MMD chairperson for legal affairs George Kunda has U-turned on his earlier intentions to take Vice-President Guy Scott to court over his parentage.

Mr Kunda, who is the immediate past Vice-President, says he will not take Dr Scott to court because he wants Zambians to debate the matter and judge for themselves.

He said this on Sunday evening when he featured on a Muvi Television programme dubbed ‘The Assignment’.

“I do not want to take this matter to court because I want Zambians to debate and make up their minds,” he said.

He said as far as he is concerned, Dr Scott should be dropped from the position of Vice-President and be replaced by someone else.

Mr Kunda said President Sata should consider appointing Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Inonge Wina as Vice-President.

“I hear they want to appoint Ms Inonge Wina. This decision can help because maybe she can help resolve issues surrounding the Barotseland Agreement,” Mr Kunda said.

Mr Kunda claimed that Attorney General Mumba Malila’s explanation on Dr Scott’s status in government was mere propaganda.

Mr Malila recently stated that Mr Kunda’s claims that Dr Scott is not eligible to be Vice-President was baseless. The Attorney General explained that according to the Constitution, Dr Scott is eligible to act as President.

And Mr Kunda disclosed that he has ambitions to become republican President. He however said he has to consult Zambians on the matter and God willing, he can run in future. Mr Kunda also condemned the creation of new districts by President Sata. He said it is wrong for the President to create new districts without consulting the grassroots.

Lilllian Elidah Daka-Mumba is a professional chef . She was born in Lusaka ,Zambia, raised in Sweden, studied in Switzerland, and worked in France .

She has working experience in Sweden,Zambia, France and Switzerland.

She is a Foundation Degree holder in Culinary Arts established at Cesar Ritz Culinary Arts Academy. she got a Membership certificate from the French association “Devoir du champignon”

KAPA187: What made you want to be a professional chef instead of a more traditional career such as a doctor or lawyer?

Lillian: I grew up in Sweden and through my three years of college, I got to do law, and such subjects, but they never quite fascinated me. After I graduated from college, I took time off to decide what I really wanted to become and realized that I love cooking and I can make a living out of it.

 KAPA187: Has your family always been in support of your decision?

Lillian: my mother at first was quite doubtful that” Why do you want to become a chef? You can be an economist, or anything because of your good grades”, but it is something that I decided to do and become and like everything else I do, I make the best out of it and do my best. I managed to persuade her. Through my actions and determination

 KAPA187: What do you think is the biggest misconception of professional chefs?

Lillian: That question depends where you come from. In Europe and the western world, being a chef is just like any other profession and we obtain the respect because here they understand the value of a chef, the amount of work and strain it has and this is due to that eating in restaurants and out has been a culture for so many decades.

In Africa, they are a few chefs, most of them are cooks and that’s where the difference is. In Africa being a chef is considered low educated and not such a good option and I can’t blame them, they are not so many culinary schools, great hospitality schools either and eating out in restaurants has just gotten popular recently, before people would not go out that much.

 KAPA187: What is your favorite food to eat and favorite to cook, why?

Lillian: I am quite picky with foods, but I love the classical Italian, Pasta Bolognese, Lasagna also baby pork ribs and delele, ifishashi, Swedish meatballs, smoked salmon , . I love a bit of all the foods; it represents me because I have a bit of every country.

 KAPA187: How important is it to have a good education before becoming a chef.

Lillian: Being a chef requires an education! I obtained my higher Swiss Diploma and foundation degree in Culinary Arts at the Cesar Ritz Colleges in Switzerland. That is the difference between a chef and a cook, Cooks rarely need to go to school but chefs do. I have had to learn marketing, people skills, certificates in hygiene, nutrition, law, and service. Nowadays few establishments will hire you if you do not have a culinary education. Culinary is the academic word for cooking. There are different types of chefs, pastry chefs, cold kitchen chefs and etc. People normally mistake being a chef means being a baker, pastry chef and chocolatier, no it is not. They all have quite the same foundation but you will always need experience or education to obtain the needed skill to work within the part of the kitchen you want.

 KAPA187: Give an example of a menu that you would prepare for this particular season in Zambia .

Lillian: Given that it is the beginning of the year and in Zambia we have a lot greens I would prepare

Amuse Bouche

Air dried ham with dried Zambian mango chutney.

Appetizer

Bruschetta of tomato, onions and basil, topped with Mozzarella cheese

Main Course

Pork with wild mushroom sauce and roasted potatoes

Dessert

Poached pear with mango ice-cream

KAPA187: What do you do to stay educated about new trends?

Lillian: Read hospitality magazines look at what other chefs are doing, Ask my readers and supporters on what they would love to read about and have recipes on. I also observe the growth of the cultural populations and influences in our society

 KAPA187: What do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers?

Lillian: have a well prepared menu with good working personnel. Detailed upon last minute, food served and held at the right temperature. Using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Great food presentation and a smiling service team.

 KAPA187: Having worked in many countries, how do you feel professional zambian chefs compare with the rest of the world.

Lillian: I do have the highest respect for any Zambian, or African chef no matter the education because I know it is not easy and it takes a lot of courage and heart to do what we do. Zambian chefs are not on the world map yet and cannot compete with the other international chefs, and that is not their problem it is because the hospitality education does not have that form of education for chefs and also even looking at restaurants in Zambia we are not there yet but we are getting there.

 KAPA187: What have been your best and worst moments in your career.

Lillian: There are a few moments, When I started writing for one of the biggest newspaper in Zambia, I was 19 years then, the youngest author and now I am a bit grown and still writing. The whole nation has gotten to see the other way of my cooking.

My graduation, and when I opened my own catering company, Twaala Catering.

Worst. The moments that I cried because it was either too difficult or I got underestimated for being a woman but now I have learned, never ever cry.

 KAPA187: What 3 things do you consider to be your strengths.

Lillian: My academic skills because it is EVERYTHING one needs to obtain, academic wise in one package. I have always been taught to be humble and to respect people. Discipline is my biggest strength because as a chef we have three addictions. Alcoholic, drug or workaholic and I have seen people do drugs, drink at work but I never ever done this, but I can say that I am indeed a workaholic. I got one addiction.

 KAPA187: Tell me something you would like to learn or improve upon.

Lillian: I would love to improve my speed, work with more chefs and become extremely detail orientated and more patience.

 KAPA187: You know 8 international languages, which ones are they and how has that helped you in your career.

Lillian: Bemba, Soli, Nyanja, Swedish, French, Spanish, English, Norwegian (The last ones are a bit similar to each other) It has helped me tremendously. When I started working in Switzerland and France our dishwasher spoke Spanish and he helped me with the language barrier. I can speak when I’m home in Zambia. Swedish helps with German as well. It has helped me a lot to connect and socialize with people. I can now work and communicate with one of the best chefs in the world which happened to be French.

 KAPA187: Do you have any hidden talents?

Lillian: I love writing and photography. I am an artist…culinary artist. I love being creative and this has helped me with my other passions and also ventured into other businesses.

 KAPA187: What advice would you give someone who wants to begin a career in culinary arts?

Lillian: You have to love what you’ll do and know what you want. It will be long hours, exhaustion ,be ready for that. Be open-minded, and courageous. It is not a competition with others, always compete with you and strive to become better and greater. I wish you all the best and hoping to work with you very soon and if you have any questions visit my Facebook page.: http://www.facebook.com/#!/LillianElidah

Here is some of the food you can expect from her:

Nshima and beef stew

Chicken salad in pesto sauce

Mashed potatoes and fried mince beef

Chicken skewers

Home made Kapenta with cumin and lime

New York Cheesecake

Lillian is an inspiration to other young women , she is multi talented and apart from being a chef she is also :

• the executive producer for the cookshow ” Cooking with LillianElidah.”
• Food Writer for The Post, Zambia.
• Managing Director for EZM magazine
• C.E.O and founder for L.E.D.M, a fast growing management and consultancy agency with over three companies.
• Executive chef and supervior for Twaala Catering and events.

BY KAPA187

Zambian President Michael Sata has dissolved the Board of Directors of Zamtel and appointed a new Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Government having accepted without reservation the report on the findings of the Committee Investigating the sale of Zamtel, President Sata has deemed it desirable and expedient to compulsorily acquire the 75 per cent shareholding of Lap Green Network in Zamtel. The appropriate notice under the law has been given.

This is according to according to a press statement released to the Media by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public relations George Chellah.

According to the statement, the President has ordered the dissolution of the Board of Directors of Zamtel. The Head of State has appointed Dr Mupanga Mwanakatwe, Chairman and acting Chief Executive Officer as a first step to regularize the affairs of the company.

“A new board will soon be put in place to give the policy guidance and direction to management and staff. President Sata has further directed management to address the plight of Zamtel workers with due immediacy,” read the statement.

“There should be no loss in jobs except through retirement and attrition while maintaining the highest levels of discipline and respect of law,” President Sata said.

“Zamtel workers have served with distinction in an area of sophisticated information technology. This has been so from the inception of the company,” the president noted.

President Sata once again reiterated his relentless commitment to his duty as custodian of the interests of the Zambian people and assured the Zamtel workers their traumas and anxieties would be ended.

Government will restructure ownership of Zamtel to ensure Zambians owned the bulk of the shares in a revitalized Zamtel.

The Private Sector Development Association (PSDA) has observed that the freezing of Zamtel bank accounts by the Drug enforcement Commission (DEC) is mostly likely to cause uncertainty among investors in the country.

PSDA chairman Yusuf Dodia has told QFM that the freezing the Zamtel accounts without any court order may imply especially to the investor community that the Zambian government interferes with the running of businesses in the country.

Mr. Dodia has urged government not to handle the Zamtel saga in a manner which will erode investor confidence but instead base its decisions within the confines of the rules and regulation.

Mr Dodia has further observed that the freezing of the Zamtel accounts is also most likely to cause misuse of cash at Zamtel.

But Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has assured the nation that government will ensure that it safeguards the interest of the Zambian people in the Zamtel impasse.

Mr. Chikwanda said that the PF government will not legitimatize any illegal transactions that were done by the previous regime.

Meanwhile, a Civil society organization has pleaded with the Zambian Government to consider ZAMTEL workers in handling the ZAMTEL reversal.

Hope for human rights executive director Smart Chanda says the plight of the workers should be taken into account as government deals with the sale of zamtel.

Mr. Chanda says reports of the workers being affected by the uncertainty surrounding Zamtel are worrisome.

He adds that though the Zambian government might have its own reasons of freezing Zamtel accounts, high consideration of the workers’ plight is important.

Government is expected to get back the 75 percent stake in local fixed-line operator Zamtel that is currently held by Lybia’s LAP Green Networks.

Government last week seized bank accounts belonging to Zamtel as part of a money-laundering investigation.