Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Musa Mwenye has described as unfortunate that the ruling MMD has decided to sway away from important issues of national interest.

Mr. Mwenye says this is evidenced by attacks targeted at him by MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya.

He says instead of focusing on more important issues other than name calling, Ms Siliya chose to attack him.

He wonders why Ms. Siliya, during a live presentation of the assignment program on Muvi television on Sunday evening, could not tackle real issues that were brought up.

Mr. Mwenye notes that during the deliberation, Ms. Siliya should have stated whether the Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC) is breaching the ZNBC Act no 154 of the laws of Zambia or not.

And Mr. Mwenye says he is not surprised with the allegations leveled against him because he is not the first LAZ president to be attacked.

In a telephone interview with QFM, Mr. Mwenye says the association will not give credence to the ongoing misguided debate based on character assassination.

Mr. Mwenye states that he is not a sympathizer of any political party noting that even if one member of LAZ was a political party sympathizer, the association acts through its fifteen elected councilors who make collective decisions.

Meanwhile, political analyst Dante Saunders says the MMD is being childish in the way it is receiving advice from the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) on the operations of the Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation (ZNBC).

Mr. Saunders says the MMD should just accept that the ZNBC Act number 154 of the laws of Zambia is being breached instead of attacking LAZ which he said is in order to raise such issues.

GOVERNMENT has signed a US$8.5 million (about K40 billion) contract with Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group (AFEC) for construction of access roads at Ndola stadium.

Minister of Works and Supply Gabriel Namulambe said in an interview yesterday government signed the contract with AFEC representatives in Lusaka on Saturday.

“The contract awarded to AFEC also includes landscaping, water storm drain, parking lots and other associated works needed to complete works on the facility,” Namulambe said.

The work is scheduled to take four months but the Chinese firm has assured Government that it will finish the job in two months.

“Government is confident that the company will complete the works before the end of September…our target remains the same that the stadium be ready as stipulated in the contract.

“We want the national team to play their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya at the new stadium,” Namulambe said.

The Chipolopolo host Libya on October 8 in the last game of the qualifiers for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Namulambe said works on the access roads and other associated works have since commenced.

The government was supposed to construct the two access roads on the eastern side and on the northern side but the works were not included in the contract.

The minister also said works on the 60,000-seater Lusaka stadium scheduled to be completed in 30 months are progressing well.

Chinese firm Shanghai Construction Company who are working on the Lusaka stadium have also been awarded a contract to upgrade the dilapidated Independence Stadium.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

ZAMBIA and Mozambique have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the transfer of convicted persons between the two countries.

This means that Zambians convicted in Mozambique will be allowed to serve their sentence in their home country and vise-visa.

The two countries have signed another MoU on areas of co-operation.

Minister of Home Affairs Mkhondo Lungu signed on behalf of Zambia while Mozambique’s Minister of Justice, Maria Delfina Benvinda Levy, signed on behalf of her country.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Lungu said the two MoUs will provide the two countries with an operational platform to begin the transfer of prisoners who wish to serve their sentences in their home country, where they can easily be visited by their families and friends.

Mr Lungu said the approach is aimed at promoting family re-union, enhanced rehabilitation and prisoner’s integration into society.

“This ceremony is a sign that we are heading in the right direction, as we endeavor to redress the problems of rehabilitation, re-integration and overcrowding in our penal institutions.

“Such efforts will enable our governments to meet the international minimum standard rules on the treatment of offenders and other international treaties on the rights of inmates,” Mr Lungu said.

And Ms Benvinda Levy paid gratitude to Zambian people for helping that country to gain its independence in the 1970s.

She said Zambia played a pivotal role in the independence struggle of her country.

“We want to thank you for your continued friendship, which goes beyond the independence struggle. It is for this reason today we are signing the two MoUs,” she said.

Commissioner of Zambia Prisons Service Percy Chato said the two agreements were developed taking into consideration special interests that affect the smooth operations and collaborations of the two sister prison services of the two countries.

Mr Chato said the Zambia prisons service is looking forward to sharing strategy for ensuring that people live with a chain of possibilities.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

The United Party for National Development-UPND has said that it will field candidates in all the 150 constituencies and that it is confident that the party will adopt top class candidates.

UPND Spokesman Charles Kakoma said that the party has concluded provincial interviews for people aspiring to stand on the party ticket as parliamentary candidates in this year’s general elections.

Mr Kakoma said that the National Management Committee of the party will soon meet to look at the recommendations for the adoption of candidates for the tripartite elections.

Mr Kakaoma said that the Interviewing Panel has already submitted its recommendations to the highest organ of the party.

He told ZNBC news in an interview that the UPND National Management Committee will then announce the names of the adopted candidates.

[ZNBC]

Post Newspaper Editor Fred M’membe has lost a bid to cross examine President Rupiah Banda’s Lawyer Christopher Mundia in a matter where Mr M’membe is charged with contempt of court.

This is in the case where Mr M’membe is facing contempt of court charges for defying the court order not to publish libelous articles on President Rupiah Banda during the 2008 presidential by-election.

Lusaka High Court Judge Charles Kajimanga dimissed Mr M’membe’s application on grounds that his lawyers had not made a good case to warrant them an application to cross examine Mr Mundia.

Judge Kajimanga also dismissed the plea by Mr M’membe’s Lawyers to subpoena Mr Mundia as a witness.

The defence has however been granted leave to appeal against the ruling made on Monday.

[ZNBC]

The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has noted the need to engage presidents of all political parties participating in this year’s tripartite elections in live debates on what they intend to do for Zambians if voted into power.

ZCID Director Chomba Chela has told QFM in an interview that engaging political leaders in live debates will accord the voters an opportunity to interact with those aspiring for higher political office.

Mr Chela observes that the political platform has been characterized by name calling and character assignation stating that there is need to shift from this kind of campaigns.

He explains that Zambians are tired of verbal abuse emanating from political players against each other and that engaging them in constructive debates will allow the people make informed choices on who to vote for in this year’s polls.

Mr Chela says Zambia should be an example to the rest of the sub-region when it comes to having a democratic atmosphere that guarantees free, air and transparent elections.

QFM

United Party for National Development UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says president Rupiah Banda’s silence on the date of elections will not deter Zambians from achieving their goal of changing government.

Mr. Hichilema says the delay in announcing the date of elections will not hinder the Zambian people from effecting a change of government in the forthcoming elections.

Speaking to QFM news in an interview, the UPND leader says the MMD government has failed the Zambian people.

Mr. Hichilema has further appealed to Zambians to be patient because the MMD’s mandate of leadership is this year coming to an end.

He says the MMD will have a rude shock after the 2011 elections.

QFM