By George N. Mtonga:

John Maxwell, the evangelical Christian leader, once said ” If we’re growing, we are always going to be out of our comfort zone.” In order to move forward, one has to have the courage to move out of his/ her comfort zone. When you are driving on a highway in any major city, you have to keep in mind your exist on the corner that you need to take to get off the highway and go to where you are going.

If I’m going from Lusaka to Ndola, I will take the road all the way until I get to the roundabout in Ndola, going to Masala Market and go into Masala compound to see my grandmother. Despite of how far I have been driving, when time comes to make a change I have to signal the other drivers that I’m turning to the left side or the right side and take the exist without defying any traffic laws. Can Zambia make an effort to change direction? Or should we keep on the same highway? Is it time to exist or are we going to take the same road and continue on that road?

Political change does not come easy. In 1964 we fought tirelessly to gain Independence from Britain and thereafter to gain the ability to run our institutions; even if our legal system and manners of operating our institutions have retained their British origins we nonetheless felt that we needed to take an exist and make a different corner on EXIST 1964.

Our country then got on a highway called Dr. Kenneth Kaunda Highway and we drove the country on that highway for 27 years; with bumps, promises, achievements, fights, and triumphs all experienced on that highway. The highway at one point seemed endless, we thought we could take that highway forever until we decided to exist the highway in 1991 using EXIST 1991 and we got on the MMD Highway. We have been taking that road from 1991; of course we have had different drivers unlike the highway of 1964 to 1991. My concern, though, is have we as Zambians reached a point were we need to take an exist from the MMD Highway? Should we change highways or should we stay on the same highway? This is a decision that has to be answered by each single Zambian considering their personal priorities and their priorities for our country.

Obviously, political change is difficult.It requires an existential shift that often changes the very reality that we are used to. However, countries in this world have afforded us the blueprint on transitions, change, and complete 360 revolutions as was the case for the Arab World recently. Zambia of course does not need a revolution we are far much more sophisticated than that and we have managed to develop a political system that in theory makes transitions far much more easier than other countries.

However, as we vote for the next president we should ask ourselves important questions about our future: WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE IN 2016 when the new president’s term expires? The man for this job has to present a political vision that is clear and indicates the improvement that they intend on making and not present a CV that champions their past achievements and obscures the future! Our politicians fighting for the highest office should find time to clearly explain where they stand on the issues that concern the Zambian people.

Other than childish slogans, and vitenges with their faces on them what is their position on Education, development, or women’s rights? Where do these people stand when it comes to health issues concerning women, what is their attitude towards AIDS/HIV? WE NEED TO KNOW because these are the issues that our nation is facing!!

The habit of handing out clothes, beer, or any other material enticements merely obscure the Zambian people from figuring out if we need to stay on the same highway or take an exist and which exist should we take if we decide to make one.

As Zambian citizens we need to demand far much more from our politicians and stop playing the victim because in the end we elect them; we put them to power, our tax money pay for their houses, their cars, and their clothes; this at the least is enough of a reason for us to demand answers!! Even a Chief Executive Officer of a company is put before the board of that company to answer questions. If the company is loosing value, or not competing effectively in the industry the business is in the CEO has to answer questions or loose their job.Our president should be given the same scrutiny; even before we hire him for the job!! Zambians deserve that scrutiny because the decisions of our politicians affect every aspect of our lives.

It is important that we make an effort to ask ourselves where we are going and where we want to be in 2016. Politics will always be there, insults will always exist; but once 2011-2016 passes it is rendered history!! What will these years bring to Zambia?

As human beings we should always have a dialog between our past and our future, and merge them in such a way that they give us the opportunity to make intelligent decisions in our present. Let us consider where we have been from the exist we took in 1964 and traveled on the Kaunda Highway and then the exist we then took in 1991 on the MMD highway and ask ourselves where we hope to be in 2016; the decision is coming whether we should make the exist in 2011 or we should continue on the same highway.

THE DECISION is up to the Zambian people and that decision will reflect where we as Zambians will want to be in 2016; WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE STATE OF OUR COUNTRY AT THAT TIME. Iam confident that above all, we will do whats right for our country and our future!!

Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde has urged voters to immediately leave the polling station after voting in accordance with the electoral Act.

And Mr Kabonde has called on political leaders to ensure that voting is peaceful and that their supporters conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.

Mr Kabonde says political leaders should take responsibility of how their cadres behave during and after Tuesday’s polls.

He says violence will not be tolerated and that police officers are ready to deal with any acts of violence.

Mr Kabonde told journalists at a press briefing Monday morning that the Zambia police service will ensure that the electoral process is peaceful and orderly.

He appealed to the members of the public to corporate with police as some of the strategies put in place may appear inconveniencing.

And Mr Kabonde has warned that people peddling rumours which can create anarchy will be arrested.

Thousands of police officers have been deployed in all parts of the country to provide security during Tuesday’s elections.
[ZNBC]

Tommorrow, 20 September 2011, is the day. Alea iacta est. The die is cast. The answer belongs to the Lord.

Recently, there has been much talk and speculation and allegations that the Zambia intelligence services are involved in electoral malpractice. This is a very serious accusation that the chief of the service must address and answer to.

Indeed in every intelligence service there are rogue individuals who may do things without the authority of the superiors, but this arm of public service must not be tainted by rumour and innuendo.

The former chief of ZISS Mr Xavier Chungu may have been involved in strange things with his employer the late Dr Chiluba, and that is clear. However, to insinuate that this is an ordinary and normal process for our Intelligence services, needs more evidence than what we have so far been treated to.

In the US and Britain, the work of the intelligence security services such as the CIA and MI5 is so secret that sometimes, as was revealed during the Iraq enquiries as well as the issue of extra-ordinary rendition that even politicians are kept in the dark as to what exactly is going on.

The reason is simple. The responsibility of Intelligence wings goes far beyond the individual politician but extends to the very core and existence of the nation state. Politicians come and go, but the nation state must remain. Thus, where the Intelligence officer sees a threat to the very existence of the nation state, he must act to prevent that damage, even if it appears to be ‘the will of the people.’

Retired General Collin Powel said clearly, ‘I do not comment on what the CIA does.’ This is poignant. The Intelligence service is crucial to the existence of a secure state and that is why we should not subject this high institution to ridicule.

There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The dodgy dosier on which the whole case for war against a sovereign state was made, was based on a ‘loopy’ Iraq dissident’s thesis whom the CIA never spoke to and was in prison in Germany! There would have been much to say against the CIA and MI5, but none of the politicians ever complained or criticised these institutions, not publicly at least!

Even the media only criticised the polititians and there are some people who were ready to indict Mr Bush and Mr Blair for war crimes. They acted purely on the basis of the intelligence that they were given and that is and will always be fallible as long as human beings are involved.

The point I am trying to make is this, that our Intelligence services have a higher cause to serve than that of individuals. Where they see, rightly or wrongly, a threat to the state, they should act in the interest of the state. They would be wrong to do so in the interest of an individual. Perhaps, our Intelligence friends trained in eastern Europe and under the UNIP regime, may have had other than the correct aims in their work, but this needs to be re-aligned and they need to be re-programmed to understand that their aim is to serve the nation state and not the political party in power. When this is in place, we would not comment on what ZISS does.

LEGS

Most workouts are concentrated on the upper-body , but the legs most not be forgotten.  If you are  focusing too much on your upper body, not only will you look disproportionate, but you will also miss out on the number of fitness benefits inherent in training your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles, including increasing your overall lean muscle mass, which, in turn, improves your calorie and fat burning capabilities, and improving your performance in all sports.

BEST LEG WORKOUTS

SQUATS

If you only have time for one leg exercise , squats are the ones you should do. They work on your front and back thigh muscles , inner thigh , butt , calf ,lower back and the waist. Basically they work your entire lower body.

How its done;

1. With the barbell on the squat rack, duck your head under and ascend until your shoulders touch the barbell. If you are using dumbbells ,hold them at shoulder level at your side.
2. Keeping your back straight, lift the barbell off the rack and step back (so that you clear the rack when you perform your squat).
3. Your feet should be just wider than shoulder width apart.
4. Now, squat down, keeping your back arched, until your thighs are parallel with the floor (or slightly more).
5. Return to starting position
6. Repeat steps 5 & 6 until you’ve repeated the desired number of reps.

PRECAUTION

It is very important to keep your back arched as you bring the weight back up. This is the key to lifting heavy weights. Many people hurt their backs performing squats because they bend their backs as they try to lift the weight back up. Doing this can also put you off balance and cause you to fall forward.

LUNGES

CALF RAISES

FORMER Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Edward Mumbi has strongly condemned PF leader Michael Sata for deliberately trying to ignore the Electoral Code of Conduct and inciting his cadres to cause confusion by staying at polling stations after voting.

Mr Mumbi also challenged international election observers to keep a ?close eye on Mr Sata whom he said had continued to act in a manner which can plunge the county into turmoil. “International observers, especially Southern African Development Community observer mission, should take note of these statements from Mr Sata, which are deliberately calculated to incite party cadres to take matters of safeguarding the electoral process in their own hands,” Mr Mumbi said He said international observers should also take special note of Mr Sata’s failure to denounce violence, when President Rupiah? Banda has consistently spoken out against violence.

“Instead, Mr Sata and other PF leaders have consistently encouraged their party members to take the law in their own hands when they perceive or suspect something wrong. This is very dangerous because there are official agencies charged with protecting the interests of all players in the electoral process.” Mr Mumbi said it was wrong for Mr Sata to incite his cadres to commit an offence instead of encouraging them to abide by the electoral code of conduct which was clear on the requirements on the elections day.

He said Mr Sata’s instruction to PF cadres was a recipe for violence and was alarming and advised the youths against heeding the PF leader’s advice because he would not protect them when they fall foul of the law. He said it was criminal for Mr Sata to urge his cadres to camp at the polling stations, a situation which had never occurred before. Mr Mumbi said Mr Sata was once a government official who was supposed to be well versed with the requirements of the elections and it was shameful that he had chosen to now behave otherwise just because he was hungry to get to power.

“This is why I am urging the international election observers to keep a close eye on Mr Sata. This is the man who cries the loudest even where there is nothing to cry at and yet he himself is a renown law breaker who even chooses to break law deliberately,” he said. He urged all the Zambians to condemn Mr Sata’s irresponsible behaviour. Mr Mumbi said PF Vice President Guy Scott is also on record as ?claiming that officers in the intellifgence service were prepared to rig elections. “The intelligence service is a very sensitive institution and should be left out of politics. These statements are meant to undermine the credibility of the Electoral Commission of Zambia in the eyes of people. Scott should respect Zambians and let them make their own choice,” Mr Mumbi said.

And Iternational Fellowship of Christian Churches (IFCC) president Bishiop Simon Chihana has condemned calls by Mr Sata that people? should stay at polling stations after voting saying that would only stir up strife. “It is illegal to do that and it will only bring about confusion so we urge the people to go and vote after which they should return home,”Bishop Chihana said. He urged political aspirants to preach peace and ensure that they advise the electorates properly. IFCC vice president Jack Musumba echoed Bishop Chihana’s sentiments that Pastor T.B Joshua had refuted the rumour that he had prophesied?doom for Zambia.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has said that lingering at polling stations after a voter has cast his or her vote is an electoral offence, which will not be condoned in the tripartite elections on September 20.

Director of elections Priscilla Isaac said in an interview on yesterday that remaining at polling stations is not allowed, and that voters will leave polling stations immediately after voting or risk being arrested.

“Once you cast your vote, you leave. So, no one will be allowed within 400 metres of any polling station,” she said.

Ms Isaac was reacting to a story in The Post newspaper edition of September 18 which Mr Sata reportedly urged Zambians to defend their votes tomorrow by remaining at polling stations after casting their votes.

In the story, Mr Sata called on voters to be alert and physically inspect any suspicious-looking people at polling stations, a purely police function.

According to PF president Michael Sata, while speaking on a QFM special programme on Saturday night, the Government agencies, including the Electoral Commission of Zambia are working in collusion with the MMD to rig elections on Tuesday. He called on his supporters go out to vote early, remain at polling booths and wait for instructions from Patriotic Front command centres on how to deal with any attempts to subvert the will of the people.

[pullquote]“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.[/pullquote]

Mr Sata said the party has all the information on the plans to rig the Tuesday poll but adequate measures were in place to defeat the evil being coordinated by self-confessed vote rigger Vernon Mwaanga.

“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.

Mr Sata further revealed that the PF established itself with necessary vote monitoring mechanisms including parallel vote tabulation and so will know the actual result in good time and thus no one will fool them into accepting a rigged poll this time around.

“All (government) agencies including the ECZ are working as wings of the MMD but people must go out and vote early and follow what the party leadership will tell from time to time,” he said.

Electoral Commission of Zambia ( ECZ ) spokesperson Chris Akufuna says the wearing of party regalia when going to vote on Tuesday will not be entertained.

Mr Akufuna said that contrary to suggestions by some political parties contesting Tuesday’s poll for members not to leave their respective polling stations after voting , all voters will be expected to leave the polling stations after voting.

He advised at all the voters to heed to this regulation.

He also reminded voters that it is against the Electoral Code of Conduct for voters to remain at the poling station after casting their votes.

He said according to section 59, subsection 6(F) of the Electoral Act, a voter must without delay leave the polling station after voting.

Mr Akufuna said the Commission has since given instructions District Electoral Officers to ensure that there are no political party activities and no voters who have already voted to remain within 400 metres of the polling station.

However, the opposition parties such as the Patriotic Front have accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia are working in collusion with the MMD to rig elections on Tuesday but people must go out to vote early, remain at polling booths and wait for instructions from Patriotic Front command centres on how to deal with any attempts to subvert the will of the people.

On a special QFM special programme on Saturday night, the PF leader Michael Sata said his party has all the information on the plans to rig the Tuesday poll but adequate measures were in place to defeat the evil being coordinated by self-confessed vote rigger Vernon Mwaanga.

“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.

The PF has established itself with necessary vote monitoring mechanisms including parallel vote tabulation and so will know the actual result in good time and thus no one will fool them into accepting a rigged poll this time around.

“All (government) agencies including the ECZ are working as wings of the MMD but people must go out and vote early and follow what the party leadership will tell from time to time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Akufuna says voters are free to use their own pens on Tuesday as long as they are not fountain pens.

Mr Akufuna stated that fountains pens will not be allowed adding that only ordinary ball point pens will be permitted to mark the ballot papers

He said those voters who will feel not comfortable to use pens which will be provided by the ECZ are free to use Ball pens and not any other pen.

ZANIS