FORMER President Kenneth Kaunda did not attend the Patriotic Front (PF) conference to endorse any candidate, his office has said.

This is contrary to PF president Michael Sata’s statement on Hot FM Radio that Dr Kaunda has publicly associated himself with the opposition party.

Dr Kaunda’s special assistant for press and public relations Sunday Musonda said in an interview yesterday that the former President did not go to the conference to support or endorse anyone.

He said Dr Kaunda did not even address the delegates and that no-one can say he went to Mulungushi Rock of Authority, the venue for the convention, with any agenda.

“If there are any people who would want others to believe that Dr Kaunda’s presence at the convention was to endorse anyone, I would like to state that the former President went to the PF convention by invitation and as a father of the nation,” Mr Musonda said.

He said Dr Kaunda also attended the MMD convention and would attend any political party function on invitation.

Some diplomats also attended the PF conference and were also present at the MMD convention on invitation.

Mr Sata told Hot FM Radio in an interview monitored in Lusaka yesterday that he was grateful to Dr Kaunda for attending the conference.

“We are grateful to the founding father of the nation and we feel proud that we were able to attract a man like Dr Kaunda.

It is the first time in 10 years that he has publicly associated himself with PF,” Mr Sata claimed.

The PF conference, which opened on Monday, was expected to close yesterday.

Mr Sata went through unopposed for the position of party president and will be the PF candidate in the 2011 tripartite elections.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says it is cowardice for all former ministers to defy the code of Secret Act ( COSA ) to begin to reveal State secrets when they live d from office.

Lieutenant General says the COSA is very clear for cabinet and deputy ministers appointed by the President not to reveal any secret once they leave the office.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha described the affected ex-cabinet ministers as pretenders who lack integrity to hold public offices.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Lt-Gen Shikapwasha described former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti, former outspoken Defense Minister George Mpombo and Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Jonas Shakafuswa as cowards to abrogate the COSA act.

“The Code of Secret Act is very clear on how long a person appointed by the President can hold information before releasing it. But for ex-ministers the likes of Mulongoti, Mpombo and Shakafuswa are cowards who do not have integrity,” Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said the act of abrogating the COSA is evil for anyone to go against but opted to be heroes just because they were fired by the head of State.

Since being relieved of their duties Mr Mpombo, Mr Shakafuwa,and Mr Mulongoti has made incessant attacks on President Banda and the MMD government as a way of expressing their anger at losing their ministerial duties.

The trio have publicly vowed to undermine President Rupiah Banda’s administration and have since vowed to be against the Government of the day.

Meanwhile, Lt-Gen Shikapwasha says President Rupiah Banda will announce and set the election date at an appropriate time.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said this is because the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has not yet come up with its final voters register for the President to announce the elections date.

He said it is not right for people like PF leader Micheal to ‘push’ President Banda to set the election date when things are hanging.

Patriotic Front (PF) President, Michael Sata was reported in the media to have said this year’s general elections will be held on 27th August.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha advised the opposition leaders and the civil society to be patient as everything was being addressed by Government.

“President Banda is true democrat who has feelings of the people at heart. The law allows him to put things in order before he can announce and set the election date. Those pressurizing him are just politicking and President Banda cannot dance to their tune,” he said.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha reminded Zambians against voting for the opposition because the economic gains the nation has scored risked being reversed instead of moving forward.

[ ZANIS ]

Zambia Police have arrested two people in Sesheke District for being in possession of 19 ivory tusks, an AK 47 riffle, and eight rounds of ammunitions.

Police Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana who confirmed this development to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka, today.

Ms. Siamana said the two were arrested in Shesheke yesterday and were using a Nissan Twin cab registration number GRZ 271 BX belonging to ZANIS.

Ms. Siamana named the two as Patrick Chanda 40, and Clement Chipupa 41 but she could not state whether the suspects are workers of ZANIS or not.

She said the persons have since been detained and handed over to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).

Ms. Siamana said this in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Sam Phiri, says the ministry has instituted investigation to ascertain whether the driver was alone or was working with other persons within or outside the ministry.

Dr. Phiri said in a statement that the ministry has also instituted stern disciplinary action against the officer in line with the applicable civil service regulations.

“Stern disciplinary action has been instituted in line with the applicable civil service regulations irrespective of the outcome of the ongoing investigations by ZAWA and other security services,” he said.

He added that the driver traveled from Lusaka without the knowledge and permission of the ministry.

Dr. Phiri stated that he had issued instructions two weeks ago to curtail the abuse of the ministry’s vehicles adding that the case shows the need for more stringent measures to be instituted to stop abuse of government transport in the ministry.

[ZANIS]

Special Assistant to the president for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere has dismissed the announcement of an election date by PF leader Michael Sata as mere speculation.

Mr Jere says the election date will be announced by the president after all logistics by the electoral commission of Zambia -ECZ are completed.

He says Zambians should understand that president Rupiah Banda is the only one mandated by law to announce the election date.

He told journalists on Tuesday that it is sad that the PF leader continues to announce fake election dates.

And Mr Jere says it is disappointing that the PF barred journalists from covering their general Conference in Kabwe.

He says this comes barely a week when Law association of Zambia LAZ president Musa Mwenye accused ZNBC of not covering opposition political parties.

He also says it is sad that the party that is aspiring to form government barred journalists from the public media to cover them.

Mr Jere says the PF should learn from the republican president Rupiah Banda who is continuously attacked by some sections of the media but has never barred any one from covering the MMD.

ZNBC

The Law Association of Zambia -LAZ says the barring of public media journalists from covering the opposition Patriotic Front-PF General conference shows how much the media has to do in order to win back the confidence of people with divergent views.

LAZ President Musa Mwenya has however encouraged the public media not to relent in their efforts to change the perceptions held by people with divergent views.

He was speaking to ZNBC news in an interview.

Journalists from ZNBC, Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail were on Monday barred from covering the opposition Patriotic Front first ever general conference at the Mulungushi University in Kabwe.

The action comes barely three days after LAZ President Musa Mwenya issued a statement in which he threatened that the association would consider pursuing legal options including public interest proceedings if ZNBC did not stop what he termed unbalanced news coverage.

Mr Mwenya says LAZ has observed with growing concern that news coverage by ZNBC was mostly skewed towards coverage of opinions and activities of the ruling MMD to the exclusion of other stakeholders whose opinions are not given requisite coverage.

But when contacted by ZNBC on Tuesday to comment on the barring of a ZNBC a news crew from covering the PF general conference, Mr Mwenye simply said the action shows how much the public mediums have to do in order to win back the confidence of people with divergent views.

And in his comment, PF Vice President Guy Scott said it was the policy of the PF to deny access to what he termed media institutions they consider hostile.

Meanwhile public media heads, media associations and unions have condemned the action by the opposition Patriotic Front.

ZNBC Director General Eddy Mupeso says the development comes at a time when the Law Association of Zambia -LAZ- has accused ZNBC of being biased in its news coverage.

He said ZNBC has always tried to cover all political parties and is disappointed that the PF has taken such a stance.

And in a joint statement, Zambia Daily Mail Managing Director Evans Milimo and Times of Zambia Managing Editor John Phiri said the behaviour of the PF leaders has openly shown their intolerance towards some sections of the media.

ZNBC

THE Patriotic Front (PF) inaugural national congress is mired in confusion as some delegates have discovered that PF president Michael Sata has a list of preferred members of the central committee.

Mr Sata’s list has caused consternation among the delegates a day before elections scheduled for today, well-placed sources in the convention disclosed.

“The list has too many newcomers, some of whom joined the PF 48 hours before the convention,” the sources said.

The PF leader is known for closely associating himself with charlatans. Former Chongwe member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo is said to be on the list.

The discovery of the list has angered party faithfuls who are now openly questioning Mr Sata’s style of leadership.

Some delegates at the convention have described Mr Sata’s schemes to sideline the people who have strongly remained faithful to the party as a disaster.

The members feel that Mr Sata has dealt a blow to the party by preferring newcomers to assume senior positions.

The sources say there is pandemonium at Mulungushi Rock of Authority, with delegates demanding that new members should not be allowed to run for any position.

The members are saying Mr Sata should just have called for a press conference to announce his central committee members, rather than asking the delegates to ‘attend this sham of a convention.’

Another delegate said the PF’s first convention is nothing but window-dressing because Mr Sata, who is the PF leader, is already a presidential candidate.

The delegate said a true democratic congress does not choose a presidential candidate before seeking the mandate of the general membership of a political organisation.

“Mr Sata is a presidential candidate for the PF in the tripartite elections. So, why would he want to go to the convention and what would he do if he is challenged and loses the party presidency? It is a sham and we should not be proud of this,” one of the delegates said.

And ZANGOSE CHAMBWA reports that Matero member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe says the confusion that has characterised the PF convention is a clear indication that there is no democracy in the party.

Ms Sinyangwe said the decision by Mr Sata to attempt to replace Inonge Wina with Chongwe member of Parliament Sylvia Masebo as party chairperson for women’s affairs clearly shows that he has no respect for democracy.

“The PF will even be more confused after the convention because no one will be elected democratically as Mr Sata has already identified the people he wants to work with. The so-called delegates attending the convention have gone to the convention to endorse the people Mr Sata has chosen,” Ms Sinyangwe said.

She also said the outcome of the conference will be undemocratic. Ms Sinyangwe said the PF leader will still emerge as president of the party despite having lined up some people to challenge him.

She said the convention will not yield anything positive for the PF because Mr Sata has personalised the party and the position of party president.

“There is nothing new that will come out of the convention because Mr Sata does not value democracy. I have worked with him before and I know what kind of a leader he is,” she said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

The Zambia Direct Democracy Movement ( ZDDM ) says it wants to introduce the principle of “unity in diversity” in politics when voted into power.

ZDDM National Coordinator Edwin Sakala said its with this objective that his party wants to contest this year’s elections.

He said this in a statement obtained by ZANIS in Lusaka , today.

Mr. Sakala has explained that his party was determined to introduce Direct Democracy which he says will facilitate the much needed political change Zambia needs.
” It is high time we realized that their several modes of democracies which the continent can really on.

” Our former colonial masters encouraged multi-party politics because they want people to waste time in bickering and fighting for power,” he said in the statement.

The ZDDM National Coordinator said bickering and fighting has always been the fertile ground for division which in the end work to the advantage of the colonial master. He said Zambia is in ruin because of multiparty politics.

” Our former colonial masters encouraged multi-party politics because they want people to waste time in bickering and fighting for power,” he said in the statement.

He said although multiparty politics has brought freedom of expression, it is this very free speech which is causing people spending time in quarreling at the expense of development.

” For as long as multiparty democracy continues, we shall never see unity. As ZDDM we believe that UNIP laid a foundation stone with its one party participatory democracy and MMD has given Zambians a chance to sample multi party democracy which has only served to divide the nation and to promote politics of hate and tribalism, ” Mr Sakala said.

The party’s National Coordinator maintained that his party wants to introduce Direct Democracy which is a cross breed of the two political systems which the nation has already tested.

The party has meanwhile invited all Members of Parliament wishing to serve the nation at council and parliamentary level to apply on its ticket.

Mr. Sakala bragged that ZDDM is the only alternative to the current government saying all the other political parties are fighting to get into State House while ZDDM is determined to ensure that the current shallow and useless politics have to come to an end.

” We want Zambian politicians for a change to work together and debate real issues objectively instead of the current situation where each party waits to get into power before bringing out their ideas,” he said.

[ ZANIS ]

Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has been re-elected unopposed as president at the party’s first convention since its formation in 2001 and has predicted that this year’s general elections will be held on 27th August.

This comes as the country still awaits the announcement of the elections date by President Rupiah Banda.

MUVI TV’s reports that Mr Sata says he has been reliably informed that the polls were initially set for 11th August before being shifted to 27th August.

The outspoken opposition leader was speaking today when officially opening the PF national convention at Mulungushi University, in Kabwe.

At least 3,500 delegates are attending the convention, during which the party will also elect its national leadership.

Meanwhile, journalists from the public media have been barred from covering the convention.

And Mr Sata has accused government of misusing the public media.

He has told the PF convention that public media has lost its vision of informing, educating and entertaining.

Meanwhile, first republican president, Kenneth Kaunda was among several dignitaries, who attended the official opening of the PF convention.

Others were the ambassadors from Britain and the United States of America.

[ MUVI ]