Director of Communications in the Office of the MMD President Muhabi Lungu has slammed Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba for threatening to withhold Rupiah Banda’s monthly pension.

Mr. Kabimba was quoted in the local media threatening thats government will have no choice but to stop releasing Mr. Banda’s monthly pension if he continues involving himself in politics.

Mr. Kabimba’s warning stemmed from Mr. Banda’s international lawyer Robert Amsterdam’s continued defence of Mr. Banda in the media from perceived political attacks on his client.

[pullquote]It is petty and childish for a learned Counsel to be making such threats when he fully knows that Mr. Banda voluntarily retired from politics and he deserves to get his pension because he worked for it,” Mr. Lungu stated.[/pullquote]

But Mr. Lungu said the Justice Minister is being childish by threatening Mr. Banda over his pension which he rightly worked for.

“This is the kind of politics that we surely should be moving away from as a nation. It is petty and childish for a learned Counsel to be making such threats when he fully knows that Mr. Banda voluntarily retired from politics and he deserves to get his pension because he worked for it,” Mr. Lungu stated.

He said it is unfair for Mr. Kabimba to expect Mr. Banda or his lawyers not to defend him when he is constantly being attacked and ridiculed by some sections of the media.

“Does the Justice Minister expect Mr. Banda’s friends or indeed his lawyers to keep quiet when he is being maligned every day in the newspapers? I think the Justice Minister needs to show maturity on this matter. He is being childish, this reminds me of those kinds of people Kenneth Kaunda would call “scared little men in suits.”

Mr. Lungu urged all well-meaning Zambians to denounce the kind of politics that Mr. Kabimba is playing for the interest of the nation.

“Hon Kabimba is playing the kind of politics we call mob rule, he expects everybody to agree with his reasoning even if it does not meet the basic standards of fairness and soundness.”

President Michael Sata has clarified that Rwandese Lundazi Catholic Parish Priest Fr Viateur Banyangandora was deported because the clergyman engaged himself in internal and active politics of Zambia.

Mr. Sata said government decided to deport Fr. Banyangandora, who has since returned back in Zambia, to teach him a lesson about engaging himself in external matters of a foreign land.

President said this in Chongwe today during the Easter Sunday Mass held at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church.

The Head of State said it is after consultations with the Rwandese government that his administration learnt that Fr. Banyangandora had ‘repented’ and have since recalled him back to serve and continue evangelizing in Zambia.

Mr. Sata said he then directed Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu to allow Fr. Banyangandora to return to Zambia and continue his work in bringing the lost sheep to Christ.

He reiterated the Zambian government’s commitment to enjoying warm cordial and bilateral relationship with Rwanda despite that country being ‘war torn’.

In January, this year, Fr. Banyangandora returned to Zambia after staying four months in his native country Rwanda.

President Michael Sata also said that development in Zambia can accelerate when there is peace. President Sata said that without love, there can be no meaningful development in the country. Mr. Sata commended the Zambian people for exhibiting peace even in difficult situations.

The President used the occasion to donate KR50,000 (K50million) towards the construction of the wall fence at the church.

The Catholic mass was attended by some cabinet ministers, among them Chongwe member of Parliament and Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo, Emmanuel Chenda (Commerce) Chris Yaluma (Transport) Joseph Katema (Community Development) Joseph Kasonde Health, Some Permanent Secretaries, senior government and PF party official and Christians from other church denominations.

He condemned acts of hatred saying the vice could not unity and develop then nation.

“As Christians we ought to forgive each other when one offends the another noting that no one is a perfect person as he or she lives on earth, “he said.

“If we have hatred forget about going to heaven. Let’s learn to forgive one another because no one is perfect and if you have hatred, forget about going to heaven,” he said.

The head of state said the Easter holiday should allow Christians to reflect and be considerate to one another’s doings by showing love and forgiveness.

Mr. Sata on Easter Friday attended a church service at St Ignatius catholic church in Lusaka to demonstrate his Christianity.

President Sata accompanied by his wife, the First Lady Christine Kaseba aboard a presidential Chopper arrived at Chongwe basic School grounds at 09:30 hours and left at 13:50 hours after attending close to four-hour church mass.

And President Sata said once resources were abundant, it is the wish of his administration to employ ‘everyone’ so that they could live a sustainable life.

And St. Pails Catholic Church In-Charge Gabriel Mwanamwalye urged Christians in their respective portfolios to have passion for the poor.

Father Mwanamwalye said poverty is Zambia was rife and implored the Christians and the politicians in particular to govern the country well so that the nation’s wealth is fully distributed even to the less privileged people.

He supported the PF Government’s strives to fighting corruption because the vice is detrimental.

The Catholic Priest called on Christians to be hard working and responsible in the development of the country because government alone cannot manage.

St. Paul’s Catholic Church Chairperson Andrew Sakala disclosed that the church has embarked on various income generating ventures to raise funds to enable the church over-come it challenges of water, construction of a kitchen as well as contributions from church members.

Mr. Sakala thanked President Sata and the first lady Dr. Kaseba for worshiping with them in rural areas despite their national busy schedule.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II commended President Sata for linking not only Chongwe district but the nation as a whole to the link Zambia 8000.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya observed that Zambia is headed for development under the leadership of President Sata hence the massive defection of opposition members to the ruling Patriotic Front from their respective political parties.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya said unlike other past heads of State, they only rehabilitated major roads instead of creating new ones.

She further commended President Sata for re-aligning some districts among them Siavonga from Southern to Lusaka thereby adding the number of traditional leaders from seven to nine.

The Soli traditional leader said this in preference to Chief Chipepo of Siavonga and a named chief from Itezhi-tezhi.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya, who is also House of Chiefs Chairperson, appealed to President Sata to remove the House of Chiefs from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs because that way, chiefs would be directly responsible under a right ministry.

She called for training among the traditional leaders at the Chalimbana University College because such trainings were long overdue.

The Soli chief urged chiefs in the country against engaging themselves in active politics because it was de-meaning their status in society.

Police in Kitwe have told to delagation from of Home Affairs officials that some senior Government officials are involved in the smuggling of maize and mealie meal into the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC

Kitwe District staff officer, Joseph Chitabo said that the Police are fearful of losing their jobs if arrested those perpetrating the smuggling of Mealie Meal.

Mr Chitabo said that the people involved in the vice are senior government officials adding that it was difficult for officers to get in the way of such individuals for fear of losing their jobs.

It also came to light that Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Stephen Kampyongo is well aware of the development.

However, Mr.Kampyongo has assured the officers that the law is there to protect them and that there will be no sacred cows.

Mr Kampyongo said it was saddening to learn that some public officers were actively participating in the smuggling of mealie-meal.

Mr. Kampyongo said disciplinary measures would be given on such officers as no one is above the law.

“As Government, we have always sent food across the boarder but we have to control the movement of illegality. It does not pay to watch crime and ignore it,” Mr. Kampyongo said.

Agriculture Deputy Minister Rogers Mwewa said Government would ensure that all those involved in the smuggling of mealie meal were dealt with and commended Copperbelt Police Commissioner Mary Tembo for trying had to stop the smuggling.

Meanwhile, Government has directed mealie-meal traders at Kasumbalesa boarder to remove the commodity from their depots at the boarder and sale it in Chililabombwe within 24 hours.

Home Affairs deputy minister Alfrida Kansembe said all mealie-meal traders at the boarders should sale the commodity at a retail price from Chililabombwe shops.

Ms Kansembe said during an on-the-spot check that Government will seize the mealie-meal and demolish the depots at the border if the directive was not implemented.

Ms Kansembe, flanked by Home Affairs deputy minister Stephen Kapyongo and Agriculture deputy minister Rogers Mwewa, said Government was aware that mealie-meal was being sold at exorbitant prices at an expense of poor Zambians.

“We have given you two days to start offloading the mealie-meal bags to Chililabombwe retail shops and police officers will ensure that all mealie-meal is moved and sold at K55,000.

“Get trade permits otherwise government will seize your mealie-meal and demolish all these depots, we cannot watch you participate in illegality,” she said.

And Assistant commissioner of police Kannedy Chiswe said police had recovered 24,532 25kg bags of mealie-meal, 1033 abandoned ones, 2820 50kg sugar bags and 57 bicycles.

Mr Chiswe said some people were given money in advance to supply mealie-meal.

Vice President Guy Scott says the Patriotic Front (PF) has eaten up the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to a point that the former ruling party is virtually dead.

And Dr Scott has appealed to the people of Lukulu district to vote for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Eileen Imbae in the April 23 Lukulu parliamentary by elections.

“ Their (MMD ) failure to field a candidate in the Lukulu and Kapiri Mposhi by elections is proof enough that the MMD is heading for extinction, “ said Dr Scott.

ZANIS reports The Vice President said this yesterday when he addressed scores of people at a rally to drum up support for Ms Imbae in the newly created Mitete district in Western Province.

Dr Scott said the dream and hopes of the PF where the same as that of the MMD at its conception but that the difference was the people who were implementing those dreams.

He said MMD leaders forgot about the people they promised to serve and became corrupt and selfish adding that they got more interested in amassing wealthy for themselves at the expense of the people.

Dr Scott urged MMD members to ditch the former ruling party and join the PF which he said is a vibrant and action oriented party.

And Dr Scott said the PF Government is creating new districts in the country in order to take development as closer to the people as possible.

He said the creation of Mitete district will result in the construction of between 230 to 250 houses for civil servants in the area.

The Vice President also promised to install a telecommunications mast in Mitete district so people can be communicating saying they cannot be a district without telecommunication network.

He also pledged Government’s commitment to construct the Kaoma Lukulu road via Mitete which is under the Link Zambia 8000 project, adding that Government will in the maintain bring a pontoon to connect the district to other surrounding areas.

Dr Scott said the PF Government is also enhancing border controls in order to control cattle disease which is an impossible undertaking if border posts remain porous.

Speaking earlier, Community Development Mother and Child Health Deputy Minister Jean Kapata said Mitete district will benefit eight rural health centers of the 600 health posts Government intends to construct countrywide.

Ms Kapata said Mitete district has remained underdeveloped in the last 48 years because the MMD Government failed to deliver development to the area.

She said it has only taken the PF Government one and half years to upgrade the area to district standard saying as a result a big hospital, high school, police post and many other infrastructure will be constructed in the area.

And PF campaign manager for the Lukulu by elections Nathaniel Mubukwanu urged the people of Lukulu district to vote for Ms Imbae who he described as a reasonable woman who will work tirelessly to ensure that people’s lives are improved.

Mr. Mubukwanu said the people of Lukulu and Mitete should vote for the ruling party candidate if they want to see meaningful development to take place in the area.

And Gender Minister Inonge Wina said the opposition are inciting citizens to challenge the PF Government over governance issues because they want to keep the people of Zambia in captivity.

She said the captivity that the opposition want to keep the people of Zambia in is underdevelopment and poverty which she said is the only thing the opposition know how to do best while they are busy amassing wealthy for themselves.

She warned the people of Mitete not to listen to opposition leaders as they only want to use the people of Zambia to their own benefit.

Mrs. Wina also urged women in Mitete district to form clubs in order to access women empowerment funds under her district and improve their living standards.

PF Deputy Secretary General Bridget Atanga urged voters to shun parties that only had tribal and regional inclinations saying there is need to promote unity in the country.

Mrs. Atanga said the PF Government was made up of members from different races and tribes, which she said makes the ruling party unique and attractive.

And Ms Imbae pledged to take development to Mitete once voted into office, saying she will leave no stone unturned to ensure people’s living standards in the area were uplifted.

ZANIS

Attorney General Mumba Malila has filed a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision to grant LapGreen leave to hear its petition in London, England in which it is challenging government’s decision to compulsorily acquire its 75 percent shares in Zamtel.

Lusaka High Court Judge Albert Wood granted LapGreen the application for it to tender evidence by alternative means, for trial to be heard in a neutral foreign country on grounds that its witnesses were being intimidated by the Zambian government and as such, they were scared to come to Zambia.

But Mr Malila has through a notice filed in the highest court of the land expressed the State’s intention to appeal against the ruling.

This is in a matter in which, LapGreen the former owners of Zamtel had asked Mr Justice Wood to grant it leave to adduce evidence by alternative means, for trial to be heard in a neutral foreign country or by any other means available on grounds that its witnesses could not come to Zambia as they were being intimidated.

The Libyan based firm had through an affidavit sworn by David Holiday adviser to the chairperson of LapGreen and Managing Director of Uganda Telecommunication Ltd, a subsidiary of LapGreen, cited a number of reasons why he felt the application should be allowed.

Mr Holiday said both prior to and after the purported compulsorily acquisition of its shares in Zamtel, LapGreen ‘bosses’ had been victims of a number of intimidation tactics by the government.

He alleged that on January 18, 2012, Zamtel bank accounts were blocked by the DEC and a seizure notice issued based on allegations of money laundering.

[pullquote]“This only leads me to one conclusion that they are true. The unchallenged evidence is that Hans Paulsen was escorted by armed police officers to and from his office. Armed police officers also came to look even after he had left for Uganda,” Mr Justice Wood said.[/pullquote]

Mr Holiday said on January 24, 2012, government decided to compulsorily acquire the shares in Zamtel and forcibly ejected a number of its management staff.

He said former Zamtel chief executive officer, Hans Paulsen, a Ugandan national who was found at Zamtel offices was surrounded by armed police officers and was told to leave the premises immediately.

He said Mr Paulsen was a critical witness in the matter in which LapGreen has petitioned over government’s decision to acquire its 75 percent shares in Zamtel but he was unwilling to come back to testify because of fear.

But Solicitor General Musa Mwenya in opposition to the application had on January 18, 2012 asked the court not to allow the application on grounds that the company had not cited any rule to support the application.

Mr Mwenya who denied any intimidation said the blocked accounts were done on grounds of investigating money laundering against LapGreen.

He denied preventing LapGreen‘s witnesses to come and testify saying “there is no basis upon which the matter can be heard in a different jurisdiction and is in any case illegal in view of the provisions of the law.”

But in passing his ruling, Mr Justice Wood said it was clear from the affidavit by Mr Mwenya and submissions that none of the allegations by LapGreen’s witnesses have been denied or challenged in any way by the respondent.

“This only leads me to one conclusion that they are true. The unchallenged evidence is that Hans Paulsen was escorted by armed police officers to and from his office. Armed police officers also came to look even after he had left for Uganda,” Mr Justice Wood said.

He said since LapGreen was the one who wished to have evidence taken to England it was only equitable that it bears all respondents’ reasonable expenses relating to the case.

He said “the net result is that the application is allowed and the petitioner should be responsible for respondents’ reasonable expenses. The issues raised are novel.”