National Restoration Party (NAREP) Secretary General John Phiri has alleged that people in Munali constituency wants change of representative following alleged failure of area Member of Parliament (MP) to deliver development.

Mr. Phiri has accused incumbent Munali Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) of failing to deliver development to the constituents.

He has also refuted claims by Mrs. Phiri that NAREP is sponsoring students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) to de-campaign her ahead of this years’ general elections.

Mr. Phiri told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the youths and people of Munali are not happy with the developments achieved in the area during the reign of Mrs. Phiri.

He said the people are disappointed with PF and Mrs. Phiri of failing to address the problem of roads, health posts and other needs of the community.

Mr. Phiri who has also shown interest in contesting the Munali Parliamentary seat under NAREP in this year’s elections has also
doubted the popularity of PF in the area.

He said people will vote for the capability of individuals and not for the party.

He has since advised Mrs. Phiri to appreciate the little she has done for the constituency rather than complain of her failing popularity.

Mr. Phiri has also cautioned people to scrutinise candidates who will be vying for public office in this year’s general elections.

He said people should vote for persons who can deliver and not the political party they represent.

Press reports indicate that Mrs Phiri has since accused those called for new representation in Munali as having been sponsored.

ZANIS

The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has castigated former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti for attacking public media institutions.

PAZA Executive Secretary, Patson Phiri said it was unfair for a former minister who also served under the Information and Broadcasting Services Ministry to accuse the public media of being biased in their news coverage.

Mr. Phiri challenged Mr. Mulongoti to explain what major contributions he made towards improvement of operations of the public media when he served as a minister.

He said Mr. Mulongoti failed to address the plight of public media during his time and wondered why he had to wait all this time until he was fired to speak evil about the public media.

Mr. Phiri told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that Mr. Mulongoti’s remarks were only meant to please the opposition.

He said public media institutions have an obligation to highlight the many developmental projects the Government of the day was undertaking in the country.

He defended their operations saying it was through the same media that many people were now aware and appreciated Government for its works aimed at developing and uplifting their living standards.

[pullquote]He said Mr. Mulongoti failed to address the plight of public media during his time and wondered why he had to wait all this time until he was fired to speak evil about the public media.[/pullquote]

Mr. Phiri advised the former Minister to examine whether the same private media he was now supporting was objective and ethical in their reporting.

He also advised Mr. Mulongoti to stop issuing unnecessary statements when he was aggrieved but rather seek dialogue.

Mr. Mulogoti yesterday lashed out at the three Public media particularly the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), Zambia Daily Mail and the Times of Zambia charging that they were biased in their news coverage.

Mr. Mulongoti who featured on a live Mobi Television Programme dubbed Open Forum said the public media was biased and lacked credibility.

The Former Minister who also used the same public media to attack his perceived enemies when he was in Government said news in the public media was one sided and only centered on President Rupiah Banda and his government.

He also charged that editors in the public media had lost credibility and their ethics as they were not serving the public interest but the interest of the ruling Government and President Banda.

The former minister claimed that when he was Information Minister in charge he gave out licenses to various media institutions for them to operate freely and not to be confined to covering only the Government of the day.

And when asked whether he would accept any appointment from Government if he was appointed to any portfolio, Mr. Mulongoti said there was nothing left for him to benefit from the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

Mr. Mulongoti said he had other ambitions in which he would explore to contribute to the nation’s development.

ZANIS

Non-Governmental organisations have described
the trend of fathers molesting their biological daughters as an unforgiveable and an immoral act.

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Executive Director Anne
Ngwira said such an act was the worst kind and should be condemned in
the strongest terms.

Mrs. Ngwira stated that the act was a sin and uncalled for behaviour which was not even animal like because animals protected their young ones and did not molest them.

In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, the Executive Director
urged mothers not to conceal such atrocities but to report them to save their children’s lives.

She further said women needed to be more aggressive in such matters but was however quick to note that their economic vulnerability contributed to them not reporting such cases adding that this was a sad development.

She said men who were destroying lives of their female children needed
spiritual transformation and should desist from such activities.

Meanwhile, Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) National
Coordinator Nelson Mwape has called on society to play an active role
in educating each other against such vices.

Mr. Mwape said Zambia had rules and regulations which were supposed to
be abided by stressing that the bible did not equally allow carnal knowledge of children by their parents.

He noted that some mothers were aware of what was happening in their families but instead opted to remain silent adding that this was wrong and such acts should be exposed.

He encouraged mothers to expose their husbands for the betterment of
their children describing such situations as abnormal.

Mr. Mwape said there was urgent need to get to the root cause of the
problem and called on all concerned stakeholders to come up with a
campaign to help address the issue.

He added that the campaign should include both men and women who should work together and observed that cases of women molesting under age children was equally happening.

Turning to the media, Mr. Mwape further said there was also need for the media to expose child defilers in an effort to curb such acts instead of taking photos of victims who were already traumatised.

”it is our duty as parents to protect, guide and provide for our children and once we start molesting them we are not performing our duty but instead we are damaging their lives,”Mr Mwape noted.

ZANIS

About 141 cadres from various political parties in Mongu District of Western Province have today defected to the ruling MMD.

The defectors are from the Patriotic Front (PF) United Party for National Development (UPND) and ADD.

Addressing the defectors and MMD party members at Mongu airport before departure for Kaoma this morning, Vice President George Kunda said Western Province is still a strong hold for the MMD and is a party which accommodates everyone.

Mr. Kunda wondered why some media are speculating false reports that the Patriotic Front (PF) is becoming strong in the Province when people are leaving its party to join the MMD.

He said the MMD government has done a lot for the people of Zambia adding that it is the only party that is able to deliver development in the Country.

The Vice President said it is common feature in almost every District he has been that people are defecting from opposition parties to the MMD.

“MMD is very popular in western Province in particular Mongu, it makes me wonder why the PF keeps on bragging of becoming strong in the province when people are running away from them” Mr. Kunda said.

AND speaking on behalf of the defectors, Former PF member Alex Chinga said they decided to join the ruling MMD because of many developmental projects that government is undertaking in the whole province.

Mr. Chinga noted that in a short period of being in office, President Rupiah Banda has managed to build many schools, hospitals and construct roads in the entire Province.

He added that he could not continue being in the opposition PF because it is a party which believes in homosexuality.

“As for me personally, the moment I heard that Mr. Sata was promoting homosexuality, I decided to change because am a Christian and the Bible does not say so” Chinga added.

He said as a group they will ensure that they encourage those who have remained in the PF/ UPND/ ADD to join the Ruling MMD.

The opposition UPND youth wing in the Southern Province has advised the Patriotic Front to attend its Provincial rally slated for April 29th and to be addressed by party president Hakainde Hichilema in Choma and witness how many of its members will defect to the UPND on that day.

And the UPND has refuted media reports in yesterday’s post newspaper suggesting that 61 of its members in choma have defected to join the patriotic front describing the party structures as being intact and stronger than anticipated.

Provincial youth chairman Francis Hakayobe says he has drawn up a list of more than 240 defectors from both the Patriotic Front and MMD that intend to switch to the UPND on the 29th of April 2011 led by PF Choma Central Constituency Youth Chairman Japhet Kamwendo and called on Patriotic Front senior officials to send representation in order to witness the grand occasion.

Mr. Hakayobe adds that it is a pity that the opposition party is playing politics of mediocrity and wondered which popularity its provincial chairperson Joseph Akafumba is claiming warning of a humiliating defeat in this year’s elections for the party in the province.

And on the reported defection of 61 UPND cadres, Mr. Hakayobe maintains that the PF had offered to pay every defector a total of K300, 000 at a function which was supposed to have been graced by Secretary General Winter Kabimba who could however not make it to Choma after being informed that the function had been snubbed.

He advised the Post Newspaper to consider providing factual information to the masses adding that the upnd in the province is still strong and resolved to support the candidature of its party president in this year’s tripartite election as he applauds the expulsion of Colonel Panji Kaunda from the party.

He said the youth wing is ready and determined to protect Hichilema against any odds and warned Panji Kaunda to desist from making unwarranted attacks on the party leadershipas they were ready to crash with him and his sponsors.

QFM

Angry villagers in Senama area of Mansa district have burnt to death two unidentified middle-aged men whom they suspected of being ritual killers.

Police and people who witnessed the killing of the duo confirmed the incident to ZANIS in Mansa today.
According to eyewitnesses, the two victims were pounced on by a mob of villagers when a little boy they allegedly attempted to snatch last evening shouted for help.

The same eyewitnesses said the mob had assaulted the two men to unconsciousness before dragging them to the roadside where they piled wood and grass and set them on fire.

The angry mob of villagers also booed and attacked police officers who went to the scene to investigate the matter. The sticks and stone wielding villagers smashed the windscreen of the police vehicle.

Luapula province deputy police commanding officer, Musweswa Wakwinji, described the incident as a senseless brutal murder but could not give details and referred all queries to the police spokesperson in Lusaka.

Earlier, some villagers told ZANIS that there have been incidences of children going missing in Senama area.
When asked to lead the ZANIS news crew to anyone of the parents who have lost children, the villagers withdrew.

But Luapula Province Minister Besa Chimbaka, who visited the scene this morning to see the charred bodies of the victims, said people in Senama have been living in fear of suspected ritual killers.

Mr. Chimbaka confirmed having heard rumours that Senama area was suspected to have ritual killers snatching children.

He expressed sadness that the rumours have now resulted into the senseless loss of two lives through mob justice.

He said police must now realise that there was a problem in the area. The minister said there is need to quickly build a fully fledged police station in Senama to secure the lives of people.

ZANIS