President Michael Sata is expected in Maputo, Mozambique Maputo to join other Heads of State for the 32nd Ordinary Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit where he will deliver his maiden speech.

The Summit officially opens on Friday.

Mr Sata will be accompanied by First Lady, Christine Kaseba and other senior Government officials, is expected to touch down at the Maputo International Airport at 10:45 hours.

A programme released by Zambia´s High Commissioner to Mozambique,Japhen Mwakalombe shows that President Sata would deliver his maiden speech at the Summit on Friday.

The Summit would also see host country´s President, Armando Guebuza take over the SADC chairmanship from his Angolan counterpart, Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Other leaders to issue maiden speeches would be Malawi´s President,Joyce Banda and Lesotho Prime Minister, Motsoahae Thabane.

President Dos Santos would also be expected to present prizes for regional winners of the SADC 2011 Essay Competition and Media Awards before issuing a keynote address and the ceremonial handover of the SADC Chairperson´s Badge to President Guebuza.

Mr Sata will on Friday evening, join other Heads of State and First Ladies at a State banquet hosted at State House in the Indian Oceanic-breeze-port city of Maputo.

The SADC official opening has been preceded by committee meetings and a Tuesday meeting of Ministers responsible for Finance and Investment at the glamorous Indi Village Hotel, where Zambia was represented by Commerce Trade and Industry Minister, Bob Sichinga and Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister, Miles Sampa.

Other Ministers present include Given Lubinda for Foreign Affairs and his Works, Supply, Transport and Communications counterpart, Christopher Yaluma.

The SADC ministers also attended a special meeting of the ministerial task force on regional economic integration also held on Tuesday.

The First Ladies of the SADC would meet to discuss various issues including the HIV/AIDS pandemic focusing mainly on mother-to- child transmission of the disease.

Troika members, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa converged last evening for an organ summit, looking at peace, defence and security.

The Summit is expected to close on Saturday after the signing of legal instruments.

Danny released a video for his song “Love and Age” of is album “V.O.V” . 

The song is about how love has energy over age ,height or size .When love strikes it knows no boundaries.

By Kapa187

Leader of the opposition National Restoration Party Elias Chipimo has demanded that government immediately drops charges leveled against UPND President Hakainde Hichilema

Addressing a news conference this morning, Mr. Chipimo stated that the charges against Mr. Hichilema are unwarranted and meant to intimidate political opponents.

He observed that the manner in which the case has been handled suggests that President Michael Sata had a strong hand in the arrest of Mr. Hichilema.

“We therefore demand that the state immediately drops the charges against the UPND leader and engage in constructive dialogue that will help reduce the levels of political tension. As NAREP, we believe that the statement on which Mr. Hichilema’s case is based has long been forgotten by many Zambians.”

“If at all the statement on Sudan as allegedly made by Mr. Hichilema was going to cause unrest in the nation, we surely could have seen the unrest by now.” Chipimo said.

Mr. Chipimo said the levels of political intolerance exhibited by the PF government have left many Zambians disappointed.[pullquote]“If at all the statement on Sudan as allegedly made by Mr. Hichilema was going to cause unrest in the nation, we surely could have seen the unrest by now.” Chipimo said.[/pullquote]

“Today, many Zambians have come to a painful conclusion that the high hopes they had placed on this leadership was misplaced.”

He said it is clear to see that the charges that Mr. Hichilema has been slapped with are political and had nothing to do with threatening peace and order.

And Mr. Chipimo has charged that Director of Public Prosecutions erred when he requested for an apology and a retraction from Mr. Hichilema if his case is to be dropped.

Answering questions from journalists at the news conference this morning, Mr. Chipimo said the DPP or anyone does not have powers to discontinue a matter unless via a nolle or in a case of a pardon after a conviction has been secured.[pullquote]“By asking Mr. Hichilema to retract and apology before he is convinced, the DPP was being irregular and his actions were not supported legally.”[/pullquote]

“By asking Mr. Hichilema to retract and apology before he is convinced, the DPP was being irregular and his actions were not supported legally.”

On PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba’s attendance of late Ghana President Prof John Atta Mills funeral, Mr. Chipimo said the PF government needs to be reminded that Zambia is no longer running a Party and Its Government (PIG) system of running government.

“PIG was dismantled in 1991 when Zambians ushered in a new dispensation; we are not interested in the party SG meddling in government business. Our protocol, demands, that it’s the President, Vice President and Cabinet Ministers as it follows,” Chipimo said.

He however stated that NAREP does not have a problem with Mr. Kabimba attending any other international events provided he is not doing so as a representative of the Zambian people.

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary-General, Wynter Kabimba says his party should not be misconstrued to have had a hand in the arrest of UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema. Mr Kabimba said the ruling party believes in the independence of law enforcement agencies. He said the PF believed in the rule of law and that it would ensure that it continued allowing the independence of law enforcement agencies and other public institutions.

Mr Kabimba said this in a statement issued by PF Media and Publicity Director, Chanda Mfula.He said various agencies and institutions in the country were now enjoying high levels of independence which were denied under the MMD reign.The Secretary-General made the comment in the wake of sentiments by Mr Hichilema and other opposition party leaders that his (Mr Hichilema) arrest on Monday was not justified.[pullquote]The PF, therefore, wants to remind the UPND and their cheerleaders not to expect the ruling party to intercede for them whenever they are suspected to have broken the law[/pullquote]

The party or Government cannot be held responsible for the actions of other political parties and therefore should not be blamed for the circumstances in which Mr Hichilema finds himself following his arrest by the police.

‘The PF, therefore, wants to remind the UPND and their cheerleaders not to expect the ruling party to intercede for them whenever they are suspected to have broken the law,’he said.

Mr Kabimba said it was hypocritical of the UPND and their supporters such as Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) leader, Charles Milupi and MMD’s Nevers Mumba to blame the PF for Mr Hichilemas actions that have landed him in court.Mr. Hichilema was on Monday arrested and charged with publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public.He denied the charge and was released on a K30 million cash bail.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Registrar of Societies has issued a fresh 21-day notice to the MMD requesting the former ruling party to settle the outstanding K400 million owed in statutory fees or face deregistration. Chief Registrar of Societies, Clement Andeleki confirmed the issuance of the notice to the former ruling party in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Andeleki said it was now about three months since the court threw out the de-registration of the party but no payment had been made to-date.It was proved in the court that the money was duly owed but what was opposed was the de-registration of the party suggesting that the matter be settled outside court. But MMD has not made any attempt to settle the amount, Mr Andeleki said.

He said the notice had been served on national secretary Richard Kachingwe and that the MMD secretariat acknowledged receiving it when it was delivered yesterday.He said if the party did not settle the amount within 21 days, the Chief Registrar would go ahead to terminate the party certificate according to Section 13 of the Societies Act.

Early this year, the chief registrar deregistered the former ruling party for non-payment of statutory fees amounting to more than K390 million for more than 19 years.

The Lusaka High Court in June threw out an application by the Chief Registrar of societies to de-register the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) for non payment of annual returns amounting to K390 million.Judge Jane Kabuka delivered judgment against the de-registration of the MMD on grounds that the move was against public interest and unreasonable.

Mr Andeleki has, meanwhile, commended the United Party for National Development (UPND) for settling statutory fees for its branches around the country.Mr Andeleki said UPND had issued a cheque worth K2.5 million for statutory fees for its branches across the country.Meanwhile, Mr Andeleki has travelled to Kitwe to take over the offices of the Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) and Zambia Traders and Marketeers Association (ZATMA).He said his office would officially hand over the operations of the two deregistered association to the local authorities to start conducting the mandatory role of running the markets.

[Times of Zambia]

Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni has said there was nothing wrong in Government sending the PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba to represent Government at the burial of President Atta Mills in Ghana.

Mr. Sakeni told ZANIS in an interview that Mr. Kabimba was a Zambian citizen and also the Secretary General of the ruling party and hence there was nothing wrong in sending him to represent Government and the people of Zambia in Ghana.

Reacting to Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) president Nevers Mumba, the Chief Government Spokesperson urged Dr. Mumba to desist from being petty but instead concentrate on issues that affect the livelihood of the Zambian people.

He wondered why the MMD leader was wasting time talking about issues that were straight forward, saying Dr. Mumba was reducing politics to something else.

On Monday the MMD president Nevers Mumba said that it was unfair for Government to send Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Wynter Kabimba to Ghana to represent Government at the burial of that country’s late President John Atta Mills.[pullquote]He alleged that the two Zambian Cabinet Ministers, Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu and Gender Minister Inonge Wina who accompanied Mr. Kabimba to the burial of President Atta Mills were turned away from where other Government representatives were sitting in full view of the international community.[/pullquote]

Dr. Mumba said the least Government should have done if the President was not available was to send the Vice President or the Minister of Foreign Affairs to represent the country in Ghana.

Talking to journalists on the sidelines of the MMD retreat at Kulpark Lodge in Chilanga District, Dr Mumba said that his party had failed to appreciate how Government would send a Secretary General of a political party to a state function.

The MMD leader said Government’s decision to send officials whose portfolios were not related to the function at stake only led to embarrassment for the country.

He alleged that the two Zambian Cabinet Ministers, Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu and Gender Minister Inonge Wina who accompanied Mr. Kabimba to the burial of President Atta Mills were turned away from where other Government representatives were sitting in full view of the international community.

Dr. Mumba urged Government to in future send befitting representation to such functions not only as a way of showing honour and respect to other countries but to also avoid confusing protocol in those nations.[pullquote]Dr. Mumba also challenged Government to disclose whether Mr. Kabimba’s trip to Ghana was sponsored by Government or the PF party.[/pullquote]

He said Zambia and Ghana share a very strong relationship and enjoys tremendous bilateral relations adding that when late Republican President Levy Mwanawasa died, the then Ghanaian President John Kufour came to mourn with Zambia along with other heads of state.

Dr. Mumba also challenged Government to disclose whether Mr. Kabimba’s trip to Ghana was sponsored by Government or the PF party.

ZANIS