Sinazongwe United Party for National Development (UPND) area Member of Parliament Richwell Siamunene has urged opposition MPs to work with Government in order to take development to their areas.

Mr Siamunene who is Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister urged opposition MPs to break the political syndrome of merely trying to oppose activities by government.

Mr Siuamunene said opposition MPs can only take meaningful development in their areas if they work closely with Government.

He told journalists in Sinazongwe over the weekend that time for mere politicking is long gone, saying this is time for people to work together to defeat social challenges such as poverty, unemployment and disease.

The Sinazongwe MP said he took the sacrifice to put his future in the opposition UPND at risk by accepting to work with Government for the benefit of the people in his area.

He said there is need for the opposition to change their mindset and work closely with Government for the betterment of the citizenry.

Mr Siamunene said he is ready to be expelled from his party for the sake of bringing development to the people of Sinazongwe.

The Sinazongwe legislator said his decision to accept to work with Government was done in the interest of taking development to his area.

Mr Siamunene said people that are privileged to be in leadership positions should serve the interest of the people they lead above their interests.

He said he took the sacrifice to face expulsion from his party for the sake of the people so that they too can benefit from Government projects that will be initiated in the area.

Mr Siamunene said there is also need for politicians to respect the leadership which he said has been instituted by God, saying no leadership can exist unless it is sanctioned by God.

He said it was the duty of every individual in the country regardless of their political affiliations to respect the leadership that be.

Mr Siamunene further thanked Government for embarking on the rehabilitation of the Bottom road and bridges in Southern Province.

He said the rehabilitation of the Bottom road project once completed will open up exploration of many minerals that Sinazongwe district is endowed with.

ZANIS

Government has described calls by some opposition political parties who are urging youths to snub the youth day celebrations as
retrogressive.

And Government has called on youths across the country to turn up in large numbers to celebrate Youths Day which falls tomorrow.

Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Mwansa Kapeya said calls to snub the youth day cerebrations should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

Mr. Kapeya noted that youth Day is an important and non partisan platform for young people to have their voices heard in shaping the future of the nation.

Mr. Kapeya said this in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday.

The Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister said it is selfish and hypocritical for the opposition political party leaders to urge youths to stay away from the youth day celebrations, the day which he said brought some of the opposition leaders into limelight which they are now enjoying.

The Minister alleged that it was not surprising that the former ruling party was calling for youths to shun the day because it has neither the vision nor the interest of the youths at heart.

He appealed to all Zambian youths to reject such political parties as they are detrimental to their wellbeing and the future of Zambia.

He further charged that the opposition MMD has nothing to offer the people of Zambia hence its fruitless efforts to derail government programmes.

The Deputy Minister’s call follows the story which appeared in yesterday’s Times of Zambia newspaper where the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy is quoted as calling on youths to stay away from today’s youth day celebrations.

And President Michael Sata has advised youths around the country not to adhere to calls by opposition leaders to boycott Youth Day celebrations.

Mr Sata said it was important for youths to turn up for their event as this was the opportunity to let Government know about problems facing them.

He said this at State House in Lusaka yesterday when he swore-in Sinjembela UPND Member of Parliament, Poniso Njeula and his Kalabo Central counterpart, Chinga Miyutu as deputy ministers.

Mr Sata said the MMD and the UPND had been calling for boycotts of national events including last Friday’s Women’s Day but hailed the high turn-out of the womenfolk at the celebrations graced on his behalf by Vice President Guy Scott.

“Congratulations to the MMD and UPND for telling women to boycott Women’s Day. I am glad they listened to them because they turned out in large numbers including the FDD and NAREP. They (opposition) are now telling the youths to boycott Youth Day, but I urge all the youths to turn out in numbers as well because this is the only way government can know about their problems,” Mr Sata said.

ZANIS

Defence in the case involving Sports Deputy Minister, Stephen Masumba yesterday failed to kick start its defence as the defence lawyers applied for an adjournment.

In making the adjournment appeal Defence Lawyer Mutakela Lisimba told Lusaka Magistrate Wilfred Muma that the defence team was ready to proceed with three witnesses but that they were not ready to proceed today as the first witness was not present during the courts sitting.

Mr. Lisimba told the court that the defence has come up with a manner in which they want the case to flow, by opening defence with the three witnesses adding that the accused person will be the last person to speak.

He said the said witness was very important in the matter adding that it was necessary that the witness be presented and testify on behalf of the accused person.

Mr. Lisimba told Magistrate Muma that it was the defence teams prayer that an adjournment be granted as it was the first time the defence was asking for an adjournment compared to the state prosecution team which had asked for adjournments on several occasions.

However state prosecutor from the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Etambuyu Zimba argued that the defence team did not give compelling reasons why the matter should be adjourned.

Mr. Zimba further argued that the accused person is on record stating that he would testify in the matter adding that in that regard the state finds no reason why he should not be the first person to speak followed by other witnesses.

In response to the state prosecutions argument, defence lawyer Lisimba reminded the prosecution team that the court should not worry about anything as the three witnesses are not going to take a long time testifying.

He said according to the defence teams plan, the three witnesses are going to give their testimony in one day.

Mr. Lisimba said justice should not be rushed adding that the constitution is clear on the two choices an accused person can take in defence “either one speaks or decides to keep quite”.

In passing ruling on the Defences application magistrate Muma said it is not the wish of the court to jeopardise the case but ensure that justice prevails.

Magistrate Muma further granted the defence a benefit of doubt and granted them an adjournment based on the argument that it was the defences first time to apply for an adjournment.

He said since the defence team had come up with a particular manner in which they want the case to proceed it was right to adjourn the matter to a later date.

Magistrate Muma has since adjourned the matter to April 9, this year for commencement of defence.

Mr. Masumba, 31, stands charged with one count of offence of obtaining pecuniary advantage through false pretences contrary to section 309a (2) c of the penal code as read with section 41 of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act number 42 of 1996.

It is alleged that Mr. Masumba between December 1, 2005 and August 2008 obtained employment for himself as an Accounting Officer at the Lusaka Business and Technical College (LBTC) using forged documents.

ZANIS

Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani has issued a strong warning to Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo and eight others discharged of murder against inciting members of their parties to engage in offensive activities.

In a news statement, Mrs. Libongani said those released should desist from issuing contemptuous statements or inciting their cadres as these may be grounds of violence.

“We are alive to the fact that some of the accused persons in the Harrison Chanda murder case have been released after a nolle proseque was entered but members of the public should not take advantage of these releases by calling for unlawful assemblies, issuing contemptuous statements or inciting members of their parties to engage in offensive activities as these may be grounds of violence,” Mrs. Libongani stated.

She added, “We expect all political parties conduct themselves in a peaceful manner and that we (police) will receive maximum cooperation from all the stakeholders before, during and after the by-elections.

The Police IG said the Zambia Police service is adequately prepared to maintain law and order during this period.
“It is our desire that the by election will be free of any form electoral violence.”

“As Zambia Police, we have enough manpower on the ground to handle any volatile situation that may arise and those who will opt to perpetrate electoral violence will be dealt with accordingly,” she said.

A Kitwe magistrate’s Court has discharged the case in which MMD president Nevers Mumba and seven others were charged with unlawful assembly.

Principal Resident Magistrate Penjani Lamba discharged Mumba and seven others following instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to enter a nolle prosequi in the matter.

This is in a case in which Mumba was jointly charged with four Members of Parliament (Mp) namely Howard Kunda for Muchinga, Anne Chungu for Lufwanyama, Michael Katambo for Masaiti and James Kashiba for Kafulafula.

Others were MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu, Copperbelt provincial chairperson Edith Mataka and Greenford Kalinda of Lusaka.

They were accused of unlawful assembly after they allegedly took part in an unlawful assembly on December 10 last year contrary to section 75 of the Penal Code.

When the matter came up for mention today, the State informed the court that they were in receipt of instructions from the DPP to enter a nolle prosequi in the matter.

In discharging the accused persons, Ms Lamba said she had noted the instructions from the DPP and that the matter has been withdrawn from prosecution and the accused persons were free.

After discharging the accused person, the defence applied that transport and legal fees incurred by the accused persons should be covered by the State.

The defence team said section 88A of the Criminal Prosecution Code (CPC) authorises the DPP to cover costs to a person subjected to persecution

They contended that the application was in order and that the accused persons be awarded the costs.

But Provincial Prosecutions Officer (PPO) Anderson Simbuliani said the application was misplaced and should be dismissed because instructions from the DPP were not debatable.

In her ruling, Ms Lamba said she had taken into account the section that the defence team had used and appreciated the efforts made to recover the costs.

She, however, observed that the case had not gone as far as prosecution.

Outside court, Dr Mumba said the State was right to have released them because the case was not supposed to be in court.

Last week, Mumba was discharged in another case in which he was accused of conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

President Michael Sata has said some opposition political party leaders that are criticising his decision to appoint opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to serve as deputy ministers lack understanding of what government was all about.

And President Sata has dismissed allegations that the Patriotic Front (PF) government was obliterating opposition political parties in the country.

He said those criticising the appointment of opposition Members of Parliament lack the understanding of what government was and the concept of inclusivity in the governance of the country.

“They must know that government is the instrument by which people cooperate together in order to achieve the common good. And an authority is needed to guide the energies of all towards the common good,” President Sata said.

Mr. Sata further explained that his administration will endeavour to have a government where all patriotic Zambians can participate in the governance and development of the country regardless of their political and other affiliation.

The President wondered why some opposition political party leaders were against his appointment of opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to serve in the Patriotic Front (PF) government even when these parliamentarians were Zambians.

This is contained in a press statement released to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah.

“Why shouldn’t we appoint them to government positions when this government is also theirs? It is a government of all Zambians,” he said.

President Sata explained that the Patriotic Front was not an ordinary political party hence it was called a “Front” and not a party.

“And the rationale was that we wanted to create a front in which all Zambian patriots can participate in the governance and development of their country,” he said.

He added that, “for us, it doesn’t matter where one comes from, which organisation he belongs to, which political party he is registered with; as long as he is a patriot and wants to come to the front and serve the country and the people, they are welcome. We have many people in government who were politically not with us but are patriots and have joined to serve their country and their people”.

“So why should we prevent these MPs from coming to serve their country and their people? If these MPs are patriots who want to serve their country by joining government, why should somebody have a problem with that? If you are not a patriot, then you won’t understand what they are doing and you’ll have a problem with it,” he said.

He said people must know that government is an instrument by which people cooperate together in order to achieve the common good.

“Those holding their members captive by stopping them from serving their country are failures at leadership and do not have the interest of Zambians at heart,” he said.

And President Sata dismissed allegations that the PF government was obliterating the opposition political parties in the country.

“As government, we find such claims to be misplaced and deceitful. For example, when MMD decided to join forces with more than 15 ‘rebel’ PF Members of Parliament, did the opposition in Zambia die? The opposition in general and PF in particular never died on account of the MMD’s decision to collaborate with a large number of our MPs,” President Sata said.

He explained that it was in fact from that state of affairs that the PF emerged to form government in 2011.

“Let our colleagues in opposition pick a leaf from our vast political experience and become conscious to the reality that it is their responsibility to put their house in order and not the government’s,” he said.

President Sata has since thanked all political stakeholders who have chosen the interests of the Zambian people ahead of meaningless partisanship.

Since coming to power, President Sata has appointed a number of MMD and UPND Members of Parliament to serve in his administration as deputy minister in an effort to promote inclusiveness in the running of the country.

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