The Non Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has reiterated its call for a new constitution to be in place this year.

NGOCC Board Chairperson Beatrice Grillo said that her organisation can not deny the relationship that exists between good governance and a good constitution adding that it is the custodian of the citizen’s rights and responsibilities.

Mrs Grillo has since called on all women in the country to continue advocating for a complete replacement of the current constitution with a new one but stressed that NGOCC will remain truthful to its core values of being non partisan in conducting this campaign.

She stated that women from all walks of life should sensitise the Zambian people on the need to have a new constitution in place if peace is to be upheld in the country.

Mrs Grillo explained that the Green T-shirt campaign is meant to send a signal to the planners of the National Constitution Conference (NCC)’s failed constitution that women of Zambia demand for a new constitution that will carry their views.

She said the Green T-shirt will be worn by all women countrywide every Wednesday.

The NGOCC Board Chairperson added that the campaign will take place countrywide in the next two weeks adding that the exercise will symbolise their commitment and peaceful demonstrations.

And speaking in an interview by telephone, Chief Government Spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha told ZANIS that that ever since people of Zambia demanded for a new constititution, Government had always been willing to give the people of a new constitution and that is why the process was started and allowed almost 500 Zambians from all walks of life in the NCC to represent other Zambians to debate recommendations of the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission.

General Shikapwasha has since advised NGOCC to go to the opposition political parties and convince them to pass the constitution in Parliament and observed that they boycotted the NCC.

He observed that those that were not willing to have a constitution boycotted the NCC and that as Government brought the draft constitution to Parliament, which is the Legislature, the opposition political parties rejected the constitution.

”Whatever the NGOCC is planning to do, there are laws in Parliament. The bill was rejected by the opposition MPs and it takes about six months to restart the process in Parliament. Government has no problem but let the NGOCC talk to the opposition MPS. Govt was willing to have a new constitution and it met all the costs.” He advised

Two weeks ago, the Constitution of Zambia Bill failed to pass through the second reading stage in Parliament after failing to garner the minimum two thirds majority .
This was after only 93 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the Bill of the required 106.
Twenty Members of Parliament abstained from voting which was conducted through a physical division after the electronic voting system developed a technical fault shortly before voting could take place.
Speaker of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwamba told Members of Parliament that the failure of the Constitution Bill to go through the second reading stage meant that the 1991 constitution as amended substantially in 1996 will remain in place in its current form.

Earlier, Vice President George Kunda told the House that the Constitution of Zambia Bill sought to preserve laws in existence before the coming into effect of the constitution as amended.

ZANIS

The Patriotic Front has accused the ruling MMD of getting people from Tanzania and issuing them with National Registration Cards NRCs and voters cards.
PF leader Michael Sata says the MMD is desperate to cling to power and is trying everything possible to find a way of rigging the elections this year.

Mr. Sata has told QFM news that his party has evidence indicating that the MMD is getting people from Tanzania and issuing them with Voters Cards and NRCs.

The PF leader says his party is watching the situation and will soon take action against such activities.

And Mr. Sata has written to President Rupiah Banda to intervene and put to a stop the hate speeches vice president George Kunda has been making on him.

According to a copy of the letter made available to QFM news Mr. Sata has observed such speeches if left unchecked have the potential to breed anarchy in the nation.

He adds that for the past six months the state controlled media has been writing articles that are meant to tarnish his image.

Mr. Sata has also wondered why the minister of information and broadcasting services has been issuing threats to radio stations that are airing political adverts.

He argues that the adverts that that have been running in the media about the developmental achievements of president Banda equally amount to campaign messages.

[QFM]

MUZ acting president Charles Mukuka said in an interview that the manifesto’s segment on mining did not represent any ideas that were not tackled in the MMD’s 2007 manifesto.

Mr Mukuka said it was disappointing that the PF lifted similar plans from the ones that the MMD had in 2007 to implement in the mining industry instead of working on different ideas that would attract support from the public.

He said various policies and frameworks that the PF were referring to in their new manifesto had already been or were being successfully undertaken by the Government.

“It is surprising that the PF’s manifesto talks of uncertainty in the mining industry when in fact Government has managed to woo a lot of investors to the sector,” he said.

Mr Mukuka said the PF manifesto talked of failure by the MMD Government to diversify the mining sector but he said various new mine activities had been established including manganese and nickel mining in Luapula and Southern provinces respectively.

He said Government had undertaken various policy changes, which had galvanised and increased mining investment in Zambia and that it was unfortunate that the opposition did not provide convincing new policy plans for the sector.

“This is simply a replica of the MMD’s 2007 manifesto which also tabulated how the party would provide among other things revolving funds for small-scale miners,” he said.

Mr Mukuka said under the MMD manifesto also contained plans to diversify mining activities from the traditional copper mining and a review of the legislative frame work.

Meanwhile, the Sub-Saharan Gemstone Exchange (SGE) has said there has been unprecedented investment in the mining sector in the last five years.

SGE president Phesto Musonda said in an interview that the high levels of investment could only come about with the implantation of good economic policies and an attractive investment environment.

Mr Musonda said investment confidence was clear through the amount of pledged investment by mining companies, especially on the Copperbelt.

“Already we have Luanshya Mine committing US $300 million to its expansion, with Mopani and Trident announcing billions of dollars in investments,” he said.

Mr Musonda said the long-term tax regime in Zambia had played an important role in attracting more investment because it in turn allowed the investors to recoup the investment, make their profits and remit the required taxes.

He said policy on small-scale mines had also improved with a focus on empowering Zambian entrepreneurs, especially those in the gemstone industry.

“In the past there had been challenges in implementing diversification but it was realised that the small scale mining industry was a major contributor to the success of the process,” he said.

Mr Musonda said the Government had put up policy that ensured that all artisan licenses such as construction in the industry were given to Zambians.

And some civil society organisations have described the PF manifesto as inadequate and hollow because it was mostly a replica of the MMD and UPND manifestos, with most of the proposals already being implemented by the current Government.

Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said in an interview yesterday that his organisation was disappointed that the PF manifesto wants to promote a secular State.

“The manifesto and the party constitution contradict themselves, in their constitution they are saying that State institutions would be run by party loyalists. Instead of giving a proper road map of their own of how they want to manage the affairs of the country, they keep referring to the MMD which means it is a copy cut,” he said.

The PF manifesto did address the real issues and does not inspire confidence that the opposition party would be the alternative Government.

Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said most of the proposals in the PF blueprint were already being implemented by the MMD Government.

“I have read through the manifesto which the PF is circulating and clearly it is a copy cat of the MMD manifesto which RB (President Rupiah Banda) and the MMD are already implementing even better,” he said.

He said with the revision of the MMD manifesto at the party convention in Kabwe, the ruling party was well placed to move the country forward.

“The PF manifesto is a duplicate of the MMD manifesto, Mr Michael Sata has no capacity to write his own manifesto, he had copied the UNIP constitution as well, so it is a blank cheque,” he said.

Bishops Council of Zambia spokesperson Gibson Nyirenda said the PF manifesto was a confirmation that the ruling party was on the right track in developing the country.

“We have seen how the economy has been growing under the MMD Government and am sure that the PF manifesto is an acknowledgement of that the economy is growing,” he said.

The PF recently launched its manifesto which they have been circulating.

Times of Zambia

Munali Member of Parliament (MP) Mumbi Phiri has complained that her effort to work with government to deliver development in her constituency is being hampered by cadres who have allegedly restrained her from completing certain projects.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview, Mrs. Phiri disclosed that her plans in construct ablution blocks at Kamanga Market, Chelstone Tank Bus stop and at Chelstone police have failed because cadres from a named political party have allegedly obtained an injunction to stop the construction.

She said the construction project and sinking of three boreholes which was to gobble about K650 million was stopped for reasons she declined to state because the case is in the court of law.

She said so far, about K150 million has been used on the incomplete structures and sinking of one borehole in Kamanga.

Mrs. Phiri said she has made an appointment with President Rupiah Banda and was waiting to be granted opportunity to see him so that she could explain certain pressing issues in the constituency.

She claimed that she and other opposition MPs were willing to work with government to deliver development to the people of Zambia but were not given an opportunity to do so.

And Ms. Phiri said she has embarked on constructing a wall fence at Kalingalinga basic school and Chamba Valley School in order to block people from vandalizing school
property.

ZANIS

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has imposed his son Mulenga to stand as Lusaka Central parliamentary candidate in the 2011 general elections, infuriating some hopefuls who believe they are better placed to contest the seat.

According to a PF member of the central committee (MCC), incumbent Lusaka Central member of Parliament (MP) Guy Scott has indicated that he would not re-contest the seat.

According to the MCC, this is in apparent admission of Dr Scott’s waning popularity after his party’s failure to live up to pre-election promises.

Following Dr Scott’s decision, interest is said to have been expressed by various PF members to contest the Lusaka Central seat, with Bauleni councillor Douglas Msiska being the front-runner.

“But in his usual dictatorial manner, our party president (Mr Sata) has disregarded Mr Msiska’s unquestionable calibre, claiming that he has no financial muscle to win Lusaka Central. So, he has imposed his son, Mulenga, who is busy campaigning even before the party chooses parliamentary candidates,” said the PF MCC.

Mr Msiska had earlier attempted to stand as Mayor of Lusaka after Robert Chikwelete completed his two terms but was blocked by MrSata because of his independent views on the running of PF.

The PF MCC wondered what was so special about Mulenga whose only tangible contribution to the PF was that he was MrSata’s son.

“We are not happy that president Sata is now extending his culture of appointments to parliamentary seats which are supposed to be decided by a majority vote of our central committee,” the MCC said.

He observed that the PF had given Mr Sata too much power which had made some members untouchable as they ignored the party constitution which was supposed to be the PF’s supreme document.

“If Mr Sata wants to turn the PF into a property of his family, friends and close associates, we are not ready to support his latest moves. If he thinks we are going to be forced out, he had better think again. We shall fight to the bitter end,” he said.

The member of the PF governing council regretted that some committed PF members who had supported the party since inception in 2001 have left in frustration because of MrSata’s penchant for sycophants who pledge blind loyalty to him alone.

“As you might have noticed in the papers this week, some senior members of our party who have become unpopular are exhibiting repulsive impunity and claiming that they are not answerable to MrSata, which is quite unfortunate for a government in-waiting,” he complained.

Another senior PF member wondered why Mr Sata was so interested in involving his children in the PF when the general trend around the world was that of popular revolutions against family political empires.

“If we are going to convince Zambians that we will bring real change when voted into power, we should not be seen to be exhibiting the very things that our friends in the Arab countries are fighting against. We have to be seen to be a democratic party that espouses democratic values,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]