President Rupiah Banda, is tomorrow scheduled to leave for Istanbul, Turkey, where he will be among other world leaders attending the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The President will also meet his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, for bilateral discussions that are set to further benefit the two countries’ already warm relations.

This is according to a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere Banda.

Mr. Jere said the LDCs conference is an important forum for Zambia and other LDCs including cooperating partners as it will re-examine the entire development paradigm in light of existing and emerging global challenges and existing poverty.

The President will be accompanied to Turkey by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, and Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande.

President Banda’s administration has continued to place poverty reduction at the heart of Zambia’s development agenda.

A series of national planning frameworks have since been developed in line with the Brussels Programme of Action, with Zambia registering significant economic progress.

The Brussels Programme of Action is aimed at making substantial progress towards achieving equitable sustained, growth and development. It also focuses on minimizing the marginalization of the LDCs and assisting them graduate from the LDC status.

Like many other LDCs, Zambia desires to increase her productive capabilities, diversify the economy, achieve market access and call for fair trade practices, benefit from technology transfer, and improve infrastructure so as to lift people out of poverty.

President Banda launched the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) 2011-2016 which is focused on infrastructure development as a vehicle to drive Zambia’s development agenda.

The President’s delegation is expected to return to Zambia after completing the scheduled business in Turkey.

ZANIS

Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo has said the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) government will lose this year’s election in a similar way that the former UNIP government failed.

Mr. Mpombo says Zambians should never make a mistake of voting for the MMD back into government.

He says if president Banda is given the instruments of power, injustice in the country will rise to higher levels.

The MP,however, stated that the MMD has no chance of winning the elections because of president Banda’s leadership.

Mr. Mpombo added that president Rupiah Banda has no capacity to lead Zambia anymore because of his shoddy deals he has been involved in.

He added that Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata will make a better president than the current government of MMD.

And Mr. Mpombo has stated that it is quite unfortunate that the MMD government has allowed tribal appointments to take root.

He says that it is a pity that most appointments by the president are being based on tribal relationships with president Banda.
[ QFM ]

Patriotic Front Leader Michael Sata has sued Information Minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha for libel and slander.

Mr. Sata is claiming damages for slander over the remarks Lieutenant General Shikapwasha allegedly made that Mr. Sata supports homosexuality.

In his statement of claim filed in the Lusaka high court Mr. Sata alleges that Lieutenant General Shikapwasha who is Keembe MP warned the residents against voting for Mr. Sata saying if they elected him into office he will change the laws that will see marriages breaking up.

The PF leader claims the remarks were aired on ZNBC’s main evening news of April 21 2011.

He is also seeking an injunction restraining Lieutenant General Shikapwasha from repeating the said slanderous statements and that the court should award him costs.

Mr. Sata claimed that the said statement was false and malicious as the words in their natural and ordinary meaning were understood to mean that he was a homosexual and has thereby been guilty of the criminal offences on indecent practices.

He says the words were further understood to mean that should Mr. Sata win the presidency of this country, he would compel all persons to become either homosexuals or lesbians.

Mr. Sata further states that the said words were calculated to disparage and diminish his political ambitions of ascending to the presidency of this country.

MUVITV

An eight (8) year old minor of Choma yesterday told the Choma Magistrate Court how her Germany stepfather Bernd Hieke allegedly sexually defiled her in their family house.

The minor, who is a grade three (3) pupil at a named local private School in Choma, told the court presided by magistrate Jackob Mbolele how Hieke used to sneak into her bedroom to have sex with her.

She told the court that her stepfather had on two occasions allegedly sexually abused her in their home during which time the accused threatened the minor not to tell her mother.
The minor told the packed courtroom that Heike had promised to continue buying her presents which the mother never provided because he loved her.

The 60 year old German step father, of House number 251 Mochipapa road in Choma is facing defilement charges contrary to section 128 sub section one of the penal code chapter 87 of Laws of Zambia.
Hieke who is currently serving as a financial controller at Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SAWSCO) in Choma is alleged to have defiled a minor aged 8 years.

According to particulars of offence, Bernd Hieke on the dates unknown but between 2010 and 22nd February 2011 at Choma district in the Southern Province in the Republic of Zambia had carnal knowledge of a minor under the age of 16 years.

Mr. Heike is being represented by defence lawyer Milner Katolo from Milner Katolo and Associates of Lusaka.

And testifying in the same case, the minor’s mother, Sonya Heike 32, of house number 251 Mochipapa road in Choma told the court that she only became aware that her daughter was sexually abused by her husband through a stench which was coming from her daughter private parts.

The trial Magistrate Jacob Mbolela adjourned the matter to 11th May,2011 for continuation of trial.
[ ZANIS ]

Expelled former Movement for Multiparty Democracy MMD chairman for elections, Mike Mulongoti has charged that the MMD should face reality and accept the opinion poll released yesterday by the Centre for Policy Dialogue favouring Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata ahead of this year’s elections.

Mr. Mulongoti says the MMD should accept the poll predictions because the political environment in the country does not favor them.

He states that the MMD should be realistic and note that the opinion poll is an indicator of what the elections might bring forth.

He adds that it is not enough for the MMD to dismiss the opinion poll results but should instead work on improving the ratings between now and the elections date.

Mr Mulongoti adds that the opinion poll has created an opportunity to improve on the current standing of the party.

Mr. Mulongoti adds that rushing into rejecting the poll prediction will not solve the MMD’s diminishing support countrywide.

And the opposition United Liberal Party has charged that it is too early to predict who is favored to win this year elections.

Commenting on the opinion poll results released by the Center for Policy Dialogue which has favoured Patriotic Front president Michael Sata, ULP president Sakwiba Sikota says the prediction has come a bit too early.

Mr. Sikota says the important opinion poll is the one that will be released on the day of elections.

In an interview with QFM, MR Sikota states that Zambia%u2019s election date is far from being known, and that conducting an opinion poll now cannot determine the political outcome.

He adds that it will not be wise to predict the winner of the elections now, when the mood for the elections has not yet gotten in top gear.

Patriotic Front president Michael Sata is the most preferred candidate to win the forthcoming electionbs according to the opinion poll results released by the Center for Policy Dialogue yesterday.

CPD executive director Neo Simutanyi announced in Lusaka that if the elections were held today, PF president Michael Sata would get overall 31 percent, closely followed by MMD’s Rupiah Banda with 28 percent, with the UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema getting 12 percent.

QFM