Chief Government spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ronnie Shikapwasha has called for cooperation from all electoral stakeholders to allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to do its job without interference.

Lt. Gen Shikapwasha says the ECZ is the only body authorized to announce and conduct elections in the country.

He emphasized that other organisations should pave way for the ECZ and let the rules apply in order to have peaceful elections.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha was reacting to Chipata Catholic Diocese Vicar General Fr. Gabriel Sepo’s statement that the catholic church will go ahead to conduct the Parallel Voter Tabulation in this year’s tripartite elections.

He said that government will not allow some organizations to bring anarchy by being insistent about conducting PVT.

The Catholic Church has maintained that it will conduct the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) during this year’s general elections.

Catholic Diocese of Chipata Vicar General Gabriel Sepo said the church will conduct PVT as it is not illegal during this year’s elections.

He stated that the church through Caritas Zambia is already training election monitors to conduct PVT during the forthcoming general elections.

He said this in Chipata over the weekend.
[ QFM ]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has accused the Post Newspaper of using a former Ngambela of the Barosteland, Maxwell Mututwa of Mongu to peddle a political agenda aimed at discrediting President Rupiah Banda’s hard work.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said Mr Banda was mourning the deaths of two youths killed during a riot sparked by debates on the Barosteland Agreement of 1964 and that it was wrong for Mr Mututwa to charge that the president was unapologetic over the shootings and killings in Mongu.

Reacting to Mr Mututwa, 92, who was quoted in yesterday’s Post as having said President Banda should leave his post because he was unapologetic over the Mongu shootings, Gen Shikapwasha said Mr Banda was a leader for all Zambians.

He said the Post and Mr Mututwa were fighting a political war against President Banda and the Government reflected through the continued negative writing on happenings in Western Province.

Gen Shikapwasha said the Post was closely working with Mr Mututwa because the two had set an agenda to soil the image of Mr Banda’s hard working Government.

“President Banda is remorseful and compassionate over the loss of the two lives in Mongu.

“He is currently mourning with the bereaved family and the Post Newspaper with Mr Mututwa are just on a political agenda to discredit the good name of President Banda,” he said.

He said the president was focused on ensuring peace and harmony continued to prevail in all parts of the country to foster development in Zambia.

In January this year, Mr Mututwa with several Mongu residents were arrested and charged with treason over the Barotseland Agreement fracas which left two Mongu youths dead.
He was later discharged through a nolle prosequi.

[Times of Zambia]

President Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in the tourist capital Livingstone, to officiate at the Seventh Zambia International Business Advisory Council-ZIBAC meeting.

The main objective of the ZIBAC meeting, scheduled to take place on March 30th to 31st will be to identify key actions and responses to enhance the creation of jobs in the country.

President Banda who will join several international advisors and key investors says the creation of jobs for youths is top priority on government’s development agenda.

Mr. Banda says government will also provide support to Zambians wishing to start their own businesses.

This is contained in a statement released to ZNBC news by the President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere.

President Banda says his government is determined to create quality jobs for Zambians.

The President is of the view that government can address poverty through the creation of quality jobs.

President Banda is expected to convene a Heads of State SADC Troika Summit after attending the ZIBAC meeting in Livingstone.

The meeting of the SADC Organ on Defence and Security Cooperation is expected to tackle among others the Zimbabwe and Madagascar political challenges.

Zambia has attracted a lot of foreign direct investment over the past two years since Mr. Banda became Republican President.

President Banda has also accelerated the business reforms, which have led to Zambia being rated as one of the top ten reformers in the world.

ZNBC

The Supreme Court has delivered a consent judgment to pave way for Mufumbwe Member of Parliament Elliot Kamondo to file records of appeal against the nullification of his election results.

However, the restoration of the High Court’s verdict to nullify his election results still stands, pending the hearing of a fresh application before the full bench of the Supreme Court.

On March 16, Supreme Court Judge Muyinda Wanki restored the High Court’s decision to nullify the Mufumbwe poll result.

He had last year stayed the execution of the judgment after Mr Kamondo sought the stay of the judgment.

Re-instating the High Court’s decision Judge Wanki agreed with the sentiments by the petitioner Mulondwe Muzungu that Mr Kamondo had not adduced evidence whether his appeal would succeed.

Mr Muzungu of the MMD lost to UPND’s Elliot Kamondo during the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election held last year.

Mr Muzungu asked the Supreme Court to discharge the stay of the High Court’s judgment on grounds that Mr Kamondo’s appeal was ill fated and had no prospects to succeed.

He also submitted that the appellant had lamentably failed to demonstrate that the appeal was meritorious.

He submitted that Mr Kamondo had only adduced that he had appealed, and would inform the speaker of the National Assembly not to declare the Mufumbwe seat vacant.

On December 15, 2010, High Court Judge Philip Musonda nullified the Mufumbwe Parliamentary by-election.

This was after a protracted hearing where many witnesses testified that the by-election was marred with violence.

ZNBC

A committee investigating the Lilayi land scam that rocked the Lusaka City Council was scheduled to start receiving public submissions at Nakatindi Hall in Lusaka today.

Committee Chairman, Barnaby Mulenga says the committee will start receiving submissions for the next two weeks starting.

Mr Mulenga, who is also commissioner of lands, said this in a telephone interview to ZNBC News.

The investigating team will include the ACC, DEC, Zambia Police, Auditor General, ministry of Local government, among others.

The committee will also consider other submissions on land allocation around Lusaka.

The Lusaka City Council was suspended in January following allegations of impropriety in the allocation of one hundred and two plots at the Lilayi housing project.

The Forum for Leadership Search (FLS) has advised delegates to the MMD’s national convention to elect leaders of high integrity.

FLS executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said in Lusaka on March 27 that it will be important for the delegates to elect leaders who will add value to President Banda’s administration.

“I think President Banda is looking for value addition to his administration. He is not just looking at numbers in terms of individuals.

“Members of the MMD national executive committee must recognise that the positions they are aspiring for relate to the interpretation of MMD policies and programmes,” Mr Lifwekelo said.

He said the aspirants must vie for positions which are in line with their specialties and competence.

Mr Lifwekelo cautioned all the aspirants not to harbour selfish motives, but to aspire for office with a view of putting service delivery before self.

“People, like Dr Mbita Chitala, who were looking for jobs are now regretting supporting President Banda because their support was based on the hope that the President will give them jobs. It is important to ensure that those aspiring for positions do so with the idea of providing service, otherwise they will regret like Dr Chitala,” he said.

He said all MMD national executive committee (NEC) aspirants should make it a point to add value to President Banda’s administration, should they be elected into the NEC.

Mr Lifwekelo said the national convention will provide an opportunity to the MMD to pick a diligent team that will work with President Banda.

He said Mr Banda has not had the latitude to work with people of his own choice, as most of the people he re-appointed as cabinet and deputy ministers were initially in Dr Mwanawasa’s administration.

He said there is no basis on which anyone can accuse President Banda of being tribal.[pullquote]aspirants must vie for positions which are in line with their specialties and competence[/pullquote]

Mr Lifwekelo said credibility and morality will be of paramount importance for MMD delegates to elect leaders of integrity, loyalty and commitment.

The MMD national convention takes place from April 5 to 7, and all the provinces have endorsed Mr Banda as the sole candidate for the MMD presidency.

Mr Banda filed his nomination last week while Vice-President George Kunda filed for the position of party vice-president.

Others, who also filed their nominations include Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Lieutenant-General Ronnie Shikapwasha (chairman security), Minister of Works and Supply Gabriel Namulambe (elections chairman), Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Bradford Machila (chairman lands), Minister of Local Government and Housing Brian Chituwo (chairman local government), Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Maxwell Mwale (chairman mines).

Minister of Education Dora Siliya (chairperson publicity and information), Minister of Science, Technology and Vocational Training Peter Daka (chairman transport), Minister of Labour and Social Security Austin Liato (chairman labour), Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane (chairman finance and economics), Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Eustarckio Kazonga (chairman agriculture) and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mutale Nalumango (chairperson labour) also filed their nominations.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Confusion engulfed the Patriotic Front (PF) Copperbelt provincial conference in Mufulira when delegates rejected the party president Michael Sata’s manouevres to impose his preferred candidate Rebby Chanda for the position of Provincial chairperson against the delegates’ preferred candidate Sturdy Mwale.

The party leadership present at the conference, which included party vice-president Guy Scott, failed to control the situation, forcing the conference to be postponed to a later date.

Some delegates at the conference told the Times Reporter that Mr Sata had allegedly left instructions to ensure that Mr Mwale was barred from contesting the position of Provincial chairperson and that Mr Chanda should go through unopposed.

However, Mr Mwale filed his nomination amid chants from the delegates as opposed to Mr Sata’s preferred candidate who never received any chants from the delegates when he went in to file his nomination.

After realising that Mr Sata’s preferred candidate had no support from the delegates, the party’s senior official at the scene, a Mrs Atanga had difficulties to announce to the delegates that only Mr Chanda had successfully filed his nominations, while Mr Mwale was unsuccessful.
Her efforts to convince Mr Mwale to withdraw failed, prompting her to inform Dr Scott, who came in fuming against Mr Mwale.

This infuriated Mr Mwale’s supporters who grabbed the phone from their preferred candidate and locked him up in one of the rooms to ensure that Dr Scott or any other party national leader could not communicate with him to convince him to rescind his decision of contesting the position.

After locking up Mr Mwale, the delegates continued to chant “we want democracy, we want democracy and “no Mwale, no elections” and started throwing chairs all-over the Hindu Hall wherethe conference was held.

In an interview, Mr Chanda, who is Ndola District PF Chairperson said the confusion that erupted at the provincial conference was unfortunate.

“My feeling as one of the candidates for the position of provincial chairman is that the confusion was unfortunate. I have been in this party for a long time and I have seen the party grow and so I thought I should aspire for the position of provincial chairman,” Mr Chanda said.

When asked if it was true that he was Mr Sata’s preferred candidate, Mr Chanda just laughed and refused to comment on the matter, saying “I can’ t comment on that.

”And Mr Mwale, who is Masaiti District chairperson, said he was happy that he had the support of the delegates at the conference and would now be just watching the events after the postponement of the conference.

But Dr Scott said some people with money wanted to violate the party’s constitution, hence the confusion.

Some delegates at the conference said even Nkana Member of Parliament(MP) Mwenya Musenge was currently serving his suspension because of his attempts to contest the position of Copperbelt provincial chairperson.

[Times of Zambia]