. It brought hope and a drive in me and I think to everybody around the patient, yes we can… We looked at each other for the first time. I could feel the fighting drive in me. “Why should I give up when my loved one had not yet given up on his life? Who am I? I am far much better than this.” I thought to myself.
During difficult times, positive words of encouragement can help you shift your focus. When it comes down to it, how you feel is really just about what you focus on. What words of inspiration and encouragement will do for you is help you put things into perspective.
Who doesn’t go through losses, setbacks, and challenges? We all do. Those who succeed in life and get what they want, actually face the same difficulties as you and me. If anything, they probably deal with more challenges than most people. The thing that makes them different is how they respond and react to these challenges.
When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.
If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.
If you’re going through hell, keep going. Its just like turbulence, the pilot never gives up. He continues flying. Maybe he changes the route but he continues flying.
Seeing a dear friend in your position. What would you say to encourage them?
Are you really going to let this defeat you? After all the work, sweat, and tears you have put into this, you are going to give up now?
Time heals all wounds.
You’re not alone. Many have gone before you. Many will go after you. The important thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep on going.
I hope this will encourage and inspire you to never give up despite different challenges in your life.
Children make their way along a road littered with garbage in Kalikiliki township
Zambia is ranked as Africa’s highest producer of copper and yet we have little or nothing to show for this in terms of poverty reduction because most of the proceeds from the commodity sales in London continue slipping through our fingers due to weak laws.
Today there is a report by the Zambia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (ZEITI) saying the mining sector is expected to grow to US$1.35 billion by 2015 from US$590 million in 2010.
The ZEITI 2010 summary reconciliation report presented at a press briefing in Lusaka last week by head of secretariat Soforiano Banda says the mining sector is expected to grow to about 50 per cent in 2015. [pullquote]out of almost US$10 billion exported last year Zambia only earned a measly US$250 million in taxes[/pullquote] The good part of this report is that Zambia is ranked as the country with the ninth known largest copper reserves in the world and is seventh copper producer in the world.It is actually number one in Africa with regards to real copper production.
The sad part is that Zambia is among the 20 poorest countries in the world and out of almost US$10 billion exported last year Zambia only earned a measly US$250 million in taxes.
This is the sad reality the country finds itself in and maybe only God will help salvage the situation because taxing the mining firms appears like a serious challenge to not only Zambia but many countries as well.
As we reflect on revelations that Zambia was ranked the 7th largest producer of mined recovered copper in the world in 2010, it is vital to assess how much the country is earning from this sector.
It is becoming evident that that Zambia is not getting a fair share of the taxes it deserves from this crucial sector.It is said that if Zambia received the same price that Switzerland got for its copper exports, our country’s gross domestics product (GDP) would almost double. Yet it is our country that God blessed with copper and foreign investors continue ‘robbing’ the country of its resources with little benefit for the rest of the country.
We are aware that Zambia is expected to increase its copper output within the next two years but our main concern is how much of the exported revenue will accrue back to Zambia? Copper accounts for almost 80 percent of Zambia’s export earnings and yet it only contributed about 11 per cent to the GDP.
We are therefore urging authorities to ensure that more taxes are captured from copper exports so that the country can get enough resources to ensure that more tax is collected for development.With more taxes, this translates into more social investments which could go a long way in helping to alleviate poverty and help to improve the living standards of our people.
The protests about removal of fuel or maize subsidies could be history because the increased taxes of the largest industry in the country will reduce strain on Government.
Whilst Zambia is expecting a substantial increase in mine output, we are hoping to equally see a reasonable increase in terms of how much the mines contribute to revenue so that eventually the formal sector can also start paying lower taxes.
The Ndola High Court has sentenced a 46-year-old man to death by hanging for stabbing to death his sister during a quarrel.
High Court Judge Petronella Ngulube sentenced to death John Shula of House Number 6409 Kaloko Township in Ndola after convicting him of murder.
Shula on November 8, 2010 killed his sister Euphrasia Nkweto.?According to facts presented in court, Shula picked up a quarrel with his sister when he returned from a drinking spree.
He stabbed his sister with a knife and she died after falling down.
The court had heard that when another brother tried to rescue her, Shula assaulted him.
A post mortem was conducted at Ndola Central Hospital and indicated that the death was due to knife injuries sustained during the fight.
When placed on defence, Shula opted to remain silent and refused to mitigate.
In passing sentence, Ms Justice Ngulube said Shula was found with the knife he used in the act and that he failed to defend himself when placed on defence.
“The prosecution has proved your case beyond reasonable doubt, I find you guilty of the offence, and I convict you accordingly as charged,” Justice Ngulube told the accused.
Ms Justice Ngulube said the crime committed was grave and was sentencing Shula to death by hanging until pronounced dead.
[Times of Zambia]
ATTORNEY General, Mumba Malila has said his office has made tremendous progress towards the preparations for the sitting of a tribunal to probe the alleged professional misconduct of the three suspended judges expected to start sittings next week.
Mr Malila said in an interview yesterday that all was going on well and his office was expected to finalize its submission requirements for the tribunal this week in readiness for next week’s sitting.
The tribunal which is headed by Malawi High Court Judge, Lovemore Chikopa is expected to hear alleged professional misconduct of Supreme court Judge Philip Musonda and High Court Judges, Nigel Mutuna and Charles Kajimanga.
Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda on May 9, 2013 delivered a majority judgment to the effect that President Michael Sata was within his powers to suspend the judges and subsequently appoint a tribunal to probe them.
Ms Justice Chibesakunda had however due to the nature of the case advised not to go ahead with the tribunal, the advice, Mr Malila said was unsolicited as the judgment in itself was clear that the president was on firm ground to call for the probing of the judges.
Mr Malila yesterday said preparations of the tribunal were going on well but all what remained was for filing of necessary documents which were requested by the tribunal secretariat.
Mr Malila said that his office was still conducting preliminary issues as it has to meet rules tabulated by the tribunal before it could start sitting.
He said that the tribunal has requested for the submission of statements of allegation, list of witnesses, witness statements and other documents which his office was expected to submit this week “ We are still in doing the preliminary issues because only last week, we were requested to submit a list of witnesses and statement of our arguments to the tribunal which we will be working on this week and because of that, we have requested for more time before the tribunal can start sitting” Mr Malila said.
Mr Malila said that everything was expected to be finalized this week before the tribunal could start its sitting next week.
Mr Sata had suspended the three judges over their conduct in a civil case involving the Development Bank of Zambia as complainant, and the Post Newspapers Limited, Mutembo Nchito and JNC Holdings Limited as defendants.
The judges took the matter to court but the final judgment by the Supreme Court said Mr Sata was within the law to appoint a tribunal and did not breach his Constitutional powers.
The tribunal would comprise of Judge Chikopa as chairperson and members Justices Thomas Ndhlovu and Naboth Mwanza, as well as Chipili Katunasa as secretary.
Zambians need to work hard and sacrifice in order for the country’s development agenda to propel forward, President Michael Sata has said.
Mr Sata said Governments decision to remove subsidies was meant to equitably spread the national cake to all Zambians
He said Government could not maintain the fuel subsidy at the expense of many Zambians especially those in rural areas wallowing in abject poverty hence the need to adroitly uplift their livelihood.
Mr Sata has since called for sacrifice and hard work among Zambians citing first republican President Kenneth Kaunda, freedom fighter Grey Zulu and others who greatly sacrificed for national development.
“Why should poor people particular those in rural areas continue to suffer? We can’t have fuel subsidies when majority of Zambians are living poverty. Removal of these subsidies are meant to benefit all Zambians to improve their welfare,” he said
Mr Sata was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he officiated at the Inter-denominational Thanksgiving service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross to commemoration this year’s Africa Freedom Day and the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU).
This year’s commemoration theme is dubbed ‘Building on 50 years of African solidarity and striving towards peace, development and prosperity for all’.
President Sata said Zambians should learn to work hard like Dr Kaunda and Mr Zulu among other freedom fighters that fought hard and incalculably sacrificed their lives for the betterment of citizens.
He said the people of Zambia were currently enjoying a peaceful atmosphere because of Dr Kaunda and Mr Zulu remained disciplined, committed and focused to ensure Zambia was liberated.
He said there was need for people to remain prayerful, steadfast and committed to the work of God especially that Zambia was now 49 years after attaining independence from colonial masters.
“God is seeing all of us and all good things we do will come to us. Even you Diplomats, you should thank God for coming to Zambia as peaceful nation,” he said
President Sata read the second Bible reading taken from the book of Isaiah 61:1-3 while the first reading was conducted by Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia executive director Pukuta Mwanza from Leviticus 25:10-12.
And Rev Mwanza said commemoration of the Africa Freedom day was an important because it reminded people of the past and hence the need for Africans to look to the future with a new hope for continued peace in the continent.
“We pray with faith in a great God that he will enable us to surmount the probelsm we face and continue to overcome the challenges on our continent,” he said
Rev Mwanza said Africa was always treated as a silent partner in dealing with the West which had adverse effects on the development agenda of African continent.
He said the imposition of unfair demands of Africa governments had made it difficult for the AU agenda to be realised immediately though it had produced significant achievements in some areas.
And delivering a sermon during the fully packed church, Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) chairperson Bishop David Masupa called on opposition leaders to offer positive and not negative criticism to Government.
He said it would not always help opposition leaders to negatively attack Government without calling for amicable solutions and dialogue to iron-out pressing matters.
Earlier, President arrived at the church around 13:35 hours and was received by Cabinet Minister among other Defence Minister Geoffrey Mwamba, Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Christopher Yaluma and Defence chiefs.
As the Head of State was walking into the building, scores of Patriotic Front (PF) cadres sang songs of solidarity and police had a tough time to control the almost unruly cadres while chores members also sang melodiously inside the building.
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini, acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda and other Cabinet and Deputy Minister also participated in the prayers.
Among politicians in attendance were National Restoration Party president Elias Chipimo who called for continued peace and harmony among Zambians while People’s Party leader Mike Mulongoti was grateful for unity and peace prevailing in the country.
Given Singuluma and Nathan Sinkala today inspired TP Mazembe to victory in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Mazembe beat Liga Muculmana of Mozambique 4-1 in Lubumbashi in a last 16, first leg match.
Singuluma scored Mazembe’s second goal in the 34th minute after Richard Kissi-Boateng of Ghana put the DR Congo ahead in the 16th minute.
Tanzania international striker Mbwana Samatta added Mazembe’s third in the 53rd minute before Sinkala completed the homesides win after converting an 80th minute penalty.
Mazembe needs only a draw in Maputo in a fortnight’s time to qualify to Group B of the Confederation Cup in July.
Kitwe United shot to the top of the FAZ Division One North table after stunning National Assembly 1-0 on Sunday away in Lusaka.
Talented striker Jacob Phiri scored a lone goal late in the second half as the Buchi Boys displaced Assembly from the top of the table.
United and Indeni are on 21 points but the Kitwe side enjoy a better goal difference.
United have a disputed unplayed Week Six fixture against Kansanshi Dynamos of Solwezi.
Meanwhile, Indeni beat visiting FQM Mining 2-0 in Ndola on Sunday while Mufulira Wanderers drew 1-1 with Chambishi in Kitwe.
Adilson Da Silva of Brazil today walked away with his second-ever Zambia Open title.
Da Silva, whose first win was in 2010 in Ndola, won this year’s Zambia at Lusaka Golf Club by one shot carding a four round total of 11-under281, denying South African Martin du Toit who dominated the first two rounds of this year’s tournament.
2011 Zambia Open champion Justin Harding of South Africa finished six shots behind Da Silva on five under-287.
Meanwhile, Zambian golfer Madalitso Muthiya finished 19th and seven shots behind Da Silva on four-under 288 while the formers compatriot Patrick Mwendapole finished in 55th position with seven-over 299.
Police Spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela has said the 31 UNZA students who were apprehended on Friday have been released.
She said after screening them, 25 were students from UNZA while the remaining 12 were ordinary citizens caught up in the fracas.
The students have since paid admission of guilt fees.
And Ms Kanjela said the situation at UNZA has normalised and has implored students not to take the law in their own hands.
She also refuted claims by some students that the hostel which caught fire when students rioted was caused by a canister.
She said the Police have called on experts to determine the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe maintained peace over the weekend with students conducting themselves in an orderly manner despite last Friday’s class boycott to their grievances over alleged poor handling of the economy by Government.
A check around the campus over the weekend found peace and order prevailing at the second highest learning institution in the country.
Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) president Oscar Mbewe said in an interview that the university experienced peace and order during the weekend as the students did not engage in any disorderly conduct.
“The weekend was incident free. We didn’t witness any form of unruly conduct and behavior among the students,” he said.
Mr Mbewe, however, said the students were scheduled to hold their meeting later in the evening at which a position was expected to be made on their next course of action following the Friday’s class boycott, which they termed ‘National Holiday’.
Kapiri-Mposhi FIFA referee Jani Sikazwe on Saturday responded to Nchanga Rangers officials who criticised him after their team’s 1-0 loss to Nkana.
Sikazwe challenged angry Nchanga officials and supporters who confronted him after the match to start refereeing if they thought he was not performing accordingly.
“Mukambeko naimwe ukulisha ( You should start officiating as well),” he said in bemba.
Sikazwe had sent off Rangers defender McDuff Chungu just after the break before dismissing Nkana winger Kelvin Mubanga who was the lone goal scorer on the nick of full time.
New FAZ life member and ex-Nchanga secretary Jim Chongo was among individuals that confronted Sikazwe on his way to the change room after the Super Division Week Nine match.
More than ten yellow cards were flashed in the match.
FILE: PRESIDENT Michael Sata (r) flashes the Patriotic Front symbol while singings the national anthem at the campaign rally. On his immediate left is former Provincial Minister in MMD government Daniel Munkombwe, former Member of Parliament Rev. Howard Sikwela and Candidate for PF Lawrence Evans at Villa grounds in Livingstone
Southern Province Minister, Daniel Munkombwe has accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema of dishonesty over subsidies.
And justifying the removal of subsidies, Health Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga reiterated that maintaining subsidies would have perpetuated the current gap between the rich and poor people despite the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growing at 7 per cent annually.
Mr. Munkombwe, a veteran politician says Mr. Hichilema as an economist is enlightened enough to know the long term benefits of the removal of fuel and maize subsidies than politicising the issue.
ZANIS reports that the provincial minister was speaking today when Health Deputy Minister, Christopher Mulenga called on him at his Office in Choma, the new Provincial Capital for Southern Province.
Mr. Munkombwe further accused Mr. Hichilema of being a paranoid and dishonest leader who thrives on the misery of the majority poor people as evident during the privatisation programme where he emerged as a major beneficiary of the programme.
He explained that the PF government is working tirelessly to reverse the under-development that was recorded under the previous MMD administration by equitable distribution of resources across the country.
Mr. Munkombwe challenged Mr. Hichilema to tell the nation when he started identifying himself with the majority poor people apart from boasting of his wealth that he got from the privatization programme.
Earlier, Health Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga reiterated that maintaining subsidies would have perpetuated the current gap between the rich and poor people despite the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growing at 7 per cent annually
Mr. Mulenga explained that it was because of subsidies that Zambians have been complaining that despite the country’s GDP growing at 7 per cent annually, economic growth does not translate into tangible poverty reduction.
He said Zambia needs a strong and visionary leader like President Michael Sata who is ready to face grave political consequences for doing the right thing unlike cheer leaders who always to wants to deceive their people that things are ok when not.
Mr. Mulenga said the huge savings that will accrue from the removal of subsidies will be prudently utilised in developing the whole country without segregation.
The Health Deputy Minister is the Province to check on new and ongoing infrastructure development since the realignment of the Ministry of Health.
President Michael Sata realigned the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health in line with the PF manifesto in order to improve the sector.
He is accompanied By Southern Province Medical Officer, Dr. Lutangu Alisheke and other senior MoH officials.
