Renowned medical practitioner Francis Manda says MP’s resigning from their political parties are behaving like Hyenas searching for faeces.

The outspoken Urologist said it is unacceptable that selfish politicians could be allowed to waste public resources on unnecessary bye elections.

“They are behaving exactly like Hyenas, these are animals that go about looking for faeces. The MP’s ditching their parties are like Hyenas looking for fecal excreta,” Dr. Manda said.

Dr. Manda was speaking Saturday morning during his popular radio show “Manzi Therapy” on ZNBC Radio 4.

He said Zambia is a country with meager resources for development programmes adding that spending huge amounts of money on bye elections which could be avoided is unacceptable.

[pullquote]“They are behaving exactly like Hyenas, these are animals that go about looking for faeces. The MP’s ditching their parties are Hyenas looking for fecal excreta,” Dr. Manda said.[/pullquote]

Dr. Manda supported proposals that the new constitution should include provisions that will enable the party nominate a candidate to see out the remainder of the term in an event that the MP crosses the floor.

“We cannot continue with defections at this rate. We need these constitutional changes in order to protect public funds,” Dr. Manda said.

He also appealed to political parties to exhibit maturity and settle down in 2013.

“We saw a lot of bickering in all parties including the ruling one in 2012. We don’t need such in 2013. These political parties need to learn to resolve issues amicably.”

Dr. Manda said infighting in political parties contributed to the lack of development in 2012.

“We didn’t see any meaningful development in the past year because politicians were busy bickering. Let us start politics in 2016 and not now when Zambians want development.”

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

As a believer in Jesus, you are a new creation. You have a new spirit and a new life! There may be “old” things in your life that you are trying to get rid of. Maybe you have old habits or addictions that you want to change. Remember today that the new has come. It’s a new year with new opportunities, and it’s time for you to be the new you. Let this be the year that you break old habits and addictions. Let this be the year that you move forward into a new life of victory. Let this be the year that you take hold of all the spiritual blessings the Lord has promised — peace, health, protection and victory.

Be encouraged today because no matter what is happening in your life right now, you have a chance for a new beginning. Choose to leave the old behind — leave behind old behaviors, old thinking, old words, and old mindsets and embrace the new by faith. Trust that He is leading you, and this year, declare His Word and embrace the blessings that He has prepared for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me new. I choose today to leave behind the old life and ask that You empower me by Your spirit. Help me to understand Your plan and know the truth of Your Word that sets me free in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Southern province permanent secretary Dr Chileshe Mulenga has apologized to President Michael Sata and to the people of Choma for the delay in moving to Choma the new provincial capital of the province.

He explained that president Sata has redirected him to move to the new provincial capital.

Dr Chileshe said that it is not good that it had to take the head of state to remind him of moving into Choma.

“We shall not give the people of Choma any excuses, as we now know each other, we should not be giving excuses to the people of southern province, we are the servants of the people,” he said.

Dr Mulenga assured the people of Choma that their concerns are also the Government’s concerns.

He explained that the Southern province minister Josephine Limataa has already moved into the province and that by next he would also move his office.

And Ms Limataa said as part of the new resolution she has decided to move to Choma the new provincial capital of the province.

She promised that she would tour the province for 20 days so she could families herself with the province.

The minister explained that in her tour she would visit all the chiefdoms.

“There is no time for resting it is time to work for the people of southern province,” she said.

She said the government is already in Choma as she has relocated o the district now.

She said that the PF government loves the people of Choma and that it is committed to the development of province.

She said that the relocation of the provincial capital will create jobs for the youths in the province as a lot of construction will take place in the district.

“A lot of houses are going to be constructed for the police and the provincial administration block will create jobs for the locals and will not allow outsiders to take up the jobs for the locals,” Ms Limataa said.

She said the shifting to Choma will start but all at once as there is a challenge of accommodation for the officers.

And Choma central MP Cornelius Mweetwa called on the Government for the speedy transformation of Choma not the provincial.

He said that the people were getting inpatient with the transformation.

“The people always ask me in constituency, when will the transformation of Choma into the provincial capital going to start, I assure them we are going to start very soon,” he said.

He said that hospital was essential to the people of Choma but it is constantly being loaded shed by ZESCO every day.

United Party for National Development Deputy (UPND) spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has said that his party will soon begin primary elections in all its party structures from the branch level to the party presidency.

He said that his party will in February begin its preparations for the national convention elections. Mr Mweetwa said all positions are open to any member of the party and that they are no positions in the party are exclusive for individuals.

“The party will elect leaders staring from the branch, ward, constituency, district, province and then national management committee,” he said. “Any member of the party is free to contest any position in the party,” he said.

He said that he had not yet made a decision on whether he would defend his position in the party as he believed that it was not about position but service and character to the people.

[pullquote]“The MP was a political misfit and that his perceived humbleness was not anything to go by as he was unreliable character,” he said.[/pullquote]

Mr Mweetwa said there was no power struggle in the UPND in the run up to the elections in the party. He also said that the party could not state whether it would contest the Livingstone seat on its own or would go into an alliance with the MMD.

“It is too early to make decision on whether we shall partner with other opposition political parties to contest the forth coming by elections,” he said.

Mr Mweetwa said the party will make the right decision when the time comes as at the moment there is no need.

He confirmed that his party will contest in the Mpongwe and Livingstone bye election.

Mr Mweetwa said that the former Livingstone MP Rev Howard Sikwela behaved like a kid. He said that there was no interference in his operations as Member of Parliament for Livingstone.

[pullquote]He said that he used the chance he was given for his personal gain as he wanted to be appointed provincial minister and that the party refused to allow him.[/pullquote]

He said it is a relief to the people of Livingstone that he has resigned.

“The MP was a political misfit and that his perceived humbleness was not anything to go by as he was unreliable character,” he said.

He said that Sikwela had not gone to the people of Livingstone to appreciate what they had done for him.

He said that Sikwela was ungrateful to the people of Livingstone and all the people that sacrificed for his campaign and the voters.

He said that he used the chance he was given for his personal gain as he wanted to be appointed provincial minister and that the party refused to allow him.

Leader of the MMD Die Hard Youth Wing Bowman Lusambo has charged that the resignation of Livingstone Central MP Reverend Howard Sekwila is a betrayal of democracy.

Mr. Lusambo said the MMD youth regrets having campaigned for Reverend Sekwila in the Livingstone bye election which he won on July 05, 2012.

“The old man is a disappointment, he has chosen to betray democracy and opt for his belly. It is unfortunate that tax payers will yet again have to fund an unnecessary bye election,” Mr. Lusambo said.

“Reverend Sekwila was not even popular in the area. He benefitted greatly from the MMD machinery on the ground and he has now chosen to assault democracy.”

He added,” as MMD youths, we are not surprised because this is part of a grand scheme by the PF and President Sata to get Zambia to a one party state.

He said the MMD is determined to reclaim the Livingstone seat which was originally held by Lukulo Katombola before it was nullified by the High Court.

“That is our seat and we are going there to reclaim it. We gave it to the UPND out of mutual understanding but we feel our efforts to campaign for a UPND candidate we have been repaid with betrayal,” Mr. Lusambo said.

A parliamentary bye election is looming in Livingstone Central yet again after area MP Reverend Howard Sekwila resigned from the UPND citing hostility and tribalism in the opposition party.

MMD Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala has told ZANIS in a telephone interview that the party members in her constituency have a right to complain over what was happening in the party.

Ms. Namugala said she has been suspended from the party for allegedly supporting calls to have Dr. Mumba to step down and allow the party to go for an early convention.

She said the calls to go for an early party convention to elect new party office bearers was the best way to go if the party has to redeem itself.

Ms. Namugala said the MMD in its current form cannot even participate in the 2016 elections because it was lacking leadership.

She proposed that all the party positions should be frozen and allows every position to be contested for by any party member.

The MMD has in the recent past been engulfed in serious squabbles that have seen the party national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe being expelled and the party president Dr. Mumba dragged to court for allegedly having a duo membership.

And opposition MMD in Mafinga district in Muchinga Province have said that it is not happy with the suspension of its Member of Parliament Catherine Namugala from the party.

Party district secretary Deluxe Singongo says the suspension of their MP has been done in bad faith.

ZANIS reports from Mafinga District that Mr. Singogo was speaking in an interview in Chinsali today.

He added that the MMD cadres have called on the party president Nevers Mumba to immediately resign to allow the party to go for a convention.

Mr. Singongo said the party leadership in Mafinga district is in full support of calls to petition National Executive Committee (NEC) through the National Chairperson Kabinga Pande to allow Dr. Nevers Mumba step down in the interest of the party.

Mr. Singongo said Dr. Mumba should step down and allow proper and transparent transition of power to those who will be elected at the convention.

Mr. Singongo charged that the recent happenings in the party which include the crashing of youths at the party offices in Lusaka is an indication that the leadership has failed to unite party members.

The district party secretary said the suspension of Catherine Namugala who is the National chairperson for Women Affairs in the party and other senior party officials will lead to mass resignations in the if not reversed.

ZANIS