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THE ‘change agenda’ being advocated by some people is exaggerated as most Zambians are happy with President Banda’s leadership, former Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) director for investment and promotion Muhabi Lungu said in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Lungu said voters must assess President Banda’s performance based on the three years he has been in office, and not on the 20 years the MMD has been in power.
Mr Lungu, who recently re-joined the MMD, said on Hot FM Radio’s Hot Seat programme that Zambia’s economy has been recording positive growth in all sectors and change advocates must appreciate this.
He said there is no need to change a government that is doing the correct thing and that he has no doubt that the MMD will win this year’s elections.
“Looking at the three main contenders for the republican presidency, the only person, who has demonstrated his capabilities, is President Banda,” Mr Lungu said.
He said although Patriotic Front president Michael Sata, and United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema are saying 20 years of the MMD is too much, they were both part of that era.
Mr Lungu said Mr Sata held various senior positions in the MMD and government, including that of Minister Without Portfolio and secretary general of the party, while Mr Hichilema was involved in the privatisation of major companies.
“President Banda should be evaluated on his performance in the last three years he has led government. Even credible international organisations and United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton have commended Zambia on its economic performance,” Mr Lungu said.
He said Mr Banda is the only presidential aspirant who has demonstrated democratic credentials.
Mr Lungu said some opposition leaders have never been elected by their members and that because of their tendency to hold on to power, it will be difficult to remove them from office if they were elected President.
He said it is just as well President Banda was republican Vice-President at the time of President Mwanawasa’s death because had it been other people, they would have refused to hold elections within three months as required by law.
Mr Lungu said the MMD government is doing all it can for the people of Zambia and must be given another mandate in this year’s elections.
“Yes, the economy has grown and we are not saying that we have solved everyone’s problems. Zambians must vote for President Banda and the MMD so that they can have a better future,” he said.
He said it is because the country is moving in the right direction that some people are now falsely accusing President Banda of doing things he is not even capable of doing.
Mr Lungu said the people making accusations against the President do not even have evidence and emphasised that President Banda has done enough to guarantee his return to State House.
He said he is ready to campaign for the MMD because it is the only party that has a vision for Zambia.
“I am back in the MMD because President Banda’s government is implementing the policies I believe in. As young people, it is time to get involved in the political dispensation of this country. I believe in the ideals and values of President Banda and the MMD,” Mr Lungu said.
And MARTIN NKOLOMBA reports that MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya says Zambians do not want change that will introduce perverse cultures in the country.
Ms Siliya said on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation news yesterday that Zambians do not want negative change such as the one being promised by opposition Patriotic Front president Michael Sata, who is promoting homosexuality.
Ms Siliya said Zambians need positive change such as that being provided by President Banda through the improvement of infrastructure.
PRESIDENT Banda with a delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC)
PRESIDENT Banda yesterday held a private meeting with a delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC), which is in the country to strengthen ties between Zambia and China.
The meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes, took place at State House and was attended by MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga and party national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the CPC delegation’s spokesperson Zhou Guohul said the delegation is in the country at the invitation of the MMD to strengthen bilateral relations between the CPC and the ruling party; and between the Chinese and Zambians.
“The head of the delegation had a very good meeting with President Banda. They have exchanged views politically, economically and in other areas. They agreed to continue to strengthen the good relations between our two parties and our peoples,” Mr Zhou said.
He said although the CPC and the MMD have different political ideologies and economic policies, his party adheres to the principle of equality, respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of other parties.
“This is the guidance we would like to use in establishing and strengthening our relations and exchanges with all parties and friends in Africa,” Mr Zhou said.
He said when the MMD came to power in 1991, it established and eventually strengthened ties with the CPC.
Mr Zhou said during the meeting, President Banda defended China on the recent concerns raised by United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that China is not transparent in its dealings with other countries, and that it does not observe the principles of good governance.
He said Mr Banda noted that Zambia must co-operate with China in the same way it co-operates with the US.
“Besides, China has a long history of traditional friendship with Zambia,” he said.
And Mr Zhou said the delegation’s visit to Zambia has nothing to do with this year’s elections.
“We are here for the friendship, not only between our parties but also between our people. We don’t think this has anything to do with elections,” he said.
THE JSE Stock Exchange says mining companies in Zambia should consider floating shares through dual listing to effectively tap into international investors.
And the stock exchange has commended First Quantum Minerals (FQM)for the recent announcement to float shares on the local bourse saying it will increase confidence in the economy.
JSE business development manager Geoff Musekiwa said there is need for African countries such as Zambia to encourage dual listings to be able to tap into deeper markets for development capital.
“Companies with mining activities in African countries will be able to raise significant funds for new and existing projects if dual listings through initial public offers are effectively pursued,” he said.
He said dual listing is important because firms are able to identify with certain assets and diversify investment portfolio with a view of available assets.
A dual-listed company or DLC is a corporate structure in which two corporations function as a single operating business through a legal equalisation agreement, but retain separate legal identities and stock exchange listings.
Mr Musekiwa said this in a presentation dubbed ‘Capital Raising in African Capital markets- Building Competitive Environments’ at Zambia’s first International Mining and Energy indaba and exhibition in Lusaka yesterday.
He said countries such as Zambia with only one mining stock listing, Zimbabwe with four, Ghana with two and Mali with 11 could benefit immensely if more companies floated shares via dual listing.
He called for an international best practice standard for capital markets, correspondence of ideas in harmonising the capital market system and introducing new products on African stock markets if more mining firms are to be motivated to raise capital.
He said capital markets in most African countries are starved of investment instruments for capital raising hence the need for effective measures to remedy the situation.
On FQM listing, Mr Musekiwa said the move by the company to list shares is a positive step for the growth of the capital market.
He called for more education programmes that will inspire more firms to list shares for long-term financing of various developmental projects.
The JSE Stock Exchange (previously the JSE Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) lists more than 400 companies and has market capitalisation of over $182 billion, making it the largest exchange in Africa and among the top ten in the world.
The exchange trades shares for a wide variety of industries, with the largest portion of market capitalisation coming from the mining industry.
Mighty Mufulira Wanderers will make a rare league appearance in Lusaka this weekend.
The Shinde side will be away to struggling Lusaka Dynamos on Saturday whom they play in a Division 1 North Week 15 game at Queensmead Stadium.
This will be the fallen legendary cup and league campaigner’s first competitive game in Lusaka since September, 2009 when they faced Nkana in a marketed league game.
Mighty lost 2-1 to Nkana in the game played at Nkoloma Stadium.
And financially beleaguered Dynamos are banking on Mighty’s popularity to cash in on this home game.
Dynamos, who were demoted from the Faz Super Division in 2010, are in a crisis as owner Hanif Adams searches for a buyer for the club that he has built for the last three decades.
Without a buyer coming over the horizon, Dynamos are operating on a shoestring budget as they battle to fulfil their eight away games in Kabwe and on the Copperbelt.
Dynamos are currently third from bottom on Division 1 North table on 10 points with just two wins from 13 games.
Meanwhile unbeaten Wanderers, who last played in the top flight in 2005 for one season after being demoted for the first time in 2002, are in third placed on 22 points, seven points behind leaders Indeni of Ndola.
Transparency international Zambia (TIZ) has urged political parties participating in this year’s elections to clearly explain their Anti-Corruption policies to Zambia.
TIZ president Reuben Lifuka told journalists that the politicians should clearly indicate how they intend to fight corruption so as to improve the country’s governance system.
Mr. Lifuka says there is also need for the public sector to be nuetral.
He added that once public institutions become independent from political interference, it will be easy for them to operate efficiently.
He observed that corruption had only affected the development of the country but that is has also proved to be expensive in public expenditure.
[ QFM ]
Electoral officers attend to a woman during the voting process in Milanzi
By Anthony Kasonde
Zambia’s Republican President, Rupiah Banda, a few days ago proudly informed the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, that the only topic Zambians are discussing at the moment is the 2011 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. However, Mr Banda just came short of announcing the elections date and only informed Mrs Clinton that elections will be held within a few months’ time.
Zambians would have been proud that the State President was indeed very much in touch with them that he even knew what they regularly discussed in their daily lives. Alas, Mr Banda would be disappointed to note that the only topic on the Zambian street is how they would get money in their pockets. If there is a semblance of the 2011 elections being discussed on the street, it is when exactly will the elections be held?
Elections Date in Other Countries
Zambia’s Presidential system of governance is based in large part on the US model but unlike in the US where Federal Law clearly stipulates that Presidential elections must be held on the first Tuesday of November every 4 years, the Zambian law does not specify which day or month elections are supposed to be held. Thus, even though we are entering into the middle of the year, Zambians are still not aware when exactly elections will be held and yet immediately after voting Barack Obama into office on 4th November 2008, the Americans knew that the next Presidential elections will be on 6th November 2012.
Zambia has also borrowed from the British system of governance but unlike the US system the British style of governance is largely based on Convention rather than written law. Under the current British system, even though the maximum term of parliament is 5 years, the Prime Minister can call elections at any time of his liking but before the end of the 5 years. It is thus possible that Zambian law is silent on the exact election date since it envisaged scenario where the politicians and the general citizenry would develop a system that would be developed, respected and observed over time.
The system of governance by Convention is very much suitable for mature democracies but also entails faith in the system and in people who participate in the system. That said, it is prudent to note that the British system have doubted their own system due to recent Politicians’ tendency to use the system when it suited their own political careers. Thus, there is currently a bill before the British Parliament which seeks to enact a fixed 5 year parliament with elections to be held on the first Thursday of May. Therefore if, as expected, this law is enacted the next general election in the UK will be on 7th May 2015.
What is the Fuss with the Elections Date?
It is thus clear that the very models where Zambia has based its system of governance have recognised that governments should be based on laws rather than men. When you put faith in men rather than in laws, you only have yourself to blame if the people turn out not what you expected them to be. In Zambia, the politicians seem to deliberately leave gaps in various legislations rather than enact them fully to stand the test of time.
This issue of the election date is the case in point. There has been speculation about when the elections will be held and at one time President Banda had to refute reports attributed to the Patriotic Front President Michael Sata that elections were to be held on 1st April 2011. The denial by President Banda was obviously credible since the month of April has long passed.
However, the inability to tell the Zambian people when exactly elections will be held has led to people suspecting that the current government is looking at ways of manipulating the system.
It is of course true that previous Presidents have called elections date at their discretion and hence supporters of President Banda would want him to be given all the time that he needs before he announces the election date. This statement appears to be true but is it right? Just because others have done it does not make it right.
Zambia has a wet season from about early November when roads particularly in rural areas which are already bad become impassable. Therefore, taking into account the logistics and common sense there is only 4 months left before elections can be conducted in a decent and reasonable manner. It is inconceivable that a country can talk about having free and fair elections when the electorate are not even aware when the elections will be held. Free and fair elections refer not only to things that happen on the polling day but are about a process leading to and including that day.
The essence of letting the electorate know well in advance when the elections will be, as in the American system, is not just good practice but it also helps in planning. At the moment, the only people aware of when the elections will be are the President himself and perhaps his family and his senior party members. However it is not just these people who need to plan and exercise their franchise. People will be interested in going away on holidays; business trips etc. but if they had the election date in mind then they would most definitely work around with this date in mind.
The students also stand to be disenfranchised if the election date goes the other way. It is not uncommon for students at university to be registered to vote during university time but when the election date comes around these students will be on vacation and back to their homes, or vice versa. However, if the election date is announced well in time then these students and other stakeholders will make proper plans to ensure that they do vote.
What does the Law in Zambia Say?
The law in black and white helps resolve a lot of things and not only removes ambiguity but helps prevent misguided leaders from developing into despots. When the law is there and complete there is no room for political manipulation. Zambia for example did so much better in 2008 after the death of President Mwanawasa because the Constitution provided that after the death of a President; elections must be held within 90 days. In this way, the government and other politicians could not manipulate the system because a specific law covering this area was already there.
However, if the period of holding elections were not stated it is possible that other factors not least the lack of money would have come into play and elections would have been delayed may be to this day.
There have been debates recently as to who is empowered to announce the election date, in Zambia. This again is brought about due to gaps in the legislation. Article 88 of the Constitution gives the President the power to dissolve parliament and then goes on to state that on dissolution of parliament, presidential and parliamentary elections must be held and the first session of the new parliament must be had within 3 months of the dissolution.
This is what appears to confuse people into thinking it is the President who is empowered to announce the election date. However the law does not support this view, in fact Section 17(2)(ff) of the Electoral Act 2006 as amended provides that the Commission may make regulations providing for, among other things, the fixing of a date of an election of a President or an election following the dissolution of the National Assembly.
It is thus clear that it is not the President who has to choose the date but the Electoral Commission. It should follow that whoever chooses the date must also announce it but this is usurped by the President and therefore appears to be the person that chooses the date. However what is clear is that the President merely sets the process in motion and the law seems to state that until parliament is dissolved (by the President) the Commission cannot fix the date – even if the tenure of parliament has come to an end. It is these gaps and loopholes that causes confusion and may create tension when the Electoral Commission decides to flex its muscle.
Therefore given the situation that only the President is given powers to dissolve parliament and the Electoral Commission cannot fix the date until parliament is dissolved, what rights do the people have if for example President Banda decided not to dissolve parliament? A lot of people would insist that cannot happen while others will say the country will demonstrate and demand that he does so.
The President will indeed be breaching the Constitution that only allows the life of parliament to be limited to 5 years unless of course extended due to an emergency e.g. due to an act of war. But seeing that there is no real emergency in the country, the powers that be must surely put the process into action now. This is because if, as everyone has accepted, President Band is merely finishing Late Mwanawasa’s mandate then he does not have long to do so. President Mwanawasa was elected on 28th September 2006 and therefore the life of that parliament is not required to go beyond September 2011.
In effect, the general elections in Zambia must be held at least soon after that date but parliament cannot go beyond that time. Thus even though elections are so near the government by their lack of communication is making them look so far.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has cautioned the public not to believe what it terms as lies by the post newspapers that the party is going into a pact with the ruling movement for multi-party democracy (MMD).
UPND secretary general Winston Chibwe says there is nothing to believe from what is reported by the post newspapers as they have never covered any UPND rally to get information on the ground.
Mr. Chibwe says the party is willing to work with any political party which has a vision as of the UPND but not with the MMD.
He tells QFM in an interview that the UPND has no intentions of working with the MMD adding that it is not in any partnership with the MMD as reported by the post newspapers.
Meanwhile, Transparency international Zambia (TIZ) has urged political parties participating in this year’s elections to clearly explain their Anti-Corruption policies to the people of Zambia.
TIZ president Reuben Lifuka told journalists that the politicians should clearly indicate how they intend to fight corruption so as to improve the country%u2019s governance system.
Mr. Lifuka says there is also need for the public sector to be depoliticized.
He adds that once public institutions become independent from political interference, it will be easy for them to operate efficiently.
He observes that corruption had only affected the development of the country but that that is has also proved to be expensive in public expenditure.
Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a unit of London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, has completed the installation of three diesel generators with a 24 megawatts (MW) capacity at its flagship Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) to address emergency power situations.
The three generators have been installed by Finland’s Wartsila, a company specialising in manufacturing and installing diesel generator sets of varying capacities all over the globe. Each has a capacity of 8MW.
The generators, to be commissioned this month, will provide back-up power in case of failure of power supply from the national grid. KCM, like other mining companies, is currently supplied with power by the Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC), which purchases the electricity from state power utility, Zesco Ltd., under the bulk-power supply arrangement.
This 24-MW new capacity, coupled with existing 20MW gas turbine capacity at Konkola and 10MW gas turbine capacity at Luano, which both belong to the CEC, is expected to provide enough power to operate pumps that are used to drain uncontrolled water from the KDMP in case of total power failure from the grid.
The Konkola mine located in Chililabombwe town, 455 kilometres north of the capital Lusaka, is one of the wettest mines in the world, with around 350,000 cubic metres of water drawn everyday from its underground operations. KCM infuses this water into the Kafue River, one of Zambia’s major and longest rivers, and it helps to keep the levels of the Kafue high during the dry season when the need for water is even higher.
The KDMP is expected to help raise total KCM copper production to more than 400,000 tonnes in the next few years. KCM has invested more than $2 billion in new projects, expansions and upgrades of its assets in the last six years in efforts aimed at raising production and extending mine life.
Konkola Copper Mines is an integrated copper producer, which operates the Nchanga mine, comprising an underground mine and open pits, the Nchanga Smelter, Konkola Mine, Nkana Refinery on the Copperbelt province and the Nampundwe pyrite mine, which is located near the capital city, Lusaka. KCM is also Zambia’s largest private sector employer with more than 20,000 permanent and contractor employees.
A 23-YEAR-OLD peasant farmer of Mumbwa district is battling for his life after being shot in the stomach by his uncle.
The shooting incident happened on Monday around 12:00 hours in Shachele village in chief Shakumbila’s area.
Police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said Mr Alison Hanyama, aged 50, was demonstrating how a pistol is operated without taking precautionary measures.
She said the gun, was loaded and it went off accidentally shooting Mr Hilux Muleza, in the stomach.
Ms Siamana said investigations have since been instituted into the incident, and that MrHanyama is in police custody for questioning.
In another development, MsSiamana said police in Kabwe have recovered an AK47 rifle with five rounds of ammunition, left behind by two criminals who tried to rob a house in Kafulamato area.
File: Sebastian Kopulande talks to Indian high commissioner
ZAMBEEF plans to raise US$55 million (€38m) via a listing on London’s alternative investment market (AIM) to bankroll the acquisition of three large farm holdings in the country.
The company’s public relations manager Justo Kopulande in an interview said the farms planned to be bought are under former Mpongwe ETC Bio-energy Limited.
Mr Kopulande could not, however, disclose details of the transaction saying the matter is subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and approval.
According to information posted on www.indendepent.ie, once the acquisition of the three farms is done, Zambeef will control almost 100,000 hectares in Zambia.
The three farms extend over a total of more than 46,000 hectares.
Zambeef was co-founded by Francis Grogan, the company’s chief executive, and is one of the largest farming agribusinesses in Africa.
The group owns farms, abattoirs and retail shops in Zambia and had revenues of US$162 million in the 12 months to the end of last September.
BHP Billiton Minerals Exploration, an Australian firm, has earmarked US$30 million for mineral exploration in Zambia over the next five years.
Company president Ian Maxwell said the company is well positioned to deliver value and make returns in investment portfolio projects in Zambia and Africa as a whole.
“Africa is a key location for us in global search for copper and other major minerals,” he said.
Mr Maxwell said so far the firm has invested US$30 million in green field explorations and will invest the same amount over the next coming years in Zambia.
“We are actually seeking for more investment opportunities in the country,” he said.
Mr Maxwell said this at the first International Mining and Energy Conference and Exhibition in Lusaka yesterday.
He said the firm is attracted to invest further in Zambia because the country is a low risk investment destination, with a stable political arena.
Mr Maxwell said the firm is happy to contribute to the country’s mineral future, adding that there is strong and long-term demand growth anticipated in the sector.
He said the company has invested US$24 billion in major projects around the globe. The firm’s capital plan for the next five years is US$8 billion across the globe.
Mr Maxwell said his firm is interested to invest substantial amounts of money in energy-related projects, copper and manganese projects.
BHP Billiton is the world’s largest diversified natural resources company with 100 operations in 25 countries. The firm occupies significant positions in major commodity businesses, including aluminum, energy coal and metallurgical coal, copper, manganese, iron ore, uranium, nickel, silver and titanium minerals, and has substantial interests in oil, gas, liquefied natural gas and diamonds.
Gabriel Namulambe (C) and State Chief of staff Austin Sichinga
MMD chairperson for elections Gabriel Namulambe has instructed lower organs of the party entrusted with adopting candidates ahead of this year’s tripartite elections not to issue any statements to the media regarding pre-election adoptions.
And Mr Namulambe has asked Chongwe Member of Parliament (MP) Sylvia Masebo to state her position on which platform she wants to re-contest her seat.
He has also warned that candidates should not declare themselves as having been adopted following their victory at pre-constituency elections because such declarations could only be done after approval by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
At a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday held at the MMD secretariat, Mr Namulambe said the adoption process was continuing in all the constituencies and was progressing well.
He said the MMD’s goal was to ensure that the party won the elections, adding that the issue of any candidate coming out first at constituency level was less important.
“I want to inform the MMD lower organs that the process is ongoing and there should not be any issues of people declaring themselves as having been adopted after winning the pre-constituency elections.
“This is not the case because there are other things that need to be determined before adopting anybody,” Mr Namulambe said.
[pullquote]Mr Namulambe has asked Chongwe Member of Parliament (MP) Sylvia Masebo to state her position on which platform she wants to re-contest her seat.[/pullquote]
He said candidates should wait until they received their adoption certificates signed by himself and the party national secretary, Richard Kachingwe.
Mr Namulambe said the notion that whoever came first at the lower organ would be automatically adopted was misleading.
He said there were other interviews that would be conducted by the provincial executive committee, with the final being NEC.
“So it is after the approval by NEC that candidates are adopted, this business of candidates declaring themselves as having been adopted is neither here nor there and it is therefore too early to announce who has been adopted,” he said.
He also said the perceived differences in Chiengi Constituency did not exist and that jealousy people were the ones spreading reports that there was confusion in the adoption process.
Mr Namulambe said the party would wait to know on what party platform Ms Masebo wanted to re-contest her seat.
Chief Fuka Mapili, whose names are Witly Graham Phiri, of the Thonga people of northern Malawi has said he is not aware about President Rupiah Banda’s father having originated from his chiefdom.
The traditional leader refuted claims by former Zambian ambassador to Botswana Milton Phiri that President Banda’s father, Bwezani Banda was born in Tukombo Village of his chiefdom.
The 71-year-old traditional authority, as they are known here, who presides over 50, 000 subjects with six senior group village headmen and 25 village headmen, said in an interview at his Mbamba headquarters yesterday that he was not aware of Mr Banda having roots in his chiefdom.
He said it was wrong for people to suggest that President Banda’s parents were Malawians just because of the name as the Banda name was common to Zambia and Malawi.
“We have heard that there are some people who say that President Banda comes from here in Malawi. Many of us here in my chiefdom are not aware about that, we have tried to make our research to establish if he has any relations but there is no truth in those allegations.
“There is no truth in that. If it is because he is a Banda, and because Bandas, Phiris come from Malawi go to Lundazi, go to Chipata but there are Bandas who are born there, their parents are from there, the same with President Banda he doesn’t come from here,” he said.
He said there were a number of elderly people in FukaMapili area who would have remembered Mr Bwezani Banda if the allegations by the former Zambian envoy to Botswana were really true.
Chief FukaMapili, who has been on the throne since February 25, 1984, said Chewa speaking people in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia shared the same heritage as they all come from the same roots, in Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We have relatives in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia and we all fall under Kalonga Gawa Undi and that is why we meet every year in Mkaika, Katete for the Kulamba traditional ceremony,” he said.
The chief, however, said as far as he and his people were concerned in his area, President Banda was Zambian, just like his parents.
“I don’t know much about President Rupiah Banda but I know about Kaunda (former president Kenneth Kaunda) because he is even my relative. We do not have any records that Mr Bwezani Banda was born here,” he said.
Asked specifically about Tukombo Village as claimed by Mr Phiri, the traditional leader, who was flanked by his chief adviser Sume Chirwa said the village was within his chiefdom but that there was also no record on President Banda’s family.
He advised politicians to desist from making unfounded allegations but to find lasting solutions through dialogue by talking to each other.
He said it was important for traditional leaders as well as elected leaders to dialogue over issues that affect their countries.
“My word to our friends in Zambia is that first, we wish them all the best. We wish them well; if there is anything they want us to do together they are welcome any time.
“If they will need us chiefs from here to go we are ready to go there and be together with our friends Zambians and Malawians as our culture is one and the same. So what we want is please let’s live as one people, if anything is wrong let’s sit down and think together,” he said.
Mr. Phiri recently said President Banda’s father, Bwezani Banda was born in Tukombo Village in Chief FukaMapili’s area in Nkhata Bay in the then Nyasaland.
President Banda has dismissed Mr Phiri’s allegations and on Monday, the president’s brother, James also refuted the allegations that their father was born in Malawi.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has warned Zambians that they would grapple with huge supplementary budgets if they voted for opposition parties such as Patriotic Front (PF) that had promised to give cash to the people and undertake development projects within 90 days.
Dr. Musokotwane said such parties would leave chaos in the country because they would mismanage the economy and cause high levels of poverty since there was no example of a place where such promises had been fulfilled anywhere in the world.
The minister said this in Parliament on Tuesday evening after Kabwata PF Member of Parliament (MP) Given Lubinda submitted that the K1.4 trillion supplementary budget the Government was asking for showed lack of control and was contrary to the promise the Government made in 2003 not to overspend by more than two per cent of the budget.
This was when the House debated the Supplementary Appropriation Bill for 2009.
Mr. Lubinda said the K1.4 trillion represented about eight per cent of the national Budget and called on the minister to assemble measures that would curb over-expenditure by permanent secretaries.
But Dr Musokotwane said Mr Lubinda debated from a point of ignorance because the supplementary budget resulted from the global economic crisis when the buying power of the Zambian people went down and affected the taxation system because of uncertainty about their jobs.
The minister said as such, the Government had to spend more to cushion the impact of the crisis and also protect Zambians from losing their jobs.
He also told the House that the lack of controls had resulted from the failure by the opposition MPs to support the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to implement the draft Constitution where progressive provisions on controlling budgets were contained.
Dr. Musokotwane said instead of supporting the progressive law, the opposition MPs from the PF walked out of the House and wondered why they were not steadfast on national matters.
[pullquote]He also told the House that the lack of controls had resulted from the failure by the opposition MPs to support the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to implement the draft Constitution where progressive provisions on controlling budgets were contained[/pullquote]
He challenged Mr Lubinda to ask if he did not understand matters and also explained that the United States of America, China and other developed countries spent more to stem losses of economic activity.
Dr. Musokotwane told the House that economics were not just about figures on how one spent more but were about explaining contexts which Mr Lubinda failed to do when he accused Government of overspending.
Bweengwa MP Highvie Hamududu urged the Government to provide a ceiling of supplementary expenditure beyond which controlling officers should not exceed.
[pullquote]He challenged Mr Lubinda to ask if he did not understand matters and also explained that the United States of America, China and other developed countries spent more to stem losses of economic activity.[/pullquote]
And Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande said the Government was in the process of training officials working at Zambian missions abroad to improve their skills in promoting the country’s economic and political interests internationally.
Mr. Pande said the embassies had a lot of work for Zambia, resulting in the Zambia Development Agency approving US$2.4 billion by September last year and $7.6 billion from the Asian market between 2007 and 2010.
[ Times of Zambia ]
LVice President George Kunda has urged investors in the mining industry to shift their focus from copper mining to other equally profitable minerals.
Mr. Kunda said Zambia has abundant mineral resources such as iron ore, uranium, and gemstone among others which investors should exploit.
The Vice President said this in Lusaka today when he officially opened the first ever Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference held under the theme “Developing a Self Sustaining Zambian Extractive Industry Driven by Private Public Sector Partnerships”.
He said the theme for the conference was appropriate as it echoed Government’s policy of facilitating the development of a private sector driven mining industry.
ZANIS reports that Mr Kunda said Government had created a favourable investment climate in the mining sector in order to create employment and to reduce poverty among the people.
The Vice President also stated that the mining sector remained a key contributor to the country’s economic growth.
He called for increased investment in infrastructure and energy to be at par with the economic growth, Zambia was currently experiencing.
“Transport and communication infrastructure have come under pressure due to the increase in mining activities in the mining sector, without infrastructure doing business will be difficult”, he said.
He also called on investors to partner with Government to equip Zambians with skills for them to be good custodians of investment.
The Vice President further urged stakeholders in the mining industry to support the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which is aimed at managing mineral resources for the benefit of Zambians.
Speaking at the same occasion, Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale stated that Government would not nationalise the mines anymore.
Mr. Mwale said Government’s strategy for the development of the mining industry was to attract and to retain private investment.
He said the privatisation process which Government undertook in the mining sector between 1996 and 2000 was bearing fruit as evidenced by the flood of investment into the country.
The Minister noted that the country was recording positive economic growth owing to revival of the mining industry.
“The revival of the mining industry is evidenced by the resurgence of mineral exploration in Zambia . Over US$400 million has been invested in mineral exploration over the last ten years by both large and small companies. Zambia has also opened up oil and gas exploration”, he said.
Mr. Mwale further said the revival of the mining industry could also be noted by the recapitalisation of older mines that had resulted in the execution of development projects that could not be undertaken previously such as the Konkola Deep Mine project.
He said the country had recorded significant increase in capital investment in mining, adding that even in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008, capital investment continued to flow into the mining sector.
“Although the economy is diversifying into other sectors, the contribution of mining to economic growth will continue to grow. This is possible as Zambia has enormous mineral resources some of which are yet to be explored and exploited. I hasten to say that 42 percent of the country still remains to be explored”, he said.
He further called for an accelerated rate of exploration of mineral resources in order to raise the country to middle income status.
Mr. Mwale pointed out that the increase in exploration activities could only come about through the development of new mines and increased production volumes from existing ones.
And the Minister said Government was currently reviewing the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2008 to bring it in line with international best practices and ensure the sector contributed to economic growth.
Mr. Mwale said Government was aware of the need to improve the competitiveness of the mining industry and was implementing measures to improve the country’s infrastructure and labour productivity.
He said a conducive investment environment and a competitive industry would raise the inflow of investment beyond the current high levels.
The mining conference has attracted over 600 delegates locally and from South Africa, United Kingdom, Russia, United States America (USA) and India and it runs until this Friday
