UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has stated that he is not afraid to challenge the PF government and President Michael Sata over governance issues.

Mr Hichilema said he was ready to be jailed for the sake of Zambians and vowed to speak out on several national issues affecting the country.

Speaking during a campaign rally in Kapiri Mposhi yesterday to drum up support for UPND candidate Lawrence Zimba in the 23rd April parliamentary by-election, Mr Hichilema charged that the PF lied to the people of Zambia during their campaigns in the run up to the 2011 general elections.

“I am not afraid to say that the PF lied during their campaigns in 2011… I repeat, I am not afraid… I used to be scared but after President Sata threw me in cells several times, I am not afraid. I am ready to go in cells even 200 times for the sake Zambians,” Mr Hichilema said.

And Mr Hichilema has claimed that the ruling PF wants to create a one party state by enticing opposition Members of Parliament (MP) to ditch their political parties and join the ruling party.

“Why are we having by-elections soon after another by-election? The PF are causing these unnecessary by-elections because they want to introduce a one party state . . . they want to introduce dictatorship… but we say no we don’t want . . . we do not want dictatorship we want democracy,” Mr Hichilema said.

Mr Hichilema has alleged that the PF government has no policy on agriculture.

He said the UPND will ensure that the challenges being faced in the agriculture sector were addressed.

[pullquote] I used to be scared but after President Sata threw me in cells several times, I am not afraid.[/pullquote]

“PF has no policy on agriculture. They have a poor agricultural marketing policy. I am speaking as a farmer and Mr Zimba is a farmer. You cannot be distributing fertiliser to farmers in January or February that is why we are having increased prices in mealie-meal… as UPND we want to correct the situation,” he said.

“The PF government has failed in many ways. There are no medicines in clinics and hospitals and yet all of the sudden they have found money to buy chitenge for campaigns,” Mr Hichilema said.

“Teachers have no accommodation, orphans are not going to school but they are busy flying in choppers. Let me tell you, the PF government has failed to run this country,” Mr Hichilema said.

And Mr Zimba said he had been frustrated by the PF during the time he served as an MP for Kapiri Mposhi.

Mr Zimba said he would continue with his developmental programmes in Kapiri Mposhi once he is re-elected on the UPND ticket.

ZANIS

Honourable Deputy Minister,

I have become aware of your comment on my Statement of 9th April 2013 but I refuse to engage in any polemics with you, sir. I feel that you did not read my statement or if you did you did not understand it.

But I accept your challenge for me to justify my statement. However to avoid me going on a country-wide debate I have a counter challenge and I ask for “further and better particulars” from you or your Government to enable me prepare a focused response:

I shall be contending that the President DID NOT AND HAS NEVER invoked powers under Articles 33 and 44 when he established the Committee of Experts (or is it the Technical Committee); if you insist that he did so please indicate the date of promulgation and the specific instrument thereof.

[pullquote]Further, I urge you to encourage our President to address the nation live then we might find that it is not necessary to criticise the Government.He was able to address foreigners again; let him address us, his own people.[/pullquote]

I hope that there is no cover up of the President’s omission. Is your statement the official position of the Government? I have perused Article 33, and I notice that this refers to the establishment of the Office of President.

Further Article 44 is referring to the functions of the President: both are general powers. Do you or your Government still maintain that the President relied on these provisions?

I welcome your joining this debate and I shall await your response for at least 24 hours before responding. But please avoid personalising the debate and instruct your Government Gazettes to fully cover me when I begin to copy to them since they had been ignoring my statements.

Further, I urge you to encourage our President to address the nation live then we might find that it is not necessary to criticise the Government.

He was able to address foreigners again; let him address us, his own people.

GODFREY MIYANDA,
BRIGADIER GENERAL,
HERITAGE PARTY
[12th April 2013]

President Michael Sata is tomorrow expected in Kapiri Mposhi district where he is scheduled to address three public rallies to drum-up support for ruling PF candidate Eddie Musonda in the 23rd April Kapiri Mposhi constituency by-elections.

According to the program released to ZANIS by Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe today, Mr Sata will arrive in Kapiri Mposhi at 09:05 hours at Ngabwe where he is expected to pay a courtesy call on Chief Ngabwe and later on hold a political rally at Ngabwe Basic School.

Mr Sata will then proceed to Liombe where he will address a rally after paying a courtesy call on Senior Chief Chipepo of the Lenje people.

The President will later at 16:00 hours address a public rally at Kapiri Mposhi Town Center ground.

He is expected to depart for Lusaka at 17:00 hours.

The Kapiri Mposhi constituency by-election was necessitated after the Supreme Court nullification of Lawrence Zimba (MMD) as area Member of Parliament following a successful appeal by PF losing candidate, Eddie Musonda.

Mr Zimba has since been adopted by the opposition UPND to re-contest the seat while UNIP has fielded Francis Mwape.

Meanwhile, an officer from State House security personnel, which was First-Lady Christian Kaseba’s advance part to Kitwe, has died after their vehicle overturned along the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway.

The officer identified as superintendent Electra Hamwata died on the spot in the accident that happed around 16:00 hours near Zamtan area in Kitwe.

Ms Hamwata was with two others people identified as Aaron Sikalumbi and Charles Palati in a Nissan Hard Body, which travelling to Kitwe as an advance part to Dr Kaseba.

Dr Kaseba was in Kitwe for the burial of her late aunt Ruth Mwape Gondwe who was put to rest at Chingola Road cemetery in Kitwe.

Copperbelt police commanding officer Mary Tembo was not readily available to comment by press time.

But Dr Kaseba during church service of her late aunt shed tears as she confirmed the death of Ms Hamwata.

Dr Kaseba said the deceased officer was initially supposed to have travelled to Chipata in Eastern Province for other duties but opted to travel to Kitwe as she had personally known the first-lady’s late aunt.

She said it was while coming to Kitwe that she was involved in the accident which claimed her life.

Judge Annie Sitali has granted Rupiah Banda’s lawyers judicial review of Parliament’s decision to lift his immunity saying procedure was not followed.

Former President Banda was challenging the removal of his immunity from prosecution by Parliament.The Defence team representing the former president is lead by Prof Patrick Mvunga other include Eric Silwamba and Sakwiba Sikota.

His lawyers stated that the decision of the National Assembly of Zambia to proceed and to remove his immunity on a simple majority of 80 out of a total of 158 MPs was illegal and irregular.

Mr Banda’s lawyers further stated that the decision of the National Assembly to deny him an opportunity to be heard and adopt a summary procedure prior to resolving that he was amenable to the jurisdiction of any criminal court was contrary to the principal of ‘no person should be condemned unheard’ was therefore illegal and irregular.

He added that the decision to move the motion without due and proper inquiry as to whether the allegations presented as grounds constituted acts performed in his personal or office capacity was illegal and irregular.

The former President also contended that it was unreasonable for Speaker Matibini to proceed with the motion notwithstanding that a petition challenging the state’s intention to lift his immunity had been filed at the High Court and therefore subjudice.

More details to follow.