The Patriotic Front (PF) leader, Michael Sata has maintained that the pact has not collapsed adding that it is still in existence.

Mr Sata said that the PF has not yet received any formal letter indication of the UPND’s withdrawal from the pact. He maintained that his party will comment on UPND’s purported decision to break away from the pact after it receives official notification from its partner.

“I don’t comment on gossip, I also just heard from the news that UPND has decided to break away but we have not received official documentation to that effect,” Mr Sata said.

The outspoken opposition leader also refused to comment on allegations by the UPND that the pact failed because of his party.

[MUVITV]

The Committee of Citizens has challenged Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata to tell the nation which part of the constitution or subsidiary legislation in Zambia allows Zambians to practice homosexuality.

Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire told a media briefing in Lusaka today that he has a recorded interview in which the Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata was discussing the legality of homosexuality in Zambia with delegates from Denmark.

Mr. Sata told the Danish media that there are laws in Zambia that recognise the existence of gays and lesbians.

Mr. Sata said there was need for Zambia to implement the laws regarding gays and lesbians in the country in line with what other countries had done.

He told a crew from Denmark recently which included Lene Winther and Thomas Duus that the laws had not been implemented and expressed displeasure that his stand on the gays and Lesbians had been used for propaganda.

“Some people are saying I am talking to you people because I want to bring back gays and I tell them that listen, the laws of Zambia recognise the gays. The laws of Zambia recognise the lesbians,” Mr Sata said.

Lene and Duus were in Zambia to investigate the impact of Chinese investment in Zambia and its value to the Zambian people.

Mr.Chifire has accused the PF leader of using the issue of embracing gay rights as an attempt to get funding from certain western countries that are pushing for constitutional recognition of gay rights in African countries.

Mr. Chifire has since called on the clergy in the country to immediately and strongly reprimand Mr. Sata for allegedly attempting to mortgage the country’s Christian values.

He says the clergy should give categorical statements on the dangers of Zambia accepting gay rights as they have a potential to destroy the moral fiber of society.

And Forum for Leadership Search executive secretary Edwin Lifwekelo says it is the duty of all leaders in the country to uphold Christian principles and values adding that Mr. Sata’s statement should not be condoned by any peace loving citizens.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa -COMESA-member countries have stepped up efforts to relax migration regulations.

COMESA Secretary General SINDISO NGWENYA says there is political will at a very high level in the region, to ensure that there is free movement of people among member countries.

Mr. NGWENYA says free movement of goods in the region should be complimented with free movement of people.

He however has pointed out that relevant measures to combat human trafficking should be taken into account.

Mr. NGWENYA was speaking in Lusaka on Monday at a meeting for Chief Immigration Officers for Comesa countries.

And Southern Dimension International Center for Migration Policy Development Director LUKAS GREHRKE said issues concerning migration governance require concerted efforts from various stakeholders.

ZNBC

Sources from the opposition party revealed last weekend that Mr Sata was under pressure from the Taiwanese Green Party to pay back about $30 million he had obtained to finance his election campaigns in 2006 and 2008.

Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata’s reckless borrowing of money showed his desperation for power.

“It actually shows that he is only interested in enriching himself, he uses the Zambian people as collateral to obtain loans.

“This should serve as a wake-up call to the Zambian people that he is not interested in moving this country forward. His quest for power is not about the people but himself,” Mr Chifire said.

He said it was wrong for the PF leader to use the country as a mortgage to obtain loans, and expressed sadness that a person aspiring for the highest office in the land was engaging in deceitful behaviour.
“He wants to sell the country to the highest bidder. Just imagine what would happen if by mistake he became president?” he said.

On Sunday, former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi confirmed that the PF leader had obtained a lot of money from the Taiwanese, which he used to finance the 2006 and 2008 campaigns.

Mr Chifire also challenged Mr Sata to state whether or not he told former United Transport and Taxis Association chairperson Willie Nsanda that his father was a Tanzanian and that he would help the Chimwemwe Member of Parliament (MP) change his identity to that of a Tanzanian.

Mr Nsanda, who is now PF’s chairperson for transport, was on November 15, 2001 quoted in the Times as having revealed that Mr Sata had approached and requested him to mobilise 600 men from bus stations to cause country-wide riots after second Republican president Frederick Chiluba left him out and picked the late president Levy Mwanawasa as MMD’s presidential candidate.
[ Times of Zambia ]

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested 71 people for alleged drug trafficking.

The commission has also seized 6.5 tonnes of cannabis.

Among those arrested is a 31 year old peasant farmer, Zakeyo Nkhoma and his wife Misozi of Kamoto village in chief Chinunda’s area in Chipata.

The couple cultivated five tonnes of fresh cannabis.

DEC Public Relations Manager, John Nyawali told ZNBC news in a statement that the couple was arrested for cultivating four hundred kilograms of the psychotropic substance.

Mr .Nyawali also disclosed that 27 year old Loyd Zulu of Kitwe’s Chimwemwe Township was arrested for trafficking in crack cocaine.

Meanwhile the commission has also arrested twin brothers Joseph and Evans Mwape from Chawama Township in Lusaka for possessing counterfeit US dollars.

The twins were found with 54 thousand US dollars of counterfeit notes.
[ ZNBC ]

National Movement for Progress Party (NMPP) Interim Secretary Logan Shemena has refuted claims that the party will form a pact with the Patriotic Front -PF.

The Party says it will not enter into pact with any political party because alliances have proved to be a failure in Zambia.

Mr. Shemena says at no time has his party met with the PF to discuss the possibility of an alliance.

Mr. Shemena was speaking in an interview with ZNBC news in Lusaka.

He has urged Zambians to disregard media reports that NMPP and the Patriotic Front (PF) are planning to form an alliance.

And PF Secretary General, Wynter kabimba could not comment on the matter.

Recently, the NMPP appointed Former Finance Minister Ngandu Mangande as interim president of the party.
[ ZNBC ]

The Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has accused government for trying to use underhand methods in the delimitation exercise of constituencies.

Mr. Sata has told QFM news that there is need for the government to explain its move to delimitate the constituencies.

Mr. Sata says the one million increase in the Zambian population does not justify the need to have more constituencies and that government should clearly indicate why the country should have its number of constituencies increased.

Government has initiated a consultative process on the delimitation exercise of constituencies.

This is line with the proposal that has been enshrined in the draft constitution on the need to have the number of constitution increased.

And the foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)to clearly give the state of affairs on the constituency delimitation exercise.

FODEP executive director McDonald Chipenzi says currently it is not clear when the ECZ intends to increase the number of constituencies.

Mr. Chipenzi has noted that there is need for ECZ to state whether delimitation exercise will be done before or after the elections.

He added that increasing the number of constituencies will also require expanding the seating capacity of parliament to accommodate the new Parliamentarians.
[ QFM ]

A Lusaka man, suspected to be in his mid-twenties, is feared dead after he jumped into a man-made dam in John Howard compound.

A MUVI TV news crew, which rushed to the scene found scores of people overwhelmed by the incident.

The residents told MUVI TV news that the unidentified man is believed to have decided to jump into the dam after a domestic dispute with his wife.

They added that after jumping into the dam, the man was later seen struggling to come out of the water but he later drowned.

By Press time, the man’s body had not yet been retrieved.

Meanwhile, former John Howard ward councilor, Musonda Mwaume has reiterated his call for an immediate closure of the respective dam.

Mr. Mwaume says when he was area councilor, he had demanded that government buries the dam, which was created through illegal stone quarrying.
[ MUVI ]

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) executive director, Alex Ng’oma has said the ruling MMD is highly tipped to win this year’s elections, especially with a fragmented opposition movement.

Dr N’goma, who is also a political scientist from the University of Zambia (UNZA) said in an interview in Lusaka that the opposition had degenerated and could not provide a formidable force against the MMD.

He said for any society to have a healthy democratic process, a strong opposition and a strong ruling party were inevitable but that given the current scenario, it was evident that the opposition was in disarray following the dissolution of the alliance between the United
Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF).

Dr N’goma said the fragmentation in the opposition had caused a serious weakness that would only work to the advantage of the ruling MMD.

Dr N’goma observed that there was no credible challenge for the ruling party in the general elections and this could mean that the ruling party was headed for outright victory.

He attributed the pact’s failure to the PF and UPND leaders’ failure to agree on harmonising their party manifestoes and a candidate to lead the opposition during elections.

“The opposition is too fragmented to provide a credible challenge for the MMD and this means that the ruling party is headed for victory because of a weak opposition currently in existence,” he said.

He advised the opposition leaders to avoid being selfish and place the interest of the electorate first.

He observed that the delays in announcing that the pact had failed was another contributing factor that created anxiety among members of the public and supporters in general.

At a Press briefing on Friday last week, the UPND officially announced its decision to pull out of the pact because it did not want to be part of a process that would endorse Mr Sata as Republican president, describing him as a dictator and mischievous politician.

Party vice-president for administration Richard Kapita said in the two years of interaction, the PF had failed to table a single document spelling out policies on how the country would be governed should the pact formed on June 4, 2009 assumed power.

[ Times of Zambia ]

Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata is reportedly under pressure from the Taiwanese Green Party (GP) to pay back close to US$ 30 million he is alleged to have gotten to finance his 2006 and 2008 campaigns in exchange for land.

Former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi confirmed in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata had obtained “millions of dollars” from the Taiwanese who he had promised to give some land if he won the elections.

“Yes I can confirm that Mr Sata collected millions from the Taiwanese. He had promised to give them some land in Luapula if he won the elections. He actually auctioned some land,” he said.

Mr Mumbi said the huge debts that the opposition leader had was the reason why he had become desperate for power.

He said it was sad that Mr Sata had auctioned the land even when he was not Republican president.

“Now that the funders have realised that he (Mr Sata) has no capacity to lead the country they are now demanding their money back,” he said.

He said the US$27, 000 dollars that was seized by South African authorities before the 2006 general elections was part of the money that the opposition leader was getting from the Taiwanese Green Party which has since lost elections.

“He used to collect the money from South Africa but the authorities in that country started following him and that is how they seized the money in 2006. Then he started using Malawi and he was also detected and even deported,” he said.

PF sources revealed in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata was under pressure to pay back the more than $30 million which he borrowed.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Sata and the opposition party’s spokesperson and secretary general Wynter Kabimba failed.
[ Times of Zambia ]

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says the way forward for his party is to continue to offer an alternative to the MMD.

He has no intention of forming a pact with the MMD but is willing to work with other opposition parties who share the ideals of his party.

Featuring on a pre-recorded interview with MUVI TV on the evening of March 13, Mr Hichilema said he has no intention of forming a pact with the MMD.

“The people of Zambia ought to choose a team of leaders which will create jobs and business opportunities, especially for young people. We need to employ youths,” he said.

Mr Hichilema said he had learnt a lesson from the Patriotic Front-UPND pact, that people form alliances for different reasons.

“I thought we were all looking forward to serving the Zambian people but I was wrong. At some point, I was told that in Africa, policies don’t really matter, that politicians are more interested in positions,” he said.

“I was told that positions had to be shared quickly in the PF-UPND because that was what mattered most,” he said.

On accusations that UPND is a tribal party, Mr Hichilema said this is a smear campaign by those who have nothing to offer the Zambian people.

“This is an excuse used by people who are trying to bring down others in politics. Those, who preach tribalism unnecessarily cross the line. Nobody chooses to be who they are,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]