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Lusaka Province Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD) Chairperson William Banda has appealed to the people of Chipata and Linda Townships, respectively, to rally behind President Rupiah Banda’s candidature on September 20,2011.
Mr Banda made the appeal yesterday in the two township, in Mandevu Constituency and Kanyama Constituencies , respectively when he received over 350 defectors.
The defectors are mainly from the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development ( UPND ) in Lusaka today.
He said 35 United Party for National Development and 155 Members from the ditched their parties while in Linda Township 108 PF members resigned to join the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD).
Mr Banda, who was addressing the defectors mostly in ciNyanja local language , further warned the people of the two constituencies to be careful when choosing the head of state.
He said this is because some opposition leaders advocating to go to state house might end up plunging this country into chaos.
He said Zambia has been a haven of peace for long time adding that Zambians should not allow anyone to disturb the peace the country has been enjoying .
“Do not vote for ruthless leaders during this year’s elections. They might end up plunging this country into chaos,” Mr Banda warned.
He said it is only President Banda who is able to further develop this country for the benefit of all Zambians.
The Movement for Multiparty Democracy(MMD) in Itezhi Tezhi district has written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) Conflict Management Committee in Itezhi Tezhi district over verbal attacks being used by the United Party for National Development (UPND) against its candidate David Diangamo.
MMD Itezhi Tezhi Constituency Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani saying in a statement over the weekend that the ruling party has officially lodged in a complaint to the ECZ conflict management to deter UPND members from continuing their verbal against its candidate.
He said that there is need for all political parties in the district to use palatable language in order to preserve peace and order and that it was important for the conflict management to stop the trend of insulting other candidates.
“ Hakainde Hichilema has failed to hold successful rallies in the constituency as only children attend his meetings, as a result of these poor attendances, his officials have resorted to falsehoods, insults and bad language, ” Mr. Mapani said.
Efforts to get the UPND leader’s comment on the matter proved futile as his phone was on voicemail service.
However, Mr. Mapani said that most of the words being used by the UPND during their night campaigns border on criminality and they are a receipt for promoting violence.
He noted that the MMD and President Banda are the most preferred to win the elections and that entire traditional leadership in the district is behind the candidature of President Rupiah Banda and David Diangamo for parliamentary.
“Itezhi Tezhi is now all blue- MMD, Come 20th September, victory is certain” Mr. Mapani said.
[pullquote]MMD Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani who confirmed the incidence to ZANIS, said that it was sad that the UPND leader can pulled down posters of their candidates at the police station in full view of some police officers.[/pullquote]
Meanwhile the MMD has reported a named UPND Campaign manager for allegedly insulting MMD candidate David Diangamo during his campaign trails at night.
MMD campaign coordinator Weston Mapani confirmed the development to ZANIS saying that the campaign coordinator for the UPND is at large.
He said that Police in Itezhi Tezhi district have since launched a manhunt for the UPND Campaign manager who has only been identified as Mr. Chibandika.
Further MMD have condemned UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema for allegedly pulling down campaign posters of MMD candidates President Rupiah Banda and David Diangamo that were stack on Mbila ward Local government election candidate’s vehicle.
MMD Campaign Coordinator Weston Mapani who confirmed the incidence to ZANIS, said that it was sad that the UPND leader can pulled down posters of their candidates at the police station in full view of some police officers.
He said that the action by the UPND leader borders on criminality as that was a serious offence under the revised electoral code of conduct.
He said that the party was saddened that the incidence happened at the police station and that the opposition party leader pulled down posters with impunity.
He said that the law should visit anyone regardless of what position they hold in their parties. UPND leaders were not available to comment on the matter by press time.
The body of the late former Bishop of Mongu Diocese Emeritus Paul Duffy has arrived in Mongu in readiness for burial today at the grounds of the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral.
The body of deceased Bishop Emeritus Duffy, who died in the United States of America (USA) on August 23, 2011, arrived in Mongu at 14:00hours.
Short funeral services were conducted in Kaoma and Nalwei areas before the cortege arrived in Mongu this afternoon.
A walk service, which was led by the current Bishop of Mongu Diocese Evans Chinyemba, was conducted from Kambule Technical High School on the Mongu Lusaka road, about two kilometers to the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral.
Thousands of Mongu residents, mostly Catholics, lined up from Kambule Technical High Schoo all the way to the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral with some breaking down as the hearse carrying the late Bishop Duffy’s body drove past.
The procession from Kambule Technical High School to the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral took half an hour while the St. John’s secondary School brass band provided solemn music under police escort.
The walk service procession was followed by a brief prayer service of reception conducted by Bishop Chinyemba.
Bishop Chinyemba said in his prayer service message that the late Bishop Duffy followed the way of Jesus Christ and evangelized as required.
He called on all Catholics and other people who gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral to remember Bishop Emeritus Duffy in their prayers so that he could find eternal life.
The prayer service was concluded by a body viewing before a vigil mass at 20:00 hours this evening.
The body of the 79 year old clergyman will lay in state at the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral tonight and a burial service will be conducted tomorrow from night hours in the morning.
Vice President George Kunda and other senior government officials are expected to attend the burial service tomorrow.
Opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata attended the service at the Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral.
Bishop Emeritus Paul Duffy was born on July 25th, 1932 in Norwood, Massachusetts in the USA and joined the congregation of Oblates Mary Immaculate (OML) in 1952.
The late Bishop Emeritus Duffy was ordained as a priest on December 22. 1962.
He was appointed Bishop of Mongu Diocese on 14th June 1997 and received his Episcopal ordination as first Bishop of Mongu Diocese on August 31st, 1997.
Bishop Emeritus Duffy retired in February this year and was succeeded by Bishop Evans Chinyemba who took over as Bishop of Mongu Diocese on May 28, 2011.
The Confederation of African Football today clarified the qualification criteria for next years Africa Cup of Nations to be jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Qualification Criteria (Orange CAN 2012)
The following teams will qualify for the final phase of the 2012 ACN:
– The team finishing first in each group.
– The team finishing second from the Group K (where there five (5) teams)
– The two best teams finishing second from ten other groups. (excluding Group K)
The two best second placed teams from groups 1- 10 will be determine by
considering their results with the teams in first and the third positions in their
respective groups AND not considering their results with the (4th) last placed teams
in their groups in order to permit Group F (Burkina Faso, The Gambia and Namibia)
to stay in the competition for the two best second teams.
In the case where Group k is reduced to four teams in the course of the competition,
only the first team of the group will automatically qualify for the ACN. The second
team will have to run for the three best second teams of the group.
How to determine best second placed teams:
– Highest number of points
– Better Goal difference
– Higher number of Goals scored
– play-off match
Participating teams:
• North Zone: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morroco, Tunisia
West A Zone: Cape Verte, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal,Sierra
Leone
West B Zone : Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo
Centre Zone : Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Chad
Centre-East Zone : Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania
South Zone : South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Comores, Lesotho, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
None participating: Djibouti, Eritrea, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia
Withdrew: Mauritania
The 11 groups
Group A: Cape Verte, Liberia, Mali, Zimbabwe
Group B: Ethiopia, Guinea, Madagascar, Nigeria
Group C: Comores, Libya, Mozambique, Zambia
Group D: Algeria, Central African Republic, Morocco, Tanzania
Group E: Cameroon, Mauritius, DR Congo, Senegal
Group F: Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Namibia (3 teams)
Group G: South Africa, Egypt, Niger, Sierra Leone
Group H: Benin, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Rwanda
Group I: Congo, Ghana, Sudan, Swaziland
Group J: Angola, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Uganda
Group K: Botswana, Malawi, Chad, Togo, Tunisia (5 teams)
File:Water problems affecting Itezhi-Tezhi district and Chibolya compound are crowding one borehole to draw water
Government has trashed United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema’s allegations that it does not care about the critical water shortages in Masemu compound in Itezhi Tezhi district.
Area District Commissioner Mary Mukwiza said she doubts that the opposition leader could make such unfounded statements during the live discussion program on Itezhi Tezhi community radio station (ITT FM 91.1), recently.
Ms Mukwiza said that she found it difficult to believe that a respected senior politician like Mr. Hichilema can make such unfounded allegations, degrade the government and promote false agenda that government is doing absolutely nothing about the plight of the Itezhi Tezhi people on water.
“I find it difficult to believe that a person aspiring to be a President of this country can make such allegations on radio, degrade the government and resort to falsehood in order to gain cheap political mileage and deliberately fails to appreciates visible efforts that government is doing to alleviate the problem, “ Ms Mukwiza said.
On Thursday night UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema accused the MMD government of neglecting the people of Itezhi as evidenced by chronic water shortages, poor roads and lack of accommodation for civil servants in the district.
He said that it was sad that people of Itezhi Tezhi have been contracting asthma and Tuberculosis due to the poor state of the road saying that government has failed to reconstruct the D769 road which was once a tarred road and government has resorted to grading it.
But Ms. Mukwiza said that contrary to Mr. Hichilema’s sentiments, government through Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation ( IPOCO )has already started constructing the US$5million water and sewerage infrastructure in Itezhi-Tezhi.
“Government of Zambia through its electricity utility, ZESCO Ltd and Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) project will invest US$ 5million in water and sewerage infrastructure that will supply new houses and Masemu compound.
This development will also boost the current insufficient water because the capacity of the water plant being constructed is double the existing one” Ms Mukwiza said.
“The current water plant’s capacity is only able to supply in excess of 200 houses mainly those owned by ZESCO Ltd in Itezhi-tezhi. With this new plant we will have more than enough water for the district” Ms Mukwiza said.
The District Commissioner said that all infrastructure works on water and sewerage and others will be completed and delivered by 17 April 2012 which is just seven months time from now.
She said that SinoHydro, a reputable Chinese company that has been contracted by Itezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) to construct the power station has since moved on site and much progress has been done on the building of houses and the water and sewerage system.
She said that government is aware of the difficulties people on Masemu face in accessing water due to chronic water shortages.
She said that Government deliberately included the construction of the new water plant and sewerage system in the project because of the greater need for water in Masemu which is the most populous area in the district.
Ms Mukwiza said that UPND leader should not make cheap political mileage on issues that he does not understand well.
On the D769 road Ms Mukwiza said that the MMD government under President Rupiah Banda is has already devised a work plan to work on all major roads in the country and that Itezhi Tezhi Mongu junction road(D769) is one of those roads planned for and that government has budgeted for the reconstruction road next year.
“the issue of the feeder roads and the Main road is of great concern to the MMD government because it is one of the priority on the seven points development plan president Banda has devised and I can assure Itezhi Tezhi community that the authorities have made a work plan to reconstruct all feeder roads and the D769 road in the district, ” Ms Mukwiza said.
She said that government will soon embark on the emergency rehabilitation works on the Bachele Bridge and the Itezhi Tezhi Namwala road.
“I do not think that the people of Itezhi Tezhi would be fooled or cheated by some politicians who just make promises because they can see the numerous development programmes in the district.
She further trashed allegations that she was using a government vehicle to campaign in Mbila saying that she was a civil servant and that she is currently distributing checks for women empowerment programmes which is a government duty.
Patriotic Front (PF) Kasama Central Member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Mwamba
Patriotic Front (PF) Kasama Central aspiring candidate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba’s campaign manager, Nathan Ilunga, has been arrested in connection with the alleged destruction of campaign materials belonging to the ruling MMD.
ZANIS reports Northern Province police commanding Officer Mukuka Chewe confirming the arrest of Mr. Ilunga, who is former Kasama District Administrator, today.
Mr. Chewe said Mr. Ilunga was caught red-handed removing MMD campaign posters within the central business town in the early of Saturday morning.
“ The PF official was nabbed yesterday after MMD Kasama Central aspiring candidate Chilekwa Munkonge together with other party members lodged in a complaint to the police against Mr. Ilunga, “ he said.
Mr. Chewe said Ilunga has since been remanded in police custody and would appear in court tomorrow for breaching the electoral Conduct of Code.
The Provincial Commanding Officer has since warned that the police would deal firmly with perpetrators of electoral offences and political violence ahead of the September 20 tripartite elections.
According to the revised 2011 Electoral Code of Conduct, it is an offence for anyone to deface, remove or destroy any political campaign materials of any person or political party or publication of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
Meanwhile, MMD aspiring candidate for Kasama Central Chilekwa Munkonge has strongly condemned the behavior of Mr. Ilunga of destroying campaign materials belonging to the MMD.
Mr. Munkonge said it is embarrassing and unacceptable for Mr. Ilunga, who is very familiar with the Electoral Code of Conduct to engage in criminal activities.
He has called for justice to prevail in the matter.
Mr. Munkonge revealed that Mr. Ilunga, who recently defected to the opposition PF from MMD, initially went into hiding after being spotted destroying campaign posters for the ruling party.
He however said Mer. Ilunga was later apprehended by police around 19:00 hours after re-surfacing from his hide-out.
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema-Accused of being undemocratic
United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has pledged to increase salaries, when voted as the next Republican President. Mr. Hichilema also vowed to increase the workers’ allowances and introduce a transparent and efficient tax regime for the benefit of all Zambians.
The opposition leader was speaking at a mammoth rally held at Itezhi Tezhi Basic school grounds in Itezhi Tezhi district, yesterday. He added that his party when in power will re-introduce a well designed and transparent windfall tax system that will make enough money available to increase the salaries and allowances of civil servants, the police and army with the minimum worker to get K5 million.
“UPND government will introduce an open and transparent windfall tax system that will enable us to increase salaries and allowances of civil servants so that the lowest paid will be K5 million.
“We believe that an open and transparent windfall tax system will be achieved by encouraging dialogue around tax issues which our government initiate and we believe that this system will act as a catalyst towards a more accountable political system which Zambians yearn for” Mr. Hichilema said.
He said that his government will also downsize the cabinet to 30 ministers only in order to save K800 billion which he claimed is spent on minister’s vehicles and allowances.
“We want to be an efficient government that will deliver to the people of this country. We will not have a bloated cabinet. We will restrict ourselves to 30 ministers inclusive of deputy ministers so that we can save about K800 billion which is spent on ministers vehicles and allowances” Mr. Hichilema said.
He said by downsizing the cabinet, re-introducing a transparent and fair windfall tax policy as well as introducing innovative taxing system, more money will be made available to improve health, education and road infrastructure in the country.
Mr. Hichilema said that UPND government will introduce free education policy from grade one to university level because the party believes that education is a right and not a privilege.
“We consider education as a right for everyone and we believe it is key to economic development of this country hence our resolve in our manifesto to provide it free up to university level once we form government,” the opposition leader said.
Mr. Hichilema who received applauses from the crowd at intervals, passionately appealed to civil servants, police officers and the army to join the campaign for UPND so that once they are in power, they will enjoy improved conditions services.
He encouraged the electorates in Itezhi Tezhi to accept every chitenge materials and money they are given by political parties but to vote otherwise on 20th September.
Mr. Hichilema asked the Itezhi Tezhi electorate to vote for him as President and Greyford Monde as their Parliamentarian.
Mr. Hichilema also strongly denounced politicians who are campaigning on tribal lines saying that politics of tribalism have no place in Zambia.
And in a discussion monitored on Itezhi Tezhi community Radio station (ITT FM 91.1), Mr. Hichilema sternly warned government officers against the abuse of government property for campaigns.
He said that it was an offence under electoral code of conduct for every officer to use government property that has been bought from tax payer’s money to campaign for a party of their orientation.
He further said that 20TH September 2011 is a year for the people of Zambia to vote for compassionate and corruption- free leaders that will deliver what he termed the much needed development in the country.
Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene has said the win over Comoros was one of Zambia’s toughest Group C games.
Zambia got out of jail in Moroni today to win 2-1 in their first ever competitive trip to the archipelago.
“We won one tough game,” Mweene said from Moroni after the game.
Comoros today were a different class from the Comoros of September 5, 2010 when they were swept off the park by Zambia 4-0 at Nkoloma Stadium.
They defended with confidence, attacked with purpose and were confidence on the ball throughout.
In short, Comoros cavalier attitude today served them well and it showed that their 1-1 draw last June against Libya was no fluke.
Meanwhile in the game, Zambia scored through Christopher Katongo and Emmanuel Mayuka while Comoros scored in-between through Yousouf Mchangama.
Katongo gave Zambia the lead in the 23rdminute after powering his way through Comoros defence to blast in the opener.
On 32 points, Comoros equalized through Yousouf Mchangama to see the two sides deservedly go 1-1 into the break.
Zambia huffed and puffed in the last 45 minutes but respite arrived in the form of 65th minute substitute Emmanuel Mayuka who replaced Mbesuma who had a fairly modest day.
Mayuka saved Zambia’s blushes with Chipolopolo’s last surge in the 88th minute finishing off a rebound shot from James Chamanga.
Zambia now need a draw at home against Libya on October 8 at a venue ti be announced to book their place at next January’s Africa Cup final to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Dario Bonetti has said the time has come to put practice into perfect this afternoon against Comoros.
The team has been together since Monday when they went into camp in Lusaka before leaving for Comoros on Friday evening.
“It has been a quality training and we will see in the match because we have worked well,” Bonetti said.
The team on Saturday trained at the match venue ahead of the game in a match thy must win to ahead of their final 2012 Africa Cup Group C qualifier against Libya.
Libya have taken the overnight lead of Group C with 11 points from 5 games after a 1-0 home win over Mozambique played in Cairo behind closed doors at Petrojet Stadium.
Zambia have 9 points from four matches ahead of their penultimate Group c game against Comoros.
Reading many of the comments on political issues lately one gets the impression there is a lot of negativity leaving one to wonder whether there is any politician around, Zambia can really be proud of. Iam not suggesting that saying positive things will necessarily change the negative aspects in our politics to positive but it can surely change our response to those negative situations.
I like the definition in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language of mindset as “a fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretation of situations”.
I have an issue with the type of party leadership which presumes that the party leader is “supreme” and basically owns the party as if it was his personal business. The success of the leader is having a successor, in having his vision carried forward. There should be no such thing as the leader has to “finish” his programmes. You cannot have an end date to development, no country has ever “arrived” at its optimum development. The leader should have a vision but its execution is a team effort. In the Bible Aaron and Hur held high Moses’ hands for victory over the Amelikites for they observed that as long as Moses held his hands up Israel prevailed but when he let his hands down the Amelikites prevailed. A true example of team or collective effort.
One of our problems is that the leader thinks he is solely responsible for the success of the vision. That is why when a person has a bright idea he wants to be the party leader and therefore forms his own party. Of course there also leaders who look upon other ideas as a challenge to their authority and therefore maneuver to have persons having challenging or more progressive ideas removed. We basically share a common vision for Zambia but it is in the process of achieving this that there is a problem.[pullquote]The success of the leader is having a successor[/pullquote]
Assume for a moment we had one party with the self-discipline, projection of confidence and trustworthiness of General Miyanda, the entrepreneurship of HH, the intellectual and analytical mind of Dr Fred Mutesa, the youthful zeal of Chipimo Jnr and the passion for transparency and integrity of Milupi, wouldn’t we be having positive things to say about Zambian politics? The proliferation of political parties is more than an expression of freedom of association, it is a failure of collective political leadership.
Another problem is the stereotyping of politicians. Negative or presumed negative past events are replayed and once in a while leaders who may have had privileged intel threaten to “expose” the dossiers that came to their knowledge in order to gain political mileage. Instead of magnifying weaknesses we should be building on the individual’s strengths. The prominent persons in the Bible were not perfect. Moses was a murderer and fugitive, David was an adulterer, Abraham lied about his wife that she was his sister, Jacob was a trickster, Rahab was a prostitute etc but this did not prevent them from becoming great. We should not be too quick to write off potential leaders because we shall not have a perfect person.
President Rupiah Banda has warned senior Chieftainess NKomesha Mukamabo II that she would face the wrath of the law if she goes ahead and victimizes her subjects for supporting him and the ruling MMD.
Reacting to reports that Senior Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II was threatening headmen and other villagers supporting the MMD, President Banda said the traditional ruler risked being visited by the law.
President Banda said no one, including Chieftainess Nkomesha, has the right to infringe on an individual’s right to support a candidate and party of their choice.
Mr Banda also wondered where the Chieftainess, who refused to be visited by him, would get her salaries if she continued does not support government of the day.
President Banda has urged the electorate in Chongwe district to vote for the MMD and whose candidates who know what they are doing.
President Banda advised the electorate in the area to vote for the MMD or risk going backwards economically by voting for people who give them unrealistic promises.
Addressing a rally at Chongwe Basic School grounds this afternoon, President Banda said the MMD is the only party that has made promises and embarked on fulfilling them.
He said his he promised to rehabilitate old schools, roads and health institutions while constructing new ones and his government was fulfilling them at a steady rate for anyone to see.
“We also promised job-creation and this we have done although not enough because of the ever-growing population. However, vote for us so that we continue growing the economy of Zambia together,” he said.
President Banda, who was accompanied by First Lady, Thandiwe, veteran politician Newstead Zimba, ULP president Sakwiba Sikota and other senior party officials, charged that his government as scored a lot of successes in all sectors of the economy during his three-year tenure of office.
United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says he will increase Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to K 5 billion kwacha per constituency once elected as Republican President.
ZANIS reports from Itezhitezhi District that the opposition leader said this during a live discussion programme on Itezhi Tezhi community radio on Thursday night.
Mr. Hichilema said on the radio that the current CDF funds are insufficient to bring about meaningful development in the country.
“The current CDF of K700 million is insignificant to bring any tangible development in the constituencies in the country that is why we, as UPND will increase it to K5billion kwacha per constituency,” he said.
Asked on where the money would come from to increase the CDF, Mr. Hichilema said that the UPND government will re-introduce the windfall tax and trim the cabinet to only thirty (30) ministers.
He said that by downsizing the cabinet and introducing the windfall tax, UPND government will save more than K 4 trillion and thereby which will be available to increase CDF and increase salaries of civil servants.
“When we increase the CDF to five billion per constituency each ward will be able to carry out meaningful development projects that will uplift people’s living standards in the country.
“ We will also pay rural hardship to government workers in rural districts like Itezhi Tezhi, ” Mr. Hichilema said.
Mr. Hichilema also said that government will increase the number of constituencies in the country because most of them are too vast.
He also said that UPND will put agriculture as top priority and will distribute fertilizer through headmen and ensure that proper storage facilities are built to prevent wastage of the maize.
He further said that UPND government once voted into power will built dip tanks and provides cheaper animal vaccines and employ adequate veterinary officers.
Police in Nakonde yesterday morning fought running battles with suspected Patriotic Front ( PF ) cadres outside Nakonde Police station over a truck registration number TZ 762 AMR and Trailer Number P592 AXR that they suspected to be carrying marked ballot papers to Lusaka.
The irate Pf cadres who escorted the truck to the police station fought running battles with the Police for over 30 minutes until the container was unloaded and the goods inside inspected.
However, contrary to the cadres suspicions, the vehicle only contained marked red and white tapes and cell ( or adhesive ) tapes to be used at poling stations in September, tripartite elections.
District Commissioner for Nakonde Billy Silwimba, who was physically present at the police station, together with Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA ) Senior collections of customs Stephen Mwansa, condemned the behavior of the PF cadres.
Mr. Silwimba said it is wrong for the PF cadres to alarm the nation on mere speculations that can plunge the nation into chaos if not well handled.
He said nothing was destroyed during the confusion and has since appealed to concerned parties to ensnure that such matters are handled with care next time.
The District Commissioner warned that people issuing alarming remarks and giving false information to the public risked being arrested and prosecuted once found wanting.
He further called on the District Conflict Resolution Committee to table the matter with all the participating political parties in this year’s elections in order to avoid un necessary suspicions.
Afterwards, the protesting cadres immediateltly dispersed after noticing that the container did not carry marked ballot papers as earlier rumored.
The truck has since been released and Zambia Revenue Authority Officers were being awaited to place new seals on the container before it can be allowed to leave.
Zambia goes to the polls on September 20 th and the ballot papers for Presidential Parliamentary and Local Government elections are being printed in Durban South Africa and are expected in the country on September 13, 2011.
And The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it will not entertain the disruption of the delivery of its election materials.
The commission has since disclosed that the boundary tapes were the consignment of all imported election materials which were being transported into the country by road as all the materials have since been delivered.
The announcement follows the blocking of the truck in Nakonde yesterday that was carrying the consignment of polling station boundary tapes by the Patriotic Front (PF) cadres.
ZANIS reports ECZ Senior Public Relations officer Sylvia Bwalya making the announcement in a statement in Lusaka yesterday.
Ms. Bwalya further stated that the printing of Local Government ballot papers is still ongoing while the printing of ballot papers for the presidential and National assembly elections has been completed.
She stressed that the Presidential, National Assembly and Local Government ballot papers will be airlifted directly from Durban to Lusaka on Tuesday 13th September 2011.
She noted that political parties and other stakeholders will be advised of the expected time of arrival at the Lusaka International Airport of the chartered flight that will carry the ballot papers.
The commission has emphasized that there will be no delivery of ballot papers by road.
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop”
(Luke 8:15, NIV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Sometimes in the natural, we don’t see how God’s promises are going to come to pass in our lives. It seems like there are so many obstacles to overcome. But we have to see God’s Word like a seed. When it’s planted in our hearts, and we water it by thinking the right thoughts and expecting good things, that little seed begins to grow into something much, much greater.
Jesus told a parable in Mark, chapter four. He said, “God’s Word is like a tiny mustard seed. When it is sown, it is less than all the other seeds, one of the smallest. But when it grows up, it becomes greater than all.” Notice it goes from being less than all to being greater than all.
Are you in an overwhelming situation today, maybe in your health, finances or relationships? Does God’s promise seem small compared to what you’re facing?
Don’t sit back and think, “Man, it’s never going to get any better. It’s never going to change.” Instead, sow the Word by speaking it every single day. Water that seed by staying in faith because the seed of the Word has supernatural power in it. It will grow and flourish, and you will see God’s promises come to pass all the days of your life!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, today I choose to sow the Word of God! Thank You that it will not return void, but it will accomplish what it was sent forth to do! Thank You for giving every good and perfect gift to Your children. I bless Your holy name today and always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
