FORMER president, Rupiah Banda has said it is not fair for the Government to discontinue paying him his emoluments, insisting that he is not involved in active politics.

Mr Banda said he had retired from active politics and that he was merely holding the position of MMD president to facilitate a smooth transition while the former ruling party prepares to hold its extra-ordinary convention in April next year.

He was responding to a Press query through his administrative assistant, Mikatazo Wakumelo in Lusaka yesterday.

He said he was not supporting any of the MMD presidential candidates because he had decided to retire from active politics.

Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka, former Zambian high commissioner to Canada, Nevers Mumba, MMD chairperson for commerce Felix Mutati, national vice-chairperson Kabinga Pande, and former Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane have applied to contest the party presidency.

On Sunday last week, Chief Government spokesperson Given Lubinda announced that the Government was suspending the disbursement of entitlements to the former Republican President.

This was after the MMD national executive committee resolved that Mr Banda would continue holding the position of party president until April next year when the party would hold elections at an extra-ordinary convention.

Meanwhile, Mr Banda said he would allow investigations into the Mpundu Trust account, which allegedly holds up to US$1 million (K5 billion) to conclude and would not engage in public debate over the matter.

The former president said he was not willing to defend himself in the public on allegations of impropriety, but would allow investigators to do their work.

He said there was no way he could start explaining details of the Mpundu Trust account and villas in Lusaka when there had been an announcement that they should be probed.

President Michael Sata recently directed investigative wings to probe Mpundu Trust that holds about K5 billion and how the construction of the villas was financed.

[Times of Zambia]

The technical committee on the drafting of the new constitution says concerns raised by international constitutional lawyers require action on them.

Two Zambian constitutional lawyers based outside the country have observed that the current constitution-making process is deeply flawed and unlikely to produce good results.

Law Professor Muna Ndulo and Dr Chaloka Beyan are among the people that were last week included in the Committee of Exerts drafting the constitution but just as consultants.

Committee spokesperson Simon Kabanda has explained to QFM radio that the committee is happy that the constitutional lawyers have raised a number of points in coming up with the new constitutions.

He says that it is a known fact that previously, Zambia failed to get a new constitution because of lack proper consultation.

Mr. Kabanda added that the committee will ensure that it takes the points raised by Prof. Ndulo and Dr. Beyani into consideration.

Prof. Ndulo and Dr. Beyani observed that the current constitution-making process was deeply flawed and may not produce good results.

In a joint statement, Professor Muna Ndulo and his UK-based counterpart Dr Chaloka Beyani stated that the option taken by the government was not ensure transparency.

The duo stated that the process had numerous flaws that made it difficult to come up with a people’s constitution.

“It is our considered view that the current constitution making process is deeply flawed and is unlikely to deliver a constitution that is legitimate and provides a framework for the democratic governance of Zambia. The primary flaws in the process are the following: (1) the process itself is inherently unrepresentative and suffers from a crisis of legitimacy; (2) it is ill designed to build consensus and produce a constitution the country can be proud of,” the two lawyers stated on Thursday.

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FORMER Minister of Finance Situmbeko Musokotwane’s company, ZamBuild Investments Limited, supplied blocks for the construction of the Pepsi plant in Lusaka, it has been learnt.

Dr Musokotwane, who is also embroiled in the authorisation of a K10 billion tax deferment to Varun Beverages Zambia Limited, the producers of Pepsi Cola, provided all the blocks for the construction of the Pepsi Cola plant on Mungwi Road in the industrial area.

Varun Beverages also got an exemption on paying tax for bringing equipment into the country.

Varun Beverages Zambia Limited holds the franchise for Pepsi Cola in Zambia.

But Dr Musokotwane yesterday said he is only a shareholder in ZamBuild, adding that the company could have supplied blocks to Varun Beverages for a small fraction of the construction of the plant.

He said his company gets a lot of business from different people and industries because it has one of the best technologies in block-making in the country.

“I never at any time went there to solicit for business. I am above board and cannot do such a thing,” said Dr Musokotwane, adding that he is not in the management team of ZamBuild.

“It’s like people who buy Mercedes Benz, they go for those cars because of the good quality and that is what the people who buy blocks from us are looking for,” he said.

Varun Beverages Limited chief executive officer Krishnan Shankar could not be reached for comment but the company financial accountant, a Mr Arun, said he is not aware of the companies that supplied construction materials during the construction of the plant. He said he was not with the company at the time.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Lusaka High Court has ordered Lusaka businessman Carl Frieslaar to pay over K16 million to his wife, Karen Van Boxtel, a British consular officer, for rentals and monthly up-keep for the children.

This is in a case in which Ms Van Boxtel had petitioned the High Court to ask her husband to provide maintenance for rentals and daily provisions for his children and the wife, pending the suit.

Ms Van Boxtel wanted the court to order her husband to pay monthly maintenance of K120 million, while the couple was on separation.

Deputy director of High Court operations Chilombo Phiri said Frieslaar will pay the money through the court every month as fees for maintenance for rentals and daily provisions for his children and wife, while waiting for the petition to be disposed of.

“The respondent (Mr Frieslaar) should pay the sum of K4, 341, 144.53 for the lease. This brings the total monthly payment for maintenance pending suit to K16,341,144.53.

“This amount should be paid in court at the end of each month until the petition is disposed of,” Mrs Phiri said in a ruling delivered recently.

She said considering that Mr Frieslaar would pay school fees, buy clothes, pay medicals for the three children, K120 million would be sufficient maintenance to provide for rentals and daily provisions for her and the children.

Ms Van Boxtel also wanted her husband to provide the family with other requirements such as medical fees, groceries, fuel and motor vehicle maintenance.

She stated that her husband used to provide for the family before and nothing should stop him from doing so now that the couple was on separation.

But Mr Frieslaar said it would not be practical to make the provisions from his current income.

He called upon the court to take into account the reasonableness of the amount claimed by Ms Van Boxtel and his ability to pay.

Mr Frieslaar asked the court to take into account the fact that he had earlier accused his wife of committing adultery.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Barotse Freedom Movement, also known as the Linyungandambo, has pledged its loyalty to the Patriotic Front government in the wake of President Sata’s revelation that a group in Western Province is plotting to form its own state.

And a document in possession of the Mail has listed people alleged to be plotting to form government in Western Province. According to the list, the administrator general is A. Mombotwa, and the deputy administrator is N. Nyambe. Y. Mukelabai is earmarked for Speaker of the National Assembly, while the Chief Justice role is for L. Mundia.

The full list is: M. Lewanika (Minister of Finance), M. Ilukena (Minister of Justice /Public Order), C. Nalishuwa (Minister of Social Development), and M. Liuwa (Foreign Affairs) to be deputised by M. Mulope.

Others are C. Mulwasikwanda (Minister of Defence), Mr M. Sioma (Minister of Commerce), M. Mooto (Minister of Local Development) and P. Likando (Minister of Agriculture).
The rest are C. Suyumbwa (Minister of Education), to be deputised by I. Mutangelwa, M.Muyangana (Minister of Information), G. Mwala (Minister of Transport) and N. Wanga (Secretary to the Cabinet).

But the Linyungandambo yesterday said the people on the list may not even be aware that their names are being touted for the said cabinet positions in the planned State. In a press release to the Mail Barotse Freedom Movement national secretary Chazele Mulwasikwanda, incidentally mentioned for the Defence portfolio in the proposed cabinet, says he is concerned about developments in Western Province, especially that President Sata said a prime minister has already been appointed.

Mr Mulwasikwanda, in an interview with the Mail, said he was not even aware of his position. “These are just rumours being circulated on the internet. All of us who have been mentioned have never been approached,” he said.

Mr Mulwasikwanda said in Lozi parlance, ‘Prime Minister’ refers to the Ngambela and that he is appointed by the Litunga after a rigorous process of ratification by the royal council. “I am concerned because I don’t know anything about the group.

The Prime Minister refers to the Ngambela in Lozi, and since the death of Mr Maxwell Mututwa we haven’t had a Prime Minister, who is appointed by the Barotse Royal Establishment,” Mr Mulwasikwanda said.

And in a statement he writes: “I would like to assure the President that we the people of Barotseland are particularly waiting for the report of the Commission of Inquiry into what led to the Mongu and Limulunga fracas; and also from Barotse National Council.

“Just like we voted the Patriotic Front into government in September, we extend our gratitude to His Excellency for his fatherly love by constituting a Commission of Inquiry to probe what happened in Mongu and Limulunga.”

On January 14, police killed and maimed people accused of rioting and planning to secede from Zambia.

President Sata on Friday castigated Inspector General of Police Martin Malama saying, “You are fully aware that people within Western Province are calling for the creation of a State within a State, and the Inspector General of Police is smiling.”

Asked about the situation in Western Province, Dr Malama promised to issue a statement on Tuesday.

And Western Province commanding officer Fanwell Siyandenge yesterday said the situation is under control and that if there will be threats from the people mentioned, police will arrest them.
“I will be writing to the IG to advise him to send more investigators,” he said.

And when contacted for a comment, Barotse Royal Establishment spokesperson Oliver Saasa declined to comment.“I have no authority to comment on the matter, maybe the BRE might issue a statement later,” he said.

[Zammbia Daily Mail]