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Zambia this afternoon beat Faz Super Division side Power Dynamos 3-1 in a training game played at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.
Dario Bonetti had a full squad in training and no injuries to report on with midfielder William Njobvu back in action after recovering from an eye infection.
Meanwhile, midfielder Isaac Chansa of defending South African league champions Orlando Pirates made it without a hitch in the game just a week after returning to action following his recovery from a two-month injury layoff.
Chansa’s highlight was scoring the second of Zambia’s three goals in the warm-up match.
Defender Kampamba Chintu of Bidvest Wits in South Africa scored the opener before Power equalized through striker Felix Nyaende.
Golden Arrows striker Collins Mbesuma capped the afternoon at Arthur Davies with a sublime overhead kick.
“I am happy with the form of the players, they have showed quality in training,” Bonetti said in a post-training interview.
Government has directed all local authorities countrywide to immediately take over all markets and bus stations.
And all councils have been directed to take an inventory of all market stalls and create a data base for traders by October 18, 2011.
Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection Minister Professor Nkandu Luo gave the directive at a press briefing in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Professor Luo says the policy measures aim at bringing sanity to the markets and bus stations.
Markets have in the past been run by political cadres and Associations.
The minister has also directed Councils to immediately stop issuing Car wash licenses.
And Professor Luo says she is still studying the report on the Lusaka City Council Lilayi Land scam.
She says findings will be presented to cabinet and later to the public.
Professor Luo has also announced that mayoral elections will be conducted this weekend.
Bailiffs have seized property worth millions of Kwacha from the MMD Secretariat in Lusaka.
The action is over unpaid rental arrears to the National Pension Scheme Authority – NAPSA.
NAPSA has issued a warrant of distress to recover Four Hundred and sixty one Million Kwacha in unpaid rentals by the opposition MMD.
The MMD has its national Secretariat at the NAPSA building in Lusaka.
A ZNBC News crew that visited the Secretariat Wednesday morning found officers from the Sherrif’s office removing property which included office furniture, computers, a fridge and two Toyota Hilux vehicles.
And one of the Baillifs, Masauso Banda says he was only acting on instructions from his clients.
And Special Assistant to the MMD National Secretary Tobias Kafumukache who was found at the premises described the action by NAPSA as unfortunate.
He says more than half of the arrears have already been paid and wondered why NAPSA has taken such an action.
President Michael Sata has, with immediate effect terminated the contract of Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Commissioner Aaron Zulu. The President has appointed Ms. Alita Mbahwe as the new Commissioner of the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
“In exercise of the powers vested in me under paragraph 1 of the first schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Chapter 96 of the Laws of Zambia, I hereby appoint you as Commissioner, Drug Enforcement Commission, with immediate effect,” stated the President in his letter of appointment to Ms. Mbahwe.
“I congratulate you on this well-deserved appointment and I am confident that you will perform to my expectations and that of the Zambian people in general.”
The anouncement is contained in a press statement released to themedia by special assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah
Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda
Business at Kamwala Trading area has come to a standstill after scores of workers employed in shops staged a protest against their employers this morning demanding for improved conditions of service.
This is the latest of the ongoing demonstrations by workers across the country who are pressing for improved salaries.
A check by QFM at Kamwala trading area this morning found almost all the shops closed with workers gathered outside the shops singing songs of solidarity.
Some workers talked to complained that their employers pay them as little as K180, 000 as a monthly salary which they described as a drop in the ocean.
They have explained that it is unfortunate that despite making a lot of money for their employers, their salaries have not improved.
The have since called on government to come to their aid saying they will not return to work until their demands are met.
Efforts to get the comments from shop owners proved futile as they declined to talk.
Meanwhile, Labour,Sports,Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda has appealed to all employees in the country to remain calm while his ministry is carrying out the Presidential directive on the revision of the current minimum wage.
Mr Shamenda in a statement released to QFM today says his ministry has already started working on the presidential directive on the current minimum wage provision as contained in the statutory Instruments 1,2 and 3.
He says therefore work stoppages to disrupt productivity in the country should not be allowed.
He adds that in addition to the issue of the minimum wages, his ministry is looking into the improvement of conditions of service for all employees in occupations where the wages and conditions of employment are regulated through the process of collective Agreement under the Industrial Relations Act or where employee/employer relationships are governed by specific employment contracts which are attested by labour officers.
Mr Shamenda further states that his ministry remains open for consultations from both employers
Everybody ,male and female would like to have six-pack. It is the stuff dreams are made off. Well stop dreaming ,if you want to have well developed abs then you can. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication. It will not happen overnight.
The first thing you need to do is add a lot of cardio to you workout. You will need to lose the weight in order for you abs to show. Some cardio workouts you can do are ; running , swimming , cycling ,star jumps (jumping jacks).
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position.
Bring your knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out.
Go back to the initial position as you breathe in.
Crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.
Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.
Note: Do this slow in-order to really feel the burn.
Alternate Heel Touches
Lie on the floor with the knees bent and the feet on the floor around 18-24 inches apart. Your arms should be extended by your side. This will be your starting position.
Crunch over your torso forward and up about 3-4 inches to the right side and touch your right heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement.
Now go back slowly to the starting position as you inhale.
Now crunch over your torso forward and up around 3-4 inches to the left side and touch your left heel as you hold the contraction for a second. Exhale while performing this movement and then go back to the starting position as you inhale. Now that both heels have been touched, that is considered 1 repetition.
Continue alternating sides in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
CROSS BODY CRUNCH
Lie flat on your back and bend your knees about 60 degrees.
Keep your feet flat on the floor and place your hands loosely behind your head. This will be your starting position.
Now curl up and bring your right elbow and shoulder across your body while bring your left knee in toward your left shoulder at the same time. Reach with your elbow and try to touch your knee. Exhale as you perform this movement. Tip: Try to bring your shoulder up towards your knee rather than just your elbow and remember that the key is to contract the abs as you perform the movement; not just to move the elbow.
Now go back down to the starting position as you inhale and repeat with the left elbow and the right knee.
Continue alternating in this manner until all prescribed repetitions are done.
Note: You can also do all of your repetitions for one side and then switch to the other side.
AB CRUNCHES
The standard abdominal crunches is a great exercise for developing the upper ab region. When performing this exercise do not put your hands behind your head and force your neck as you will only do damage. Place your arms by your ears or across your chest.
Lye flat on the floor with your knees bent.
Crunch upwards trying to touch your shoulders on your knees.
Really squeeze out each rep and hold the movement slightly at the top.
HOW TO DO THEM
Do 10 reps of all these exercises , that will be 1 set. rest for 1 minute then do 10 more reps of each. Do as many sets as you can.
Do not be discouraged if you can not do 10 of each ,start with 3 , do them regularly and you will be able to increase.
Reuters reports that the government has temporarily suspended metal export permits ahead of the release of new guidelines, the ministry of mines and minerals development said in a latest move to increase transparency in Africa’s top copper producer.
Newly elected President Michael Sata has been concerned — analysts say with good reason — about copper exporters misreporting the amount of ore leaving the country, and last week said that henceforth all export payments would have to be routed via the central bank.
The suspension of permits is another sign of Sata’s administration acting quickly on its populist campaign promises.
“All current permits issued by my ministry are immediately suspended pending issuance of new guidelines by the government,” Godwin Beene, the permanent secretary at the ministry said in the document, dated Oct. 4 and seen by Reuters.
The new procedures are to be in place by Oct. 16, according to the document addressed to the chief executives of miners operating in the country, which include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals , London-listed Vedanta Resources , Glencore International AG and Metorex of South Africa.
Copper accounts for three-quarters of Zambia’s export earnings, but the mining industry contributes only about 10 percent of its tax revenue.
According to Zambian figures, much of the copper exports are destined for Switzerland but little of them show up in Swiss customs data, raising questions about transparency.
Former President Rupiah Banda told Reuters in March audits had revealed that the Zambian mining sector owed up to $200 million in unpaid taxes.
United Party for National Development vice president Richard Kapita
Opposition political parties have floated UPND Vice President Richard Kapita for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly.
UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the opposition have also agreed to field MMD Lundazi Member of Parliament Mkhondo Lungu for the position of Deputy Speaker.
Mr Kakoma says the opposition will also go ahead to field FDD Chasefu MP Chifumu Banda for the position of Deputy Chairperson for the Committees of the whole house.
He was speaking in an interview with ZNBC Nws in Lusaka on Tuesday.
On Monday, opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said his party was consulting other political parties over the impending election of a new Speaker of the National Assembly.
But Mr Hichilema dismissed as misleading newspaper reports suggesting his party and the MMD were planning to field veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga.
Mr. Hichilema said the nation would be informed of the candidate his party would support for election as speaker once consultations were completed.
[ZNBC]
TAZARA managing director Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika
UNIONISED workers at Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) have downed tools to press for the removal of managing director, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika and payment of K2.4 billion in outstanding leave pay.
The workers have also appealed to President Michael Sata to quickly intervene and ask the newly-appointed minister of Labour, Sport, Youth and Gender to help resolve their plight.
Workers Union of TAZARA general secretary, Africa Mkandawire told the Times in an interview that the union had directed the workers to withdraw their labour following a meeting between the union and management on October 3 this year which failed to resolve the workers’ plight.
He said the union had asked the workers from Nakonde to Lusaka to stop work in protest against the continued stay of Mr Lewanika who they say was ineffective.
Mr Lewanika, when contacted, refused to comment.
When contacted for a comment TAZARA public relations manager, Conrad Simuchile said management was concerned by reports that the workers had withdrawn their labour demanding the removal of the managing director and a salary increment.
He said management was appealing for calm among the workers and urged them to give management a chance to look into issues they had raised and present them to the relevant organs of the TAZARA structure such as the TAZARA Joint Council and the board of directors.
But Mr Mkandawire said the workers also wanted the deputy managing director, corporation secretary and the regional general manager to be relieved of their duties.
He said the workers did not want the four officials because they were allegedly insensitive to their plight.
“Starting from today, operations will be paralysed on the Zambian side, in fact some workers at some stations have heeded our calls to withdraw labour and they are not working,” he said.
Mr Mkandawire said the workers were also demanding that the company amends its collective agreement so that workers retire at 60 years according to the Tanzanian law which they said the board and management of TAZARA were currently abrogating.
He said the workers were also being mistreated by the management by allegedly giving them tasks which were outside their job descriptions and that they were threatened with dismissal if they failed to do what they were assigned.
Mr Mkandawire claimed that Mr Lewanika had been absent from his Tanzanian office for the last two months and was currently staying in Lusaka.
Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender Minister Fackson Shamenda
LABOUR Minister Fackson Shamenda has said employers should not continue to abuse workers by paying the minimum wage but should pay wages that are proportionate to the amount of work given.
And the minister has said workers across the country were free to protest and air their grievances as long as they did not resort to illegal strikes.
Mr Shamenda said it was clear that workers had been oppressed for a long time and that it was expected that they felt liberated and wanted to publicize their plight.[pullquote]Workers are protesting because they have seen a change in policy and government so where they protest, they are free to do so as long as they do not engage in illegal strikes or affect production[/pullquote]
He said the protests would eventually pass because they represented results of the many under-hand methods used to cheat the Zambian workforce in most companies.
“They are protesting because they have seen a change in policy and government so where they protest, they are free to do so as long as they do not engage in illegal strikes or affect production,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said various companies should not pay poorly because of the low minimum wage requirements stipulated by law.
He said workers should be paid wages that reflect the amount of work they were asked to do.
Mr Shamenda said as part of the review of the minimum wage, his ministry would study various industries and establish how individual industries were performing and what the workers should be getting.
He said companies should award employees according to their capacities and not restrict themselves to paying the minimum wage.
“We cannot have companies giving minimum wage to workers even in mining or hazardous environments, when they have the capacity to pay more,” he said.
Former Minister of Finance & National Planning N'gandu Magande
National Movement for Progressive party leader Nga’ndu Magande said in Lusaka yesterday that the president should have waited for the outcome of results from the commission of inquiry he had tasked to investigate the sale of the bank.
Mr Magande, who is a former Finance minister, said Presidents Sata’s decision on FBZ may raise uncertainty in stakeholders and members of the public. He said the president should have maintained the pronouncement he made when he directed the ministry of Justice to establish a commission of inquiry to probe the sale transactions of FBZ and ZAMTEL.
“I think he should have allowed the process of the law to be followed. The directive he gave the ministry of Justice to establish a commission of inquiry to probe the transaction was a very good move. The commission could have come up with tangible results,” Mr Magande said.
Zambia Empowerment for Economic Development leader Fred Mutesa said President Sata’s decision was done haphazardly. Dr Mutesa said President Sata should have given sufficient time to the ministry of Justice to act according to his directive and get a solid report after investigations. “The setting up of the commission of inquiry was imperative because we all really wanted to know reasons why the MMD government sold Finance Bank and how the transaction was done,” he said.
United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema welcomed the move by the Government to give back Finance Bank Zambia to the original owners.
He said repossessing FBZL was a good move because the bank was taken from Rajan Mahtani for political reasons. He, however, called for orderliness in the handover of FBZL to the original owners.“Finance Bank was taken over wrongly and its handover to the original owners is a very welcome move except that the transition should be done in an orderly way,” Mr Hichilema said.
Meanwhile First Rand National Bank (FNB) has said it has not yet received an official notification on the decision to reverse the sale of Finance Bank Zambia.
FNB South Africa chief executive officer Michael Jordaan said there had been no formal communication on reversal of its transaction to acquire certain assets and liabilities of FBZ.
Mr Jordaan said this in a statement yesterday released by FNB South Africa head of corporate communications, Virginia Magapatona.
“FNB confirms that despite today’s media reports, it has not received any formal notification that its proposed transaction to acquire certain assets and liabilities of FBZ has been reversed.
“Zambia’s central bank, Bank of Zambia approached FNB South Africa to provide experienced managers to assist BoZ in managing the operations of FBZ whilst BoZ undertook a process to secure the long-term future of FBZ,” Mr Jordaan said.
President Michael Sata on Monday reversed the sale of FBZ to FNB and ordered the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to return it to its original owners. Mr Jordaan said BoZ conducted a transparent process which it confirmed was both within its mandate and within the appropriate legal framework to protect depositors, customers and employees of FBZ and that it was systemically important to the banking system of Zambia.
“This process resulted in the proposed sale transaction with BoZ. We strongly believe that the due process was followed and that the agreements reached with BoZ were concluded in accordance with
the Zambian law,” he said.
Mr Jordaan said FNB South Africa was already a significant international investor in Zambia to which it was still committed and would continue to evaluate its options as the situation developed. Meanwhile President Michael Sata’s decision to reverse the sale of Finance Bank Zambia Limited (FBZ) and return it to the original owners has been received with mixed feelings.
The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) last month sold selected assets and liabilities in FBZ to FNB at a net cost of K27 billion. The central bank last year had taken over supervisory action against FBZ and took possession of the bank.
[Times of Zambia]
Minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu at the swearing-in ceremony at State House
JUSTICE Minister Sebastian Zulu has said while constructive criticism of the judiciary is welcome, the media should not insinuate wholesome corruption in the judiciary when it cannot substantiate its claims.
And Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Minister, Given Lubinda has said the Government will not run affairs of the judiciary based on people’s opinions.
Mr Zulu said that the Government had noted with disapproval that some media houses had taken it upon themselves to insinuate that the entire judiciary was corrupt and that they should give reasons behind the acquittal of certain individuals.
He said in a statement yesterday that some media houses had also misled the public that adjudicators acted on instructions from some authorities to decide in a particular way. The minister said it had further been suggested by some media houses that judicial officers could be arrested and prosecuted for what were perceived as wrong judgments.
“The position of the Government is that in terms of the law, no judicial officer can be arrested or prosecuted for delivering what can be perceived as a wrong judgment. “It should be noted that judges do not dialogue with third parties regarding the content or basis of their judgments. The judgments speak for themselves,” he said.
He said the Zambian Government was a signatory to the Commonwealth Bangalore Principles which ensure judicial independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equity of all before courts, competence and diligence of judicial officers.
Mr Zulu said the principles alluded to were of critical necessity to constitutional governance and were enshrined in the Zambian Constitution and the Judicial Code of Conduct.
He said it was an undeniable fact that some magistrates had been arrested, prosecuted and convicted for corruption while others had been dealt with administratively and dismissed.
He said in an even that members of the public or other third parties suspected impropriety or misconduct on the part of a judicial officer, they may complain to or present their evidence of such impropriety or misconduct to relevant institutions such as the Judicial Complaints Authority.
Mr Zulu said judicial officers were therefore not immune from criminal sanctions for corruption. “The judiciary is not averse to constructive criticism but it is destructive criticism which is objectionable,” he said. And Mr Lubinda said yesterday that the new Government respected citizens’ freedom of expression.
He said the Patriotic Front administration was eager to listen to various opinions being expressed concerning what needed to be done in sectors such as the judiciary. He, however, said the Government would not act on or respond to every opinion by citizens on any subject.
“We will not react every time someone gives an opinion on anything because we then run the risk of reacting to everything that is expressed,” he said. He said the Government would operate by acting on issues based on thorough analyses of situations.
File: People in Kasama celebrating the election results
By Dr.Charles Ngoma
It is now almost two weeks since the Zambian people changed the government to usher in the promised ‘kingdom of Sata.’ ‘Tembenukani abale, ufumu wa Sata wayandikila! (Repent brothers and sisters, the kingdom of Sata is at hand)! Well, going by the final election results, there were not many changes of mind in the Eastern Province where these words are reported to have been uttered, at a rally in Sinda. The dust has settled and now it is time for business. It has been a very busy period for President Sata and at the rate he is going, I do not doubt that he will deliver on his 90 day promise. It is full steam ahead and I only hope that the result will not be the same as what happened to the legendary RMS Titanic in 1912. This marvel of engineering struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. The iceberg was sighted right ahead of the ship. When the alarm went out; ‘iceberg, right ahead!’ The response was ‘hard-a-starboard’ which means to turn the ship to the left (port) side. It was too late! In less than a minute, the mighty Titanic crashed into the iceberg on the right side and it wasn’t long before the great ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic.
The enthusiasm and optimism that greeted the new era in Zambian politics can be compared to that which saw off the Titanic as it sailed from Southampton almost 100 years ago. There were good, bad and ugly things that were associated with the Titanic. Similarly, I see good things, bad things and ugly things associated with the new government of the Patriotic Front as led by the warm and charming President Sata.
THE GOOD.
There is a joyous optimism in the mood of the Zambian people. As I wrote earlier about optimism in a nation, this is good. We have been too pessimistic and too negative in the last few years. There are many good things that have happened in Zambia since 1991, but due to the excessive negativity on the part of some leading media houses, Zambians became suspicious of everything and everyone. Thank God now that the very people who saw nothing good in the country are now urging everyone to support the new government, and to will it to succeed. Indeed, the government succeeding is good for all Zambians, though not for the fortunes of opposition parties. We have a beautiful history, Zambia. I agree with the President that we need to remember where we have come from. The renaming of the three main International Airports is a step in the right direction, though the manner in which it was done is arguably un-orthodox.
The alacrity with which the President has gone about with his reforms warms my heart. Ok, he took a while to choose his cabinet and nominate members of Parliament, but that may be a sign that he is not hasty, but cautious. On the other hand some would argue that it is a sign that he was not ready to govern, since a rumoured PF cabinet list was once circulated through the internet, way before the elections were announced and the PF and UPND went on separation. Apparently, there is no divorce certificate! I digress. Could it be that the President deliberately delayed announcing the Cabinet so that he may act as ‘minister without portfolio’ and make changes before the actual ministers take up their posts? Perhaps he did not want to tell us. ‘Donchi kubeba?’
The fight against corruption is well back on the track too. It is not that there is anyone who has been prosecuted and convicted, or that it was ever off track, but the President’s posture and demeanour just scares the living daylights out of anyone who would want to dip his hands in the public pot from hence forth. Those who have already done so, should be quaking in their boots, for the kingdom of Sata’s reservoir hounds are baying for their blood. It is a good thing when just the presence of a police man in the streets makes people feel secure and crime is diminished. No one yet arrested, but there is peace and quiet.
The removal of all cadre District Commissioners is most welcome. I never accepted that office from the time of its inception. It is one dark blot on the late President Dr Chiluba’s legacy and it is a pity that no one else ever saw the problems associated with the appointments to that office. Political stooges and job seekers were given that position simply to prop up the ruling party. It was devilish to appoint party cadres and pay them from tax-payers coffers. I do not believe that the post needs to exist at all. If those in the know of state-craft believe in it, it is ok to be manned by civil servants.
THE BAD.
The Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission has been dismissed. I do not think that there are many people who would lose sleep over this because there was an appearance of ineptitude on the part of the man. I say ‘appearance’ because there is no evidence that he failed in the performance of his duties. Now, here is what worries me. The President is so popular that the decisions that he has made have just been accepted hook, line and sinker by the public even when they appear to be illegal. The Anti-Corruption Act says clearly that the Director General of the ACC can only be removed at the recommendation of a Tribunal, appointed by the Chief Justice after the National Assembly passes a resolution by not less than 2/3 majority. The National Assembly is in recession at the moment. There may be some secret powers that the President has, which we do not know about, but if we all sing from the same hymn sheet, we would recognise that ‘the rule of law’ has been at the most upended here or in the least ‘bent.’ The other issue, concerns the appointment to Parliament of a person who is registered bankrupt. Once again, we may not be party to the financial circumstances of the person over the years since this case came into public domain, but there must be a very good reason why our laws and indeed in every part of the progressive world, deny a bankrupt person the right to hold public office. While the President was a leader of the PF in opposition, he lamented the fact that the Republican President has too much power. It is not good to see him now exercising the same powers so arbitrarily.
There is no harm in being strong willed and to get on with the job, but everything must follow due process. The men and women who will lose their jobs for alleged offences must have justice. We may not be happy with many men and women who hold public office right now, but there are a few that enjoy security of tenure under our laws and these must be given a hearing before they can be dismissed, otherwise the offices of Director of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General and Director General of ACC as well as Judge will all work in fear of the President and not for the Zambian people. If the President has a very good reason to get rid of anyone of these persons, there would be no problem to table that before Parliament and follow the law to the letter.
It would have been nice for the President to nominate more women to Parliament. The domination of male folk in the affairs of Zambia is a bad thing. According to the statistics, there are slightly more women in Zambia than there are men, and yet they are so poorly represented. I am not advocating appointment of women for the sake of it, but I believe that there are so many who can do better than men.
THE UGLY.
The reported post-election violence was out right ugly. There is no room for vigilantism in a democracy. The fact that even the police stood by and the head of state did not condemn these things while they were happening sends a chill down one’s spine. We cannot go on like this. The victors can celebrate but the vanquished must be respected. After all we are one nation and yet 13 million people. We cannot all agree on everything and when do disagree, we must do so with due respect for one another. We must allow free debate and our fundamental human right of freedom of association must be upheld. It looks as though it is no longer fashionable to belong to the Movement for Multi-party Democracy. There are rumours that some present MMD members of Parliament are being enticed to resign from their party and re-contest their seats under PF. Now, that is ugly. The country cannot afford to waste money on bye elections. Although the ruling party will not have an outright majority in parliament, this can be very good for democracy if people put the interest of the country first. This is a great opportunity for our parliamentarians to enact laws that will advance the nation and repeal those that are just plain silly, like the ‘ndoshi’ Act. This time round we should have a Constitution, as the cliché goes, ‘that will stand the test of time.’
The President has the right to choose his Cabinet and has the power to nominate to parliament anyone whomsoever he wills. It is sad that in this day and age people are still checking the tribal leaning of any appointed person. We should judge people not by the accent of their English but by their ability to deliver. The issue of tribal balancing in so far as posts are concerned should be banished from our minds. Yes, I agree that members of the family should not be given undue advantage, but there should not be anything that should stop one who is highly capable, from being appointed even if he happens to be a close relative. Nearly half a century after independence, it is ugly to see people through tribal lines. If President Sata did hound his predecessors over this issue, it is not right to continue this wrong.
Former Presidents must be respected. For a long time Zambians have been treated to a diet of anarchy and disrespect for those in authority. The person who is elected into office of the President should be respected and not called names just because one disagrees with them. It is ugly to accuse people of offences that they have not been convicted of let alone tried in a court of law. We all remember how an American Senator publicly apologised to the US President when he shouted abuse at him from the floor. We will not like some of the President’s policies and we will not always agree with him, but we should remain respectful of the person.
CONCLUSION.
President Sata has demonstrated admirable qualities. He has fought to be President over a very long time. It means that he has had a clear agenda as to where exactly he wants to take the country. He has shown perseverance and a tenacity to succeed. Used wisely, these qualities will take Zambia forward and to greater heights. Used unwisely, all that we have achieved so far will vanish in the smoke. He has a fine line to tread. Someone said that he is wiser now than he was before. May God help him not just to be sincere in what he does, but to be sincerely right too. Could he be Dr Dambisa Moyo’s ‘benevolent dictator’ that Zambia needs? Benevolence and dictatorship are not words that go together. Dictatorship is to a country what an iceberg is to a ship. As icebergs go, they just show a small tip above the surface of the water. Can we see one? I hope that there is no iceberg ahead, but if there is, may his benevolence be the rudder that will steer the country clear.
Nkwazi and Zanaco clash on Wednesday in the midst of the 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifying build-up between Zambia-Libya.
Nkwazi hosts Zanaco in a rescheduled Faz Super Division Week 20 game at Edwin Embolea Stadium in Lusaka.
Both sides come into this match with no international commitments ahead of Zambia’s game against Libya to be played on Saturday at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.
Victory for Zanaco will see them return to third place after falling to 5th on Sunday following their 3-2 home loss to Roan United.
Zanaco are currently on 40 points, five less rha leaders Red Arrows.
Nkwazi on the other hand will exchange places with Kabwe Warriors should they beat Zanaco.
The Police outfit is third from bottom in 14th place on 24 points from 24 matches with a game in hand while warriors are just above them on 26 points.
Wednesdays Faz Football Fixtures
Super Division
Week 20
Nkwazi-Zanaco
Division 1
North
Week24
Nkwiza-Zesco Luapula
Week 25
Mufulira Wanderers- Konkola Mine Police
South
Week 22
Kalomo Jetters-Paramilitary
Week 25
Senanga Leopards-Riflemen
Lusaka Tigers- Lusaka City Council
Jacob Mulenga has finally joined the Zambia national team in camp in Kitwe.
And Libya are expected to arrive tomorrow ahead of Saturdays 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifier against Zambia to be played at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.
Mulenga was the second and final foreign-based player expected to join camp on Tuesday.
Swiss based striker Emmanuel Mayuka join camp earlier on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, Libya are due to fly in on Wednesday.
The Libya’s have chartered a flight from their Tunisia training base where they have been in camp for the last 18 days.
However, Faz said they have not been furnished with the Libyans arrival time.
