As we continue to promote Poetry in Zambia ; here are this weeks poems ,enjoy.

MOONSHINE (GODDESS) by Mwape Mumba

The Moon about it there’s a lot of revelation.

Journeying to its destination

Its dominion: all things lose their ugliness under its light luminously cast on them…

Likening a being to that heavenly body

Is likening the being to having heavenly origins

Shines with beauty that cannot compare

That you’d never want to cast your gaze away just stare

Its cool warmth so alluring with much authority

Yet with an aura of care and love oozing in her mostly

As designed by nature moving across the sky with admirable grace

As though to subtly let the world know of not only its beauty but also its outstanding craftsmanship… rightfully in place

When she moves she carries herself with authority, self respect and a whole lot of esteem

She: so contagious as her presence overwhelmingly is lovely from within

Moves with admirable grace in every step she takes

Beauty carefully crafted

Unable to shift gaze once set on her.

Her voice uttered is like nothing no matter can articulate

Only unique to her mesmerizing never pressurizing.

Soft and tender is the composition of her soul

A single dose of her and you’d forever want more…

Its a pity words can never fully all in all express the heart and soul!!

WHAT THEY THINK OF YOU..

by Milan Sichinga

Life is a mythical hole that isn’t at all simple,

It’s a puzzle that reflects different meaning to animals and people,

To the animals it’s all about the hunt,

Be caught behind or find a way to stay in front,

With people the rules slightly differ,

The challenges and threats make the meaning deeper,

Of course we want to get ahead,

And poverty and failure we all dread,

But we have the liberty to give up and still be happy,

We can hang on to love even when it’s crappy,

We can sit and no fatal predator will make us its prey,

Of course I mean that in the literal way-

Because both animals and people may be eaten,

It’s just our fates in the universe that are differently written,

For instance man and woman,

Both evidently human,

But obviously nothing alike

I’m yet to find a similarity I like,

We may share a rib but we don’t much care for each other,

Just look at the number of movements fighting one another,

In the middle of that is gender,

Centred around luxury and paper,

It’s funny it grows silent when asked to toil,

One by one the leaders bury their heads in the soil.

Now the whole term is confused,

And the numbers keep growing of those who are abused.

We read of a woman and frown but laugh when it’s a man,

To get away with raping me lady I can see now that was your plan,

Ridiculous, like the 90 days of that politician

Before I believe such rhetoric I’d rather see a mortician,

Why are we so gullible to accept everything they tell us?

Why do we close our minds and let them enslave us?

With doctrine that is dented like a face with chicken pox

Open your minds and think outside that box,

Before making a decision, weigh the pros and cons,

Also be weary of what you say on Facebook and on those phones

I can assure you they are watching, they are listening,

They’ve wanted to control me since the day of my christening,

I think for myself so I rebuke their control,

Do you know that a fool is what they take you for?

(My Intellect’s Loud And Noisy-MILAN)

A CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN

by Martha Kondwe

A choclate fountain

a fountain i never want to run dry

when his lips touch mine

i feel like i can touch the sky

if only for the moment

sending me to a dreamy place

half dreamy

then awake

and half magical

his breathe

on the nape of my neck

a sensitive spot

the warmth of his body

lying next to me

its like a luxury

a ride i remember

even in my most darkest slumber

i remember

skin

bare

sweat

dripping

breathing

heavy

moaning

only in his ear

pure pleasure

heart pounding

physical insanity

which leads to the ending

the ending of all endings

spontaneous combustion

this is a good day

By Kapa187

The Patriotic Front Government says its development agenda is anchored on the sixth National Development Plan. Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said that the PF government has not discarded the development plans of the MMD government.

He said the private sector should note that PF developments and economic plans are also laid out in the mid-term plans and the annual budget. Mr Chikwanda said this on a ZNBC special recorded TV programme which is expected to air at 21 hours on Thursday.

On monetary policy, Mr Chikwanda said that the Bank of Zambia has introduced the Policy Rate to address the disparity between leading rates and the inflation rate. He said it is not acceptable that there should be 400 percent disparity on lending rates which stand at 25 percent while inflation is at six percent.

Mr Chikwanda also said the two million Kwacha income tax threshold which takes effect this month will create spending power and stir the economy to grow.

And he Patriotic Front-PF party has reaffirmed its commitment to deliver on its election campaign promises. Vice President Gut Scott who is also party Vice President says the PF party will not be preoccupied with the election victory but concentrate on uplifting the lives of Zambians.

Dr. Scott was speaking when he addressed PF officials in Kabwe in Central Province on Wednesday.

Dr Guy Scott also said that the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) will never come back to power just like the United Independence Party (UNIP) which he said has been in the opposition for more than 20 years since it lost to MMD in 1991.

The Vice president encouraged members of the PF in central province to work hard and make the party stronger by recruiting more members. ZANIS reports that Dr. Scott said the party wants the Mkushi North Seat which has been nullified to completely displace the MMD from Central Province where they used to enjoy more support.

He noted that the PF lost the 2008 election by 2 per cent because people in Central Province voted for MMD which he said should not be the case during the by-elections. Dr. Scott was speaking in Kabwe yesterday when he met PF members after a tour of Mukobeko Maximum Prison.

And Central Province Patriotic Front Chairman Benson Chali says the party is well positioned to win all the by-elections that have been created as a result of nullification of results following the petitions.

Mr. Chali told the Vice President that the opposition MMD Councilors have approached the party with intentions of wanting to defect to the ruling party but was waiting for the petition results to be heard.

He said more members have since joined and promised to scope the Mkushi North seat which was recently nullified in the high court. The Lusaka High court recently nullified the Chama North and Mkushi North seats which were petitioned by the PF.

ZNBC

A political Analyst has said that the people of Western Province need to understand the Implications of the content of the Barotseland Agreement. Dr. Alex Ng’oma has told QFM News that the boundaries of the Barotseland go beyond some of Zambia’s borders and has wondered how possible it will be for the people of western province to claim the land in such countries.

Dr Ng’oma who is also a political scientist at the University of Zambia notes that the issue of the Barotseland Agreement is a very sensitive matter which will need to be handled carefully by the parties involved as failure to do so may result in anarchy.

Dr. Ng’oma adds that while the people of western province have a good cause with regards the issue of the Barotseland, there is nowhere in the Agreement where secession is mentioned. He has also urged government to ensure that there is dialogue on the matter to rectify the mistakes that could have been made at the time the Barotseland Agreement was being signed.

Dr Ng’oma has since advised the government to listen to the people of western province on the matter.

Former MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba said that emotions should not take centre stage in finding an amicable solution on the Barotseland agreement of 1964. Dr. Kalumba has stated that history has molded the Barotseland and the rest of Zambia into one country and that session should not be an option.

He stated that the challenges faced in western province are visible and that it is important that stakeholders look into that. Dr Kalumba says such challenges can be resolved through a budget formula that accommodates some of the developmental challenges faced in western province.

And the Non Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council urge the concerned parties to the Barotseland agreement, the government, the Barotseland Royal Establishment and the people of Western Province, to guide the nation and provide leadership on the matter by resolving the issue amicably and engaging in dialogue through an independent arbitration team in order to bring in level headness to the deliberation.

NGOCC Board Chairperson Beatrice Grillo in a statement released to QFM News said that as the women’s movement they want to place on record that the Mongu riots and killings should not be repeated in the history of Zambia.

Ms Grillo said this is more so given the negative aspects that arise from any conflict where mostly women and children face the brunt of violence. She said that NGOCC urges for serious and urgent dialogue on the matter and that this will require open mindedness by all parties.

She added that the socio-economic challenges at the centre of the stand-off should be a motivator for well meaning advancement of the right to development. Ms Grillo said this must be seen from a broader perspective of moving the country forward.

She further states that NGOCC stands ready to be a part of the dialogue process and will mobilize its members on the ground to bring to the table the real issues that must preoccupy the deliberations.

He says in all this there is need not to forget to embrace solidarity and the One-Zambia, One-Nation spirit that Zambia has nurtured and guarded for long since independence.

And Get Involved Zambia Executive Director Father Bwalya has said that Zambians are praying that through dialogue the issues surrounding the Barotseland agreement will be resolved amicably.

And Father Bwalya has advised the Zambian government and the Barotseland Royal Establishment not to base their dialogue on media reports. Father Bwalya said that relying on media reports, some of which are misleading, will not help resolve the matter.

He said that it is important that the two parties dialogue and maintain Zambia’s status as a unitary state. In an interview with QFM, Father Bwalya stated that people of western province and the rest of the Zambian people have become one people, saying secession might not be the best option.

QFM

An unprecedented blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking, Act of Valor stars a group of active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs in a film like no other in Hollywood’s history. A fictionalized account of real life Navy SEAL operations, Act of Valor features a gripping story that takes audiences on an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-their-seat journey. When a mission to recover a kidnapped CIA operative unexpectedly results in the discovery of an imminent, terrifying global threat, an elite team of highly trained Navy SEALs must immediately embark on a heart-stopping secret operation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of us all. Act of Valor combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the-minute battlefield technology, and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure film-showcasing the skills, training and tenacity of the greatest action heroes of them all: real Navy SEALs.

PROS

• Great action scenes

CONS

• poorly developed characters , you do not get emotionaly attached to any of the charaters.
• The acting was very stiff and monotonous
• the storyline was predictable

FAVORITE QUOTES

Agent Morales: If you’re not willing to give up everything, you’ve already lost.

Agent Morales: When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

CONCLUSION

Lovers of action movies will really enjoy this one . But if you are looking for a well acted , gripping story then you will be disappointed. ,Ultimately, the film’s greatest asset, the real life Navy SEALs (and their insight), create a strange mix of successes and failures that at times enhance the experience and on other occasions don’t translate very well from reality to film.

RATING

3 out of 5

By Kapa187

The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has written off all electricity bills incurred by Luanshya residents who were affected by the closure of Luanshya Copper Mine.

This came to light yesterday when Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili addressed a public meeting in his constituency at Chaisa complex grounds.

Mr. Kambwili explained that the move came about after a thorough discussion with the Energy Minister.

He noted that at a time the mine was closed, a lot of people were out of employment making it difficult for them to settle their electricity and other bills.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Kambwili was, however, quick to urge the residents to pay their outstanding bills as the mine is now open and people have gone back to work.

[pullquote]Mr. Kambwili also directed ZCCM to ensure that all the people who bought mine houses are given title deeds by September this year.[/pullquote]

He also emphasized on the importance of people paying their electricity bills saying it enables the utility firm run efficiently.

Mr. Kambwili also directed ZCCM to ensure that all the people who bought mine houses are given title deeds by September this year.

ZANIS

To a packed house at Boston University on April 2, President Rupiah Banda made a strong defense for democracy as the African Presidential Center’s new President-in-Residence. In his opening salvo Banda said, “For democracy to flourish there must be a continuing stream of individuals of integrity and ideas with promise. There must be room for a new generation of leaders to rise to solve the next generation of problems. If democracy is going to be secure in countries like Zambia, if development is going to take root; old leaders can’t cling to power or attempt to consolidate it at all costs.”

President Banda also stressed that there is a role for the Western world to play in furthering democracy in Africa, but that it is important for the West to take its cues from African leadership. Using the example of recent events in Mali to make his point, Banda pointed out that “sometimes there are unintended consequences.” He went on to explain that NATO’s arming of rebels in Libya has played a part in the overthrow of Mali’s President Amadou Toumani Touré by Tuareg fighters who have moved into Mali following the fall of Qaddafi.

President Rupiah Banda is the Eighth President-in-Residence at Boston University’s African Presidential Center. As President-in-Residence, President Banda follows such notables as former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, President Q. Ketumile Masire, former president of Botswana, President Antonio Monteiro, former president of Cape Verde, and Mo Ibrahim prize-winner President Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former president of Botswana.

Banda will fill the role of President-in-Residence at Boston University through the fall. In addition to his responsibilities at BU’s African Presidential Center, President Banda will also conduct lectures at schools that are part of the Center’s Collaborative, including Morehouse College, Elizabeth City State University, the University of Dar es Salaam, and the University of Ghana, Legon. He will be traveling within the United States and Africa to discuss his experiences as President, trends of democratization, and the current state of African politics. He will also join other former heads of state at the African Presidential Center’s upcoming African Presidential Roundtable, to be hosted at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, May 23-25, 2012.

The African President-in-Residence program is an initiative of the African Presidential Center at Boston University and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The African Presidential Center has taken an unprecedented approach to studying democratization and free-market reform in Africa. Through this residency program for former democratically elected African leaders, the African Presidential Center provides a forum for sharing the insights and expertise of past and present heads of state and government. The African Presidential Center’s other initiatives include its internationally renowned African Leaders State of Africa Report, as well as its annual policy forum, the African Presidential Roundtable.