We are glad to anounce to the public that last week we received a very Big cheque from a wealthy Patriotic Front (PF) supporter to help us improve our struggling web site which of late has faced a huge onlaught of traffic from the increasing number of people that come to it.

 

We thought we owe it to our vistors to tell them the change in direction and how we are going to use the money, in the name of transparancy of course.

We have already started putting this money to work. There are actually a number of things that we have started fixing in the background. First of all, with this funding, we have re-designed the site for clear typography and visual clarity for the text of the stories we post. The current fonts are just too small and crumped for a lot of people and we expect to launch the site next weekend. With this funding from a wealthy PF supporter, we have managed to hire an expensive Tech Guru who has managed to fix our facebook page which has been an eyesore for many years. Thanks to this funding we have been able to fix our act on the face book page and the fan page as well. We shall now be able to consistently publish to facebook (www.facebook.com/lusakatimes) as we have been doing on our twitter site (www.twitter.com/lusakatimes/). With this PF funding, we have asked our tech guru to make sure that even comments that take place from twitter and facebook are imported into the conversations taking place on Lusakatimes so that all convesations are captured there. And our new motto concerning any News event will be “If it has Not been on LT, it has not been discussed”.

We shall also use this PF funding to introduce more categories and features because we have managed to secure a server with 10 times the capacity than we had before. Am sure some of you have noticed that we moved our server to Europe. So expect more services as soon as next week.

Obviously, let us not cheat ourselves or be naive about this. Two things are definite in life. First, everyone has an agenda: things are always given with strings attached. Secondly, everything is for sale as long as the price is right, have we sold our soul? Be the judge. The Funding from PF is too good to be true and so we have accepted their agenda and we want to advise our readers that this is what we shall offer PF in return for their hefty funding we have received.

First, staring from tomorrow all adverts will be removed as the funding covers for this cost and we don’t need ad revenue anymore. Instead they will be replaced with PF campaign material for elections 2011. Site will run campaigns for all 150 MPs with effect from tomorrow. Additionally, we shall introduce an editorials section where we shall write editorials in support of PF. No comments will be allowed on the editorials lest we offend our new masters. Editorials will not feature MMD President Rupiah Banda or UPND president HH , even for negative coverage because even bad publicity is publicity.

We shall also introduce a ‘letters to the editor section’ and ensure that all letters to the editors are in support of PF. Only letters to the editor critising President Rupiah Banda UPND President Haikainde Hachilema stand a chance of being considered for publication. Comments on letters to the editor will not be allowed as well.

All comments will be moderated to root out any anti PF comments. We need this funding and we can not afford to risk losing it.

We shall also not cover UPND president Hakainde Hachilema or Rupiah Banda and his government proganda from ZNBC, ZANIS, TIMES and ZAMBIA Daily Mail in the headline section. The only big headlines we shall run featuring HH or RB will be those discrediting or attacking the two.

That is the new world order people. Lastly, Oh, what is today’s date?

The Supreme Court has given Mufumbwe Member of Parliament, Eliot Kamondo seven days in which to file in a record of appeal.

This is in case in which Mr kamondo has appealed against the nullification of his election as MP.

Judge Muyinda made the order after passing a consent judgement to allow Mr. Kamondo’s lawyers file in the record of appeal outside court time.

He made the order on March 28th 2011 meaning that the record of appeal must be filed in by April 5th 2011.

However, one of Mr. Kamondo’s lawyers, Mwansa Mumba has indicated that the record is ready and will be filed in by tomorrow.

Mr. Kamondo, who appealed against a high court judgment, that nullified his election as Member of Parliament in December last year, was by law expected to file in the record of appeal within sixty days after lodging in his appeal to the Supreme court.

Following his non compliance to the stipulated time frame, Mr. Kamondo’s lawyers applied that they be allowed to file in the record out of court time.
[ MUVI ]

Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu has called for an immediate stop to the riotous behaviour among political rivals following yesterday’s clash between some suspected cadres belonging to the Patriotic Front (PF) and MMD in Lusaka.

The minister said it was dangerous to get involved in fights during an election year because the situation could easily degenerate into widespread violence.

Police yesterday quelled what could have led to a full-scale riot when some youths hurled stones and other missiles at one another in the city centre area, Kamwala and Villa Elizabetha near the Zambia Revenue Authority.

Inspector General of Police, Francis Kabonde said the patrol team had managed to prevent the situation from escalating by sealing off the trouble spots to disperse the riotous groups.

No injuries were recorded.Confusion started around 16:00 hours in Kamwala when the youth, who could not be properly identified, stoned people around the area and proceeded to the town centre where they met resistance from police officers.

There was confusion as people scampered in different directions for safety, while shops closed prematurely and motor vehicles took both lanes of Freedom Way to leave town.

Police patrol vehicles helped defuse the confusion when they deployed in potential trouble spots where the rowdy youth had attempted to fan more confusion.

MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu accused the PF of having started the riot while callers to 5FM Radio accused the MMD youths of being behind the confusion.

Mr. Nyangu said the MMD youths in Lusaka were at Capital Hotel holding a meeting and were being addressed by provincial chairperson William Banda at the time the riot erupted.

PF chairperson for local government Given Lubinda declined to comment on the matter.
[ Times of Zambia ]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s calls to dissolve parliament and early elections are baseless.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said in Lusaka on March 31 that Mr Sata should be the last person to challenge President Banda to dissolve parliament and call for early elections because the opposition leader has failed and betrayed the Zambian people by refusing to back the Constitution of Zambia Amandament Bill.

“President Banda is the only one who can set the date for elections. There is no need for all those processes Mr Sata is dreaming about,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the President is mandated to make decisions on governance issues and he would do just that.

“Mr Sata is dreaming and his dreams will not take him anywhere as he has failed to provide for the Zambian people. His plans to rule this nation are finished, no wonder he has started daydreaming,” he said.

He said Mr Sata should not blame President Banda because he (Mr Sata) has betrayed and failed the people. Gen. Shikapwasha said the Constitution is a national issue that needs input from all political parties and stakeholders.

He said Mr Sata has continued to display his bad leadership which is reflected in the behaviour of his members of Parliament in Parliament March 29’s voting on the Constitution Bill.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the loss on the Constitution of Zambia Bill is not a failure of the MMD government but a betrayal of Zambians.

Gen. Shikapwasha said Mr Sata has no powers or right to instruct President Banda to dissolve parliament and call for early elections.

He said the President has powers to make decisions at an appropriate time.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the failure by Mr Sata to provide good leadership cannot force President Banda to dissolve parliament

[Zambia Daily Mail]

President Rupiah Banda has said legitimate expectations of people from their respective governments should not be taken for granted.

President Banda said the upheavals in Northern Africa only show that people’s expectations from their governments should not be taken for granted.

Mr. Banda said it is for this reason that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region should continue to consolidate democracy through the establishments of institutions that uphold the tenets of democracy.

“We must therefore continue at the SADC level to consolidate democracy through the establishment of institutions that uphold the tenets of good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” he said.

He was speaking today when he officially opened a SADC Troika Summit on Defence and Security at the Zambezi Sun Hotel in Livingstone.

Mr. Banda, who is the current chairperson for the SADC Committee on Defence and Security, emphasized that the SADC region should therefore uphold the various international Laws and conventions under the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).

President Banda has since called upon the SADC Troika summit to revive life mechanisms such as the SADC Electoral Advisory Council, the SADC Reference Group and the Panel of Elders, whose establishment was approved at a summit in Windhoek, Namibia in August 2010.

“You will agree with me that SADC has come of age and should be able to help bring about home grown solutions where there is governance or indeed electoral disputes,” he said.

He expressed confidence that participants to the Troika summit will arrive at conclusive solutions that benefit the SADC region.

Mozambique President Armando Guebuza, South African President Jacob Zuma, his Namibian colleague Hifikepunye Pohamba, SADC Executive Secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao and other senior government officials from other SADC countries attended the summit.

ZANIS

Suspect Patriotic Front (PF) and the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) cadres clashed today at Kamwala and the Town center in Lusaka.

The cadres were allegedly fighting over the market stores at Kamwala.

Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) reports that Police were called in to calm the situation that was feared to turn into a riot.

All the shops at the Kamwala shopping centre were closed for fear of being looted.

The residents have since called on the Local government and Housing Minister to ensure that their is no politics at markets.

MMD Lusaka Province Chairperson William Banda denied that his members were not involved in the fracas that erupted today.
[ ZNBC ]

Long queues have formed at designated voter registration centres in Lusaka as the extended continuous mobile voter registration exercise comes to an end today.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announced the resumption of the continuous mobile voter registration exercise which commenced on 10th March and comes to an end today 31st March,2011, following the initial exercise which ended in November last year.

A check by QFM at some the designated registration centres found long queues of people trying to get their voters cards before the close of the exercise later today.

At Vera Chiluba Basic school in Helen Kaunda a long queue of enthusiastic people formed as they waited for their turns to get voters cards.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has stated that there will be no extension to the period for the issuance of voters cards once it comes to an end.

Vice president recently told parliament that the number of registered voters had by December 2010 increased to more than four million.
[ QFM ]

President Rupiah Banda has warned that Government would not condone any public service worker who would resist Private Sector reforms. Mr. Banda said Government’s wish was to effectively and efficiently facilitate the growth of the Private Sector in the country.

He added that all public officials must regard the Private Sector as valuable customers and should therefore fully support its role in the country’s economy. ZANIS reports that the President said this in Livingstone yesterday when he officially opened the 7th Zambia International Business Advisory Council (ZIBAC) meeting.

President Banda said Government wanted to make the business environment friendlier and that a number of decisions have since been implemented to further improve the investment climate and increase foreign investments.

‘’In addition, our overall ease of doing business ranking is now at 76 out of 183 countries. Last year, Zambia was recognised as one of the top ten reformers in the world. This is as a result of deliberate and concerted efforts by my Government to improve our investment climate,’’ he said.

He added that todate, 92 licences required to start business in the country have been eliminated, 43 reclassified and 13 amalgamated into four. He said as a result, the Private Sector had made savings of about K68.8 billion through the elimination of licences while an additional K76.5 billion had been saved through the reclassification of 38 local government business permits into a single business levy. Mr. Banda said Government, last year (2010) alone, attracted investments worth US$2 billion and 18,000 businesses were registered.

 

He said the theme of ZIBAC ‘’Investment for jobs and wealth creation’’ was a fitting reflection of the Government’s determination to attract quality investment into the country for the ultimate purpose of creating jobs and wealth for the people.

President Banda said Government had in the last decade recorded impressive economic growth alongside significant investment inflows. ‘’Zambia has in the last decade recorded impressive economic growth alongside significant investment inflows. The challenge we face however, is to translate this investment into jobs and wealth creation for all. I am sure you will agree with me that the best way to win the fight against poverty is to create quality jobs for our people and my Government is determined to do just that,’’ he said.

[pullquote]The challenge we face however, is to translate this investment into jobs and wealth creation for all. I am sure you will agree with me that the best way to win the fight against poverty is to create quality jobs for our people and my Government is determined to do just that,’’ he said.[/pullquote]

He noted that while foreign direct investment had resulted in new jobs for Zambians, the level of unemployment particularly amongst the youth was still a serious concern for the Government.
He said Zambia was a country with a youthful population for whom Government had to provide opportunities where the youths could either become entrepreneurs and subsequently become employers or employees as investments opened up more jobs for them.

Mr. Banda said Government was also investing in expanding the road and railway networks and trade facilitation infrastructure such as ultra-modern borders and weigh-in-facilities.
He said other developments includeded farm blocks, multi-facility economic zones and the optic fibre network. The President added that Government had the political will and commitment to further the reform process and would continue to do so in the future.

Speaking earlier, ZIBAC Chairman Lord Simon Cairns said the Private Sector and Government have to work together, if the poverty levels were to be reduced. Lord Cairns also called on Zambia and other African countries to seriously think of engaging in intra-trade among the countries on the continent.

He said there was need to enter into a painful adjustment of cooperating within the region and consequently entering into a free trade zone. He said Zambia had the huge potential of water for agriculture and therefore, she was capable of becoming a food basket in the region.

Lord Cairns said progress had been made in electricity power generation but noted that the country should not only become self sufficient in electricity but should also become a major exporter of the commodity in the region.

He however, bemoaned the fact that Zambia was not known in many fields as it should and added that the country’s economic successes were not broadly advertised.

ZANIS