THE MMD in Eastern Province has unearthed a scheme in which Chipata Central member of Parliament and deputy minister for Works and Supply Lameck Mangani’s wife, Mary, has allegedly been promising a man challenging the current Chief Chikuwe, that the Patriotic Front (PF) will give him the throne if he campaigns for its president, Michael Sata to take power.

Mrs Mangani has allegedly been working with a member of the Eastern Province MMD executive committee to lure people in the chiefdom into defecting to the PF, using the dispute surrounding the chieftaincy.

However, the two women’s mission is reported to have flopped after their major target, Mr Maron Mbewe, who has contested the Chikuwe chieftaincy in court, rejected their overture and informed MMD leaders about their attempt to lure him and other people to the PF.

And MMD Eastern Province chairperson Kennedy Zulu says the revelation has answered questions the party raised when Mr Mangani held a private meeting with former Minister of Lands Judith Kapijimpanga just a few days after the latter defected from the MMD to the PF.

It is alleged that MrsMangani has been working with MMD Eastern Province vice chairlady Deborah Kamanga in her campaigns for Mr Sata and that on April 14, the two were on a campaign trail in Chief Chikuwe’s area, trying to capitalise on the succession wrangle in the chiefdom to garner support for the PF leader.

Former MMD Chipata district secretary Samuel Phiri said on April 20 that Mrs Mangani and Ms Kamanga informed people in the chiefdom, located in Chipata’s Kasenengwa Constituency, that President Banda is not interested in resolving the succession wrangle or helping Mr Mbewe to become Chief Chikuwe.

Mr Phiri said the pair then told the people to vote for Mr Sata, whom they claimed will resolve the succession dispute, and that President Banda has done nothing in the last two years he has been in power.

“I challenge the two to prove their innocence on the matter because the evidence against them is overwhelming.

People in the chiefdom are upset with the behaviour of these two unreliable women and I urge the party leadership in the province to flash out such people because they are misleading people and tarnishing our party’s image in the province,” Mr Phiri said.

He said Mrs Mangani and Ms Kamanga’s conduct is unpatriotic and tantamount to being in bad standing with the party.

“They are bad seeds who can easily contaminate innocent MMD members. As MMD in Eastern Province, we will not tolerate the behaviour of the two. They don’t mean well for President Banda and the party, and I challenge them to show where their loyalty lies because they seem to be anti-MMD,” he said.

And former Kasenengwamember of Parliament Timothy Nyirenda confirmed that he was present when Mr Mbewe’s envoys reported the activities of the two women to the MMD leaders.

“Yes, it is true that the report was made and I was present when men from Mr MaronMbewe made the report,” Mr Nyirenda said.

When reached for comment, MrsMangani denied campaigning for Mr Sata.

[pullquote]“I am not a politician, and I am not interested in campaigning for PF or MMD. We need to go round so that we can check on how these clubs are running, it’s not that we are campaigning,” Mrs Mangani said.[/pullquote]

She said her involvement in the running of women’s clubs since 2007 has forced her to go round the province and that some people mistook her frequent trips for campaign trails.

“I am not a politician, and I am not interested in campaigning for PF or MMD. We need to go round so that we can check on how these clubs are running, it’s not that we are campaigning,” Mrs Mangani said.

And Ms Kamanga said she is not aware of the matter.

And MMD Eastern Province chairperson Kennedy Zulu said the revelation has shed some light on Mr Mangani’s meeting with Mrs Kapijimpanga.

Mr Zulu said the MMD provincial leadership will soon meet and chart the way forward because Mrs Mangani may not be working alone.

He said the leaders will also summon Mr Mangani, who is also Deputy Minister of Works and Supply, because it is not possible that his wife can be involved in such activities without the husband’s knowledge.

Mr Zulu said the party leadership is also aware that Mr Mangani has allegedly been wooing his supporters in Chipata Central Constituency to follow him when he defects from the MMD.

He said it is sad that Mr Mangani can be seen to be fighting the MMD and President Banda.

“The fact that he lost an election at the MMD national convention doesn’t mean that is the end of the road. He should just concentrate on his constituency and continue serving as deputy minister.

These allegations are serious. We have verified them and found that they are true,” he said.

But Mr Mangani wondered how his wife could ask people to campaign for PF when her husband is a serving minister in the MMD Government.

He said it was not possible for Mrs Mangani to campaign in Chikuwe, which is in Chipangali Constituency, when he (Mr Mangani) is member of Parliament for Chipata Central.

“I really doubt that story. What I know is that she has been busy meeting women’s clubs. They got some money from the CEEC (Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission) and she told me she was going to check how far the clubs have gone with the balances on the loans,” he said.

Mr Mangani said nobody had told him anything about his wife trying to lure anyone to vote for Mr Sata, and promised to find out if it is true.

“I have spoken to my wife and she looked surprised. She told me the story seems to be a fabrication,” he said.

He said Mrs Mangani oversees 92 women’s clubs as patron while Ms Kamanga is the chairlady of the Chipata Central Women in Development Association.

“My wife was in Eastern Province for only a week, and has been accompanied by Ms Kamanga only once,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Mansa Community Radio Station Management has denied allegations that the station aired a news article that was believed to have contributed to the riots that recently engulfed the town this week killing three people.

And ZANIS reports that calm has now been restored in Mansa town, the provincial capital of Luapula province following Police and other relevant officials who have kept vigil in the area.

Station Manager Oswald Chansa says the radio station is purely catholic which promotes love and peace saying there is no way his institution could engage itself in acts of anarchy and lawlessness.

Father Chansa in a statement released to ZANIS in Mansa yesterday that said the story in question is unrealistic, unfounded and a deliberate attempt to malign and implicate the community radio station.

He strongly advised people behind the allegations to immediately stop and show responsibility in the manner of addressing to problems.

The community radio station manager stated that the mix-up could have come from a news item where a pregnant woman died in an unclear circumstance at a named place, 40 kilometres away from Mansa.

Fr. Chansa added that the death of the woman was not in any way connected to rituals in the district.

[pullquote]The community radio station manager stated that the mix-up could have come from a news item where a pregnant woman died in an unclear circumstance at a named place, 40 kilometres away from Mansa.[/pullquote]

ZANIS Crew that toured Kapesha Senama market and nearby other trading areas revealed that business activities had normalised as some traders were selling their merchandises,. as usual.

Meanwhile, Luapula province Minister Besa Chimbaka is tomorrow expected to hold consultative talks with the authorities in the area.

The caucus meeting is meant to iron out the problems caused during riots.

Police have since recovered some properties that were looted by the residents as police have intensified patrols in the area in order to bring law and order to Mansa town.

ZANIS

President Rupiah Banda has said that the Government will take over payment of salaries to doctors and nurses at Beit Cure Hospital along Kabwe road in Lusaka.

The President made the announcement after touring the hospital which specialises in the treatment of children with disabilities.

Mr. Banda said he was touched by the commitment shown by the staff at the private hospital where children and adults from all parts of Zambia were receiving treatment at no cost.

The President visited the hospital to see first-hand the surgical operations being conducted by veteran United States constructive surgeon Joseph Clawson.

Dr Clawson, who is also known as “Doctor of the Poor” is in Zambia at the President’s invitation and will return to the United States on Saturday.

President Banda said he first learnt about Dr Clawson’s surgical operations when he watched a documentary on CNN which showed him performing his works in Zimbabwe. It was at that point that the President initiated Dr Clawson’s invitation which the he gladly accepted.

Mr. Banda directed the Ministry of Health to begin the process of taking over the payment of salaries to the Beit Cure Hospital doctors and nurses.

The President was also happy that the mobile health services, for which he has been roundly criticized by some opposition leaders, were being offered by Beit Cure Hospital in their own mobile facilities.

This is according to a statement to ZANIS from State House signed by the President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations , Dickson Jere in Lusaka, today.

ZANIS

China Jiangxi Corporation for International, Economic and Technical Cooperation has donated about K232.5 million (US$50,000) worth of assorted items to the Ministry of Education.

Minister of Education Dora Siliya, who confirmed the donation to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said all the donated items are for selected schools in Western province alone.

Ms. Siliya said the items comprise 20 computers, 500 books, 100 footballs, basketballs and netballs and other education material sets.

She said the donation will significantly help in equipping schools in Western province with materials that would improve the standards of education in the area.

She has since thanked China Jiangxi Corporation for International, Economic and Technical Cooperation for the donation.

And President Rupiah Banda has paid gratitude to the Chinese government for being an all-weather-friend of Zambia from time in memorial.

President Banda said relations between China and Zambia date back to pre-independence period and have continued to grow.

He noted that even when China was still a poor country, it assisted Zambia in many areas of political and economic development.

He said this when Vice Governor of China’s Jiangxi Provincial Government, Hong Lihe and his delegation, paid a courtesy call on him at state House today.

President Banda said the building of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) was one project that proved China’s genuine friendship with Zambia.

“I am therefore very happy to receive you in our country which will deepen relations with your country,” he said.

He pointed out that in the recent past, the cooperation between the two countries has increased tremendously.

“In our recent history, we have cooperative a great deal. Now we can boast of a lot of development through assistance from China,” he said.

And Vice Governor of Jiangxi Provincial Government, Hong Lihe his country was happy that Zambia’s economy was growing very fast while her political environment has remained stable.

Mr. Hong said President Banda’s government has implemented its national development plan well hence the positive economic development.

He said praised the Zambian government for recording massive economic development in the recent past.

He observed that Zambia’s current economic development were similar to that of his province.

Mr. Hong said President Banda was also paying a lot of attention to the education sector in the country.

And Mr. Hong said Chinese companies operating in Zambia were receiving a lot of support from the Zambia government.

He said as a result, these companies were delivering satisfactory results especially in the construction industry.

China’s Jiangxi Province has a population of 44 million.

ZANIS

The MMD party said that it will be willing to participate in any public debate as long as it is informed in good time. Party Deputy national Secretary Chembe Nyangu told QFM that people calling for public debates can go ahead and organize them if they so wish and that the MMD will be more than willing to participate and use the platform to sell its manifesto.

Mr. Nyangu said that the proposed debates should however not be used to humiliate the MMD as a party or be used to brew up squabbles that may put the party into disrepute. He added that MMD has a lot of people that are specialized in various fields who can efficiently articulate issues contained in the party manifesto.

Yesterday, Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda who featured on QFM’s Monday Nite Live programme called for public debates were aspiring candidates in this year’s elections can debate issues.

And Mr. Nyangu has said people condemning President Rupiah Banda’s move to right off the balances owed by the tenants of the former mine houses on the Copperbelt should be realistic.

Mr. Nyangu says the directive issued by the president was in line with the MMD government’s policy of empowering the citizens of Zambia.

And Miners in Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province have applauded President Ruphia Banda for his directive to write off outstanding balances on former parastatal houses sold to sitting tenants in the region.

United Mineworkers Union of Zambia General Secretary Wisdom Ngwira said in a statement to ZANIS in Kitwe yesterday that his members have pledged support to Government under the leadership of President Banda.

Mr Ngwira said it was gratifying that President Banda’s leadership had realised to empower citizens with houses through the housing empowerment scheme.

He said it was a job well done to the people just as the second republican President Dr Fredrick Chiluba did in 1992.

And former dissolved Reform Party District Information Publicity Secretary Kenneth Nguluka appealed to President Banda not to be distracted by remarks of some clergy instead concentrate on improving the living standards of the people.

Mr Nguluka told ZANIS that the majority of the people were appreciating what President Banda had done during his term of office and only priests like Bishop Alick Banda with hidden motives could talk ill of President Banda’s performance.

Mr Nguluka was reacting to Bishop Alick Banda of Ndola Diocese’s remarks that the directive by President Banda to write of the outstanding balances on former parastatal houses was a move to lure votes in this year’s election.

He said though he was not a beneficiary of the directive he was in full support because it had been done in good faith.

He stated that it was a fact that people have no capacity to finish paying for the houses and that this directive had nothing to do with votes.

Mr Nguluka said all politicians got votes from the people who stood for the truth and listened to them.

He urged Bishop Banda to preach peace to the people as the country heads towards elections and not to provoke them.

ZANIS