TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
(Habakkuk 3:17–18, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Habakkuk knew what to do when things seemed completely hopeless. His world was literally falling apart around Him. There was destruction everywhere he looked. But Habakkuk knew that God was bigger than his circumstances! So what did he do? He invited God into his circumstances by rejoicing and praising the Lord. He made the choice to be joyful knowing that it would connect him to the One who would deliver him!

Are you facing a situation that seems dark or hopeless? No matter how difficult things may seem, God has a plan to bring you out into a place of victory. Your praise is the bridge that will carry you into your land of promise. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, and when the presence of God manifests, the enemy has to flee! The Bible also tells us that there is fullness of joy in His presence. His joy empowers us to walk through any difficulty we may be facing. No matter how things may seem in the natural, you can rejoice today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you praise Him, He will fill you with His joy and pour out His abundant blessing in every area of your life.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I come to You trusting that You are my deliverer. No matter what is going on around me, today I choose to bless and praise Your name. I choose to connect to You, knowing that You are the source of my strength, hope and peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Printing of ballot papers for the September 20th general elections has been completed in Durban, South Africa.

A total of Sixteen Point Five Million Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Ballot Papers collectively have been printed.

Universal Print Group-UPG-Projects Manager, Vik Vaid has disclosed saying, loading of the ballot papers will start on Sunday, 11th of September, 2011.

The printing of the ballot Papers commenced on the 16th August, 2011.

The ballot papers will be flown directly from Durban to Lusaka on a MD-Eleven Charter Cargo Plane on Tuesday, 13th September, 2011 and are expected to arrive by mid-day.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has reminded all political parties and other stakeholders that the campaign period which began on 29th July 2011 will end on Sunday 18th September 2011.

ECZ Senior Public Relations Officer, Sylvia Bwalya says the political campaign period will end at 18:00 hours on 18th September 2011.

She says to this effect, all media bodies, public and private organizations, and individuals should not publish or broadcast political party or candidate campaign information after 18:00 hours on September 18, 2011.

MUVITV

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Chifubu Parliamentary aspiring Candidate has refuted allegations by the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) that he is campaigning for PF president Michael Sata in Chifubu constituency.

Mr Ngambi told ZANIS Ndola in a telephone interview that assertions by some opposition PF members that he is campaigning for Mr Sata were a ploy to de-campaign him and make him unpopular among the MMD.

He explained that PF cadres have assured him that they would vote for him as area MP adding that the cadres have fallen out of favour with their party adopted parliamentary candidate Susan Kawandami and have vowed to vote for him as MP.

He said reports that he is in agreement with them to campaign for him at MP level and Mr Sata at Presidential level were untrue.

“You have got it all wrong, those reports that I am in an agreement with them are not true, I am campaigning for President Rupiah Banda right there in Chifubu, I have all the blue campaign material all over in Chifubu, if I was de-campaigning the President would I have distributed the materials? I would have just left them at my house” he said.

Mr Ngambi added that he is confident that Chifubu will this time around vote for President Rupiah Banda.

“I can not de-campaign the President, in Chifubu I am his campaign manager, that information from PF is not true, they want to de-campaign me,” he said.

He further said the people of Chifubu had seen for themselves the developmental projects that the MMD government under the leadership of President Banda had embarked on.

And in a separate interview, MMD Ndola District acting Chairman Bruno Mukeya said no parliamentary candidate in Ndola was de-campaigning President Rupiah Banda.

Mr Mukeya said the allegations in Chifubu were not true and added that no MMD candidate in Ndola could go to the extent of de-campaigning their own president in order to win a parliamentary seat.

He said the district officials had gone flat out in wards and were vigorously campaigning for President Rupiah Banda.

Mr Mukeya said as a district executive, the MMD was confident that the party would scoop all the four parliamentary seats in the district and that the President Banda would also emerge victorious on September 20.

Meanwhile, some MMD officials have advised Chifubu parliamentary candidate Frank Ngambi to critically scrutinise the people in his campaign team.

The officials said Mr Ngambi’s campaign team comprises certain individuals that were not loyal to the MMD.

Some concerned MMD Chifubu residents last week complained that Mr Ngambi was reportedly to have agreed with PF cadres to campaign and vote for him as area MP and Mr Sata as President.

ZANIS

The Patriotic Front has vowed to ensure that Lusaka Province MMD chairman William Banda is tried at the International Criminal Court once it forms government.
Patriotic front Munali aspiring parliamentary candidate Prof Nkandu Luo says the PF government will not tolerate the violent behavior being exhibited by Mr. Banda.

She wonders why the MMD have continued to tolerate the behavior of its Lusaka province chairman when it is an open fact that he is behind the violence in the country.

Prof. Luo says the violent behavior of Mr Banda if allowed to continue has the potential of bringing war to the country.

She has indicated in an interview that days are numbered for Mr. Banda stating that PF will take action against him when it forms government.

QFM

Police have recorded a warn and caution statement from MMD Lusaka Province chairman William Banda in connection with the violence that took place in Chongwe last Saturday.

Lusaka province police commanding officer Mhlakeni Zulu told journalists in Lusaka this afternoon that Mr Banda has been warned and cautioned for proposing political violence contrary to section 91, Sub section 1A and C of the laws of Zambia.

Mr. Zulu has however said the MMD provincial chairman has denied the allegations adding that the police will continue with their investigations on the matter.

He has since reiterated his warning to political cadres against engaging in violence saying the police will not condone any act that has the potential to disturb the country’s peace.

And Mr. Banda who was in the company of his lawyers Sunday Nkonde, Obden Kabwe and Robson Malupenga appealed to Zambians to have confidence in the police service adding that violence should not be supported at all costs.

Mr. Banda’s legal representative Sunday Nkonde said it is unacceptable for the media to malign certain individuals without proof.

Meanwhile, opposition Patriotic Front cadres were seen passing by church road while chanting party slogans when Mr. Banda was being interviewed by the police.

The move angered the MMD provincial leadership who verbally confronted a plain clothed police officer over the same, while a cadre only identified as Tembo started communicating with an unknown person on phone calling for reinforcements of MMD cadres in ten buses to be sent to the police station to deal with the by PF cadres.

He was however stopped by a fellow MMD cadre.

QFM