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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.
Police in Mongu have arrested a 21-year old man of Imwiko Compound in Mongu District for defiling a 7-year old girl of the same compound.
And another man of Wegingbrg Compound in Mongu District has been arrested for defiling a 3 year old girl of the same area.
Western Province Police Chief Fanwel Siandenge confirmed the incident in Mongu .
Mr. Siandenge said the incidence happened between 09:00 and 10:00 hours of Monday.
He said the case was reported to police by the mother of the daughter who said her daughter was defiled by a known man of the same compound.
Mr.Siandenge added that the child was defiled when the mother was out to the market adding that the girl sustained serious injuries.
He said the culprit has since been arrested and will appear in court soon.
In the other incidence, Western Province Police in Command said the incident happened around 11:00 hours on Sunday this week.
Mr. Siandenge said the matter was reported to Police by the girl’s uncle.
The Commanding Officer has since appealed to parents in the Province to be leaving their children in safe hands whenever they are going somewhere in order to avoid such cases.
The Lusaka Province Teachers Committee has praised President Rupiah Banda for announcing the sale of houses to teachers of Tanganda and mine Basic Schools in Mufulira.
Committee Chairperson George Mutambo and his vice Benard Matantilo says the decision taken by the President shows that he has a heart for all Zambians.
The two have appealed to teachers throughout the country to rally behind President Rupiah Banda and the MMD party.
This is contained in a statement released to ZNBC News in Lusaka on Thursday.
At a public rally in Mufulira, President Rupiah Banda assured Tanganda and Mine Basic Schools teachers in the area that government will give them an opportunity to buy the units they are occupying.
Mufulira District Commissioner Rabecca Mukuka distributed the letters of offers to the sitting tenants Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Mukuka says it is the policy of government to provide accommodation to all Zambians.
She says government has offered the house to all the sitting tenants at the two schools at cost of three point two million kwacha.
And Committee Patron Wisdom ‘Destroyer’ Nkandu has dismissed assertions that the gesture by government to offer them houses is a campaign gimmick.
Mr Nkandu says his committee started making the petition to the government in 2006 during the time of late President Levy Mwanawasa.
[ZNBC]
President Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in the Eastern Province for a three-day working visit.
The President will during his visit to the Province officiate at the Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa in Katete before attending the Malaila traditional Ceremony of the Cikunda people in Mfuwe district.
President Banda is expected to pay a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa people.
He will later officiate at the Kulamba Ceremony which will take place at Mkaika in Katete on Saturday.
On Sunday, President Banda will be guest of honour at the Malaila Ceremony of the Cikunda people in Mfuwe.
This is according to a statement issued to ZNBC News by Special assistant to the president for press and public relations Dickson Jere.
The MMD Government has continued to support traditional ceremonies in all the nine provinces.
President Banda has since assuming office in 2008, stressed the need for a strong cultural heritage among Zambians.
He will be accompanied to the Eastern Province by senior Government and MMD officials.
He is expected to leave the Eastern province after concluding scheduled business there.
[ZNBC]
UNITED Liberal Party (UPL) president Sakwiba Sikota has said it is not practicable at this stage to talk of having the ballot papers for this year’s elections done by another printer as it would present the risk of failing to meet the constitutional requirements regarding the dates when elections are to be held.
He said some sections of society calling for the postponement of elections should acknowledge the fact that it was not possible and practicable because doing so would be failing to meet the Constitution requirement regarding the dates when election should be held from time Parliament is dissolved.
Mr Sikota who is also a lawyer by professional said the attempt to have elections postponed was would present a real risk and as such it was not practicable to talk about changing printers at this late stage.
He said the Zambian Constitution under article 88 (7) provided that whenever the National Assembly was dissolved, presidential elections and elections to the National Assembly and that the first session of the new Parliament should commence within three months from the date of dissolution.
He said in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday that once Parliament was dissolved, its life could not be extended.
“Notwithstanding the dissolution of Parliament, the president under Article 88 (9) of the Constitution may if he considers that owing to the existence of a state of war or of emergency in Zambia, if it is necessary to recall Parliament, he may summon the Parliament that has been dissolved to meet and that Parliament shall be deemed to be the Parliament for the time being but the general election of members of the National Assembly shall proceed and the Parliament that has been recalled shall, if not sooner dissolved again, stand dissolved on the day appointed for the nomination of candidates in the general elections,” he said.
Mr Sikota said Article 88 (8) provides that at any time when the Republic of Zambia was at war, Parliament may from time to time extend the period of five years specified in clause (6) for not more than 12 months at a time provided that the life for the National Assembly was not extended under the same clause for more than five years.
He said Zambia was not at war and as such, the above did not apply. Mr Sikota said Constitutionally, Zambian elections would have to be held by the 28 October 2011 at very latest.
[Times of Zambia]
Late Republican President Levy Mwanawasa’s son Patrick has given a cold reaction to President Rupiah Banda’s call for him to return to the ruling MMD.
Speaking with Qfm in an exclusive interview in Lusaka , Patrick says he will not get back to the MMD adding that it is a foregone political party that has lost direction.
He says if President Banda regards him as his nephew, he should have groomed him in political leadership stating that the opposition Patriotic Front is the only party in the country that has embraced youths and women.
Patrick who is the PF’s aspiring parliamentary candidate for Kafulafuta constituency says his campaigns are progressing well adding that he is headed for victory.
He says people of Kafulafuta have realized that the MMD under the leadership of President Banda has neglected them as no major developments have taken place in the area since the demise of his father in 2008.
He has also urged Zambians not to believe what is being published in the public media about the MMD growing in support saying the reports do not reflect the situation on the ground.
He has since called on Zambians to vote for change of government in this year%u2019s general elections if the challenges they are facing are to be addressed.
[QFM]
