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British High Commissioner to Zambia Carolyn Davidson (l)
British high Commissioner to Zambia Carolyn Davison has observed that the media in Zambia is polarized.
Ms Davison has told journalists in an interview in Lusaka that it is difficult for one to believe what is being published in the media saying there is need for the media to be objective.
She says media biasness deprives the electorates an opportunity to make informed decisions.
She adds that the media has a critical role to play in ensuring that the playing field for all political parties taking part in the general elections is leveled.
Ms. Davison has further advised the police to conduct its operations effectively to ensure that no one feels intimidated during the election period.
The high commissioner says having an environment that is free for all political parties to conduct their campaigns is key in preventing any form of violence during the election period.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has called on the police service to realign itself to efficiently deal with concerns raised by all political parties without any bias.
ECZ Chairperson Irene Mambilima says the commission is concerned with allegations of laxity on the part of the police suggesting that they have a soft spot for the ruling MMD.
Justice Mambilima observes that the law should be left to take its course regardless of political affiliation of the offender.
Speaking at the political party liaison committee meeting in Lusaka this morning, Justice Mambilima also expressed concern with the unfriendly relationships that are developing during campaigns among political parties.
Justice Mambilima has further questioned why the country has seen an increase in political acrimony when all players publicly declared during the filing-in of nominations that they would abide by the electoral code of conduct.
She notes political party leaders should ensure that their supporters refrain from attending their meetings with offensive weapons with intentions of hurting other people adding that there can be no justification for hate speech and incitement of violence.
The ECZ chairperson has also advised political parties to avail their rally schedules to the commission and the police to enable effective policing of their meetings.
MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe has directed all party organs and members to avoid any form of violence, even when provoked,and concentrate on campaigning for the party and its President Rupiah Banda.
And Major Kachingwe has said the Patriotic Front (PF) cannot accuse his party of perpetrating violence because Zambians know that the?opposition party is led by a leader who believes in violence as a means of political persuasion.
Maj Kachingwe said in Lusaka yesterday all party organs and members should stay away from any form of violence and concentrate on selling the party to the Zambian people. “I would like to instruct our party members to stay away from violence not only by word but also by deed.
I want to urge them to go the people and kneel before them to beg for the vote, they must go door to door, village to village and campaign based on the achievements of our Government and President Banda.
“Even when provoked our members should not entertain those that want to be violent. We are a peaceful party and we shall campaign in this election peacefully because we value peace,” he said. Maj Kachingwe directed party officialsto ensure they do not allow members to drink alcohol whenever they are out on the campaign trail.
Maj Kachingwe’s order comes in the wake of the directive by the PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s directive to party members to use violence against political opponents. Meanwhile, the MMD national secretary has refuted allegations by some Lusaka PF parliamentarians that the MMD was responsible for the violence that had been experienced so far. He said the MMD began their campaigns some time back and had not been involved in any forms of violence.
“But immediately the PF started the campaigns violence also started. I’m sure Zambians recall that we announced our candidates earlier and started campaigns. So we know it is just a ploy everybody knows that it is the PF that is violent.
“It is the PF that smashed a vehicle belonging to our candidate in Nalolo, it is the PF that beat up the mother of our candidate in Mandevu. We are also aware that they have been pulling down posters of our candidates,” he said. He said the party had since lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on the wrongs against the PF. He said PF president Michael Sata was known as a violent person. “Even when he was in the MMD Mr Sata used to sponsor violence and now?he has transferred that to the PF, in fact I would like to warn Zambians against voting for Mr Sata because if they make that mistake, God forbid, the party will just be beating people.
“I am sure Zambians still remember that at some point Kulima Tower was a no go area because Mr Sata was sponsoring violence there,” he said. He said Zambians should be careful as they go to vote this year.
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda’s political advisor Francis Chigunta has advised Patriotic Front (PF) campaigners to focus on issue-based campaigns and not character assassination.
Dr Chigunta said the behaviour of PF campaigners such as Father Frank Bwalya and others was uncalled for and baseless because it was not issue-based.
He said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that, the PF Campaigners had run out of ideas and had nothing to offer the people of Zambia hence resorting to campaigns of attacking the Head of State on his education background.
Dr Chigunta was reacting to Father Bwalya’s allegations that President Banda was not educated and that was why he removed the qualification of a holding a degree for a presidential candidate.
He said President Banda was a solid leader who had attained his education in Ethiopia and Cambridge and was comfortable in the company of educated assistance unlike his opposition leader who was surrounded by hooligans who had nothing to advice.
Dr Chigunta said PF leader Micheal Sata’s education background was nothing to talk about because he was not an educated person.
“I would like to condemn the behaviour of PF campaigners like Father Frank Bwalya and others who have run out of ideas and have nothing to offer the people of Zambia.
“Attacking the education of the Republican President is baseless because he is a solid leader who attended his education in Ethiopia and Cambridge,” he said.
Dr Chigunta said because of the educated team that the President was surrounded with, that was why they had come up with a developmental program known as the Seven point plan to develop the country. He said no leader had come up with something serious and issue based program like that.
Dr Chigunta advised PF campaigners to address their campaigns on issues and not personality and that even the electoral code of conduct did not permit personality attacks.
He said the people of Zambia wanted to hear what every leader would do for them and not character assassination campaigns.
And addressing a rally at Kitwe s freedom park grounds, Father Bwalya said President Banda had decided to remove the qualification of a degree holder as a qualification for any person aspiring to stand as presidential candidate because he was not a degree holder himself.
And speaking at the same rally, PF Roan constituency aspiring candidate Chishimba Kambwili urged the electorate to vote for Mr Sata in the September 20 elections.
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has lamented the death of Father Francis Musonda of Kasama as a terrible loss to the church and the nation. In a letter of condolences to Monsignor Father Ignatius Mwebe who is the Apostolic Administrator of the Kasama Archdiocese, the President said he was deeply moved to learn of the death of Father Francis who passed on at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka at about 17:00 hours on Wednesday August25, 2011.
President Banda said Father Francis, who lately was based at the Emmaus Spirituality Centre in Lusaka, committed himself to the development of rural life as an itinerant pastor, and demonstrated a great love for ordinary people.
“I have learned he was the first native Catholic seminarian in Zambia in whose interests his family made great sacrifices to enable him train as a priest,” the President said.
The Head of State said he was saddened to note that the Catholic Church had suffered two losses among its clergymen in less than a week, following the death in Texas, US of Bishop Paul Duffy.
President Banda wished the archdiocese and the bereaved family the courage and comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was contained in a statement released by President Banda’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere.
[Times of Zambia]
THE Patriotic Front (PF) has already lost two seats in Southern Province, contrary to the assertion by Secretary General Wynter Kabimba that his party was contesting in all 150 parliamentary constituencies.
A final tally of parliamentary candidates has found that the PF failed to find candidates in two constituencies in Southern Province. The Patriotic Front (PF) has failed to field candidates in Pemba and Chikankata constituencies in Southern Province and has also not fielded local government candidates in several other wards countrywide.
According to information obtained by the Times of Zambia from the final list of successful parliamentary candidates for the September 20 elections only the MMD had managed to field candidates in all the 150 constituencies. The UPND only successfully filed nominations in 136 constituencies. According to the final list of candidates in Pemba Constituency six candidates are contesting the seat with only the MMD, UPND and the ?National Movement for Progress (NMP) being the only parties represented, fighting for the seat against three independent?candidates.
Similarly in Chikankata Constituency the same three political parties are contesting the elections while there are two independent candidates. Last week, Mr Kabimba said the party had fielded candidates in all the 150 constituencies. Contacted for a comment about the findings that the party had not fielded in the two constituencies, PF vice-president Guy Scott refused to comment.
“I am not interested with the Times of Zambia, bye,” he said before cutting his mobile phone. But MMD national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe said the failure by the PF to field in all the 150 constituencies was a sign that the opposition party had no national character.
Maj Kachingwe said it was now becoming clearer that the PF was headed for a humiliating loss in the September 20 elections given that it had also not fielded local government candidates in several other wards across the country. “Mr Kabimba was trying to mislead Zambians in a wrong way that they had fielded candidates in all the 150 constituencies, this is a clear sign that the opposition party does not have a national character,” he said.
I have to strongly differ with Dr Charles Ngoma’s assertion that imitation may be the shortest route to Zambia’s prosperity. To remarkably imitate an original requires a lot of work in itself, so there goes bust Dr Ngoma’s shortcut. The simple fact is that prosperity has to be toiled for. Half a century into independence, Africa has nothing to show for its imitations of the Western World nor of the Eastern world for that matter. We have been imitating our colonizers for hundreds of years and that has led us to where we are now; a begging under developed continent that always awaits hand-outs in the shape of famine relief, development aid, Structural adjustment programmes, professional expertise, etc. By now we should know that imitating a progressive person doesn’t make you progress.
Why it is impossible to progress via imitation is that by its nature imitation is superficial. You may pretend to be someone else but sooner or later your true self will want to come out and disturb the carbon copy. Thus we may pretend to be European by giving ourselves English names but that does not turn Michael Sata or Rupiah Banda into Winston Churchill. We may walk the dusty streets of Lusaka townships in Western styled suits but that doesn’t turn Kalingalinga into Windsor Castle. To be great we have to believe we are great the way we are and then improve upon that. As it is we want to be great the way the British are, the way the Americans are[pullquote].There is an overwhelming mindset that Western technology is difficult to grasp. This comes out of the inferiority complex handed down by colonialism that whites are superior. At the same time there is a belief that to be modern is to be Western; nothing else.( which belief is false). Therefore, those wanting to take a shortcut to being modern, look for simpler Western artefacts and mannerisms to imitate.[/pullquote]
What dictates progress is normally innovation. You can observe an act, scientific or social, and adapt it to suit your environment. Thus when the Japanese copied Western technology and subsequently bought the licences to now make cars like Toyota, they learnt the technology and with a few tweaks here and there they then made it their own. Japan had confronted modern Western technology in the early 1800s. Terrified by the war between China and Britain in the early 1830s the Japanese built western style guns to protect themselves. They did this without any help from foreigners. Once they had mastered how to build it the technology became theirs.
Once you possess this technology you will be able to repair it when it breaks down. If you are merely assembling Fiat cars in Livingstone you are unlikely to progress to thinking about how to avoid the snapping of the front wheel axle; a common fault among Zambian assembled Fiats. The point I am making here is that we never attempt to own the technology that we admire and import because we have an inferiority complex that we can never master it. Its not uncommon for African firms to ask for engineers from abroad when an imported machine breaks down.
Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, recites an instance when he went to a Kampala hospital and found hundreds of broken down trolleys in the backyard. Talking to staff he was told that the axes on the wheels were snapping and there was noone to repair these since they were made in England. The hospital administration was, in typical African style, now waiting for the government to order new trolleys from Europe. Museveni briefly scrutinised the broken down trolleys and realised that replacement wheels could easily be made in Kampala. He ordered that these trolleys be repaired locally and lo and behold! The hospital was again moving.
This shows the lack of innovation on the continent. When a Western made machine breaks down, Africans start waiting for another one to come from wherever they bought (begged for) the original. There is an overwhelming mindset that Western technology is difficult to grasp. This comes out of the inferiority complex handed down by colonialism that whites are superior. At the same time there is a belief that to be modern is to be Western; nothing else.( which belief is false). Therefore, those wanting to take a shortcut to being modern, look for simpler Western artefacts and mannerisms to imitate. Thus knowing just how difficult it is to emulate Rocket Science, we are very inclined to copying easy stuff such as Western behaviour, Western cosmetics, dress, names, accents, religion, bring it on; I mean everything Western by the truckload.
Humans by nature copy each other for progress’s sake but one should know what to copy and how to copy it. Humans need to copy what is progressive and leave out the inapposite and retrogressive elements. How do we do this? This is where political leadership steps in. It normally has the wherewithal to ideologically influence a whole nation, more so if it is a dictatorship as we had in the first 35 years of African independence. It is the political leadership that introduces education curricula to erase inferiority complexes and neo-colonial mindsets among its youth and general populace. This is quite difficult if the president is busy imitating American accents and fashions.
Dr Ngoma fails to inform his readership on the shortcomings of imitation. The simplistic manner in which he cites various historical imitations doesn’t help the Zambian, rather it runs the risk of reducing him to a proud follow fashion monkey. This perpetuates the inferiority complex because imitation has a side effect. It leaves upon the imitator an inferiority complex coming from the fact that he knows he is pretending to be of a perceived superior grouping. In other words imitation kills self-pride. People without self-pride will not progress. Just look at the great nations we have presently and tell me which one got where they are without self pride. The answer is none.
If Dr Ngoma describes imitation as an “insatiable appetite for the latest” we have a different argument there. The latest does not have to be what the colonial master produces. You can make your own latest. However when we have been brought up to think everything from the colonizer is what is modern (latest) and everything indigenous is archaic, it is difficult to carry our true selves into the modern world. With the kind of innovation (and self-pride) I have cited from the Japanese, we can go forward without degrading and losing ourselves.
The Citizens Forum Executive secretary Simon Kabanda has appealed to the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) not to resort to violence when provoked by its opponents.
Mr Kabanda told QFM that resorting to violence means as a defence mechanism when provoked may lead to loss of lives of innocent people.
Mr. Kabanda said that this may also result in loss of national stability adding that political parties need to play an active role in maintaining peace and order.
He has since called on political parties to learn to co-exist and conduct their campaigns in a peaceful manner.
Mr Kabanda also charged that government was to blame for the unprofessional conduct of the Zambia Police service because of interference in the operations of the police.
Mr. Kabanda said that government gives instructions to the Zambia police adding that it is difficult for the police officers to defy the orders for fear of being fired.
He was commenting on the concerns raised by the Patriotic Front that the Zambia police has failed to act on cases of violence reported involving MMD cadres.
State house has refuted reports that President Rupiah Banda has brought soldiers and police officers from Zimbabwe into Zambia to police the forthcoming elections.
Dickson Jere, the president’s special assistant for press and public relations in a statement released to QFM today says allegations by the Patriotic Front, and particularly its Kanyama parliamentary candidate Colonel Gerry Chanda that the said soldiers and police officers are already in Zambia at the invitation of President Banda are false.
Mr Jere has challenged Colonel Chanda to state clearly where the Zimbabwean soldiers and police officers are being offered accommodation as alleged.
He has also encouraged the PF to visit the Zimbabwean embassy or indeed the Zimbabwean Government to verify the claims.
He says at no time has President Banda invited any foreign forces to help in maintaining peace and security towards the elections.
Mr Jere adds that there is no need to bring in foreign forces stating that Zambia has adequate men and women in uniform to take charge of the nation%u2019s integrity and sovereignty as has always been the case with all past elections since 1964.
He further states that the president as commander-in-chief has total confidence in the well-trained and well-experienced defence and security apparatus of Zambia, which makes foreign assistance unwarranted.
Mr Jere says President Banda reiterates his appeals that defence and security forces in the country be left out of the on-going election campaigns.
President Rupiah Banda has appealed to all capable individuals and corporate bodies in the country to offer assistance to the drought-stricken country of Somalia.
President Banda says donations of high-protein food supplements, water or medical supplies would be most appreciated and would go a long way towards easing the crisis in which more than 12.4 million people are experiencing starvation and facing health hazards.
The Head of State says donations should be forwarded to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) under the Office of the Vice-President so that Zambia may render support to a fellow African state which is facing the worst drought in many decades.
Mr Banda says while Zambia is actively tackling development challenges, there is nonetheless a great need for Zambia to stand beside Somalia in this hour of immense suffering.
The President has also expressed his support for fundraising efforts by the African Union towards the Somali crisis.
FAZ Division One North League leaders Indeni Coach Tenant Chembo says his side has a bright chance of wining promotion to the Super League this season.
Indeni tops the Division One North League with 42 points after week 23 matches played last weekend.
Chembo said Indeni was targeting to win as many games as possible and collect maximum points to enhance their chances of bouncing back to the elite league.
“Chances of us wining promotion to the Super League this year are bright, we just need to remain focused and wining more games,” he said.
Chembo also acknowledged the challenge other promotion contenders pose in this year Division One North Campaign.
“We are aware that other teams in our league also want to win promotion and this has made competition in the league tough,” Chembo added.
Chembo helped Lime Hotspurs to win promotion to the Super League last season but later this year he parted company with the Ndola based outfit after a string of poor results.
Week 14
24/08/2011
Nchanga 1(Levy Zulu 50″)- Zesco United 0
Faz Division 1 North
24/08/2011
Week 20
Lusaka Dynamos 1(cassius Mumba 15″)- Kitwe United 0
Dario Bonetti has dropped Felix Katongo and recalled Jacob Mulenga for the 2012 Africa Cup Group C away qualifier against Comoros on September 4.
Mulenga returns to the team for the first time since October following his recent recovery from a long-term injury that has seen him score three goals in two league games for hid Dutch side FC Utrecht.
Felix on the other hand has paid the price of virtually being clubless since May being after a brief spell at Green Buffaloes that he followed up with trials in Egypt and Israel.
Bonetti has also resisted to call-up midfielder Andrew Sinkala of Augsburg in Germany.
Meanwhile, the team regroups on Sunday with the 18 foreign-based call-ups expected to starting arriving in camp on Sunday joining the six home-based players who survived week one of training camp in Lusaka.
Team
Goalkeepers: Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars, South Africa), Jacob Banda (Zesco United) and Kalililo Kakonje (TP Mazembe, DR Congo)
Defenders: Francis Kasonde (Unattached), Nyambe Mulenga (Zesco United), Stoppilla Sunzu, Emmanuel Mbola (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Kampamba Chintu (Bidvest Wits, South Africa) Joseph Musonda (Golden Arrows, South Africa), Dennis Banda (Green Buffaloes),Jimmy Chisenga (Red Arrows), Thomas Nyirenda (Konkola Blades)
Midfielders: Rainford Kalaba (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Noah Chivuta (Free State Stars, South Africa), William Njovu (Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Israel),Justin Zulu (Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Israel), Kennedy Mudenda (Power Dynamos)
Strikers: Christopher Katongo (Hainan Construction, China), Collins Mbesuma (Golden Arrows, South Africa), James Chamanga (Dalian Shide, China), Given Singuluma (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Emmanuel Mayuka (Young Boys, Switzerland), Jacob Mulenga (FC Utrecht
Princess Nakatindi Wina (l) talks to her husband Sikota Wina during a press briefing at their resident in Lusaka
Veteran politician and MMD founder member Princess Nakatindi Wina has advised political parties to preach peace ahead of this year’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
Princess Nakatindi Wina says Zambia is a beacon of peace in Africa.
She has called on leaders of all political parties participating in the election to encourage their members to tolerate one another despite having divergent political views.
She was speaking an in interview with ZNBC News at her residence in Lusaka’s Mimosa Farm.
Princess Nakatindi who is also former Kanyama constituency MMD Member of Parliament says Zambians must remain calm and campaign peacefully to avoid bloodshed.
And Northmead Assembly of God presiding pastor Bishop Joshua Banda believes the 2011 elections in Zambia will be peaceful.
Bishop Banda says the church will continue praying for peace before and after the elections.
And The Zambia Bus and Taxi Workers Union has urged its members to avoid being used as tools of violence during the ongoing campaigns ahead of the September 20th polls.
Union President James Liambai has told bus and taxi drivers not to resist being used by politicians to cause anarchy in the country during and after the elections.
Mr. Liambai has advised bus and taxi drivers to avoid putting stickers on their vehicles because they ferry people of different political affiliations.
He says bus and taxi drivers should vote for leaders who will help them improve their lives.
Mr. Liambai has further challenged bus and taxi drivers to ensure that they abide by the traffic rules to avoid causing unnecessary accidents.
This is contained in a press statement released to ZNBC News in Lusaka on Thursday.
The Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) says the people condemning Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) President Dr. Alex Ng’oma on reports that he allegedly attempted to steal a ballot paper in South Africa should wait for him to come and give an explanation on the matter.
SACCORD executive director Lee Habasonda has told QFM news that it is not fair for people to come up conclusions before hearing from the person being implicated.
Mr. Habasonda observes that it will only be fair for people to conclude after Dr. Ng’oma comes back from the South Africa so that he can give his side of the story.
Over the weekend, Dr. Ng’oma was accused of stealing a presidential ballot paper in South Africa where he has gone as part of the team monitoring the printing of the ballot papers for the September 20th general elections.
Zambia’s annual inflation rate for the month of August has declined to 8.3 percent from 9.0 percent in July, 2011.
The decrease in the inflation rate has been attributed to reductions in food and non-food prices, the Central Statistical Office has revealed.
CSO deputy director William Makaya says of the total 8.3 percent annual inflation rate in August, 2011, food products accounted for 2.5 percent, while non-food products in the consumer price index accounted for a total of 5.8 percent.
Mr. Makaya further reveals that the annual food inflation rate was recorded at 5.4 percent decreasing from 5.9 percent in July, 2011.
He says that a comparison of retail prices between July, 2011 and August, 2011, shows that the national average price of a 25 KG bag of white breakfast mealie meal slightly reduced by 0.3 percent, from 47,987 to 47,855.
He adds that the national average price of a 25 KG bag of white roller mealie meal slightly increased by 0.2 percent , from 33,536 to K 33,604.
He says the average price of 1KG of dried kapenta reduced by 5.5 percent from K55,179 to 52,132, while the average price of 1kg of tomatoes reduced by 8.4 percent, from K 4,492 to K4,114.
Mr Makaya however, says the national average price of a 20 liter tin of maize grain increased by 4.2 percent, from K 16,978 to K 17,678.
Zambia also recorded a trade surplus valued at 4-hundred and 40 billion Kwacha representing a growth of 19.7 percent for the month of July.
In June the country recorded 527.3 billion Kwacha surplus which means the country exported more in value terms than it imported.
The major export products include copper consumer goods and raw materials.
