President Sata has said that Zambia will print its own ballot papers for future elections. The President said in Lusaka on yesterday that the November 24 Magoye and Nakonde parliamentary by-elections will be the last to be conducted on foreign-printed ballots.
He said Zambia cannot continue to print ballot papers in other countries after 47 years of independence.
“If it means spending all the coffers to bring in equipment, we will do it. We will print ballot papers here,” Mr Sata said. He said this when he attended the post-election thanksgiving prayer service organised by the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
And the President said parallel vote tabulation (PVT) made it difficult for the MMD to rig the September 20 tripartite elections. “I would like to thank educated people like my wife. I didn’t know that she can divert from medicine to run PVT because without PVT, our friends were already celebrating. They had even arranged for the inauguration (of former President Banda). But with PVT she arranged with her daughter and granddaughter, we have got what we want. This is the will of God and we will not let you down,” Mr Sata said.
He, however, said he agrees with some people saying the elections were not fully transparent because the Zambia Police Service in Solwezi is still keeping ballot boxes which some people wanted to use in rigging the polls.
Meanwhile, President Sata says had the MMD built on where former President Kenneth Kaunda left, the majority of Zambians would not have been wallowing in poverty. He said Zambia cannot be described as peaceful because many people are failing to afford meals while others cannot find employment.
Mr Sata said his Government is determined to create jobs for everyone. “Dr Kaunda once created that environment. We had to import people from Tanzania, Congo, and Lesotho to come and work in Zambia. He even imported people from Zimbabwe to come and sell beer and from Malawi to come and work as clerks in the mines. How can we fail to do that?” he said.
[pullquote] “I would like to thank educated people like my wife. I didn’t know that she can divert from medicine to run PVT because without PVT, our friends were already celebrating. They had even arranged for the inauguration (of former President Banda). But with PVT she arranged with her daughter and granddaughter, we have got what we want. This is the will of God and we will not let you down,” Mr Sata said.[/pullquote]
Mr Sata said he will be failing in his duties as republican President if expectant mothers continue dying due to lack of access to maternity treatment or if children continue dying of diseases like measles.
He said Zambians are not using their God-given talents adequately, resulting in many of them committing several criminal offences including corruption. He said some prisoners are just forced by circumstances to commit crime.
“If we as a people can sacrifice a little, we can establish prisons and reformatory centres where we can only have habitual criminals, not most of those people who are there. If we can keep young men and women occupied, we will help Mrs Sata who is fighting HIV and AIDS because I was told one day by Chief Justice (Ernest Sakala) that idle hands are always tempted.
“If young people have jobs, they will have very little time for vices. We will not sit idly by when we know we can do something to create jobs” he said.
And Mr Sata thanked the three church mother bodies for organising the prayer service at short notice.
[pullquote]. “Dr Kaunda once created that environment. We had to import people from Tanzania, Congo, and Lesotho to come and work in Zambia. He even imported people from Zimbabwe to come and sell beer and from Malawi to come and work as clerks in the mines. How can we fail to do that?” he said.[/pullquote]
He said he wants Zambia to have a strong religious background and asked the three church mother bodies to make written submissions on how this can be achieved or even legislated.
He said it does not make sense for people to just boast about Zambia’s declaration as a Christian nation when their behaviour is anti-Christ. The President pledged that his Government will rehabilitate Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Dr Kaunda’s birth place.
He said the church contributed greatly to Zambia’s independence and civilisation, adding that without the clergy, Dr Kaunda would not have managed to fight for Zambia’s independence.
Earlier, ZEC representative Father Cletus Mwila urged political parties to exercise love because national unity of purpose is more important than human beings. Fr Mwila urged citizens to contribute to the development of Zambia so that change can start bearing fruit.
“Let’s put our resources together and insist on togetherness as God’s children. Let’s make serious contribution to hard work,” he said.
EFZ executive director Reverend PukutaMwanza commended the church for praying for peace before, during and after the elections.
He thanked former President Banda for fulfilling his pledge to accept election results, which he said reflected the people’s will.
Dignitaries who attended the service included Dr Kaunda, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Vice-President Guy Scott, former Lusaka Diocese Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, service chiefs, members of the diplomatic corps, ministers and members of Parliament.
And the Zambia Episcopal Conference secretary general Cleophas Lungu has urged leaders to exercise justice, peace, reconciliation, love and sacrifice.
Father Lungu said this at the Feast of the Good Shepherd at Kabwata’s Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Lusaka yesterday.
“If you want to be leader, you should develop the spirit of love, reconciliation and sacrifice for your own people,” he said. Fr Lungu said leaders should exhibit passion and love for the country and care for the people.
He said church leaders will be happy to see all leaders, particularly politicians, practising love for their country.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
