Zambia police have continued their pursuit for opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema to institute an arrest. Mr Hichilema is wanted for allegedly issuing disparaging remarks against President Michael Sata during his tour at Lusaka’s Kalikiliki market.

Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela could neither deny nor confirm whether Mr Hichilema was facing arrest.

“I am still waiting for a full report. So at the moment I cannot give you a comment,” Ms Kanjela said.

But police sources said some officers yesterday visited Mr Hichilema’s residence in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area to effect, an arrest but he was not available.

On Tuesday, officers approached Mr Hichilema who was appearing in a courtroom to serve him with the callout but their attempt was stopped.

Mr Hichilema’s lawyers protested against Police presence in the courtroom to issue the callout, which raised an exchange of words between the parties.

Mr Hichilema was at the time appearing for charges of conveying false news.

Meanwhile, the Lusaka magistrate’s court has officially temporarily halted the criminal proceedings against opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema following an order granted to him by the Supreme Court.

In the criminal matters Hichilema is facing one count of publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public.

When the matter came up for continued trial yesterday before chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda, defense lawyers applied to have the matter stayed in view of the order by the Supreme Court which stated that their client’s criminal proceedings be stayed.

“I now halt the criminal matters against the accused person following the order by the Supreme Court to do so pending further determination by the higher court,” said the chief resident magistrate.

Supreme Court judge, Munyinda Wanki during the week directed that the criminal proceedings against Hachilema be stayed pending determination of the Constitutional issues currently before the High Court.

Judge Wanki has since set January 24 this year as the date for hearing of the application on behalf of Mr Hichilema to set aside judgment.

Through his lawyers, Hichilema had applied before Chief Resident Magistrate Joshua Banda for Constitutional reference of the indictment for the determination of the Constitutionality of the said provision of the penal code but magistrate Banda refused the application.

Hichilema on January 11, 2013 however appealed to the High Court asking it to stay the criminal proceedings against him but the High Court declined the application without stating reasons.

Hichilema further decided to take his matter to the Supreme Court where he now had been granted an injunction.

The matter was adjourned to February 15, 2013 for continued trial.

Zambia’s President Michael Sata has said that the PF Government will soon launch the Pave Zambia 2000, which is the first of its kind and scale in Zambia.

According to the statement released to the media by State House, the President said that the central aim of Pave Zambia 2000 project will be employment creation and full repair of major urban roads countrywide.

President Sata said that the Government will this year accelerate the implementation of the industrialization and job creation strategy.

The president said that the plan will be aimed aimed at transforming the economy with the centre of attention being on sectors with high employment creation potential such as agriculture, tourism, construction and manufacturing.

“These sectors have the highest requirement for labour and labour intensive projects as well as the potential to be highly competitive and thus encourage growth, employment, value addition and ultimately expand the country’s economic base,” the Head of State said.

The project will encompasses segmented paving and cobbles of approximately 2000 kilometers of urban roads which are in poor condition requiring rehabilitation in all the 10 provinces.

President Sata underscored his Government’s desire and resolve to improve the road infrastructure through the implementation of the on-going Link Zambia 8000 road project in the country as enshrined in the PF manifesto.

The President further said that, to date, about 12,850 road sector jobs have been created countrywide.

The Head of State expressed confidence that his administration was on course in implementing campaign promises.

President Sata reiterated the Government’s commitment to creating a better Zambia for all by providing inspirational and visionary leadership to the nation and promoting inclusive governance.

Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba has reiterated that the PF government is determined to ensure that Zambian language do not become extinct.

Mr. Kabimba said government is concerned that the use of local languages is almost becoming nonexistent.

“We have to address this imbalance. As the PF, we are determined to see to it that we eliminate the use of English as a language of instructions in our schools and replace it with our own Zambian languages,” Mr. Kabimba said.

Mr. Kabimba who is also PF Secretary General stated that the colonial masters have continued using foreign languages such as English to oppress the Africans.

[pullquote]“We have to address this imbalance. As the PF, we are determined to see to it that we eliminate the use of English as a language of instructions in our schools and replace it with our own Zambian languages,” Mr. Kabimba said.[/pullquote]

He was speaking Tuesday evening during a live television programme on ZNBC TV discussing the use of Zambian languages in schools.

“What we have is a colonial hangover. If you remember in 1884 during the Berlin Conference to partition Africa, European countries decided to divide Africa especially Sub Saharan Africa. Some African countries were turned into English speaking nations, others became French speaking while countries like Mozambique were turned into Portuguese speaking countries. This was done in order to manage us as Africans.”

He added, “They had to impose this English language on our forefathers but what is shocking is that Zambian intellectuals even those at University have not raised this question that the English language has been used as a tool of captivity.”
Mr. Kabimba said the PF government finds it unacceptable that some private schools in Zambia today do not teach local languages.

On the same programme, Zambia National Union of Teachers Director for Research Christopher Yakulanda welcomed the PF government’s intention to introduce a policy that will promote local languages as the only medium of instruction in schools.
Mr. Yakulanda said the teaching fraternity in Zambia stands ready to work with the PF government in ensuring that the policy is developed.

[pullquote]“There is evidence to show that it is easier to learn in local languages than foreign languages. This is a bold move by the government and we support it,” Dr. Mwansa said.[/pullquote]

“The use of local languages worked before in this country and we believe it can still work. We just need to agree on the standardization of the local languages so that it doesn’t confuse the learner,” Mr. Yakulanda said.

And UNZA Lecturer in the Department of Language and Social Sciences Education from the School of Education Dr. Joseph Mwansa said teaching early leaners using their home languages improves their thinking and learning abilities.

“There is evidence to show that it is easier to learn in local languages than foreign languages. This is a bold move by the government and we support it,” Dr. Mwansa said.

He however observed that need for the Ministry of Education to ensure that it encourages student teachers to take up local languages during their training.

“We have regrettably noted that even at colleges, local languages are shunned by our teachers, there is a heavy bias towards training to teach English and not the local languages.”

THE Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) has apologized to the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution for joining the ongoing Constitution Convention in Mongu late.

THE Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) said that it attached great importance to the country’s Constitution-making process.

The Litunga said this through three Indunas he sent as delegates to represent the BRE at the Convention which started on Monday and is ending on Saturday.

The three Indunas included Namuyamba Esineke, Namunda Katanekwa and Saywa Meebelo.

Addressing members of the Technical Committee at Mongu Teachers Training College in the afternoon, delegation leader Induna Esineke said the BRE was committed to taking part in the Constitution-making process so that it felt a sense of ownership was the document was produced.

“We are also attaching the same importance to this national undertaking and we are glad to be participating, to come and participate although late.

“It’s true (that) when it (Constitution) comes out finally it will actually create that sense of ownership even in us that we played a part,”Induna Esineke said.

Induna Esineke said the BRE delegates were looking forward to taking part in the Convention besides apologizing on behalf of the Litunga for joining the Convention a day after it had started, saying that was owing to other equally important commitments at the Palace.

“We are merely apologizing on behalf of the King for coming late because we had quite a lot of things to do. We were so busy at the Limulunga Royal Village. We had this and that to do and by the time we finished we were behind time. However, we thought (that) it’s much better to be late than never,” he said.

Welcoming the trio, Technical Committee chairperson Annel Silungwe said it was gratifying that the BRE had sent the three to represent it at the Convention and was looking forward to their participation in the Constitution-making process which he said would be concluded at the end of June this year.

[pullquote]“I hope that they (Indunas) will give us the freedom to interact freely because our climate in the Convention may not be able to accommodate all of us to kneel down at the same time,” he said.[/pullquote]

Justice Silungwe was hopeful that the Technical Committee would in June produce the Final Draft Constitution, a report documenting its work and Constitution Bill, all of which would be presented to President Michael Sata and was optimistic that the subsequent Republican Constitution would be satisfactory to the nation as well beneficial to the current and future generation.

“We would like to express our happiness at the fact that we are being joined by senior members of the Royal Establishment. This is a very important national undertaking. It is something that should normally be done very rarely and we trust that this time around we are going to finalise the Constitution-making process.

“We trust that you will find the occasion worthwhile and that you will make notable contributions to the process,”Justice Silungwe said.

Newly-elected Western Province Constitution Convention chairperson Bernard Silumesii sought permission from the Indunas to allow the Convention participants to freely debate in their presence.

“I hope that they (Indunas) will give us the freedom to interact freely because our climate in the Convention may not be able to accommodate all of us to kneel down at the same time,” he said.

The arrival of the Indunas comes a day after Western Province Permanent Secretary Bert Mushala implored the Technical Committee on Monday to consider creating room for late entries of delegates from the BRE.

Among the Technical Committee members that welcomed the three Indunas were Patrick Mvunga, Mwangala Zaloumis and Suzanne Matale. Western Province Constitution Convention facilitator Thabo Mubuka was also present.