The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions has strongly condemned government for u-turning on the application of the controversial Pubic Order Act.

But Chief Government Spokesman Kennedy Sakeni has maintained that the Public Order Act is relevant as it helps to maintain public sanity.

ZCTU General Secretary Roy Mwaba said it is disappointing that the PF government is now in support of an archaic law which they condemned whilst in opposition.

Mr. Mwaba said the Public Order Act is a colonial piece of legislated that should be done away with.

“We are worried as the Labour movement that one of the bad laws you condemned when you were in government was the Public Order Act, we are concerned that you are now embracing this law. I think this is one issue that you need to relook at.”

“The Public Order Act is archaic, undemocratic and today it is the opposition being prevented from meeting and tomorrow it will be the labour movement,” Mr. Mwaba said.

The ZCTU General Secretary was speaking in Lusaka today during the opening of a three day workshop organised by the Labour Media Project which was officiated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Kennedy Sakeni.

But Mr Sakeni defended the application of the Public Order Act adding that the law is critical to maintain public peace and order.

[pullquote]“Freedoms must have limitations, if you give absolute freedoms, people will start walking around naked and there would be no pornography, sodomy and all that.”[/pullquote]

“People want absolute freedom, there is no absolute freedom anywhere, you can’t just allow people to be assembling anyone as they wish, that will bring anarchy,” Mr. Sakeni said.

“Freedoms must have limitations, if you give absolute freedoms, people will start walking around naked and there would be no pornography, sodomy and all that.”

And Mr Sakeni has said that the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill will be dealt with within the next two sittings of parliament.

The minister called on the media in the country to effectively highlight labour issues in order to raise awareness among the workers and other stakeholder

Vice president Guy Scott says the PF government is open for all the people to join including the tribes considered to be smaller ethnic groups in North Western province.Dr Scott said this today that people should stop complaining that they are not represented in the PF government administration because they are considered to belong to the minority ethnic groups.

He said the PF government embraces all tribes in Zambia adding that all persons even from smaller ethnic groups can become vice president or minister under PF as long as those from these groups join and work hard to contribute to the growth and unity of the nation.Dr Scott said he comes from a very small ethnic group of only about 1,000 white Zambians but he was voted for by people from different tribes as MP and he was now vice president under the Patriotic Front government.

He said there was no difference in the way the PF treats its old and new members because it had no membership cards and card numbers for people to side line others based on when they joined the party.Dr Scott was speaking today at a campaign meeting in chief Chizera’s area when he introduced PF candidate Stephen Masumba in the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election set for November 8.

And Dr Scott said government is this week expected to start working on two roads in Mufumbwe under the 8,000-link-Zambia road development project that was recently launched by President Michael Sata.

The Vice President described as nonsense the story that are circulating in Mufumbwe accusing PF government of withdrawing ZESCO poles that were meant for connecting Mufumbwe to National Hydropower Grid and taking them to Muchinga province.He said that the poles were withdrawn by ZESCO from Mufumbwe because the company wanted to use steel pylons which were durable to connect the district to the national grid.

He was responding to earlier concerns raised by chief Chizera’s representative that Mufumbwe had received the least funding for road projects in the whole country.The Chief Representative also complained over the continued use of thermal generators by ZESCO to supply electricity to Mufumbwe, Zambezi, Mwinilunga, Kabompo and Chavuma in the province.The Representative said the supply of thermal power was expensive and said ZESCO would do better to cut these costs by connecting the three districts to the national grid.

Meanwhile Dr Scott has since completed his three-day campaign trail for Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election and has flown back to Lusaka.

Vice President Guy Scott has cautioned Zambians against voting for leaders who have no capacity o develop their areas.

And Dr. Scott has urged the people of Mufumbwe to rally behind the Patriotic Front candidate in the November 8 parliamentary by-election Stephen Masumba.

Dr. Scott said the people of Zambia need proper representation at decision making levels especially in parliament.

He said it is worrying that some leaders have duped the electorate at the expense of fulfilling their selfish ambitions.

ZANIS reports that Dr. Scott made the remarks at a rally held at Wishimanga Basic School in Mufumbwe yesterday.

He described Mr. Masumba as a dedicated man who has propelled the PF to massive popularity not only in Mufumbwe district but North Western province as a whole.

And Dr. Scott has said Mr. Masumba is the best candidate who can bring meaningful development to the people of Mufumbwe.

The Vice President is in Mufumbwe to address a series of public rallies to drum up support for PF candidate Stephen Masumba.

Meanwhile, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has rated its chances of winning the November 8 parliamentary by-election in Mufumbwe as very high, through its candidate Stanford Mulusa.

MMD Campaign Manager in the by-election Newton Samakayi said the MMD is a lot more visible in Mufumbwe among women and youths than Patriotic Front (PF).

Mr Samakayi said the by-election is also a revolution by the people against PF candidate Stephen Masumba, who is former MMD MP for the same area.

He told journalists last night that there was a revolution in Mufumbwe because Masumba, the person they had voted for under MMD last year, decided to abandon them to join PF.

Mr Samakayi said the people in Mufumbwe would vote for the MMD candidate Mulusa to punish Masumba and show him that he does not own the people in the area.

He said MMD was also favoured to win the election because of its developmental record in the area while in power.

He said when the MMD was in government it opened up North Western province to major mining investments and improved the road network from Solwezi to Chavuma.

On the other hand, Mr Samakayi attacked the PF 90-days development promise as a ‘deception’ because it is yet to deliver even after one year had elapsed.

He said the people of Mufumbwe feel they would not benefit from the PF government, whose relationship with the people of North Western province is still not good.

He explained that during the MMD government, poles were brought and erected to supply hydroelectricity to Mufumbwe.

However, he lamented that when the PF took over government it uprooted the poles and took them to Muchinga province.

ZANIS

Patritic Front (PF) Secretary General, Wynter Kabimba has advised people in Mufumbwe district to stop practicing politics on tribal lines saying President Michael Sata did not encourage tribalism as it deterred development.

And Vice President Guy Scott said the PF government has expressed happiness to see that the people of Mufumbwe had freed themselves from the MMD lies which had not developed the area for the paste 20 years of being in power.

Dr Scott said it would concentrate on distributing the Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FISP) to the poor people and not the rich as it was in the previous regime because the PF’s manifesto was to ensure that the program benefited the poor.

Speaking at a rally at Wishimanga and Kamabuta basic schools, Mr Kabimba said Mr Sata was serious man who wanted to develop the entire Zambia regardless of tribe or political inclinations because he knew that tribal politics could cause divisions.

“ Mr Sata is a serious man he has no issues with of tribalism but want to ensure that North western province is also developed because it has lacked behind in the last 20 years the opposition MMD was in power, these lies that PF is tribal should not be bought because all tribes are encompassed in the party,” he said.

And Dr Scott has urged those entrusted with the distribution of fertilizer and other farming inputs not to delay the exercise because doing so would mean delaying the PF progress of changing things in the new government.

Dr Scott said his government would build a university in the district because it had never had one and that because of that many pupils who had done well had failed to advance their education and end up getting married or becoming farmers.

“ The PF will not give any farming in puts to the rich people like the MMD was doing, why should the rich continue to get richer, the PF will make sure that the farming inputs reached the intended benefits, the distribution of FISP should also not be delayed all has been put in place so my government expects no delay,” said Dr Scott.

The Vice President has also emphasized that the PF should not waste time with in fighting in the party but asked them to be serious and campaign vigorously so that a right person could be put as Mufumbwe MP.

Dr Scott said all the problems complained about which included lack of clinics, schools and secondary schools could better be developed if they voted for an MP from the ruling party.

Earlier the Veep visited the Central market where he interacted with the marketeers and bought relish from them before proceeding to other two rallies in the afternoon.

And PF chairperson for elections Sylvis Masebo said government would only believe that PF existed in North western province if they voted for Steven Masumba.

She asked the electorates to stop remaining behind by voting for the opposition because that would be wasting their chance for another 10 years of no development in the area.

She said Mr Sata was not surrounded by Bemba people but people from all the 10 provinces hence the need for them not to believe what the opposition political parties were preaching that PF party was based on political lines.

“ So don’t follow tribe but a human being tribes men can make you fail be like Mr Sata who is working for everybody, he has promised give youths jobs he did not say Bemba youths so help him to bring Masumba to Parliament,” she said.

Kitwe Mayor Chileshe Bweupe says there is nothing irregular with the motion to provide him with housing and 24 hours security.
Mr. Bweupe insisted that Mayors deserve to be accommodated in institutional houses and be provided with security in order for the Office of the Mayor to be respected.

He charged that the motion seeking to provide housing and 24 hours security to the Mayor of Kitwe has been politicized.
“This is not about Bweupe, the motion was meant to benefit even future Mayors. We need Mayors to be accommodated in good houses where they can host functions,” he said.

“We have seen functions been hosted at the residencies of the Nigerian Embassy, Botswana High Commission, why should the Mayor, the number one Citizen of the City host functions at Lodges and Hotels?”

The Kitwe Mayor, a close relative of President Sata said some political opponents want to gain mileage from the issue of the motion and bring his office into disrepute.

“I have never used the name of President Michael Sata in vain, people claiming that I use State House to abuse my powers are just been malicious,” he said.

He said he is fully aware that some people want to use the issue to distract him from performing his duties as the Father of the City.

Mr. Bweupe said he is focused on leaving a legacy of hard work and commitment to the City of Kitwe and warned that he will not be distracted in his course of duty.

Recently, Ministry of Local government and Housing Permanent Secretary issued a circular to Kitwe City Council not to enforce the motion to provide housing and 24 hours security to the Mayor of Kitwe failure to which appropriate statutory sanctions will be applied.

Mr. Namachila advised the council not to enforce the decision as it is against public policy and it is costly and attracts audit query.

He explained that moving a motion to provide accommodation and security for the mayor is in contravention of the current legislation and has therefore no legal; backing rendering it an ultra vires decision of no legal effect.

Political analyst Neo Simutanyi has advised leaders of the Patriotic Front to stop labeling everyone criticizing their policies as being bitter.

Dr. Simutanyi said those opposing the manner in which the PF has managed national affairs since assuming office are merely doing so in the interest of democracy.

“Please we are not bitter, stop calling us bitter each time we speak, we are not bitter, we are democrats,” Dr. Simutanyi pleaded.

Dr. Simutanyi said the majority of Zambia wants the PF to deliver on its promises made during campaigns.

“We don’t want this government to fail. When it succeeds, everyone including those who didn’t vote for them will be happy. Nobody wishes it to fail,” he said.

Dr. Simutanyi was speaking in Lusaka last evening during a public discussion organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung on the PF’s one year in office.

He said it has become fashionable for PF top officials to react sharply to any kind criticism and call those criticizing them as bitter.

Dr. Simutanyi said the PF should be more tolerant to divergent views adding that Zambia is now a mature democracy and that people will always enjoy their right to expression.