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United Party for National Development, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema
United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has labeled President Michael Sata a flip flopping President.
Mr Hichilema in a statement released to QFM News says President Sata has changed positions on many national issues such the windfall tax, street vending and now the Barotseland agreement.
He says it is President Sata’s past statements, his alleged flip flopping habits and his deafening silence on UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s advocacy on gay rights that is worrying.
Mr Hichilema has demanded that President Michael Sata gives the nation his position and that of the PF on gay rights as advocated for by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who visited the country last week.
He says the UPND believes that as an African and Christian nation, Zambia has no place for gay rights.
He explains that the scriptures and the country’s culture which are a guiding light are clear on the matter.
Mr Hichilema further states that the country’s existing laws do not allow for this practice,adding that as Africans, culture which is protector of morals does not permit this practice.
He adds that UPND believes that for civility and national stability to continue in Zambia, gay rights must remain outlawed.
Former Republican Vice president George Kunda has challenged government to state its position on recent calls by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to have homosexuality rights recognized.
Speaking during a press briefing at the MMD secretariat, Mr. Kunda who is also party chairperson for legal affairs said Zambia is a Christian nation that must not allow foreign culture to be imposed on its people.
Mr. Kunda said it is therefore prudent for government to come out in the open and make their stance on the matter known.
And Mr. Kunda says the first five Months of the PF in power have subjected members of the MMD to untold sufferings adding that law enforcement agencies are on rampage brutalizing MMD members.
He says Zambia is headed for a one party state system with the rate at which the PF government is presiding over national matters where the PF party is supreme over government.
Mr. Kunda adds that it is surprising for PF General Secretary Winter Kabimba to go on national television and defend the President’s U-turn on the Barotseland agreement even before the matter is subjected to cabinet scrutiny.
He claims that Mr. Kabimba’s action and many other decisions that President Sata makes without consulting are a clear indication that party is more superior than government.
Mr Kunda adds that Mr Kabimba and Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda wield power more than Vice President Guy Scott who he described as a dummy vice president.
Clifford Mulenga has apologised to Zambia coach Herve Renard and the country for his expulsion from the 2012 Africa Nations Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Mulenga told MTNFotball.com that he deeply regretted breaking team rules on January 30 in Malabo when he went out drinking with four other players after Zambia’s 1-0 win over co-hosts Equatorial Guinea.”I have no excuse for what I did.
All I wanna do now is to say I’m sorry to the coach Herve Renard, his technical bench, FAZ, my teammates, my parents, my siblings, my wife and daughter, my friends, my family and my fans,” Mulenga said.
“Not forgetting the Zambian Government because my actions not only affected, hurt and disgraced the people directly involved but the Zambian nation at large.”Mulenga, of South African Premiership club Bloemfontein Celtic, also asked for forgiveness from Renard, FAZ, his national teammates and the nation.Renard expelled Mulenga on January 31 after the team had returned to Bata after securing their quarterfinal qualification.
The Frenchman later declared that Mulenga would never play for Zambia for as long as he remained Chipolopolo coach. However, Renard spared Jonas Sakuwaha, Collins Mbesuma, Hichani Himoonde and Felix Katongo after reportedly showing remorse for their actions in Malabo.
“My behaviour was irresponsible, immature, disrespectful and an insult to the coach, the technical bench and my teammates,” Mulenga said.”And lastly, I just want to congratulate the coach and the guys for their wonderful courage and effort they showed by winning the African Cup of Nations for the first time in our history. They are real champions and legends.”
Fathers Frank Bwalya selling his red cards at the PF rally.
Get Involved Zambia Executive Director Father Frank Bwalya has advised the Patriotic Front government not to entertain homosexuality in the country as propagated by UN Chief Ban Ki-moon who was in the country recently.
Father Bwalya says the government should instead listen to the voices of the people basing their arguments on the status of Zambia as a Christian nation.
Speaking in an interview with QFM, Father Bwalya says Get Involved Zambia agrees that people of homosexual orientation need to be loved and respected but states that it opposes calls to recognize gay rights in Zambia.
He says all that people need to do is to distinguish between homosexual orientation and homosexual acts.
Father Bwalya has since expressed optimism that government will not condone recognizing homosexual acts in the country as it is shameful.
And African Union implementation team member Joseph Chilengi has called on the Zambian Government to allow debate on homosexuality.
Mr. Chilengi says it is also important for the Zambian stakeholders to understand the motivation behind the United Nations and western nations’ push for developing countries to respect gay rights.
Mr. Chilengi adds that the Zambian government should ensure that debate on the issue of gay rights is exhausted before issuing any statement on its position.
He notes that debate on gay rights is a sensitive matter which should be handled with the caution it deserves.
QFM
Mr Chilengi adds that it is important that Zambia comes up with a position that will be acceptable both locally and internationally.
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini welcomes United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon to parliament building in Lusaka
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Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini welcomes United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon to parliament building in Lusaka
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon with Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini (left) after making a speech at the Parliament
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon greets Home Affairs Minister Kennedy Sakeni and Vice president Dr Guy Scott at the National Assembly in Lusaka
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon greeting Members of Parliament in Lusaka
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United Nations secretary General Ban Ki-Moon waves after addressing the National Assembly in Lusaka
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Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda, Minister Wilbur Simuusa (left) and Justice Minister Sebastian Zulu during the address by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at Parliament
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Sata with the UN Chief at State House
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Sata with Ban ki-moon pose for a picture
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Sata with Ban Ki-Moon outside the State house grounds
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Sata welcoming Ban Ki- Moon at Statehouse
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Sata shaking hands with Ban Ki -Moons wife
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UN chief signing the guest book at State house
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Sata with Ban ki- Moon at the Luncheon at Statehouse
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Sata greets Regina Chiluba widow of the Late former president Frederick Chiluba
Zambia’s Finest Talents (ZFT) is an online platform showcasing and
creating opportunities for youth talents worldwide.
Zambia’s Finest Talents was established by a young team of Zambians in
London through their passion for their mother land Zambia to develop
and promote youth talents worldwide.
ZFT was born to create and highlight opportunities, educate, empower
and to give a voice to Zambian Youth as well as others around the
globe.
Currently, ZFT is active online via social networking sites such as
Twitter, Facebook, Reverbnation and YouTube.
The mission of ZFT is to unite the youth and strengthen the One Zambia
One Nation concept which embraces freedom and a sense of belonging.
The ambitions of ZFT are to become Zambia’s leading Online Youth
Broadcaster featuring youth forums, the finest talents, music,
documentaries etc. In the UK, ZFT aims to enhance youth talents
through showcasing, promotion and skills development.
The business purpose of this project is to generate interest of
business houses to invest in the talent of the youth and create their
self worth and start to contribute to their countries’ economic
growth.
A service they also provide is ZFT Models, a service that allows freedom
of expression, colour, natural beauty, diversity and fashion. Models
handpicked from the UK use the advantage of natural beauty to showcase
a ‘Retro, Urban Africa’ sense of fashion through photography and
videography.
You can get in contact with ZFT and view the talented Zambian youths on the following social networks
Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Given Lubinda has said there were tremendous socio-economic benefits that accrue from tourism development such as wealth creation, revenue generation and rural development among others.
Mr. Lubinda said government supports efforts of the private sector which are aimed at sustaining the growth of the tourism industry in the country.
He said this in a speech read for him in Livingstone today by Foreign Affairs and Tourism Permanent Secretary Ambassador Peter Kasanda during the official launch of David Livingstone Bicentenary 2013.
Mr. Lubinda stressed that 2013 would be an important year for Zambia as it would celebrate the bicentenary of David Livingstone and host the 20th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly.
He expressed confidence that the two major events would attract more visitors to the country.
He has since encouraged the private sector to reach out to as many stakeholders and partners as possible to ensure success and increased tourist traffic to the country.
Mr. Lubinda further called on the corporate world to support tourism development as part of their corporate social responsibility.
“I would like to urge the corporate world to support tourism and rural development as part of their corporate social responsibility even as government through the tourism marketing arm- Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB), will continue to participate in preparations for the bicentenary celebrations,” he said.
He noted that Dr. David Livingstone’s commitment and legacy to mankind was huge hence the world still celebrated his dedication to exploration, medicine, education and the eradication of slavery.
And speaking earlier, British High Commissioner to Zambia James Thornton said he was impressed that the Zambian government wanted to remember Dr. Livingstone as a great explorer who took exceptional interest in making Africa known to Europeans.
Mr. Thornton said Dr. Livingstone inspired many missionaries to come to Zambia adding that this contributed to the country’s current Christian status.
He said he was impressed with some of the ideas put forward by the David Livingstone Bicentenary Organizing committee such as the medical exchange between Livingstone and Scotland, cultural exchange between schools in the United Kingdom and Zambia and academic conferences on Dr. Livingstone among others.
Mr. Thornton, who arrived in Livingstone yesterday, is also scheduled to meet government officials and tour operators before returning to Lusaka tomorrow.
Some Civil Servants in Milenge District of Luapula Province have appealed to the Patriotic Front Government to consider transferring civil servants from one district to the other in order to give officers a fresh minds and career enhancement.
An officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Jackson Mukanzo made the appeal to Luapula Province Minister Rodgers Mwewa who visited the district recently and addressed civil servants on the need to change their attitude towards work and dedication to provide quality service to the public.
Mr Mukanzo said he had been working in the district for many years and there was nothing new that he was looking forward to in his present station.
He said he wanted to go for further training and enhance his career prospects but Milenge district was too familiar an environment to him for any prospects of improvement in his work.
He said he knew every corner of Milenge and all the people and their shortcomings which did not inspire him anymore adding that once transferred to a new environment, he could even become a better performer because he will face new challenges with a fresh mind.
Mr Mukanzo volunteered to be transferred even to the newly created Lunga district in the Bangweulu swamps where he said his mind could open up saying in Milenge his mind is confined to a limited radius.
He said it was difficult to appreciate working in Milenge because there was no radio and television signal and that even newspapers never reached the district.
“We are backwards here and there is no source of news from anywhere and we do not know what is happening in the Zambia. It is difficult to make any progress in this environment,” he said.
And Luapula Province Minister Rodgers Mwewa agreed with Mr Mukanzo that transfers were important because they bring new challenges and new ways of thinking to people.
He said the PF Government will support the decentralization policy because it will help in addressing issues of local transfers and other disciplinary cases as opposed to centralised system in Lusaka which delays decisions and implementation of programmes.
Mr Mwewa said it was important for every civil servant to feel motivated to do their work and the PF Government will soon embark on building houses for civil servants countrywide.
“We want to put a smile on your faces by improving your conditions of service and building decent houses for all civil servants countrywide,” he said.
Maamba Collieries (MCL) Retrenches’ wives and Children have protested over government’s delay in paying them their money since 1998.
The women who gathered near Maamba Hospital on Monday said that for the past 14 years since their husbands were retrenched life has been unbearable.
Speaking on behalf of the women Josephine Simpasa said families have been reduced to beggars, Children have stopped going to School, unwanted pregnancies have increased, and some marriages have broken down.
“Imagine others have gone to an extent of killing a dog in order to eat, others have abandoned their families while others have gone without a trace,” Mrs Simpasa said.
Mr Simpasa disclosed that out of the 342 MCL retrenches 122 have died among them some committed suicide as a result of failing to pay School fees for their Children.
She appealed to government to address their problems so that they could be partners in development.
[pullquote]“Imagine others have gone to an extent of killing a dog in order to eat, others have abandoned their families while others have gone without a trace,” Mrs Simpasa said.[/pullquote]
Mrs Simpasa noted that MCL has been sold to NAVA Bharat and government should also pay them their retrenchment package.
One retrenche Jerome Chishimba who accompanied the women during the protest said President Michael Sata should intervene into their plight to ensure that justice is met.
Mr Chishimba said the previous MMD government be held responsible for the deaths of the 122 retrenches since 1998.
The women who busted into tears during their protest complained that they have suffered enough and they are tired of begging for food from people in Maamba who are also feed up with them.
EASTERN, Central, Muchinga, Northern and Luapula provinces are expected to be hit by massive blackouts which will last up to 10 hours every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday for 20 days.
And Zesco has pumped US$52 million in the optic fibre project and maintenance of transmission infrastructure to reduce power outages countrywide.
The power utility company will start load-shedding this week for 20 days to facilitate maintenance of the Kabwe-Pensulo 330 kilovolts (KV) transmission line near Serenje which covers almost the entire country.
Zesco senior manager in-charge of optic fibre projects Nang’alelwa Sitwala said works on the optic fibre will gobble US$44 million while the maintenance of transmission infrastructure will cost US$8 million.
“We want to apologise to our clients in the affected provinces that the outages will be lasting 10 hours every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday for 20 days,” he said.
He said Eastern Province in particular Chipata will experience another power outage in June this year on its 66Kv Msoro-Chipata and 66Kv Msoro-Katete transmission lines which will be on maintenance.
He said the outages in Chipata will last for two weeks every Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in a week with residents expected to stay for 10 hours without power on the designated days.
And Eastern Province regional manager Wilbroad Chanda said the province had been experiencing outages and load-shedding because the company is upgrading its substations to meet the growing needs of the town.
Mr Chanda said once the optic fibre and maintenance works on transmission lines are completed, customers will not experience power outages.
And speaking at a clients’ cocktail in Chipata last week, Mr Sitwala said the installation of the optic fibre will stimulate growth of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in rural areas and bridge the digital divide.
“Zesco has procured an optic fibre communication system and wants to install it to improve the protection, monitoring, control and operation of the 330kV transmission system in addition to provision of broadband communication service in the country,” Mr Sitwala said.
He said the optical fibre communication system will be installed on high voltage power lines to facilitate remote control and monitoring of substations and power lines on the respective line.
Some of the rehabilitated equipment at Luanshya Copper Mines
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Christopher Mutembo says government is determined to increase the participation of more Zambians in the running of the mining sector.
Mr. Mutembo says increased Zambian participation in the running of mining conglomerates will have enormous benefits for the country.
He says it is unfortunate that despite the mining sector contributing significantly to the country’s GDP, Zambians have not fully benefited from the sector despite the prices of copper being high.
The Copperbelt Permanent Secretary has since challenged mining companies operating to ensure that they plough in more money to communities under their social corporate responsibility programmes.
This to ensure that Zambians benefit from the Nations mineral wealth.
Mr. Mutembo was speaking in Kitwe during the Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Association -ZSCMBA gala nite.
And Mr. Mutembo has observed that the PF government is determined to establish an active Medium and Small Scale Entrepreneurship sector in a bid to create sustainable economic growth.
And speaking earlier, ZSCMBA member George Banda has called on commercial banks to reduce their base lending rates.
Mr. Banda says government should compel commercial banks to reduce their interest rates so that more money is made available on the market.
2 unidentified members of the public walk out of the Barosteland inquiry hearing after being ordered out for coming with bows and arrows in Lusaka
Government has revealed that K3.8 billion was spent on the four commissions of inquiry constituted to look into various national issues between 20th September and 30th November, 2011.
QFM News reports that Deputy Minister in the office of the Vice President Edgar Lungu told Parliament today that there was no provision for the Commissions of Inquiry in the 2011 budget.
Mr Lungu however said that a supplementary budget was required to account for the expenditure as the programme came after the 2011 budget was approved.
He explained that the Energy Regulation Board Commission of Inquiry had a budget of K4.7 billion, while the Mongu riots Commission of Inquiry had a budget of K5.5 billion.
Mr Lungu further said that the Zambia Revenue Authority Commission of Inquiry had a budget of K3.3 billion, with the Zambia National Building Society Commission of Inquiry having a budget of K3.097 billion.
A critical shortage of fuel has hit Mansa in Luapula Province for the second time in barely a month.
The crisis has left motorists destined for various locations stranded.
A check by ZAINS in all the four filling stations in Mansa this morning revealed that only Puma and Spectra oil had fuel but this was reserved for its account holders.
Motorists this morning where seen at Total Feeling Station queuing up as early as 06 hours after word went round that the service station would have fuel.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview Amico Spectra Filling Station Manager Golden Kamasumba described the situation as bad.
And Continental Filling Station Supervisor Aggie Phiri has attributed the fuel shortage to a tedious procedure of buying fuel from Indeni Oil Refinery in Ndola.
Mrs Phiri says the filling station is only expected to re-stock in the next two days.
And Mansa Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Sakeni who has described the shortage of fuel in his area as unfortunate said the erratic commodity supply is avoidable.
Mr Sakeni who is also Home Affairs Minister says he will engage stakeholders in the fuel service sector upon his return from South Africa.
He says he will also engage Energy Minister Christopher Yaluma over the erratic supply of fuel in Mansa.
Mr Sakeni however, suggested that a lasting solution lies in the engagement of more local and foreign investors in the fuel supply chain in Luapula Province.
Michael Chilufya Sata, President of the Republic of Zambia
President Michael Sata has made a mini reshuffle and fine- tuned three government ministries.
The Ministry of Local Government will now be Ministry of Local Government and Housing with Professor Nkandu Luo carrying on as Minister.
President Sata has also announced that the Ministry of Education will now be known as Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education and will be Presided over by Dr John Phiri as Minister.
Additionally, the President has transferred Christopher Yaluma to the new ministry to be identified as Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development.
Meanwhile, Wilber Simusa will be the Minister in-charge of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
President Sata has accordingly written to the Speaker of the National Assembly for the appropriate action to be taken following the minor adjustments.
Meanwhile, President Sata has transferred Dr Ngosa Simbyakula from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Home Affairs as Deputy Minister with a special responsibility of spearheading the creation of district attorneys’ chambers countrywide.
President Sata says the move is meant to enhance and guarantee professionalism in the prosecution process by speeding up the dispensation of justice.
Dr Simbyakula replaces Obvious Mwaliteta who has been transferred to Southern Province as provincial Minister taking over from Miles Sampa who has been brought to the Ministry of Finance as Deputy Minister.
President Sata has also reassigned Finance Deputy Minister Alfreda Kansembe to the Ministry of Justice in the same capacity.
This is according to a statement released to ZNBC news by State House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, George Chellah.
