Security wings have opened a docket and started investigating former President Rupiah Banda regarding the K3.5 billion (US$700,000) he could have spent on a duplex of luxury up-market villas located on Leopards Hill Road barely 90 days after he became President of Zambia.

This has been confirmed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in a written response to the Daily Mail.

Charges are unlikely to hold unless his immunity is lifted in Parliament through a popular vote to pave way for a possible court and police appearance.
President Sata has said his government is not in “a hurry” to lift his predecessor’s immunity as he embarks on a spirited anti-graft fight, suggesting that he would want law investigations officers to complete their job before he can act.

A team put together to probe the former President comprises high ranking specialised officers from the Zambia Police, ACC and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEC).

The property Mr. Banda has been linked to is located on plot NO. RE/29/488A Leopards Hill Road in Kabulonga and value runs into billions of Kwacha.

“I would like to inform you that there is an inquiry into the matter (the Leopards Hill property) which is being investigated by a joint team of investigative agencies,” ACC Corporate Affairs Officer Mr. Wezzy Chomba said.

Mr Chomba could, however, not shed more light on the matter and instead referred all queries to the Inspector General of Police saying: “the office of Inspector General of Police will deal with any matters relating to media on the said subject.”

But Inspector General of Police Dr Martin Malama declined to give the Daily Mail more information on how far investigations had gone saying Zambians will have to wait for the courts to start trying various “high profile” cases.

“We have no comment on that. We want to ensure that the people and details of all investigations taking place are revealed in the courts of law,” Dr Malama said from Zimbabwe via phone yesterday.

It is alleged that Former President Banda demolished structures which were there to build a multi-million dollar complex of 12 villas whose value runs into billions of kwacha.

Source: Zambia Daily Mail

PRESIDENT Sata on Friday received kudos from an unlikely source – former Vice President George Kunda.
Mr Kunda welcomed the appointment of a 20-member technical committee to draft a new republican Constitution.
“I’m happy that the Patriotic Front (PF) has started honouring some of its campaign promises and one of this is the appointment of the 20-member technical team to draft a new republican Constitution. I’m happy with the composition.
“I’m just hoping that the committee will come up with a Constitution that will stand a test of time according to the wishes of the Zambian people,” Mr Kunda said.
He said in an interview that he is impressed with the legal representation on the committee.
The committee to be headed by former Chief Justice Annel Silungwe is expected to complete its work within 12 months.
Mr Kunda said he is happy that President Sata has appointed a 20-member technical team to immediately begin working on the new Constitution.
Last week, President Sata announced the appointment of a 20-member technical committee that includes the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and three bishops from the Catholic Church.
Mr Kunda said the committee should not be restricted to completing its task within 90 days because this might compromise its quality of work.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Living Waters Global Churches Bishop in Charge Bernard Nwaka has appealed to the people of Zambia to help restore the life of Iris Kaingu and her boy friend.

Bishop Nwaka says the media in the country and the community at large should not put pressure on the two for the sins they have committed but help restore their lives so that they can begin to fear God.

Bishop Nwaka says he personally renounce the evil which the two committed but there is need for the community to show love for them as Jesus Christ accepted the woman who was found committing adultery.

He says that Jesus showed love and accepted the women and warned her never to sin again.

Bishop Nwaka says that this is the route the Zambian community especially the media should take to serve the life of the two young people.

Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies ZCAS has expelled Former Community Development Minister Michael Kaingu’s daughter Iris who is appearing in a sex video with her boy friend a matter that has also attracted Police investigations.

ZNBC

By Maurice Makalu:

It has become fashion for people to cry “discrimination” in every decision the President makes. Riding on the adage that “there is no smoke without fire,” many people have made a habit of seeing their own smokes and accusing the President of causing the fire.

And Zambia being a democracy where freedom of speech reigns, the voices of these “false smokes” are getting louder as if the fire were real. Opportunists, alarmists and sensationalists are riding the wave, gaining political capital and publicity out of these false smokes.

Feeling “hated” or that another person is “jealous” of you is a pervasive illusion in the human psyche which has made others declare: “God hates me; what wrong have I done?” When you give a street kid K1,000 and another asks you and you say your money has finished, that street kid will feel “hated.” Some have even failed exams for what they believed was “hatred” from teachers.

Therefore, when somebody THINKS you hate them, often it helps to give some facts and figures, a kind of objectivity, to help explain your decision. It is not a guarantee that they will see that you truly do not hate them. For all intents and purposes, they have not seen God’s love for them despite the many facts and figures He has given in creation. But it helps to just put the facts and figures, which hate nobody, out there. You can only pray that reason will eventually prevail and they will see their false smokes for what they are and rise above them.

The latest example of the false smokes of discrimination is the constitutional panel of experts, where some have seen the smoke of hatred of non-catholics on the part of the President. They are arguing that having three Catholic bishops is discriminatory to other churches or religious groupings.

I would like to show why that is not the case, why the panel shows no hatred on the President’s part.

In terms of Christian groupings, who do you say has been left out? Who is hated? Is it SDAs, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Apostolics, Anglicans, Wesleyans, Reformed Church, Methodist Episcopals, Salvation Army, Presybeterians, Brethrens, Faith and Holy Tabernacles, or Pentecostals? The list is endless, exceeding even the 20 allowed on the panel. Do people expect all of them to be included? Or say he included SDAs, would that suddenly make him non-discriminatory? Or perhaps Baptists will cry foul still?

Some people are saying Protestants have been discriminated against. They think that because Protestants broke away from Catholicism and the term ‘protesting’ sounds acrimonious, people can easily believe that indeed Sata hates Protestants, like he “hates” opposition political parties.

First of all, who are Protestants? What is Protestantinism?

Wikipedia says, “Protestantism is one of the three major groupings (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) within Christianity.” Religion facts at www.religionfacts.com further says that, it is “A general branch of Christianity encompassing numerous denominations and a wide theological spectrum ranging from conservative to liberal. It started in the 16th century.”

Examples of denominations given include: Presbyterians, Reformed, Church of Scotland, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, Lutherans, and Baptists.
So when somebody says, “Sata hates Protestants,” they mean he hates these churches. How possible is that when he was recently ridiculed in some sections of the media for acknowledging a Protestant leader in the traditional way of kneeling and kissing the leader’s ring?

And because the list of experts does not mention these denominations by name like it does catholic, all Protestants out there: Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, Anglicans, etc will believe they are hated by the head of state, as a major branch of Christianity, when in actual fact they are not.

Other people are saying include the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ). What is EFZ?

EFZ is “A mother body of Christian denominations, local churches, para church organizations, mission agencies and individuals. EFZ was established in April 1964.” Their list of 225 members includes Pentecostals, Methodists, Baptists, Redeemed, Salvation Army, Apostolic, children care and HIV/AIDS help desk, and many other Pentecostal “ministries” and fellowships including ZAFES, scripture union, Campus crusade for Christ and Zambia Nurses Fellowship.

In actual fact however, most of the 225 members are one-man show Pentecostal ministries, headed by men of God who have enriched themselves from the offerings, tithes and gifts of their church members.

Yes they represent their various ministries, but those are the same ministries where they themselves are getting “blessed” while the larger majority of their congregations wallow in poverty. So if in their own congregations they are putting themselves first, can you then argue that at EFZ they will put others first?
“Charity begins at home,” they say.

The EFZ participated in the NCC where the nation lost money. Some of their members prophesied that God had allowed Chiluba a third term. If EFZ represent a coherent section of society, why these “errors” from their members? Or is it EFZ itself and not individual members making the errors?

Or if we say we are a Christian nation who must forgive, why then should we oppose Xavier Chungu’s appointment? Further more, if EFZ represent their various individualistic ministries, how then can we say ALL the 225 organizations have been represented when we put one individual from a certain ministry on the panel?

Of course there are other members in EFZ like Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopals, Salvation Army, etc who do not have this tendency of “self enrichment” in God’s name, even to the extent of ripping off our national resources. But even under Council Churches of Zambia (CCZ), which is represented on the panel, there are Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopals, Salvation Army, etc.

Why should a Salvation Army, Methodist, Lutheran, etc under EFZ feel hated and discriminated against, while the same is represented under CCZ?

I personally think they do not. They feel they are one and the same in Christ and so they are represented, including by Catholics. So the people seeing discrimination are the ones who have something wrong with them.

CCZ is a 22 member, “ecumenical umbrella organization of mainline Christian churches that seeks to promote cooperation and fellowship between Christian churches and organizations in the nation. It was founded in 1914.”

This is where you find such churches as: UCZ, United Methodist Church, Anglican, Othordox, Presbyterian Church in southern Africa, etc. All these and others are represented on the panel in Rev Mutale from CCZ.

According to Wikipedia, quoting the International Religious Freedom Report – Zambia 2010, in terms of religion, 87% Zambians are Christians. On 20th April 2011, Times of Zambia quoted the Vatican Ambassador to Zambia, Nicola Girasoli, that, “The Catholic Church consisted of about 30% of the population in Zambia.”

So we can roughly say of the 87% Christians in Zambia, 30% of that is Catholic, 57% Protestant. One can therefore use a blanket statement and say, “Sata hates Protestants for giving 75% of church seats on the panel to Catholics.”

But that is being unreasonable and impractical.

We have seen above that Protestants are not one, two, three “coherent” sections of society. You have Protestants in both CCZ and EFZ. And obviously, the fact that we have two protestant mother bodies means even amongst them, there is more “protesting.” It is even possible that there are Protestants outside these mother bodies. Therefore it is practically not possible that Protestants can be “represented.” They are just way too wide, divided, varied and numerous.

In my view therefore, CCZ is enough representation. It has both Orthodox and Protestantinism, the other two major groupings of Christianity. It is a pity EFZ has been left out but I think it is irresponsible, alarming and sensationalism for anybody to say, “Sata hates non-catholics” because of that.

What about Muslims?

Wikipedia, quoting the International Religious Freedom Report – Zambia 2010, says, Muslims AND Hindus make 1% of our population. (The other 12% is indigenous Zambian beliefs).

The Islamic Supreme Council of Zambia, through its Council Secretary General, Sheik Shaban Phiri, said, “The Technical committee (on the constitution) is not representative of all religions, which may be a threat to national unity.”

Surely, what is 1%? If all 1%s must be represented on the panel, how many will be there. And we have to include a Hindu too, because Muslims are not Hindus. Besides we are a Bible-inclined nation; when we “leave out” Muslims, that is not hatred against them, it is majority rule. Christians are left out in Islamic countries like Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, etc. They do not talk “threats” to national unity.

And is it only the exclusion of a religious 1% that is a threat to national unity? What about the other “1%s” in miners, students, youths, women, teachers, bus drivers, marketers, trade unions, etc? Why are they not talking threats?

Again these alarms are just false smokes being projected on the President. People are intolerant and they are blaming the President for it. That is not fair.
Sheik Phiri is already on record, in the Zambian Watchdog article of 20th November, 2010 of threatening to cut the nose of the Registrar of Societies for allegedly meddling in Islamic Affairs. These threats are not necessary.

Clearly, from the afore going, people are seeing their own smokes and accusing the President of causing the fire. This is irresponsible and uncalled for. It is contrary to the spirit of One Zambia One nation.

Zambia is our nation all of us. There is no need to feel “hated” or that others are “jealous” of you when you are left out of ONE opportunity to make a contribution. Everybody will have an opportunity for public submissions at a later stage.

You can express your disappointment for being left out yes, but it is totally irresponsible to go further and accuse the head of state of hating you. That is arrogant. We should not encourage such a culture among us, whether from religious brothers and sisters, tribesmen, gender mates, political party mates, age mates, etc.

I know the president did not go through all this bother of “facts and figures.” I am sure he does not think of EFZ the way I have put it here. He just used his wisdom and made his judgment. People have a right to disagree with that judgment, he is their president after all; and maybe he can reconsider. But let us all desist from sensationalized allegations of being “hated” by the head of state, when we disagree with his judgment. We do not need to issue threats.

I believe even in OUR disagreement, there can be unity, respect, peace and above all patriotism. We are disagreeing because we love our country; so let us not be the first to project hatred, anger and threats in our disagreements.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Chishimba Kambwili says there is no provision in the law, which states that the findings of the Commission of Inquiry should be tabled before Parliament.

Mr. Kambwili explained that the Inquiries Act clearly states that when the Head of State appoints an inquiry the report should be given to the President who later decides what to do with the findings and not Parliament.

The Minister is reacting to a request by the United Party for National Development – UPND to refer to Parliament the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the sale of ZAMTEL.

UPND Deputy Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says Parliament is the most impartial and competent body to scrutinise and determine the findings of the Commission of Inquiry.

Mr Mweetwa says referring the report to Cabinet would not be fair because the Commission was established with the authority of Cabinet.

ZNBC

Vice President GUY SCOTT says Government will develop all constituencies in the Country regardless of the residents’ political inclination.

Dr. Scott also says government will carry on with all the develop projects initiated by the previous Government to enhance sustainable economic development.

He said this when he addressed three separate public rallies in Nakonde constituency to drum up support for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidate Abel Sichula in the Nakonde November 28 parliamentary by elections.

And Mr Sichula urged people in the area to vote for him in order to enhance development.

The Nakonde seat was not filled during the September 20 Polls following the death of one aspiring candidate Colonel George Siame.

Other political parties that are contesting the seat include Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and UNIP.

Meanwhile, Ballot papers for the Monday November 28th local government and three parliamentary by-elections have arrived in the country.

The ballot papers which were printed in South Africa arrived in the country on Wednesday, 16th November 2011.

All political parties contesting the by-elections verified the ballot papers during an exercise on Thursday.

Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna told ZNBC News that the commission will soon announce the day for the dispatching of ballot papers to various places where by-elections are being held.

The ECZ has set November 28 as the date for holding parliamentary by-elections in Chongwe, Nakonde and Magoye constituencies.

The Commission will on the same day hold local government by-elections in 35 wards.

The date has been set following the resignation of elected MMD MP Japhen Mwakalombe of Chongwe and deaths of John Siame of the Patriotic Front in Nakonde and Willie Malambo of the -National Movement for Progress during the run up to the September 20 tripartite elections.

The vacancies in the 35 wards arose from candidates’ error on ballot papers, deaths of candidates or uncontested elections.

ZNBC

Government has condemned the use of live ammunition on street vendors by police in Ndola on Friday.

Local Government Minister Professor Nkandu Luo says it was wrong for police to use live bullets on harmless street vendors.

Prof. Luo was speaking to ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday morning.

The Minister says while government appreciates police assistance in moving vendors from streets, the exercise should be handled in a sober and careful manner.

She says her Ministry has instructed all councils to form task forces to handle the removal of street vendors.

Prof Luo says the program also involves sensitising vendors on the negative effects of street vending.

On Friday The street vendors fought running battles with the Zambia Police Service and Council police deployed in the city centre to enforce a ban on street vending by the local authority. Business was paralysed as most shops located on Chisokone Avenue, Blantyre and President Avenues including Shoprite were closed for fear of being looted.

Copperbelt deputy provincial assistant commissioner Milner Muyambango and NCC public relations manager Roy Kuseka confirmed the operation to rid the Ndola streets of vending. Mr Muyambango said police threw tear gas canisters at the protesting vendors.

He, however, said there were strict instructions that no officer should carry any firearm during the operation. Mr Muyambango said one unidentified man sustained a broken leg during the fracas but it was not immediately established how he injured his leg.

He was not able to disclose the number of vendors picked up in connection with the riot as the officers were still patrolling the streets and had not furnished him with information.

Mr Muyambango said police had, however, managed to restore calm.

Police were deployed in the city centre as early as 05:00 hours yesterday to ensure that no vendor disobeyed the council order. And Mr Kuseka said the council had managed to achieve its objective of removing the street vendors and warned that those resisting the order would face the law.

He said the vendors had shown disregard for the law by rejecting the seven-day ultimatum issued last week. “We did not ambush them because they were fully aware of the resolution that they should not conduct any street vending as from today.

“This is in keeping with Government’s directive for street vendors to leave the streets by December 2 this year,” he said.

ZNBC

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God”
(Romans 4:20 AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Just as putting your physical body into action makes it grow strong, putting your faith in action through prayer and thanksgiving will cause your faith to grow strong, too.

I love what this verse says about Abraham: No unbelief made him waver regarding the promise of God. What does it mean to waver? To waver means to go back and forth. It’s a very unsteady posture. Spiritual wavering is when we go back and forth in believing the promises of God. Wavering shows up in our words and actions.

Notice this verse didn’t say that Abraham never had unbelief or doubtful thoughts. It tells us that he didn’t let those thoughts cause him to waver in his words, actions and resolve. He took captive every thought and stood strong through His praise and worship! Remember, praise makes you stable; it makes you strong. Put your faith into action by thanking and praising Him all throughout the day!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, today I choose to bless Your name! I thank You for life. I thank You for breath. I thank You for provision, healing, strength and joy. I praise You for abundantly supplying all my needs so that I can be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen