FORMER University of Zambia Students’ Union president Solomon Ng’ambi has condemned the Decision by management at the institution to abolish the semester calendar for the term system.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, that the University was moving into an outdated methodology of learning at a time when most Universities were adopting the semester system.

“I believe world over international standards of Universities are moving from the yearly calendar to the semester system for various academic benefits,” he said.

Mr Ng’ambi said this was a sign that the University had run out of ideas of the 21st century as this move would not be good for the students adding that they would only be sitting for exams at the end of the year which would give the students work overload.

He advised the students’ movement to speak out as this would greatly affect their studies.

The decision to abolish the semester academic calendar for the term system which will be effective in October 2013, was arrived at on Sunday afternoon when the University management had a meeting to discuss which calendar was best for the institution.

FIVE United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres charged with disorderly conduct have accused a Lusaka magistrate Lameck Ng’ambi of total bias in the manner he is handling their case and have since asked him to transfer the matter to another magistrate.

Aaron Pumulo Sililo, 35, Joseph Mazonda, 48, Lemmy Mukoba 29, Patrick Ntalasha,28, and Newton Chisuntu, 30, yesterday made an application in the chambers requesting Mr Ng’ambi to transfer their case to another magistrate because he has shown bias towards them from the time they commenced trial.

It is alleged in this matter that the five on June 6, 2012 in Lusaka jointly and acting together with other persons unknown conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by blocking the public roads at the junction at Lagos and Addis Ababa drive.

But the cadres have stated in their affidavit in support of summons to transfer their case pursuant to section 78 of the criminal procedure code (CPC) 88 of the Laws of Zambia that they have no doubt in their minds that their defence would be a mere formality as the court has already decided to convict them.

They said that being cadres of one of the opposition political parties did not warrant their being abused by the court of law to which they were supposed to seek justice.

The cadres further said that they were unable to make meaningful representation because the court was full of biasness and as such they were humbly requesting Mr Ng’ambi to transfer their matter to another court.

They said that they were victims of political intolerance by the ruling party and they were arrested on tramped-up charges when they were demonstrating peacefully.

Mr Ng’ambi has since adjourned the matter to Monday next week to enable the state study the cadres’ application and respond to it before he could make his ruling.

He had on Tuesday last week revoked the cadres’ bail for flouting bail conditions.

This was after one of the defence lawyers, Martha Mushipe, informed the court that one of the accused persons, Sililo, was absent But Mr Ng’ambi said Sililo, Muzonda, Mukoba, Ntalasha and Chisuntu had been abusing the court process by delaying in opening their defence.

He ordered that the five be held in custody until they finished giving their defence.

President of the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) and Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba is in China to attend a special conference at the invitation of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

The conference theme is “Promoting Green Development and Building a Beautiful Asia Together”, with two sub-themes, “Asian Countries%u2019 Practice for Green Development”, and “Asian Political Parties Working Hand in Hand against the Challenges of Green Development.”

The Conference is being hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and co-hosted by CPC Committee of Shaanxi Province.

Mr Kabimba, who is also Zambia’s Minister of Justice, arrived in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi accompanied by his three Deputy Presidents for North, West and Central Africa, among others.

Mr. Kabimba has observed that the theme of the conference was evidence of how Asian political parties across their diversity were uniting around issues of sustainable development and safeguarding of the environment.

Mr. Kabimba has also stressed that CAPP would use the occasion as a learning experience for their own activities, so as to promote unity of purpose around common development agenda issues across political and ideological lines on the African Continent.

The CAPP President is scheduled to address the multi-lateral forum for political parties in Asia at which more than 300 political parties in 52 countries in the region with diverse political and ideological backgrounds are eligible to participate in the activities.

ICAPP activities are aimed at fostering common development issues confronting Asia.

This is contained in a statement released to Qfm by PF Media and Publicity Director Chanda Mfula.

Information and Broadcasting Service Minister Kennedy Sakeni has dismissed as misleading continued speculations suggesting that the Patriotic Front government is to blame for continued hosting of by-elections in the country.

Mr. Sakeni who is Chief government spokesperson has maintained that by-elections are a constitutional matter and there is need for people to understand that vacancies of parliamentary seats occur for various reasons.

Mr. Sakeni has stressed that there is nothing the PF government can do apart from ensuring that a by- election is held when a Member of Parliament crosses the floor as doing so is a constitutional right.

The chief government spokesperson has further contended that the question of by-elections being an unplanned cost is not justified as the constitution and democracy carries its own cost which includes expenditure at whatever by-election that takes place in the country.

Mr. Sakeni said this when he featured on a good governance programme at radio ichengelo in Kitwe, Copperbelt province.