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the accused persons, Ms Lamba said she had noted the instructions from the DPP and that the matter has been withdrawn from prosecution and the accused persons were free.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

ZANIS

Three opposition political parties in the eastern province have vowed not to participate in this year’s youth day celebrations scheduled for tomorrow.

Opposition Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD), United Party for National Development (UPND) and the National Restoration Party (NAREP) in the province say they will not participate in this year’s youth day celebrations due to the unfavorable political environment prevailing in the country.

Eastern province MMD youth Chairman Chembe Daka said his members will not participate as one way of showing displeasure against the manner in which their party president Dr Nevers Mumba is being treated.

He said it will be unreasonable for the MMD youths to be celebrating when Dr Mumba is going through so many problems.

Mr Daka said that the party will not risk taking their youths for the celebrations to be attacked.

And UPND national youth Chairperson Michael Chuzu said his party will not participate in the celebrations alleging that PF cadres are violent and don’t have respect for the opposition political parties and may attack them at the occasion.

And National Restoration Party-NAREP youths in eastern province have joined the opposition MMD and UPND not to participate in the youth day celebrations which fall tomorrow.

NAREP provincial youth chairman Clement Mbewe said his members will not participate in the celebrations saying it is pointless for youths in the country to celebrate this day as they are allegedly starving due to lack of employment.

Mr Mbewe has further said the opposition political parties in the country are not recognized in most national events such as traditional ceremonies and other events.

And reacting to MMD provincial chairperson Chembe Daka, the Patriotic Front in eastern province has refuted claims by Mr Daka that the party plans to attack opposition parties taking part in national events.

Patriotic Front provincial vice chairperson Attan Mwamba has asked the opposition MMD to give proper reasons as to why they have decided not to take part in the youth day celebrations, because PF is a peaceful party and has no plans of attacking anyone.

Mr Mwamba said MMD should just accept that it has lost direction.

The Zambia Prison Service has transferred 600 Prisoners from the famous Mukobeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe to the newly constructed Mwembeshi Maximum prison situated in Mumbwa district in Central province.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Kaizer Zulu told Journalists at Mukobeko State Prison in Kabwe that Government is determined to improve the living standards of prisoners in the country.

The 600 Prisoners were transferred to Mwembeshi Maximum prison under heavy and tight security by the Zambia Police Service, Zambia Army, Zambia Air force and the Prison Service respectively.

Mr Zulu said the Patriotic Front administration wants to fulfil what it promised the Zambian people during their campaigns prior to 2011 general elections adding that improving the welfare of those incarcerated is one agenda of government.

He said those who have been taken to Mwembeshi Maximum prison are those prisoners who are serving jail sentences ranging from seven to nine years imprisonment.

And Mr Zulu has cautioned the private media in the country to with immediate effect stop misinforming Zambians by peddling lies against the Prison Service and the Zambia Police Service.

The Home Affairs Permanent Secretary said the Zambia Police and Prison Service are vital security wings of government which should be allowed to discharge their duties in a professional manner.

Mr Zulu said some media houses in the nation, especially those from the private media and some online publication have continued to misinform citizens who expect to be feed with the true information of what is obtaining on the ground.

He said government is determined to continue improving the well fare of prisoners not only at Mwembeshi Maximum prison but the rest of prisons in the country.

Mr Zulu lamented that Mukobeko State prisons which was built in 1978 no longer accommodate large number of inmates hence the reason by government to build more prisons which would accommodate required number of prisoners as opposed to the current status quo.

ZANIS