THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit of heads of State and Government has mandated President Banda and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to seek an end to the political crisis in Madagascar.

President Banda will take the responsibility in his capacity as Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation. Mr Chissano is the SADC mediator on Madagascar.

The two have been tasked to quickly convene the meeting at the SADC headquarters in Gaborone.

In a communiqué read by SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao at the end of the one-day summit here on Friday, the SADC members reiterated the need for an all-inclusive political process of reconciliation and finding a lasting solution for that country.

Dr Salamao said the SADC leaders also commended Mr Chissano for his efforts in bringing together the Madagascar stakeholders in the reconciliation process.

Madagascar is in a political crisis following an uprising that toppled the democratically elected President, Marc Ravalomanana, who is currently exiled in South Africa.

The country is now being managed by a caretaker government, the High Transitional Authority (HAT), headed by 36-year-old Andry Rajoelina whose government the international community, including SADC, do not recognise.

President Banda has said SADC is determined to ensure that constitutional normalcy and a favourable political atmosphere return to Madagascar.

Commenting on the mandate, President Banda said the Indian Ocean Island has gone through a lot of challenging political situations, which needed to be resolved.

“Madagascar is a sad and complex case due to its distance from the rest of the SADC countries but we are determined to see the return of peace in that country so that it can also experience the normalcy we are all enjoying,” he said.

He said the Gaborone meeting has been slated for June 5, 2011.

President Banda said the extra-ordinary summit was important and critical.

President Banda told ZANIS in an interview in Windhoek shortly before departure for Lusaka yesterday that the summit, which was the first of its kind to be devoted to economic issues in the region, showed the maturity of the regional body, which had predominantly been meeting to discuss political issues.

“I am happy that we were meeting especially to review what we went through as a result of the global financial crisis and I am sure you will agree with me that many countries were affected,” he said.

President Banda said that it was pleasing that many countries, including Zambia, emerged stronger and have learnt to diversify their economies.

And President Banda says Zambia stands to benefit a lot from the proposed economic integration of the economies of SADC, COMESA and the East African Community through the Tripartite Free Trade Area because of the central geographical location.

“As Zambia, we are seeing the results of integration through various economic activities in all our border towns. We have activities on the Angolan border for example, as well as in other areas,” he said.

President Banda said the MMD government is determined to ensure that all possible routes leading to other countries are quickly worked on to maximise Zambia’s benefits from the regional economic advancements.
President Banda returned yesterday.

Meanwhile, the summit could not deal with the political situation in Zimbabwe because of the absence of the SADC mediator for Zimbabwe, President Jacob Zuma.

Dr Salamao said that President Zuma could not attend the summit because of on-going elections in South Africa. He said President Zuma wrote to the SADC secretariat explaining his absence.

“This situation prompted the summit and the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation to defer the matter to a later date not later than 12th June this year,” he said.

ZANIS

THE Christian Coalition has urged the Catholic Church to clamp down on its wayward priests to restore the integrity of the church.

Coalition executive director John Mwendapole said in Lusaka yesterday that the Catholic Church has itself to blame for speculation that it supports opposition Patriotic Front president Michael Sata.

Mr Mwendapole said the speculation arises from the fact that the Catholic Church has not come out in the open to condemn its priests who actively participate in politics.

“Let them clamp down on wayward priests to remove all misconceptions,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said some named priests have been seen publicly embracing Mr Sata and campaigning with him, which is wrong because the church is supposed to be neutral.

Mr Mwendapole said the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has at no time condemned priests from the church who use the Catholic Church to openly antagonise the MMD government and demean its development projects.

“They only have themselves to blame and they should not turn around and castigate others who defend a constitutionally elected government,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said the ZEC should not blame anyone who defends government from unnecessary attacks.

Mr Mwendapole said the attacks on the Catholic Church are a clear indication that people are not happy with the unwarranted attacks on government and that the ZEC could remedy the situation by ensuring that priests stick to preaching the gospel and not politicking.

He said the communiqué ZEC issued to all its churches on Thursday and Government wings is a “gimmick to cow Government into submission”.

Mr Mwendapole said the role of the church in Zambia is to preach the gospel and not to incline its membership to supporting certain politicians.

“Some priests are using the church as a platform to manipulate the Catholic Church membership into supporting their preferred political parties, which is wrong,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He challenged the Catholic Church to explain why it allows its priests to support Mr Sata when the church is supposed to be non-partisan.

“The priests are behaving like loose canons and if not properly handled, they can cause havoc in the country,” Mr Mwendapole said.

He said instead of supporting Mr Sata, the Catholic Church should use the influence they have on him to make him a better and more consistent leader.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

THE Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) says it has started reviewing the Intestate Succession Act number five of 1989 to make it more responsive in addressing the high cases of property grabbing in the country.

ZLDC director Annette Nhekairo said the organisation has decided to review the law because in its current form, it is not up to speed with modern administration of estates for people who die without leaving a will.

Ms Nhekairo said this in Lusaka yesterday when she appeared before the House of Chiefs to explain the challenges the current Act is facing in addressing property grabbing cases, as well as the urgent need to review the current Intestate Succession Act.

She said current statistics indicate that over 78 percent of widows and orphans continue to suffer injustices countrywide because of archaic laws such as the Intestate Succession Act.

“Research has shown that there is apparent resistance to the provisions of this Act. This is further evidenced by the high number of reported cases of property grabbing at police stations across the country and at legal advice desks.

“As we may be aware, the mandate of the ZLDC is to develop the law to meet the changing needs of society. In accordance with its objectives and functions under the Zambia Law Development Act, Chapter 32 of the Laws of Zambia, the commission is required to undertake research and make special recommendations on the need to revise the Act,” Ms Nhekairo said.

She said the current Intestate Succession Act does not adequately protect the interests of the widows and orphans, especially on matters relating to customary land.

Ms Nhekairo said the Act poses challenges in administering the Act as it is applied according to customs and traditional norms prevailing in a particular area, which vary in a country of 73 tribes and 286 chiefs.

She said the Act also greatly disadvantages widows and orphans with regard to their rightful inheritance shares from the estates of their husbands and fathers.

Ms Nhekairo also said the police should be empowered to arrest people violating the law, while the judiciary should be mandated to prosecute such cases to deter intending perpetrators of the vice.

She said the Law Development Commission has documented cases of injustices against widows and orphans to show the extent of the problem in the country.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

President Rupiah Banda has praised Zambian farmers for recording another historic bumper harvest.

The President is impressed with the unprecedented three point two metric tonnes of maize, which represents a surplus of over one million tonnes.

President Banda says his government has worked hard to introduce effective agricultural policies which have contributed to steady growth and stable food prices in the country.

Mr Banda was reacting to the announcement by Agriculture Minister Dr Eustarckio Kazonga that Zambia has recorded another bumper harvest.

This is according to a statement released to ZNBC News by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

The President says his Government is in the process of working with the Food Reserve Agency, traders and farmers to identify the best ways to store and transport the huge harvest.

Mr Banda says his primary concern is to ensure the produce reaches the people who will most benefit from the harvest.

At the start of this year’s agricultural season, President Banda pledged increased budgetary allocation to the sector and a provision of 37 billion kwacha to build dams for irrigation and water supply to livestock.

The Economic Association of Zambia yesterday praised President Banda’s government for putting in place sound agricultural policies that have helped the country record another maize bumper harvest.

Last year Zambia produced another record bumper harvest of 2 point 8 million metric tonnes.

[ZNBC]

Choma District Education Board Secretary Annah Masilani has paid tribute to GLASCO Foundation of Canada for supplementing government efforts in increasing access to education in the district and the nation as a whole.

Ms. Masilani says shortening walking distances to school and increasing access to education for all is one of the major priorities of government which has built schools all over the country.

She said this yesterday during the hand over ceremony of a teacher’s house built under the donation of GLASCO Foundation of Canada at Katumbi Community School in Chief Macha ‘s area.

Mrs. Masilani pointed out that education has become a right and that every child is required to reach basic education from grade 1-9 by 2015, a target government is trying to achieve under the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

She disclosed that her ministry is working with other partners in the district such as ADRA Zambia and GLASCO Foundation to ensure that it reaches its target before 2015 .

Mrs. Masilani revealed that her office is currently processing papers to try to gazette the community school so that it is upgraded from a community level to a basic learning institution in order for grade seven examinations to be conducted at the same facility.

She added that her office has already identified the school for farther help in form of grants to enable the institution procure chalk, books and pupils’ requisite.

Currently the school is running up to grade four and aims to reach grade seven as soon as it is upgraded to a basic level.

The DEBS assured the community of Katumbi that her office will send teachers since the school is slowly growing and will absored the increasing number of pupils due to good infrastructure which has been made possible by GLASCO Foundation in partnership with government.

She reminded the community to look after the newly built infrastructure with good care.

“I want to thank the donors for the job well done especially in the provision of solar panels for this will retain teachers in rural areas and as our wish is to make rural schools conducive to teachers,” she said.

And speaking at the same function GLASCO Foundation Chairman Colin B. Glasco said his organization will remain committed to improve the welfare of the under privileged in society.

He said he is overwhelmed with the response his organization has received from the local community.

ZANIS