Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Justice Irene Mambilima has maintained that the commission will not extend the voter verification exercise which came to an end June 12.

This follows calls by political stakeholders for an extension to allow more registered voters to have their details verified before the final register is compiled.

Speaking in Lusaka today during the ECZ/political parties’ liaison Committee meeting, Justice Mambilima said the commission has little time left before the forthcoming tripartite elections and that extending the verification exercise will have a negative impact on the commission’s preparatory works.

Justice Mambilima says the commission remains committed to ensuring that the country holds transparent, free and fair elections.

She says the ECZ has made headway in preparing for the coming general election and that all stakeholders will be kept updated on the progress regarding the elections.

Justice Mambilima has however said that in response to the concerns raised by stakeholders; the ECZ printed out hard copies of names of people, who registered as voters for every constituency and in all polling stations to ensure that no one is left out in the final register before certification which is expected by July, 31, 2011.

QFM

Minister of Finance Situmbeko Musokotwane says the economic growth Zambia is experiencing is as a result of the bold steps Second Republican President Frederick Chiluba took to privatize the economy.

Dr. Musokotwane says Dr. Chiluba unlocked the private sector when he privatized the economy.

He says Zambia’s economy will continue to grow as long as the country remains peaceful and maintains economic fundamentals such as inflation.

Dr. Musokotwane says peace is also an important element for investments flow.

He says the inflation rate should remain low if Zambia is to continue recording economic growth.

The Minister was speaking when he officiated at the Economic Review and Trade Finance Seminar organised by Access Bank in Lusaka.

He says part of the country’s economic growth will remain in the mining sector and that one third of all taxes in the country will be generated from mining firms.

And when presenting an overview of the Zambian economy, Leader of Deloitte Mining Advisory Services Ebrahim Takolia said the country’s GDP growth is expected to continue over the years.

Mr. Takolia says copper and cobalt will continue to play a significant role in Zambia’s economy.

He also said there has been a significant increase in foreign investments since 2000.

And Access Bank Zambia Managing Director Mukwandi Chibesakunda says the bank is ranked tenth in the industry, with deposit liabilities of about eighty million United States dollars.

The ranking shows 135 percent growth from thirty four million US dollars in 2009.

Preparations for the first ever Patriotic Front General conference to be held at the Mulungushi rock of authority in Kabwe from the 2nd-5th July, 2011, have reached an advanced stage with party General secretary Winter Kabimba calling on all bonafide party members to freely participate.

Unlike the usual system by most political parties of electing leaders for various party positions, the delegates to the PF convention will only elect the party president and members of the central committee.

Party general secretary Winter Kabimba explains that the PF’s general conference is unique from any other party’s convention as it gives party members the full authority to appoint their leaders.

Mr. Kabimba says the party’s electoral system is deliberately designed to promote unity in the party.

He explains to QFM that once members of the central committee are elected, it is the responsibility of the party president to make appointments to various party positions.

Mr. Kabimba says any bonafide member of the party is free to challenge the incumbent party leader Michael Sata as the party is democratic.
[ QFM ]

Government has increased meal allowances for students at the Copperbelt University and the University of Zambia. Government has also commissioned two hostels at the Copperbelt University that have been constructed at a cost of over eleven billion kwacha.

Education Minister Dora Siliya also says Government has increased book and project allowances for students at the two universities.

Ms Siliya says government has since has released sixteen billion kwacha to CBU and UNZA for the allowances.

Ms. Siliya says meal allowances for the two institutions have been increased by fifty percent, while book allowance has been increased by thirty three percent.

She says project allowances have been increased by twenty five percent.

Ms Siliya says government is committed to addressing the numerous challenges that affect higher learning institutions.

And Students at the Copperbelt University are happy with government’s decision to increase their allowances.

Copperbelt University Students Union president Matora Mbewe told ZNBC News that government has done a commendable job.

And Ms Siliya says there is need to invest in education if the country is to achieve its middle income status.

Ms Siliya says the education sector is the driving force of the economy.

She was speaking after commission two hostels at the Copperbelt University in Kitwe.

And Ms Siliya has disclosed that government has recruited a total of thirty thousand teachers since 2007.

Ms Siliya says Government also intends to construct 16-thousand classrooms by 2016 in an effort to make education accessible to every Zambian.

She was speaking after commissioning the hostels.

Ms Siliya met a combined group of staff and students representatives that included deans and directors of the Copperbelt University.

And Copperbelt University Vice Chancellor Professor Mutale Musonda praised government for constructing the two students hostels.

Professor Mutale says the hostels will ease the accommodation crisis that has affected the students for a long time.

And a forth year student of Business Administration at the Copperbelt University Malingose Mtonga has thanked government for constructing the state of the art students hostels at the institution.

[ZNBC]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata said he did not attend Dr Chiluba’s funeral because it was commercialised.
“That funeral was too commercialised. I do not attend commercialised funerals. I only attend funerals where I have a feeling,” he said.

He also denied being sick and that only his personal doctor should state whether he was sick or not.

Meanwhile former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi said it was shameful for the PF to try and politicise Dr Chiluba’s funeral because they had only succeeded in embarrassing Mr Sata, leaders and the entire party, especially that all the Zambians ignored them.
He said Mr Sata has successfully managed to embarrass himself by trying to politicise the late second president Frederick Chiluba’s funeral and in the end swallowed his pride by sneaking into Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) for a rushed body viewing, former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi has said.

Last week, PF chairperson for local government Given Lubinda was on a Radio Phoenix phone-in programme where he announced that the entire PF central committee met and decided that they should not attend Dr Chiluba’s funeral.

But when contacted for a comment yesterday, Mr Sata sharply contradicted Mr Lubinda by saying it was not true that the PF top leadership had convened a meeting to discuss whether they should attend the funeral or not.

“Who told you that there was such a meeting? We never had any meeting to discuss whether we attend Dr Chiluba’s funeral or not.

“If there was such a meeting, then why did Lubinda contradict himself by attending the burial at Embassy Park? Lubinda was among MPs (Members of Parliament) that attended the burial.

“I also went and viewed the body at Mulungushi and if we had decided otherwise, why did I go there myself,” he said.

But Mr Mumbi said Mr Sata had embarrassed himself and the entire party by trying to politicise the funeral.

“I am very sure it is too early for the Zambians to forget that just last week, the PF through Mr Lubinda announced that they had a meeting at which they decided that they were not going to attend Dr Chiluba’s funeral but for Mr Sata to just turn around and contradict Mr Lubinda, then it means there is something seriously wrong in PF.

“In fact Mr Sata even participated on that programme by calling in, why did he not dispute Mr Lubinda’s statement there and then? This is the highest level of inconsistence we have been talking about on the part of Mr Sata,” Mr Mumbi said.

He said what was interesting was the fact that no one even recognised Mr Sata when he went to view Dr Chiluba’s body at Mulungushi where The Post Newspaper revealed that some people were even heard debating among themselves in low tones as to whether the person on the queue was actually the PF leader, especially that he allegedly looked sick.

“In fact The Post Newspaper left out some information because the people there even went on to say that they have now believed that Mr Sata is truly sick going by how frail he looked on that day,” Mr Mumbi said.

He said what was said in the Monday edition of The Post about the people debating among themselves in low tones as to whether the person they had seen was Mr Sata or not confirmed that the PF leader was not himself.

Mr Mumbi said what was surprising was the fact that the entire PF leadership should hold a meeting at which they decided to shun Dr Chiluba’s funeral on the pretext that some people had planned to beat them up but later started sneaking to the same funeral “like thieves.”

[Times of Zambia]