Join our community of SUBSCRIBERS and be part of the conversation.
To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.
THE Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) have praised Zambia’s economic achievements under the leadership of the ruling MMD.
Speaking at a public debate on commerce, trade and industry organised by the Economics Association of Zambia at Lusaka’s TajPamodzi Hotel on Thursday, panelists representing political parties said Zambia’s economic growth is obvious.
Bob Sichinga of the PF acknowledged in his presentation that “Yes, there has been an increase; there is no denying that there has been an increase in the investment flow”.
Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED)’s KapembwaLamba said the ruling party’s record of performance is evident for everyone to see.
“We do have development going on. I mean the statistics are there to speak for themselves,” MrLamba said, as several members of the auditorium acknowledged in unison.
ChoolweBeyani of UPND said: “If we go back to the ABC of industrialisation and development, you may remember Rosto’s fundamental elements of economic growth … we have what we call economic growth in this country; yes we must acknowledge there’s growth.”
And National Movement for Progress’s (NMP) Teddy Kayenge observed that more people have been empowered in Zambia over the past five years – three of which have been presided over by President Banda following the death of President Mwanawasa in office.
“The number of people who own cars in Zambia is very high compared to five years ago,” MrKayenge said in his presentation.
The glowing tribute paid to the governing party prompted former Commerce minister Felix Mutati to invite all opposition political parties to join the MMD and work together for development as a united force.
MrMutati, who represented the MMD alongside former Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) director for promotions and investments MuhabiLungu, said the opposition had realised that the development taking place across the country is real.
“What is pleasing is that the views we are hearing from the panel and the things that we are doing (as MMD) are absolutely the same. They (opposition) are not bringing anything different from what we are already doing,” MrMutati said.
“So, what we are saying is that just come and join us so that we can work together on the path to development because that will make things easier. Our colleagues (in the opposition) are acknowledging that we are on the right path.”
THE Lusaka High Court has adjourned to Monday for ruling the case in which the Patriotic Front (PF) is trying to restrain President Banda from contesting this year’s tripartite elections.
Lusaka High Court judge-in-charge Jane Kabuka made the decision when State advocates, President Banda’s lawyers and the PF lawyers agreed to file written submissions.
The case was heard in camera in Lusaka yesterday.
Wynter Kabimba, in his capacity as PF secretary general, is trying to restrain President Banda from contesting this year’s elections, arguing that he (Mr Banda) has not explained his parentage.
One of the lawyers, Chola Chama told journalists that Mrs Justice Kabuka will deliver the ruling after consolidating six preliminary applications which have been made on the matter.
“The defendants have made five applications and we (Plaintiffs) have one application. The court will combine the applications into one and make one ruling on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 08:30 hours,” Mr Chama said.
He said the defendants will file their written submissions today at 17:00 hours and the plaintiffs will file their submissions tomorrow at the same time.
Mr Kabimba has sued the Attorney-General, MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) claiming that the ruling party cannot by law sponsor President Banda because his parents are allegedly not Zambian citizens.
On Thursday, Attorney-General AbyudiShonga said Mr Kabimba’s case against President Banda’s parentage is wrongly before court.
MMD lawyers have said Mr Kabimba’s case is premature because the High Court is incompetent to handle the matter.
The position that the PF has taken over the nationality and parentage of President Rupiah Banda reflects very poorly on the quality of the leaders of PF. It is my argument in this article that the PF’s position on President Banda is flawed at law, misunderstands culture and demonstrates failed politics. Here is why.
The arguments that Wynter Kabimba is advancing towards Article 34 vis-à-vis Rupiah Banda are devoid of any legal acumen. According to Kabimba, and I agree with him, the constitution is very clear in that it says that both parents of a presidential candidate should be Zambian by birth or descent. But what Article 34 says is just a part and not the whole picture of the Zambian constitution.
Constitutional Law is not just about reading isolated articles of the constitution. If that were the case, we would not be having this debate. In fact, if Constitutional law only comprised what is written in the constitution there would be no need for lawyers and no need for courts of law. It is Constitutional Law 101, that the constitution does not just comprise Articles of the Constitution. It also comprises judicial interpretation of those articles. This interpretation of the constitution, according to Zambian constitutional order is the preserve of the Judiciary. The courts interpret the law and adjudicate between parties with regard to constitutional matters.
In constitutional theory, the courts cannot strike down the constitution. Nevertheless, in practice, the court’s interpretation of the constitution sometimes comes close to amending or even striking down some elements of the constitution. The High Court by its power of interpretation could in fact so interpret the constitution in ways that were not even envisaged by Parliament when they enacted that same constitution.
The consequence of judicial interpretation of the constitution means that any person who wishes to understand the constitution should do at least two tasks: read the constitutional articles in connection with other articles within the constitution, and secondly, read the constitution through the lenses of judicial interpretation of that constitution.
The first task sounds very easy. But getting the meaning of words and sentences, even simple ones, is not an easy task. Article 34 presents several concepts like, citizen, Zambia, birth and descent, parents, etc. As such you may need to ask yourself what the word Zambia means in Article 34. And then you have to look at other words such as “parent”. Is it biological parent? Or adoptive parents? If it is adoptive parents then what sort of adoption should it be? Is it customary adoption or civil adoption or common law adoption? You can get more and more questions.
These questions should now lead you to the second task of constitutional interpretation. Which is to ask yourself, how the courts of law have interpreted those particular articles, or words? At law, it is what the highest court in a hierarchy has said that matters. Moreover, according to the legal principles of stare decisis and judicial precedence, when the Supreme Court rules on a point of law their interpretation becomes the law should be followed by lower courts and by lawyers.
In this matter then, we have what the Constitution says on one hand, and then we have how the courts have interpreted those provisions on the other hand. A good lawyer, therefore, does not just end at the first task. This is what Kabimba is doing. He reads Article 34 and then extrapolates from there meaning that the courts have found absurd.
In an earlier article, I had addressed this issue but I think that with the likes of Kabimba we need to repeat ourselves. Questions about Article 34 have aptly been addressed by the Supreme Court in the case of Lewanika and others v Frederick Chiluba. This case is perhaps the most significant ruling in Zambian Constitutional study.
In this case, Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika and his cohorts petitioned the Court arguing among other things that Chiluba did not meet the requirements of Article 34 because they alleged that he was born in Congo and that his Father was a Congolese. In fact, the court even got to meet a man who had striking resemblance to Chiluba, a character known as Chabala Kafupi. This Kafupi bizarrely claimed to have been Chiluba’s father. He also claimed that even if he were a Zambian citizen, he so became after obtaining a National Registration Card and Chiluba his son was indeed born in the Congo.
In its landmark ruling, The Supreme Court greatly criticized parliament’s logic with regard to Article 34. In particular, it recognised the fact that this constitutional article will create real problems for Zambia in the future. The Supreme Court could not strike out Article 34—it does not have the power to do that.
However, what it did was interpret. And this interpretation is tantamount to striking down this article. The Supreme Court ruled that, the requirement that a presidential candidate should produce Zambian parents is absurd because there was no Zambian citizenship before 24 October 1964. It also ruled that even if Chiluba were born in Congo (a fact that was never proven in court), if he belonged to Northern Rhodesia, he would qualify as citizen of Zambia. He only needed to prove that he lived in Zambia by Independence Day.
On Chabala Kafupi, it ruled that indeed even if he claimed to have come from Congo, the fact that he lived in Northern Rhodesia and belonged to Northern Rhodesia he qualified to be a citizen of Zambia. Further, the court made it clear that Kafupi did not become a citizen at the time of applying for the NRC, but became one at independence. An NRC, ruled the court, does not confer citizenship upon any person since it only registers citizenship.[pullquote]I wonder what Scott is feeling or thinking when he sees his party colleagues show such high levels of xenophobia and tribalism. Surely, Scott qualifies to be Vice-President of Zambia and even president of Zambia. He is a Zambian citizen just as Rupiah Banda is.[/pullquote]
What would be the effect of the court’s interpretation then? The Court actually even went to the extent of mentioning that a Chinese who is adopted by a Zambian could still satisfy the requirements of this Article if he can show that his parents belonged to Northern Rhodesia. Here is an example. Michael Sata is Zambian (as he rightfully claims to be) and was obviously born in the 1940s. If at the time that he was born his father and mother (which he claims were Zambian), had adopted, by chance, a young boy from China who was born at the same time as Michael Sata,the constitution,in 2011, would not discriminate between Michael Sata and his Chinese or Taiwanese brother. That Taiwanese Sata would still swear before the Chief Justice that his parents were Zambian by birth or descent.
Did Rupiah Banda then lie when he swore before the Chief Justice that his parents were Zambian by birth or descent? Not according to the Supreme Court. He did not lie at all. What he swore was consistent with the law. It is under this law that people like Guy Lindsay Scott, Dipak Patel, Simon Zukas and several others would legitimately run for president of the republic.
FLASHBACK: Mandevu MP Jean Kapata places a red ribbon on Guy Scott
Culturally, when Sata goes to Eastern Province and tells the Easterners that Rupiah Banda is a Malawian he is playing with solemn fire. Sata is thinking that Easterners do not like Malawians just as his Bemba relatives hated Malawians at independence. It is common knowledge that one of the reasons why Kapwepwe and a group of his Bemba hegemonists had fall-out with Kaunda was because they accused Kaunda of favouring his Malawian relatives in Zambian political appointments. This is the argument that Sata is trying to bring. This argument never worked against Kaunda then and it cannot work for Sata now. As Easterners would say, here Sata “aitaya.”
Additionally, Sata is culturally wrong here because he assumes that Easterners hate Malawians just like the Luapulans hate the Congo. But there is a dynamic that exists in the East that does not exist in other border areas such as Luapula or Copperbelt. In spite of Congolese ancestry many Lundas, Ushis, Lalas, and Lambas refuse to have anything to do with the Congo. But it is not so with Zambians of Malawian ancestry. As such, Tumbukas and Chewas may fight in Malawi but once they cross the mountains into Zambia, they become allies. It becomes “Umodzi Kumhawa”. You cannot insult Malawi and expect a vote from the Easterners. Sata’s campaign tactic is very absurd here.
Zambia has had four presidents. Of these, two have had undeniable Malawian ancestry. Both Kaunda and Banda do not hide the fact that their parents came from the then Nyasaland. But both Chiluba and Mwanawasa, in spite of overwhelming evidence that they had Congolese connections, had refused anything to do with the former Zaire. I will leave the tantalizing Congolese connection of both Chiluba and Mwanawasa to a latter article. Suffice here to say that in Amos Malupenga’s biography of Mwanawasa, Amos glosses over a very important piece of information about where Mwanawasa’s mother lived after she was divorced from Levy’s dad. According to Malupenga, that village has suddenly disappeared out of Ndola rural. My sources however, tell me that the village disappeared in Malupenga’s book because it was actually over the other side of Lambaland—in modern day Congo. Zambians of Congolese origin or connections hide their heritage…but it is not so with those of Malawian heritage.
Sata and Kabimba’s positions on Rupiah Banda are not founded on law and are culturally absurd. But one could give some justification for their positions if it were to the PF’s political advantage. But obviously, politically the PF’s position smacks double standards. The optics do not just look too good.
It is rather politically absurd that a party that has Guy Lindsay Scott as its Vice-President would perpetuate such crass discrimination of Zambian citizens. I wonder what Scott is feeling or thinking when he sees his party colleagues show such high levels of xenophobia and tribalism. Surely, Scott qualifies to be Vice-President of Zambia and even president of Zambia. He is a Zambian citizen just as Rupiah Banda is. But with the dust that PF is raising about RB, one wonders whether the PF’s is a party of people who do not care about Zambians of foreign origin, or it is indeed a party of people who just cannot reason!
Kabimba should stop this nonsense. The optics do not look good. Appealing to the UN, AU and SADC over this matter just goes to show that the PF is not ready to rule. Kabimba is quickly turning this great party into a party of patriotic nonsense.
Power Dynamos Skipper Joseph Sitali has declared his side ready to face city rivals Nkana in Saturday’s Kitwe derby.
The first leg fixture in April in a Week 2 match ended goalless at Nkana Stadium in Wusakile.
Sitali said Power has prepared adequately for the week 17 encounter and predicted that the memorable derby will be tough.
“I think the game will be tough but going by our preparations, we are ready for them (Nkana)”, the midfielder said.
The Arthur Davies outfit goes into Saturday’s game sitting second on the Super League table with 31 points in 16 games while Nkana are seventh on the log after week 16 matches played last weekend.
Nkana last beat Power in 2003 at Arthur Davies via a solitary goal inked by former international Frazer Kamwandi.
LUSAKA lawyer Sakwiba Sikota has said the Patriotic Front (PF) is wasting time by attempting to block President Rupiah Banda’s candidature because the question of the parentage of a presidential candidate was resolved in both the late second president Frederick Chiluba’s petition and the case against first president Kenneth Kaunda.
And another lawyer, Mwangala Zaloumis said the on-going debate on whether President Banda qualified to contest the presidency on account of the nationality of his parents was a waste of time.??Mr Sikota, who was one of the attorneys in the presidential petition of 1996 against Dr?Chiluba’s parentage, said the PF and Mr Sata, who were engaging in unfruitful debates not benefitting the people, had demonstrated that they were not prepared to run Zambia.
Referring to the case of Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika, Hicuunga Evaristo Kambaila, Dean Namulya Mung’omba, Sebastian Saizi Zulu, Jennifer Mwaba Phiri versus Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba, Mr Sikota said the PF was “running into a blind alley” over the parentage issue.
“We would like to advise the PF to consult with lawyers that were involved in the presidential petition of 1996, which included questions over late Dr Chiluba’s parentage.
“The lawyers are Professor Patrick Mvunga SC, Hon Sakwiba Sikota SC, Nellie Mutti, Erick Silwamba SC, and Vincent Malambo SC. All these men can confirm that it is a waste of time for the PF to ask the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to look into the matter,” he said.
He advised the opposition party to look at the judgment passed by the Supreme Court during the petition on late Dr Chiluba’s parentage which he said would clearly show them?that they were diverting from real issues and engaging in unfruitful debates.
Mr Sikota said the case showed that had Dr Kaunda presented himself as a candidate in the 1996 presidential elections, he would not have been barred.
He said the Zambian judiciary also stopped the proposed deportation of Dr Kaunda relying on the case of the election petition.
According to the Supreme Court in the their judgment in the Chiluba petition, “the parentage qualification for election as president introduced into the Constitution of Zambia 1991 by the amendment in 1996 poses a number of difficulties apparently without solution.
“There was, for example, the question of whether the reference was to legitimate or biological parentage and whether adoptive parentage was included.
“The PF are, therefore, running into a blind alley over this parentage issue. It is a diversion much like the ‘Lunatic Right Fringe’ in the United States of America who tried to stop the candidature of Barack Obama over his birth place when they realised he was too powerful an opponent to beat at the polls,” he said.
On the issue of asking international organisations to intervene, Mr Sikota said international law required that one exhausted the domestic avenues of redressing any grievances.
He said the Constitution provided in Article 41 that all matters relating to the election of a presidential candidate should be heard by the full bench of the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court has stated that these issues can only be raised after an election has been held.
“The PF are, therefore, free to raise any issues they may wish to do relating to the presidential elections after they have lost the elections. For now they would be best served?to concentrate on the campaign rather than treading down the path of blind alley,” he said.
Mr Sikota, who is also United Liberal Party president, said the PF leaders were clearly showing that they were not ready to run the country.
He said the PF leaders were engaging in unfruitful debates to hide their inadequacies and lack of a development agenda for Zambia.
“Mr Sata and the PF should not be afraid to meet Mr Banda in the presidential elections field of 2011.
“We call upon Mr Sata and the PF to emulate more serious opposition political parties such as the United Party for National Development, Heritage Party, Alliance for Democracy and Development and UNIP who have not resorted to running away from real issues and raising unfruitful debates.
“For many years now there have been questions about Mr Sata’s true identity. We have heard some people suggest that he comes from Tanzania, while others have equally said that his parents come from Malawi, but at no time has any serious political party wasted time on a useless debate of where Mr Sata actually comes from,” he said
He said with less than 60 days before the elections, Zambians expected the PF leaders to spend their energies on telling the people about Mr Sata’s ‘90-day wonder’.
And another Lusaka-based lawyer, Ms Zaloumis said the on-going debate on whether President Banda qualified to contest the presidency on account of the nationality of his parents was a waste of time because the matter was long settled in the Chiluba versus Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika 1996 presidential election petition.
Ms Zaloumis, who is former spokesperson of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), said she was part of the team of lawyers that petitioned the Supreme Court to prevent Dr Chiluba from running for presidency on behalf of Mr Mbikusita-Lewanika.
Ms Zaloumis said the African Union also had recommendations that Zambia should amend the laws that barred people whose parents were of foreign origin from running for the presidency and described the clause in the current Constitution as undemocratic.
She said the ruling was that anyone who was in Zambia at the time of independence qualified to contest the presidency, adding that the allegation that President Banda made a false declaration that his father was born in Zambia was mere hearsay.
Ms Zaloumis said there were lawyers in all the political parties in the country and wondered why they had failed to advise their respective leaders and clients.
She said lawyers had a duty to read old judgments and rulings on controversial matters to give guidance to the nation and reduce tension.
Ms Zaloumis said the debate was diverting attention from real issues which the presidential candidates should have been addressing instead of personalities.
She said political leaders should not use old methods of frustrating their competitors out of contests especially that Zambia was a democracy.
Meanwhile, former NCC chairperson of the governance and human rights committee, Stanley Mhango said the behaviour of Mr Sata on the candidature of President Banda showed that the PF boycotted the NCC to maintain the 1996 dictatorial Constitution that barred some people from aspiring for presidency.
He said Mr Sata was aware that the presidential clause that barred people whose parents were born outside Zambia from contesting was removed from the draft Constitution but accepted the decision by his Members of Parliament to walk out of Parliament as a strategic reason so that the old Constitution could remain in force.
Mr Mhango wondered what type of a leader Mr Sata would make if he could mount such a campaign against his fellow citizens in order to win power.
He commended the United Party for National Development for not supporting such views.
Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba on Wednesday sued the Attorney General, Major Kachingwe and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), claiming that the ruling party could not by law sponsor President Banda because his parents were not Zambian citizens.And High Court Judge-in-Charge Jane Kabuka set today as the date for inter-parte hearing on the matter.
The Attorney General was sued in his representative capacity pursuant to the provisions of the State Proceedings Act of the Laws of Zambia.
President Banda is being represented by Messrs Mvunga and Associates, SNB Legal Practitioners, Eric Silwamba and Company, and George Kunda and Company.
Mr Silwamba said civil procedure that was being sought through the High Court was wanting in jurisdiction because it was premature on any law relating to the election of president.
He said the High Court judicature for Zambia was wanting in jurisdiction as any question which may arise as to whether any provision of the Constitution of Zambia, Chapter 1, Volume 1 of the Laws of Zambia or any law relating to the election of the president had been complied with should be referred to and determined by the full bench of the Supreme Court of Zambia, pursuant to the provisions of Article 41 of the Constitution.
And Attorney General Abyudi Shonga said the move taken by PF through the use of a writ of summons was a wrong mode, adding that the court could be moved by way of petition.
Mr Shonga said he was aware that both the Constitution and the Electoral Act number 12 of 2006 provided for the manner in which any question which may arise as to whether any provision of the
Constitution or any other law relating to election of a president had been complied with maybe brought before the court.
ECZ director Priscilla Isaac said the commission was improperly joined to the proceedings as it was not a body corporate capable of suing or being sued in its corporate name.
Ms Isaac said according to the provisions of the State Proceedings Act, the correct party to be sued was the attorney general.
In this case, Mr Kabimba is claiming a declaratory judgment or order that the parents of President Banda were not citizens of Zambia by birth and that the MMD could by law not sponsor him as a presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential and general elections to be held on September 20.
And Lawyers representing President Rupiah Banda in a matter in which he has been taken to court by the Patriotic Front (PF) over his parentage have described civil proceedings by the opposition party as totally misconceived and irregular.
They have argued that the PF claim could not be used to halt the nomination of President Banda as a presidential candidate in this year’s elections.
Lusaka lawyer Eric Silwamba said the civil proceedings instituted by the PF and the act to join MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe to the matter was incompetent and a wrong mode which could not be heard by the High Court.
He said the matter should be referred to and determined by the full bench of Supreme Court pursuant to the provisions of Article 41 of the Constitution of Zambia.
According to a notice of intention to raise preliminary issues filed before the court yesterday, Mr Silwamba said the civil proceedings instituted by the PF were a wrong and premature way of challenging the appointment of President Banda.
He said the matter could only be commenced after the presidential election had been conducted and the president sworn into office.
Mr Silwamba submitted that the originating process commenced by PF through a writ of summons was a wrong mode to impugn the qualification of election to the office of president as stipulated by Article 34 of the Constitution of Zambia, chapter 1 of the laws of Zambia as read with provisions of sections 20 and 21 of the Electoral Act number 12 of 2006.
The ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) says it is illogical for anyone to suggest that the party should find a replacement for President Rupiah Banda as presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections.
MMD Deputy National Secretary Chembe Nyangu says there is no point for the party to take such a step as President Banda was legally adopted and endorsed by the convention which is the highest decision making body of the party.
Mr. Nyangu says it is worrisome that the opposition Patriotic Front has started coming up with gimmicks when it has realized that it has already lost the elections to the MMD.
In an interview with QFM, Mr. Nyangu has accused the PF of trying to find a weaker candidate to face in the forthcoming general election as it has realized that president Banda is a saleable and winning candidate.
The MMD deputy national secretary says the MMD will remain steadfast and will not to give the PF any chance by bowing to its demands.
Recently, the opposition Patriotic front advised the MMD to find a replacement for president Banda as presidential candidate for the forthcoming elections noting that president Banda is not eligible to stand for presidency as his parentage is questionable.
And The Civil society Election Coalition 2011 says justice should prevail on the concerns raised on the eligibility of president Rupiah Banda to stand in this year’s election.
CSEC 2011 representative Lee Habasonda says the coalition will follow the matter with the interest it deserves because it borders on the republican constitution.
Mr. Habasonda adds that the judiciary should ensure that the eligibility of the republican president in the forthcoming election is treated with the seriousness it deserves.
In an interview, Mr. Habasonda adds that the issues surrounding president Rupiah Banda%u2019s parentage should not compromise the holding of free and elections.
He further states that the coalition wants to see Zambia hold free and fair elections without any pending issues.
Electoral Commission of Zambia Director Priscilla Isaacs
“For God’s sake we are not printing raffle tickets where you can just look at the sample. These are ballot papers for presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. Mr Mulongoti is a liar, but he must not cheat people,”
These are the words uttered by ECZ director Priscilla Isaacs. Ms Isaacs said that former minister of Works and Supply Mike Mulongoti is not telling the truth by claiming that Government Printers has the capacity to print ballot papers because they managed to print some samples of ballot papers.
Ms Isaacs said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that printing ballot papers could only be done on a machine that had capacity to print and package them in specified numbers of bundles.
Ms Isaac reminded Zambians that all political party representatives were invited to witness the printing of ballot papers in 2001 and spent three nights waiting for the institution to print but it failed.
She said ECZ had asked for a firm with a machine that could print, sort out, arrange and package in booklet form, and the decision was made in consultation with all political stakeholders.
Ms Isaac said she was surprised that Mr Mulongoti was raising issues which he was aware about and urged him to stop misleading the people of Zambia.
“For God’s sake we are not printing raffle tickets where you can just look at the sample. These are ballot papers for presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. Mr Mulongoti is a liar, but he must not cheat people,” she said.
Ms Isaac said machinery at Government Printers lacked components to package and would have required a lot of manual work.
She said the same people opposing ECZ would have been complaining if such a decision was made.
She said information about the lack of capacity at the Government printing department was issued by the firm and Mr Mulongoti when he was minister and not ECZ.
Mrs Isaac said the decision to print ballot papers in South Africa was communicated in a formal meeting with representatives of political parties.
Health authorities in Nakonde district, Northern province have expressed concern over the increased cases of abortions and fire related accidents in the border town.
Nakonde District Medical Officer Mike Chisha said the district has in the recent past recorded an increase in the cases of abortions.
Dr. Chisha said fire related accidents have also risen in the district adding that trauma has become one of the top 10 causes of mortality and morbidity in Nakonde.
He pointed out that most of these trauma cases are as a result of road traffic accidents along the Great North Road.
Dr. Chisha was speaking in Nakonde during the commissioning of a highway ambulance valued at over K100 million.
The ambulance has been donated by the Japanese government to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
He expressed optimism that the commissioning of the highway ambulance would greatly reduce the mortality and morbidity rates in Nakonde because there would be quick response in reaching accident victims and taking them to the nearest health facilities.
And Nakonde District Council Secretary, Francis Nkhoma, said Nakonde district frequently records accidents and loss of lives due to the influx of the travelling public.
Mr. Nkhoma said big trucks have also contributed to the accidents in the border town because of their busy schedule of transporting goods.
He said the ambulance will exclusively be used for the intended purpose and urged the fire officers to take extra care of the vehicle by avoiding any unnecessary movements.
He also appealed to the residents of Nakonde district to open up roads for the fire tender and the ambulance so that these two vehicles can easily access various residential areas in order to serve lives.
And Zambia Red Cross Society provincial president Simon Zyambo said the commissioning of the highway ambulance gives a relief to his organization.
Mr. Zyambo said the Red Cross Society in Nakonde will now work with the local authority in training more volunteers in first aid.
Nakonde district, which established its Fire Brigade in 2007, is the only one in Northern Province that has received a highway ambulance.
The ambulance commissioning ceremony was also attended by several heads of government departments, non governmental organisations (NGOs), civil societies and parastatal organisations.
Former Finance Bank Board Chairman, Rajan Mahtani has undergone surgery for his heart ailment at a South African hospital.
Dr Mahtani’s daughter, Sabrina has confirmed the development saying an emergency coronary bypass operation was done today.
The former Finance bank board chairman was evacuated to South Africa’s Milpark Hospital on the night of Saturday, 30th July 2011.
Dr Mahtani had earlier been taken ill for a suspected cardiac arrest on the night of Friday, 29th July before he was admitted to Care for Business hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahtani’s daughter, Sabrina has bemoaned the various court cases he faces describing them as politically motivated.
Nkana coach Linos Makwaza has said he has ample firepower ahead of Saturday’s derby away to Power Dynamos despite the absence of teenage sensation Reynold Kampamba.
Kampamba is currently away in South Africa attending a 2-week trial at SuperSport United together with Rabby Lwambula whom Nkana loaned to Zanaco in the first half of this season.
“Yes he is not available but we have enough firepower and we are ready for Power,” Makwaza said.
Kampamba is Nkana’s second highest scorer this season with fives goal, one less than their top scorer Evans Kangwa who will be available for their big Kitwe derby at Arthur Davies stadium this weekend.
The first leg meeting in April in a Week 2 game finished scoreless across the road in Wusakile.
Meanwhile, Nkana are without a win against Power since October 2003 when they beat their hosts at Arthur Davies 1-0 through a lone goal scored by their ex-goal machine Frazer Kamwandi.
MTN/FAZ Super Divsion
30/07/20111
Week 16
Roan United 3(Tom Bakala 15″, Joseph Sakala 34″, Focus Sinkamba 75″)-Forest Rangers 2(Zebron Njobvu 54″, Nasha Kaya 90″)
Kabwe Warriors 1 (Mundia Makokwa 39″)-Zesco United 0
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has extended the period for filling of nominations for Presidential candidates by two days.
The nomination for aspiring Presidential candidates which was initially supposed to close on August 10 has been extended to August 12 due the high number of aspiring candidates.
But ECZ will not extend the nomination timetable for parliamentary and local government elections which will be held on Friday August 12.
Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson Ireen Mambilima disclosed this when she met Civil Society Organisations at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Thursday.
Justice Mambilima says the schedule for filing of nominations was arrived at following consultations with all aspiring candidates yesterday.
According to the schedule, 17 presidential candidates are expected to contest for the Republican Presidency on September 20.
The lodging of nominations will start on Sunday August 7 with UNIP, FDD and Zambians for Empowerment and Development presidential candidates filing their nominations.
The nominations will be lodged at the Supreme Court before returning officer and Chief Justice Ernest Sakala.
On Monday August 8, the National Restoration Party, the UPND and the National Movement for Progress will lodge nominations while the National Revolution Party, Patriotic Front and the Alliance for Democracy and Development will lodge their nominations on Tuesday August 9.
MMD’s President Banda, the People’s Redemption Party and the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement will file nomination papers on Wednesday August 10.
The Heritage party, the United Nationalist Party and the Zambian Conservative Party will file their nominations on Thursday August 11.
The lodging of nomination papers will close on Friday August 12 with Zambia Progressive Party and the Revolutionary Communist party lodging nominations for their aspiring presidential candidates.
But the Electoral Commission of Zambia will not extend the nomination timetable for parliamentary and local government elections which will be held on Friday August 12.
Commission Chairperson Justice Mambilima announced in Lusaka in meeting on Thursday with Civil society Organizations.
And ECZ Director, Priscilla Isaac has re-iterated that the printing of ballot papers will be done in South Africa because Zambia has no capacity.
Government printers needs about K46 billion capital injection to undertake the exercise.
Ms Isaac says the Commission tendered for the printing of ballot papers from March to April and no Zambian printing firm applied.
She said only foreign companies tendered bids for the exercise.
Seventeen presidential candidates are expected to contest this year’s presidential election.
This is according to a drawn up timetable for the filing of presidential nominations released to QFM by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
The filing of presidential nominations will commence on Sunday 7th August up to 12th August, 2011.
ECZ Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna says in a statement that this follows consultations with aspiring presidential candidates yesterday.
Mr. Akufuna says aspiring presidential candidates will lodge their nominations papers at the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice who is the returning officer.
He says the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) presidential candidate will be first to file nominations together with presidential candidates from UNIP and Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) on 7th August.
On Monday, 8th August presidential candidates from the UPND, NAREP and National Movement for Progress will file nominations, while on Tuesday 9th August candidates from the Patriotic Front (PF, National Revolution party (NRP),and Alliance for Democracy and Development, (ADD) will lodge their nominations.
Presidential candidates from the MMD, People’s Redemption Party (PRP)and Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDM) will file nominations on Wednesday 10th August,with those from the Heritage party, United Nationalists Party and the Zambian Conservative Party filing nominations on Thursday, 11th August.
Candidates from the Zambia Progressive Party (ZPP) and Revolutionary Communist Party RCP) will complete the nomination process on Friday, 12th August, 2011.
[ QFM ]
Mighty Mufulira Wanderers Secretary Josphat Sekwila says the legendary club have a bright chance of bouncing back to the Super League.
Wanderers are second on the Division 1 North table with 32 points from 18 games and remain unbeaten after week 19 games played during the Farmers Day long-weekend.
“Chances of us (Wanderers) wining promotion to the Super League have remained bright. So far our performance in the league has not been bad. As you may know we have never lost a game this season,” Sekwila said.
He added that the Shinde outfit targets to win the next three games to consolidate their grip on leaders Indeni, after recording three consecutive draws in 8 days.
“It is dangerous to be recording draws, we want to win at least three or for games to be more comfortable,” declare Sekwila.
And Wanderers Coach John Chellah’s Assistant Moses Kashimoto says it would be memorable for Mighty to win promotion to the elite league this season.
Kashimoto a former Wanderers player added:” Hard work would help us to realize our dream of wining promotion. It would be good for us to win promotion for our supporters”.
