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LUSAKA Province MMD chairperson William Banda says he will take legal action against Edith Mutale for falsely accusing him of having insulted and harassed her at the funeral of former republican President Frederick Chiluba.
Mr Banda has said he is shocked that Reverend Mutale could claim to have been close to Dr Chiluba only after his death.
Mr Banda said he neither saw nor spoke to Rev Mutale at the funeral house, adding that at the time she claimed she was there, he had left.
“I actually do not even know this woman. I was surprised to read that she was accusing me of harassment,” he said.
He said if truly Rev Mutale is a ‘woman of God’, she should tell the nation the truth and not to try and gain sympathy even when it is not necessary.
Mr Banda was reacting to The Post story in yesterday’s edition accusing him of leading cadres to harass and insult Rev Mutale.
He has also challenged Rev Mutale to testify in court where and when he harassed and insulted her.
“I am not a gateman to be ushering people into the funeral house. I have been to the funeral house but I have not harassed or barred anyone from attending the former president’s funeral,” he said.
He also said he was taken aback that Rev Mutale could claim to have been close to Dr Chiluba when she did not even accord him the recognition he deserved when he was still alive.
Mr Banda recalled an incident at the late MMD national executive committee member Ackim Nkole’s funeral where Rev Mutale refused to recognise Dr Chiluba’s presence.
“Rev Mutale had to be spoken to for her to do the right thing. We all know why she is behaving in such a manner, and the reason is that she belongs to the Patriotic Front,” he said.
Mr Banda said even if Dr Chiluba’s administration deported him, he is not bitter and that he shared a cordial relationship with the former head of State.
Mr Banda said he and Dr Chiluba held meetings regularly, with the last being five days before he died
An 18-year old Zambian pupil has been honoured for scoring the highest mark in the world in the Cambridge ‘O’ Level History for Central and Southern Africa in last year’s examination.
Dalitso Phiri, of LICEF Secondary School in Lusaka, has been awarded with a prestigious recognition from the University of Cambridge International Examinations.
The Cambridge Top In the World Award recognises the success of learners who have achieved the highest standard mark in the world for a single subject.
And Phiri is pleased that his efforts have been recognised and has pledged to continue working hard to score greater success.
Meanwhile LICEF Secondary School Head Syed Ali says Phiri’s landmark achievement has made his learning institution and the country in general proud.
MMD Southern Province Chairperson Edgar Keembe has dismissed as false, media reports that Namwala member of parliament Major Robbie Chizyuka has been rejected by the party in the area.
Mr Keembe says the story which appeared in Monday’s edition of the Post Newspaper is unfounded and lacks merit.
He says Major Chizyuka is among the three candidates chosen by the constituency officials.
Mr Keembe says district officials are yet to interview the three shortlisted candidates and wondered why anyone can pick on Major Chizyuka and allege that he has been rejected.
He says it is also not true that there is pressure from state house on the leaders in the province to choose Major Chizyuka.
Mr Keembe says people of Namwala are free to choose a leader who will represent them.
Government has expressed its displeasure at slow and shoddy works carried out by local contractors on several developmental projects in Lusaka district.
Lusaka Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Richard Chinjili charged that some named contractors were frustrating government’s efforts in delivering development to the people.
Mr. Chinjili has since urged some named contractors to speed up and improve works on infrastructural projects that were tendered to them, saying government cannot afford to lose colossal amounts on shoddy works.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary made the remarks when he led a team on a Monitoring and Evaluation tour of some health and education projects undergoing rehabilitation and construction in Lusaka urban.
At Matero referral clinic Mr Chinjili and his team found defects on the newly constructed theatre to which a number of fittings, including sinks and doors, were leaking and falling before the infrastructure is officially launched.
At Chunga and George compounds where the Ministry of Health is construction new health posts, the DPS was disappointed to find work moving below expectation while convention of two classrooms into laboratories at Thorn Park High School was also going below schedule.
Mr. Chinjili warned the local contractors that they risked being blacklisted if they do not improve and advised the Ministry of Works and Supply to supervise the contractors with the seriousness they deserve.
Kafulafuta Member of Parliament (MP) George Mpombo has dismissed accusations that he is organizing people to shun Second Republican President Fredrick Chiluba’s funeral.
This follows accusations in a newspaper article quoting Forum for Leadership Search Executive Director Edwin Lifwekelo as having unearthed a scam in which Mr. Mpombo and others are allegedly organizing some people to boycott Dr Chiluba’s funeral.
But Mr. Mpombo has said that the allegations are baseless and aimed at gaining political mileage by the MMD.
The Parliamentarian has further charged that there is a tragic leadership failure in the ruling MMD adding that the harassment of perceived political opponents by MMD cadres at the funeral of Dr Chiluba is unfortunate.
He says people should not politicize the former President’s funeral because he was a national leader who deserves to be mourned with respect.
Meanwhile Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) leader, Charles Milupi has advised the MMD leadership to reflect on the unruly behavior of its cadres at Dr. Chiluba’s funeral.
Mr. Milupi says the MMD should realize that when one assumes the role of presidency, they become national leaders regardless of political affiliation.
But Zambia Police Service Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana says the police is not aware of the harassment or barring of some individuals from entering the funeral house of the late second republican President Fredrick Chiluba.
Police Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the service has not received any report from any mourner contrary to claims by some quarters claiming that they were being harassed by suspected Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) cadres at the funeral house.
She has since advised the public to report to the nearest police station if they are being harassed or barred from attending the second republican President’s funeral.
Yesterday, a radio phoenix reporter is alleged to have been barred from entering the premises of the lodge in Lusaka where the funeral of Dr. Chiluba is being held.
[ QFM ]
By Elias Munshya wa Munshya
The news that a group within the MMD has been formed to keep Michael Sata from coming to the funeral of President Frederick Chiluba should be a concern to all peace loving Zambians. In fact, even our gallant security wings have fallen prey to this gibberish by entreating Michael Sata to stay away from the funeral—in the name of “security”. The very thought that it could come to this is not only ridiculous but insolently immature. I wish to argue in this article that Michael Sata should be allowed to attend and mourn his former boss. This is consistent with our common humanity.
Those who believe that Sata had been an enemy of Dr. Chiluba have chosen to look at a fraction of history and ignored the whole. They are simply being economical with reality. There has not been any true enmity between Chiluba and Sata. What existed were mere political interests that took these two gentlemen in different directions—only since 2008.
To use President Chiluba’s mere political difference when he supported Banda over Sata in 2008 as the yardstick for projecting the enmity between the two does not just make sense at all. Michael Sata had been Chiluba’s closest political confidante for years.
It is impossible to define a politically successful Chiluba without mentioning the political engineering of Michael Sata. It is Michael Sata who has served Chiluba in more senior capacities than any other living politician today. Sata was Chiluba’s MMD national secretary, minister of labour, minister of local government, minister without portfolio, and minister of health. Michael Sata helped prop up Chiluba’s credentials as a leader of the common people. Sata supported Frederick Chiluba within the democratic movement of the late 1980s.
Sata campaigned for Frederick Chiluba both in Lusaka and Mpika. In fact, the relationship between Michael Sata and Chiluba is one of the longest lasting political relationships in Zambia today. Spanning from the 1980s Sata remained true and faithful to Frederick Chiluba until Chiluba dribbled Sata in 2001.
But after 2001, and after the subsequent prosecution and persecution of Chiluba under Mwanawasa, it was Michael Sata who came to the support of Chiluba. Sata openly mentioned that Chiluba had dribbled him.
And Chiluba openly admitted that he had made a tremendous mistake by appointing Mwanawasa. But after the theft persecution, Sata became Chiluba’s supporter again. Sata provided Chiluba with the support of the common man from the Copperbelt and Lusaka while Mwanawasa and the likes of William Banda wished Chiluba dead. The alliance between Sata and Chiluba was so strong that it was the PF MPs and PF supporters who would line up the airport roads to receive Frederick Chiluba from hospital in South Africa. In 2006, no one was surprised to see FTJ raise a feeble fist in the air and request the people of Luapula Province and the Copperbelt to vote and vote for the Patriotic Front.
At one time, after the second political fall-out between Chiluba and Sata, Chiluba was addressing a funeral gathering when PF supporters booed him. To this Chiluba answered, “There are no permanent enemies in politics, only permanent interests.” In so saying, Chiluba mentioned one rule that has helped all successful politicians including Michael Sata himself. In politics no one is a permanent enemy. It only takes an expulsion, or the so-called resignation to turn political friends into enemies and political enemies into friends. We saw it happen in 1991 where those who were eating at Kaunda’s table suddenly turned to the MMD and became friends of democracy overnight. Nothing changed among those people, their hearts remained the same. They changed camps due to political interests.
It is rather ironical, that it is William Banda—Chiluba’s long-time arch enemy—who has today been transformed into Chiluba’s ally. What confuses me and many others is that it is this Banda who, while testifying against Chiluba in the 1996 presidential petition, claimed that Titus Mpundu hailed from Congo and spoke a Congolese dialect of Lingala as a boy. So William Banda is now a friend of Chiluba’s while Sata is an enemy. It seems the death of politics and the politics of death are incompatible with logic.
In 2008, it was politically appropriate for Chiluba to support Banda over Sata. A minute after the death of Mwanawasa it was apparent that Mwanawasa’s Vice-President, Rupiah Bwezani Banda, had no political interest in the continued prosecution or persecution of Frederick Chiluba. Under those circumstances, Chiluba was no fool to repudiate such a gesture. He again aligned himself against Sata and of course the Cobra went ballistic. He was angry against Frederick Chiluba. And it is at this point that the current MMD cadres miss it, they equate Sata’s anger as enmity. It is not enmity and it should not be interpreted as such. There was going to be plenty of time for Sata to play politics. And in fact there was still going to be more time for Chiluba and Sata’s interests to be aligned once more. Had it not been for death…Sata and Chiluba were once again going to embrace each other.
Sata and Chiluba’s interests were going to be aligned once more if Sata were to win the 2011 elections. Some have opined that a President Sata was going to revive theft charges against Chiluba after winning the 2011 elections. But those who know history and politics understand very well that Sata cannot take Chiluba to court. They know each other too well to do that. Sata said what he said because he was angry. He felt like he had been dribbled too much. But with him in power, there would be no political benefit for him to continue prosecuting Chiluba. Mwanawasa prosecuted Chiluba only when it was politically expedient for him to do so.
Mwanawasa took Chiluba to court not because Chiluba had stolen; some Zambians believe Chiluba may have stolen just going by the million dollar suits, shirts, shoes and underwear. But that is not the reason why Mwanawasa took him to court. Mwanawasa took Chiluba to court because he was politically in a precarious situation. He wanted ways to silence Chiluba who was still president of the MMD and had the support of almost its entire executive. Sata would not have the same political dynamics at play and as such, he would not have gone ahead with continued prosecution.
Here if the MMD cadres continue with this nonsense, it is Sata who will emerge as the shrewdest of them all. It is Sata who should want to keep away from the funeral. It is he who can say I had been dribbled too much by this man. But Sata is not known to keep grudges, just like Chiluba was. He has thrown all that enmity aside and he wants to go and mourn and sing “icimbo” for his friend and political confidante. This Sata must be allowed to do, even if it will mean taking the whole battalion of Zambian police to protect him from senseless cadres.
In death even enemies become friends; death is just like politics after all!
Zambia Police Service Police Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana says the police is not aware of the harassment or barring of some individuals from entering the funeral house of the late second republican President Fredrick Chiluba.
Police Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the service have not received any report from any mourners contrary to claims by some quarters claiming that they were being harassed by suspected Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) cadres at the funeral house.
She has since advised the public to report to the nearest police station if they are being harassed or barred from attending the second republican President’s funeral.
The Police Spokesperson maintained that the police will not work or take any action on alleged perpetrators of violence based on media report hence the need for affected mourners to report their cases to the nearest police station.
She disclosed that the police have deployed its officers to ensure that the there is security at the funeral house and at the lodge where the funeral is being held.
Yesterday, a radio phoenix reporter is alleged to have been barred from entering the premises of the lodge in Lusaka where the funeral of Dr. Chiluba is being held.
Pupils from St Maurice Community School hold trees for planting during a tree plating event
Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary has advised schools in the province in general to revamp the concept of production unit if they are to remain self reliant and sustainable .
Mr Mumba said the production unit concept if well utilized will help schools meet the many arising needs. He said it was for this reason that all head teachers to embrace the concept.
He added that this will help reduce dependence on government grants as it has other areas to look at.
Mr Mumba was speaking to ZANIS shortly after head teachers from selected boarding schools in the province conducted a tour of Mumena “B” basic school in Solwezi.
The school has successfully implemented the production unit concept and is currently rearing chickens, pigs and goats and also growing vegetables to sustain itself.
He said government stands ready to support income generating activities that are aimed at supplementing government efforts.
The Permanent Secretary encouraged the head teachers to borrow the idea from Mumena B basic school and reciprocate it in their schools.
Speaking in a separate interview Provincial Education Officer Jennipher Malama said that if the revenue realized from the sales is properly used it would enable the school meet the cost of paying its own utility bills.
Ms Malama said the production unit concept at her school is also helping in preparing pupils with life survival skills after completing school.
The Zambia Chess Federation (ZCF ) says it has introduced a chess league system in all government and private schools in the country.
ZCF Zone four Chairman Kennedy Phiri says the federation has for a start introduced the league in private schools in Lusaka which will run up-to July 2 this year.
ZANIS sports reports Phiri told speaking in an interview in Lusaka today that the chess league system in private schools was well on schedule .
” The main purpose of trying to introduce a chess league in government schools was to make pupils and schools battle it out in the sport.
He said the other reason of trying to introduce chess league system in government schools is to try to make schools going pupil participate and take keen interest in chess.
Phiri pointed out that it was saddening that pupils in government schools do not show much interest in the sport unlike it is with pupils in private schools.
Meanwhile, the ZCF Zone four Chairman has advised girl pupils to take keen interest in chess by participating fully in the sport at their school places.
Phiri noted that it was unfortunate that chess in schools was more popular among boy children than girl children. He advised school sports masters in the country to sensitize girls on the importance of playing chess.
” The girl child needs to learn and take keen interest in the sport as it can help in improving her academic performances, ” he said.
Among all the models created by Toyota, Toyota Corolla is the most reliable car which is still very popular and trusted all over the world. The name itself declares its success, the name Corolla is taken from the word Crown, it is a favorite name of Toyota and has proved to be a jewel to its owner. The engines of Corolla are sturdy and give great mileage with low gas consumption.
Toyota Corolla has been on the market for many decades and is still running strong and giving a hard time to its competitors. Toyota Corolla was launched in the market in 1966. Since then the Toyota Corolla series has seen many changes and redesigns to match the changing world,today a single piece of Corolla is being sold every 40 seconds.
Today it is still in production in its ninth generation. Along with Japan the automobile is produced in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Turkey, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Thailand. Ninth generation of Toyota Corolla comes in different types of trim levels which are as follows:
Toyota Corolla CE
Toyota Corolla S
Toyota Corolla LE
Toyota Corolla XRS
Among them XRS is a more sporty kind of vehicle. It has great exterior looks with variety of choices in colors from Super White to Phantom Gray Pearl, Silver Streak Mica, Desert Sand Mica, Cactus Mica, Impulse Red Pearl, Black Sand Pearl, and Indigo Ink Pearl. The interiors can also be given colors from Stone to dark Charcoal and Pebble Beige. It has lavish and comfortable interiors and stylish exteriors.
The machine or engine of the car is powerful giving 1.8 liter of double overhead cam shaft (DOHC) WT-i with 16 valves and 4 cylinders. The horsepower is around 126 hp at 6000 rpm. Corolla consists of five-speed manual overdrive application. Automatic overdrive transmission comes as an option.
Toyota Corolla name brand is well known all over the world. It has gained such popularity by exceeding the customer’s expectation by giving great performance. The latest Corolla XRS model have sporty look to attract the younger generation of the world. It has been successful in doing so. The latest model has been made wider than the previous ones, which has made getting in and out of the car easier. The taillights are also similar to the headlights. Upgraded features like electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and anti lock brake system (ABS) are now available. The sunroof is an additional feature. It is a great add on.
Toyota Corolla LE model consist of ABS and EBD, airbags which are for both driver’s side and passenger side front and back, monitoring system for tire pressure, CD changer and cruise control application. In Corolla S along with ABS and EBD it has vehicle stability control system (VSC). In Toyota Corolla LE along with ABS, EBD, and VSC, it has moon roof and sun shade.
Even though Toyota Corolla looks like a compact car from outside, once entered inside it looks comfortable and airy car with lots of space. It has been engineered very smartly. The interiors are made from high quality materials with leather seats. The seats have plenty of headroom and leg room and good space in the back seat.
It is the great Japanese cars running on the road. Since its launch, many years have passed by and the car has passed through many tests and has turned out to be a real survivor. There were many other cars which had the same features as the Corolla had, still it survived these challenges and came out as a victory. As the years are going by, the car is getting evolved with great features and more trustworthy performance. There many new accessories and features added in each new generation of the car.
How to Service A Corolla?
As a popular model, it has a very specific servicing modules which should be followed to keep the same smooth and comfortable driving experience. Adhering to this fixed schedule of Corolla servicing will give benefits of the factory warranty. Still if a customer wants to do some cleaning up and servicing at home, there are two basic services which the customer can perform,namely the common filter cleaning and basic filter and oil change along with replacement of spark plug. It is advisable to change the oil after every 12 000 KMs of travel. This simple practice will ensure long life and great performance of the vehicle.
Following are the instructions to service the spark plug of the car:
First step is to open the hood of the car and spot the front top portion of the engine. Four wires are visible plugged in the top of engine.
Remove them one by one taking care to label each position of the wire with a marker as they are removed . This will ensure the correct insertion of wires. These are the spark plug wires. There is a spark plug below these spark plug wires.
Remove this spark plug. Now replace it with new spark plug. Tighten the new spark plug .
Place each spark-plug wire in this new spark plug correctly. A clicking sound will be heard if the wires are re-inserted correctly.
The next step is to plug the wires back into the engine.
Below are given the instructions in order to service for oil change:
The first step would be to start the car and run it in one place for few minutes. This will heat up the engine and make the oil more diluted to run easily. After this maneuver, open the Corolla hood. Now remove the cap of oil filter which is present on the top of the engine.
Raise the front portion of Corolla with a jack. After that place the jack stand on the sub frame of the vehicle. The vehicle should be standing on the jack stand and lower the vehicle accordingly.
As the vehicle is raised on the jack stand, the person can easily crawl under the vehicle to see the oil pan. It is a metal pan beneath the engine. There is a oil drain plug,. With the help of a wrench, oil drain plug can be removed. Remove all the oil. After all the oil is removed leaving few oil drops,tighten the drain plug. This can be done with the help of wrench, just make sure not to over tighten it.
Towards the front side of vehicle there is an oil filter, which is in form of cylindrical object. Remove it with a wrench and drain all the oil and finally remove it totally.
Take new oil filter, and apply new oil around the new gasket. Now, put it in its place in the engine and tighten it with hands.
Remove the vehicle from jack stand. Lower the car on the ground.
Now, put the funnel on the mouth of oil hole in the hood of the Corolla. Add new oil in through funnel. Check the level of the oil with dipstick. The level should be between the levels L and F.
With all above tips, you can surely keep your vehicle running efficiently in its long run.
The MMD and two traditional leaders in Luangwa district have differed over the adoption of parliamentary aspiring candidates on the ruling party ticket.
The ruling party has chosen to back Patrick Ngoma for Feira constituency.
However, Senior Chief Mburuma and Chief Mphuka of the Nsinga-Luzi and Chikunda people respectively want the incumbent, Charles Shawa to re-contest the seat.
Speaking on behalf of his counterpart, Senior Chief Mburuma has cited the development of infrastructure in the area as evident of Mr Shawa’s works.
But MMD Constituency Chairperson, Peter Lungu told ZANIS that the party followed all the procedures in choosing Mr Ngoma.
[ MUVI ]
The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Nakonde says women have the power to save the nation from any form violence during and after the elections.
And Nakonde District Commissioner Billy Silwimba says the meeting had been called to pray for Zambia for love, peace, and unity before, during, and after the tripartite elections.
The churches leading preacher Agness Kalubwe said women should,therefore, be in the forefront to foster peace and unite in the country ahead of the crucial elections.
Ms. Kalumbwe said this in Nakonde over the weekend when she led hundreds of women from all walks of life in Nakonde district in Northern Province to pray for peace during and after the elections.
This was held at Nakonde council guest house grounds .
And officiating at the inter-denomination prayer meeting, Nakonde District Commissioner Billy Silwimba said the meeting had been called to pray for Zambia’s continued love, peace, and unity before, during and after the tripartite elections.
Mr. Silwimba said Zambia has always enjoyed peace and unity since independence from colonial masters’ yoke and bondage and all peaceful Zambians should ensure that they preach peace for one another.
The District Commissioner said Zambians are free to move, associate and express themselves independently because of the love, peace, and unity prevailing among all the 73 tribes in the country.
He called on the women to continue praying for the youths whom he said are easily swayed in political violence by some greedy politicians.
Mr. Silwimba reaffirmed Government’s commitment to working with the church in fostering love and peace in the country saying the Government will continue to work with the church in uplifting and maintaining the human moral and spiritual values.
[ ZANIS ]
THE Government has appealed for financial and material support from well-wishers to cover expenses for the State funeral of second president of the Republic of Zambia, Frederick Chiluba.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha said in a statement yesterday that members of the public wishing to make contributions should channel such through the district and provincial administrations countrywide,while those in Lusaka could take their contributions to Cabinet Office.
“Government is also opening a special account with Bank of Zambia through which well-wishers can channel their contributions,” Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said.
Dr Chiluba died on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at his Kabulonga home in Lusaka after an illness.
Meanwhile, mourners have gathered at Musangu Village, the home of the second president of the Republic of Zambia Frederick Chiluba, who passed away in the early hours of last Saturday, to pay their last respects.
Speaking to the Times, Mwense District Commissioner, Benjamin Chama said the mourners had gathered at the house of the former president’s brother, Jim Chiluba.
Mr Chama said some of the relatives had been transported to Lusaka so that they could attend the burial.
He said the Government had only managed to transport a number of them as there were a lot of people.
“It is for this reason that we have decided to host a funeral here to allow mourners who are unable to travel to Lusaka to mourn the former president as well,” he said.
Some elderly relatives expressed sadness at the death of Dr Chiluba, saying it was a big blow to the family and the country as a whole.
The funeral at Musangu Village would end when Dr Chiluba is buried in Lusaka on Monday.
Some traditional leaders such as Mwata Kazembe, Senior Chief Chisunka and Chief Lukwesa when contacted for comments said tradition did not allow them to comment and would only do so after the burial.
Meanwhile, MMD women in Kitwe yesterday held a funeral procession in remembrance of Dr Chiluba in Kitwe and wished President Rupiah Banda God’s strength and wisdom as the country mourns the ex-leader.
Led by provincial women’s chairperson Elizabeth Mataka, the women prayed for President Banda during this difficult time, especially that he had also experienced the death of president Levy Mwanawasa.
Ms Mataka was speaking yesterday during a funeral procession held at her home in Kitwe’s Riverside residential area attended by MMD women leaders from various districts on the Copperbelt.
Among those who attended the procession was former Chingola district commissioner Jean Phiri.
Ms Mataka said President Banda had always exhibited mature and objective leadership by promoting reconciliation and unity.
Speaking during the same procession, MMD Copperbelt University branch chairperson Lazarous Banda said the students at CBU had been mourning Dr Chiluba from Saturday when they received the message that he had died.
FORUM for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo has written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to stop Caritas-Zambia from monitoring this year’s elections on account of its alleged allegiance to the Patriotic Front (PF).
Mr Lifwekelo said he was on record as having been barred from conducting voter education on behalf of ECZ in 2006 following a letter authored by Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi.
He said in a statement yesterday that Ms Nawakwi accused him of siding with the ruling MMD and wrote a letter to ECZ to have him withdrawn from those who were supposed to conduct voter education.
Mr Lifwekelo said on the basis of that allegation, he was immediately withdrawn from conducting voter education on the Copperbelt.
He urged ECZ director Priscilla Isaac to use that as a precedent, especially that records were there to prove his claim.
When contacted, Ms Isaac said she had not yet seen the letter as she was attending a meeting.
Mr Lifwekelo said in a letter dated June 17, 2011 that the credibility of Caritas Zambia to monitor elections either indirectly or directly was “mutilated beyond repair” and that its leadership should take responsibility and resign immediately.
Mr Lifwekelo said ECZ should in public interest exclude Caritas Zambia from monitoring this year’s elections in order to instill confidence in the process.
He said a story carried in the Zambia Daily Mail of October 15, 2010 under the headline ‘Caritas poll ploy exposed’, where it was alleged that Caritas Zambia, a Catholic organisation and some foreign donor agencies were allegedly scheming to announce and declare PF leader Michael Sata winner of the 2011 elections proved that such deals had the potential to undermine the electoral process.
It is further alleged that Caritas Zambia, in conjunction with other civil society organisations (CSOs), would undertake clandestine activities under the guise of a coalition of CSOs.
And the Committee of Citizens has urged the MMD, United Party for National Development (UPND) and other political parties to reject the planned monitoring of elections by Caritas Zambia because it had been hired to campaign for Mr Sata and his party.
The organisation also observed that election monitors should at all times strive to conduct their election activities in an impartial manner to avoid suspicion.
Executive director Gregory Chifire in a statement yesterday challenged ECZ to scrutinise the activities of Caritas Zambia to ascertain the suitability of the organisation to be accredited for the purpose of monitoring elections this year.
[ Times of Zambia ]
FLASHBACK: Dr Chiluba addressing Luapula chiefs during the Luapula consultative meeting.
Chiefs in Luapula Province have appealed to the committee appointed to look into the funeral arrangements of second republican president Dr Chiluba to consider flying his body to allow people in the area bid farewell.
Luapula Royal Establishment Foundation chairman chief Chisunka and chief Lubunda, made the appeal in separate statements on Monday.
Chief Chisunka says a lot of people in the province have been telephoning him to ask government to fly the body of Dr Chiluba to Mansa for them to pay their last respect.
He says people want to pay their last respect to Dr Chiluba, but are complaining of travel costs to Lusaka.
He says the committee of ministers overseeing the Dr Chiluba’s funeral arrangements should therefore consider flying his remains to Mansa airport where many people will be allowed to pay their last respect.
The chief says people feel it is by taking Dr Chiluba’s body to Mansa airport that the second republican president will be given a befitting farewell in his home.
And Chief Lubunda of Mwense district has also asked government to take Dr Chiluba’s body to Mansa airport a day before burial.
He says this will accord many people from his village to pay their last respect to Dr Chiluba before burial.
The chief, who is also a cousin to Dr Chiluba says he is grieved and in sorrow over Dr Chiluba’s demise.
Chief Lubunda and Dr Chiluba also attended primary school together.
