MINISTER of Works and Supply Gabriel Namulambe says Government will not recommend the use of Government Printers to print this year’s ballot papers because the department lacks the necessary equipment and security.

Mr Namulambe instead advised the Government printing department to prepare for the 2016 by-elections by upgrading the machinery and planning for the printing of ballot papers for some by-elections that may occur after the 2011 tripartite elections.

“If we are to print ballot papers, let us focus our energies on 2016 because we have to ensure that security is tightened and all the necessary machinery is bought and installed,” he said.

Mr Namulambe said this during a familiarisation tour of the government printing department yesterday.

“After this tour, I don’t think it would be wise for us to recommend that ballot papers be printed here, unless the Electoral Commission of Zambia insists. I would instead suggest that we focus our energies towards addressing the concerns raised by stakeholders and modernise the equipment here,” he said.

Mr Namulambe also called for intensive capacity building to acquaint staff with the use of modern machinery and ballot printing,” he said.

The ministry would recommend that some of the government printing employees are part of the group of printers for this year’s ballot papers so that they are aware of the required standards.

And speaking during the tour, Government Printers captain Joseph Simbeye told the minister that the printing department was at the moment unable to print ballot papers in colour until one of the new machines is installed with the right software.

Capt Simbeye said most of the machinery and equipment was in place but the location would require some refurbishment before the ballot papers are printed.

And Mr Namulambe said he was impressed with reconstruction works undertaken by Shanghai Construction of China at the new government complex buildings.

During a tour of the building, Mr Namulambe said the construction firm was working at good speed and the complete structures were neatly done.

“It is impressive that you have done this much despite all the difficulties. I am sure that even our stadiums will be complete in record time,” he said.

And Shanghai Construction Company chief quantity surveyor Wu Zheng Rong said the government complex wing would be completed five months ahead of schedule.

Mr Wu said the firm was able to achieve such quality works by combining Chinese and Zambian specifications.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

CHIEF Mwanachingwala of Southern Province has described Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha, who denied endorsing President Banda, as hypocrites.

And Royal Foundation of Zambia chairperson Chief Mukuni has described utterances by the two chiefs over the Mazabuka resolutions as unfortunate.

Chief Mwanachingwala said in a telephone interview yesterday that Chief Nalubamba is trying to console and please United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema because the Patriotic Front/UPND pact was unsuccessful.

He was commenting on comments attributed to Chiefs Macha and Nalubamba that they never endorsed Mr Banda for the 2011 elections.

“Chief Nalubamba is depressed that the PF/ UPND pact is dead and is only displaying his anger because he supports the UPND,” he said.

Chief Mwanachingwala said Chief Nalubamba encouraged him to invite President Banda to the recent conference of Southern Province chiefs where it was resolved that the chiefs would support Mr Banda in this year’s tripartite elections.

He said Chief Nalubamba should have told President Banda during the meeting that he would not endorse him.

“Why should Chief Nalubamba U-turn on this matter when we agreed that we would give Mr Banda all our support during the meeting?” Chief Mwanachingwala said.

He said Chief Nalubamba should thank Mr Banda for everything the President has done in his chiefdom and not show ingratitude and disrespect.

“Zambians should forgive Chief Nalubamba for denying what he earlier agreed to, because he doesn’t know what he is doing,” Chief Mwanachingwala said.

In an interview yesterday at his office, Chief Mukuni said he does not want to believe that the articles attributed to the two traditional leaders in The Post of yesterday are true and he hopes to hear that Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha were misquoted.

“It would appear that in Zambia today, there seems to be a culture of dissenting for the sake of it. It is very unfortunate indeed. I am sure the two chiefs will have problems with their subjects because how do you expect someone to say such things when they could not do so during the deliberations,” he said.

Chief Mukuni said he would like the two traditional leaders to come out in the open and state their true position on the matter of endorsing Mr Banda.

He said even when he spoke during the Mazabuka conference, he did not speak in his personal capacity about the traditional leaders’ support for Mr Banda but that it was a resolution which represented all the 41 chiefs.

“What I presented to the President were the feelings of the majority on their support for President Banda as Presidential candidate. These were not my personal feelings,” he said.

Chief Mukuni said he has been trying to get hold of the two traditional leaders but to no avail.

And Chief Chilyabufu of Itezhi-tezhi described the utterances of Chiefs Nalubamba and Macha as false while Chief Sinazongwe said he is extremely disappointed with the two traditional leaders.

“I disagree with the two chiefs and I am also angry with them. There is something wrong. Maybe they must have been approached by some opposition politicians who could have swayed them to change their stance. It is not right to go against what you have agreed to,” he said.

The traditional leader wondered how Chief Macha, who was secretary of the conference of chiefs, and wrote the minutes as well as the resolutions, could all of a sudden make a U-turn on supporting President Banda.

“Chief Macha was secretary of the conference and he wrote that all the 41 of us agreed and supported the proceedings. I don’t remember anyone disagreeing. I don’t know why he had to change,” Chief Sinazongwe said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Two suspected criminals were during the Easter period stoned to death by a mob in Lusaka’s Kanyama compound while the other three managed to escape.

The suspected criminals wanted to robe a house in Kanyama compound but the owner of a house who was alert switched on the alarm and the neighbors rushed to the house for rescue and managed to apprehend two criminals who later were stoned to death.

Zambia Police spokesperson Ndandula Siamana disclosed the development to ZANIS in a telephone interview in Lusaka today.

Ms. Siamana said the two suspected criminals were identified as Kelvin Muyambango and Kelvin Sindengwe both aged between 30 and 35 years and their bodies are still lying in the mortuary.

Ms. Siamana said the general public has the right to arrest but not to take the law in their own hands by taking away people’s lives.

She has appealed to the general public to only arrest and take the suspects to the police.

Ms. Siamana disclosed that the police have since launched an investigation over the same incident to ascertain who were involved in the killing.

And 60 more people have been arrested by the Zambia Police Service in connection with last week’s riots in Mansa.

Inspector General of police Francis Kabonde has appealed to Mansa residents who were involved in the looting to surrender themselves to police.

After the riots the police recovered goods worth billions of Kwacha.

And Mr. Kabonde says the police has since written to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for consent to prosecute the 280 that were earlier arrested.

Intellectual property specialist Kingsley Nkonde says Zambia has made progress in reduced importation of counterfeit products.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Nkonde attributed this to government’s intensified awareness campaigns against counterfeit products’ importation.

He expressed his gratitude to government for its political will on counterfeit products.

The Intellectual property specialist revealed that as a result of the political will, only three percent of the imported products for are counterfeit.

Previously, 95 percent of imported Sumsung products in to Zambia were counterfeit.

Law enforcement agencies recently introduced the hologram on all Compact Disc as part of the identification of products, under the copyright Act.

ZANIS

COPPERBELT Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima has called on the Catholic Church leadership to rethink the re-admission of Get Involved Zambia executive director Frank Bwalya in conducting pastoral duties after ending his sabbatical leave.

Mr Mbulakulima challenged the Catholic Church leadership to dissociate itself from Father Bwalya’s activities by not allowing him to use the pulpit for his campaigns for the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

“I am a member of the Catholic myself, the former priest Father Bwalya, who is now Mr Bwalya has caused a lot of embarrassment to the Catholic Church and many Christians from other churches have also raised concern over his activities,” he said.

Mr Mbulakulima was reacting to Father Bwalya’s public announcement yesterday that his sabbatical leave which started in 2008 was over and that he would resume work as a priest while continuing his political activities.

“He has just accumulated a lot of embarrassment and the people will now start questioning the motive of the Catholic Church for allowing such a man, who is a full time politician to start using the church building for his fight against the Government which is based on hate for the MMD,” Mr Mbulakulima said.

Father Bwalya said during a Change Life Zambia public rally in Ndola, which was also broadcast live on Radio Cengelo, that it was now time for regime change and vowed to continue speaking out against the Government of President Rupiah Banda until the Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata takes over Government after the elections.

At the same function, Kabwata MP Given Lubinda announced that the PF would go ahead with the Parallel Vote Tabulation during this year’s elections.

But, Mr Mbulakulima advised Mr Lubinda, not to provoke the Government because he was not a factor and no serious Government official would be wasting time responding to all the rhetoric coming from him.

[Times of Zambia]