SBM What’s New Boutique chief executive officer Sylvia Mwansa launched the Kenneth Kaunda’ or ‘KK’-branded safari suits over the weekend at Lusaka’s Manda Hill Shopping Mall at an occasion that also doubled as President Kenneth Kaunda’s 88th birthday party.

Mrs Sylvia Mwansa said KK’s 88th birthday celebration proved a milestone and it was the duty of Zambia’s sons and daughters to show him that he is valued and dearly loved.

“Today marks a memorable day in the history of SBM Investments,” Mrs Mwansa said. “Our 10-year plan has come to pass through the launch of the KK suits and regalia. For us, we are simply invoking the goodwill and fatherly love of the father of the nation.”

Mrs Mwansa said SBM wants to develop Zambian brands to create awareness of Zambian products and show that Zambian names can be used to bring honour and a sense of pride to the country’s citizens.

The suits were specially manufactured in Istanbul, Turkey. The name ‘Kenneth Kaunda’ is embedded in the inside left jacket pocket as well as on the lower bottom of the jacket’s left sleeve. The jacket also has an additional feature of a pen pouch above the left breast pocket.

As KK was a proponent of socialism, SBM has considered making the suits affordable by selling them at a cost ranging from K1.2 million to K1.7 million.

Mrs. Mwansa says her company will, in future launch the levy Mwanawasa suits and President Michael Sata’s campaign shirt.

The occassion was graced by both the young and the old.Notable people present political veterans like Grey Zulu, Lewis Changufu, General Kingsley Chinkuli, General Tom Fara and Peter Matoka.

Others on the guest list included United States Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella, South African Ambassador to Zambia Moses Chikane, United Nations Development Programme country representative Viola Morgan and former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa.

The launch was graced also by Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda.

The event drew the attention of curious on-lookers.Shoppers and diners from restaurants had to abandon shopping and meals to join in wishing Zambia’s founding father a happy birthday.

Many of the young present craned and strained their necks to catch a glimpse of this adored national icon while simultaneously chancing their luck at a photograph with him.

KK proved a good sport as his mouth constantly creased into a smile in front of numerous flashing cameras and adoring invited and uninvited guests.

Love was also in the air as KK could not resist the opportunity to openly proclaim his affections and unfading love for his lifetime sweetheart, Zambia’s first ever first lady, Mama Betty Kaunda.

The first republican president, Kenneth Kaunda says he would not have been where he is now without the support of his wife, Mama Betty Kaunda.

Dr. Kaunda, who even sang a song for Mama Betty, thanked her for her support and guidance

“When I remember the first kiss,” KK crooned away in a determined raspy melody that prompted an escape of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the ecstatic audience.

Dr Kaunda said he was grateful to be honoured in such a way while still alive and was a very happy man to witness the launch of the suits branded in his name.

“Not many people live long enough to reach this age,” he said.

Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda said the special launch of the KK safari suits has contributed to making KK the icon that he is, who should be remembered for much more than being a fashion trendsetter but also for helping liberate Zambia, unifying its 73 tribes and building patriotism among its citizens.

“He is a living legend and launching the KK suits adds to the long list of things he’ll be remembered by,” Mr Lubinda said. “For me it is much more than wearing his suit, but living his legacy of love for God and love for mankind.”

[Daily Mail]

THE opposition MMD has announced that Lusaka Province chairperson, William Banda has left the party and has been replaced with his deputy Charles Mumena in an acting capacity.

Mr Banda is said to have met with the party provincial executive committee earlier in the day where he announced that he was no longer interested to be at the helm of the party in the province.

“I want to inform the nation that I have received a report from the Lusaka executive that William Banda has stepped down and I want to accept his decision on behalf of the party,” MMD national secretary Major RichardKachingwe said

The general secretary said now that Mr Banda had left, the party in Lusaka would now rebrand by exercising civility and stop harassing people in the name of politics.

Mr Banda, a close ally of former president Rupiah Banda, has been a controversial figure in MMD, especially in the run-up-to the 2011 presidential elections with many people accusing him of perpetrating violence.

Meanwhile, MMD has said that it has no intention of introducing the position of the vice-president at the forthcoming convention despite calls by some members to re-create the second highest party office.

And former Works and Supply minister, Mike Mulongoti has charged that it is foolish for the former ruling party to scrap the vice-presidency position in an effort to please some individuals.

Party chairperson, Michael Mabenga, who is acting president, said in an interview during the week that the extraordinary convention set for May 25 would not look at introducing the position of vice-president.

The MMD froze the position ahead of the 2011 presidential elections when it became apparent that late former vice-president George Kunda was set for defeat by Mr Mulongoti, who was not favoured by the national executive committee.

Mr Mulongoti was subsequently expelled from the MMD although many analysts believe that lack of vice-president has thrown the party into a leadership crisis following the retirement of its leader Rupiah Banda.

Former national vice-president Enoch Kavindele, who is aspiring for the party presidency, said lack of second-in-command had worked to the disadvantage of the MMD, adding that time had come to re-introduce the position.

However, Mr Mabenga was adamant that the former ruling party was in a crisis and vowed not to re-introduce a vice-president during the convention, that will simultaneously be held in the country’s 10 provinces.

“The position of vice-president is not there. It will not be done during the convention. We don’t need it now because we have the party chairperson,” Mr Mabenga said.

“I am surprised that some people are saying that we are in a crisis, what crisis? There is no crisis whatsoever and we are geared for the convention where we will be electing the new president.”

Mr Mabenga, who defended the use of the provincial conventions to elect the president, also announced that the new leader would be required to amass 50 per cent plus one vote in line with the party constitution, failure to which there would be a run-off.

Meanwhile, Mr Mulongoti said the method the MMD would be using to elect the leader of the party would be illegal because it did not conform with the party constitution.

He said in a separate interview during the week that the party constitution stipulated that the president of the party could only be elected at a national convention and wondered how credible the new leader would be.

“Speaking as a legal mind I think the MMD has a constitution which should deal with the issue of an extraordinary convention, which also gives power to elect the president. So the convention may be right but it’s illegal according to the constitution,” he said.

Political analyst, Alex Ng’oma said the decision by the opposition MMD to use provincial conventions to elect its next leader was a clear indication of a lack of democracy in the former ruling party.

Dr Ng’oma charged that the excuse of lack of money as the reason for failing to hold an extraordinary convention to elect a new leader did not stand because the MMD had demonstrated its wealth prior to the 2011 elections.

“The provincial conferences process is less credible than the main convention. This is like divide-and-rule tactic by the MMD and they are showing that there is no democracy in the party.

“If they (MMD members) claim that there is no money, then this is very strange because they showed the whole world that they were a wealth party in the run-up to the elections last year,” he said.

The former ruling party, which is fighting to clear its name after being labeled a corrupt institution, is set to elect a new leader following the retirement from active politics by Mr Banda.

Apart from Mr Kavindele, six other members who include Nevers Mumba, Felix Mutati, Kabinga Pande, Kapembwa Simbao, Moses Muteteka and Situmbeko Musokotwane are interested to lead the MMD.

[Times of Zambia]

Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced back into doing what he does best- running contraband-to settle Andy’s debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian (Ben Foster), for one final run to Panama and back, hoping to return with millions in counterfeit bills. Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and sons become their target.

PROS

• Good acting by Mark Wahlberg.
• Gripping story-line with many twists and turns
• It is unpredictable movie that keeps you guessing what will happen next.

CONS

• At some points in the movie you may get lost because of the numerous twists in the story.

FAVORITE QUOTE

Chris Farraday: You think you’re the only guy with a gun?

Tim Briggs: Tell him not to dump it in the water!

CONCLUSION

Contraband is a very entertaining  action thriller . Mark Wahlberg plays a working class action hero in this gritty but convoluted story about double-dealing smugglers, wharfside corruption and family revenge.

RATING

4 out of 5

By Kapa187

Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) prime minister commonly known as Ngambela, Clement Sinyinda, who disclosed that this years Kuombokaa ceremony has been cancelled.He said the event will not take place because of the emerging ‘full moon’. He said it is against Lozi tradition to hold the Kuomboka under a full moon.

The cancellation of the ceremony has also been attributed to insufficient water levels. Ngambela Sinyinda says the BRE regrets the cancellation of the annual traditional event, which also attracts regional and international tourists.

“The full moon is about to emerge and so it is impossible for us to hold the event as it is against our tradition,” he said.

Ngambela Sinyinda said a survey conducted by the Kuomboka ceremony organising committee headed by Induna Inete established that the water levels are not good enough for the event.

Kuomboka means moving from the flooded plains to the dry highlands and is dependent on the depth of the water level in order to accommodate the Nalikwanda, the Litunga’s royal boat.

“We spent most of our time organising the Barotse National Council (BNC) meeting last month and we realised we have very little time to prepare for the Kuomboka. And as you may be aware, we usually do not hold this event in May, so we regret the cancellation of the event this year,” Ngambela Sinyinda said.

[pullquote]We spent most of our time organising the Barotse National Council (BNC) meeting last month and we realised we have very little time to prepare for the Kuomboka[/pullquote]

And it is exactly one month since the BNC meeting resolved that Western Province would secede from Zambia and mandated the BRE to put in place a transition process, leading to the take-over of all government functions in Western Province.

When asked to comment on the progress towards the realisation of the BNC resolution, Ngambela Sinyinda declined to comment on the matter.

“No, no, no, I do not want to comment on that matter,” he said.

The BNC meeting cited Government’s failure to honour the Barotseland Agreement of 1964 as its reason to call for the breakaway of Western Province from Zambia.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba says there is no need for panic among the people of Mongu over the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) jets that have been flying over the town.

Mr Mwamba said the flying of the trainer fighter jets is normal routine for ZAF.

He said in an interview monitored on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation news yesterday that there is nothing sinister about jets flying over Western Province.

“The jets were recently procured and they are being used to train officers at ZAF, so there is no need for people to panic,” he said.

An activist, Alexander Mwangelwa, is reported to have said that the low flying ZAF jets are causing fear in Western Province.

Mr Mwangelwa was quoted in the Post Newspapers yesterday as saying the people of Western Province should be alert.

[Daily Mail]

MINISTER of Defence Geoffrey Mwamba is demanding K500 million from the Daily Nation newspaper following an article published by the newspaper suggesting that his trucks were used to transport fuel donated to Malawi.

Mr Mwamba is also demanding a written apology and retraction of the article entitled “Malawi to sell oil donated by Zambia” which appeared in the newspaper on Thursday.

This is contained in a letter of demand by Mr Mwamba’s lawyers, Ellis and Company, obtained by the Daily Mail in Lusaka on Thursday.
Mr Mwamba’s decision to demand an apology and compensation is in relation to an extract of the article published in the Daily Nation, which his lawyers have termed as defamatory.

“Our instructions are, therefore, to demand a written apology and a retraction of the said article in so far it relates to our client. Our client also demands to be compensated to the tune of K500 million for the said defamatory words,” reads part of the letter.

Ellis and Company says if the newspaper does give them a favourable response within seven days, they will institute court proceedings for appropriate remedies which will inevitably aggravate costs and attract interest.

Mr Mwamba’s lawyers say the article meant and is understood to mean that their client has abused his office as Minister of Defence by using his personal vehicles to transport the fuel.

The law firm says that the article further means that Mr Mwamba is a corrupt and mischievous person.
Mr Mwamba’s lawyers state that the article means that he used his authority to procure the oil deal to transport fuel to derive financial benefit.

The law firm says that a portion of the article is not correct because Mr Mwamba does not own any fuel tankers, whether registered or not, which are capable of transporting fuel.

The law firm says as a result of the defamatory article, Mr Mwamba has suffered hatred, ridicule and has been lowered in the estimates of right thinking members of the society.

[Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”
(Romans 12:2, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Living in victory means that sometimes you have to develop new habits. If you’ve been negative for a long time, you’ve got to re-train your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can;” from “It won’t happen” to “It will happen;” from “I’ll never get well” to “God is restoring health unto me;” from “I never get any good breaks” to “God’s favor surrounds me like a shield;” from “I’ve made too many mistakes. I’m all washed up” to “I’m redeemed and forgiven. My best days are still out in front of me.” It’s like reprogramming a computer. Sometimes you have to wipe off the old, outdated, dysfunctional software and load in something new.

If you’ve spent your days focused on how things won’t work, it’s time to focus on how things will work out! It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, how many people have told you no, or how long it’s been that way, God has the final say. It’s not over till God says it’s over. Shake off the self-pity. Shake off the disappointment. Let go of the old and choose to believe Him. Declare His promises over your life and see His blessing and victory as you align yourself with Him!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, thank You for the transformation power in Your Word! Thank You for giving me hope for my future. I choose to trust You, I choose to believe Your word, and I choose to declare Your truth and watch victory unfold in Jesus’ name! Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen