ZAMBIA and Japan have signed two important documents relating to the financing of the construction of the Kazungula bridge project across the Zambezi River.

Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda and his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba signed on behalf of the two governments in Tokyo, Japan, today.

The signing ceremony of the exchange of notes and record of discussions on the Kazungula bridge construction project took place at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Tokyo.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Lubinda said Zambia wants to obtain a loan amounting to US$ 41.7 from the Japanese International Development Corporation (JICA).

The total cost of the bridge project is estimated at US$248 million and that Zambia will get additional funds from the African Development Bank while the government of Botswana will also contribute towards the project.

Mr. Lubinda said Zambia is excited that the project is finally coming to fruition and hoped that the loan agreement will be finalized soon.

He said construction of the bridge at Kazungula will bring about socio-economic benefits to the whole COMESA region.

President Sata is tomorrow expected to meet the JICA president in Tokyo.

ZANIS

The Council of Churches of Zambia says it is disappointing that President Michael Sata is now in favour of the Public Order Act, a piece of legislation that he strongly opposed whilst in opposition.

CCZ General Secretary Reverend Susanne Matale told Reporters in Lusaka that it is disappointing that President Sata could be in favour of an oppressive piece of legislation such as the Public Order Act.

“As the Church, we find it hard to believe that President Sata whom he fought hard together against this oppressive law could turn around and say this is a nice piece of law,” Reverend Matale remarked.

She said President Sata should realize that consistency in politics is key adding that u-turning on such critical matters is highly disappointing.

Reverend Matale feared that President Sata’s defence of the Public Order Act might be representative of his other views on many other controversial issues.

“We fear that he may have also developed new views on other important issues such as the constitution, we fear that we may never get the right constitution going by the U-turns we have noticed on many key issues.”

Reverend Matale observed that politicians should be consistent and not shift positions when it suits them.

“Yesterday, you didn’t like this law and we don’t expect you to like it even today, that’s the consistency the Church is asking from our politicians,” She said.

Opposition Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) has officially declared the launch of the 2016 election campaign for the 2016 general elections.

Party President Nevers Mumba made the announcement in Solwezi today when he addressed cadres who welcomed him at Solwezi airport in North-Western province.Dr Mumba’s visit brought business along Independence Avenue Road to a standstill and disrupted the normal traffic flow.

Dr Mumba stated that his visit to the province is meant to kick start his 2016 general election campaign so that his party can bounce back in government.

He said the province is strategic to wining the next general election as it is where the party has the highest number of Members of Parliament and Councilors.

He said MMD is capable of winning the by election in Mufumbwe because it coming back in the political battle as a rebranded party with a strong message that it is a disciplined party with a vibrant new leadership.

And Dr Mumba has warned that the MMD is aware that the Patriotic Front (PF) is allegedly planning to cause violence in the forthcoming Mufumbwe parliamentary by elections and that the former ruling party is ready to defend itself.

Dr Mumba arrived at Solwezi Airport aboard a Proflight plane at 10:22 hours before addressing a sizeable crowd that was on hand to welcome him.

It was after Dr Mumba briefly stopped over at Chawama Market, en route to Kansanshi Hotel, to greet the people that traders abandoned their activities to catch a glimpse of and shake hands with him.

Dr Mumba’s entourage disrupted normal traffic flow by occupying both lanes as they honked their car horns and sang solidarity songs from the airport to Kansanshi Hotel. Other motorists were forced to use alternative routes or park their vehicles by the road side to pave way for the MMD convoy.

And Dr Mumba said he was aware that the PF had allegedly instituted a mechanism to become destructive for it to rig the Mufumbwe parliamentary by elections.

“I want to warn the PF (that) it’s not going to happen here. Whatever plans they have to disturb that election, will not happen. The plans they have for violence for Mufumbwe, let me warn the PF: you try to bring violence to Mufumbwe. Try it! Try it!

“Because you are saying that ‘he’s a Reverend so let’s do what we want’. You try! MMD is capable of defending itself! So don’t try that violence in order to confuse the process of this election. Let the people of Mufumbwe vote from their hearts. Let them choose an MP of their choice,’ he said.

Dr Mumba charged that electorates in Mufumbwe would not re-elect former area MP Steven Masumba, saying the MMD expelled him from the part because “he’s one of the most arrogant and most indisciplined young men I have seen in my life”.

Dr Mumba said the PF’s decision to embrace Mr Masumba was a demonstration of how indisciplined the ruling party was.

“If that is the quality of leaders PF is looking for then they can have him, they can have him. Thank you so much for getting the rejects from MMD,” he said amid cheers from the crowd.

“That is the young man who would stand up being voted on by the MMD, but he’s wearing PF clothes. Let them have him. He’s the young man who would leave his family at home and start to dance chikokoshi in front of everybody,” he said.

He advised the gathering to demonstrate to the Government that they were upset of the Michael Sata-led administration’s failure to fulfill its campaign pledges by voting in large numbers so that the party retained its seat through a landslide victory.

Dr Mumba announced also that the MMD had concluded its rebranding process by having a new president, two new vice-presidents and a revived National Executive Committee (NEC) coupled with a new message of hope for the country thereby starting a crusade to correct the “mistake” that was made last year to elect a new Government.

MMD North-Western Province chairman David Kapwepwe assured Dr Mumba that the province was still the party’s stronghold as its structures were intact from the highest to lowest organs despite its defeat in last year’s tripartite elections and that all chiefs in the area rallied behind the former ruling party.

Dr Mumba is in North-Western province to hold a series of campaign meetings including holding a rally in Mufumbwe on Thursday to drum up support for MMD candidate Stanford Mulusa while the ruling PF has adopted Steven Masumba as its candidate in the by election.

Mufumbwe by election will be held on 8 November.

Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent, stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. The father of one of the kidnappers has sworn revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul. Bryan enlists his daughter to help them escape

PROS

• Very intense action scenes .
• Great acting by the whole cast especially Liam Neeson

CONS

• The story was predictable .
• The shaky camera technique was used frequently, and it was distracting . Understandably the shaky cam technique is used to try to make the fights seem more intense, but it in turn makes  it hard to follow the flow of combat.

FAVORITE QUOTE

Bryan Mills: Can you shoot?
Kim: No.
Bryan Mills: Then drive!
Bryan Mills: Listen to me very carefully Kim your mother and I are going to be taken and the people are going to come for you too.

CONCLUSION

Being a huge fan of the first Taken movie i was excited for this one ,although a bit skeptical whether it would be as good as it predecessor.  The basis of the plot was the same as the first movie ,but this one comes with a heavy dose of revenge and blood lust.Fans of action movies will love it.

Taken 2 is a great continuation of the story from the first film. This is Taken through and through and the gang is all here. Loads of suspense and while it may be predictable, if it’s not broken don’t fix it. Hopefully there will be a Taken 3 as i feel the story is not yet over.

RATING

4 out of 5

By Kapa187