UNITED Kingdom (UK) minister in charge for Africa Henry Bellingham is in the country for a three day visit. Mr Bellingham whose visit is aimed at strengthening the broad bilateral relations between Zambia and the UK has since congratulated Zambia for the transparent and peaceful conduct of the September 20 elections and the subsequent smooth transfer of power which he described as a major success for the country’s democracy.

He said the country was a model in the region and the continent as a whole. According to a statement released by the British High Commission in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Belligham said Zambia had an important role to play in the SADC and COMESA regions. “I am very much looking forward to my first visit to Zambia.

This visit provides an opportunity to strengthen trade links between the UK and Zambia, regional and international security issues as well as identifying areas for further cooperation and highlight where we can work together in the future,” he said.

I congratulate Zambia on the peaceful transfer of power following recent elections. The transparent and peaceful manner in which they were conducted, and the exemplary way in which power was transferred is a major success for democracy in Zambia and a model to others in the region and across Africa.

He said Zambia had an important role to play in SADC, COMESA and the Southern African region and that he would be discussing a range of important regional and international security issues and trade opportunities with members of the Government. During his visit, Mr Bellingham is expected to meet President Michael Sata, Vice-President Guy Scott, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry.

He will also meet the British and Zambian business community. Mr Bellingham will also visit Zambia Sugar plc in Mazabuka, Southern Province, and the UK’s biggest investment in Zambia. President Sata will also host lunch for Mr Bellingham at State House, to which he has invited members of the British business and resident community in Zambia.

And British High Commissioner to Zambia, Tom Carter said Mr Bellingham’s visit was the first by a minister from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in several years. He said the visit offers the opportunity to bolster trade and investment links between the two countries. “This will be the first visit to Zambia by a minister from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for several years.

It offers the opportunity to bolster trade and investments links between the two countries and highlight future investment opportunities for British businesses. It will also be the first British ministerial visit to Zambia since the change of Government in September and will enable us to forge a new and deeper relationship with the new Government.

”The UK enjoys strong trade, cultural and educational links with Zambia. Currently, the UK government, through DFID, is supporting the Government of Zambia to deliver better services and make better investment decisions, tackling malaria and maternal mortality and increasing opportunities for rural wealth creation. DFID will be spending an average of £59 million per year in Zambia until 2015.

[Times of Zambia]

In the last article , football workout ,i discussed a general workout for all players , more of a warm up . Today football fans can learn how to workout like ,arguable ,the best player in the world today, Barcelona’s  Lionel Messi . Messi is known for his speed ,agility ,and balance . Those are the aspects we will be working on.

THE WORKOUT

FOR SPEED

“W” Run

how its done;

• Lay 5 cones in a W shape, 10 metres across the top, and 5 metres deep.
•  Start on the furthest left point, jog backwards to the second point, sprint to the third, jog backwards to fourth and sprint away to the right point.
•  Wait 20 secs, then reverse.

Dead leg run

how its done;

• Place 8 hurdles or cones in a straight line, with the final one 5m out from the end.
•  Run down the cones, lifting one leg high over each.
• Use a good 90-degree arm drive and push your knee high.
•  Sprint out to the last cone, repeat with opposite leg

FOR AGILITY

Horizontal hops

how its done;

• Set out 6 cones: 3 in a straight line, at a hopping distance; then from the end, one at 9 o’clock, one at 12, one at 3, all 5m away.
•  Hop to each cone, then sprint out to one of the final cones.
• Walk back and alternate the hopping leg.
•  Do 3 sets of 8 reps

Get ups

how its done;

• This is great for leg drive. Lie on the floor (always alternate position: back, side, front, etc) count to 5, then get up as quickly as possible, then sprint 5m.
• Perform 3 sets of 8.
•  This trains total-body coordination.

Two footed bounds

how its done;

• Lay out cones the same as the horizontal hops exercise, but instead of hopping, bound with two legs over the first 3, then sprint and swerve through the 9, 12 and 3 o’clock cones and back to the start.
•  Perform 3 sets of 4

FOR BALANCE

Backward lunge with side flexion

how its done;

• Start with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent and core tensed.
• Step back into a deep lunge with right leg, extend your right arm overhead and side flex.
•  Push back to the start with left leg.
•  Do 8 reps of 6 each side

Shelf stacker

how its done;

•  Reach and lunge down with both hands to the outside of your right ankle
•  explode from there in a diagonal movement across the body, as if putting something from the floor onto a shelf.
•  Do 15 reps on each side.

Alphabet drill

how its done;

•  balance on your left leg.
• Extend your right leg in front and draw the alphabet, then repeat on the other side, maintaining posture and balance the whole time.
•  Repeat on other leg

BY KAPA187

President Michael Sata has disclosed that more than 60 per cent of the crop that has been purchased would have gone to waste if the Patriotic Front was not elected into power.

In a press statement made available to the media by Special Assistant to the President for Press and public relations, George chellah , Mr Sata said that he was happy with the progress government has made in the purchase of maize and other crops since taking over office.

The President disclosed that government has so far purchased over 1,660,899 Metric Tonnes (MT) of maize worth K2.1 trillion and over 993MT of rice worth K1.5 billion.
“Government has paid out over K1, 774,836,300,000 (approximately K1.8 trillion) and another K100 billion will be disbursed this week to speed up payments to our farmers and settle all arrears in order for them to proceed with the ongoing farming season with minimum difficulty,” President Sata said.

“More than 60 per cent of the crop that has been purchased would have gone to waste if this government was not elected to power.”

The President has re-affirmed that the new administration was determined to steer the agricultural sector as promised and in line with the PF manifesto.

“During the campaigns we made an undertaking that we shall ensure that maize and other crops were bought just in the early days of us taking office. This promise we have kept hence our decision to dedicate huge sums of money to the crop marketing season,” President Sata said.

[pullquote]“More than 60 per cent of the crop that has been purchased would have gone to waste if this government was not elected to power.” [/pullquote]

“We would like to express our gratitude to our millers who have reduced the price of mealie meal. And we hope that others who have not yet effected this price reduction will do so to help the majority of our people afford this essential commodity.

“We are happy that the Food Reserve Agency has taken keen interest in purchasing other crops such as rice and we anticipate that other high-value cash crops will be identified.”

The President also said government is working on comprehensive measures to combat animal diseases in the country especially in Southern Province.

PATRIOTIC Front secretary-general Wynter Kabimba says the ruling party has not reneged on its promise to deliver a people-driven constitution within the shortest time possible and has assured that it will not betray Zambians over the constitution review process.

And Mr Kabimba revealed the PF engaged a Kenyan company to conduct parallel vote tabulation at a cost of US$50,000 in the September 20 tripartite elections. In an interview in Chingola yesterday, Mr Kabimba said although the issue of delivering a people-driven constitution within 90 days is an issue of debate, the PF will ensure that the new constitution is enacted within the 90 days after a committee of experts is appointed.

“The constitution making process to us is a matter of commitment in our manifesto and we have no intention whatsoever to renege on our promise to deliver a people-driven constitution,” Mr Kabimba said.

He said the committee of experts will come up with a practicable roadmap to produce a constitution that will stand the test of time. “We do not intend to betray the people of Zambia because the issue of the constitution has been a big question of the people of Zambia since 1964. We want the PF to leave a legacy that it gave the people of Zambia a legitimate constitution which will stand the test of time,”

Mr Kabimba said He appealed to opposition political parties and non-governmental organisations questioning the PF’s commitment to delivering a good constitution to liaise with the Ministry of Justice for them to get an accurate position on the process.

And speaking when he addressed PF officials from Chingola and Chililabombwe, Mr Kabimba revealed that the PF engaged a Kenyan company to conduct Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) at a cost of US$ 50,000 in the September 20, tripartite elections.

“We spent a sum of US$50,000; we got this team here to do the permutations and planning and to share with us the experience about their work in Kenya. We also hired a company of public relations people and paid them US$30,000 from South Africa to come and help us do a documentary,” Mr Kabimba said.

He also said PF leaders will be supervising Government to ensure that the policies outlined in the party manifesto are implemented so that the ruling party can deliver on its election promises.

Mr Kabimba advised PF members to accept and accommodate those who are defecting to the ruling party. He, however, warned that MMD members who are joining PF to cover up their criminal activities will not be allowed in the party.

[Zambia Daily mail]

THE Die Hard MMD youth wing has backed the candidature of former Zambian High Commissioner to Canada Nevers Mumba to take over the party presidency from current holder former republican President Rupiah Banda.

National co-ordinator Bowman Lusambo said in Lusaka yesterday though other party officials named in the former ruling party’s presidential race equally have leadership skills, Dr Mumba is the best candidate.

Others reportedly vying for the MMD presidency include former minister of Commerce and Lunte member of Parliament Felix Mutati, former minister of Defence Kalombo Mwansa, Chisamba member of Parliament Moses Muteteka and former minister of Foreign Affairs and Kasempa member of Parliament Kabinga Pande.

“We think Nevers Mumba can push us from where we are now to the next stage, probably taking us back into power. We know that Nevers Mumba will work with the youths, all structures of our party, the Church and ordinary Zambians.

“We want to encourage the MMD youths to come together and support his candidature because we, as the party youth wing, have received warm welcome from the general party membership in all the provinces. We have also received a lot of support from the intellectuals with whom we have shared this idea (of supporting Dr Mumba),” Mr Lusambo said.
He said Dr Mumba has leadership qualities that the MMD needs in its current state.

He said the tele-evangelist and former diplomat, who once served as republican vice-president in former President Levy Mwanawasa’s administration, is charismatic, clean, has the ability to interact with all citizens regardless of their political affiliation and has vast experience in relating with the international community.

Mr Lusambo warned that the MMD youths will not support any candidate who will engage in corrupt practices in a bid to win the presidency.

“If we hear that anyone is dishing out money we shall report that person to NEC (national executive committee) and demand the expulsion of that particular candidate because we don’t want corruption. We want to have a new MMD with a new image and strategies,” he said.

Mr Lusambo said all the presidential hopefuls must exercise their democratic right in a decent manner. Mr Lusambo said the MMD youths are aware that a named senior female party official is scheming to disturb the democratic process of electing a new president.

He warned the official in question to stay away from the process because she has misled the party before and is still capable of doing the same. Mr Lusambo said the MMD youths will maintain respect for Mr Banda and former vice- president George Kunda and pledged to work with the two on all matters concerning the party’s welfare.

Mr Banda, who went through unopposed at the party national convention held in Kabwe early this year, has fallen out of favour with the party after the MMD lost the September 20 tripartite elections to the ruling Patriotic Front.

Meanwhile, opposition MMD national youth chairperson Moses Muteteka has called on party members to give chance to the national executive committee (NEC) to select an acting president of the party.

Mr Muteteka, who has applied for the position of acting party president, said he is ready to take up the position and re-organise the former ruling party ahead of the 2016 tripartite elections.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday he will contest the position as announcement by MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe, who called on individuals desiring the position to express their interest and apply.

Mr Muteteka, who is also member of Parliament for Chisamba, said he has been in politics long enough and has the capacity to provide leadership to both the young and old.
He also welcomed the decision by the party’s NEC to invite applications from suitably qualified members to take over the leadership of the opposition party following former President Banda’s intention to retire from active politics.

Mr Muteteka said the party needs a vibrant and youthful leader and that if elected acting party president he will work hard and help the party to win the 2016 tripartite elections.

“I have applied to NEC, and I’m hoping that I am given chance to be elected as acting president so that we can organise our party ahead of the 2016 elections.
I’m mature enough to provide the leadership that the MMD party wants,” Mr Muteteka said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]